Welcome to my stop on the Sulan by Camille Picott blog tour hosted by CBB Book Promotions! I wrote a review for this awesome book and I really hope you like what you read. Check out the Blog Tour Page & Schedule to follow the tour and enter the tour-wide international giveaway at the end of this post. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!
*****
Title: Sulan, Episode One: The League
Author: Camille Picott
Series: Sulan #1
Author: Camille Picott
Series: Sulan #1
Genre: Sci-fi / Dystopian
Publisher: Pixiu Press
Published: June, 2012
Page count: 296 pages
Page count: 296 pages
Format: ebook
Source: Provided by CBB Book Promotions
Book Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Sulan Hom can’t remember life before the Default—the day the United States government declared bankruptcy. As a math prodigy, she leads a protected life, kept safe from the hunger and crime plaguing the streets of America. She attends the corporate-sponsored Virtual High School, an academy in Vex (Virtual Experience) for gifted children.
Beyond the security of Sulan’s high-tech world, the Anti-American League wages a guerrilla war against the United States. Their leader, Imugi, is dedicated to undermining the nation’s reconstruction attempts. He attacks anything considered a national resource, including corporations, food storage facilities—and schools. When Sulan witnesses the public execution of a teenage student and the bombing of a college dorm, she panics.
Her mother, a retired mercenary, refuses to teach her how to defend herself. Sulan takes matters into her own hands. With the help of her hacker best friend, Hank, Sulan acquires Touch—an illegal Vex technology that allows her to share the physical experience of her avatar. With Touch, Sulan defies her mother and trains herself to fight.
When Imugi unleashes a new attack on the United States, Sulan finds herself caught in his net. Will her Vex training be enough to help her survive and escape?
*The Reader’s Review*
My rating: 4/5 stars
Sulan is an enjoyable, action-packed book set in a futuristic San Francisco where everything is now mainly virtual and there’s a lot of high-tech going on. The people privileged enough to have access to the virtual experience called Vex can do many activities like go to school, meet friends at coffee shops, and join virtual clubs. But out of the virtual life, the US citizens are in danger from the Anti-American League who wants to stop at all cost the society’s progress after the Default. Everything is chaos and Sulan knows she’s not safe. Despite her mother’s objections, Sulan heads straight into Vex to learn how to fight no matter the cost.
The Vex is an interesting place I enjoyed going through with the character. This virtual space holds endless possibilities that I would have loved to explore more, especially the Cube, which is the place Sulan sneaks off to learn how to fight. I liked the part where she goes into the Meat Grinder (an obstacle course) and fights against other competitors trying to be part of the Cube. Pretty cool.
Sulan is a great character and I didn’t have trouble liking her right from the start. She is smart, a great friend and a true fighter. I liked that she has her priorities straight and is focused on surviving, on striving to learn how to fight, and on protecting those she loves the most. It’s weird to meet a character who is not looking to fall in love, like Sulan. Despite the worthy candidates she has in front of her, Sulan is just too busy with more important stuff than to waste a second on romantic drama. I really, really liked that about her.
All the other human characters are super smart as well, one way or the other, even have great fighting skills. There is not one I didn’t like (except the bad guys) and I want to get to know them better. Riska, her genetically engineered pet made by her father, was also an interesting character (cute too!). I’m sure there will be more characters to meet in the sequel and I’m excited for that, as well as discovering the dark secrets of Global Arms and the government. I wonder who is the real bad guy of the story and how.
Everything I mentioned above is only a small part of Sulan. There’s just so much to write about, but that means spoiling several parts of the book that I certainly won’t do. The last part is full of surprises and doesn’t let you catch a breath until you reach the end. Overall, Sulan was a good read for me and one I recommend to those of you who looking for an entertaining dystopian book!
*****
About the Author:
Camille Picott is a fifth-generation Chinese American. She writes science fiction and fantasy books with Asian characters and/or Asian settings. Camille grew up reading speculative fiction stories largely devoid of Asian characters and culture. This, coupled with a passion for her heritage, is the reason she strives to bring some aspect of Eastern myth, legend, culture, and ethnicity to all of her writings.
Two $5 Amazon Gift Cards (INT)!
YAY! I'm so glad you liked this! I love that you point out that she's not looking for love. I loved that too, that she wasn't obsessed with it in any way.
Thanks so much for hosting a tour stop!
Yes, I liked that so much about her. Thanks for the opportunity Candace! 🙂
I really enjoy books with strong female lead characters and based on what I have read above, Sulan seems to be one of those characters I really enjoy. This sounds like a good read. (I also love that there are Asian MC's in this book)
I hope you get to meet her soon then, she is a great female character. Thanks for stopping by! 😉
This sounds very much like a book I've read recently. Sounds interesting. Great review and thanks for the share!
Sounds like a great read!! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Sulan sounds like an interesting character!
Chanzie @ Mean Who You Are.
Thanks so much for reviewing my book! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the giveaway! Sounds really good