Ok, this year I am going to try my best at keeping on top of book reviews, or at the very least, review every other book. Last year started good but slipped off about halfway.
But, anyway enough about that, it’s time for my review of the FIRST book I read in 2023.
The Toll is the 3rd book in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy, and for all those who haven’t heard of this series, it is a dystopian novel set in the future where all major issues have been have solved such as world hunger, poverty, crime, illness and natural death. This was partly due to what we know today as the cloud and what they now call the Thunderhead. Think AI with a crazy smart brain and processing power we cannot even begin to fathom. Thunderhead has solved all problems using technology called Nanites, which are implemented into your body and can help control mood swings and certain tendencies such as the urge to kill or injure someone as well as control the population. This is how the Thunderhead has eradicated all crime.
Naturally this means that the world population is ever increasing, and not decreasing as nobody is dying. Therefore, a solution is needed, and this is where the Scythedom comes in. Scythes are given the power to “cleanse” or kill member of the population to ensure the world doesn’t become too overpopulated. But this is a significant power to grant and of course some people may take advantage of this power, which is where we are now.
The Toll carries on from where The Thunderhead (2nd book in the series) left off and I won’t go into specifics to avoid spoilers, but wow is it an action-packed end to the trilogy. I love the whole world that has been built throughout the series, it is that perfect mix of futuristic but at the same time, realistic enough to come true in a few decades.
I like the different divisions we have even in this “perfect” world from the radical religious group who call themselves the Tonists, to the Scythes who are completely separate from the Thunderhead and follow their own rules set by their leaders.
This particular title is full of last-minute twists and turns from information we were told in the previous books and like once again it is very much a tale of power play, the battle between those in power who are extorting/ taking advantage the system to achieve their own goals vs those trying make things right for the general populace. But like all power wars this isn’t a simple black and white, good and evil. One of the many things this series will make you consider is the whole concept of good vs evil, whether we can ever truly define what each side is and what it looks like and whether there is a grey area.
Another aspect of the book I loved and have been fascinated witnessing during the series is the evolution of the Thunderhead. It is now becoming self-aware, and it’s really interesting to see what that means for it and how it adapts and changes with the world.
It really is the ultimate man vs machine. After all the chances of an AI taking over the world one day, in my eyes, is completely realistic to the point that whilst reading this it makes you realise this isn’t as fictional or as farfetched as you would like it to be.
I will admit, it is a bit of a chunky read at 625 pages, but I was never bored or fed up at any point. It was perfectly paced and in fact I could have happily read more because the universe is so expansive and immersive that you don’t want to leave it.
If you are into your fantasy or dystopian novels, I would highly recommend this, it was a fantastic series from start to finish and I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Gleanings (once I have bought it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A fantastic first book for 2023, action packed, roller coaster ride of emotions and overall superb story which wrapped everything up nicely.
Lizzieslittlebooknook 