Book Review: Perfect World by Shari Sakurai

Perfect World
by Shari Sakurai
M/M Sci-fi/Futuristic/Dystopia
Heat Level: Low
3.5 Stars
Review copy supplied by author

Blurb:

It is the year 2115 and the world is very different. With climate changes, natural disasters and war shaping the landscape, England has become a nation made up of several super cities and wasteland in between.

Eric Rawlins is a genetically engineered superhero created by the London Security Agency (L.S.A) to defend and protect the city against both national and international threats. With his superior abilities, celebrity status and beautiful girlfriend, Eric appears to have the perfect life. However, it is an illusion created by the L.S.A in order to control him.

Eric's nemesis is the charismatic Adam Larimore. The only son of billionaire business tycoon Victor Larimore, Adam is gifted with a genius level IQ as well as the same longevity as Eric.

When the actions of the L.S.A throw the two of them together Eric finds himself questioning everything that he has ever known as well as discovering the true course of events that led to Adam turning to a life of crime. As they become closer Eric realises that the L.S.A may be the real threat to London. But can he trust Adam or is he part of Adam’s plan for revenge against those who have wronged him?

Review:

Some heroes are made not born; in a future London the London Security Agency is supposedly the protecor of the city. They have genetically engineered their own superhero - Eric Rawlins is stronger, faster, heals quicker and is more intelligent than a normal human, but yet he is the human face of the L.S.A. and he is trotted out like a trained pet at every press conference to ease any rumblings of discontent from the populace.

Everything Eric does is in the public spotlight, and the L.S.A. make sure that everything the public knows is only what they want it to know. It doesn't matter that Eric finds himself more attracted to men than women; no, the L.S.A even pick out his girlfriend and insist they get engaged, even though she is in a solid relationship with someone else.

Adam Larimore is the other side of the coin; he is set up as Eric's nemesis, but both of them are engineered the same; Adam too has the longevity, strength and high intelligence that Eric has and the two are well-matched. Adam has taken over North London and the L.S.A. want it back. When Adam is captured and held prisoner at the L.S.A. security facility, Eric come to realise that perhaps the L.S.A. hasn't been telling the truth, not just to the populace but to him as well.

I am in two minds with this book; some parts I liked really well, and others left me feeling a bit deflated. It's very imaginative and intriguing and the plot jogs along a at a good solid pace. It isn't quite a page turner, but it certainly isn't a boring read.

I think it's the romance that falls a bit flat. I personally didn't get the spark between Adam and Eric at all. Now, I admit I am a reader who likes a good engaging plot along with romance, but here I felt like the romance had taken quite a back seat. It didn't help that there were no love scenes in the book. There were a couple of kiss scenes and then fade to black. Nothing wrong with that usually, but here it felt that the love scenes had been there and had then been removed for some reason. They felt missing. There was an explicit torture scene which wasn't skimmed over. I would rather have had less of the torture and more of the sex.

There was also an abundant over use of epithets: the hero, the villian, the younger man etc.

I'm not sure I would even call this a romance as there wasn't a happy ending, there wasn't even a happy for now ending. It ends on a real downer of a cliff-hanger and that was so disappointing.  After all that the characters had been through, I felt angry that there wasn't a happy ever after for them. Maybe it's the beginning of a series?

It's a good read, but certainly not a light read.