08/15/2022
Pepper dives deep into the shadowy world of cybersecurity in this violent and claustrophobic debut, following Tanto—a computer hacker sentenced to a grim private prison—as he’s forced to work on secret projects for national security. Tanto wants nothing more than peace for his fellow inmates, but the sadistic Warden Cyfib and brutal fellow inmate Barca are standing in his way. When he’s ordered to implement an especially dangerous program, christened Gakunodo, Tanto realizes his time is running short and desperately tries every move he knows to trick the system and plan his getaway.
Readers will relish the ins and outs of Pepper’s well-crafted dystopian prison society, swarming with cutthroat miscreants who will stop at nothing to dominate, and he cleverly sets the stage with a forbidding yet oddly alluring world defined by casual violence: "I…twist both of his thumbs until they pop like Bubble Wrap." The warden's office is known as the Cube of Death, and Cyfib makes a point to treat prisoners as the “dogs” he believes they are, leaving Tanto—who tries to maintain sanity by adhering to Bushido Code virtues as a last-ditch effort at morality—little recourse in his fight to survive.
Pepper’s true talent is in scene development, and his pages are permeated with dark, gloomy tones. He prefaces the novel with a trigger warning that should not be taken lightly, but there are glimmers of hope: Tanto’s bond with fellow prisoners Quidlee and AldenSong is rich with authentic banter and layers a human touch over the displays of brutality. There are times when this story becomes overly technical (Pepper provides a glossary of tech jargon to help), and the violence strains credulity toward the end, but readers will be absorbed until the very last page and find themselves eagerly anticipating the promised sequel.
Takeaway: Inmate hackers, sadistic bullies, and brutality fuel this violent thriller.
Great for fans of: Patricia Highsmith, Brett Easton Ellis
Production grades Cover: B+ Design and typography: A- Illustrations: NA Editing: A- Marketing copy: B+
