Title: Intelligenz (The Dark Atlanta Series)
Author: Lloyd Blake
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | B&N
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
Atlanta, Georgia. Something disturbing is happening at one of America’s most successful tech companies. A girl is found dead in her home shower cubicle. A home linked to the Intelligenz corporation network of technologically advanced gated communities. This suspicious death, in a world where everything is scrutinised by the media, sets off unprecedented interest.
A young rookie journalist, Clara Flockhart, is assigned by her chief editor, Eric Nash, to investigate the strange happenings at the Intelligenz compound. An assignment that will plunge her into the unknown and lead her straight to the man whose company is being rocked by events outside of his control, Brandon Bloomfield.
At the same time, a young college dropout, Karl Jones, has his own suspicions about the recent death and the gated community that has overtaken his neighbourhood. Suspicions that will see him undertake his own exploration of the Intelligenz compound, he calls the fortress.
As the body count climbs and the nanotechnology, Intelligenz has secretly guarded, comes under scrutiny, the mysterious riddle as to what is actually happening deepens.
Is there a saboteur lurking within the corridors of the fastest growing company in America’s corporate history? Or does the darkness come from an unlikely source.
It’s been a while since a book grabbed me around the throat in such a way as Intelligenz one did in the opening scenes. A young woman, trapped in a shower. The door won’t open, and she’s dying, slowly, losing consciousness and slipping away. It immediately set the mood, which is dark and brutal, and the theme.
The book reminded me of a movie I once saw of a robot who started to behave like a human, and wanted to kill the dad of the family he worked for, and take his place. But no matter how dark that movie was, this thriller is even darker.
Nanobots, gadgets and technology have slowly taken over civilization. We need them for everything. In “Intelligenz”, set in the near future, that is even more so. After we witness the death of the young woman, we meet Brandon, one of the main characters, and spokesperson for the organization behind the technology that attacked her. At first, Brandon is convinced it’s nothing more than a computer glitch. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. But when Clara, a rookie journalist, has to investigate the case by her boss’ orders, she stumbles upon something more than just a computer glitch. At the same time, college drop out Karl starts his own investigation into what’s going on. They make a few startling discoveries – maybe the glitch was on purpose?
The novel grows increasingly darker with every turning page, showing us the kind of plot Hollywood would turn into a scifi thriller in no time.
The characterization was all right. I found Karl a little immature, but I liked Clara. She had insight and spunk, and didn’t back down, no matter what. The writing was okay too, but the book could’ve been a little shorter. Sometimes it dragged a little because of lengthy descriptions and use of adverbs.
However, the plot was strong and compelling enough to look past that, and I really enjoyed this read.
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