Mortal Chaos: Deep Oblivion by Matt Dickinson

Mortal Chaos: Deep Oblivion by Matt Dickinson
Buy Mortal Chaos: Deep Oblivion by Matt Dickinson at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Nigethan Sathiyalingam
Summary: Just as fast-paced as the original, Deep Oblivion gives us more breakneck action and some shocking catastrophes, but it also feels a little forced and it is difficult to feel a connection to the characters.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 299	Date: July 2012
Publisher: Oxford University Press
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0192757159
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Based on the concept that something as small as the beating of a butterfly's wings can set in motion an intricate series of interconnected events, involving people around the globe, Deep Oblivion narrates a day in the life of a security guard, a homeless girl, a fireworks expert, a cruise ship captain, a monk, a missionary, a brutal military commander, and a couple of professional thieves, all of whom are somehow linked. Those who are familiar with the series know that it ends with a massive pay-off, and you will not be disappointed by the chaos and destruction of the conclusion. Many characters die, and even among those who survive very few are left unchanged.

Although the site of the main catastrophe was never in doubt, it was fun trying to predict how the author would take us there. In the end, everything slotted together in an unpredictable and shocking manner, to create an intense finish to the story. However, the connections between the individual stories are a little forced at times, and aren't particularly meaningful. Furthermore, some of the smaller interlocking stories lacked realism, which ended up deadening the impact of the conclusion; for the seemingly inconsequential chain of events causing a destructive catastrophe to be really impressive, the chain of events has to be more believable.

The rapidly alternating narrative is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is part of what makes the book so hard to put down, as so many stories being built-up simultaneously means readers are forced to keep their attention firmly on the novel. However, it also has the effect of making the book read like a portfolio of newspaper articles, which have been cut up and mixed together. I found myself rushing through the story, eager to see what happened next, but my interest in the fate of the characters was purely superficial, due to a distinct lack of emotional resonance.

Although I wasn't a huge fan of the plotting, the narrative itself flows really well and complements the fast pacing. I particularly enjoyed the bits of dark, dry humour subtly incorporated into the narrative.

Thanks to the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

For those who enjoyed Deep Oblivion the first book in the series is definitely worth reading if you haven't already. If you're into the whole cause and effect thing, then you will love TimeRiders: Day of the Predator by Alex Scarrow, which has a well thought-out time travel element inside a thrilling action packed story.

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