Solomon the Peacemaker

by Hunter Welles

"Fast-paced and mysterious, Solomon the Peacemaker takes the reader to the twenty-second century, where cultural norms have changed the way people interact with technology. Humanoid robots, though ubiquitous, are confined inside private homes, giving the impression that all is well with the world. And this may be the case. But in the basement of the Church of Incarnations, one man believes that human beings may already be in the thrall of these robots and The Peacemaker, the incredible computer built as a storehouse for human memory. Told through the words of a prisoner, the novel will keep readers questioning the morality of this future world even after they read the last sentence"--Amazon.com.

• ISBN10: 0989762807
• ISBN13: 9780989762809
• Publish Date: 14 January 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Cowcatcher Press
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 232
• Language: English

Reviews

[lovelybookshelf]

Originally posted on my blog, A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall:

As the synopsis indicates, Solomon the Peacemaker is set up as an interview with a suspected terrorist (Vincent). It's very interesting this way, a little creepy, even. The interviewer's questions and remarks have been redacted in such a way that, for the most part, the book reads as any other novel with a first person narrative would. But the few times those gaps became obvious, when I was reminded Vincent was being interviewed and why (though I didn't really know why), it sent a chill down my spine.

Great world-building here; so many of the sci-fi/dystopian aspects felt possible, not too far out of reach. Welles masterfully keeps the reader wanting to learn more, to find out what happens next. The story also explores issues such as: Where do we place the line between doing something, acting on our beliefs, versus living on as best we can in spite of circumstances that seem wrong and unchangeable? What is our threshold? Each character has his/her own answer to these questions, and it's interesting to see how this plays out in the story.

Solomon the Peacemaker was a difficult book to put down! If you enjoy dystopian science fiction with a psychologically thrilling tone, you won't want to miss Hunter Welles's debut novel.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any other compensation for this review.