As the old world burned, the elite departed to colonise space in search of a new home. Most of the human species perished on earth’s surface, but a protected few remained. Many generations passed without question, but now suspicions are starting to rise. Follow the story of Maz and her best friend Hap, as a chance encounter with a stranger lures them into a mission to decide the future of … humankind.
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Killer Domes and the Chosen One by Gibbo Gibbs is an excellent dystopian tale. It is also a quick read.
Will the Chosen One prevail?
Maz
Maz is our point of view character. How to describe her? Maz is highly intelligent, bossy, bald, and good at created virtual worlds. OK, the bald part isn’t nice but is accurate as all the dome dwellers are bald. It seems to have to do with their daily reboots. Oops! I’m not sure it is a spoiler. Maz wants to learn about things that are forbidden, but she doesn’t want to break the rules. She is a little sneaky.
Things that I like about Maz, once she is out of the dome, she grows into her own. I think she will be a good-hearted character.
Mitch
The Chosen One is Mitch. The dome that he lived in is now being disrupted by the ash-bots, or is it? Mitch feels his purpose is to bring the dome dwellers from his dome out into the sun and start a new civilization. Yes, he has that more superior than thou persona. At times, he is a jerk. However, Mitch has only one friend, a reformed ash-bot named Logan. Logan does what Mitch asks him to do and is continually watching over Mitch. I thought Logan was creepy from the start, but I will let you decide that for your self.
Mitch is in a relationship with Sanbon, the daughter of the out-of-the-domes people. However, Mitch doesn’t know much about emotions and has a hard time choosing the right path when it comes to Sanbon.
The World
The dome idea was a good one, and it’s purpose and process are well thought out. Each individual is given a “pod” or room, with a bed and what is needed. Minimalist is the way I pictured it. Their basic needs are all met, from individualized nutrition, body care, and daily reboots to rid them of emotions. The one thing that they have forgotten is “free will.” Free will is where Mitch comes in, or is it?
Four Stars
I liked the story, and therefore I am giving Killer Domes and the Chosen One four stars. The character growth is spectacular, the snippy comments and the big egos are all fun to watch unfolding. If you are looking for a quick read with that touch of fantasy, this is a good book for you.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Killer Domes and the Chosen One by Gibbo Gibbs.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
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Gibbs has created a colorful, if at times confusing, dystopian set in a post-apocalyptic setting. I appreciated that the author does just enough world-building to keep readers from being completely lost in this new world but we don’t get bombarded with insane amounts of detail. Instead, readers are treated to an interesting POV from Maz who thinks she is the hottest thing since sliced bread. Maz’s elitism stops just short of grating, thankfully, but honestly, my favorite character was Hap. His head is a bit in the clouds, but his clueless behavior made me laugh out loud on a number of occasions. The poor guy just wants to impress Maz!
The ending is set up nicely for a second book and I’m curious to see where the story goes. This is a solid debut novella and I definitely recommend it for a quick, engaging read particularly for readers looking to get their feet wet before jumping into the science fiction scene headfirst!
*In the interest of full disclosure, I actually have read this little sci-fi novella twice. The first time I read it using KU this Fall and then put off my review. I then received a post-edit review copy, generously sent by the author.