This was an interesting ride. The concept is extraordinary, and the execution not bad. Very smooth writing and is a quick page-turner, with a really weird twist at the end.
Not sure if it’s going to be a series, but the way it finishes sets it up for a good several books, continuing with different trials of Virtues. It works very well as a standalone alone too, and this is where I’m going to stay.

The ultimate reveal is so not on concept with the set up. You can’t start a dystopian social thriller and finish with a magical, godly fantasy world. It’s a bit too much for me. However, it was fun, it was weird, I give it a solid 4 stars.

What sold me on was the original idea. Just the prologue is beyond fascinating. Intro speech, a parody on corporate words of taking advantage of factory worker, a future where companies don’t even hide their bad intentions, and feels so close to the current reality, I can actually see a real current companies’ attitudes reflected in that speech.

The next few introductory chapters describing the social and economic circumstances show a bleak world taken over by a huge corporation and no oversight for the social and humane conditions of the people. As many issues as I may have with the novel, this beginning, this world descition is one of my favorite ever. It’s a social commentary that’s badly needed and a prediction of the future we will face soon enough if we continue down the current economic path.

The Eye of Atlas by Jude McKenna

This story presents a symbol of strength: an eye that represents vigilance against those who wish to hide in the shadows of corruption. Malcolm serves as a supervisor, but more accurately, he acts as a scapegoat for the incompetence of his immediate boss. McKenna constructs a futuristic world in a city called Atlas, where Sahara, the only company, effectively enslaves its employees for profit. In a bizarre twist, workers are forced to wear collars that provide "motivation" to remain on task. They endure long hours without days off and an endless cycle of suffering stemming from their demanding jobs. Malcolm’s discontent grows as he navigates this oppressive environment. By happenstance, Evie runs into Malcolm, and they conjure up a friendship that revolves around the loathing of the company they both work for. Through the tribulations of everyday life, strange events happen. Unexplainable aberrations appear to them separately, hinting at a truth hidden from sight. They both know something must be done, or they will be destined to live the rest of their lives under the ruling thumb of a company hellbent on a cruel dictatorship and perhaps even more debauchery.

Jude McKenna successfully plants a seed of futuristic horrors in a novel that harkens back to my time watching The Running Man as a teenager. Evil slashes its way through any normality society has to offer. Rendering even the most optimistic in us helpless. Is this truly how the world is meant to play out? The more dystopian novels I digest, the more wary I become. As ludicrous as these scenarios reach a horrific crescendo, I admit to believing more snippets as time goes on. Braided with bloody twine, the story churns through a delightfulness of terror. At the novel’s beginning, I never envisioned the complexity that McKenna offered by its end. Prepare to dive into a captivating novel that masterfully weaves together elements of science fiction, horror, and the intriguing world of insects, all set against a backdrop of multidimensional exploration.

A miserable time is had by the characters in Atlas; as for the reader, I was far more fortunate to escape unscathed. The novel isn’t necessarily reinventing the wheel, but the concepts here are fresh and imaginative. Bits and pieces harken to other movies I had seen before, but the author seamlessly infuses them all, producing a fun yet frightful scenario. An overwhelming amount of emotions can take place in the workplace. Because of its profound impact on our minds, bodies, and spirits, the setting evokes genuine feelings that readers can identify with. How dare they treat them this way? My hope is we never find out.

I am giving this 3.75 stars and rounding up to 4 stars. Recommended!

Many thanks to Liminal Horizon Press for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

This is a great book! I liked the science fiction themes here, and how it flowed. I loved the way the book makes me think, and how it looks like it could relate to our current world. I think it was good!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

post-apocalyptic? dystopian? Or current affairs? It’s hard to tell the difference between. the world Jude McKenna weaves in this realistic horror of a book.

Following two over worked, under appreciated, exhausted humans working in a world that charges credit for everything from a cup of coffee at work, to a shower to clean yourself. Their worlds take a turn when they realize there’s more to meet the eye than just corporate greed.