Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  Is this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I check out an awesome upcoming science fiction thriller with Louise Carey’s third book, Downfall.

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Over the last couple of years, I have been really getting into one of the more unique and compelling new science fiction series with the Inscape books by intriguing new author Louise Carey. This fantastic series is set in a dystopian future and follows an impressive pair of protagonists, security agent Tantra and brilliant scientist Cole, as they investigate a dangerous conspiracy in a cyberpunk setting, filled with controlling mega-companies and unique technology hardwired into their brains.  This series started with Inscape, one of my favourite debuts of 2021 which perfectly set up the characters, story and setting, and really grabbed the readers attention.  Carey perfectly followed this great debut off with a sequel earlier this year, Outcast.  This second novel brought back the characters from Inscape and set them to investigate another conspiracy, this time with massive implications for everyone they know.  Ending on a massive and powerful cliff-hanger, Outcast was an extremely awesome book, and I had an outstanding time continuing this brilliant series.

As such I have been quite excited to see how the Inscape books continued and I was very happy to find out some details of the next entry.  It looks like Carey will be concluding this series early next year with the third and final book, titled Downfall.  Set for release in January 2023, Downfall will see Tantra and Cole have their final confrontation with their former company InTech.  This new book has an outstanding plot, and I cannot wait to see how some of the established storylines are wrapped up.  I imagine we’ll be in for a rough and powerful time, as the protagonists will be forced to take on old friends who are now under the complete mental control of InTech, including Tantra’s former girlfriend.  I cannot wait to see how Carey ends everything in this final book and I have a strong feeling that Downfall is going to be a particularly impressive read.  I look forward to getting this book in a few months and I already know I am going to have a great time reading it.

Synopsis:

The exhilarating conclusion to the dystopian thriller series which started with Inscape, described as ‘chillingly plausible’ by Claire North.

THE SAFETY OF INTECH’S RESIDENTS IS PARAMOUNT.

INSURRECTION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

Tanta and Cole may have stopped the mass murder of InTech’s residents, but the cost was severe. Despite their efforts, Harlow 2.0 – the update to InTech’s mind-based operating system – fed out. Now its citizens are compliant zombies, and Tanta and her crew are trapped underground.

All except for Fliss, who has no system to update. She alone can go outside, and it’s Fliss the crew are relying on to help get them out.

For only then can they dismantle the damage Harlow 2.0 has done. If Tanta, Cole and InTech’s residents are to truly be free, it needs to be destroyed. But Tanta knows that task will put her on a collision course with the corporation that raised her, her oldest friends, and the woman who was once her soulmate.

And this last mission might ask more of her than she’s able to give.