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In the Shadow of Prometheus
In the Shadow of Prometheus is the story of a young Vanguard named Oni Anagonye. As one of the Elect, she is charged with the task of helping to create society’s laws through the lens of ethical review, while also protecting the lives of all citizens in the new ‘Ethocratic Republic.’ Yet between the interventions of a stubborn and ancient cosmic entity and dire machinations from a so-called ‘Machiavellian’ insurgency which will stop at nothing to bring back the existence of the traditional, domineering nation-state: the girl just can’t seem to catch a break.
Nevertheless, it will take all her aptitude and cunning to circumvent a plot to undermine this new, optimistic world order that has
brought newfound joy and prosperity to billions.
Nevertheless, it will take all her aptitude and cunning to circumvent a plot to undermine this new, optimistic world order that has
brought newfound joy and prosperity to billions.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2019
2 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 1, 2019
Genre: Philosophy/Sci-fi/Philosophical Science Fantasy
I would like to thank L. Farnsworth Colson for sharing In the Shadow of Prometheus with me in exchange for an honest review.
Book Description: In the Shadow of Prometheus is the story of a young Vanguard named Oni Anagonye. As one of the Elect, she is charged with the task of helping to create society’s laws through the lens of ethical review, while also protecting the lives of all citizens in the new ‘Ethocratic Republic.’ Yet between the interventions of a stubborn and ancient cosmic entity and dire machinations from a so-called ‘Machiavellian’ insurgency which will stop at nothing to bring back the existence of the traditional, domineering nation-state: the girl just can’t seem to catch a break.
Nevertheless, it will take all her aptitude and cunning to circumvent a plot to undermine this new, optimistic world order that has brought newfound joy and prosperity to billions.
There is honestly so much to say about this book, I’m not really sure where to start. So I will start with the fact that each chapter opens with an awesome illustration by John Sumrow. More books, doesn’t matter the genre or target audience, should open their chapters with a neat little preview image! It really adds a lot to the feel of the story, especially the setting.
Let’s talk a bit about the title. Prometheus is a very prominent name from Greek mythology. The titan who stole fire and gave it to mankind, the creator of civilization. A founder of arts (hey look, this is a book…and writing is art, and it has artwork inside!) and science (hey wait…philosophy is a type of science…technically!). Also punished by the gods by being strapped to a rock only to have an eagle feed on his liver every day. There is also Frankenstein, a personal favorite novel of mine subtitled as The Modern Prometheus. Frankenstein’s Monster is a very philosophical, ethical, and logical creature, which leads me to connect the ideas within this book to be of high intellectual value of the use of “Prometheus” in past myth and literature.
Before each chapter is also some kind of philosophical quote from famous philosophers. One of the best chapter lead-ins comes before “Chapter Three” on page 29, at the end of the quote by Edgar von Galen, The Ethocracy: “No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them.” Now that’s a quote to get you thinking about government structures! I’m not super familiar with philosophy, and with some of these quotes the names were rather recognizable, but some, like the former, feel like they are meant to be created philosophers for the world of the book. von Galen is a rather famous last name, though I had a hard time finding anything about an Edgar von Galen. This is a rather interesting structure because it feels so philosophical that is blends right into the book, no questions asked.
I did have to look up what an Ethocracy was. Think democracy, but more human-centered as a whole, if that makes sense. It is a government founded on ethics. Ethics are the morals governed by a person’s behavior: what we deem as right versus wrong. If every person were morally ethic in a positive way (i.e. it’s wrong to kill/steal/etc.) and lives by those common ethics, the world would be at peace and in a better state. This political idea sure made the book an intriguing read, and I love coming away feeling smarter and having learned something from a book!
In this world, you have the Ethocratic Republic, run by means as broken down in the previous paragraph, and the Machiavellians who aim to bring the old world order back to what it once was. How can a world be simply run on ethical appeal alone?
The first character the reader is introduced to is Corvin Elrick Ratzinger as he is attempting a spirit quest. He later calls himself the “All-Father,” a title with rather god-like qualities. One of the things that confused me was the attenuation between the use of Corvin and Ratzinger. The name use wasn’t consistent, though I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, being referenced based on the Light and Dark entities within him. While it first appears Corvin might be the main character, he is not. It is actually Oni Anagonye, a name that rolls nicely off the tongue.
Oni is a woman serving as a Vanguard. She is invited to speak to a class at her old school under her former instructor, Dawud Makgoba. Between the two, talk of the Machiavellians’ insurgency poses a threat to the newly established Ethocratic Republic.
The rest of the story follows Oni’s philosophical adventures through space, fighting by her friends and her partner’s side along the way. When the Ravenous fight for their own way of governing, Oni and her friends must take a stand to defend their beliefs…with a possible intervention from the “All-Father.”
I am trying to be rather discreet to avoid spoilers, but if you would like to see a more in-depth synopsis, you can read it on Colson’s website https://www.theringsaga.com/synopsis. Remember, synopsis means details, and possibly spoils!
One of the other things I had a bit of trouble within this book was visualization. It was hard for me to see the setting. Once again, kudos for the chapter images, because then that means there doesn’t necessarily have to be as much time spend writing out setting since it’s given visually (to an extent), but I often had a hard time keeping up with where everyone was and why they were there and how they got there.
Aside from that bit of confusion for me, this book was an excellent read, a great meal for thought. Like I said, I love learning something from what I read. While I don’t venture out of the Young Adult genre often, In the Shadow of Prometheus was a nice reminder that there are really great books out there for those who like to think more about what they read. It’s got the quotes, the images, and the kinds of conversations one can really only have with another intellect! I highly recommend. In fact, this is a book I feel like would be a great work to teach in a college-level course on philosophy or even in a core English course!
You can see more information about the book and keep up with further releases in The Ring Saga at https://www.theringsaga.com.
I would like to thank L. Farnsworth Colson for sharing In the Shadow of Prometheus with me in exchange for an honest review.
Book Description: In the Shadow of Prometheus is the story of a young Vanguard named Oni Anagonye. As one of the Elect, she is charged with the task of helping to create society’s laws through the lens of ethical review, while also protecting the lives of all citizens in the new ‘Ethocratic Republic.’ Yet between the interventions of a stubborn and ancient cosmic entity and dire machinations from a so-called ‘Machiavellian’ insurgency which will stop at nothing to bring back the existence of the traditional, domineering nation-state: the girl just can’t seem to catch a break.
Nevertheless, it will take all her aptitude and cunning to circumvent a plot to undermine this new, optimistic world order that has brought newfound joy and prosperity to billions.
There is honestly so much to say about this book, I’m not really sure where to start. So I will start with the fact that each chapter opens with an awesome illustration by John Sumrow. More books, doesn’t matter the genre or target audience, should open their chapters with a neat little preview image! It really adds a lot to the feel of the story, especially the setting.
Let’s talk a bit about the title. Prometheus is a very prominent name from Greek mythology. The titan who stole fire and gave it to mankind, the creator of civilization. A founder of arts (hey look, this is a book…and writing is art, and it has artwork inside!) and science (hey wait…philosophy is a type of science…technically!). Also punished by the gods by being strapped to a rock only to have an eagle feed on his liver every day. There is also Frankenstein, a personal favorite novel of mine subtitled as The Modern Prometheus. Frankenstein’s Monster is a very philosophical, ethical, and logical creature, which leads me to connect the ideas within this book to be of high intellectual value of the use of “Prometheus” in past myth and literature.
Before each chapter is also some kind of philosophical quote from famous philosophers. One of the best chapter lead-ins comes before “Chapter Three” on page 29, at the end of the quote by Edgar von Galen, The Ethocracy: “No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them.” Now that’s a quote to get you thinking about government structures! I’m not super familiar with philosophy, and with some of these quotes the names were rather recognizable, but some, like the former, feel like they are meant to be created philosophers for the world of the book. von Galen is a rather famous last name, though I had a hard time finding anything about an Edgar von Galen. This is a rather interesting structure because it feels so philosophical that is blends right into the book, no questions asked.
I did have to look up what an Ethocracy was. Think democracy, but more human-centered as a whole, if that makes sense. It is a government founded on ethics. Ethics are the morals governed by a person’s behavior: what we deem as right versus wrong. If every person were morally ethic in a positive way (i.e. it’s wrong to kill/steal/etc.) and lives by those common ethics, the world would be at peace and in a better state. This political idea sure made the book an intriguing read, and I love coming away feeling smarter and having learned something from a book!
In this world, you have the Ethocratic Republic, run by means as broken down in the previous paragraph, and the Machiavellians who aim to bring the old world order back to what it once was. How can a world be simply run on ethical appeal alone?
The first character the reader is introduced to is Corvin Elrick Ratzinger as he is attempting a spirit quest. He later calls himself the “All-Father,” a title with rather god-like qualities. One of the things that confused me was the attenuation between the use of Corvin and Ratzinger. The name use wasn’t consistent, though I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, being referenced based on the Light and Dark entities within him. While it first appears Corvin might be the main character, he is not. It is actually Oni Anagonye, a name that rolls nicely off the tongue.
Oni is a woman serving as a Vanguard. She is invited to speak to a class at her old school under her former instructor, Dawud Makgoba. Between the two, talk of the Machiavellians’ insurgency poses a threat to the newly established Ethocratic Republic.
The rest of the story follows Oni’s philosophical adventures through space, fighting by her friends and her partner’s side along the way. When the Ravenous fight for their own way of governing, Oni and her friends must take a stand to defend their beliefs…with a possible intervention from the “All-Father.”
I am trying to be rather discreet to avoid spoilers, but if you would like to see a more in-depth synopsis, you can read it on Colson’s website https://www.theringsaga.com/synopsis. Remember, synopsis means details, and possibly spoils!
One of the other things I had a bit of trouble within this book was visualization. It was hard for me to see the setting. Once again, kudos for the chapter images, because then that means there doesn’t necessarily have to be as much time spend writing out setting since it’s given visually (to an extent), but I often had a hard time keeping up with where everyone was and why they were there and how they got there.
Aside from that bit of confusion for me, this book was an excellent read, a great meal for thought. Like I said, I love learning something from what I read. While I don’t venture out of the Young Adult genre often, In the Shadow of Prometheus was a nice reminder that there are really great books out there for those who like to think more about what they read. It’s got the quotes, the images, and the kinds of conversations one can really only have with another intellect! I highly recommend. In fact, this is a book I feel like would be a great work to teach in a college-level course on philosophy or even in a core English course!
You can see more information about the book and keep up with further releases in The Ring Saga at https://www.theringsaga.com.
Displaying 1 of 1 review