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Veil
When her mother dies in a heat wave that kills twenty million, Zia León abandons a promising diplomatic career to lead humanitarian aid missions to regions ravaged by drought, wildfires, and sea level rise.
What Zia doesn't know is that clandestine forces are gathering around her in pursuit of a colossal secret: someone has hijacked the climate, and the future of human civilization is at stake.
To avoid a world war that appears more inevitable every day, Zia must build a coalition of the powerless and attempt the impossible. But success depends on facing the grief that has come to define her life, and rediscovering friendship, family, and what it means to be true to yourself while everything falls apart.
What Zia doesn't know is that clandestine forces are gathering around her in pursuit of a colossal secret: someone has hijacked the climate, and the future of human civilization is at stake.
To avoid a world war that appears more inevitable every day, Zia must build a coalition of the powerless and attempt the impossible. But success depends on facing the grief that has come to define her life, and rediscovering friendship, family, and what it means to be true to yourself while everything falls apart.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2020
About the author
Eliot Peper
14 books359 followersEliot Peper is the author of eleven novels, including, most recently, Foundry.
He's helped build technology businesses, survived dengue fever, translated Virgil's Aeneid from the original Latin, worked as an entrepreneur-in-residence at a venture capital firm, and explored the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Mustang.
The best way to follow Eliot's writing is to subscribe to his newsletter.
He's helped build technology businesses, survived dengue fever, translated Virgil's Aeneid from the original Latin, worked as an entrepreneur-in-residence at a venture capital firm, and explored the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Mustang.
The best way to follow Eliot's writing is to subscribe to his newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
April 5, 2020
Maybe it is no coincidence that Veil by Eliot Peper is being launched at a time when the cries for saving our planet and warning about climate change were the strongest and on its peak when another threat appeared out of the blue and silenced them. As the threat to the world population kills people everywhere, who is still thinking about global warming and climate change? Is it that important when we don’t know who will tomorrow live and who will die?
Yes, it is important. Because, viruses or no viruses, without the climate that sustains the thriving of all creatures, viruses won’t matter because there won’t be any life for them to attack. It will all be barren and dead.
Veil is an important book that comes at the right time. As we are afraid, or forced to fear for our own existence, we must not lose this global picture from our sight. Because what will happen if someone hijacks our climate and starts disasters that kill tens of million people and puts the future of our civilization at stake?
This is what happens in Veil, an intriguing, informative and educational “family” story, veiled in secrets, manipulations and their revelations, and rediscovered friendship and family ties.
Eliot Peper is not only a skilled storyteller, but also a teacher. He warns us about what can happen when a single human being gets enough power to change the world and gives us food for thought what will we do and what kind of future we want for ourselves and our loved ones.
This is a wake-up call, and if we don’t pull our heads out of the sand of ignorance, not only will someone with power hijack our climate but also our lives and very existence.
I want to thank Eliot for giving me the opportunity to read his advance review copy and conclude my honest review with two brilliant excerpts from his brand new novel.
Time distending into singularity at the moment of impact, every fiber of her soul resonating at the same frequency before shattering like a crystal champagne flute under the ringing soprano of an opera singer.
Clarity is not short sentences, she’d said. Or long sentences. Or sentences of any particular flavor. Clarity is forging your imagination into a pebble that, when tossed, will ripple through other minds.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
Yes, it is important. Because, viruses or no viruses, without the climate that sustains the thriving of all creatures, viruses won’t matter because there won’t be any life for them to attack. It will all be barren and dead.
Veil is an important book that comes at the right time. As we are afraid, or forced to fear for our own existence, we must not lose this global picture from our sight. Because what will happen if someone hijacks our climate and starts disasters that kill tens of million people and puts the future of our civilization at stake?
This is what happens in Veil, an intriguing, informative and educational “family” story, veiled in secrets, manipulations and their revelations, and rediscovered friendship and family ties.
Eliot Peper is not only a skilled storyteller, but also a teacher. He warns us about what can happen when a single human being gets enough power to change the world and gives us food for thought what will we do and what kind of future we want for ourselves and our loved ones.
This is a wake-up call, and if we don’t pull our heads out of the sand of ignorance, not only will someone with power hijack our climate but also our lives and very existence.
I want to thank Eliot for giving me the opportunity to read his advance review copy and conclude my honest review with two brilliant excerpts from his brand new novel.
Time distending into singularity at the moment of impact, every fiber of her soul resonating at the same frequency before shattering like a crystal champagne flute under the ringing soprano of an opera singer.
Clarity is not short sentences, she’d said. Or long sentences. Or sentences of any particular flavor. Clarity is forging your imagination into a pebble that, when tossed, will ripple through other minds.
BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Bernard Jan
April 23, 2020
I’ve been thinking about the central concept behind this novel for days, particularly as we celebrated 50 years of Earth Day. What are we going to do? What can we do? What are the unintended consequences of unilateral efforts? What is the ameliorating effect of secrecy? I don’t want to leave the impression that “Veil,” is dry and philosophical. Eliot Peper manages to weave big ideas inside of extraordinary, humane characters, particularly Zia, who has spent her life trying to do the right thing to help others. Zia and a suspenseful, propulsive plot would be more than enough for some readers. On that level alone, it shines. But the questions and ideas embedded inside this novel stick with you, days after you’ve finished reading.
February 26, 2022
In one box you have a pessimistic view of our climactic future, in the other you have the same, but with the thing called hope left from the bottom of Pandora's Box. Eliot Peper wants us to believe in the second box. In 2022, that is a hard thing to do. "Veil" is full of good people trying to do the right thing, selfish people being selfish, all of them world changers, none of them real people dealing with real climate change on a small scale. I believe it is the small scale that is killing us now, not the big scale. But enough about that. I have to go wishcycle some almost clean soda bottles with the rings left on the top and window envelopes with the plastic windows still in them.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2020
Veil is my favorite book from Eliot Peper yet.
- The topic, global warming and what we can do about it, is likely the biggest challenge of our lifetime
- The story strikes me as highly realistic, yet hopeful. In this world of pandemic and too often crazy leaders, I came away with a brighter outlook on what the future holds.
- I found the characters "real" (incl. sufficiently imperfect to be realistic). Rich kids with somewhat questionably deserved power certainly, but isn't it the world we live in...
- Eliot's writing really stimulates the imagination. It also contains pearls of wisdom
Here a few of my favorite quotes:
About Miranda and Santiago "He kept her hopeful despite everything. She kept him grounded despite himself."
"That most slippery and profound of emotions: wonder."
"No point in him making enemies until he absolutely had to, especially when he 'd have to deal with the repercussions for years to come."
"Wrapped in a desiccated husk of ignorance and petty viciousness was a kernel of truth"
"Listen to what people mean instead of what they say[...] don't just speculate on motive, ask what context shapes the motive on offer. Reframe that context."
"Everyone wanted to feel special sometimes. What got you into trouble was believing you were better than everyone else."
"Paranoia was a useful tool, but left unchecked, it would paralyze her."
- The topic, global warming and what we can do about it, is likely the biggest challenge of our lifetime
- The story strikes me as highly realistic, yet hopeful. In this world of pandemic and too often crazy leaders, I came away with a brighter outlook on what the future holds.
- I found the characters "real" (incl. sufficiently imperfect to be realistic). Rich kids with somewhat questionably deserved power certainly, but isn't it the world we live in...
- Eliot's writing really stimulates the imagination. It also contains pearls of wisdom
Here a few of my favorite quotes:
About Miranda and Santiago "He kept her hopeful despite everything. She kept him grounded despite himself."
"That most slippery and profound of emotions: wonder."
"No point in him making enemies until he absolutely had to, especially when he 'd have to deal with the repercussions for years to come."
"Wrapped in a desiccated husk of ignorance and petty viciousness was a kernel of truth"
"Listen to what people mean instead of what they say[...] don't just speculate on motive, ask what context shapes the motive on offer. Reframe that context."
"Everyone wanted to feel special sometimes. What got you into trouble was believing you were better than everyone else."
"Paranoia was a useful tool, but left unchecked, it would paralyze her."
May 10, 2020
Veil is the first of Eliot Peper’s books that I’ve read but it certainly won’t be the last. Part Black Mirror, part travel blog, part UN climate policy negotiation, Eliot mashes up a fast-paced thriller with a subtly dystopian future set across far-flung corners of the world, and throws in reflections on weighty ethical questions about climate change, development and responsibility for good measure. Eliot’s writing dances between straightforward and poetic, practical and philosophical; there’s something about his characters and the balance between action and reflection (and/or warning) that brings David Eggers’ "The Circle" to mind.
The book raises some of the major issues underpinning current international climate negotiations and lays out nuanced arguments on both sides, letting the reader process some of the hand-wringing complexities alongside Zia and her cabal of friends. Some of the questions explored include: can we stop greenhouse gas emissions but continue to grow economically? Should the biggest polluters pay to fix climate change…and if so, does financing come with decision making power? If we can engineer our way out of climate change, should we? And – perhaps most importantly – can you justify unintended consequences with good intentions?
The book raises some of the major issues underpinning current international climate negotiations and lays out nuanced arguments on both sides, letting the reader process some of the hand-wringing complexities alongside Zia and her cabal of friends. Some of the questions explored include: can we stop greenhouse gas emissions but continue to grow economically? Should the biggest polluters pay to fix climate change…and if so, does financing come with decision making power? If we can engineer our way out of climate change, should we? And – perhaps most importantly – can you justify unintended consequences with good intentions?
May 20, 2020
"The first thing Zia did was keep her eyes shut. The second thing she did was keep her body still. The third thing was throttle her brain into overdrive."
So begins a chapter of Eliot Peper's new eco-tech thriller, "Veil." The novel is fast-paced, the female protagonist is dynamic, and the world is fully realized.
Is it just these pandemic times where the genre of sci fi just feels like regular fiction? Or is it the fact that this novel tackles complex issues related to climate change in a highly globalized world? You won't put this book down until you finish it--it's the perfect summer read.
So begins a chapter of Eliot Peper's new eco-tech thriller, "Veil." The novel is fast-paced, the female protagonist is dynamic, and the world is fully realized.
Is it just these pandemic times where the genre of sci fi just feels like regular fiction? Or is it the fact that this novel tackles complex issues related to climate change in a highly globalized world? You won't put this book down until you finish it--it's the perfect summer read.
May 20, 2020
Another great book by Eliot Peper. What can I say... at this point Eliot is a force to be reckoned with, putting out great book after great book. He's becoming a legend. Like most of his books, Eliot combines a great high-level concept with excellent characters and a page-turning plot. I'm a plot guy myself, so I can get through pretty much any book with a half-decent plot. But the quality of the writing and the way a book makes you think are what put it over the top for me. Think Malcolm Gladwell meets Neal Stephenson meets William Gibson. Do yourself a favor and give all of Eliot's books a look. This guy is the writer of our times.
May 20, 2020
I think this book spoke to me in ways I hadn't expected. Somehow, I felt closer to the crazy Santiago. I could feel his desperation, to strategize, to risk everything for his business' growth, something entrepreneurs try to do in strange and sometimes unproductive ways. Eliot takes us through his protagonist's untamed passion and lets us see and feel it from her own eyes. Her fears, friends, and experiences are what I enjoyed throughout the book.
I like the action - from short chapters to vivid imagery. The pace of sliding down trees to clandestine rides, tones of tension and interplays in the forest, the balcony, the campus, the camp. The book is perfectly suited for a movie I want to watch.
There were some predictable moments foreshadowing a death, a betrayal, an escape and a confession. The villains are obvious but you want to know them deeper, the obvious love interests visible yet you want to understand why. None took away from the story.
I like Eliot's style of putting me at the confluence of the characters' optic nerve and the amygdala. I see what his characters are seeing and feel her anxiety and fear. Loved this new book in the continuing tech fiction series (God, I hope they remain fiction)
I like the action - from short chapters to vivid imagery. The pace of sliding down trees to clandestine rides, tones of tension and interplays in the forest, the balcony, the campus, the camp. The book is perfectly suited for a movie I want to watch.
There were some predictable moments foreshadowing a death, a betrayal, an escape and a confession. The villains are obvious but you want to know them deeper, the obvious love interests visible yet you want to understand why. None took away from the story.
I like Eliot's style of putting me at the confluence of the characters' optic nerve and the amygdala. I see what his characters are seeing and feel her anxiety and fear. Loved this new book in the continuing tech fiction series (God, I hope they remain fiction)
May 20, 2020
Eliot Peper has once again given us a peak into a near certain future. While his specialty is near future scifi, this is more like near future non-fiction. The broader story so closely tracks current science and trends that its almost guaranteed to play out in one form or another. Amazingly, most people are unaware of these trends and so the book maintains some otherworldly magic to it. The characters are also really engaging and make for a perfect vehicle to deliver you a glimpse of what may only be a few years off. Definitely a must read for those who want to see where our climate/geopolitics are headed but don't want to read it in the form of scientific or foreign policy journals.
May 21, 2020
Peper has a remarkable ability to extrapolate current trends into a disturbingly-believable picture of the future, then weave an engaging story around it. Veil is no exception. A captivating and thought-provoking story that you’ll continue thinking about long after you finish. I highly recommend it!
June 30, 2020
Excellent solar punk
This is a story about the future. A warm burning future.a hopeful story. You're going to be in really good company with Zia as she travels the world to find herself and peace. Good action. Great story. Interesting future.
This is a story about the future. A warm burning future.a hopeful story. You're going to be in really good company with Zia as she travels the world to find herself and peace. Good action. Great story. Interesting future.
June 25, 2020
Enviro techno thriller. Didn't believe any of it. Main character is the best in the world at everything
March 7, 2021
I liked the idea behind this book but I found it so hard to read. The writing didn't flow very well and there were random deep quotes mixed in.
June 21, 2020
This has been one of my fastest reads.
The story moves along very quickly and is really gripping. You can read the synopsis anywhere. The book is an environmental disaster science-fiction book set in the very near future.
It is only when you finish the book, that you realize that it has been written keeping in mind the fact that it can be turned into an 8-episode Netflix show. It has all the ingredients...a multinational cast, evil corporations wanting the exploit the Earth, a nutty scientist with his own hubristic solution to global warming, kidnappings, chases, escapes, friends, family...it has it all.
Mr. Peper has listed this book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... - The Wizard and the Prophet, as in inspiration...it is really worth reading this book if you have any interest in why we are where we are with respect to environmental activism, etc.
Mr. Peper does come up though with some amazing quotable quotes, which his characters though keep repeating in their dialogues, to ensure that you as a reader keep remembering them.
“I work my butt off exposing the wrongdoings of some politician or CEO and then when the scandal fades, some other jerk takes their place and the whole cycle starts all over again. It’s like I’m on a treadmill powered by the dark side of human nature. Bonnie, my editor, says I need to chill out and come to terms with the fact that journalism is and always has been a Sisyphean task suited only for workaholic attention seekers with guilt issues.”
but there are many others
“After responding to natural disaster after natural disaster you eventually start to realize that there’s no such thing as a natural disaster. There are only human disasters revealed by nature.”
and
"Systemic injustice turns the disadvantaged into human shields against the brute force of nature pursuing its normal course. We create victims, and then we congratulate ourselves when we show them small mercies.”
The book is worth reading, just for the quotes, if nothing else. I have not read any of his other books. This book was part of a summer reading list put out by Mr. Seth Godin.
The story moves along very quickly and is really gripping. You can read the synopsis anywhere. The book is an environmental disaster science-fiction book set in the very near future.
It is only when you finish the book, that you realize that it has been written keeping in mind the fact that it can be turned into an 8-episode Netflix show. It has all the ingredients...a multinational cast, evil corporations wanting the exploit the Earth, a nutty scientist with his own hubristic solution to global warming, kidnappings, chases, escapes, friends, family...it has it all.
Mr. Peper has listed this book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... - The Wizard and the Prophet, as in inspiration...it is really worth reading this book if you have any interest in why we are where we are with respect to environmental activism, etc.
Mr. Peper does come up though with some amazing quotable quotes, which his characters though keep repeating in their dialogues, to ensure that you as a reader keep remembering them.
“I work my butt off exposing the wrongdoings of some politician or CEO and then when the scandal fades, some other jerk takes their place and the whole cycle starts all over again. It’s like I’m on a treadmill powered by the dark side of human nature. Bonnie, my editor, says I need to chill out and come to terms with the fact that journalism is and always has been a Sisyphean task suited only for workaholic attention seekers with guilt issues.”
but there are many others
“After responding to natural disaster after natural disaster you eventually start to realize that there’s no such thing as a natural disaster. There are only human disasters revealed by nature.”
and
"Systemic injustice turns the disadvantaged into human shields against the brute force of nature pursuing its normal course. We create victims, and then we congratulate ourselves when we show them small mercies.”
The book is worth reading, just for the quotes, if nothing else. I have not read any of his other books. This book was part of a summer reading list put out by Mr. Seth Godin.
May 28, 2020
Veil by Eliot Peper is a book I really can't recommend enough. Eliot does it again by looking into the near future and laying out what might happened due to various social/global issues that are relevant in today’s world. With his ability to research those relevant topics, expand on them to plausible future events and outcomes all while crafting other drama into the story always amazes me. Don’t get me wrong there is more to the story than just social events as friendships are tested, betrayal unfolds, and stubborn relationships rear their ugly heads. Everything centers around Zia and she must deal with them all along the way.
If you are looking for a great book then look no further as Eliot has produced another great page-turner after not long ago finishing his most recent sequels. For a longer review check out https://upnorth.blog/2020/05/veil-by-...
If you are looking for a great book then look no further as Eliot has produced another great page-turner after not long ago finishing his most recent sequels. For a longer review check out https://upnorth.blog/2020/05/veil-by-...
May 21, 2020
Loved both the underlying premise of this book and the general pace. Read the book in two sittings and it's been ages since I've done that. I am fascinated by the implications of the Anthropocene, and having not been aware of geo-engineering was completely drawn into the story. My biggest compliment and critique of the book is that I wanted more.
May 24, 2020
Recent Reads: Veil. Eliot Pepper's latest near-future thriller explores the limits of science and diplomacy. Freelance diplomat Zia gets dragged into her estranged father's geo- engineering project, only to find it attacked by corporate interests. Can she find a way to save it?
June 1, 2020
Noticed
Articulated. Realize. The relationship between writer and reader. Once again nicely done by Mr Peper. With further reading suggested to allow a reader to realize more. To become more. For better or for worse.
Articulated. Realize. The relationship between writer and reader. Once again nicely done by Mr Peper. With further reading suggested to allow a reader to realize more. To become more. For better or for worse.
June 4, 2020
Fantastic book--highly recommended.
July 12, 2020
Found a new sci fi author!
The best science fiction feels like brain candy to me and this was a highly enjoyable and entertaining read. I’m excited to read his other works next!
The best science fiction feels like brain candy to me and this was a highly enjoyable and entertaining read. I’m excited to read his other works next!
May 21, 2020
Fantastic read, Peper always has stories that speak to the moment we're in.
June 1, 2020
Quick, exciting read
I almost gave up during the kinda preach prologue, but the first chapter started and sucked me in. A fast paced near future thriller, I found myself racing through and finishing in a day. I liked the speculation, the characters, and the thrills. I'll certainly be checking out more of the author's work.
I almost gave up during the kinda preach prologue, but the first chapter started and sucked me in. A fast paced near future thriller, I found myself racing through and finishing in a day. I liked the speculation, the characters, and the thrills. I'll certainly be checking out more of the author's work.
June 10, 2020
The previous works of Eliot Peper's that I've read, the Analog novels, have dealt with the interaction of information technology, secrecy, and power; in Veil, he explores what wealth and connection mean as the world begins to burn around us. It's a fast paced yarn of intrigue and family, worth reading to spend some time exploring future that is fast becoming too familiar.
May 21, 2020
Eliot’s books are well written, they always feature interesting and relatable characters. They’re concise, gripping, and completely enjoyable. But this book above his others takes on a topic that’s huge (the biggest really) and casts the speculative fiction genre in a whole new light.
This isn’t the first time Eliot has incorporated global warming into his books, and it’s not the first time a piece of fiction has addressed technology taking over the climate, but it is the first time I didn’t feel like the writer was overwhelmed by the topic or treated it like a joke (I’m looking at you Geostorm). Eliot makes the topic interesting, and believable by doing what he always does, create interesting characters that take you on an adventure.
This isn’t the first time Eliot has incorporated global warming into his books, and it’s not the first time a piece of fiction has addressed technology taking over the climate, but it is the first time I didn’t feel like the writer was overwhelmed by the topic or treated it like a joke (I’m looking at you Geostorm). Eliot makes the topic interesting, and believable by doing what he always does, create interesting characters that take you on an adventure.
May 20, 2020
Another thoughtful and thrilling Peper novel
A fascinating central conceit (no spoilers) that theoretically could be fact soon. Fast paced and thought provoking: I read in two sittings. Discussions and banter among the younger adult characters (especially geopolitically) reminded me of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Shadow series.
SF Bay Area bonus: although not a setting (cf other recent Peper novels), Zachary’s Pizza makes a memorable cameo.
I received and read an ARC.
A fascinating central conceit (no spoilers) that theoretically could be fact soon. Fast paced and thought provoking: I read in two sittings. Discussions and banter among the younger adult characters (especially geopolitically) reminded me of Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Shadow series.
SF Bay Area bonus: although not a setting (cf other recent Peper novels), Zachary’s Pizza makes a memorable cameo.
I received and read an ARC.
July 19, 2025
A promising plot glimpses through, but weak characters, dull dialogue, poor pacing, and a flat ending drag it down.
The author includes thought-provoking references, which I appreciated and why I gave him a second chance but they feel crammed into shallow conversations, disrupting the flow rather than enriching it.
The author includes thought-provoking references, which I appreciated and why I gave him a second chance but they feel crammed into shallow conversations, disrupting the flow rather than enriching it.
June 25, 2020
An uninteresting excuse to raise awareness on climate change.
Complex, yet slow. Unlovable characters. Plot twists are ok at times. Read the whole thing waiting for passion to show itself in any way or form.
Complex, yet slow. Unlovable characters. Plot twists are ok at times. Read the whole thing waiting for passion to show itself in any way or form.
January 5, 2021
Truly enjoyed this book, which read like an extended and very sharp short story. The characters are compelling, and the science is both fascinating and fierce. Highly recommend for anyone who likes fiction, especially clifi!
July 8, 2020
It’s an interesting story about climate change and geoengineering. Unfortunately, people who had the least contribution to the worsening climate change will be the most affected by it.
July 28, 2020
Art imitates life
Read this for the second time and liked it even better. Peper’s characters are great, and his plot a joy to follow. I really enjoyed this book.
Read this for the second time and liked it even better. Peper’s characters are great, and his plot a joy to follow. I really enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews