From the get-go I was reminded of a direct mix of [b:Nexus|13642710|Nexus (Nexus, #1)|Ramez Naam|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347149654s/13642710.jpg|19257521] and [b:Europe in Autumn|18143945|Europe in Autumn|Dave Hutchinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1382971951s/18143945.jpg|25491267].

This isn't a bad thing. I love neurotech and transhumanist stories and love spy fiction couched as Courriers. So based on nothing more than the blurb and a Netgalley interest, I tore through this book and quite enjoyed it.

Who doesn't like to do clandestine data handoffs through their blood, become invisible to all sensors, or otherwise erase your identity in favor of being a hardcore member of a spy network in a futuristic Earth city under a dome with archeological layers of city life within? You know, with the poor down below and the rich up above?

Uh, right. That doesn't sound too good, even if direct mind-to mind linking is possible and it encourages a level of intimacy unheard of except among full telepaths. Or the wild virtual games that are better than life. Unfortunately, the haves and the have-nots take up the crux of the novel.

I thought it was going to be more about intimacy avoidance and layers of consciousness and identity, and there was a lot of that, but most of it revolved around economics, re-terraforming our own planet, and other dystopian stuff. I liked the early spy stuff quite a bit more than the later stuff. :)

All in all, it was a very enjoyable mix of tech and the future vision of dystopia with a bit of romance, rebellion, and funky spy-stuff. :) Quite decent for what it is: some fluff, some angst, great tech, and an overarching idea. :) ( )

You don’t need to imagine a science fiction future where information is such a valuable resource that it has to be encrypted to move it safely between A and B, as that’s what we have now. You also don’t need to imagine that corporate espionage and hackers might be after their rivals’ trade secrets and will go to any lengths to get them. However, in a world where all communications channels can be intercepted and there are infrastructure blackspots that cables won’t provide a service to, the science fiction next step is a city where a service exists to transport information encrypted and injected into people, athletic and smart couriers.

To set a context, the city the author has based the action is an urban dystopia. There’s a class system which builds a lot of resentment (reminds me of the film Demolition Man) and the people are all trapped for generations with their overcrowding, jealousies, tech-crime and self-interested governors because the outside world has a climate so poor that planet Earth itself is being terraformed to bring itself back to Earth-like habitation standards. The other area of separation is technological, with the majority of the population of the domed bio-refugium (one of several domed cities) having implanted upgrades and those who have not simply putting up with their lack of access to services, jobs and information.

There’s a Logan’s Run feel to this story. Most people seem to be in their 20s and 30s, all feel trapped and look forward to the day they can get away and there’s a hint that something more is going on behind the scenes and that the authorities are keeping important facts from the public. Certainly it’s in the interests of the system to keep everyone inside the dome because the whole control, system relies on the population not being able to walk away. Why would it be in the rulers’ interests to work toward making that possible, just because it’s what everyone expects?

Having a job where people mess with your blood is a pretty disgusting idea, so there would have to be a pretty good reason why you would consent to do something like that. You’d think it would be money but a different reason is supplied in convincing style, then there’s a sort of induction phase followed by the meat of the adventure. Essentially, the characters go through a series of parkour chases through a large, commuter-filled city, switching routes, losing tails and trying to move fast but stay inconspicuous. The story covers this really well and provides some hair-raising chase sequences that are really enjoyable to read.

Of course, inevitably, the protagonist gets involved in an assignment that nudges her out of her depth and then just about every interested party seems to be hunting her down as a renegade. Run rabbit, run rabbit, run run run.

The science fiction angle is there but not too heavy, so this is more of an exciting hunt and chase adventure with a sinister plot that needs to be exposed or it’ll drive the reader cray trying to guess what it could be. The story-telling skill of this author is pretty good, so you become unaware of the narrator and fall into the scene, almost flexing your legs and tying up your running shoes in case it’s you next. There’s also the dream fantasy of leaving your whole life behind, going incognito and then being the heroine, fit, fast and the girl everyone wants to catch, deciding who she’s going to allow to catch her.

It’s a smashing adventure, slightly squirmy with the blood encryption thing but even so I thought it was a wild ride, super fun, just crazy enough to be credible and an idea that could easily transfer to film someday. They say that when you do sports you get a rush of endorphins. Well, this book gives you that same feeling and you never even have to roll out from under the comfy pillow pile. ( )