The Alcatraz Coup

This novella is the prequel to the Red Dog Conspiracy and lives up to the noir feel of those books. It’s a story for the current fans in many ways, and so gives a sense of what happened to bring about the world we find in the rest of the series. At the same time, with an open mind to the bigger picture, I think this is a good introduction to the series as well in that it provides interesting characters making hard decisions at the worst of times.

This story is both heroic and tragic in the way the transition between a corrupt government and a new one usually is. The Alcatraz Coup isn’t about the beginning when Benjamin Kerr created Bridges as an idyllic utopia but rather 300 years later when ideals are tarnished and a greedy heir apparent takes things into his own hands.

There is a price to pay for freedom, but rarely do regular people expect to pay that price. A school teacher’s concern for his students leads him step by step to a path where he must decide whether his own comfort is worth more than what letting the new king have his way will cost.

There are other ordinary folks involved in this coup, a recently widowed mother of one of the students, the single father of two who happens to be the head of the king’s guard, and a runner for the local gang among others. The main players are not special. They are people who care for more than their own selves and are more terrified of what they see the new regime becoming than what it will take to prevent this.

As a fan of the series, it is neat to see how things came together, the transition to control by the families 100 years later, and the origins of some very familiar names, but the tale itself is strong enough to stand on its own, with gut punch moments and twists that keep the story rolling. You do get to see the roots for some of the feuds between families later in the series, and it’s almost painful to know how they came into being.

I enjoyed learning how Bridges became the world as I know it for all the process saddened me. The hows and whys are both true to the culture and to human history while the characters, especially Xavier Alcatraz and Acevedo Spadros were well written. There are sweet spots, endearing interactions, and horrifying events throughout. The story never lets you rest easy in how things are going to come round, nor does it provide a simple answer to what is a very delicate proposition of getting people largely concerned for their own welfare to help. And all this while the king is becoming not just a tyrant, but one willing to slaughter hundreds just to have a scapegoat for the changes he wants to take place.

A powerful tale with more than a few uncomfortable life lessons mixed in.

P.S. I received this title from the author in return for an honest review.

Although I have read the book a while ago, I could still feel the aftermath of the story. It leaves great impression.

In a domed city, the King is old, his lead weak, and the people struggle with their lives. When the king is murdered by his son, a mad prince Polansky, nothing good might come from his rule. Meanwhile, Acevedo Spadros, a history teacher, takes his class out for a trip. Even his private life is changed by one of his students, Molly - or, better to say, by her mother Katherine. One of Acevedo's former students, Xavier Alcatraz, is now head of the king's guard, and supposed to protect the ruler. But when his friends and fellow guards start to show up dead, he knows something's off - and after hearing the horrific demands from the prince, he feels the doom coming.

This is a great introduction to the whole Red Dog Conspiracy series. It provides and insight to the history of bridges and presents the later ruling families - where they come from and how they ascended. With intriguing storytelling, fast development, surprising twists, and stunning world building, this dystopian novella is destined to catch the reader's attention and provides motivation to grab the main series. The main characters, especially Acevedo and Xavier, are brilliantly written, realistic, charming, strong, and full of ideals lost in the cruel world. With lots of suspense and action, delicate relationships, and terrifying events happening around, the book makes for a chilling reading experience, much to think about the consequences of our desires and the ways to reach our goals. It puts humanity under scrutiny of what good and evil we are capable of.

I read the ARC of the book and all opinions are my own.