Audiobook Review – Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller, Narrated by Vikas Adam (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic/Cyberpunk
Length: 10 hours and 23 minutes
Publisher: HarperAudio
Release Date: April 17, 2018
ASIN: B078X2S4WX
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable feat of mechanical and social engineering, complete with geothermal heating and sustainable energy. The city’s denizens have become accustomed to a roughshod new way of living; however, the city is starting to fray along the edges – crime and corruption have set in, the contradictions of incredible wealth alongside direst poverty are spawning unrest, and a new disease called “the breaks” is ravaging the population.
When a strange new visitor arrives – a woman riding an orca, with a polar bear at her side – the city is entranced. The “orcamancer”, as she’s known, very subtly brings together four people – each living on the periphery – to stage unprecedented acts of resistance. By banding together to save their city before it crumbles under the weight of its own decay, they will learn shocking truths about themselves.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this, it is a bit of an odd book. Originally you hear from a bunch of different POVs that don’t seem to be related. I enjoyed the setting though and how the story ends up coming together.
We hear from a number of different POVs throughout the book. There are four main ones I think. All of these people live in a city that floats in the ocean in the Arctic Circle. After horrible climate events, this city is one of the remaining places to escape to and live. Unfortunately, a new disease called “the breaks” is tearing through the population. People with the breaks start to disassociate with reality and have mental confusion as they see past events through other people’s eyes.
Initially we are just following these characters through their day to day lives but then a woman riding an orca appears and as she starts to integrate herself into events around the city, it brings together the people whose POV we are reading from in an intriguing way.
I loved the post-apocalyptic setting that blends both cyberpunk elements and climate change crisis elements. The cyberpunk elements are definitely there in the bleakness of the city, the body modifications, and the general despair of the populace. I also really enjoyed how the different story threads, that at first seem unrelated, tie together so well in the end.
Weak points of the story for me were the characterization and pacing. I didn’t love these characters and I struggled to engage with them, but they were still interesting. The story starts slow and is a bit confusing at first but really picks up pace at the end. I am glad I stuck with this to the end.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was very well done (Adam is a great narrator). Oh and I love the cover for this book, it really grabs your attention and embodies the feel of the story well.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this book. The unique setting, cyberpunk elements, climate crisis elements, and plague elements were well done. I enjoyed how all the different story threads came together in the end. This was a bit weak on characterization and the pacing was sluggish in the beginning but picked up towards the end. I would recommend to those who enjoy strange post-apocalyptic cyberpunk reads…or are just looking for something a bit different to pick up.
