The Memory of Lost Dreams by David Curtis is well placed in the Dystopian genre. Wanted for treason Malik has no choice but to flee his homeland, where his only crime had been to challenge poor leadership the people so blindly followed. A cave seems to offer salvation, the darkness all-consuming until a glimmer of light beckons him. But the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be a beacon to the dead, or a tribute to it. Within the confines of a ruined city lies REQUIEM, and the start of his nightmares. Trapped in a strange new world it seems if Malik wishes to escape he has no choice but obey the terrifying request of Jean-Pierre, the figure who claims to be his only salvation from this domain. The world he find himself in is one of oppression. Curfews, brutal enforcement of the law, and severe penalties for even the most minor misconduct. All this oppression was bound to spur a resistance movement, but with two opposing forces, who will Malik align himself with? The one who can save him, or the one who wishes to save them all?
David Curtis’ descriptive style easy conjures fantastic and graphic images of the world, some beautifully stunning, others dark and haunting. This style brilliant for holding the reader’s intention and is also able to create the needed emotional responses, awe, fear, relief, etc. The plot itself in places reminds me of a hybrid combination of Inception and The Matrix, whilst being completely separate and unique to the plots of those well-known films. The Memory of Lost Dream’s focus stays with Malik, thus we gain insight into events through his interactions, be them with objects or people, as such our own assumptions as to the events are formed by the things he discovers and learns. There is certainly enough intrigue as to what is occurring to keep the pages turning, and through the plot we come to gain a wider understanding of all that is at stake. I felt this was done in a particularly good manner, the reader is led to make their own decisions with the facts being presented. At one point I had a number of theories as to the truth behind Malik’s plight, the plot so involved that it kept my imagination engaged as I considered the various possibilities of all which occurred. David Curtis manages to take something which is a very real threat, the loss of privacy in the name of protection, and show exactly how such a thing can be manipulated and corrupted for the benefit of others. The world he describes could very easily come to pass, perhaps that is one of the things most chilling about this book.
If I was to summarise my thoughts on this book in a single sentence it would have to be: A beautifully written, immersive, Dystopian fantasy.
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Disclaimer: This is my first official book review as a Readers’ Favorite reviewer, as such it will not appear on Amazon, but will still be found on Goodreads and I have obtained permission to publish any reviews I write on my blog.
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