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Hello Darkness: A Dystopian Thriller
“Sev has built a world that is dark and gritty... an incredible read." – Goodreads review
We all carry the insidious disorder—a ticking time bomb that can explode at any moment with murderous consequences.
There are no answers, no cure, and seemingly no hope.
Rye Thorburn is a member of a rapid response team that scouts the night skies and responds to each frightening outbreak, confronting its violent perpetrators in a deadly game of cat and mouse. For Rye, it’s more than a job—it’s his refuge from his conscience.
Faced with this unprecedented threat, society has become an enclave of autocratic leaders, invasive high-tech security, corporate propaganda, and a populace sick with fear and suspicion.
However, all is not what it seems. Rye and his colleague Kate Mbachi become entangled in a conspiracy that involves a ruthless scientist and powerful hidden forces that thrive from suffering.
Can Rye overcome his demons to expose the horrifying truth before all is lost?
Hello Darkness is a pulsating dystopian thriller, set in the near-future. Readers who love the grim, gripping worlds of Cormac McCarthy, Emily St. John Mandel and Margaret Atwood will be swept away by this heart-racing novel.
What readers are saying about Hello Darkness :
“ Loved this book ... Great story, great characters - good amount of gruesome!” – Barnes & Noble review
“This was a real page turner... definite recommend .” – Goodreads review
“ I was drawn into Rye’s dark world and the horrors that seemed to be everywhere.” – Amazon review
“ Hello Darkness is a gritty, great paced dystopian read. Some incredibly vividly written scenes. Love the edge of social commentary. Highly recommend .” – Goodreads review
“...it made me think about the world today and hope for a brighter future ." – Amazon review
We all carry the insidious disorder—a ticking time bomb that can explode at any moment with murderous consequences.
There are no answers, no cure, and seemingly no hope.
Rye Thorburn is a member of a rapid response team that scouts the night skies and responds to each frightening outbreak, confronting its violent perpetrators in a deadly game of cat and mouse. For Rye, it’s more than a job—it’s his refuge from his conscience.
Faced with this unprecedented threat, society has become an enclave of autocratic leaders, invasive high-tech security, corporate propaganda, and a populace sick with fear and suspicion.
However, all is not what it seems. Rye and his colleague Kate Mbachi become entangled in a conspiracy that involves a ruthless scientist and powerful hidden forces that thrive from suffering.
Can Rye overcome his demons to expose the horrifying truth before all is lost?
Hello Darkness is a pulsating dystopian thriller, set in the near-future. Readers who love the grim, gripping worlds of Cormac McCarthy, Emily St. John Mandel and Margaret Atwood will be swept away by this heart-racing novel.
What readers are saying about Hello Darkness :
“ Loved this book ... Great story, great characters - good amount of gruesome!” – Barnes & Noble review
“This was a real page turner... definite recommend .” – Goodreads review
“ I was drawn into Rye’s dark world and the horrors that seemed to be everywhere.” – Amazon review
“ Hello Darkness is a gritty, great paced dystopian read. Some incredibly vividly written scenes. Love the edge of social commentary. Highly recommend .” – Goodreads review
“...it made me think about the world today and hope for a brighter future ." – Amazon review
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2022
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Sev Romero
2 books5 followersSev Romero is a writer based on Ngunnawal Country (Canberra, Australia). Sev enjoys writing dark speculative fiction novels and short stories that hold a mirror up to today’s world. These stories touch on genuine issues, feature complex characters, have plenty of political intrigue, and include splashes of dark humour.
Sev’s inspirations are wide and many, and include George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, James S. A. Corey, N. K. Jemisin, Cormac McCarthy, and Margaret Atwood. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s Sev has also been heavily influenced by film, where he grew a love for dark uncompromising science fiction (Aliens, The Terminator, Robocop), horror (Halloween, Evil Dead, The Thing) and everything else in between (Akira, Ichi The Killer, Mad Max).
Sev is also a strong advocate for equality and the environment, and these themes often feature in his work.
When not writing, Sev enjoys spending time with his 3 children, cheering on his football team, discussing hip hop, and unwinding with the odd video game.
Sev’s inspirations are wide and many, and include George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, James S. A. Corey, N. K. Jemisin, Cormac McCarthy, and Margaret Atwood. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s Sev has also been heavily influenced by film, where he grew a love for dark uncompromising science fiction (Aliens, The Terminator, Robocop), horror (Halloween, Evil Dead, The Thing) and everything else in between (Akira, Ichi The Killer, Mad Max).
Sev is also a strong advocate for equality and the environment, and these themes often feature in his work.
When not writing, Sev enjoys spending time with his 3 children, cheering on his football team, discussing hip hop, and unwinding with the odd video game.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 1, 2022
This was a real page turner. I was drawn into Rye's dark world and the horrors that seemed to be everywhere. Some of the scenes really got my heart racing and I'll admit I shed a tear at one moment. I really appreciated that this novel tackled some themes that are very relevant at the moment (corruption, greed, etc) and enjoyed its message that stayed with me well after I finished it. Definite recommend.
October 24, 2022
Sev has built a world that is dark and gritty with some incredibly intriguing characters. I am not a visual reader usually, the words flow through my brain and I don't see the action. With the rich descriptions of both the world and the people I truely felt like I was there watching it unfold. The characters had true depth to them and as the story progressed they seemed less fictional and more realistic.
This book has brought about so many emotions from anxiousness on the characters behalf to hope, shock and awe as to where the story took me. This was not a light easy read, it made me think about the world today and hope for a brighter future.
This was an incredible read. Very excited to see what Sev has planned for the future with his books.
This book has brought about so many emotions from anxiousness on the characters behalf to hope, shock and awe as to where the story took me. This was not a light easy read, it made me think about the world today and hope for a brighter future.
This was an incredible read. Very excited to see what Sev has planned for the future with his books.
October 31, 2024
"The stench rushed out from the void like a poltergeist trying to knock me over."
Move over Resident Evil, a new virus has taken over!
Talk about actio packed, gore, and on the edge of your seat thrilling.
I loved the character development of Rye, the MMC, in this story. He goes from a loving family man to a single dad who needs to protect his son to a RAR police officer to protect the civilians and to capture the infected, to finding out top secret, secret.
Move over Resident Evil, a new virus has taken over!
Talk about actio packed, gore, and on the edge of your seat thrilling.
I loved the character development of Rye, the MMC, in this story. He goes from a loving family man to a single dad who needs to protect his son to a RAR police officer to protect the civilians and to capture the infected, to finding out top secret, secret.
November 13, 2022
Hello Darkness is a gritty, great paced dystopian read. The writing draws you in and keeps you wanting more. Some incredibly vividly written scenes. Love the edge of social commentary. Can’t wait for the next one from Sev Romero! Highly recommend
July 4, 2023
𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳—𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘮𝘣 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
Set in a not-so-distant future, where a sinister neurological disorder grips society, the story explores the depths of human nature and the lengths one man is willing to go to uncover the truth.
The author masterfully creates a bleak and oppressive atmosphere, immersing readers in a world dominated by autocratic leaders, invasive surveillance technologies, and a general sense of despair. As the disease spreads, fear and suspicion take hold, making every person a potential time bomb.
The protagonist, Rye Thorburn, is a complex and relatable character. He battles not only the external threat of the disease but also his own personal demons. As he delves deeper into the conspiracy surrounding the disorder, he must confront his fears and make difficult choices that could cost him everything.
It's a cautionary tale that forces readers to reflect on the potential consequences of unchecked power and the value of truth in the face of adversity.
If you like the books of Andy Weir or Emily St. John Mandel then this is a dystopian thriller you'll definitely like
Set in a not-so-distant future, where a sinister neurological disorder grips society, the story explores the depths of human nature and the lengths one man is willing to go to uncover the truth.
The author masterfully creates a bleak and oppressive atmosphere, immersing readers in a world dominated by autocratic leaders, invasive surveillance technologies, and a general sense of despair. As the disease spreads, fear and suspicion take hold, making every person a potential time bomb.
The protagonist, Rye Thorburn, is a complex and relatable character. He battles not only the external threat of the disease but also his own personal demons. As he delves deeper into the conspiracy surrounding the disorder, he must confront his fears and make difficult choices that could cost him everything.
It's a cautionary tale that forces readers to reflect on the potential consequences of unchecked power and the value of truth in the face of adversity.
If you like the books of Andy Weir or Emily St. John Mandel then this is a dystopian thriller you'll definitely like
March 24, 2024
creepy action in pseudo zombie land
This was a new read for me. I don’t usually go in for apocalyptic zombie-like scenarios (in this case, a rare disease turns people into murdering psychopaths). I was happily surprised!
Romero does a great job of building intrigue alongside a likeable cast of characters. The action scenes are intense with just the right amount of gore and suspense.
An enjoyable read for an afternoon of escapism.
This was a new read for me. I don’t usually go in for apocalyptic zombie-like scenarios (in this case, a rare disease turns people into murdering psychopaths). I was happily surprised!
Romero does a great job of building intrigue alongside a likeable cast of characters. The action scenes are intense with just the right amount of gore and suspense.
An enjoyable read for an afternoon of escapism.
March 18, 2023
Heartbreakingly Gripping
I enjoyed reading this book.
The authors reflections on reality while painting the dystopian future world is inspiring.
This author uses his characters to make observations of the world that resonate and are relatable.
The story is heartbreakingly gripping, and kept me on the edge of my seat.
If you like dystopian thrillers, this is a book for you!
I enjoyed reading this book.
The authors reflections on reality while painting the dystopian future world is inspiring.
This author uses his characters to make observations of the world that resonate and are relatable.
The story is heartbreakingly gripping, and kept me on the edge of my seat.
If you like dystopian thrillers, this is a book for you!
February 1, 2023
A fast paced action thriller that moves between moments of reflection and tense action scenes smoothly. The novel walks the balance by having the main character and his allies be heroic in the face of unnatural enemies, without themselves feeling unrealistic.
May 28, 2023
All the pieces for a taut, dystopian thriller are here. The author makes it Australian without losing an international appeal (ie., it’s never parochial or bogged down in local references and language).
Easy to imagine…and in many ways quite believable.
Five stars.
Easy to imagine…and in many ways quite believable.
Five stars.
June 11, 2023
It's like someone travelled back in time to grab John Carpenter just after he made THEY LIVE and said, "Fella, we got your next story!" The wild creativity of this nasty conceit comes together with a brilliant social commentary and some rad moments of nastiness to fuse together a real page turner.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews