Arch-Conspirator, by Veronica Roth

Based on the Greek myth and the play Antigone, by Sophocles, Veronica Roth put's a futuristic twist on this much loved story of old.

From the blurb;

'Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.

'Antigone's parents - Oedipus and Jocasta - are dead. Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but with her militant uncle Kreon rising to claim her father's vacant throne, all Antigone feels is rage.

'When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.

'But her uncle will soon learn that no cage in unbreakable. And neither is he.'

Roth provides no preamble, or explanation, before throwing us into this dust chocked world, her characters already in motion, the stage already set, leaving us nothing to do but try desperately to catch up and untangle the mysteries of the scene before us.

For those who know the myth, or the play, Arch-Conspirator will provide a new twist and view of this classic story, matching the play pace for pace in Roth's dystopian setting. For those who have no knowledge of the story which inspired this short novel the book remains captivating, carrying us into the murky depths of a devious, sexist and desperate future with no where to run and no one to run too.

Arch-Conspirator is a light-weight, short, novel. Swift to the point and hard to put down, this story jumps quickly from one arc to the next, forcing us to fill in the blanks on our own. Though enjoyable there is argument to be had that Roth could have fleshed this story out more. Added greater detail to the myth that preceded it, and treated the reader to a less jarringly rushed tale.

Through a switching of character perspectives, though the main character resolutely remains Antigone, Roth shows us glimpses into the thoughts, perspectives, views and pasts of the entire cast. Giving this short novel a greater depth than it would have had if it remained as souly Antigone's perspective.

A tragedy from beginning to end, set against the back drop of intricate world-building, and fueled by well written and beautifully realised characters, Arch-Conspirator will ignite into the reader an emotional response, as powerful as any live stage performance.

We give Arch-Conspirator Four Stars.

ISBN - 9781803363578 Hardback Cover Price - £12.99 eBook Available Published by Titan Books February 2023