We have a lot of eARC’s and we want to promote them a little bit more. So we decided to do some more Bookish Beginnings On Friday. Today I wanted to share the beginning of Coldwire by Chloe Gong. I finally want to read a Chloe Gong book and I’m curious if this will be the one. Let’s take a look at how the book starts!
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the start of a daring new dystopian series where humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, following two young soldiers who must depend on unlikely allies in their fight for survival.
The future is loading…
To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”
But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier or risk being labelled a spy.
Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.
Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…
Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.
At ten minutes to midnight, the riot bots detonate around the block. Our ropes tremble, each suspended harness bracing against the shock waves slithering up the skyscraper’s exterior, but we stay put patiently, twenty floors overhead. By the time the protesters run in our direction, the tear gas will have disperse fully from the explosions, exactly as we outlined at the base. The won’t see us.
Okay, I’ll admit I am a bit confused haha. Maybe that’s just me and the headspace I’m currently in, but I had to reread the start a couple of times and couldn’t really get into it yet. Usually I don’t mind not understanding what is going on from the start, but somehow it bothers me a bit here. I also don’t have the urge to continue reading, although I should at least try and read the first chapter before deciding anything.
Lately I hardly read YA, so this might just not be for me. I do still hope I will love this one, I love dystopian stories and I’m curious about the AI commentary. Chloe Gong has written some well beloved books and I just hope I will enjoy her work.
Have you read a Chloe Gong book before? Did you enjoy it? Will you pick this one up? I would love to hear from you down below!
