CONDITION BOOK THREE:
THE FINAL CORRECTION
By ALEC BIRRI
NARRATED BY JONATHAN KEEBLE
Length: 6 hours 34 minutes
Publisher: Essential Music Limited⎮2018
Genre: Science Fiction / Dystopian / Speculative
Series: The Condition Trilogy, Book 3
Release date: Jan. 17, 2018
The third and final part of a dystopian trilogy based on the author's command of a top secret government unit.
So, Professor Savage has been unmasked as the monster Alex Salib always knew he was. But what was their agreement, and why is she still determined to see it through? The war on terror appears to be back on track, but why does President Kalten seem hell-bent on ramping it up - are the Americans seriously intent on starting World War Three?
And what of the treatment itself? Despite Savage's arrest, the "corrections" go on, but to what end? The laws of unintended consequences are about to cause a seismic shift in the very nature of our existence. But then our new master knows that and won't let it happen until we're ready....
Ready to accept the unacceptable.
Alec Birri served thirty years with the UK Armed Forces. He commanded an operational unit that experimented in new military capabilities classified at the highest level (Top Secret Strap 3) and it is this that forms the basis of his novels. Although semi-autobiographical, for national security and personal liberty reasons, the events and individuals portrayed have to be fiction but are still nonetheless in keeping with his experiences.
If you regularly enjoy listening to audiobooks then this Shakespearean actor will need no introduction. Winner of a 2016 SOVAS award, Jonathan’s voice is rightly recognized as being one of the best, and his narration of The Condition Trilogy is no exception.
HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audio Book Review. Artificial
intelligence, the Interworld, telepathy, robots, virtual reality, and evolution
-- for the serious sci-fi fan, Condition
Book Three: The Final Correction, the third book of the dystopian trilogy
by Alec Birri, THIS is your series
(and you must start with book one).
As with the prior two books,
The Final Correction wastes no time immersing
readers into this not so distant world. Birri begins the book by telling one of
Aesop’s fables, about the north wind and the sun, which focuses on man’s
overconfidence and belief he is in control when he ultimately is not. That is
the crux of the story, and the theme is good to keep in mind as readers make
their way through this complex story.
A new setting and group of
characters dominate part one of the book. Initially, it is difficult to tell whether
it is past, present, or future. There’s an Islamic father and daughter making a
trek (pilgrimage?) and their rituals and attitudes could place them a hundred
years back. Soon, technologies begin to emerge, and it’s clear that we are in the
world changed by Dr. Savage and sentient robots are the norm. However, some humans are
clinging to the old ways and are resistant to the changes away from traditional
teachings. As part one moves along, familiar characters are re-introduced and
this seemingly new story line begins to get woven into the story lines set-up
in the earlier books in the trilogy.
From the Middle East, readers
transition into the western world and are reminded of how this world is
defined. People with brain disorders can receive “the treatment” to cure any
brain ailment. Not just medical problems like autism and dementia are now curable;
also, the deviant behaviors of pedophiles and murderers can and are being
corrected. As the medical and scientific advances and their applications seem
to move humanity into a better world, the lines become blurred when leaders and
powerful players differ in how they are defining deviant behaviors and “the
treatment” is being taken too far.
Naturally, there are warring
factions and people resistant to removing the humanity from humans. With the
ability to have a hybrid existence of time in the real world and time in the
virtual world, again, the lines are blurred as to where one ends and the other
begins – or whether a real world exists at all for some. There are some deep,
mind blowing concepts happening in this series, and especially in this final
installment of the trilogy.
Birri has some excellent
descriptions and depictions that will haunt readers long after the final words
are read. The author also does a great job in making readers feel conflicted
about their feelings for the various characters as each is more fully developed.
Readers will love some of the big reveals, and there are satisfying twists and
turns-of-events. Happily, there is some
humor sprinkled about, and I got a real chuckle (of course) when a character spoke
a clunker, and the doctor responded with "Maybe
it was the Grammar Nazis I wanted to take over the world. Not the jack-booted
ones."
Admittedly, I had some
trouble with the last third of the book as it went heavily into the science
fiction realm. I couldn’t keep all the sub-plots straight and at times had
absolutely no idea what was happening. As much as I LOVE the narration by
Jonathan Keeble, The Final Correction
got too complicated for me to comprehend by reading with my ears. I need to get
this series in print so that I can easily flip back and re-read and let things
soak in. Unfortunately, I don’t think I could honestly say how the book ended. Heaven,
Hell, end of times, or a new beginning? Not sure. I think it was open-ended
enough that there could be more stories to tell, so perhaps there will be
another series. (Or perhaps not since it’s quite possible that I missed
something huge in the chaos.)
A few words about the narration
and narrator, Jonathan Keeble: Seriously
– seek out anything voiced by this guy; he is amazing. I have nothing but the
highest praise for how he handles this huge, international cast of characters.
You can read my gushing about him in the prior book reviews. Top notch.
Thank you to the author and
Audiobookworm Promotions for providing me an audio download in exchange for my
honest opinion.
Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card
Runs March 6th-27th⎮Open internationally
The Condition Trilogy Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card
Book Three
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