In the world of Costi Gurgu’s Corrosion series, humanity has become divided in a post-apocalyptic future. The Liquids live in caves, cleaving close to their old way of life and consuming stored water. The Corrosives, however, live with a strange affliction that alters their appearance and abilities, getting by on gelled water. Geo, a new Corrosive, has become a prince in one of this society’s many clans. With his beloved Bree by his side, he is already facing down two challenges.
Close to home, Silver Star threatens to cause a massacre. At a distance—anywhere from a year to a scant night away—Han the Great approaches with the world’s largest army and a taste for conquest. As Geo attempts to root out dissent from his new court and gain the trust of the faithful, he tries to find a way to handle both issues. He may have found one in the form of Dreams and Nightmares. These once-human mutants were previously thought to be very different beings from each other (and from people). But the truth may change the course of humanity once again.
PINK CORROSION blends eco-science with a sort of magical undertone. Chimeras morph into mythical battle beasts, children see past the pink haze above the Earth into the blackness of space, and gifted beings shapeshift and demonstrate paranormal powers. As humanity becomes more and more divided, the book contemplates what makes humans human. It’s clear that some sort of evolution is occurring—the children’s ability to see the “black sky” of space, heralding some new stage in humanity, is somewhat reminiscent of the final stage in Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End. But it seems the upshot of this discovery will have to wait for a later book.
While this novel is an intriguing read, readers who haven’t first read Green Corrosion may feel a little lost amidst the terminology. Some time is taken to explain who people are and what has come before; however, it falls short of other multi-part fiction in terms of welcoming readers fully at any stage. This does not prevent the book from being solid sci-fantasy, however. More reminiscent of sword-and-planet fiction than hard sci-fi, PINK CORROSION is an enjoyable read from start to finish, painting a picture of an Earth that remembers its ancient history while forgetting its more recent events. There are more mysteries to be unfurled, and the book’s cliffhanger ending brings more excitement than frustration.
Readers new to the series may have a bit of difficulty grasping much of what has come before, but Costi Gurgu’s PINK CORROSION is science fantasy full of excellent worldbuilding and intriguing meditations on human nature.
~Kara Dennison for IndieReader
