Solomon the Peacemaker

by Hunter Welles

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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.