Osiris Review | E.J Swift

Good morning! I’m tackling my physical bookshelf today – shock horror! Here’s my review on Osiris by E.J Swift

Publisher: Night Shade Books | Date: 2012 | Genre: Science Fiction

Plot: 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.

I received Osiris from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Osiris Review

I’ve had Osiris on my bookshelf for a few years, never quite getting to it. I’m making an effort to tackle more of my physical books and this was the first I picked up – and sure enough, I wish I’d read it sooner. I had no pre-conceptions about this novel, but enjoyed it start to finish.

Osiris is a dystopian science-fiction novel, exploring a world where one city is all that’s left. There’s a clear divide between rich and poor though, and one side cannot understand the other. Trying to bridge that gap, desperate to seek help, westerner Vikram sets up a bold proposal. Crashing into socialite Adelaide’s life, he has no idea she has her own agenda, while she does not understand how complicated emotions can be.

Vik is a fantastic protagonist. He’s passionate about making a difference, changing the dire circumstances his people live in. Vik’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, knowing he’s going to cross lines if he wants to bring about change. He’s brave and bold… and human.

Vik’s terror of the underwater cells is explored in such a visceral way: I shuddered with the same claustrophobia he feels when locked up. His fear balances his bravery and makes him a developed character.

It took longer to warm to Adelaide. By her own confession, she doesn’t get close to people and refuses to connect. It distances her from the reader. But as she grows on Vik, she grew on me too: you see through the cracks and how lost and alone she is feeling, cut adrift from her family and missing her twin.

“Vik, you won’t fall in love with me, will you?”

He laughed. “No.” He thought about turning the question on her, teasingly, but she had a habit of not getting her own jokes.

“It would be a shame if you did,” she said.” Because I can’t care about anybody.”

Osiris by EJ Swift

Their relationship is an intriguing one. Both refuse to admit they care for the other, despite their actions saying otherwise. It’s satisfying watching them undermine the other’s barriers, even if it doesn’t seem possible for them to have a happy ending.

The plot was just as an engaging as the characters. It’s a city in isolation – something we can all relate to in these current times. But it’s also a city with no foundations: everything is on the water. The lack of depth, lack of roots, shows a lot about a society that came from far away.

The descriptions of the rich area – the tall skyscrapers, the luxurious wealth – paint a picture of how the mighty live. But exploring the western side is far more chilling. Poverty, sickness and death are everywhere, the cold and hunger are inescapable and the reader is thrown into this world as well.

It’s a slow start as the pieces fall into place, but the tension escalates and the plot is intense. You fear for the characters; fear for their relationship; and you fear for the survival of the west.

A thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read and I’m already hunting down the next book, eager to see where the story goes next.

If you’re looking for a futuristic story but with familiar struggles, this is a must-read!

You may also like:

• Book Review: Paris Adrift by E.J Swift
• Book Review: Insatiable Machine by Zoe Roberson and Jesse Life

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