Veiled Sun (Tomorrow’s Edge #2)
by Brett Armstrong
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Dystopian
Release Date: January 21st 2020
Clean Reads
Summary:
AD 2040: Every day the world slips further into lies. Seventeen-year-old Elliott knows that better than most. Project Alexandria is rewriting history, shaping the world according to sinister goals. To stop it, Elliott must assemble the “Veiled Sun”, a secret program written by his grandfather. The only people he can count on are siegers—outlaws who use their coding skills for purposes almost as nefarious as Project Alexandria. Overcoming the schemes and betrayals all around him, he’s the world’s best hope to save reality, if he doesn’t lose hold of it himself.
Veiled Sun by Brett Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
This is a completely clean, Christian book, and for those who love fantasy and dystopian fiction, this book is for you! There is nothing inappropriate in the book, and the gospel is definitely included within the story. I will say that since this is book two, I recommend reading book one as well. I felt like I was a bit lost without reading the first book in the series, but that does not affect my rating of the book overall.
I have never read a dystopian Christian book, and I was very happy to take the opportunity to read this book. It is a bit lengthy for a young adult book, but the action moves right along to keep your attention. I genuinely appreciated the fact that the author began with a quote from literature (much Shakespeare and C.S. Lewis) that introduces each chapter.
Now, I am not a massive fan of dystopian novels, but I honestly cannot complain much about this one. I liked the way it was written, and the characters were great. It didn’t keep my interest as much as other books in the genre, but I think it is one of those books that requires more than a cursory read. If this is one of your preferred genres, I suggest you check out for yourself.
In A.D. 2039, a prodigious seventeen year old, Elliott, is assigned to work on a global soft-ware initiative his deceased grandfather helped found. Project Alexandria is intended to provide the entire world secure and equal access to all accumulated human knowledge. All forms of print are destroyed in good faith, to ensure everyone has equal footing, and Elliott knows he must soon part with his final treasure: a book of Shakespeare’s complete works gifted him by his grandfather. Before it is destroyed, Elliott notices something is amiss with the book, or rather Project Alexandria. The two do not match, including an extra sonnet titled “Day Moon”. When Elliott investigates, he uncovers far more than he bargained for. There are sinister forces backing Project Alexandria who have no intention of using it for its public purpose. Elliott soon finds himself on the run from federal authorities and facing betrayals and deceit from those closest to him. Following clues left by his grandfather, with agents close at hand, Elliott desperately hopes to find a way to stop Project Alexandria. All of history past and yet to be depend on it.
Sun Excerpt
They formed the death date on his uncle’s gravestone. A little circle swirled
in the display’s center. The device background shifted from a dark sky to a
flat black backdrop and a bold NSA logo in the middle. Just below it was a
single app. The device selected it on its own.
a video began playing. Or rather, not quite a true video, but a system view
where a video player was part of a console of some sort.
PSM—20391121070345998 beginning.”
Lara would easily hear from where she stood several feet away.
below the video feed.
Subject — Parsons, Shane Matthew.
Number: 3
Facilitator: Amar, Hain Aaron
Interrogation
2039-11-21 19:04:12.483 EST.”
feed showed Agent Amar, wearing a burgundy dress shirt and dark suit sitting
down opposite Elliott’s roommate, Shane. His best friend.
came into sharp focus. He was shaking and looked haggard. Dark circles were
under his eyes and his face was pale. A dark welt ran along his jawline.
done to you?
table in front of him. “Welcome back to the real world, Mr. Parsons. Your last
session was quite illuminating.”
room with an anxious energy.
contact with wanted fugitives Elliott Calhoun and John McIntyre. Correct?”
Subject’s blood pressure and heart rate elevated.”
fingers on the table. As if struck, Shane winced and said, “I did.”
said that.”
tapped it.
Retrieving experience index for Parsons, Shane Matthew last simulation.”
been pleased with whatever the report said. “Yet, we have records of a call
from Mr. Calhoun to you hours before your apartment complex burned down. What
was your roommate calling you about?”
Subject sweating profusely. Previously observed nervous tics commenced. Advise
continuation of question line.”
time we had you in, you said he just called about pizza. Was it about dinner
again? Was it to let you know he wouldn’t be back for a few days?”
tensed posture.
record that he didn’t call you?”
pizza!”
holding to your story?”
Subject heart rate spike. Evidence of adrenal flight response. Advise agent
caution. Approved use of aggression to restrain subject as necessary.”
didn’t call. I’m not a traitor.”
Calhoun to confirm your suspicions?”
“Uh, yeah! The week he disappeared. I saw him trying to go into another
apartment unit. He was acting a little weird.”
anything else?”
leading up to it. Which is weird, because he never really called before.”
being violent or unstable?”
campus or personal life?”
Subject blood pressure and pulse normalizing. Maximum window of cooperative
communication reached.”
program for plagiarizing some artist’s work.”
I called her looking for him and heard another guy on the phone. It was kind of
late, so you know…”
aware Ms. Hopewell has been missing for roughly as long as Mr. Calhoun?”
table in listless circles. Biting his lip, he said, “No. No, I wasn’t.”
you’ve been reluctant to share, before now?”
Subject heart rate fluctuating. Polygraphic assessment initiated.”
never would have thought…Yeah. He called me a while back. Wanted some cash
and a ride out of state. Said he’d messed things up.”
meant he had trouble with Lara.”
Subject polygraphic examination complete. Verified as truthful statements.
Subject confessed to aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive. Notifying booking
staff and cell unit of impending arrest.”
table with a slow purposeful gait. Shane just stared at the table, his
expression haunted. Once behind Shane, Amar slipped out a pair of cuffs. In a
quick series of moves, he pushed Shane’s head down into the table, grabbed both
hands, and cuffed them behind his back. “Shane Parsons, you’re under arrest for
aiding and abetting a known traitor to the United States. You have the right to
remain silent—”
drowned out by Shane wailing and thrashing. Another system note chimed in, but
it too was lost in the shrieks. Just before Shane was drug out of the room by
trio of brutish looking officers, he shouted, “He’s the traitor! I’ll tell you
anything. Get him! Get him!”
where he was with as much easing as crashing into a brick wall. He felt as if
his entire torso had imploded.
Lara standing there, teary eyed. One hand was still held out as if to say,
“Easy, easy.”
to get ahold of his suddenly jagged breathing. “They turned him against me,” he
said. “Those things he said. They’re not even true.”
head against his chest. “He was just protecting himself. Or thought he was,”
she soothed.
Somehow they made him believe it.”
About the Author
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