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This was the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to, so that was an experience in itself. But the story captured my interest right from the start.
I don’t read a lot of scifi or dystopian books, but I just knew this one would be good. The world that Bianca has imagined here is scary because it is not such a far stretch to envision. The entire story takes place in a courtroom, during a trial where the life of a woman’s unborn baby is at stake. In the future, babies are essentially designed, and the quality of lineage determines whether or not a viper, or potential viable person, will be a threat to society. If someone goes against the rules and chooses to have a baby without following protocols, they are charged and tried and if science proves that yet-to-be-born child will severely and negatively impact others’ lives, it won’t be allowed to live.
As a mother of five, I cannot imagine the horror or this world. And I absolutely sympathize with Naomi, the woman on trial. But the jurors who will decide her and her baby’s fate have compelling reasons, be they for or against her. It’s such a tense situation and the plot twists that come into play are just 🤯🤯
The tension is set from the very beginning and it just keeps building until the very end. This is a skillfully crafted, thought-provoking story, rich with descriptive details which made it easy to envision what was happening. I teared up two or three times in the story during some particularly emotional parts for the characters. And for me, that’s always a sign of a good story!
I read (or listen to!) books much differently than I used to since becoming a writer. I look for techniques done well so I can learn from them. And I notice errors or things done not so well (always have, but now even more so). And having learned so much about writing methods and techniques from Bianca, I knew this book would be excellent. And it was! I really enjoyed it. She immerses you into the scene with her words. There are wonderful descriptions of the characters and the setting, the dialogue and inner monologue are perfectly done, the story arc, the hints, the character development, the twists, the emotion and tension that drives it all forward… magnificent! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I enjoyed the different voices for the multiple points of view, too!
Have you listened to The Prynne Viper? What did you think?
About the Book:
In a futuristic world where predictive software can map out the lives of every living person and their descendants, Naomi Prynne is on trial. The charge: endangerment by way of a pregnancy.
Thirteen jurors will determine whether Naomi is allowed to carry the pregnancy to term, but the jurors are also all plaintiffs, the software having predicted how Naomi Prynne’s child will affect each of them in life-changing ways. Among them: a history professor who has given up on her own dreams for the sake of the greater good; a student participating in his first ever trial who’s about to discover an earth-shattering truth; and a former mathematician, who knows all too well the dark machinations of the state, but is prohibited from speaking out against them. The future of the Prynne Viper – an acronym for “viable person” – is in their hands.
But this Prynne Viper is unlike Naomi’s other pregnancies. This time, Naomi Prynne is carrying a secret, one with the power to alter the future into something incalculable, and therefore, unpredictable.
© 2021 Bianca Marais (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.
You can find Bianca on Twitter at @BiancaM_author, Instagram @biancamarais_author and her website at www.biancamarais.com.
Kathleen Foxx || Author || Editor || Podcast Host 