Ajay Chambers is outwardly on the up, with a high profile job, a host of merit-making friends and high-born girlfriend Genni. Despite his successful life, he is restless and unsatisfied. Ambition in Tulo’s City is on another scale with those who are ‘Worthy’ working constantly to score merit points to elevate their status. Ajay’s ambition began young, and he carries an explosive secret with him – a secret becoming harder and harder to keep. And all is not well with Genni, either.
It took a while to get into this as I didn’t find Ajay very likeable for a long time. I did warm to Genni though and her longing for expression through her gift for painting. There’s a huge and dramatic shift in pace quite late on, where the feel of the story changes. This is book one and it ends on a cliffhanger. I hope this means that some of the untied threads will be tied in the next book!
There are plenty of things to think about here – the pressures of achievement and expectation, work, relationships and the effect of the over domination of technology, as well as living a truthful life. My only hesitation is that the other option in the book – living in the ‘Unglorified’ district known as the Side and following the Guiding Light, doesn’t, at this stage of the story at least, appear very appealing! I wait with interest to see how the story develops.
9781912863709, Malcolm Down Publishing, Feb21
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