The Neon Heart

The Synthetic Albatross #2

by Ben Van Dongen

With the payment from his last job on the line, Corporate Operative, Reggie, has to return to a place he swore he would never go again. Teaming up with Teal and her squad from a competing company, he must go to Earth, to one of the amalgamated cities spread across the surface, and find something that may not even exist. Cutting through the megalopolis is a place soaked in superstition and dread. As savage and dangerous as the city is, the Wall is much, much worse.

254 pages, Paperback

Published April 12, 2019

About the author

Ben Van Dongen was born in Windsor Ontario. He likes to think that if he tried harder he could have been an Astronaut, but he is happier writing science fiction anyway. He wrote the novellas The Thinking Machine and The Neon Heart, co-authored the books No Light Tomorrow and All These Crooked Streets, and is one half of the founding team of Adventure Worlds Press. You can read more crazy notions on his website. BenVanDongen.com

Reviews

[Vanessa Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dongen's 'The Neon Heart' is an action-packed, sometimes terrifying, adventure that pushes us into a future where the earth is a nasty darkness, and humans are desperate to get to space. The main characters are strong and comedic and the dialogue moves the plot and page-turning in a satisfying way. Van Dongen's second sci-fi novel is wild ride. Hup! I loved that I could read it in three days - and that the images he created gave me nightmares. 'The Neon Heart' is an exciting, science fiction read that you won't be able to put down - and it's small enough to fit in your purse! Great writing, Ben! Looking forward to what's next!
For more on Ben Van Dongen - visit his website: https://benwltp.wordpress.com/!

[Michael Drakich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Ben enters his dystopian world established in his previous novella, The Thinking Machine. Unlike its predecessor, this novella focuses much more on the action (it's non-stop), than the setting, but give credit to the author to still find ways to introduce new environments (and characters) among all the battles. Although the setting is the same dystopian one, I would not classify this novella so. Because of the non-stop fighting, it reads more like military sci-fi than anything else. So if you are a hard-core, fight till the end, specialty armor and weapons type of fan, then this is the thing for you.

[Christian (C.M. Forest) Laforet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in The Synthetic Albatross series (love that name), The Neon Heart features news characters residing in the same world as the first book (The Thinking Machine).

I was expecting a story similar to the Thinking Machine, which had a strong Blade Runner vibe, but
The Neon Heart delivers something else. All the sci-fi goodness was there, but the tone was different. It reads more like an adventure book. Picture an Indian Jones story filtered through a science fiction lens, and you will start to get a feeling for this book.

Basically, The Neon Heart is exactly the kind of story I love to read. Fast paced, quippy, and all-around fun. And it has monsters, like, really big monsters. Something that automatically elevates any story in my monster loving opinion.

[Brittni Brinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An action adventure that fits in your pocket! I love the design concept for this series. The element I found most interesting in the book was the underplayed coming home narrative that is the subtext for the adult protagonist's journey through the Wall. There are horrifying monsters, dangerous people, poorly-lit stairwells - none of the nostalgia of childhood. Only the intense desire to escape it and never return. The plot is fairly straightforward, which makes sense given the length of the book, though there are tantalizing hints of other stories I hope the next book gets into. A great read.

[Deborah James Van Dongen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t stop reading it. Great characters. A thoroughly good read!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with action at every turn, this book was a riveting read. Each of the characters was unique but despite their differences they were able to work together. I look forward to see what's in store next.