She begged him to kill her. He can’t “[feel] like an action adventure movie!”A Dystopian Urban Fantasy The resistance needed an opportunity. The hurricane provided the distraction they hoped for. With very little time and a need for total secrecy, he can’t help the woman in the cage… until he learns who she is. Can they escape in the allotted time?Desperate times have come to Emma Maya Ando’s … time?
Desperate times have come to Emma Maya Ando’s country. A totalitarian regime with no tolerance for deviation has marginalized thousands. Neither physical exceptionality nor freedom of thought has a place. All is conformity. But Maya doesn’t conform, and time is running out on her ability to conceal her condition. Can Maya find a cure before she is swept up in a purge… or will she take her secret to the grave?
more
Freedom is something that a lot of people, especially in stable Western countries, take for granted. We tend to think that freedom has always been a feature of our life and our society, and that it will continue to be here for us. “Vortexes” is a reminder that freedom is something that has to be fought for in each generation. While this book is a dystopian fantasy, it addresses real issues, such as the ones that were faced by people who lived in Hitler’s Germany, people who lived in the USSR, and people who live under oppressive regimes today — there are plenty of those still left in the world. Good story, interesting plot twists, and a thought-provoking message.
Very clever book.
On one level it is a fast-paced, exciting but simplistic story about a small group of resistant fighters causing disruption to the totalitarian government. The story is easy to follow and the writing style is highly readable and allows the story to flow along at a good pace. The government’s preoccupation with creating a pure race and eliminating everyone who may be a burden to society is both a nod to past regimes and to some present-day policies. The characters are a little one-dimensional with a clear demarcation between the goodies and baddies.
I was very impressed with the authors understanding of controlling the media, silencing the opposition and controlling through fear and her ability to get this across within a story without appearing to preach. This gives a hidden depth to the story that makes the reader stop and think while drawing parallels with current events. I loved this aspect of the read.
The book ends on an uplifting note – if only real day politics could be resolved so easily!
Very enjoyable read with an interesting theme.
I love books that begin by dropping you right into the thick of things and Vortexes by Holly Barbo does just that. It’s clear the author put her all into crafting this thought-provoking plot. There’s a great cast of characters (Her Eminence was my favorite) and plenty of twists which made it hard to put down. Highly recommended. 4.5/5 stars
I thought this was a really well-written thriller, good pace and really good plot line.
The characters are interesting and you want to root for Emma all the way.
Hitler inspired bad guys have you cheering on the resistance!
I received this book as an ARC
Barbo captured me once again with Vortexes.
Her ability to write fiction influenced by current events/social issues is the readers reward.
Maya becomes able to travel not in time but from place to place as a side effect of her brutal treatment at the hands of a cruel group of leaders of what has become a country of citizens completely duped.
Her resistance to the corrupt regime grows from passive to active by using her newfound skills.
The author surprises us often with her wonderful imagination and her finely honed writing skill.
Just enough fantasy blends with the realism of what a nation could become when power and greed are allowed to run amuck.
I hope Holly Barbo continues to write and entertain and inspire readers with many more books.
High energy page turner.
Reading Vortexes was like experiencing a well-crafted action-adventure-suspense-thriller movie. Set in a dystopian environment, the story tracks the movements of a small group of principled citizens doing their best to resist a totalitarian government that threatens their existence and the existence of anyone who even speaks up against it. The story includes just enough of a science fiction twist to add an extra creative dimension.
Here are some of the reasons I enjoyed it:
(1) Balance. The author strikes the perfect balance for me between setting/context descriptions and dialog/action. She sets a clear scene and keeps the story moving without falling into the literary trap of long descriptive narratives that tempt me to skip ahead. In this story, I found critical dialog and action happening virtually all of the time, and I didn’t want to miss any of it.
(2) Real characters. Well-developed characters make a book come alive for me, and by the time I was part-way into the book, I was emotionally connected with the characters – both those I came to like and those I came to detest.
(3) A clever, engaging story. The author spins a tale that pulled me in right from the start. I never guessed where it was going next, and I found myself surprised clear through to the end.
(4) More than just another novel. While this book can be read and enjoyed solely as an action, adventure, suspense, thriller, or even sci-fi novel, there is important further depth to this author’s creation. The story takes place in what appears to be a future dystopian society, yet the similarities between the story’s backdrop and today’s political events are disturbingly close. While it’s easy to think that totalitarian societies are a thing of the past or “will never happen here,” the author skillfully shows us how close we may be to the kind of society that most of us probably thought could never be. Read from that angle, Vortexes is an important warning about the dangers our society and our world currently face.
Highly recommended.
I was given an advance review copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.
I’m quickly becoming a fan of dystopia science fiction so I absolutely adored this book. It started off with a bang, pulling the reader in with a sequence of action. At first, it was confusing since I wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but when things started to fall in place, and some of my questions were answered, I found it was difficult to put down. Emma was a curiosity and so was Maya.
Besides the wonderful characters and interesting world, the number of topics that this book tackled were also fantastic. As the summary suggests, it definitely does feel like an action adventure movie.
As a fan of the dystopian genre, I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building choices made by the author. In a realistic near future plagued by an openly neo-nazi dictatorship, a single sci-fi element provides the Resistance with the much needed ammo they need in their uphill fight. Elements of family drama add more nuance to the characters, whose morality is more often ambiguous than absolute. This is a complete novel with a definite ending that will leave you satisfied.
I was craving something different. I came across this title and I have to say this was exactly what I was looking for. In my opinion, this books has all pros. This book is clear, easy to read, fast paced, well written, awesome characters, thrilling and was exactly what I needed. After reading this I will enjoy what freedom I have.
Had me hook one page one!
Holly Barbo creates a intriguing dystopian fantasy. This timely tale captivates the reader. It is not simply entertaining, it is thought provoking.
A dystopian paranormal story with echoes of Hitlers Germany and the creation of the master race. Dark at times the story follows the resistance fighters of the era as good struggles to over come evil. An interesting concept that highlights issues of the real world in a supernatural context. A wide range of interesting characters converge to over throw the Wolf.
This was an excellent, if disturbing, story that echoed the German arrogance of the ‘master race’, that gene purity was essential, thus eliminating all else. Though why they thought ‘they’ were elite, I don’t know…can only be arrogance tinted by insanity and ignorance.
It’s brilliantly told, fast-paced with a great writing style (despite the need for proofreading). It was all about the story rather than that in-depth character development, however, it was extremely well done.
It tackles themes such as power, control of media, eradication of ‘certain people’ and more. It also has an element of fantasy, which was cleverly done.
Overall, a suspense-filled dystopian fantasy with fabulous storytelling.
Highly recommended.