Caligo

Flappers and False Gods #2

by Elanor Miller

CALIGO is a romantic, dystopian, noir detective thriller set in a futuristic Gatsby era and the hotly anticipated sequel to TENEBRIUM. The year is 2429, and the Jazz Age is in full swing—again. It has been three years since Agent Thea Williams left the city of Tenebrium, but her new life in Caligo City is far from simple. Technology has advanced at an alarming rate, and human augmentations are now as common as trilby hats. As the newly augmented struggle to find their place in the city, flappers, philosophers, mobsters, and preachers are just the tip of the iceberg for Thea and her allies, both old and new, as they struggle to catch a twisted serial killer before tensions in Caligo between the pro and anti-aug factions lead to an all-out war. Confronted by ghosts from her past and thrown into the dark world of idolatry and zealotism, Thea must once again fight for her life as she struggles to protect those whom she cares about most. In Caligo City, mere men can be gods…This decopunk thriller is the second novel by Scottish author Elanor Miller. Lovers of The Great Gatsby, Blade Runner and Altered Carbon will find a home in Caligo. Decopunk is a subgenre of Cyberpunk, similar to Steampunk but with an Art Deco aesthetic. This books is written in British English.

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction

648 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2024

About the author

Tenebrium is the debut novel from Glasgow-born Scottish author Elanor Miller. Elanor is an avid indoor climber, martial artist, and D&D player. As well as a novelist, she is an award-winning screenwriter, who has won several 'Best Screenplay' awards - many of which were for Tenebrium's first iteration as a screenplay.

Elanor did NOT write the Fairfield Amish Romances, she just shares a name with the author!

Reviews

[Elanor Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second novel, so it seems only fair I give it it’s first 5 star review. I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it. ❤️

[Connor Vallee · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
I always find it especially difficult to write reviews for books that deserve so much more than words can portray. This book was phenomenal. It equals and almost rivals its predecessor. Often the second book in a series doesn’t live up, but that’s not the case here. Caligo gave these characters so much more depth than they had already possessed. They are the essence of perseverance and strength.
Elanor Miller brings in such originality to us all. Reading her books is truly like watching a film. The descriptions are so vibrant and wonderful. Thank you, Elanor, for sharing your worlds with us.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can we have a movie adaptation already?

Star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice rating 🌶️

First of all, I’d like to express my gratitude towards Elanor Miller for generously providing me with a free advanced reader copy. This review is entirely voluntary, and I want to emphasize that it truly reflects my genuine emotions and thoughts about the story.

Elanor created a masterpiece once again. "Caligo" is utterly amazing and original. It genuinely feels like a movie, and the desire for its cinematic realization is strong. The author’s exceptional writing skills shine through, earning her every bit of praise she receives. The storyline is incredibly unique, and the worldbuilding is top tier. "Caligo" is a thrilling and mysterious ride, filled with action that showcases all the hallmarks of Elanor's distinctive writing style. The added murder mystery element enriches the narrative, turning it into more than just a story and offering lessons on justice and hope. With a powerful will, change is possible by reaching the right people.

The use of multiple POV’s is perfectly executed, playing a crucial role in advancing the storyline. The author adeptly manages these POVs, ensuring clarity and preventing confusion about the characters and events. While "Tenebrium" may have felt more exhilarating due to its scattered happenings, "Caligo" gradually builds up to a remarkable conclusion.

The mix of familiar and new characters adds to the overall allure of the story. The inclusion of characters from "Tenebrium" provides a sense of continuity, but also shows how they're all connected in a neat way, adding more depth to the whole narrative. The growth of all the characters throughout "Caligo" is a delight to witness. But especially Thea’s and Torrez.

Despite understanding the reasoning behind the ending, a part of me yearned for a different outcome between two characters. Nevertheless, the chosen conclusion is relatable and resonates with the overall narrative.

Elanor Miller simply deserves more hype and this duology deserves more acknowledgment. It is truly remarkable, and I eagerly anticipate her future releases. I’m also personally grateful for the chance to make a cameo appearance in the book, I couldn't contain my excitement when I saw my name. Many thanks to Elanor Miller for this opportunity and for crafting these exceptional books.

[Jenna Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

I’ve had the immense pleasure of reading this ARC for book 2 of the Flappers and False Gods series. I am grateful for the opportunity to read this a little early, thank you so much Elanor for continuing to share this world!

I love Tenebrium. Elanor created an incredible world that you feel fully immersed in with the added details of reports from the Tenebrium Police Department and other documents relevant to the case Thea and Walt found themselves working on. Caligo is a phenomenal squeal that continues to draw you into this new city plagued by hate.

Once again the visuals in Caligo are amazing as we meet back up with Thea just a few years after the events of Tenebrium that no one is allowed to speak of. I was gripped just from the first pages, instantly having 20 questions and needed to find the answers. We get to see a whole new city and get to view more of the world created for Flappers and False Gods.

The mafia is still a big presence, having some issue of their own throughout the book and there is a serial killer terrorizing the city in the name of God. Thea reunites with Walt, working with him and Torrez and a whole list of new characters to find and stop this killer.

Caligo is out January 23, 2024 and cannot recommend it enough! You absolutely have to dive into the world of this series.

[Kaitlyn Lopez-Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caligo is the second book in the Flappers and False God series and picks up three years after Tenebrium.

The story follows Agent Thea as she lives in the futuristic city of Caligo where technology is advancing and there's a war between the pro-augs and those against it. Throw in a serial "unaliver" to the mix to make this an amazing story where the Great Gatsby meets Peaky Blinders.

The story between Cynthia and Vinnie was very interesting and gave me Good Fellas vibes. That was definitely a plot point that I thought was done well.

I thought that the angst between Thea and Walt was the perfect motivation for a lot of their actions and the conclusion to their story was definitely well done.

I love the way the secrets from the past come to light. Once again this author created such an immersive world that felt like a movie was playing in my head while I was reading this. Very excited for more from this author!

[Meghan Pitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg omg omg omg. I have been waiting on baited breath to read this book, and of course life threw me a curve ball with sick kids so I couldn't read it in 2 days like I wanted to. Do I love Caligo as much as Tenebrium? Yes. Do I love it more? Possibly? Maybe? I have no clue.

The first book blew my mind as I haven't read something with this unique setting previously and this sent me right back in but with a slight twist. Plot? Love. Characters? Love. Setting? Love. The only slight spoiler I will add is that the romantic deep inside of me wished the final meeting between "you know who" at the end was different but I love the realization that the one partner had. He had SOOO much growth in this book; it was amazing.

I can't wait to see what other works of magic come from Elanor Miller!

[Kenzie Leckie ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Tenebrium was in my top 3 last year so snatched this up as soon as it came out!! And I didn’t think it could happen but I enjoyed it even more than Tenebrium.

I love how you get a brief reminder of the past events in the beginning and how the start and end is laid out like a history book you get in an archive.

I really enjoy the dystopian setting and think it makes for a wide variety of options of themes for the series!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was beyond excited to read this after really loving Tenebrium. This book followed mostly the same formula that I loved, multiple POV, detective noir and futuristic word. The main characters from Tenebrium are back and we continue to follow Theas life three years after the events of medicorum. We also see Walt's life and what he has going on. There are a few similarities from this story and the previous book, but what I love most is how it relates to the world we live in today. Political drama, greed, media manipulation etc. In this story I felt the author went much more darker and to the thriller genere and it worked. At the end I did think it went on a bit too long, however the ending was satisfying.
I also did like the past stories and how they linked up to the current story

[Mybookmemories · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as much as I loved the first one. The characters had so much growth in this book and I loved how the plot played out. The ending was *chef’s kiss* and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

[Madelon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why would anyone finish reading a book that is not appealing? I wasn't thrilled with TENEBRIUM, the first book in the series which seemed so full of promise yet managed to fall flat. Described in the sell copy as Decopunk, a sub-genre of Cyberpunk, a close cousin of Steampunk, TENEBRIUM had all that, yet the glue holding it all together failed. So does CALIGO.

I must confess that one of the things that drew me to these books was the cover art. The covers are striking. Despite the old saw, covers can make or break whether or not a book is read. I wanted book one to be fabulous, an unputdownable read. That's probably why I decided to read book two, CALIGO — hoping the story had gotten better. In some respects, it did, so I kept reading.

Ms. Miller seems to think it is necessary to describe each character as if she is writing a wanted poster. So-and-so: White, blonde, female, or Black, bald, male. Yes, her descriptions are a bit more wordy, but they all read like cardboard cutouts. There is one character in CALIGO, Alex, of ambiguous sexuality, where she uses the 'they/them/their' pronouns, often with ambiguous or confusing context. Non-binary sexuality needs to be written with the same conviction used for male and female.

There is too much exposition that doesn't work. I found myself constantly skimming through some of it to get to 'the good parts.' It isn't necessary to provide every nuance of description when someone's life is on the line. Yet, she will wax poetic on surroundings pointing out things like the decorative "pot plant" in the corner. Does she actually mean 'potted' plants? Or are we talking weed… maryjane… wacky tabacky?

The basic premise of the book is bigotry and the violence it engenders. In this case, those who are 'for' augmentation of humans with medically necessary prostheses (or not necessary, simply wanted), are pitted against those who are against such practices even for medical necessity. Of course, it almost goes without saying, there is a religious factor fueling the anti-augs. They are being told that any form of change to the human body removes part of the soul. God has decreed augmentation a sin. Una Anima, The Church of the Single Soul, is a cult with a charismatic leader who has unleashed murder and pandemonium in Caligo using hate speech and divisive rhetoric. As we see today, this is a combination that fuels domestic terrorism.

A certain amount of foreshadowing is to be expected in a murder mystery, and Miller goes all in with entire chapters on the history of one woman and her son. About halfway through the tome, I knew who the serial killer was… a fact that made the rest of the book anticlimactic.

As I got closer and closer to the end of the book (basically when I was 80% through it), I started skimming more and more. Again, Elanor Miller wrote a lot of inarguably ridiculously-fraught-with-impossibility fight scenes featuring her heroine, Agent Thea Williams, and hero Captain Walt James. Both should be dead a hundred times over, but they both pop right back up and continue the battle. The final chapters recap everything that came before, and the epilogue does it yet again. Ms. Miller could do with some advice that I have given to several authors over the years: "trust your audience." If you want to save yourself the trouble of reading this 648-page (print length) book, skip to the section "Two Months Later" that begins with the chapter titled "Consequences."

Does CALIGO have any redeeming qualities at all? Yes. With the right editor (and copy editor), the book is rife with possibilities. Both books in the Flappers and False Gods series promise a lot and deliver the kernel of a story, that in the right hands, could be remarkable.

I doubt very much that I would read a third book in this series.

See my review of Tenebrium here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elanor Miller does it again!!! Y’all I cannot recommend this duo enough! If you love mafia, gatsby, Peaky Blinders or any type of 20’s noir feel, this is for you! In Tenebrium we had a futuristic, roaring 20’s jazz age and it continues here but with more Industrial Age qualities as well! I loved seeing all our old characters again with a time jump, seeing how far they’ve come and how they continued to grow throughout this book! With the murder/mystery plot of this one, it hits close to home with everything going on in today’s events. This very much reminds me of cults in our history where evil people used others to commit horrible acts of violence and murder in the name of religion, only to benefit themselves. This book tells us that even though that us, as either individual or small minority, might not be able to make big changes overnight, that doesn’t mean we can’t stand against any type of injustice done to those who are seen as “other” in our society and it’s honestly very empowering! We have LGBTQ+ rep in this one just like the last and also non-binary which is actually the first I’ve seen in any book which I loved! We get new characters here but they feel like they’ve been part of the team the whole time and I couldn’t help falling in love with them from the start! With the ending, again, it’s not the same cookie cutter, HEA we all expect but it was what was needed which is very refreshing since it makes these characters even more relatable! Overall, I can’t recommend this duo enough and I can’t wait to read more from this author! ❤️

[Rachael Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elanor Miller’s sophomore effort is as impressive as her debut, Tenebrium. Her world-building is detail-rich and imaginative, from the glittering Orchard to the murky depths of the Dockyard. The novel is well-paced and the prose personal and believable, and I found I cared for the characters even more than in Tenebrium. I was lucky enough to read Caligo in an advanced draft and was blown away (again). I look forward to reading Elanor Miller’s next works.

[Grace Ruston · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, can’t believe this series was chilling on my Kindle for so long before I finally started it 🤦🏼‍♀️

It was seriously so epic—felt like I was binge-watching a show! So gripping and suspenseful, I was totally hooked the whole time. Plus, the diversity was on point! 10/10 would recommend this series!

[Sacha Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t love this book, it’s well written - I’m just not a fan of crime. I thought I would be able to overcome that because I liked the first book but I couldn’t get past it.

[Prettytaz83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be straight-forward but interesting. I like the characters and I just found it fun the whole way through.

This book is under-appreciated. More people should be reading it.

[Kerry Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what you expect from a *SEQUEL.
It's bigger, it's grandeur and the stakes for the characters of both Thea Williams & Walter James are even higher.
Don't want to give away any spoilers - I believe you simply *must read Tenebrium (Book #1 in this Flappers & False Gods series) before this. It is especially necessary to truly appreciate the complex intricacies between the lead characters...
Elanor Miller's talent for world building continues; with the foundations strongly set up with its predecessor, Caligo city, "where mere mere can be gods" *breathes. Tenebrium feels like it was just the tip of the iceberg - this universe is fully realized and the expedition has only just begun...Book 3 is soon coming, I'd anticipate.

[Kaelyn Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this sequel. I loved the first book. It was excited to return to this beautifully written action packed world. I thought the politics in the book were interesting with its take on bigotry against augmentation (and the parallels to the real world). I really enjoyed the mafia love story and would love to see that developed in another novel. The only thing is I found it to be repetitive in parts and I found Walt and Thea’s dynamic a little tiring. Although I am proud of her for staying strong and true to herself.