Chronosphere: Malfunction by Alex Woolf
| Chronosphere: Malfunction by Alex Woolf | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: John Lloyd
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| Summary: The second volume of this futuristic series sees the heroes learn more of where they're spending their time-suspended lives... | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 240 | Date: September 2011 |
| Publisher: Book House | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781907184567 | |
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The ideal paradise of life inside the Chronosphere isn't supposed to be like this. If you're like Raffi and his friends you're spending a year inside, which only takes a minute of real life, enjoying a hedonistic, summery lifestyle with time on your hands and little cares. Except it's getting more than summery, it's a hothouse; the food is running out; the exits are locked; and people are rioting and fighting amongst each other as tempers fly and people sicken and feel the end of their happiness. But then, if you're like Raffi and his friends, you are actually unknowingly there for a much more sinister reason, and someone's "project" is about to get much less Utopian.
This second book in the series could be counted as self-contained, as there's a handy recap. A little unfortunately, the style Woolf adopts is more noticeably tell not show than it was first time around, and periods here make us feel we're reading a newspaper rather than a novel. There's even a bit of exposition repeated midway, when the mood of the piece switches from the creation of the dystopia (fluid, concise, entertaining) to the subterranean action that will take Raffi et al nearer than they'd wish to the reasons for the Chronosphere's existence, and its founders.
This however is just as fluid, concise and entertaining, and the action scenes are as capable of engaging just as are the weirder elements of the time-distorting facets of the Big Bad's activities. There are new locations, new time-based weaponry, and a different attitude overall than I was expecting even at the midway stage.
Which highlights the fact that some of Woolf's tiny flaws from the first book have vanished, to be replaced by others. You could easily say the grotty, violent world established over a hundred pages serves no purpose for the rest, and would have provided for a full episode in the ongoing series on its own. It isn't enough to drive the heroes and heroines underground as they do indeed go, and what they find there would be relishable spread over more books - it's surprising where this one goes.
But while there's a sense this doesn't fulfil the promise of the debutante author of just months ago and the first volume, it remains a pleasant surprise. I must thank the publishers for my review copy.
Another future action/dytopia can be read about in Gamerunner by B R Collins.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Chronosphere: Malfunction by Alex Woolf at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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Alex Woolf was kind enough to be interviewed by Bookbag.
