Quirky Cat
Written on Nov 6, 2017
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I received my copy of Rule of Luck. I knew from the description that it was more along the lines of science fiction, being set in the future with gene modifications being the norm. I also knew that the cover was absolutely stunning – though it still doesn’t quite read as a science fiction cover to me. Whatever expectations I have for this novel were certainly met, and then some.
Rule of Luck is an interesting blend of science fiction and romance, along with a dash of mystery. I know some people don’t like it when genres mix, but I personally really enjoyed it. It’s a relatively quick read, and it certainly doesn’t feel like it drags long, as the pace is even throughout.
Warnings first: (This is a serious spoiler warning, so consider yourself warned) There are clones of the main character; all younger, all designed intentionally to be developmentally challenge – for the purpose of making them more pliant. It’s horrific to say the least.
Felicia Sevigny doesn’t seem like the sort of person you’d expect to find in the year 2950. She has no implants, no gene modifications, no chips (except for what she wears in her jewelry), and she reads Tarot Cards for a living. An anomaly to say the least. Her lack of tech makes her what people call a Spook, when she turns off her bracelet she’s literally invisible to devices that scan for all tech (presumably the implants cannot be turned off so easily).
Right off the bat I knew I was going to like Felicia’s character, she was unique, in the sense that she wasn’t being made to look like everyone else. She’s smart and sassy, and she’s motivated. I’ll admit there were times where I didn’t agree with her decisions, or got frustrated when she didn’t see something I considered obvious. But on the whole I think Felicia is an interesting character, perfect for the main role in this novel.
The government running the world (and the moon and Mars) seemed like they’re Big Brother unleashed – they control everything, including if a couple is allowed to have a child (and the limit is one, assuming you’re approved) and how many calories you’re allowed to eat in a month (you go over one month and you’ll find yourself short the next). People are ok with tolerating this though, since they think the government has done them a lot of good (according to word of mouth, the time shortly following our present day is called the ‘dark ages’) and helped saved humanity as we know it.
There’s quite a lot going on in Rule of Luck, with corporate espionage, illegal human cloning, the investigation and discussion of something called the luck gene, and of course a romance with the soon to be head of the Russian MOB. I quite enjoyed the pace – something was always going on, but unlike a soap opera it wasn’t always an ‘end of the world’ event or reaction. I do feel bad for everything that Felicia has gone through, and I’ll admit I had trouble liking NAME because of that.
I’ve never read anything else by Catherine Cerveny – Rule of Luck appears to be her debut novel, but I’m certainly going to be keeping an eye on her work from now on. According to Goodreads she has a new novel (The Chaos of Luck) coming out in December of 2017. I can’t wait to read it!
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks