Lower World (Ocean Worlds Book 1)
About
Landley, a lower caste member of a society dwelling under the ocean floor, is accidentally associated with a clandestine group whose mission is to ensure tetraped survival. The corporate-run government refuses to deal with a tangible hazard to its citizens. The paranoid leader views criticism as treason. When hints of the group’s existence surface, members’ lives are threatened. Landley’s heartthrob detective, Lawson becomes involved in a plan to protect them.
Praise for this book
5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I took a chance on this genre-bending fantasy novel ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2018 (Majored in Creative Writing)
Glad I took a chance on this genre-bending fantasy novel from an emerging new writer. Hamann has combined the social criticism of Orwell and the finely detailed, world-creation of an Ursula LeGuin. Pelagia is a sub-oceanic land, populated by humanoid "tetrapeds", who appear like us with the exception of fins and webbing. Pelagia is in many ways a mirror of our own society, or more precisely, a dystopia we are in danger of becoming. A hard fixed caste system keeps low caste tetrapeds in a life of ignorance and exploitive labor, while a greedy corporate elite hold all the money and power. Further, a looming environmental crisis threatens all life in the realm. Lower World is the story of what happens when a few tetrapeds start to question the society they live in, and challenge the deeply held beliefs that keep the current order in place. Part murder mystery, part coming of age story, part social novel, this book will have you turning the page to see what happens next. Hamann's sentences and paragraphs sing with a confident rhythm, and it makes for a smooth, satisfying read. I eagerly await her next installment.