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THE ENGINEER is a book that I have had on my TBR for quite some time. It was also a book that I couldn't wait to finally get to because I had read the premise over and over and was intrigued by the fact that the story is actually based on the "real life" story of how author Darran M. Handshaw met his wife. Apparently they met while playing a text-based RPG game which she was the co-creator of and they fell in love during that time. I found this so fascinating and was anxious to find out how that would work in a science-fiction story.
Redemption, the setting of the book, is named after the setting in the RPG game. It's important for me to also mention that THE ENGINEER made it to the semi-finals in Mark Lawrence's Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off #4. I'm happy to be able to add another review of a self-published author to my blog and I try to do so as much as possible. I received a review copy from Darran a couple of months ago and just finished the book this past weekend. Let me say that it was indeed an interesting and thought-provoking read which I will now summarize and share my thoughts about.
The story begins in close proximity to a place called Pyramid within the ruined city of Redemption. The opening scene describes one of the two main characters Actaeon being pursued by raiders. Their motives for wanting to capture Actaeon are not entirely clear at first, but we soon learn of their intentions. Redemption can only be described as a somewhat dystopian city that appears to have once been technologically advanced and populated by a highly evolved culture, but is currently home to a people who have awoken from a seemingly collective amnesia. These people are satisfied to exist with whatever they can find in and around the perilous ruins.
Actaeon however, is not content to live in this land as currently constituted and his occupation as an engineer only serves to further motivate him to try and rebuild what has been lost. He uses his carefully honed skills to fashion various technologically-advanced tools and weapons in his endeavor to find some answers as to what has befallen this society and to hopefully make it better if he can. The problem is that his tinkering and ambition have put him on the radar of some of the rulers of Redemption. They only see his knowledge as a potential weapon that they can use to further cement their power and to subjugate the clueless inhabitants of this futuristic fiefdom. Throughout much of the story Actaeon juggles his quest for new-found knowledge with his desire to avoid those who are hunting him for their own nefarious ends.
In the midst of trying to escape this growing danger, he is rescued by a Knight Arbiter named Eisandre, who saves him from an incredibly perilous situation. Together they travel through Redemption battling various horrific creatures along the way as they try to uncover the secrets buried deep beneath this shattered metropolis, and one particularly mysterious monster who dwells under Pyramid itself. In the midst of all of this menace, a romance begins to develop between the two of them. As the feelings they have for each other progress, they realize that they must use that to unite if they wish to survive in a broken land that holds many more mysteries than they could ever imagine. Who were the Ancients who once dwelled in Redemption and why did they leave? Why can't Redemption's people remember life as it was before the apparent fall? And will Actaeon and Eisandre find answers to these questions before the corrupt leaders of Redemption decide that they have dug way too deep in their inquest for their liking?
For those who have never read my reviews, I'm very much a world-building guy. Don't get me wrong, I like good characterization as well but the thing that makes me get all the feels in a book is incredible world-building. I'm happy to say that THE ENGINEER has that in spades. Darran M. Handshaw has done an excellent job taking the RPG world that this story is based on and further developing it as the backdrop to a delightfully solid SF book. Another thing that I enjoyed about THE ENGINEER was the mystery of the setting itself and the Ancients who were the people of Redemption's predecessors.
I thought this mystery really brought an aspect to the story that made me want to continue reading well past my usual bedtime. Although the romance angle wasn't heavy-handed, I did think that at times it did tend to slow the story down in a couple of spots, but that's really the only mild criticism I have if any. That being said, this is a big book and the romance is based on a true love story so it's entirely understandable. As I said though, it's not overdone or distracting and the story always ramps right back up thrusting us immediately back into the main conflict.
Another unique element that I liked was how Handshaw infuses his own real life knowledge as an engineer to create a main character in his own image. You can definitely see the technical aspects of what Handshaw brings to the table shine through in Actaeon throughout the entire book. I was simply blown away by the ending and didn't see it coming at all. In fact, I was legitimately surprised by how the story concluded. So this is a book that also isn't predictable by any stretch of the imagination. In conclusion, I can definitely see why THE ENGINEER made it to the semi-finals of SPFBO4, as this is a book that certainly delivers in so many areas.
The world-building is awesome, the characters make you care about what happens to them, and the underlying mystery of Redemption's past all combine to make this an excellent read for any discerning science-fiction reader. I truly can't wait to revisit this world again and I hope there is a book two in the works! Pretty sure I read in an interview with Darran that there is, but don't quote me on that. Anyway, I highly recommend THE ENGINEER if you are looking for an engaging story with plenty of thrills at every turn.
(My Rating: 8/10)
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