Escape from Zero
Doing the right thing can often carry lots of serious consequences.
That’s what the main character, Jason, quickly discovers in Cassandra Finnerty’s clever science fiction and fantasy novel, Escape From Zero (Castle Swan Media), which takes place in the year 2268 in a kingdom known as Canard.
Canard uses an unusual point system for its currency. Jason, a geneticist who works primarily with animals, has a comfortable point total, enough to enjoy gourmet food, common pleasures and attract a beautiful girlfriend. But it all falls to pieces when he is a juror of a trial of a young man accused of possessing “non-conforming weapons.” Jason, playing the part of the good juror in a society that has no place for those tempted to act on their own conscience, is the lone dissenter and votes to acquit (despite the controlled voice in his ear that tells him not to).
As a result, the accused is freed, and Jason suddenly and systematically is stripped of all his points — down to zero.
A DARING ESCAPE TO FREEDOM AND SAFETY
Rather than live in a society where, with no points, he is effectively regarded as dead, he attempts a daring escape in search of a world he doesn’t know but can only dream about. In Canard, he never truly knew what it meant to be free. “The ruler insisted that everyone in the empire was free. Yet its citizens weren’t allowed to travel, live anywhere else, have control over their own person, or say what they meant. Everything was sanitized, regulated and optimized. There was a ‘perfect’ human prototype.”
He flees Canard with good buddy Nick, without a specific destination. That’s until they come across Chenoa, a strange woman from a distant place who helps transport people to safety through the dangerous Canyon of Death to a land with “vast forests, plentiful seas, lush landscapes … where people are respected and supported.” It’s a place where people are free to live their own lives.
The journey and the terrain are treacherous, with every next step seemingly life-threatening. The three, along with, strangely enough, Adrian, the boy who was on trial, must battle wits with the rulers of Canard, whose King, simply known as One, is a control monger with a large-scale agenda of his own far bigger than dealing with the runaways. He uses all the power and technology at his disposal to advance his cause and provide hazard after hazard for Jason and his comrades.
IT’S A FASCINATING FUTURE, DARK SIDES AND ALL
Author Finnerty says she has always been fascinated with the future. “What will people be like hundreds of years from now? How will daily life differ? If we fast-forward to the unknown, there will be innovations that are beyond our current comprehension.”
“Behind the glorious vision, though, lies a potential dark side. Who will control these innovations? What rights will humans have? How will they preserve their freedoms in this new world?”
The author applies her philosophy to an exciting adventure, with our heroes not only battling but employing futuristic technology to add fun twists and turns to the story. And if that’s not enough, every character, each flawed to different degrees, carries his or her own secrets along the journey.
As Finnerty says, “My book highlights the dangers of consolidated power.” Despite the threats, the characters do their best to leverage magic and their own talents against forces perhaps too potent to overcome. But can they? Pick up Escape From Zero and find out.
Escape From Zero is available for purchase here.
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About Cassandra Finnerty:
Cassandra Finnerty is an author of fantasy, romance and action-adventure. She has a passion for magical settings and loves to transport her readers to unexpected places. She enjoys creating bold, untamed and endearing characters who struggle to overcome their flaws. Her debut novel, Princess of Sky, Earth, Fire and Water, was inspired by a joy of travel, both real and imagined. Her enthusiasm for dramatic weather — preferably while sitting next to a cozy fire — is incorporated into her books. She enjoys writing about mystical powers, lush landscapes and stormy seas.
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