Title: In Ora: The Land of the Superior
Author: Sotto Voce
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: September 28, 2021
Genre: Science Fiction
In a world divided between the superior and the bereft, a desperate man must find a way to save someone he cares about. But what sacrifice does he have to make?
Luke thought he’d found purpose again. After years of heartache and a devastating loss, his companionship with the strong-willed Ruyi gave him a reason to cherish life, even in a home plagued with poverty and disease, the Origin. But when he learns about Ruyi’s life-threatening and mysterious disease, Luke is prepared to seek help in the only place a cure exists, Ora.
Returning to Ora thrusts him into an intriguing world where everyone has achieved physical superiority and perfection. It has advanced technology and found keys to tailoring genes and eradicating diseases. But Ora’s solution came with an exorbitant tag.
To Ora, Origin is just its arrogant but fallen ancestor, and now, a defective neighbor with nothing to offer. They could save Ruyi, but what is the cost that Luke has to pay?
Why This Book
In Ora: The Land of the Superior is a book that doesn’t involve a married couple, but their devotion to each other is better than that of some of the married couples on this list. Luke and Ruyi have been through a lot, and I love that, while the story starts with them as a devoted couple, it gives us their backstory and how they met. At the start of the story we learn Ruyi is ill and the couple needs to cross over from Origin to Ora for her treatment, which leads to so many other things. But I must focus on the couple here. Even though Ruyi spends the entire time mostly away from Luke, she still proves her trust and love in him. It was incredibly heartwarming and touching to see Luke prove over and over again his own love for her, and all the lengths he’ll go to for her. They’re an incredibly sweet and lovely couple, and I like to think they’re happy and well beyond the end of the story.
Reviews
My review: “At it’s heart is a tender love story and everything else kind of felt like a whirlwind around it. But it was a fun ride even though I wished for more detail and more depth. Overall, this was a truly thoughtful read with great characters and an interesting world”
Editors Weekly said “Voce has done a tremendous job of keeping the narrative unbiased, and as close to the telling of a story that was (or will be) without stifling it with personal agenda. The world-building is fantastic, and it is evident that a reader that enjoys dystopian science fiction will yearn for more, learning about both the worlds of Origin and Ora, and how they came to be. The ability to traverse between the philosophical and ethical, while keeping the reader engaged within the juicy futuristic world they find themselves in, is exquisitely done”
Books By Your Bedside said “I think this is a love story between Luke and Ruyi, and between the dystopian and utopian worlds; it’s not necessarily a romantic love, but it’s a powerful love all the same. Overall, it could do with a bit more editing and tidying up, but it is an interesting topic with an important message and was enjoyable to read”
Purchase Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books | Best Book Monkey
Check out all the other books featured this month on The Curated Bookshelf.
This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:
Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
The Lily Cafe 