Chrysalis by Harrison Murphy

 

Rating 4.5⭐s

303 pages

You can buy Chrysalis...here

• The Blurb...

An implant with the potential to save humanity, but only in the right hands.

Not long after a disease leaves thousands dependent on blood transfusions, the UK’s blood reserves are stolen overnight.

The government’s response? Make blood into currency.

The stolen blood is sold by dealers being controlled by a mysterious implant.

Ginley and Sara, two rival political journalists with opposing agendas, cover the government’s handling of a country thrust into crisis. As they find out more about the blood heist and the implant, a political story turns personal, and they have to put their differences aside and work together to unravel a colossal conspiracy.

*contains some traumatic and disturbing scenes

• Our Review...

Well what an unexpected gem this was. This is type of book is the reason why i not only review big, posh, shiny famous books but also the little quiet ones that nobody hears. Most of the quiet ones are exactly that, but every now again one starts to whisper in your ear as you begin reading. It gradually grows to become an ear-worm and by the end it's up there with the big boys, solidly ensconced in your head. 

The story is set in the near future after another global pandemic. This one affects the body's ability to clot blood, so basically air-borne haemophilia.  It is known as hemo. It's traits are only hinted at up until you are 20% into the book, which, if I'm honest, I found very frustrating and why I'm telling you upfront! On top of this the country's blood supply is stolen. Thus uninfected blood becomes super valuable. Blood replaces £s as a currency. As intriguing as this scenario is, it is only the starter. 

A back street trade in blood soon develops. However all these new blood dealers have one thing in common. A powerful microchip implant that ensures that they are under surveillance 24hours a day. In addition to this the implant also acts as a kill switch. So with this the scientific premise is set. I will divulge no more of the plot for fear of spoilers. 

However the book is far more than a scientific think tank. It is a critical look at politics and politicians. It holds a mirror up to the dark hearts of society in showing how inventions or institutions that can be used for the benefit of the whole planet are eventually always used as tools to make the rich and powerful even more rich and more powerful. Think how the potential for nuclear power or the NHS has been corrupted from its altruistic inception and used as a resource to lever power for the few and you get where the author is trying to get to.

The author is obviously a keen observer of British politics and all the subtle and not so subtle dark arts within. He marries it well with the currently just out of reach technology that is just around the corner. It reminded of a Michael Crichton novel albeit a UK version, a bit darker on a smaller, somehow more seedier scale. The blend of short range science fiction and contemporary political corruption makes for a heady blend. Like having a vision of a car crash your about to be in.

 Wonderful book

• Selected Quotes...

As the bigger picture becomes increasingly bleak, the people who can afford to, and I include those of a left-wing persuasion in that description, the ones who claim to be full of compassion and empathy, they’re going to start ignoring the bigger picture and do only what they need to do to survive.

Lightfoot wanted to emulate what Starmer had done, and surround himself with competent, if unexciting, people. He wanted the X-Factor days of politics to be over. For voting to be about competency again, rather than a popularity contest. It would be easier to extinguish the fires if all the arsonists were out of the picture.

By learning the lessons from Covid-19, Lightfoot prioritised lives over the economy. Whereas, during Covid-19, the Tories had tried to prioritise the economy over lives, yet still managed to trash the economy.

Does it really matter? Think of all the evil bastards that run companies. Mum often writes columns about them. The kind of bastards that run fashion chains which have sweatshops in Bangladesh and use materials that are bad for the environment, or the sportswear chain that abuses those awful zero-hour contracts, or the pub chain that treats their staff like the shit on the soles of their shoes, or just all shareholders and directors in general, getting away with not paying their taxes even though they have billions in the bank whilst the little guy gets shafted. Why is the money going to an ‘international crime syndicate’ so bad? It’s just a different kind of crook, innit.”

• If You Liked This, You May Like...

Prey by Michael Crichton

Blind Faith by Ben Elton  (review here)

The Ministry of Time by  Kaliane Bradley

• About The Author

Harrison Murphy is a writer from Motherwell, Scotland. His Chrysalis trilogy focuses on the societal impact of an fictional (yet conceivable) implant which revolutionises the 2030s. It allows for something akin to cosmetic surgery, but for the mind. He released Chrysalis in March 2022, Dandelion in November 2022, and Elephant in April 2023. He is now working on three standalone works loosely inspired by the afterlife, reality TV and Rapunzel.