UNANIMITY is the first in Alexandra Almeida’s science fiction series the Spiral Worlds about a virtual world that has transformed beyond its creator’s control. Tom Astley-Byron and his business partner, Harry, created a virtual world called the Down Below to give people the chance to exhaust their violent tendencies in the hopes of building a safer and more peaceful real world, which they call the Up Above. After several years, the Down Below has evolved into an immense landscape called the Spiral Worlds, which is as vast, immersive, and complex as the Matrix. Now, many years after Tom’s death, the new leader of the Spiral Worlds, Stella, resurrects Tom with the hope that he can prevent the Spiral Worlds’ collapse and a looming inter-world war.
The entire story takes place over the course of one day and decades at the same time. Flashback chapters are interspersed between scenes telling the present-day story, to detail Tom’s backstory, as well as that of other pivotal players in the development and alteration of the Spiral Worlds. The sweeping narrative provides just enough background information to understand what’s occurring at the present moment while retaining the mystery and intrigue necessary to keep the pages turning. The cause of Tom’s death, for instance, remains secret and boosts suspense, but the detailed story of his development of the Spiral Worlds with AI-developer Harry answers pressing questions about plot, character, and poignant thematic concepts. A romantic subplot between Tom and the love of his life, poet Nathan Storm, is emotionally compelling, and its consequences directly feed into the main plot, bolstering the story’s complexity.
The narrative honors diversity with well-developed characters from all walks of life. Harry’s AI invention, Sybil, who uses zie/zir pronouns, shifts and changes to suit zir creator’s needs over the course of the story, but once independent, zie develops a strong, snarky, likable personality of zir own. Tom’s dramatic change mirrors the evolution of the Spiral Worlds; his once happy-go-lucky, naïve attitude devolves into anger and melancholy so much that he takes on the moniker Shadow. Each character, no matter how major or minor, boasts a cogent personality that propels both the plot and inter-character relationships. The years-long tension between important characters is palpable in their assertive dialogue and body language described with precise word choice.
The book’s complex storytelling structure, with frequent flashbacks, set changes, and rotating perspective characters, occasionally confuses. While characters’ personalities are consistently tangible, their motivations and agendas are often unclear. Stella and Sybil, among others, wish to “save” the Spiral Worlds and prevent war, with Tom’s help, but how Tom can aid them and exactly what their plan is—or if they even have one—is murky. The present-day storyline, which traces Stella and her companions’ journey over the course of a single day, is packed with high-stakes action but lacks the clarity needed for readers to gain a strong foothold to follow along with Stella’s adventure. All that’s clear is the resurrected Tom must remain alive for exactly six days, each of which will comprise the subsequent books in the series, following UNANIMITY’s somewhat abrupt ending.
The imaginative and wholly original world of Alexandra Almeida’s action-filled, cyberpunk science fiction thriller, UNANIMITY, peopled with a robust and likable cast of characters, are sure to keep readers engaged.
~Aimee Jodoin for IndieReader