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Salvi Brentt #1
The Subjugate
In a small religious community rocked by a spree of shocking murders, Detectives Salvi Brentt and Mitch Grenville find themselves surrounded by suspects. The Children of Christ have a tight grip on their people, and the Solme Complex neurally edit violent criminals - Subjugates - into placid servants called Serenes. In a town where purity and sin, temptation and repression live side by side, everyone has a motive. But as the bodies mount up, the frustrated detectives begin to crack under the pressure: their demons are coming to light, and who knows where that blurred line between man and monster truly lies.
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2018
14 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Bridgeman
28 books107 followersAmanda is a Scribe Award winner, a two-time Tin Duck Award winner, an Aurealis and Ditmar Awards finalist and author of several science fiction and thriller novels. Her works include sci-fi mystery SALVATION series, consisting of THE SUBJUGATE and THE SENSATION (published by Angry Robot Books, UK), which is being developed for TV by Aquarius Films and Anonymous Content (True Detective, Mr Robot, The Alienist).
THE SUBJUGATE is also currently being studied at two German universities (Düsseldorf and Cologne) as part of a program on Australian speculative fiction, in conjunction with the Centre for Australian Studies.
Born in the seaside/country town of Geraldton, Western Australia, she moved to Perth (Western Australia) to study film & television/creative writing at Murdoch University, earning her a BA in Communication Studies. Perth has been her home ever since, aside from a nineteen-month stint in London (England) where she dabbled in Film & TV ‘Extra’ work.
Amanda is a versatile writer who enjoys working across different genres and creative formats, be it novels, screenplays, short stories, etc, and creating both original and tie-in work.
Her Scribe Award winning novel PANDEMIC: PATIENT ZERO is the first novel set in the award-winning Pandemic tabletop board game universe.
She has written short stories for Marvel (X-Men) and Black Library (Warhammer 40k) anthologies.
Her new novel, Sound of Light, set in the Marvel X-Men universe and featuring mutant Dazzler, is out now!
THE SUBJUGATE is also currently being studied at two German universities (Düsseldorf and Cologne) as part of a program on Australian speculative fiction, in conjunction with the Centre for Australian Studies.
Born in the seaside/country town of Geraldton, Western Australia, she moved to Perth (Western Australia) to study film & television/creative writing at Murdoch University, earning her a BA in Communication Studies. Perth has been her home ever since, aside from a nineteen-month stint in London (England) where she dabbled in Film & TV ‘Extra’ work.
Amanda is a versatile writer who enjoys working across different genres and creative formats, be it novels, screenplays, short stories, etc, and creating both original and tie-in work.
Her Scribe Award winning novel PANDEMIC: PATIENT ZERO is the first novel set in the award-winning Pandemic tabletop board game universe.
She has written short stories for Marvel (X-Men) and Black Library (Warhammer 40k) anthologies.
Her new novel, Sound of Light, set in the Marvel X-Men universe and featuring mutant Dazzler, is out now!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
July 11, 2022
I met Amanda in Australia when I was there for SupaNova. I picked up this up as it sounded really interesting. Science fiction and mystery are always a good genre combination. The SF element was a projection of the "near" future where the tech has become completely integrated with everyday life (drones and cameras everywhere, lenses in the eyes, and AI helping the police, etc...). However, there are communities that have "pulled away" (which is a great term!) from technology. They've rejected it and live "simple" lives. In quotes because one of the residents is murdered and the game is on.
Detective Salvi Brentt and her partner Mitch are assigned to solve the crime. I enjoyed the mystery elements and was trying to solve the puzzle as the story progressed. The characters are interesting and complex.
Detective Salvi Brentt and her partner Mitch are assigned to solve the crime. I enjoyed the mystery elements and was trying to solve the puzzle as the story progressed. The characters are interesting and complex.
November 21, 2018
Fantastic in every way imaginable. More whodunnit than science fiction but tons of fun. I bought this because it was a new Angry Robot release and I swear I don't think I've read a bad book published by them. I love huge sprawling space opera stuff but I also dig this smaller more subtle sci-fi that is more just background and setting with tighter intense storylines. Cool characters, a fresh take on the future of prison reform, and it flowed so well I sat down and read two hundred pages and hardly looked up. Five solid might-end-up-being-my-second-favorite-book-of-the-year stars.
November 10, 2018
I read this book in a day. I couldn't put it down.
For me, good spec-fic is all about examining human nature through the lenses of an alternate reality, allowing us to throw certain aspects of ourselves into sharp, sometimes unflattering focus. And this, right here, is spec-fic at its best.
'The Subjugate' is human oriented near future soft sci-fi that takes a look at where we are probably heading with our society as a whole, as well as narrowing down into a few key areas. Can extremely violent/sadistic/sexual criminals be reformed? If they could be reformed, would the ends justify the means- or would that depend on the means? Where is religion's place in our future, as compared to now? What place will technology have in our everyday lives, and where will we draw the line as to how deeply we want technology to be integrated into our lives? Into ourselves?? How will society function when different people choose to draw that line in different places?
Set perhaps 80 or so years in the future, 'The Subjugate' explores these questions by following two detectives as they investigate a case of murder in a religious, tech-free town outside of the city, a town that lives symbiotically with the Solme complex next door. The Solme complex rehabilitates violent criminals using technology and other means, and then cautiously allows them back into society. It doesn't take much probing before the town's secrets start to reveal themselves. Soon our detectives have suspect after suspect to deal with - as well as dealing with problems of their own, for this case wakes up personal demons buried shallowly in their pasts.
There are many things to love about this book, but there are two aspects that I really appreciated for personal reasons. First off, I loved the way that Salvi's personal issues with Christianity were dealt with. It was very real. I'm married to a man who was raised a strict Catholic (he is now atheist) and I saw many parallels between Salvi and my husband - Salvi is struggling with bitterness and anger at the system that I'm sure many who have stepped away from religion must struggle with. At least, my husband certainly still does.
And... oh this is hard to write about without spoilers but I'll try... The second aspect of this book that I really appreciated was that consent was clear. There were character based reasons that mean that it would have been so easy for Bridgeman to write one of those scenes that I see all too often where consent is foggy. I'm sure you know what I mean. A 'foggy' consent scene is where there is a 'you know you want it, really' type of forced kiss that leads to more as the female thaws and then melts, or something similar, but Bridgeman avoided that path and instead wrote a scene with clear consent and I LOVE THAT because, as you can probably tell, I don't like foggy consent scenes. I really feel like they are something that we need to move beyond for obvious reasons, and Bridgeman has shown, without a doubt, that you can create a scene with tension, and emotional difficulty, and self doubt, and raw power, without straying into the land of foggy consent. So thank you for that - it was very, very well written and satisfying for so many reasons.
So perhaps if you are a deeply religious person this book might not be for you. But for everyone else, I would urge you to pick it up. You won't be disappointed.
For me, good spec-fic is all about examining human nature through the lenses of an alternate reality, allowing us to throw certain aspects of ourselves into sharp, sometimes unflattering focus. And this, right here, is spec-fic at its best.
'The Subjugate' is human oriented near future soft sci-fi that takes a look at where we are probably heading with our society as a whole, as well as narrowing down into a few key areas. Can extremely violent/sadistic/sexual criminals be reformed? If they could be reformed, would the ends justify the means- or would that depend on the means? Where is religion's place in our future, as compared to now? What place will technology have in our everyday lives, and where will we draw the line as to how deeply we want technology to be integrated into our lives? Into ourselves?? How will society function when different people choose to draw that line in different places?
Set perhaps 80 or so years in the future, 'The Subjugate' explores these questions by following two detectives as they investigate a case of murder in a religious, tech-free town outside of the city, a town that lives symbiotically with the Solme complex next door. The Solme complex rehabilitates violent criminals using technology and other means, and then cautiously allows them back into society. It doesn't take much probing before the town's secrets start to reveal themselves. Soon our detectives have suspect after suspect to deal with - as well as dealing with problems of their own, for this case wakes up personal demons buried shallowly in their pasts.
There are many things to love about this book, but there are two aspects that I really appreciated for personal reasons. First off, I loved the way that Salvi's personal issues with Christianity were dealt with. It was very real. I'm married to a man who was raised a strict Catholic (he is now atheist) and I saw many parallels between Salvi and my husband - Salvi is struggling with bitterness and anger at the system that I'm sure many who have stepped away from religion must struggle with. At least, my husband certainly still does.
And... oh this is hard to write about without spoilers but I'll try... The second aspect of this book that I really appreciated was that consent was clear. There were character based reasons that mean that it would have been so easy for Bridgeman to write one of those scenes that I see all too often where consent is foggy. I'm sure you know what I mean. A 'foggy' consent scene is where there is a 'you know you want it, really' type of forced kiss that leads to more as the female thaws and then melts, or something similar, but Bridgeman avoided that path and instead wrote a scene with clear consent and I LOVE THAT because, as you can probably tell, I don't like foggy consent scenes. I really feel like they are something that we need to move beyond for obvious reasons, and Bridgeman has shown, without a doubt, that you can create a scene with tension, and emotional difficulty, and self doubt, and raw power, without straying into the land of foggy consent. So thank you for that - it was very, very well written and satisfying for so many reasons.
So perhaps if you are a deeply religious person this book might not be for you. But for everyone else, I would urge you to pick it up. You won't be disappointed.
March 12, 2019
Every once in a while I like to venture outside of my preferred genres, and The Subjugate by Amanda Bridgeman caught my eye. The author paints a vivid picture exploring how technology may very well impact our lives in the not-so-distant future. The world that she envisions means that every movement a person makes is recorded in some way. AIs and self-driving cars are the norm, but police are still required to provide the human element in fighting crime.
Yet some people – especially religious communities – have moved away from the city to enjoy more simpler lives, without all the surveillance. But when a murder is committed in Bountiful, a strict Christian community, the case presents detectives Salvi and Mitch with more than their fair share of obstacles.
Suspects abound within Bountiful, but things are further complicated by the nearby Solme complex, where dangerous offenders are treated using cutting-edge technology that renders them, as the word suggests: Serene. We follow Salvi's point of view as she unravels the clues that make her doubt even the people closest to her. Hard ethical questions are asked, with no easy answers provided.
The story has a slow build, with short scenes that speed up towards a tense conclusion, and I must commend Bridgeman for her stunning misdirection in terms of me figuring out who the killer was. I'm not a huge fan of crime fiction, but I really enjoyed the ride nonetheless. Salvi herself is a difficult character to get into at first, but as Bridgeman gradually reveals Salvi's past, her fanatical dedication to her police work makes all the more sense. There were times when I felt that Salvi herself was emotionally distant, but that could also just be part of her characterisation in that she keeps herself apart from the people and circumstances around her until she can no longer avoid dealing with the issues that challenge her.
Yet some people – especially religious communities – have moved away from the city to enjoy more simpler lives, without all the surveillance. But when a murder is committed in Bountiful, a strict Christian community, the case presents detectives Salvi and Mitch with more than their fair share of obstacles.
Suspects abound within Bountiful, but things are further complicated by the nearby Solme complex, where dangerous offenders are treated using cutting-edge technology that renders them, as the word suggests: Serene. We follow Salvi's point of view as she unravels the clues that make her doubt even the people closest to her. Hard ethical questions are asked, with no easy answers provided.
The story has a slow build, with short scenes that speed up towards a tense conclusion, and I must commend Bridgeman for her stunning misdirection in terms of me figuring out who the killer was. I'm not a huge fan of crime fiction, but I really enjoyed the ride nonetheless. Salvi herself is a difficult character to get into at first, but as Bridgeman gradually reveals Salvi's past, her fanatical dedication to her police work makes all the more sense. There were times when I felt that Salvi herself was emotionally distant, but that could also just be part of her characterisation in that she keeps herself apart from the people and circumstances around her until she can no longer avoid dealing with the issues that challenge her.
August 28, 2020
when ur religion is law enforcement im not even joking 😅😗🤔😥
May 11, 2024
The strength of this, for me, was from how thematically sound it is. Focused on repression, our two detectives are diametric opposites. A tight lipped and taught woman and main character, the other emotional and an anxious ball of a man. They catch a case at a community that has pulled away from technology, the brutal, sexual nature of the death unearths the characters’ past while pitting them against the community itself. Then there’s the subjugates themselves, who are… “reformed”, extremely violent offenders which live close by and help out the townsfolk with free labour.
There’s repression everywhere and I feel the messaging was nuanced and landed well. The prose work and other aspects do feel quite commercial and vary from believable to not so believable dialogue, convenient plot beats, and a will-they-won’t-they. Without the thematics it would have been fairly forgettable, but it is a stand out, and it’s a fast paced police procedural ride.
3.5 rounded up
There’s repression everywhere and I feel the messaging was nuanced and landed well. The prose work and other aspects do feel quite commercial and vary from believable to not so believable dialogue, convenient plot beats, and a will-they-won’t-they. Without the thematics it would have been fairly forgettable, but it is a stand out, and it’s a fast paced police procedural ride.
3.5 rounded up
January 10, 2021
I really wanted to like this more than I did - it's a cyberpunk murder mystery set in the near future, but the flatness of the characters kept me from enjoying it as much as I should have. The plot (with the exception of one very contrived plot point that was shoe-horned in to create a red herring and superficial tension between the protagonists) was engaging and original. But the characters were under-developed and the the dialog was seriously stilted. It was as if everyone was an AI rather than an actual human.
I also take issue with Amanda Bridgeman's rather black/white/no gray area approach to crime and criminal justice. As someone who has been a criminal defense attorney for over 30 years, I found that recurring theme and its treatment distasteful. It wasn't clear to me that it was supposed to have that affect on the reader; I think we were supposed to be more sympathetic to the police/community point of view than I ultimately was.
All that being said, I will probably read the sequel because while this wasn't great, it wasn't awful either. Mildly entertaining and a very quick read.
I also take issue with Amanda Bridgeman's rather black/white/no gray area approach to crime and criminal justice. As someone who has been a criminal defense attorney for over 30 years, I found that recurring theme and its treatment distasteful. It wasn't clear to me that it was supposed to have that affect on the reader; I think we were supposed to be more sympathetic to the police/community point of view than I ultimately was.
All that being said, I will probably read the sequel because while this wasn't great, it wasn't awful either. Mildly entertaining and a very quick read.
October 29, 2018
Great book with a very interesting idea about how criminals could be 'saved' and integrated back into society. Really enjoyed reading about the criminal side of things and would love for a book to be made about the running of the Solme Complex.
Once I was about halfway through the book I was hooked, but the beginning didn't capture my attention for some reason and I would just read a couple of pages here and there. I would say, one thing for me is I did find the killer to be a bit obvious, but overall it was very well written with an intriguing main character.
Once I was about halfway through the book I was hooked, but the beginning didn't capture my attention for some reason and I would just read a couple of pages here and there. I would say, one thing for me is I did find the killer to be a bit obvious, but overall it was very well written with an intriguing main character.
May 25, 2019
Set in a future West Coast America, this police procedural story feels quite depressing. Are there still going to be men who see women as victims? Still control freaks, still religious nut dropouts? This is like a future, adult version of 'Footloose' without the dancing.
The violent male criminals of this future are being held in a prison near a religious community town, and it's rather sad that extreme force is used to turn the convicts into some kind of safe human being. If this has to be done to them for months on end would they not be better off with an alternative that kept them away from people? We can consider this in the light of the value gained from an enslaved workforce, a concept existing in USA today. When a young woman is killed in the town, the city police have to be summoned. At first the procedures are slow, setting the scene, establishing characters. Suspects include townsfolk, who don't trust the tech-using city cops. And the day-release workers.
Our guide is a female cop with antagonism towards religious control freaks. Her partner is deliberately written as unreliable, but he's got his reasons.
I found the book well done, although the title does rather give away the fact that a Subjugate, one of the violent prisoners being chemically and physically converted to a Serene or slave worker, is going to be a major part of the conclusion. The author confuses VR with AR quite a lot; if she is going to claim that definitions have changed she should tell us the new definitions. I recommend this for adults only due to mature scenes and violence.
This is an unbiased review.
The violent male criminals of this future are being held in a prison near a religious community town, and it's rather sad that extreme force is used to turn the convicts into some kind of safe human being. If this has to be done to them for months on end would they not be better off with an alternative that kept them away from people? We can consider this in the light of the value gained from an enslaved workforce, a concept existing in USA today. When a young woman is killed in the town, the city police have to be summoned. At first the procedures are slow, setting the scene, establishing characters. Suspects include townsfolk, who don't trust the tech-using city cops. And the day-release workers.
Our guide is a female cop with antagonism towards religious control freaks. Her partner is deliberately written as unreliable, but he's got his reasons.
I found the book well done, although the title does rather give away the fact that a Subjugate, one of the violent prisoners being chemically and physically converted to a Serene or slave worker, is going to be a major part of the conclusion. The author confuses VR with AR quite a lot; if she is going to claim that definitions have changed she should tell us the new definitions. I recommend this for adults only due to mature scenes and violence.
This is an unbiased review.
June 17, 2021
I stumbled across Amanda Bridgeman’s work as a result of attending a Supanova convention in Queensland, Australia early in 2021.
As often happens at these conventions, I went to an author panel, and there was Amanda, talking alongside two authors I’ve read (and seen at conventions) previously, this time on the topic of writing flawed characters.
She spoke a bit about her books, as is expected, and I was intrigued about them given some of her answers to questions.
So, between panels, I found her books, and did some cover reading. As you do.
I was only more intrigued, and found myself purchasing the first two books in both the Aurora and Salvation series. This is my first read of those books.
I think I’m hooked.
The story read like a classic who dun it, but it’s the world that has me intrigued. So much tech involved (I work in IT, hence part of my attraction) along with religion, use of tech in different ways, some uses banned for, well, reasons I’m not going into in a review, and so much more.
There are secrets in many places throughout the book, some great plotting and planning throughout the book, and some very flawed characters indeed. I really do see why Amanda was on that particular panel!
I am very happy Amanda made it across to the east coast for the convention, and happier still she was in the first panel I went to that weekend. Even happier still to be in possession of four books I now expect to thoroughly enjoy, if my reading of this book is anything to go by!
Thanks Amanda for writing this book, I trust book 2 will live up to my (much higher!) expectations after reading book 1.
As often happens at these conventions, I went to an author panel, and there was Amanda, talking alongside two authors I’ve read (and seen at conventions) previously, this time on the topic of writing flawed characters.
She spoke a bit about her books, as is expected, and I was intrigued about them given some of her answers to questions.
So, between panels, I found her books, and did some cover reading. As you do.
I was only more intrigued, and found myself purchasing the first two books in both the Aurora and Salvation series. This is my first read of those books.
I think I’m hooked.
The story read like a classic who dun it, but it’s the world that has me intrigued. So much tech involved (I work in IT, hence part of my attraction) along with religion, use of tech in different ways, some uses banned for, well, reasons I’m not going into in a review, and so much more.
There are secrets in many places throughout the book, some great plotting and planning throughout the book, and some very flawed characters indeed. I really do see why Amanda was on that particular panel!
I am very happy Amanda made it across to the east coast for the convention, and happier still she was in the first panel I went to that weekend. Even happier still to be in possession of four books I now expect to thoroughly enjoy, if my reading of this book is anything to go by!
Thanks Amanda for writing this book, I trust book 2 will live up to my (much higher!) expectations after reading book 1.
October 14, 2020
The writing was a little clunky - between some awkward dialogue, to a few typos that made it past copy editing, to the obsession with giving every person our characters meet a height/weight estimate, to a few problematic word choices (we'll get back to this later) - but what was really well done were the questions this story asked: about consent, about humanity, about rehabilitation, about mind control, about religion, about the line between privacy and security... There was a lot packed into this book.
That being said, it was a touch too long. By the time I got to the end, I was flying through it, but the first 150 pages were pretty slow. I think a lot of extraneous details could have been stripped out, though I did really like seeing how overwhelmed and confused Salvi was as the evidence kept pouring in without a clear suspect. There was an undesirable office romance (undesirable for me, but I can totally understand why it happened), a dark secret that took a very long time to come out, some of the side-character descriptions are not great (ie calling someone Asian instead of being more specific - because not all those of Asian descent look alike or even necessarily similar - even just to say "East-Asian" would have been preferable), there was also one point where a character refers to one of the Subjugates as being retarded (which, while we know the speaker is not a good person, our character just says "yeah" and keeps going - which is not okay; that kind of language needs to be immediately and vehemently opposed).
I think by the time we hit our stride and got to explore the world a bit more, I was hooked on the big existential questions that scifi/spec-fic is so good at bringing up. The plot hinges on this prison complex where violent prisoners can volunteer to be brain-trained into Serenes : nonviolent and supremely religious slaves with little to no affect (their baseline is so stable, they can't handle a crisis, for example). Even though these prisoners volunteer and were not the kind who could ever assimilate back into normal life - is it wrong to literally torture the sadism out of them, to completely rewire their brains? And then there's the surveillance state in the city versus the tech-repellent religious community - changing one shackle (technology) for another (very strict and pious religion).
I honestly am very excited to dive deeper into this world in book two. Thanks to Angry Robot for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own.
That being said, it was a touch too long. By the time I got to the end, I was flying through it, but the first 150 pages were pretty slow. I think a lot of extraneous details could have been stripped out, though I did really like seeing how overwhelmed and confused Salvi was as the evidence kept pouring in without a clear suspect. There was an undesirable office romance (undesirable for me, but I can totally understand why it happened), a dark secret that took a very long time to come out, some of the side-character descriptions are not great (ie calling someone Asian instead of being more specific - because not all those of Asian descent look alike or even necessarily similar - even just to say "East-Asian" would have been preferable), there was also one point where a character refers to one of the Subjugates as being retarded (which, while we know the speaker is not a good person, our character just says "yeah" and keeps going - which is not okay; that kind of language needs to be immediately and vehemently opposed).
I think by the time we hit our stride and got to explore the world a bit more, I was hooked on the big existential questions that scifi/spec-fic is so good at bringing up. The plot hinges on this prison complex where violent prisoners can volunteer to be brain-trained into Serenes : nonviolent and supremely religious slaves with little to no affect (their baseline is so stable, they can't handle a crisis, for example). Even though these prisoners volunteer and were not the kind who could ever assimilate back into normal life - is it wrong to literally torture the sadism out of them, to completely rewire their brains? And then there's the surveillance state in the city versus the tech-repellent religious community - changing one shackle (technology) for another (very strict and pious religion).
I honestly am very excited to dive deeper into this world in book two. Thanks to Angry Robot for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own.
April 17, 2019
A near future tale which is a mix of police procedural and dystopian science fiction, The Subjugate gives an at times chilling view of how future crime punishment and prevention may be carried out. It also provides some observations into authoritarian religion, and in sum is a fascinating and gripping read. Highly recommended.
April 3, 2019
This book seemed to be more of a setup for a film for me, a feeling that only grew as the novel went on. It is a murder mystery set in the future, but the driving force of the novel is very much the detectives solving the crime, and the futuristic setting plays a secondary (but interesting) part. There were action scenes, sex scenes, shock scenes and a final big action scene where everything is resolved.
This isn't a huge problem and the book delivers as a murder mystery, but does not fully deliver as a science fiction novel. SF at its best holds up a mirror to the current world and make us ask questions about "what if". There was a small amount of this in regard to treating extreme criminals, but as a piece of work that makes you reflect on society and how we should move forward, it did not fully deliver.
Finally I felt that there were a lot of male characters, some of whom seemed to have very similar 'voices' and not many women, and that also lessened the complexity of the story, while again, making it seem a lot like an american movie.
This isn't a huge problem and the book delivers as a murder mystery, but does not fully deliver as a science fiction novel. SF at its best holds up a mirror to the current world and make us ask questions about "what if". There was a small amount of this in regard to treating extreme criminals, but as a piece of work that makes you reflect on society and how we should move forward, it did not fully deliver.
Finally I felt that there were a lot of male characters, some of whom seemed to have very similar 'voices' and not many women, and that also lessened the complexity of the story, while again, making it seem a lot like an american movie.
June 2, 2019
The Subjugate is deftly written, pairing the thrill of a crime novel with an analysis of technology and its impact on the world at large. Central to the novel is a critique of methods of control, examining religion, technology, and the criminal justice system. Bridgeman doesn’t shy away from these debates, presenting strong opinions on the reformation of criminals, and the positive and negative aspects of religion. Overall, it’s a smart, well-crafted story that drew me in until the very end.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
November 6, 2018
If you're looking for a new detective novel to fall in love with, you have to read "The Subjugate" by Amanda Bridgeman. Set in the near future, the world has become even more tech obsessed than it is now. People don't interact with each other. There are tech junkies, who are just like regular junkies, but will do anything for a new app or some screen time. And in the middle of it all, there is a town called Bountiful who will do anything to keep the devil, aka technology, out of their lives. That is, until a serial killer pops up.
Check out my full review here!
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Check out my full review here!
https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpr...
August 27, 2020
this is the worst most boring most bootlicky book ive read in my life holy KJSAHDKJHCLKAHA
October 12, 2020
3.8 / 5 ✪
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A hardboiled detective novel with elements of cyberpunk, the Subjugate is an interesting tale of purity married with violence, crossed through with the themes of faith, deceit and redemption. It’s quite a good mystery; the crux of which hinges on the detectives’ own ability to separate the past from the present, especially when it comes to rehabilitated criminals and their supposed “redemption”.
A murder rocks the deeply religious town of Bountiful, one of their brightest young souls, Sharon Gleamer, raped and beaten before being killed and carved up. The community is beside themselves, but disbelieving that any of their number could commit such an atrocity. Instead, they point the finger at the nearby Solme Complex, a revolutionary prison where the inmates are conditioned with injections and experimental neural technology to remove their violent tendencies. And while the complex has seen nothing but success, this murder casts doubt on them. For could the town of Bountiful harbor dark secrets of its own, or are the subjugates at the Solme Complex not as reformed as they would have the world believe?
Enter Salvi Brentt, Bay Area detective. When she and her new partner, Mitch Grenville, are assigned the murder, their focus quickly lands on the subjugates at the Solme Complex. While the Complex vaunts its tech as the reason the inmates have been reformed, the detectives are not so sure. Years prior in 2040, an event known only as “the Crash” destabilized the world’s economy and nearly sent humans to war not amongst themselves, but with their very minds. Neural enhancements—technology implanted into people’s minds—were at the very heart of the trouble, but the text is very vague about the specifics. Ever since, humanity has taken a step away from neural tech—all except those at the Solme Complex. Their Halos (silver discs worn about the head) are used to slowly transform the Subjugates into Serenes. As the obvious first step, the detectives investigate the Complex, but here their investigation falters.
For not only do the inmates at the Complex seem reformed, they seem like different men entirely than those they were before. Violent and sexual offenders all, now they appear timid, demure, and serene. But appearances can be deceiving, and the past is often difficult to overcome—something Salvi knows better than most. Even as Mitch scours the Complex, Salvi herself begins to focus on the townsfolk themselves. For it wouldn’t be the first time that the heart of religion had become blackened with sin.
But as the murders escalate, the detective remain divided, quickly exposing their deepest secrets and blurring the lines between friend and foe, between purity and sin. The question remains: who committed these atrocities? And will Salvi be able to stop them while the body count is still low, or will the detectives become the next victims?
I said that I’d class this as detective fiction with cyberpunk elements, instead of a cyberpunk detective novel. The main reason for this is the world-building. Or the lack thereof. It’s not that there isn’t any—but other than the occasional visit from the police AI Riverton, or the infrequent use of other advanced tech (like the detective’s holo badges), there isn’t much mentioned. As I said before, references to the Crash are vague at best, mentioning something about neural augmentations but providing little detail. In fact, the Solme Complex seems to boast the bulk of the enhancements: and it’s really only the Halos. I would’ve liked to have seen more about the Crash, or more about the advanced technology of the world—but it just never comes up.
The mystery itself is more enjoyable. Very complex and unique. Until maybe the last quarter I had no idea who done it, and even then my guess was tentative at best. Though I ended up being right, it felt more a vindication than a disappointment when the killer(s) were revealed.
The themes of the Subjugate were more mixed. And there was no shortage of them. Though I enjoyed the battle between history and redemption, the anti-religious sentiment within got tiresome quickly. Additionally, there were more than a few absolutely cliché detective…—uh, blanking on the term—tropes? Motifs? Whatevers later on, none of which I can talk about without spoilers.
TL;DR
With a grisly murder and an unknown killer on the loose, the Subjugate starts off with a bang and rarely slows down afterwards. Right up to the end I was divided on who the killer(s) were, and absolutely enjoyed my journey there. All in all I’d recommend The Subjugate, but not without a few small caveats. One is that while the story includes cyberpunk and posthumanity elements, it is not inherently either. It’s a detective mystery-thriller first, science fiction second (not that that’s a deal-breaker, it’s just important to note). The second is that while the resolution is enjoyable, the wrap-up is entirely cliché. I was in equal parts thrilled and disgusted by the ending, but that’s just me. I look forward to how the second entry, the Sensation, handles the world, the detectives, and the story the author has built thus far.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
A hardboiled detective novel with elements of cyberpunk, the Subjugate is an interesting tale of purity married with violence, crossed through with the themes of faith, deceit and redemption. It’s quite a good mystery; the crux of which hinges on the detectives’ own ability to separate the past from the present, especially when it comes to rehabilitated criminals and their supposed “redemption”.
A murder rocks the deeply religious town of Bountiful, one of their brightest young souls, Sharon Gleamer, raped and beaten before being killed and carved up. The community is beside themselves, but disbelieving that any of their number could commit such an atrocity. Instead, they point the finger at the nearby Solme Complex, a revolutionary prison where the inmates are conditioned with injections and experimental neural technology to remove their violent tendencies. And while the complex has seen nothing but success, this murder casts doubt on them. For could the town of Bountiful harbor dark secrets of its own, or are the subjugates at the Solme Complex not as reformed as they would have the world believe?
Enter Salvi Brentt, Bay Area detective. When she and her new partner, Mitch Grenville, are assigned the murder, their focus quickly lands on the subjugates at the Solme Complex. While the Complex vaunts its tech as the reason the inmates have been reformed, the detectives are not so sure. Years prior in 2040, an event known only as “the Crash” destabilized the world’s economy and nearly sent humans to war not amongst themselves, but with their very minds. Neural enhancements—technology implanted into people’s minds—were at the very heart of the trouble, but the text is very vague about the specifics. Ever since, humanity has taken a step away from neural tech—all except those at the Solme Complex. Their Halos (silver discs worn about the head) are used to slowly transform the Subjugates into Serenes. As the obvious first step, the detectives investigate the Complex, but here their investigation falters.
For not only do the inmates at the Complex seem reformed, they seem like different men entirely than those they were before. Violent and sexual offenders all, now they appear timid, demure, and serene. But appearances can be deceiving, and the past is often difficult to overcome—something Salvi knows better than most. Even as Mitch scours the Complex, Salvi herself begins to focus on the townsfolk themselves. For it wouldn’t be the first time that the heart of religion had become blackened with sin.
But as the murders escalate, the detective remain divided, quickly exposing their deepest secrets and blurring the lines between friend and foe, between purity and sin. The question remains: who committed these atrocities? And will Salvi be able to stop them while the body count is still low, or will the detectives become the next victims?
I said that I’d class this as detective fiction with cyberpunk elements, instead of a cyberpunk detective novel. The main reason for this is the world-building. Or the lack thereof. It’s not that there isn’t any—but other than the occasional visit from the police AI Riverton, or the infrequent use of other advanced tech (like the detective’s holo badges), there isn’t much mentioned. As I said before, references to the Crash are vague at best, mentioning something about neural augmentations but providing little detail. In fact, the Solme Complex seems to boast the bulk of the enhancements: and it’s really only the Halos. I would’ve liked to have seen more about the Crash, or more about the advanced technology of the world—but it just never comes up.
The mystery itself is more enjoyable. Very complex and unique. Until maybe the last quarter I had no idea who done it, and even then my guess was tentative at best. Though I ended up being right, it felt more a vindication than a disappointment when the killer(s) were revealed.
The themes of the Subjugate were more mixed. And there was no shortage of them. Though I enjoyed the battle between history and redemption, the anti-religious sentiment within got tiresome quickly. Additionally, there were more than a few absolutely cliché detective…—uh, blanking on the term—tropes? Motifs? Whatevers later on, none of which I can talk about without spoilers.
TL;DR
With a grisly murder and an unknown killer on the loose, the Subjugate starts off with a bang and rarely slows down afterwards. Right up to the end I was divided on who the killer(s) were, and absolutely enjoyed my journey there. All in all I’d recommend The Subjugate, but not without a few small caveats. One is that while the story includes cyberpunk and posthumanity elements, it is not inherently either. It’s a detective mystery-thriller first, science fiction second (not that that’s a deal-breaker, it’s just important to note). The second is that while the resolution is enjoyable, the wrap-up is entirely cliché. I was in equal parts thrilled and disgusted by the ending, but that’s just me. I look forward to how the second entry, the Sensation, handles the world, the detectives, and the story the author has built thus far.
October 16, 2018
Full Review appears at Pop Culture Bandit
Set in the near-future where technology and religion occupy opposite ends of the same spectrum, “The Subjugate” is a police procedural that flirts with philosophical topics such as morality, redemption and whether the ends justify the means. Detectives Brentt and Grenville are assigned to a homicide outside of the technological underbelly that was formerly San Francisco, located in a tech-free religious outpost where it appears even the most ardent churchgoer is hiding a dark secret. However, the list of suspects appears endless due to the proximity of the Solme Complex – an experimental prison where violent criminals undergo extensive brainwashing and torture to become placid servants called Serenes. Could one of these men have broken their programming and committed the crime, or is the perpetrator closer to home?
Amanda Bridgeman’s neo-noir novel is gripping from the outset, dealing with the juxtaposition of the futuristic tech-focused landscape of the big city against the simple, pure moral values of Bountiful. The plain-living, tech-free people of the town are reminiscent of the Amish, and how they live in an enclosed community free from the temptations of technology. Bridgeman alludes to a catastrophic event called 'The Crash' which saw a lot of people move away from technology to a more low-fi existence. From the clues given in the book, it seems like it was some terrorist attack that hacked into people's aural interfaces to cause chaos, possibly even controlling others actions remotely. Despite this, the majority of the world continues to rely on AI, AR and VR technology for both professional and leisure activities, stopping short of in-built aural tech.
Told from the perspective of Detective Brentt, “The Subjugate” is one of those murder mysteries that begins to infect the personal lives of the detectives investigating the case, and it is great to see how the characters troubled histories influence their decisions during their investigation, and how they struggle to work through their issues as partners. The relationship between Brentt and Grenville is almost as thrilling as the murder investigation itself, and Bridgeman does a tremendous job at blending their own stories into the crimes they have to solve. There is one key sequence where the two detectives finally unburden themselves which is an absolute page-turner, and the tension (both sexual and otherwise) radiates off the page. There is definitely a cinematic quality to the novel, and it has the makings of a brilliant science-fiction crime thriller. Stick someone like Luc Besson behind the camera, and you have a cult movie on your hands.
One of the most unsettling aspects of the novel, aside from the gruesome murders committed by the Bountiful killer, is the emotionless Subjugates and Serenes – former violent criminals effectively lobomotised into becoming subserviant slaves for the community. Each one is a suspect to the crimes, and their sinister calmness would make for an excellent visual on the big screen. The book's cover depicts one of the Subjugates, demonstrating how eerie and creepy-looking these emotionally burned-out prisoners are. It is through these characters that Bridgeman focuses on the notion of redemption and whether man has the right to effectively erase another man's persona in order to redeem them. There are some conflicting moments where these former rapists and murderers are shown in a sympathetic light, causing both the protagonist and the reader to question whether it is possible to forgive past transgressions. Set against the religious backdrop of Bountiful, and you have a solid hook that defines the narrative and sets the novel apart from others in the same sub-genre.
Extraordinarily well-written and tense as hell towards the end, “The Subjugate” is a novel that will stay with me for some time. Reminiscent of films as diverse as Blade Runner and Witness, Amanda Bridgeman's murder mystery had me guessing right up until the end with plenty of plausible suspects peppered throughout the book. A literal “whodunnit” up to the very end, “The Subjugate” is a rewarding read for science-fiction and murder mysteries fans alike. I loved everything about the book from the main concept of the Subjugates and Serenes to the complicated relationship between the lead characters – it may sound like a cliché, but I couldn't put this one down. Fully deserving of a big-screen adaptation, “The Subjugate” is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year!
Set in the near-future where technology and religion occupy opposite ends of the same spectrum, “The Subjugate” is a police procedural that flirts with philosophical topics such as morality, redemption and whether the ends justify the means. Detectives Brentt and Grenville are assigned to a homicide outside of the technological underbelly that was formerly San Francisco, located in a tech-free religious outpost where it appears even the most ardent churchgoer is hiding a dark secret. However, the list of suspects appears endless due to the proximity of the Solme Complex – an experimental prison where violent criminals undergo extensive brainwashing and torture to become placid servants called Serenes. Could one of these men have broken their programming and committed the crime, or is the perpetrator closer to home?
Amanda Bridgeman’s neo-noir novel is gripping from the outset, dealing with the juxtaposition of the futuristic tech-focused landscape of the big city against the simple, pure moral values of Bountiful. The plain-living, tech-free people of the town are reminiscent of the Amish, and how they live in an enclosed community free from the temptations of technology. Bridgeman alludes to a catastrophic event called 'The Crash' which saw a lot of people move away from technology to a more low-fi existence. From the clues given in the book, it seems like it was some terrorist attack that hacked into people's aural interfaces to cause chaos, possibly even controlling others actions remotely. Despite this, the majority of the world continues to rely on AI, AR and VR technology for both professional and leisure activities, stopping short of in-built aural tech.
Told from the perspective of Detective Brentt, “The Subjugate” is one of those murder mysteries that begins to infect the personal lives of the detectives investigating the case, and it is great to see how the characters troubled histories influence their decisions during their investigation, and how they struggle to work through their issues as partners. The relationship between Brentt and Grenville is almost as thrilling as the murder investigation itself, and Bridgeman does a tremendous job at blending their own stories into the crimes they have to solve. There is one key sequence where the two detectives finally unburden themselves which is an absolute page-turner, and the tension (both sexual and otherwise) radiates off the page. There is definitely a cinematic quality to the novel, and it has the makings of a brilliant science-fiction crime thriller. Stick someone like Luc Besson behind the camera, and you have a cult movie on your hands.
One of the most unsettling aspects of the novel, aside from the gruesome murders committed by the Bountiful killer, is the emotionless Subjugates and Serenes – former violent criminals effectively lobomotised into becoming subserviant slaves for the community. Each one is a suspect to the crimes, and their sinister calmness would make for an excellent visual on the big screen. The book's cover depicts one of the Subjugates, demonstrating how eerie and creepy-looking these emotionally burned-out prisoners are. It is through these characters that Bridgeman focuses on the notion of redemption and whether man has the right to effectively erase another man's persona in order to redeem them. There are some conflicting moments where these former rapists and murderers are shown in a sympathetic light, causing both the protagonist and the reader to question whether it is possible to forgive past transgressions. Set against the religious backdrop of Bountiful, and you have a solid hook that defines the narrative and sets the novel apart from others in the same sub-genre.
Extraordinarily well-written and tense as hell towards the end, “The Subjugate” is a novel that will stay with me for some time. Reminiscent of films as diverse as Blade Runner and Witness, Amanda Bridgeman's murder mystery had me guessing right up until the end with plenty of plausible suspects peppered throughout the book. A literal “whodunnit” up to the very end, “The Subjugate” is a rewarding read for science-fiction and murder mysteries fans alike. I loved everything about the book from the main concept of the Subjugates and Serenes to the complicated relationship between the lead characters – it may sound like a cliché, but I couldn't put this one down. Fully deserving of a big-screen adaptation, “The Subjugate” is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year!
December 8, 2020
This and more reviews at superstardrifter.com
This is the story of Salvi Brentt, who is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department. She recently gotten a new partner, Mitch Grenville, after the previous partner retired, and they’re still getting to know each other.
Outside of the city are a few smaller towns that have pulled away from technology after an event known as The Crash happened in 2040, leaving brain-altering technology rather shunned. Bountiful, a very religious town whose residents shun most technology is suddenly rocked with the rape and murder of a young woman and Salvi and Mitch are put on the case. That murder is then followed by another, and then another.
Their first suspects are a number of the Subjugates from the complex next door. Convicted rapists and murderers are sent there and given years of ‘treatment’ along with (now a bit taboo) neural implants. The owner of the complex, Attis Solme, swears that all of his Subjugates and Serenes (the next level of Subjugate) would no longer be capable of murdering anyone.
And so, Salvi and Mitch must find out who is murdering innocent girls, and whether the Solme Complex’s ‘treatment’ really does what they swear it does.
This one was the sort of book that I started reading one night and then honestly could not put down until I figured out who did it. It’s also the sort of book wherein I suspected every single character even remotely capable of the crime at some point. Not even just the Subjugates, either. I suspected everyone from the Sheriff, to the preacher, to Salvi’s partner, Mitch. There were little hints left here and there, but even then, it could have been so many people that 3am me was like ‘I HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW WHO DID THIS MURDERRRR?’ – which might sound bad on the outside, but really, when it’s 3am and I’m still nose deep in a book because I must know how it ends, well that’s probably a pretty good book.
The cyberpunk aspects weren’t absolutely in your face, but they were present enough that I got immersed in this sort of futuristic world, with Bountiful, a very behind-the-times sort of town in the middle of it. It was an interesting mix. I really enjoyed The Subjugate, and I am 100% going to start on the next book in the series as soon as I can!
Thanks to the author, as well as Angry Robot for the review copy!
This is the story of Salvi Brentt, who is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department. She recently gotten a new partner, Mitch Grenville, after the previous partner retired, and they’re still getting to know each other.
Outside of the city are a few smaller towns that have pulled away from technology after an event known as The Crash happened in 2040, leaving brain-altering technology rather shunned. Bountiful, a very religious town whose residents shun most technology is suddenly rocked with the rape and murder of a young woman and Salvi and Mitch are put on the case. That murder is then followed by another, and then another.
Their first suspects are a number of the Subjugates from the complex next door. Convicted rapists and murderers are sent there and given years of ‘treatment’ along with (now a bit taboo) neural implants. The owner of the complex, Attis Solme, swears that all of his Subjugates and Serenes (the next level of Subjugate) would no longer be capable of murdering anyone.
And so, Salvi and Mitch must find out who is murdering innocent girls, and whether the Solme Complex’s ‘treatment’ really does what they swear it does.
This one was the sort of book that I started reading one night and then honestly could not put down until I figured out who did it. It’s also the sort of book wherein I suspected every single character even remotely capable of the crime at some point. Not even just the Subjugates, either. I suspected everyone from the Sheriff, to the preacher, to Salvi’s partner, Mitch. There were little hints left here and there, but even then, it could have been so many people that 3am me was like ‘I HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW WHO DID THIS MURDERRRR?’ – which might sound bad on the outside, but really, when it’s 3am and I’m still nose deep in a book because I must know how it ends, well that’s probably a pretty good book.
The cyberpunk aspects weren’t absolutely in your face, but they were present enough that I got immersed in this sort of futuristic world, with Bountiful, a very behind-the-times sort of town in the middle of it. It was an interesting mix. I really enjoyed The Subjugate, and I am 100% going to start on the next book in the series as soon as I can!
Thanks to the author, as well as Angry Robot for the review copy!
Read
October 3, 2020This book is just so incredibly amazing! It’s one of those combinations where if done incorrectly it wouldn’t work at all. BUT, it was done better than correctly and just: wow. I think what made this book for me is that while it is sci-fi, it is very easy to see that this could be a plausible downfall to society. Plus I’m a sucker for crime novels and it’s been far too long since I’ve read one. So this was a perfect blend of genres for me!
I have a weird interest in cults, and this story just screams cult-y. So you know I was hooked right from the start. And this society was just so interesting to learn about! I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s wild and scarily plausible. It’s got new things we would expect to see in the future, yet as we see even today, the people believe that a simpler (and more restrictive) way of life may be better. There are so many nuances that seem to have been pulled from some of our more “closed off” communities.
Outside of the strange individuals we meet in this story, we also get an intense murder mystery. But that’s all I’m going to say on that because you just need to read it. And for those of you who may not explore the sci-fi genre all too often this might be the perfect fit! There are some sci-fi elements, but there is also so much more to this story!
You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
I have a weird interest in cults, and this story just screams cult-y. So you know I was hooked right from the start. And this society was just so interesting to learn about! I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s wild and scarily plausible. It’s got new things we would expect to see in the future, yet as we see even today, the people believe that a simpler (and more restrictive) way of life may be better. There are so many nuances that seem to have been pulled from some of our more “closed off” communities.
Outside of the strange individuals we meet in this story, we also get an intense murder mystery. But that’s all I’m going to say on that because you just need to read it. And for those of you who may not explore the sci-fi genre all too often this might be the perfect fit! There are some sci-fi elements, but there is also so much more to this story!
You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!
Reader | Bookstagrammer | Blogger | Reviewer
@ya.its.lit - https://www.instagram.com/ya.its.lit/
Blog - https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/
November 28, 2018
A sci-fi murder mystery set in the near future where humans are even more tech obsessed than we are now; the story deals with themes of religion, morality & redemption.
The story is about a violent serial killer who is raping, murdering & mutilating women in the town of Bountiful, a religious technology free community not far from Sam Francisco. Told from the perspective of Detective Salvi Brentt who is brought in from San Francisco to assist local police to investigate these apparently religiously motivated crimes with her partner Detective Mitch Grenville.
There is a long list of suspects, including the inmates of the Solme Complex adjacent to the town of Bountiful. The complex is an experimental prison facility for violent criminals where they are rehabilitated using technology & torture to brainwash them into becoming Subjugates eventually graduating to subservient emotionless Serenes.
I really enjoyed reading this book with its many twists & turns; loved the Sadie cleaning bot reference, made me smile! Love the way Amanda develops her characters & how Salvi’s personal issues with religion are dealt with. It was a real page turner & as usual from Amanda Bridgeman very well written & some great futuristic concepts throughout; a really good mix of sci-fi & mystery.
The story is about a violent serial killer who is raping, murdering & mutilating women in the town of Bountiful, a religious technology free community not far from Sam Francisco. Told from the perspective of Detective Salvi Brentt who is brought in from San Francisco to assist local police to investigate these apparently religiously motivated crimes with her partner Detective Mitch Grenville.
There is a long list of suspects, including the inmates of the Solme Complex adjacent to the town of Bountiful. The complex is an experimental prison facility for violent criminals where they are rehabilitated using technology & torture to brainwash them into becoming Subjugates eventually graduating to subservient emotionless Serenes.
I really enjoyed reading this book with its many twists & turns; loved the Sadie cleaning bot reference, made me smile! Love the way Amanda develops her characters & how Salvi’s personal issues with religion are dealt with. It was a real page turner & as usual from Amanda Bridgeman very well written & some great futuristic concepts throughout; a really good mix of sci-fi & mystery.
November 10, 2018
SF murder mystery set in a town that lives the Christian life and uses only the lowest tech - while hosting a company that 'cures' murderers and rapists and other violent criminals through a complicated process of medications, forced attendance at church and physical torture.
Each of the detectives investigating the murders - Salvi Brentt and Mitch Grenville - have pasts they haven't dealt with; pasts that make this case particularly important.
At first, it seems like the killer might be one of those criminals; then it seems like Mitch could be the one. The killer is smart and careful, so certain of the rehabbed criminals and Mitch seem to fit the profile...
Bridgeman's writing is fluid and she doles out clues and red herrings carefully. When the killer's identity is revealed, it makes perfect sense but is also a surprise.
The Subjugate is a rewarding read for fans of SF, mystery or both.
Each of the detectives investigating the murders - Salvi Brentt and Mitch Grenville - have pasts they haven't dealt with; pasts that make this case particularly important.
At first, it seems like the killer might be one of those criminals; then it seems like Mitch could be the one. The killer is smart and careful, so certain of the rehabbed criminals and Mitch seem to fit the profile...
Bridgeman's writing is fluid and she doles out clues and red herrings carefully. When the killer's identity is revealed, it makes perfect sense but is also a surprise.
The Subjugate is a rewarding read for fans of SF, mystery or both.
November 23, 2018
I would round up to a 4.5!
What an amazing read. A great mixture of sci-fi and mystery this book took me into a world were technology and religion are almost at war with each other. When murders start to take place in a pull away religious town it is up to detectives from the bigger city to figure it out. I loved learning about the technologies that had developed in the world, and how things had taken a turn from the worst. The treatments for those who had committed crimes was an interesting twist to the books and added a lot to the story as a whole.
I did not guess the ending which for me is the first time in a while I hadn't guessed who had done it which was a refreshing change. This book kept me guessing and wondering the whole time which I loved!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions and review.
What an amazing read. A great mixture of sci-fi and mystery this book took me into a world were technology and religion are almost at war with each other. When murders start to take place in a pull away religious town it is up to detectives from the bigger city to figure it out. I loved learning about the technologies that had developed in the world, and how things had taken a turn from the worst. The treatments for those who had committed crimes was an interesting twist to the books and added a lot to the story as a whole.
I did not guess the ending which for me is the first time in a while I hadn't guessed who had done it which was a refreshing change. This book kept me guessing and wondering the whole time which I loved!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions and review.
December 25, 2020
The read was smooth and I enjoyed the light dystopian setting mixed with a mystery-detective story. The heroine was interesting to follow and even had some time to evolve during the read, which was nice as it helped to learn more about her and her past. Her relationships with others weren't really deep, but at least they felt enough natural, and I appreciated the interactions with her partner. The investigation was good with several possible murderers and small twists to make it difficult to be sure of the outcome (I saw it at some point but without being sure that was it). I also enjoyed the setting, even if the religious town wasn't at all my cup of tea, and found interesting to think about how the complex dealt with dangerous people. I'm happy there's another book in the series, I'll check it.
February 1, 2025
“The Subjugate” by Amanda Bridgeman
A dystopian/sci fi world where tech has taken over in a vast majority of life.
Salvy and Mitch are detectives on the case of women being murdered. To investigate, they must go to the Solme Complex- where devout, religious Atticus Solme has set up a complex, rehabilitating criminals, using technology. The criminals receive therapy and medicine, and their mental/emotional stability is tracked through these silver “halos” they were around the back of their head.
Given the nature of the members’ pasts, these Subjugates are the prime suspects for the murders, since they are able to leave the complex to do community service in the neighboring community.
The investigation keeps taking them to the Solme Complex- where the Subjugates end up aiding the detectives in catching their man.
A dystopian/sci fi world where tech has taken over in a vast majority of life.
Salvy and Mitch are detectives on the case of women being murdered. To investigate, they must go to the Solme Complex- where devout, religious Atticus Solme has set up a complex, rehabilitating criminals, using technology. The criminals receive therapy and medicine, and their mental/emotional stability is tracked through these silver “halos” they were around the back of their head.
Given the nature of the members’ pasts, these Subjugates are the prime suspects for the murders, since they are able to leave the complex to do community service in the neighboring community.
The investigation keeps taking them to the Solme Complex- where the Subjugates end up aiding the detectives in catching their man.
November 5, 2018
The Subjugate is a terrific mystery/thriller. It's set in the future , but one thing's for sure human nature is what it is. Or can it be changed. Does the end justify the means?
Amanda Bridgeman, the author writes about these issues in such a smooth and flowing manner that reading the story feels effortless. I admit that I like puzzles that need to be solved in the books I read. That being said that usually means a body or more turning up between the pages and this story doesn't disappoint.
I loved this book and the way it kept me guessing right up to the end.
Amanda Bridgeman, the author writes about these issues in such a smooth and flowing manner that reading the story feels effortless. I admit that I like puzzles that need to be solved in the books I read. That being said that usually means a body or more turning up between the pages and this story doesn't disappoint.
I loved this book and the way it kept me guessing right up to the end.
January 1, 2019
Well paced crime thriller
Not my normal genre, but an enjoyable read none the less. Started a little slow, but picks up and becomes a good ride to the end. A little bit predictable, but that is my opinion about most crime thrillers anyway, so don’t let that put you off if this is the genre you like. I am a sci-fi fan, and though it takes place in the near future with some sci-fi elements it is more of a comment about human character/psychology.
Not my normal genre, but an enjoyable read none the less. Started a little slow, but picks up and becomes a good ride to the end. A little bit predictable, but that is my opinion about most crime thrillers anyway, so don’t let that put you off if this is the genre you like. I am a sci-fi fan, and though it takes place in the near future with some sci-fi elements it is more of a comment about human character/psychology.
February 24, 2019
This really surprised me. Was better than I was expecting. A great police procedural story set amongst a blade runner esque style world. A religious community experiences a murder, along side that community is a site or prison where criminals undergo reformation etc. Conspiracies develop and both main protagonist attempt to unravel the truth of these murders. My only issue was with some of the personal relationships. It just felt forced in some instances, especially the ending.
February 23, 2019
Part police procedural, part futuristic. A really interesting read - can criminals really be rehabilitated using technological means? An insight into a closed community.
April 3, 2025
Bit predictable tbh
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