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Borderlands #1
Synthetic
THINK THIS IS REALITY? THINK AGAIN…
An impossible evil is invading everyday life. Coming from a virtual world, it’s ancient and deadly. It dissolves the boundaries between reality and fiction in horrifying ways … ending up in murder.
The Faith Police have a prime suspect: Lona Luminos, professional hardarse, translator to the international Mob, synthetically modified human and new recruit at creepy St Cadog’s Methodist College. Her job – translating ancient Celtic myths – should have been a gentle working holiday. But her predecessor isn’t just on sick leave, she’s been detained for ‘spiritual reprogramming’. This place is less of an ivory tower than a chamber of horrors.
It’s 2071, a world recovering from the ‘Faith Wars’; religion is compulsory, and everyone in digitally monitored. So Lona, and her spiritually dodgy friends, must tread carefully in their desperate bid to solve the crime and prevent more mayhem.
Tracking down the real murderer, and unravelling the mysteries of St Cadog’s, makes Lona take a long hard look at her companions – and forces her to confront her own troubled past. Everyone at this gothic Welsh college has dark secrets. Even Lona. And especially her synthetic pet wolf, Dodo.
Synthetic takes a darkly humorous look at religion and the magical quality of stories. A tense science fiction crime fantasy, it also questions what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.
Fans of Neal Stephenson, Scarlett Thomas and William Gibson will enjoy Synthetic’s blend of quirky humour and dark sci-fi fantasy.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT SYNTHETIC
'SO impressed ... thoroughly enjoyed it ... I'm looking out for more from Cat Thomas.' Sylvia, Goodreads.
'...Highly entertaining and thought provoking ... the robot "direwolf" was a nice touch, too.' Frank, Goodreads.
Categories: Cyberpunk, sci-fi fantasy, welsh crime, Celtic myths and legends, sci-fi humour, literary fantasy, Celtic Britain, time travel, Paganism, near future sci-fi, women detectives, university fiction.
An impossible evil is invading everyday life. Coming from a virtual world, it’s ancient and deadly. It dissolves the boundaries between reality and fiction in horrifying ways … ending up in murder.
The Faith Police have a prime suspect: Lona Luminos, professional hardarse, translator to the international Mob, synthetically modified human and new recruit at creepy St Cadog’s Methodist College. Her job – translating ancient Celtic myths – should have been a gentle working holiday. But her predecessor isn’t just on sick leave, she’s been detained for ‘spiritual reprogramming’. This place is less of an ivory tower than a chamber of horrors.
It’s 2071, a world recovering from the ‘Faith Wars’; religion is compulsory, and everyone in digitally monitored. So Lona, and her spiritually dodgy friends, must tread carefully in their desperate bid to solve the crime and prevent more mayhem.
Tracking down the real murderer, and unravelling the mysteries of St Cadog’s, makes Lona take a long hard look at her companions – and forces her to confront her own troubled past. Everyone at this gothic Welsh college has dark secrets. Even Lona. And especially her synthetic pet wolf, Dodo.
Synthetic takes a darkly humorous look at religion and the magical quality of stories. A tense science fiction crime fantasy, it also questions what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.
Fans of Neal Stephenson, Scarlett Thomas and William Gibson will enjoy Synthetic’s blend of quirky humour and dark sci-fi fantasy.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT SYNTHETIC
'SO impressed ... thoroughly enjoyed it ... I'm looking out for more from Cat Thomas.' Sylvia, Goodreads.
'...Highly entertaining and thought provoking ... the robot "direwolf" was a nice touch, too.' Frank, Goodreads.
Categories: Cyberpunk, sci-fi fantasy, welsh crime, Celtic myths and legends, sci-fi humour, literary fantasy, Celtic Britain, time travel, Paganism, near future sci-fi, women detectives, university fiction.
- GenresScience Fiction
430 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2019
22 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Cat Thomas
6 books17 followersCat Thomas writes Gothic tales, spooky sci-fi and other twisted fiction. Her debut novel, SYNTHETIC, was published in 2019 and her second novel, THE HAUNTING OF ABNEY HEIGHTS, was released in October 2022.
She's also combined the areas of technology, literature and culture when teaching and running projects in universities. Her research has explored the unsettling idea of the fragmented online self.
Cat’s writing is sometimes unsettling, sometimes funny but always lively.
Originally from the South Wales Marches, Cat lives in East London, UK.
Connect with Cat on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/twistedficti...
She's also combined the areas of technology, literature and culture when teaching and running projects in universities. Her research has explored the unsettling idea of the fragmented online self.
Cat’s writing is sometimes unsettling, sometimes funny but always lively.
Originally from the South Wales Marches, Cat lives in East London, UK.
Connect with Cat on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/twistedficti...
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 14, 2019
I am SO impressed by this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story carried me along-that lovely feeling of anticipation when you are about to pick up from where you left off! I think it felt fresh because it does not just fit into a usual mould; elements of sci-fi, folklore, detective-crime and cyber-fiction all mingle seamlessly.
It references our present problematic interactions with the worlds of technology and drugs and religion.
I loved the odd jokes slipped in - especially the ones about our current popular culture!
I’m looking out for more from Cat Thomas.
It references our present problematic interactions with the worlds of technology and drugs and religion.
I loved the odd jokes slipped in - especially the ones about our current popular culture!
I’m looking out for more from Cat Thomas.
May 29, 2019
This is a fine book, but one which is somewhat difficult to label. Perhaps I might offer one of it being a Sci Fi/speculative/mythical/other-worldly crime thriller, with Pagans, Faith Wars, virtual reality and murder all thrown into the mix. Superb. All delivered in a very distinctive voice and some good jokes. Check it out.
June 26, 2019
Religion in the era of augmented reality.
There is a quote in the book that stuck with me, "once I had my arms full of woolly icon I thought it may seem a bit unreligious to hand it back. You have to be careful about these sorts of things."
History and Religion studies are a huge part of my Uni background so I honestly loved the subjects, and I truly enjoyed the refreshing look at them that the author takes. Because unfortunately you really have got to be careful nowadays with certain subjects, and I think the author does a great job at building a world, the borderlands, where some interesting moral questions are raised.
Society has changed, beyond recognition. A new form of technological control unveils a world where new synthetics humans are created and your religion is your only, almost inevitable, identity.
How do you cure spiritual emptiness otherwise?
And how far we actually are from that world - when human implants is indeed the reality we're now living in? I found it to be a stimulating book, that's not just well written and widely entertaining, whose author you can also tell is passionate and knowledgeable on the matter, another thing I greatly appreciate.
Highly recommended to anyone seeking for an interesting, captivating read, not just fan of Dystopian, Historical, Fantasy or Thriller novels, though it's got elements of all of them.
There is a quote in the book that stuck with me, "once I had my arms full of woolly icon I thought it may seem a bit unreligious to hand it back. You have to be careful about these sorts of things."
History and Religion studies are a huge part of my Uni background so I honestly loved the subjects, and I truly enjoyed the refreshing look at them that the author takes. Because unfortunately you really have got to be careful nowadays with certain subjects, and I think the author does a great job at building a world, the borderlands, where some interesting moral questions are raised.
Society has changed, beyond recognition. A new form of technological control unveils a world where new synthetics humans are created and your religion is your only, almost inevitable, identity.
How do you cure spiritual emptiness otherwise?
And how far we actually are from that world - when human implants is indeed the reality we're now living in? I found it to be a stimulating book, that's not just well written and widely entertaining, whose author you can also tell is passionate and knowledgeable on the matter, another thing I greatly appreciate.
Highly recommended to anyone seeking for an interesting, captivating read, not just fan of Dystopian, Historical, Fantasy or Thriller novels, though it's got elements of all of them.
May 28, 2019
Well written clever and very quirky Si-Fi.
July 27, 2019
I’m not a follower of sci-fi but I was totally engrossed with this from the start. Not quite ‘I couldn’t put it down’ but really enjoyable. Many plot twists to follow and left me convinced the heroine was compromised at the end!
September 8, 2020
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Synthetic
Author: Cat Thomas
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 16 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
16 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘I loved this book. It was so very different. The world the author created is amazingly complex and, well, amazing!’ Male reader, aged 43
‘A complex plot (murders at a university) plus a futuristic world with faith police. There’s a huge mix in here including mythology, cyberpunk, dystopian – Wow! There’s a lot for a reader to get to grips with. But despite it being a ‘little bit of everything’, it’s wonderfully entertaining, packed full of twists and excellently written.’ Female reader, aged 38
‘Best character: Lona; she’s pretty cool. Crazy futuristic world with nasty police and a mystery to solve. The author keeps the pace going right up until the end. This is not a novel you will forget!’ Male reader, aged 61
‘Compelling read from a talented author.’ Female reader, aged 26
To Sum It Up:
‘A captivating and wonderfully original novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Synthetic
Author: Cat Thomas
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 16 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
16 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘I loved this book. It was so very different. The world the author created is amazingly complex and, well, amazing!’ Male reader, aged 43
‘A complex plot (murders at a university) plus a futuristic world with faith police. There’s a huge mix in here including mythology, cyberpunk, dystopian – Wow! There’s a lot for a reader to get to grips with. But despite it being a ‘little bit of everything’, it’s wonderfully entertaining, packed full of twists and excellently written.’ Female reader, aged 38
‘Best character: Lona; she’s pretty cool. Crazy futuristic world with nasty police and a mystery to solve. The author keeps the pace going right up until the end. This is not a novel you will forget!’ Male reader, aged 61
‘Compelling read from a talented author.’ Female reader, aged 26
To Sum It Up:
‘A captivating and wonderfully original novel. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
August 4, 2019
You know how some reviews start out “This book has a little of everything?” Well, THIS book has a LOT of everything.
Dystopian cyberpunk thriller (with plausible human-AI interfaces)? Check. LitRPG with a team of mismatched characters questing through VR realms? Yup. Futuristic social satire on academic bureaucracy interfaced with corporate greed? Yes. But wait: Add a clever Brit murder mystery spiced with sly humor.
Want more? How about a dope-pushing motorcycle gang morphing into a pharmaceutical monopoly? Magical stories based on Welsh mythology? Compulsory religion enforced by “Faith Police?” An intersex druid? A pet robot wolf? I could go on.
The miracle is that all of this scintillating content blends into a readable, highly entertaining novel. Epigraphs before each chapter, plus a glossary of terms from the “Faith Police Field Manual,” help readers keep their bearings. The story is skillfully told from several points of view. The characters are all well-drawn and realistic for the fictional time-frame. Plus, almost every one of them has something to hide.
My rating? Well … 5 stars for the cyperpunk thriller + 5 for the LitRPG adventure + 5 for the social satire + 5 for the murder mystery. That makes it 20 Stars!
Dystopian cyberpunk thriller (with plausible human-AI interfaces)? Check. LitRPG with a team of mismatched characters questing through VR realms? Yup. Futuristic social satire on academic bureaucracy interfaced with corporate greed? Yes. But wait: Add a clever Brit murder mystery spiced with sly humor.
Want more? How about a dope-pushing motorcycle gang morphing into a pharmaceutical monopoly? Magical stories based on Welsh mythology? Compulsory religion enforced by “Faith Police?” An intersex druid? A pet robot wolf? I could go on.
The miracle is that all of this scintillating content blends into a readable, highly entertaining novel. Epigraphs before each chapter, plus a glossary of terms from the “Faith Police Field Manual,” help readers keep their bearings. The story is skillfully told from several points of view. The characters are all well-drawn and realistic for the fictional time-frame. Plus, almost every one of them has something to hide.
My rating? Well … 5 stars for the cyperpunk thriller + 5 for the LitRPG adventure + 5 for the social satire + 5 for the murder mystery. That makes it 20 Stars!
January 6, 2020
I purchased this ebook, and this is my honest review
Science fiction fans will, no doubt, remember the mysteriously powerful and political Bene Gesserit
nuns of Frank Herbert's Dune books. The "Faith Police" in Cat Thomas's dystopian novel, Synthetic, reminded me of the Bene Gesserit at the top of their game.
In Synthetic, the year is 2071, in the United Kingdoms. Lona Luminos, a brilliant 'zlator, has come to enjoy a temporary job at a remote Welsh college. The school is known for its studies of Early Welsh History and culture, as well as its "research profile in non-conformist theology."
All kinds of religions are practiced at St. Cadog's College, except for Paganism (which is illegal). Hence, the dreaded and decidedly lurky Faith Police, who are every bit as beloved as the Gestapo.
The group of local Pagans is to St. Cadog's what the Haight-Asbury Hippies were to Berkeley in the 1960's -- but a hundred years weirder. The Pagans-College conflict is growing and could get really nasty.
A reality-fantasy conflict is threatening the College as well. The reader wonders from the beginning what are the "synthetic" things referenced by the book's title. Lona (who has secrets of her own, thank you very much) encounters synthetic animals, servants, scientists, and even an entire virtual reality called OtherWorld.
OtherWorld has been created by the College as a virtual-reality in which scholars may experience the ancient Welsh culture. Lona soon finds that the stories she is 'zlating from the ancient language are taking shape in OtherWorld -- and possibly even affecting the outer, or real, world.
The conflicts at the College, and Lona's own secrets, complicate everything when a College colleague is murdered. The suspects may not all be real, or they may be in either the outer world or OtherWorld -- or, heaven forbid, both worlds.
Cat Thomas has brought readers a fascinating, surprising and original world that combines the medieval aspects of a fantasy story of kings and princes with a futuristic story of a society losing its grip on reality. Battles, intrigue, humor, mysticism and romance entwine throughout this amazing tapestry.
Synthetic is the first Borderlands novel, according to its Goodreads page, and I will certainly be watching for future novels in this series.
I have rated Synthetic, by Cat Thomas, at four stars. It would have been five stars, but the edition I purchased contained typographical errors, which were small but annoying.
Science fiction fans will, no doubt, remember the mysteriously powerful and political Bene Gesserit
nuns of Frank Herbert's Dune books. The "Faith Police" in Cat Thomas's dystopian novel, Synthetic, reminded me of the Bene Gesserit at the top of their game.
In Synthetic, the year is 2071, in the United Kingdoms. Lona Luminos, a brilliant 'zlator, has come to enjoy a temporary job at a remote Welsh college. The school is known for its studies of Early Welsh History and culture, as well as its "research profile in non-conformist theology."
All kinds of religions are practiced at St. Cadog's College, except for Paganism (which is illegal). Hence, the dreaded and decidedly lurky Faith Police, who are every bit as beloved as the Gestapo.
The group of local Pagans is to St. Cadog's what the Haight-Asbury Hippies were to Berkeley in the 1960's -- but a hundred years weirder. The Pagans-College conflict is growing and could get really nasty.
A reality-fantasy conflict is threatening the College as well. The reader wonders from the beginning what are the "synthetic" things referenced by the book's title. Lona (who has secrets of her own, thank you very much) encounters synthetic animals, servants, scientists, and even an entire virtual reality called OtherWorld.
OtherWorld has been created by the College as a virtual-reality in which scholars may experience the ancient Welsh culture. Lona soon finds that the stories she is 'zlating from the ancient language are taking shape in OtherWorld -- and possibly even affecting the outer, or real, world.
The conflicts at the College, and Lona's own secrets, complicate everything when a College colleague is murdered. The suspects may not all be real, or they may be in either the outer world or OtherWorld -- or, heaven forbid, both worlds.
Cat Thomas has brought readers a fascinating, surprising and original world that combines the medieval aspects of a fantasy story of kings and princes with a futuristic story of a society losing its grip on reality. Battles, intrigue, humor, mysticism and romance entwine throughout this amazing tapestry.
Synthetic is the first Borderlands novel, according to its Goodreads page, and I will certainly be watching for future novels in this series.
I have rated Synthetic, by Cat Thomas, at four stars. It would have been five stars, but the edition I purchased contained typographical errors, which were small but annoying.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews