Osiris

By E. J. Swift

Nobody leaves Osiris.

The city of Osiris rises above the cold waters of the South Atlantic ocean, a beacon of hope in a world ravaged by climate change. Some say she is the last city. Others claim life still exists beyond the waves. Either way, Osiris has lost the world and the world has lost her.

Adelaide Rechnov is a daughter of the city’s ruling family and a darling of high society. Yet her glamorous world is shattered when her twin brother disappears in mysterious circumstances.

Vikram Bai grew up in the slums and has seen too many of his friends die from the cold and starvation. Now he risks his life to fight for a better future for those the city has abandoned.

When their lives collide, Adelaide and Vikram find themselves caught up in a conspiracy that could destroy the city - and the lives of everyone in it.

"A glittering first novel ... gripping, readable, beautiful, politically engaged and wholly accomplished." - Adam Roberts

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781625672988

E. J. Swift

E. J. Swift is the author of OSIRIS, CATAVEIRO and TAMARUQ, known collectively as The Osiris Project trilogy. Her short fiction has been published in Interzone magazine, and appears in anthologies including The Best British Fiction 2013 and Pandemonium: The Lowest Heaven.

Reviews for Osiris

[mainrun · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The book is very readable. However, there are many things I did not like about it. The lead female character is over the top selfish and snobbish, though I think the reader is meant to like her. The main male character would in no way grow attached to the female lead, but he does. The way the events are discovered by the female lead: one minute she doesn't know, then some thing happens (not sure what) and then she knows. Hate that type of story telling. The "look behind this curtain" way things are deployed - sad. I wanted to give the author a chance due to this being her first book. However, I will not be reading the follow ups of this trilogy. I wished I skipped this book.

[blodeuedd_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Osiris was a dream that turned to dust, but then what kind of dystopic post-apocalyptic book would we have if everything did not go to hell?

In this world storms and well everything really turned the world to a wasteland and Osiris was a refuge for some. The rest of the world is dead..or is it? (no really is it? I wanna know!! I guess I have to wait until book 2 for that). But this Oasis is not a happy place. There are citizens who have it all, and then refuges behind a wall who has nothing and freeze to death. The perfect setting to cause some conflict. Especially since our heroine is a spoiled rich girl and the hero a poor Westerner.

The premise is interesting. A city eating itself, but some being to close-minded to see it. A world where I wonder if anyone is alive in the world? Because the rich have secrets.

The characters are not exactly lovable. Adelaide is rich and spoiled, and obsessed with finding her lost brother. Vikram on the other hand is nice, but maybe a bit naive. Sometimes you just have to storm the barricades. But they grow on you.

Osiris has a pace of it's own, it moves slowly, like a dream. And when it ends I do wonder, what's next? I enjoyed it.

[gregandlarry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting people and interesting story.

[katyas_26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book Info: Genre: Science fiction/dystopianReading Level: AdultRecommended for: Those who like their stories really darkTrigger Warnings: execution, keeping “outsiders” in ghetto/thrall, violence, fighting, killing, murder, victimizationMy Thoughts: What a very strange world this is. You're just thrown into the water and expected to swim, figure out what the language means, and I was well into the book (almost halfway) before I figured out exactly where this was supposedly taking place. It's a very dark story, very depressing, but bits and pieces of it are downright beautiful, like, “She felt like the scent of dried roses.”I enjoyed the story for the most part, but have rated it just three stars because it is a very dark and sad story. Maybe it was just my mood, but it was very difficult to read. The lack of hope for the people in the western part of Osiris was devastating, and the descriptions of their poverty and suffering were heartbreaking, where as the opulence and rich lifestyles of the Citizens was disgusting to the extreme.This was written by a very talented writer, however, so if you enjoy darkness, if you like very heavy stories, you might enjoy this one. It is strongly character driven. While there is action, it is interspersed with lots of introspection, so take that into account.Series information: The Osiris TrilogyBook 1: OsirisBooks 2 and 3: TBADisclosure: I received an e-galley copy from Night Shade books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.Synopsis: "Nobody leaves Osiris. Osiris is a lost city. She has lost the world and world has lost her . . .” Rising high above the frigid waters, the ocean city of Osiris has been cut off from the land since the Great Storm fifty years ago. Most believe that Osiris is the last city on Earth, while others cling to the idea that life still survives somewhere beyond the merciless seas. But for all its inhabitants, Citizens and refugees alike, Osiris is the entire world-and it is a world divided. Adelaide is the black-sheep granddaughter of the city's Architect. A jaded socialite and family miscreant, she wants little to do with her powerful relatives-until her troubled twin brother disappears mysteriously. Convinced that he is still alive, she will stop at nothing to find him, even if it means uncovering long-buried secrets. Vikram, a third-generation storm refugee quarantined with thousands of others in the city's impoverished western sector, sees his own people dying of cold and starvation while the elite of Osiris ignore their plight. Determined to change things, he hopes to use Adelaide to bring about much-needed reforms—but who is using who? As another brutal winter brings Osiris closer to riot and revolution, two very different people, each with their own agendas, will attempt to bridge the gap dividing the city, only to find a future far more complicated than either of them ever imagined.