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The Maiden Voyage of New York City
They call it the “Manhattan Miracle.”
Half a century after the buildings of New York City sank beneath the rising seas, human ingenuity raises them up again, and the city is finally returning to prosperity... or is it?
The economy might be revitalized, but Mayor Sophia Ramos knows that the Miracle is only a stopgap solution. Crippling debt and a surge in crime from the Boroughs threatens to sink the city as surely as the waves did, and to Mayor Ramos, only an even more radical idea is the solution.
As Manhattan’s elite are targeted by a vast underground criminal empire, however, the city threatens to fall apart before she can enact its daring rescue. A world-famous gonzo journalist, an engineer who helped bring about the Miracle, and the chief of police butt heads over the mayor's solution. Meanwhile, two Boroughs cops fighting with their own demons and city-wide apathy for their home struggle to bring order into a place rapidly falling under martial law.
In the end, who will stand atop America's tallest buildings?
Half a century after the buildings of New York City sank beneath the rising seas, human ingenuity raises them up again, and the city is finally returning to prosperity... or is it?
The economy might be revitalized, but Mayor Sophia Ramos knows that the Miracle is only a stopgap solution. Crippling debt and a surge in crime from the Boroughs threatens to sink the city as surely as the waves did, and to Mayor Ramos, only an even more radical idea is the solution.
As Manhattan’s elite are targeted by a vast underground criminal empire, however, the city threatens to fall apart before she can enact its daring rescue. A world-famous gonzo journalist, an engineer who helped bring about the Miracle, and the chief of police butt heads over the mayor's solution. Meanwhile, two Boroughs cops fighting with their own demons and city-wide apathy for their home struggle to bring order into a place rapidly falling under martial law.
In the end, who will stand atop America's tallest buildings?
344 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 14, 2020
"Manhattan has been under an illusion; the illusion that just because the ship has been set upright means that all its people are safe. You are not."4.5 stars
A gritty, scarily realistic depiction of a near-future NYC inexorably sinking under rising waves and rising crime and poverty, this book is a perfect example of how it pays off to read outside your comfort genre!
Populated by diverse, distinct character voices, 'The Maiden Voyage of New York City' begins with several ostensibly unrelated threads that are gradually woven into a mysterious conspiracy that builds up to a climax that dropped like a bomb. There was a wide array of POV characters, which could have been confusing but instead worked very well to drive each sub-plot within the overall narrative. It actually reminded me a little of the 2017 film 'Dunkirk', in how the character perspectives play out simultaneously and each plot thread affects the others. I did find the female characters easier to distinguish than the male characters - aside from the journalist Miles Buhari (he's unmistakable) - I chalk this up to the three female POV characters having vastly different jobs and personalities. I forgot some of the male characters' names once or twice (in my defence, there are a few!) but this was only an issue in the first 10% of the book.
Parts of the book felt like a crime thriller or mystery novel, with subtle (but nonetheless foreboding) hints sprinkled here and there. This created a tense atmosphere that was perfect kindling for the Showdown Scene™. There were many OMG twists, and the climax was so sudden, giving me 'Chaos Walking' level shock - this is high praise as the 'Chaos Walking' trilogy was one of the most unpredictable series I've read.
I'm a big fan of police procedurals on TV, and I really enjoyed the thread with Officers Waverly and Kikia as they try to puzzle out how organised crime continues to flourish in NYC. The moment when the penny dropped was excellently done, and the couple of flashbacks, though initially unclear in their significance (partly because I forgot what year this book was set in and therefore took a while to realise it was a flashback), soon became integral pieces of information. There were plenty of dynamic action scenes too! The final fight for NYC was epic, as final fights go - I don't want to spoil anything but to me it wouldn't feel out of place in a Marvel movie.
The writing style is very easy to read and flows well, with energetic dialogue especially when Miles Buhari is the POV!
A girl started flirting with [Miles] whom he shook off, then another tried pulling his arm to get him to dance, but he pulled back.How can anyone handsome ever go undercover? [Miles] re-thought every spy movie he had ever seen while downing a shot of tequila.
I did find it a little confusing sometimes as to why in dialogue, some contractions were used and others not, but this really didn't matter very much. While Miles was my favourite character to read, I think I was most emotionally touched by the bond between the two cop partners, Alex (Waverly) and Cassidy (Kikia). Girod did a great job illustrating their deep and enduring care for each other, despite their personal disagreements.
I can definitely see this book being adapted into a disaster or drama film, and I'd certainly watch it!
Thanks to Brain Lag Publishing for gifting me a copy for a honest review.
December 31, 2020
Such a fun book! An apocalyptic, conspiracy thriller, sci-fi, mystery, fantasy, crime thriller mashup that delivers a fantastically wild story! The world-building is simply amazing. There are quite a few POV characters but all are written with such distinct voices. And the many POV’s work perfectly together to move the story forward. And what a story! And the final battle for NYC....incredible! I loved this book!!!!! I am SO happy that I ordered it (and I have the paperback by the way but Goodreads didn’t show that edition!), I truly enjoyed it! Get yourself a copy and prepare to be flat out entertained!! Top book!
July 18, 2020
I love 💕 to read and part of the joy is being taken on an adventure. This book was a joy and very interesting to read. I enjoyed the attention to detail and descriptions as it came alive for me as I read it. The characters became real as I journeyed along in their lives. I thought the plot was new and interesting 🤔. I highly recommend it!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews