Release Date: March 17th 2020
Publisher: Abaddon Books
Pages: 352
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 3/5 stars

Synopsis

A bold and clever political thriller science fiction debut

Go deeper, they said. Look closer.

Pleo Tanza is a survivor. Her father was broken by tragedy, her twin sister is dead—chewed up and spat out by the corruption and injustice of Chatoyance—but she’s going to make it, whatever it takes. She’s going to get off this rock.

But escape is for the rich or lucky. Pleo’s framed for the murder of a rival student—the daughter of one of the colony’s wealthy, squabbling clans—and goes on the run, setting off a chain events that could destroy the fragile balance of the old colony forever…

Review

Liquid Crystal Nightingale is the epic tale of Pleo Tanza a young woman living in a futuristic space colony named Chatoyance. Her father is struggling as the only survivor of an immense accident and her sister is dead, but Pleo is a survivor and to do that she is determined to escape her life. When she is unknowingly involved in the murder of one of her classmates Pleo must go on the run, but as secrets begin to unravel, life on Chatoyance might change forever.

Liquid Crystal Nightingale is a fast paced and exciting debut, set in a fascinating world. The world building is excellent, bringing the reader into a world full of futuristic technology on a far of mining colony. Everything felt well explained and it was easy to dive into the world. Despite the futuristic world it was fascinating to explore the familiar issues raised in this book such as class, wealth and grief. Lee’s writing style is vivid and enjoyable to read, giving you the full flavour of the world without taking away from the action packed plot.

The characters are interesting and well fleshed out too. I liked our protagonist Pleo and seeing the story unfold from her perspective. As the story developed I became more and more invested and was really rooting for her towards the end. The story is a mix of political and space thriller and as such has quite a bleak outlook. The murder mystery aspect was really fascinating, and there were a few surprise twists that I didn’t see coming. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so it has left open the possibility of a sequel which I would love to read. Liquid Crystal Nightingale is an impressive debut, and I look forward to reading more from Eeleen Lee.