Ascendant Unrest
Ascendant Unrest (Faded Skies #2) Book TWO of the Faded Skies by Matthew S. Cox Curiosity Quills Press Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 24 Jul 2018
Review
Matthew S Cox returns to the world he created in Ascendant in his second novel - Ascendant Unrest. His newest novel exceeds the high expectations set by his debut. Ascendant Unrest is a fantastic science fiction novel. Not only is the world rich in detail and history, his characters have emotional depth, and he does a convincing job with both the adults and the children and how their lives and personalities have been shaped by their world.
Maya tried to change the world, but while there have been some changes in how the Authority treats nons, Ascendant is still powerful, and Maya’s mother is still in control. All appears to have settled down, but soon after Gemma departs on a job, mercenaries try to kidnap Maya and Sarah, injuring Sarah’s father in the process. It quickly becomes clear that Ascendant has not forgotten Maya, and that more than one faction has plans that require her either in hand or dead.
Matthew S Cox is one of the best science fiction authors I’ve encountered in some time. Yes there is plenty of action, but more than that, his novels immerse the reader in a believable near future world, filled with characters shaped by their pasts and the world they live in. There is darkness, but as in life there is humor and there is hope. I highly recommend Ascendant and Its sequel Ascendant Unrest.
5 / 5
I received a copy of Ascendant Unrest from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
— Crittermom
Description
Ascendant Unrest is the second installment of the Faded Skies Two weeks after Maya tried to change the world, little has changed. Little, except for a nine-year-old’s building fear that her ex-mother’s revenge waits around every corner. When her face appeared on every still-working video monitor along the Eastern Seaboard, streaming her plea and her evidence all over the planet, she thought they’d won, but her fairy tale dream died. The Authority did not become noble overnight, no longer simple thugs for Ascendant. Her ex-mother did not face punishment for her crimes. The lack of any retribution, or even any effort on the part of the Brigade to hide her, only fans the flames of her worry. To make matters worse, her best friend Sarah is hiding a painful secret. Maya’s fears come to fruition in the middle of the night. In a hail of gunfire, she flees into the dangerous streets of the Habitation District, rife with dosers, street gangs, corrupt Authority officers, chased by an unknown enemy worse than Ascendant. They don’t want to kidnap her―they want her dead.