Liberty Bound

Category: Fiction - Dystopia
Author: Nathaniel M Wrey
Publisher: Waterman Books
Publication Date: May 1, 2020
Number of Pages: 345
ISBN-10: 1916370500
ISBN-13: 978-1916370500
ASIN: B087YXKKT3

In a dystopian world subjected to draconian laws, an unlikely hero sets out to unravel the corruption and evil of a government that oppresses its people in Liberty Bound by Nathaniel M Wrey. Finbarl is a guard who protects the town of Athenia. He is one of those who believe strongly in the system, and keeping people safe is more than a job for him. It is a vocation. He starts questioning the system he has dedicated his life to serving when he is manipulated into lying for a mother to be convicted. As he begins to take in the lies and the corruption in the system, he gradually begins to be appalled by the stakes, knowing that everything has been what he has thought. Follow him on a journey to fight for his freedom and the freedom of others through a ruthless system. But what chances does he have?

Nathaniel M Wrey creates a world that absorbs readers, a setting that is nothing but the remnants of what once used to be civilization. Athena is a city that stands on dangerous land, threatened by wild creatures, animals that have human form, and supernatural abilities. The system is structured to protect the lives of citizens. At least, that is what everyone is made to believe, and those who break the law are set free as punishment. This means they are freed for them to roam and to survive in a world filled with danger. The sophistication in the setting and the social and political norms of this society qualifies the author's work as one of pure genius. While it is futuristic, the narrative doesn’t lack the realism and humanity that speak powerfully to contemporary readers. The characters are nuanced, the prose exquisite and featuring vivid descriptions and social commentaries that provide compelling images of the dystopian world. Liberty Bound is a rich, wild book that is as involving as an adrenalized journey towards freedom. While it is packed with pulse-pounding moments, it never lacks occasions that compel readers to think about society, humanity, and what it means to be truly free. For a debut novel, it is deftly plotted, twisty, and utterly engaging.

Reviewed By: Daniel Rhodes

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Date: October 1, 2021

Sci-Fi & Fantasy