The Rise of the Resistance: Phoenix One

Well, this is the second 'cataclysm' book I could not finish. Maybe I'm way too critical lately, I don't know, but I think there is not enough time spent on the worldbuilding, in my opinion.

I made it to chapter 25, but I'll place my review in spoiler tags.


The major issue I had with this story has to do with these so-called 'weather bubbles', where the majority of the earth's population lives in (under?). Inside, everything's fine, outside it's hell on earth. The resistance live in four of these bubbles, tolerated by the regime because they provide 85% of the needed food (this comes back later in my review).

Thing is, it's completely up to the reader how these bubbles work, or even look like. Are they a physical dome? A forcefield? No idea, it is never mentioned. At some point, the Phoenix and her entourage need to journey to the lands of the regime. But there are no transitions, no airlocks or a similar device that marks a boundary. Outside it's 60C, but there are villages and settlements they come across. Are they in a bubble too? If not, how do they survive?

These portions of the worldbuilding (or is it world-destruction?) are complete ignored, and that bothers me intensely. To me, it looks like the author came up with a concept, but could not be bothered to think it through. Toss in some bubbles and that's how it is.

Next we have the regime. Their leader is such a cardboard copy of a cartoon villain, it isn't even funny. He rages and waves his gun around. The only person that can calm him down is his daughter, his confidante and adviser. That's great, but the entire book (well, up to chapter 25 anyway) we are told women have absolutely no say whatsoever in the society. So why does that not apply to the daughter? Granted, totalitarian regimes aren't really known for reason, but it struck me as weird.

The part that made me give up eventually, had to do with these weather bubbles and the food supply again. At some point, the dictator and his daughter discuss the fact that there's not quite enough food, and the resistance has to give up 95% (or thereabouts) of the food they grow. When it is clear that there's an active rebellion, the first thing the regime does, is to shut down these weather bubbles. When the Phoenix emerges above ground after some underground travel, they find people dying of the heat. Am I the only one recognizing the fact that the regime just destroyed 85% of their food supply with that move? People cannot handle 60C temperatures, and that includes crops as well. At that point I gave up.


I maybe overthinking things too much, but I feel that if you are writing science-fiction or dystopian stories, the one thing that makes or breaks the story is inconsistencies in your worldbuilding, or a world that hasn't been thought through enough.