One of the best things about book blogging and bookstagram is the opportunity to hear about and read novels which you usually wouldn’t pick up. This was the case with Lost Frequencies by Caitlin Lynagh.
This piece of fantasy/sci-fi forms part of a series. During a salvage hunt in the desolate wastelands of the planet Iyeeka three brothers come across a strange, naked woman with stunning purple hair and eyes hidden within a metal machine.
Through a series of dreams she draws together 10 Iyeekans who follow her on an epic journey which could save the planet. But who are the “humans” that the woman sees in her dreams? Does she hold the knowledge to save the planet or is she seeing into the distant past (or future).
So I’m not a big sci-fi fan and I can’t say that I have read very much in this ever popular genre. Sure I have read some of the classics – such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep but I can’t say it’s a genre I get excited about (my partner on the other hand is a bit of a geek for these things).
I came to Lost Frequencies then with few expectations but certainly can’t say I was open minded as I normally tell myself “sci-fi isn’t my thing”. I was however pleasantly surprised.
The biggest surprise for me was the clever way in which Lynach offers some stark warnings about the potential effects of climate change and the pollution of our oceans. Here we see what could be the catastrophic effects of our current climate crisis – a planet so hot and dry that there is little hope of survival.
Are we seeing a warning from a future race or do those aliens who Ehi sees be the future?
The story moves along with some pace, although at times I did feel it dragged and some of the descriptions of the landscape got repetitive; perhaps the whole thing could have done with being a little bit shorter. That being said I was heavily emotionally invested in the characters and the fate of their world. Again not something I had expected.
Lynach is clearly a young writer at the very start of her career and I think this novel shows that she is an exciting talent who will go on to write some fantastic works. I for one can’t wait to see where this Soul Prophecies series goes.
She might even have got me thinking about having another read of some sci-fi again in the future – do you have any suggestions for me?
Otterly Bookish 