capriceum

Listening to the story as an audiobook performance by Caitlin Davies gave me the chance to hear different voices for each of Oichi’s different personas. It really enhanced the story and was so well done.

The range of perspectives and characterizations in this were a delight to see interacting. Readers get a security expert, some high class gents and ladies, gay servants, kids, sentient artificial intelligence… And the way each character is affected throughout the plot is what makes this universe of Devenport’s so immersive. Especially the ones who bond with Medusa units and become part of Oichi’s hidden inner network. And, I gotta say, this book has definitely made me see real-world executives in a whole new way.

One thing I love is the role the children play in this. It’s so great how the kids were the ones finding new ways to use the Medusa units, and how they were treated with respect because they were the ones shaping the future. I also love the way music is woven into the narrative. It was a touch that really expanded the dimensions of the imagery evoked. Music has a way of reaching the emotional level more deeply, and Devenport incorporated it beautifully.

The use of technology in this was truly amazing and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It takes the best parts of contemporary tech and imagines its implications in a future where it can be implanted into an organic brain. I can’t wait to read the second book!