
Two young women, from opposite ends of the polar spectrum are set to collide in L. C. Perry's Dystopian Fiction Gold Shadow (Bronze Rebellion Book 1). Eighteen year old Ebony, born a slave, has only ever known the horrors and struggle for survival underground as a slave in the root city, yearns for one thing only - to end it all and to take some of the accursed overseers with her. Princess Irene, surrounded by luxury and treated with deference by everyone, whose only focus in life is her Coming-Of-Age celebrations and to meet the man of her dreams and marry him, so he can rule and she can live the pampered life she is so used to, as Queen. Princess Irene has no clue of the way in which her country is structured; that it is slaves who allow the wealthy to live the life of luxury they do. She blithely believes her Mother and Father rule with a gentle and loving fist. This is a dystopian America, some time in the future and two very different young women will determine its future direction.
L. C. Perry, in Gold Shadow (Bronze Rebellion Book 1) has given us a fascinating vision of what a dystopian America could look like if democracy was swept away by a form of monarchial feudalism. The authors ability to contrast the two vastly different lifestyles and makeups of these two women gives the reader a hint of how clever and skilled a writer she is. On the one hand, we have Ebony whose entire life has been dedicated to following orders, to never answering back, to never making connections with others and most of all, to hiding her beauty from the cruel and merciless masters. Contrast that with Irene, who is the archetypal spoilt, little, princess whose every though is self-centred and vapid. Perry does a marvellous job of serving up both sides of this coin. The book is easy to read and will definitely appeal to a young adult audience, but is equally suitable for all adults. I think the biggest compliment I can pay any author writing the first book in a series is that I want to read Book two and find out what happens to these characters I have invested in. I can say this about Gold Shadow. As the beginning of a series, this book has hit the mark - bullseye. Great job L. C. Perry.
