SAGA OF THE NINE

A dystopian thriller that foretells a dark future for America.

Miles’ debut novel constructs a world in which the United States, overtaken by a violent regime, has been divided into Areas where society is strictly stratified by class and race. The saga focuses on Area Thirty-Eight, the remnants of what was once Colorado, where Bella and Sullivan Stone, two of the masterminds behind the new system, reside with their enigmatic adult children and hold onto power with the help of the brutal People-Protection Agency they founded. The Stone family includes Caspian, the brutal hand that routinely doles out capital punishment at areawide Gatherings, who’s a well-known scourge to the people; his mysterious siblings, however, stay out of this harsh limelight. Jax, a miller in the laboring class, tries to survive the senseless violence while keeping his bullheaded adopted brother, Kip, in check; however, after the discovery of a metal box in his home filled with books (forbidden objects whose ownership is punishable by death), his position becomes untenable. The narrative flips carelessly between different perspectives and timelines, introducing new characters and history with little context. The two main timelines, involving Area Thirty-Eight at some unspecified point in the far future, and Boston in the past of 2036, slowly overlap to provide readers with a vague understanding of intertwined families and political history. However, it’s full of lingering gaps and questions. Miles’ narrative does have a clear political perspective, describing the outgrowth of the dystopia from the late 2010s onward and lamenting the state of society regarding gun control, abortion rights, and police brutality. However, it doesn’t mention any real-life political figures barring a mention of President Barack Obama’s third term and allusions to Christine Pelosi continuing a short-lived political lineage. The Area Thirty-Eight chapters record Jax’s unexpected involvement with plans to end the Stones’ reign. Still, the characters often feel unrealized, offering clumsy portraits of trauma and PTSD in a narrative that only reinforces the bleak violence of their daily lives. The plot often takes nonsensical turns, as well, possibly due to underdeveloped worldbuilding.

A rambling, overlong portrait of a country torn apart.