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The Darwin Solution
There’s a dead demon at the centre of a terrible incident and a man is about to be executed for getting too close to government secrets. Langdon and Freya are working hard to get to the bottom of both mysteries. But after being driven from their home and sent on the run will they be able to even stay alive? An intriguing tale set in a dystopian England where hospitals are closed and doctors are illegal. Mages Langdon and Freya must survive werewolf police, vampire pirates and the threat of demons to get to the truth. With the help of Liz their resident IT genius and Matt, a werewolf who is rapidly losing control.
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 17, 2015
Indy Book Review Preface: For independently published books, I grant some leeway on typos and misplaced words since the author had the herculean task of doing all the work themselves. For The Darwin Solution, this preface is largely unnecessary as-while there were a few grammatically errors-they were few and far between and rarely distracted from the book itself.
Now, onto the actual book!
The Darwin Solution is set in a magical contemporary London, one that waged wars with demons a half century ago and emerged victorious. Right around that same time they also established a national called The Darwin Solution, based upon the laws namesake Charles Darwin and intended to encourage the rapid evolution of man. Naturally it was not the finest idea. The London that Ellinson creates is one where werewolves, vampires and mages commonly walk the street and where magic is not known, it's commonplace.
Set against this backdrop we have the mysterious Freya, a powerful and seemingly ageless mage who drops into the life of Langdon, a rogue doctor in a world where his craft is outlawed, a teenage electric sprite named Liz for whom all things electric are an open book, and Matt, another teenager who is afflicted with lycanthropy and who manages to become even more afflicted as the book goes on. This cast then is set on a journey that has them exploring the very roots of the Darwin Solution while evading demonically empowered foes.
The story starts off highly intriguing and does an excellent job coaxing one into this strange, yet familiar, world. The core cast is memorable, well differentiated, and relatable. There are several villains lurking in this story, but Maxwell, an angry street youth infused with demonic power, easily overshadows the masters pulling his strings. Full of action and adventure, the story moves quickly, but there is a notable lull in the middle of the book, particularly when a half dozen police are added late and become difficult to remember, especially when it turns out they're highly expendable, but is well worth working through for the finale waiting just around the corner. The tension picks back up when the mysteries of the Darwin Solution are revealed and results in an action packed finale that gives each of the core cast a time to shine.
I would recommend The Darwin Solution to those who enjoy urban fantasy. Ellinson has created a fascinating world and I look forward to seeing how she elaborates and expands upon it in further tales of Freya and Langdon.
Now, onto the actual book!
The Darwin Solution is set in a magical contemporary London, one that waged wars with demons a half century ago and emerged victorious. Right around that same time they also established a national called The Darwin Solution, based upon the laws namesake Charles Darwin and intended to encourage the rapid evolution of man. Naturally it was not the finest idea. The London that Ellinson creates is one where werewolves, vampires and mages commonly walk the street and where magic is not known, it's commonplace.
Set against this backdrop we have the mysterious Freya, a powerful and seemingly ageless mage who drops into the life of Langdon, a rogue doctor in a world where his craft is outlawed, a teenage electric sprite named Liz for whom all things electric are an open book, and Matt, another teenager who is afflicted with lycanthropy and who manages to become even more afflicted as the book goes on. This cast then is set on a journey that has them exploring the very roots of the Darwin Solution while evading demonically empowered foes.
The story starts off highly intriguing and does an excellent job coaxing one into this strange, yet familiar, world. The core cast is memorable, well differentiated, and relatable. There are several villains lurking in this story, but Maxwell, an angry street youth infused with demonic power, easily overshadows the masters pulling his strings. Full of action and adventure, the story moves quickly, but there is a notable lull in the middle of the book, particularly when a half dozen police are added late and become difficult to remember, especially when it turns out they're highly expendable, but is well worth working through for the finale waiting just around the corner. The tension picks back up when the mysteries of the Darwin Solution are revealed and results in an action packed finale that gives each of the core cast a time to shine.
I would recommend The Darwin Solution to those who enjoy urban fantasy. Ellinson has created a fascinating world and I look forward to seeing how she elaborates and expands upon it in further tales of Freya and Langdon.
March 19, 2015
Interesting misfit group of protagonists? Check.
Adorable Werewolf loosing control? Check.
A Dash of Cthulhu monstrosities and demons? Awesome!
Mix with a decent mystery and antagonists you want to punt into the sun? Check!
Honestly when I buy a book I usually download the sample and if the opening chapters don't catch me nothing will. This book did that. I'm biased towards anything that treats werewolves well and allows those types of characters grow beyond the "OH no! I'm a werewolf angst fest." In this case I'm pleased that Matt didn't need this type of arc to be a fun character. Sure he had to learn to master himself and his abilities but the usual werewolf tropes didn't apply much.
Actually I ended up liking the entire Darwin Cast. Most times I only end up liking a hand full of the protagonists but in this case everyone was a asset to the group and I thought they all meshed well together. I especially have a soft spot for Dr. Langdon. I know most people like reviews to describe the plot but rather then break down the book Ill leave with this:
If you love Cthulhu inspired fiction mixed with the bizarre atmosphere of Dishonored, then give this book a chance, because the only way we will find the next writers of tomorrow is to give them a chance today.
Adorable Werewolf loosing control? Check.
A Dash of Cthulhu monstrosities and demons? Awesome!
Mix with a decent mystery and antagonists you want to punt into the sun? Check!
Honestly when I buy a book I usually download the sample and if the opening chapters don't catch me nothing will. This book did that. I'm biased towards anything that treats werewolves well and allows those types of characters grow beyond the "OH no! I'm a werewolf angst fest." In this case I'm pleased that Matt didn't need this type of arc to be a fun character. Sure he had to learn to master himself and his abilities but the usual werewolf tropes didn't apply much.
Actually I ended up liking the entire Darwin Cast. Most times I only end up liking a hand full of the protagonists but in this case everyone was a asset to the group and I thought they all meshed well together. I especially have a soft spot for Dr. Langdon. I know most people like reviews to describe the plot but rather then break down the book Ill leave with this:
If you love Cthulhu inspired fiction mixed with the bizarre atmosphere of Dishonored, then give this book a chance, because the only way we will find the next writers of tomorrow is to give them a chance today.
July 2, 2015
Fantastic! I really enjoyed this, one of the few books I've honestly been glued to from start to finish. The characters are really memorable (Freya being my favourite!) and the story is gripping and absorbing. Honestly I love the English setting of this dystopian theme, not a setting that's used often for this genre, but it's COOL!
And werewolves!! Really well done, cool werewolves, a nice change from the current trendy style of these fantasy creatures, it's great to see them get back to being badass again!
Loved it, would love to see more from this author.
And werewolves!! Really well done, cool werewolves, a nice change from the current trendy style of these fantasy creatures, it's great to see them get back to being badass again!
Loved it, would love to see more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews