Book Review: A Witch's Sin (Neon Ghosts Book 1) by Daniel B. Greene
Neon Ghosts was a cyberpunk fantasy that genre blended something remarkably original while using some of our favourite tropes throughout both well loved genres.
We follow Taya, a cynical 27-year-old lass who has been through the emotional ringer. She is addicted to tech upgrades which put her body under unnecessary stress and testing out any new ability in dangerous ways. Working for the enforcer’s office as an apprentice of sorts, she desperately wants to gain her own badge to lead cases of her own. Addicted to the numbing sensation of her vape, her friends and boss are not so sure that she is ready. Or are they hiding something?
Taya’s world changes when a case is bought forward to find a little girl. One who may be mixed up with the vampires of the underworld, not to mention the most notorious family in the existence of the metropolis. Urged time and time again to let this case go, Taya cannot get the child out of her mind, and will uncover more than she bargained for. Taya is suddenly entangled in a game of war amongst the undead, the church and her own wavering morals. She is going to have to make a choice. Will she become the Ghost or the Reaper?
Neon Ghosts was an exciting blend of high tech, crossed lines and things that go bump in the night. I have never been more excited for the cyberpunk genre as I am after reading this book. The author has provided a vivid world, morally grey characters we can’t help but love and a discussion around authority figures vs power that is oh so important.
Taya inhabits a world that is straight out of a cyberpunk movie, the details have been lovingly blended to give readers of the genre something comforting and familiar as the plot becomes more unique. This multileveled city is explored in reasonable depth through our main characters eyes. From the gungy lower levels full of haze and grime, to the lavish upper levels only entered via invitation and everywhere in between. Each level explored felt like a world of its own, and while there was some repetition with certain services offered, they still felt somewhat individual for the classes that resided there. We got to experience how everyday people lived, in small apartments, eating printed replicas of once loved foods. We got to see nightclubs with VIP lounges and special treatments, we also got to experience travelling the levels on a wall climbing motorbike of sorts. It was all pretty rad.
Moving on to the characters, Greene has done a phenomenal (in my opinion) job of delivering a tale with wonderfully layered characters that driving the book forward. We have vampires who rely on synthetic pack blood but also take on kill contracts, enforcers who want to follow the law but know its faster and easier to blur a few lines and a witch so caught up in her own schemes she has no idea what is good or evil anymore. Each character brings something new to the table, including every side character we meet along the way. I know as a reader I have a tendency of getting distracted by a great side character, and this book was abundant with awesome personalities to get caught up in. What makes these characters so deliciously grey is the ideas of power and authority and everyone interacts with those themes.
I remember very early on before the release of Greene’s previous work, he mentioned wanting to explore the concept of authority, power, and those in charge of both. Well friends, this book will not leave you wanting. The author has done an excellent job of homing in on just how blurred those lines become when you have someone in a position of power. This theme was explored through law enforcement, a mafia of sorts, our characters personal morals and yes, even the vampires. My favourite aspect of this exploration is that we are never given the answer to the questions of, who is right? How much power is too much? Should be trust in authority figures without question and trust they have our best interest at heart? Where are the lines, who can cross them, and the list goes on.
Neon’s Ghosts has made me super excited to see just what Greene can do and I can’t wait for more entries into A Witch’s Sin.
