Book review: Year 18: The Schism by Nicholas Rossis (Pearseus Sci-Fi series)

The spaceship Pearseus carries a motley crew of distinguished humans as a new millennium dawns but what starts as a celebration of human accomplishment, ends in tragedy. Thanks to a madman, First Mate Gerard Croix, precious lives are lost and Pearseus suffers irreparable damage.

The humans find refuge on another planet where thankfully, the inhabitants are tolerant and peaceful folk. We are then taken eighteen years into the future. The humans seem blissful in their current setup. They have created a new world that is seemingly peaceful. Their political system has divided authority among lawmakers, judges and commander Kibwe who held the executive power but has recently passed away.

Enter the madman again, Croix, who has been plotting for a while, having just introduced to the people the Armbands – a law enforcement group of youngsters that reminded me of Nazi Germany. Croix’s devious plans included also the confiscation of the people’s digital files from earth – the only source of their knowledge and their cultural legacy to their children. Again, this brought to mind the burning of books in Nazi Germany and other practices that became an insult at the time to the freedom of speech and logical thinking.

As the madman hears voices in his head that urge him to seek ultimate power, tragedy ensues once again and the story ends with a big shocking bang that leaves plenty of food for thought. By the last page, Nicholas Rossis has set the perfect foundation for his dark Sci-Fi series that will undoubtedly gain a lot of fans, mainly because of its unique qualities. For one, it is not the run of the mill Sci-Fi story. It feels more like a familiar tale of political unrest here on mother earth, simply because the people never changed on this new planet, despite the radical alterations in terms of environment and circumstances.

The author here reminds us, above all else, this simple truth about humanity: No matter how much we may evolve in terms of education, technology and the like, on any given society, you will surely meet the selfless hero but sadly also the plotting, power-thirsty madman who will stop at nothing to gain control.

This dark and raw, yet refreshing in its originality novella, has whetted my appetite beyond description for what follows next. The author has cleverly given us a couple of hints and mysteries to ponder upon. I am hooked and can’t wait to read The Rise of The Prince to find out more!

My rating:

A short yet tantalizing glimpse at the Pearseus Sci-Fi Series!

 

Click on the cover of book 2 in the series to learn more about this promising Sci-Fi author.