5 stars!
Reviewed By Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite
The Compound: A Novus Octo Novel by Robert Sean Morrison is an exciting read, a combination of sci-fi and thriller that will entertain readers in a huge way. After a grueling Civil War, the country is divided into eight different sections, and into a class system comprising three distinct categories of people. It is in this setting that the story of Ethan Sharp, an exceptionally gifted boy is told. Ethan is a character with a keen sense of justice, and when he notices that Jarek Thorne, who heads the Medical Research Department in Section 7, may not be working within a strict code of ethics, he decides to do something. And what becomes of him from this moment will thrill readers immensely.
I enjoyed how Robert Sean Morrison used the first person narrative, and the voice comes across as clear and strong, absorbing readers from the very first page into the narrator’s viewpoint. The writing is crisp and tightly knit, laced with intelligent dialogue and literary elements that add beauty to the story. The Compound features very compelling and complex characters, and readers will love to follow the conflict between Jarek Thorne and Ethan Sharp. There is nothing predictable in the plot, and I enjoyed the way the author develops the conflict. The writing is suspenseful, designed to make readers guess in anticipation. I was curious when I read the lines from Robert Frost at the opening of this story, but it seems they translate the whole message and theme of the story: the freedom of walking the road less traveled. This is another good book from a skilled author, one I’ll recommend to fans of sci-fi and thrillers.