Suvudu Universe

K. B. Nelson’s novel, Firewall: Ianto (Children of the Great Reckoning 1), explores the idea of having technology infused into the bloodstream of children and how it affects the child as s/he grows. Nelson has created an intriguing tale of the monstrous and permanent imprint of technology in a dystopian type of world.

Review

Nelson manages to incorporate technological advances inside of humans with a perturbing twist. These children were classified as a singular being: as a Child of God (or CoG). When the technology inside the bloodstream went wrong the body of each child mutated in a different way contingent on the abilities of each person. The only exception to this is Ianto. Ianto is a breaker and looks completely normal, as a human should. He can break things from the inside by reaching out on a metaphysical level, including people. This isn’t Ianto’s true talent though. His gift is being able to take others’ abilities inside of himself and use it to his advantage.

Ianto’s capabilities allow others to use him to their advantage as well. His story is one where every move is planned by a higher authority, the Spirit Margras. Someone always wants to know what Ianto will do in specific situations and to test his growing powers. They want to find his weaknesses and ply Ianto to do things he normally wouldn’t do, to destroy Ianto’s spirit. The Spirit Margras also have a new technology that pushes the Children of God to feel and think a certain way. This sort of mind control is one step further than what the media does in today’s world. The technology is inside the CoG’s blood. It is attached to their brains in a way that makes the children believe that it is their own emotions or decision in any situation that comes up. Ianto becomes aware of this and breaks the connection with the technology in his own body. His one wish is to be a monk, but Ianto is too valuable an asset for anyone to leave him in peace.

The structure of this book is different from most. There is a lot of white on the page, as though it reads like a receipt, possibly a report printed down the center of each page. Such a structure is distracting from the main point of the book, which is Ianto's story in a futuristic society.

Rating

This novel is not something that requires a second reading, or one that entices one. While enjoyable, the effect of the receipt-like pages wears on the eyes. Recommended for those who would like to delve into a mind-control type science fiction novel. It is uncertain if this writer will read the whole series Nelson has written.