Revenge of the Zeds

Revenge of the Zeds is the sequel to the The Soterion Mission and continues the story of Cyrus and friends. The series is set in a future where anyone over nineteen is dead, and in fact everyone dies before they turn 19. As this started a hundred or so years ago, a society has developed in which teenagers take the roles of adults, with the Constants living in fiercely defended communities trying to follow the values of former generations, while the Zeds roam in brutal uncivilised gangs, stupid, but feared for their violence. Civilisation has gone back to pre-industrialisation, and few people can read, so opening the Soterion, a secret collection of books and knowledge from the past, could be an important step. At the start of this second book, the Soterion has been found and reading skills are at a premium. The book raises some interesting points about knowledge, and how those in power may or may not value it, or in fact want to suppress it. A new group of female Zeds is brought into the story, portrayed as far more intelligent than the traditional male gangs, surviving by their wits and skills. They are just as evil though. The storyline moves along with plenty of excitement and action. However, I had a few reservations. We have a lot of new characters and relationships to discover and several factions to follow, and many of the characters seem rather two dimensional. I felt the plot, switching points of view between various groups in the conflict, at times became complex without being interesting enough to maintain engagement. However, the book will appeal to readers of dystopian fiction. There is some fairly strong violence and torture which, while not graphic, is suggested with some realism, so maybe one for older readers.

Suggested Reading Age 11+