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The Buza System #1
Crecheling: Volume 1 (The Buza System) by D. J. Butler
Crecheling is book one of The Buza System, a tale for young adults and other readers. Dyan receives her Lot Letter as she prepares to leave the Creche, identifying her Calling - her future rule in Buza System, the only family Dyan has ever known - as Magister. Gifted with empathy and an understanding of people, Dyan will take her place as a teacher and nurturer of future generations. But before she can do so, she must pass a final test the System puts to her, and that test is murder. The Buza System is dark science fiction set in the crumbling ruins and blasted deserts of a future in which all people are not created equal and control is exerted by savage rituals of blood.
Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
About the author
D.J. Butler
84 books269 followersD.J. Butler (Dave) is a novelist living in the Rocky Mountain west. His training is in law, and he worked as a securities lawyer at a major international firm and inhouse at two multinational semiconductor manufacturers before taking up writing fiction. He is a lover of language and languages, a guitarist and self-recorder, and a serious reader. He is married to a powerful and clever novelist and together they have three devious children.
Dave is published by Baen, Knopf, and WordFire Press. He writes adventure fiction for all ages. He writes for young readers under the name Dave Butler: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Read about D.J. Butler’s writing projects at http://davidjohnbutler.com.
Dave is published by Baen, Knopf, and WordFire Press. He writes adventure fiction for all ages. He writes for young readers under the name Dave Butler: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Read about D.J. Butler’s writing projects at http://davidjohnbutler.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 12, 2015
With Crecheling, D.J. Butler defies YA genre stereotypes to create a dystopian future that is vibrant and dangerous, where characters act like real people, and where death and pain are real and unavoidable, even for his heroes. The result is a story that is gripping, characters that are sympathetic, and a plot that grows under momentum that increases until the last pages.
For the most part, I avoid reading young adult fiction, including those that might otherwise consider because they are in genres I might enjoy (i.e. science fiction or fantasy), especially in recent years when YA has exploded as a genre. It seems like I can't turn around without bumping into the last young adult dystopian/urban fantasy romance, complete with zombies, vampires, or oppressive Nazi types. Some are probably very good, but so many seem dripping with the angst that irritated me even when I was a young adult (or, as is probably a better label, a teenager) myself that I'm turned off by the characters. Because of that, I probably would never have picked out Butler's Crecheling except that I had already read his City of Saints (steam punk set in the old west) and his Rock Band Fights Evil: Hellhound on My Trail (urban fantasy, I think), and found myself thoroughly entertained. Still, it took a few months to pick it up.
It didn't take long to regret my delay. Crecheling starts of with a coming-of-age feel, with Dyan preparing to leave her childhood an accept a role in the utopian community that has raised her. There's hope, a romance, and a perfect society, and, to be honest, it seems like a decent place to live.
Except that it's nothing like what it seems, and as the pages turned, the stakes grow and Dyan's coming-of-age tale becomes something much more dangerous, more of a "will I survive?" tale that is more credible and more interesting. At its heart, Butler appears to examine the question that so many dystopian novels address in one way or another--can a perfect society be created without abusing the humanity of its members--but it's easy to forget that there's a moral question at play while his heroes are fighting to stay alive. No, it's not The Hunger Games, but rather something more subtle and credible than a spectator sport with life or death stakes. Yes, life or death is on the line, but in a way that can be believed, sans the faux romance (yes, there's still romance--we're talking about teens, here. It's just not so forced).
I ran into Butler at Salt Lake Comic Con this last month, and he says that he's working on a sequel to Crecheling (I think he said Urbane is the working title). Butler's writing never really gives you the whole picture, and you never really know more than the characters, which isn't much. But the effect is like a flashlight in a dark room--you see glimpses of a vast and detailed world, one that provides a setting, but never gets in the way of the story. Butler's proved himself in his previous novels, and I look forward to Urbane.
For the most part, I avoid reading young adult fiction, including those that might otherwise consider because they are in genres I might enjoy (i.e. science fiction or fantasy), especially in recent years when YA has exploded as a genre. It seems like I can't turn around without bumping into the last young adult dystopian/urban fantasy romance, complete with zombies, vampires, or oppressive Nazi types. Some are probably very good, but so many seem dripping with the angst that irritated me even when I was a young adult (or, as is probably a better label, a teenager) myself that I'm turned off by the characters. Because of that, I probably would never have picked out Butler's Crecheling except that I had already read his City of Saints (steam punk set in the old west) and his Rock Band Fights Evil: Hellhound on My Trail (urban fantasy, I think), and found myself thoroughly entertained. Still, it took a few months to pick it up.
It didn't take long to regret my delay. Crecheling starts of with a coming-of-age feel, with Dyan preparing to leave her childhood an accept a role in the utopian community that has raised her. There's hope, a romance, and a perfect society, and, to be honest, it seems like a decent place to live.
Except that it's nothing like what it seems, and as the pages turned, the stakes grow and Dyan's coming-of-age tale becomes something much more dangerous, more of a "will I survive?" tale that is more credible and more interesting. At its heart, Butler appears to examine the question that so many dystopian novels address in one way or another--can a perfect society be created without abusing the humanity of its members--but it's easy to forget that there's a moral question at play while his heroes are fighting to stay alive. No, it's not The Hunger Games, but rather something more subtle and credible than a spectator sport with life or death stakes. Yes, life or death is on the line, but in a way that can be believed, sans the faux romance (yes, there's still romance--we're talking about teens, here. It's just not so forced).
I ran into Butler at Salt Lake Comic Con this last month, and he says that he's working on a sequel to Crecheling (I think he said Urbane is the working title). Butler's writing never really gives you the whole picture, and you never really know more than the characters, which isn't much. But the effect is like a flashlight in a dark room--you see glimpses of a vast and detailed world, one that provides a setting, but never gets in the way of the story. Butler's proved himself in his previous novels, and I look forward to Urbane.
April 16, 2015
I'm not going to tell you about the story. I''m going to tell you why I liked it.
The backstory and world are deep. Butler has put a lot of time into developing his world, competing ethical and social systems, and how they interact for good or ill.
His characters are deep. He spends great effort to show how and why people manipulate each other in destructive self-perpetuating deception, or how they can come together for mutual support against oppressive odds.
I really felt for the characters. Even the "bad guy" characters have perfectly believable yet repelling justifications and attitudes, and face tough choices. The characters are easily distinguished from each other through speech, through humor, through beliefs and attitudes, and are actually easy to anticipate in a given situation because I just felt I knew them *that* well.
There are surprises and turns of luck from bad to good, and good to bad. I found myself looking at each twist as very believable, but something I hadn't even begun to consider before it came up.
There is also a background theme about how family can tie us together like nothing else can, yet it's shown as a sense of longing for something better in a bad situation, and a hope for how things ought to be. It is a core at the center of what drives several of the characters to behave the way they do. Those who turn away from manipulation and guilt and toward family won't necessarily find their life easier, but it will be more fulfilling.
The backstory and world are deep. Butler has put a lot of time into developing his world, competing ethical and social systems, and how they interact for good or ill.
His characters are deep. He spends great effort to show how and why people manipulate each other in destructive self-perpetuating deception, or how they can come together for mutual support against oppressive odds.
I really felt for the characters. Even the "bad guy" characters have perfectly believable yet repelling justifications and attitudes, and face tough choices. The characters are easily distinguished from each other through speech, through humor, through beliefs and attitudes, and are actually easy to anticipate in a given situation because I just felt I knew them *that* well.
There are surprises and turns of luck from bad to good, and good to bad. I found myself looking at each twist as very believable, but something I hadn't even begun to consider before it came up.
There is also a background theme about how family can tie us together like nothing else can, yet it's shown as a sense of longing for something better in a bad situation, and a hope for how things ought to be. It is a core at the center of what drives several of the characters to behave the way they do. Those who turn away from manipulation and guilt and toward family won't necessarily find their life easier, but it will be more fulfilling.
April 1, 2015
I've had this book on my physical bookshelf in its indie form for over a year, and decided to pick up Wordfire's Kindle edition for my phone to read to me at work. I am far past due for reviewing this book, and so excited that I was finally able to read/listen to it.
Crecheling follows the intense story of a young girl named Dyan who must ritualistically kill another "child" or teenager her age named Jak from a lower pastoral class. This boy along with four other teens were deemed too smart for their caste, and therefore too much of a threat to the order of the System. All children raised in upper-class Creches (Creches being groups of children raised together by a "Magistrate" rather than in family units like the lower classes) must join the blood cult of the Urbane class to be inducted into the System--or else become outcasts and outlaws of open rebellion to be "captured or killed" if they refuse. More often, these upper-class people who attempt to flee the System are killed, it seems.
The reward for Dyan and her Crechemates in proving their loyalty to the System through such drastic means is induction into Urbane adulthood and their desired roles in society. (Dyan wants only to be a full-time daycare worker or "Magistrate" at that--an occupation of nurture and compassion rather than brutality). Everything goes wrong, of course when the boys and girls Dyan and her Chrechemates are ordered to kill decide to retaliate--and killing was not at all what she thought would be expected of her.
The central concept I took away from Crehceling was a rather profound exploration of the idea that families are fundamental units of society. In a fictional civilization where families are all but done away, the romantic subplot between Dyan and Jak (as many YA books feature a romantic subplot) results in their beautifully mature resolution to join together as "man and good wife" to create their own family in utter defiance of the System's grooming. This strikes me as a clever and thought-provoking trope twist. Wrapped up nicely with this progression are other significant revelations about the power of family ties that could not be stifled by the System that come to light toward the end of the book.
The story is bloody with many character-personal casualties (few expendables were slaughtered, which I like). It also features these highly creative "monofilament" whips that can cut a person in half with a single lash. I found these to be the most intriguing--and terrifying--technological features of Butler's brutal world. As a geologist, I also loved adventuring through the milieu of deserts and canyons scorched by heat.
Butler has created a rich post-apocalyptic world with strong characters. The action-packed plot is full of twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you're a fan of YA dystopia and post-apocalyptic fiction, put this on your reading list. It is fantastic.
Crecheling follows the intense story of a young girl named Dyan who must ritualistically kill another "child" or teenager her age named Jak from a lower pastoral class. This boy along with four other teens were deemed too smart for their caste, and therefore too much of a threat to the order of the System. All children raised in upper-class Creches (Creches being groups of children raised together by a "Magistrate" rather than in family units like the lower classes) must join the blood cult of the Urbane class to be inducted into the System--or else become outcasts and outlaws of open rebellion to be "captured or killed" if they refuse. More often, these upper-class people who attempt to flee the System are killed, it seems.
The reward for Dyan and her Crechemates in proving their loyalty to the System through such drastic means is induction into Urbane adulthood and their desired roles in society. (Dyan wants only to be a full-time daycare worker or "Magistrate" at that--an occupation of nurture and compassion rather than brutality). Everything goes wrong, of course when the boys and girls Dyan and her Chrechemates are ordered to kill decide to retaliate--and killing was not at all what she thought would be expected of her.
The central concept I took away from Crehceling was a rather profound exploration of the idea that families are fundamental units of society. In a fictional civilization where families are all but done away, the romantic subplot between Dyan and Jak (as many YA books feature a romantic subplot) results in their beautifully mature resolution to join together as "man and good wife" to create their own family in utter defiance of the System's grooming. This strikes me as a clever and thought-provoking trope twist. Wrapped up nicely with this progression are other significant revelations about the power of family ties that could not be stifled by the System that come to light toward the end of the book.
The story is bloody with many character-personal casualties (few expendables were slaughtered, which I like). It also features these highly creative "monofilament" whips that can cut a person in half with a single lash. I found these to be the most intriguing--and terrifying--technological features of Butler's brutal world. As a geologist, I also loved adventuring through the milieu of deserts and canyons scorched by heat.
Butler has created a rich post-apocalyptic world with strong characters. The action-packed plot is full of twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you're a fan of YA dystopia and post-apocalyptic fiction, put this on your reading list. It is fantastic.
March 30, 2015
By far D. J. Butler's best work to date. This vision of a post-cataclysmic dystopia is haunting. The character work is incredible with powerful dialogue and a compelling story that wouldn't let me put the book down. I especially liked the weapons. It speaks volumes about human nature and struggle to control or resist control. I highly recommend this book.
October 24, 2018
Why must so many guys portray women as fiercely competitive with and unable to trust each other, particularly in love? Why must their young female characters always be on the arm of one man or another? It's a bad stereotype that leaves a black mark on an otherwise original and interesting book.
That brings us to the good stuff. Butler really does give his characters–the one glaring exception being Cheela–a great deal of depth. Characters have emotional range and real personality. I think if he hadn’t been so set on that one stereotype he probably could have made Cheela less one-note as well (this is one reason why stereotypes suck–because they tend to circumscribe your writing in certain ways). Magister Zahara in particular is enigmatic and has some interesting effects on the story. Eirig is my favorite character with his sense of humor, and Cheela is my least favorite because she’s such a shrieking harpy.
The action is quite good. The weapons are vicious, and all the Crechelings are skilled in their use. There are all sorts of violent potential ends awaiting the unwary once away from the System, and Butler is clever in getting the most out of them. There’s also plenty of good skulking around and use of tactics. I did have a little difficulty with the fact that a character lost most of an arm and it barely slowed him down (before getting any medical attention other than a tourniquet he still climbed a rope quite handily, and no one ever stopped him to comment on the fact that he’s newly missing half of his arm). There’s plenty of tension, and other than the one item above I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that dystopias and Westerns aren’t my favorite genres. The fact that the author really made it about the characters kept things engaging and interesting.
Consider my rating a 3.5.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/10/r...
That brings us to the good stuff. Butler really does give his characters–the one glaring exception being Cheela–a great deal of depth. Characters have emotional range and real personality. I think if he hadn’t been so set on that one stereotype he probably could have made Cheela less one-note as well (this is one reason why stereotypes suck–because they tend to circumscribe your writing in certain ways). Magister Zahara in particular is enigmatic and has some interesting effects on the story. Eirig is my favorite character with his sense of humor, and Cheela is my least favorite because she’s such a shrieking harpy.
The action is quite good. The weapons are vicious, and all the Crechelings are skilled in their use. There are all sorts of violent potential ends awaiting the unwary once away from the System, and Butler is clever in getting the most out of them. There’s also plenty of good skulking around and use of tactics. I did have a little difficulty with the fact that a character lost most of an arm and it barely slowed him down (before getting any medical attention other than a tourniquet he still climbed a rope quite handily, and no one ever stopped him to comment on the fact that he’s newly missing half of his arm). There’s plenty of tension, and other than the one item above I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that dystopias and Westerns aren’t my favorite genres. The fact that the author really made it about the characters kept things engaging and interesting.
Consider my rating a 3.5.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/10/r...
December 19, 2018
An interesting adventure. This isn't your typical read. There is a very twisted government in this world, where sacrifices are made to 'thin out the herd' of humans, or that is what they are told. If there weren't sacrifices, they would overgrow and die out, like trees or deer. But suddenly, after some of these people fight back, a young woman, who is part of the system, starts to question everything. And she begins to wonder if the sacrifices are necessary, or if it is just something the government does to oppress its people into obedience.
An intriguing piece, if a bit odd at times. I recommend it if you're looking for a story outside of the box.
An intriguing piece, if a bit odd at times. I recommend it if you're looking for a story outside of the box.
April 26, 2014
In the Crecheling world in order for youths to come of age, they must complete a ritual which involved the murder of system members. This information is only made known to Dyan, the story's main character, and her friends the evening before the ritual is to take place.
But, as it sometimes happens in dystopian stories, things don't go as planned and Dyan finds herself captured by those who should have died. We now find ourselves following Dyan as she must choose between the life she's always known and the uncertainty of a future on the run.
I especially liked the way Butler set up his world. As the story progressed, I learned more about the situation. Some dystopian stories feel a need to front load a story with explanation. I learned of the fictional reality as I read and it surprised me, pleasantly surprised me. It also allowed my imagination to wonder as to where the story could lead. I like that in a book, too.
Butler writes a story that's light on profanity, but not so light on gore. However, the gore helps express the seriousness of the situation and the harsh realities of the cruel world in which they live. In short, I liked it a lot. And I hope to be reading more of this author's books in the future.
But, as it sometimes happens in dystopian stories, things don't go as planned and Dyan finds herself captured by those who should have died. We now find ourselves following Dyan as she must choose between the life she's always known and the uncertainty of a future on the run.
I especially liked the way Butler set up his world. As the story progressed, I learned more about the situation. Some dystopian stories feel a need to front load a story with explanation. I learned of the fictional reality as I read and it surprised me, pleasantly surprised me. It also allowed my imagination to wonder as to where the story could lead. I like that in a book, too.
Butler writes a story that's light on profanity, but not so light on gore. However, the gore helps express the seriousness of the situation and the harsh realities of the cruel world in which they live. In short, I liked it a lot. And I hope to be reading more of this author's books in the future.
April 14, 2015
When you are the child of The System, The System is all you know. Dyan and her creche-mates have grown up in The System and are ready to become full adult members of their society. Only one task remains, a mysterious journey to an outlying settlement. Ignorant of what is to come, Dyan soon discovers the sinister secret of The System, and the role she is expected to play.
Crecheling is the first installment of a coming of age story set in a deadly and apocalyptic future. Often violent and bloody, it paints a grim picture of what it means to belong, and the hard choices that need to be made to become an adult. Throughout the story fragments of a lost history hint at the land that was, and lend an air of familiarity to an otherwise brutal setting. A suspenseful, quick paced read, I heartily look forward to continuing the adventure.
Crecheling is the first installment of a coming of age story set in a deadly and apocalyptic future. Often violent and bloody, it paints a grim picture of what it means to belong, and the hard choices that need to be made to become an adult. Throughout the story fragments of a lost history hint at the land that was, and lend an air of familiarity to an otherwise brutal setting. A suspenseful, quick paced read, I heartily look forward to continuing the adventure.
August 11, 2015
This wildly imaginative YA fiction novel kicks off a gripping adventure in an unexplored world. Butler does a great job of freshening the current YA dystopia trend with plenty of action, well-drawn characters, and an inventive story-telling style. Should you pick up a copy of Crecheling, and a recommend that you do, expect a romp through a wasteland with a group of educated youth who lack one thing before gaining the right to graduate into society: blood on their hands. As I finished this book, I was excited to hear a rumor of an upcoming second volume in the series.
November 11, 2015
I bought this book at Comic Con in Salt Lake this year mainly to support a Utah author. Upon opening the cover I was intrigued by the premise and the writer's skill. I confess to having been put off a bit by the descriptive gore resulting from the seemingly anachronistic weapons - not! When you fight for your life, you take the most effective weapons at hand, though. The dystopian market is well-served by this addition. My only regret is that the sequel is not yet published, patience not being my strongest virtue.
June 5, 2016
Butler tried. Really hard. To make this work. It just didn't work for me.
It's like he tried to follow the script of other novels similar to what he wanted to write, but couldn't pull it off. The characters were flat and unbelievable. The story tired and predictable.
People were being sliced to bits (k, the monofilament was kind of a cool idea) and the feminine protagonist was worried about whether the guy liked her or not. Very jarring and unrealistic.
I pushed through based on other's reviews hoping for some sort of redemption. It never came for me.
It's like he tried to follow the script of other novels similar to what he wanted to write, but couldn't pull it off. The characters were flat and unbelievable. The story tired and predictable.
People were being sliced to bits (k, the monofilament was kind of a cool idea) and the feminine protagonist was worried about whether the guy liked her or not. Very jarring and unrealistic.
I pushed through based on other's reviews hoping for some sort of redemption. It never came for me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews