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Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Pub date October 24, 2020

ISBN 9780648850120

Price $15.99 (USD) Paperback, $3.99 Kindle edition

Author interview

Set in 2059 in a dystopian near-future, Duncan searingly examines religious dogma, colonization, and environmental catastrophes in his excellent series kicker in The Soteria Trilogy. It’s 2059, and the air on earth is toxic, forcing people to live in underground bunkers. The Humanist Union is ruling Soteria. The citizens are just numbers in their books, forced into slavery and religion. Struggling with the dreary existence of living under the dictatorial government, the approaching compulsory Marriage Lottery proves to be the last straw for 21-year-old Tyson Anderson. Leaving behind the security of his underground dwelling, Tyson sets on to escape the confining walls of Soteria. As his path crosses with 24-year-old Brie Kallas, who is also on run from the Union, he realizes that there are no safe places where the pressures of betrayal, death threats, and rejection aren’t felt and freedom comes at a great price. With touches of SF thriller, Duncan weaves an emotionally charged narrative in which the action is relentless, the revelations unravel at a steady pace, and devastating, believable dystopian worldbuilding alternates with poignant scenes portraying stirring human emotions.

First in the series, this fascinatingly absorbing tale raises readers’ hopes for the next installment.