Review: Osiris

Osiris by E.J. Swift

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Science fiction/dystopian
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Those who like their stories really dark
Trigger Warnings: execution, keeping “outsiders” in ghetto/thrall, violence, fighting, killing, murder, victimization

My Thoughts: What a very strange world this is. You're just thrown into the water and expected to swim, figure out what the language means, and I was well into the book (almost halfway) before I figured out exactly where this was supposedly taking place. It's a very dark story, very depressing, but bits and pieces of it are downright beautiful, like, “She felt like the scent of dried roses.”

I enjoyed the story for the most part, but have rated it just three stars because it is a very dark and sad story. Maybe it was just my mood, but it was very difficult to read. The lack of hope for the people in the western part of Osiris was devastating, and the descriptions of their poverty and suffering were heartbreaking, where as the opulence and rich lifestyles of the Citizens was disgusting to the extreme.

This was written by a very talented writer, however, so if you enjoy darkness, if you like very heavy stories, you might enjoy this one. It is strongly character driven. While there is action, it is interspersed with lots of introspection, so take that into account.

Series information: The Osiris Trilogy
Book 1: Osiris
Books 2 and 3: TBA

Disclosure: I received an e-galley copy from Night Shade books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: "Nobody leaves Osiris. Osiris is a lost city. She has lost the world and world has lost her . . .” Rising high above the frigid waters, the ocean city of Osiris has been cut off from the land since the Great Storm fifty years ago. Most believe that Osiris is the last city on Earth, while others cling to the idea that life still survives somewhere beyond the merciless seas. But for all its inhabitants, Citizens and refugees alike, Osiris is the entire world-and it is a world divided. 

Adelaide is the black-sheep granddaughter of the city's Architect. A jaded socialite and family miscreant, she wants little to do with her powerful relatives-until her troubled twin brother disappears mysteriously. Convinced that he is still alive, she will stop at nothing to find him, even if it means uncovering long-buried secrets. 

Vikram, a third-generation storm refugee quarantined with thousands of others in the city's impoverished western sector, sees his own people dying of cold and starvation while the elite of Osiris ignore their plight. Determined to change things, he hopes to use Adelaide to bring about much-needed reforms—but who is using who? 

As another brutal winter brings Osiris closer to riot and revolution, two very different people, each with their own agendas, will attempt to bridge the gap dividing the city, only to find a future far more complicated than either of them ever imagined. 



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