The Song of Synth by Seb Doubinsky

​    I’ve been working through the City States series. Finally, in proper order. Working isn’t the right word, it implies work and this is the opposite of work…fun. There’s something about these books that just really speaks to me.
   This one, book two in the series that can technically be read in any order, is considerably more linear and less experimental than its predecessor, which works well for my brain. Though it’s still plenty odd, compellingly so.
    The plot finds its protagonist, a former anarchist, a digital savant and an addict, a man of many names and a criminal past, trapped in an unenviable position of being something of a collaborator with the very regime he had once fought against, the regime that has cost him so dearly and not just him, but also his two best friends. And so, to quiet his conscience among other things, he stumbles through his days high on synth, the latest in experimental mind altering substances. Until circumstances and revelations I won’t discuss to maintain the suspense force him to make some radical choices and changes.
     That may sound fairly straight forward, but the world of City States in many things but. It’s a fascinating, complex futuristic composition of intricately developed geopolitics and exciting destinations. The stories of City States are exotic, erotic and extremely entertaining.
    The author’s narrative has a very specific beat to it, it reads very, very quickly, but skimps on nothing and every so often there’s a turn of phrase that just wows. It’s somewhat erratic, but perfectly coherent. If it were music and I liked jazz, I’d describe it as jazz. It’s inventive, original and very enjoyable. Synth itself is an absolutely fascinating invention, a very elaborate sort of mental elevation that puts conventional methods of getting high to shame and makes you understand the protagonist’s addiction.
    So yeah, lots of fun, easy one sitting read and (pun or no pun) quite a trip. Recommended.