-By Soul Soul Sword-
Genre- Thriller, Sci-fi
Rating- 5/5
Imagine stepping into a dreamscape of your choice where you can’t feel pain. That’s exactly the premise of Steven F. Freeman’s Lucid.
Blurb : Lucid Nightscapes, Inc. has introduced the most immersive entertainment experience in history: lucid dreaming. Clients pick the time and place, like a space station, medieval Europe, or a battlefield, and Lucid creates dreamscapes impossible to discern from reality. The story follows NSA special operatives Alton and Mallory as they investigate twin murders within Lucid’s dreamscape environment.
The book is gripping and fast-paced. The writing is crisp, and the mechanics of lucid dreaming are well explained.
I was fascinated by the idea of stepping into a dream, and this book delivers on it.
I loved the different scenarios and features of the dreamscape, which made the story feel cinematic. It also features famous personalities and historical figures that the characters interact with.
The murder mystery leans more toward a procedural investigation than a high-octane thriller. The whodunnit element of the book keeps the reader hooked.
The investigation involves many suspects. I appreciated how the author periodically summarises key developments seamlessly into the narrative. This made it easy to keep track of the case without having to flip back through previous chapters. The ending had an unexpected twist and is one of the book’s strongest points.
I found the author’s note at the end particularly exciting, as it revealed that research into concepts like this is already underway in the real world.
Lucid is a light and interesting read. Anyone who enjoys sci-fi with thriller and mystery tropes will enjoy this book.
This book is a part of The Blackwell Series, but it reads well as a standalone. This was my first book from this author and I am looking forward to reading more of his works!
(I thank the author for sending me a copy of the book. All views expressed are my own)
-By Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 