Lost Ark Dreaming

by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Synopsis:

The brutally engineered class divisions of Snowpiercer meets Rivers Solomon’s The Deep in this high-octane post-climate disaster novella written by Nommo Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa.

Off the coast of West Africa, decades after the dangerous rise of the Atlantic Ocean, the region’s survivors live inside five partially submerged, kilometers-high towers originally created as a playground for the wealthy. Now the towers’ most affluent rule from their lofty perch at the top while the rest are crammed into the dark, fetid floors below sea level.

There are also those who were left for dead in the Atlantic, only to be reawakened by an ancient power, and who seek vengeance on those who offered them up to the waves.

Three lives within the towers are pulled to the fore of this conflict: Yekini, an earnest, mid-level rookie analyst; Tuoyo, an undersea mechanic mourning a tremendous loss; and Ngozi, an egotistical bureaucrat from the highest levels of governance. They will need to work together if there is to be any hope of a future that is worth living—for everyone.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Suyi Davies Okungbowa’s book reminded me so much of Rivers Solomon’s The Deep after a certain point, it started to feel really weird. The setup kind of rang familiar too, or maybe “greedy rapacious billionaires set up unequal societies” is just too obvious. I did enjoy the build-up all the same, the scene-setting, and the sense of unease.

I think it’s a bit like showing the actual monster in horror, though: it fizzled a bit once we actually saw a Child, especially because the horror-ish vibes quickly fell away. I don’t want to say much and spoil the story, but… yeah.

Maybe at a novel length it might have worked better for me? A bit more setup, a bit more of the suspense first, get to know the characters… I think might’ve quite enjoyed it with that. But at novella length, I mostly just noticed the similarities and obviousness of the setup, and didn’t have time to get into the characters. Someone more driven by settings and themes while reading would probably enjoy it more!

Rating: 2/5