Kymiera: Season 1

by Steve Turnbull

They stopped the monsters, but at what cost? Who's going to stop them?

Chloe Dark lives in a world decimated by a pandemic that turned humans into genetic freaks, and she fears it will happen to her. When her best friend goes missing, Britain's tyrannical Purity ruling class keeps Chloe from discovering the truth. To find her friend, she has no choice but to take the road more dangerous...

As Chloe realizes she has more in common with the freaks than she'd care to admit, the search to save her friend transforms into a fight for her life. Now she must risk everything to determine if the real monster is the one within.

Genres: Science Fiction

854 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2017

About the author

When he's not sitting at his computer building websites for national institutions and international companies, Steve Turnbull can be found sitting at his computer building new worlds of steampunk, science fiction and fantasy.

Technically Steve was born a cockney but after five years he was moved out from London to the suburbs where he grew up and he talks posh now. He's been a voracious reader of science fiction and fantasy since his early years, but it was poet Laurie Lee's autobiography "Cider with Rosie" (picked up because he was bored in Maths) that taught him the beauty of language and spurred him into becoming a writer, aged 15. He spent twenty years editing and writing for computer magazines while writing poetry on the side.

Nowadays he writes screenplays (TV and features), prose and computer programs.

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Reviews

[Meenaz Lodhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this story, I wish I could have read it in one go! It was really difficult to stop, I was hooked from the begining! the story about a dystopian world with a plague which transforms humans in physical and mental monsters, and to top it off, the genetic DNA manipulations, supposedly to end the plague, civilizan control from a totalitarian organization, the despair, lack of means, the forcé and strength demostrates a group of genetically transformed to defendió themselves and find the mystíery behind their creations... it's a tough world, full of action, trepidant, at the edge with lots of twist and unexpected turns. Gritty and realistic and fantastic hardcore plot. there may be a prime protagonists, but all the main characters are important, I like the way the author has given a very defined background to them. the book is fast paced and full of intrigue and emotive. It made me feel and suffer, shoutwith joy when something good comes out. I wish I could read book 2 now, to know the outcome. Can't wait!

[Sophie Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd write fanfic for this one!

Now, some folks might wonder what kind of endorsement it is wanting to write fanfic for a story, well, from me, it’s a good one. I’m a writer, and I judge books by how much the characters engage me, and whether a plot leaves me thinking about it - whether it inspires me. And Kymiera is one of those stories.

This story is written episodically, and I will warn would-be readers, be patient. It took me a couple of episodes to warm to the characters, but gradually, I found myself being sucked in. Now, I am not a big fan of dystopian futures like the Britain in which this is set, I started to read it because I was given a Kindle copy to review, but the characters overcame my initial hostility. Steve Turnbull manages to avoid stereotypes in the main, I have an issue with one character, but out of the many he creates to great success, I will forgive him for a single two dimensional villain. :) The story moves between quite a few people, and, moment by moment, Steve reveals their lives and their place in the plot. First I was interested, then intrigued and finally I found myself fully invested in what was happening to them all.

So, I loved the characters and the way the story twists and turns, wrapping around itself in loops that aren’t quite predictable. It picked up pace as the tension built, adding depths that I hadn’t originally expected, making me want to get to the end and find out what happened. So, why have I given the book 4 stars rather than 5? Well, the reason is the ending.

Kymiera is a story all about evolution: of characters, of their beliefs, of knowledge, and, even though this story is billed as Season 1, so I was expecting there to be plot points left for Season 2, there were two strands of this story for which, as a reader, I wanted satisfaction. Without giving anything away, one strand delivered, the second did not, which made me a bit grumpy when I had finished the story.

I could have overlooked the second strand not concluding how I wanted it to, after all, I don’t control the plot, but there was one more thing, the ending’s pace. The rest of the book is expertly handled, dropping in information, building climaxes and spinning plot lines around the characters and it kept me hooked from beginning to almost the end. However, after such brilliant build up, the galloping pace at the ultimate confrontation left me wanting to know more, and not in a good way. Certain things went unexplained, important characters’ points of view were skipped, or wrapped up with unsatisfactory single lines, sacrificed to the speed at which the last few pages played out. I wanted more.

On balance, though, I enjoyed this story, I loved the depth in the characters and their developments, and, as I said above, the whole world Steve has created has the breadth and dynamism that makes me want to write fanfic for it.

[Ryan Toxopeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the longest books I’ve read in a while, and although it has a hefty word count, it never felt long. There were a lot of characters, but not so many that I couldn’t keep track of them. The pacing is excellent, with each character getting a short scene before moving on to the next.

The evolution of the main character, Chloe Dark, was interesting to see unfold. Her motivations were clear and realistic, given the fantastic situation she found herself plunged into.

It’s only too easy to see the world falling into this dark future, if the human race experienced a fracturing where some people mutated into “freaks.”

The only part I had trouble with – and I understand the motivation – is that the ending was weak, leaving a lot of questions unanswered, and leaving it feeling like there definitely needs to be more. But it wasn’t as bad as when authors just end a book with no sense of climax, assuming you’ll continue reading. Usually with a first book in series, I prefer a clean ending, but in this case I enjoyed the first book enough that I’ll be looking for the sequel anyway.

[Clownmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good beginning to what i hope is a continuing story. I find myself liking the majority of our main characters, even though I feel they aren't given enough background, in general. The story moves along, though at times I wasn't sure where it was going, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Overall, I wanted more background on characters and the mysterious SID disease. Though, this is a POST apocalyptic novel, not a DURING apocalyptic novel. I would also like to understand the wireheads a bit better. I really liked when Lament was given a few chapters to narrate from his perspective.

Along those lines, some characters that narrated chapters didn't really deserve to do so. They were never important players, and they really didn't advance the story much. A few tertiary characters could even be removed. Honestly, Sapphire added very little to the story, even though she had such a large part. If she was eliminated, nothing would change, other than the absence of one of the more annoying characters.

[Suzanne Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this a series? I didn't realize when I started reading this book.

My maiden name is Dark, so this book was interesting just because of Dark being Chloe's last name.

It took a LONG time to get this story going including character development and plot. I mean a LONG time. It also had a lot of errors, i.e. Chris was called Mark and Michael at different times, as well as Harry being called Chris. This was a only a few of the major editing errors, sentence fragments or the sentence not making any sense. For the most part, it was good enough for me to continue reading until the end (of this volume). Will I get Volume 2, maybe but I have other books to read.

Story: Chloe is changing, she is being pursued by several factions. She doesn't know what or why she is changing and is in a race of time to figure it out, save her friend, and avoid capture herself.

[Jesse O. Vann III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story!

For me Monsters had everything I want and like in a Book.
Friendship, Pain, the Horror of what Mankind can do to there fellow Humans.
The People in Monsters I could sympathize with. It was like I was watching a Movie, or even being there.

I would like to think Mr. Steve Turnbull.

The only thing I found that was Disappointing, there was not more of the story. I hope there is a part 2.

[sazzie]

Not the best book

Not 100% on this book tbh, story line is hard to keep up with, the characters were OK but you kinda hope for them to 'catch' on quicker, maybe more Information about the world and how it became how it is would be a good idea and the ending was anticlimactic and a bit rubbish tbh, I listened on audio aswell and even the narrator sounded bored and tired of the book, I was pretty disappointed tbh.

[Leanne Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible

This is such a good read, the world building is phenomenal and the story so well thought through. I’d love a second book that lets us know what happens to the monsters next.

[Dona Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT?!

Great book. Totally invested in it. Lost 2 days because I NEEDED to finish it.
But the end?! What the $#@& was that? That was not an ending. That was a serious let down.
Very unhappy right now....

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it

Different to other books I have read like this and I quite enjoyed it. I look forward to the next one

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic read!

Loved it! Can’t wait for the next book in series. This is an exciting adventure for a new species that may help bring the world back.

[Hollie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good except for the abrupt end. Definitely a good book and it kept me interested, took a bit to set up the story and settings.

[Dave Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turnbull blends gritty realism with near-futuristic science to create a world that will appeal to lovers of 80’s TV sci-fi and modern thrillers alike.

Over a decade ago, humanity was decimated by a plague that spliced animal DNA into it’s victims. Now the survivors huddle apart for safety, subject to constant surveillance and regular testing. Chloe Dark’s dream is to join Purity, the paramilitary force that keeps humanity safe from the maddened freaks and the genetic corruption that makes them. Until the kidnapping of a series of apparently normal teenagers makes her a target for both criminals and the authorities; and makes her question whether the world is as simple as humanity vs. freaks.

Turnbull starts the story less than a generation after the plague strikes, creating a United Kingdom that still has the infrastructure of a developed nation but lacks the population to properly maintain it, yet alone progress. Combined with an adult populace still paranoid from the initial surge of infections and a youth raised under the watchful eye of Purity, this provides the reader with both the immediately recognisable frame of reference and pleasing sense of mystery that mark a good thriller.

This approach also avoids on of the issues most likely to damage a reader’s acceptance of authoritarian dystopia: how society transitioned from modernity to whatever it has become. While not all readers will easily accept the idea of a viral plague that blends human and non-human DNA into a viable chimera, such an event is an entirely plausible starting point for a world where most survivors live a mix of subsistence and modern life in decaying ruins while the head of the bio-tech company that developed a plague test lives almost like royalty.

Turnbull extends the same balance of dramatic and believable to the plague itself: while humans surviving the genetic changes might incline more toward the world of superheroes than strict realism, the freaks are only semi-viable; both madness and death loom larger with each day they live. And – save potentially in degree of likelihood – these are not superheroes. The few who are not scooped up to fight in underground arenas live as criminals denied even the inadequate benefits of being human.

Where Turnbull might have moved beyond some readers’ acceptance of the unlikely is in the reason that unites the kidnapped teenagers: not because it is more implausible than the plague – it might perhaps be less so – but because it has an air of coincidence that some thriller fans might consider untidy.

Turnbull, seeking to enhance the resonance with a television series, has structured the work as six episodes. And further divided each episode into chapters that often contain several points-of-view. This results in multiple mini-cliffhangers interspersed with slightly stronger ones; however, as the book contains all six episodes and the last episode ends with the major arc wrapped up, this is more likely to result in binge reading than irritation.

Chloe is a well-crafted protagonist. While her defence of socially disadvantaged schoolfriends against the popular kids might on the face of it seem contrary to a desire to join an authoritarian organisation devoted to enforcing a rigid set of moral and biological rules, both stem from an underlying decency and compassion. This genuine desire to keep others safe provides both a solid motivation to succeed and an obstacle as she discovers purity is not as simple as it seemed.

The other major viewpoints are similarly nuanced. The most efficient killer of freaks is driven not by hatred but by the remnants of a duty forged before the plague. The longest-lived chimeras have abilities others do not, but are also shaped by the vulnerabilities and instincts of their animal side. And the powerful seek out the physical contact others fear, not from a sense of joy but an nihilistic search for something meaningful.

Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a complex science-fiction thriller that balances action with depth.

I received an advanced review copy from the author with a request for a fair review.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little worried before starting this book that it would be too out of my wheelhouse to appeal - dystopian fiction with steampunk elements. However, I needn't have worried as I was quickly hooked and couldn't put the book down! The characters, both 'good' and 'bad', are interesting and contribute to the story, keeping the action moving and bringing it to life, and the writing is excellent (as always from Mr Turnbull!). Living in England, I can also visualise the settings written about, and it kind of enhances the story more for me (although of course it's far different from how it's described in the story!).
I really enjoyed reading this book, which kept me hooked from beginning to end, and has left me dying to know what happens next! I can definitely recommend it to all fantasy and dystopian story lovers, as well as anyone who's just looking for something a bit different - you'll all definitely like this book and be left wanting more! Now we've just got to wait for season 2... Unless the rumours of a tv/film production come true - which would be AWESOME!!
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions

[Julian White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A gripping dystopian future world after a world-wide viral catastrophe. The protagonist, Chloe, is a yound girl but is rather more resourceful that most YA heroines - though this isn't, despite Chloe, really a YA book. Over six 'episodes' we learn about the world as well as her friend Melinda. The supporting cast is mostly well-drawn (though Mercedes Smith is a bit two dimensional - somewhat of a dyed-in-the-wool villain; Purity Special Agent Graham is a nastier character all round). I liked DI Mitchell and his sidekick Yates - and the wirehead Lament (for more on that you'll have to read the book!). Dog and Jason were also intriguing.

The world was well constructed, with tantalising hints of what happened rather than gruesome details which cleverly left me wanting to know more (not least about the SID virus as well as those wireheads).

It's probably a good sign when a book is satisfying (even if the ending is a bit of a cliff-hanger) while leaving you wanting more!

[Kanyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story!!!! This book was right up my alley filled with action and suspense in a dystopian setting. Kymiera: Season 1 is set up to read like television shows, but in book format. There are multiple viewpoints throughout that I thought brought more to the story. I liked flipping back and forth, it gave it a little suspense and anticipation to find out what happens next. There is a lot to this book, but very well written and engaging. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi dystopian stories. I really look forward to reading more!

I voluntarily received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Final Rating: 5 Stars

[Susan Sample · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like his Maliha Anderson series more, but this is really good (and totally different). What it has in common is the fact that both should really appeal to fans of Joss Whedon. Strong female characters...heck, strong characters generally. Excellent ensemble cast, and this really would make a great tv show. Basic, I’ll pretty much read anything this guy writes. He’s that good.

[MKenfield21 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would probably be four stars if it focused more narrowly on Chloe, but it spends way too much time on secondary POVs that don't add anything to the story.