Publication Date: 30th July from Penguin
Source: Advanced Reading Copy
For a lucky few, death is merely an inconvenience. With the help of technology the mind can survive long after a body has been laid to rest. This afterlife, however, is far from paradise…
Rhodes is a ‘Husk’. It’s an illegal, controversial and highly lucrative job – renting out control of his body and mind to the highest bidder. It’s a sure way to gain a better life, but some clients go too far. Sometimes, he wakes up with scars.
“Husk”is a brilliantly imaginative, high tech thriller with some great characters which is very dark and totally addictive – speculative fiction with a real world authentic feel.
So if you are rich you don’t have to die. You can be downloaded into a virtual life and occasionally hire a “Husk” – basically a prostitute really, whose body you can reside in for up to 3 days. Not common knowledge in the world but it happens. Rhodes is one such Husk – driven by a determination to never again be poor, he allows himself to be used and often abused, never knowing what his client may or may not have been up to. Then he begins to get startling and horrific visual moments that he can’t quite hold onto….
This is a very clever concept executed really well – the author managing to balance great characterisation with highly compelling world building to create a fantasy that could oh so easily be a reality (I mean perhaps it is, how would we know?) – therein lies the real beauty in this one.
It fairly rocks along, Rhodes is a really terrific main protagonist, backed up by a great supporting “cast” and a rather unique and terrifying “bad guy” who truly gave me the creeps. Along with that we have some really gorgeous descriptive prose when it comes to the setting, the techno aspects of it are completely fascinating, defined brilliantly and never fall into the trap of becoming distracting babble.
All in all a terrific piece of storytelling. And if there is not a sequel I shall probably sob into my pillow.
Highly Recommended.
Find out more here: http://jkentmessum.com/
Follow the author on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/_JamieK_
Pre-Order information: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Husk-J-Kent-Messum/dp/1405914262/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436378379&sr=1-1&keywords=9781405914260
Tip: Get a real book if you can – that cover is SUPERB.
Happy Reading Folks!
