C B Lansdell

FAR REMOVED was a fantastic sci fi debut by C.B. Lansdell. Told from the perspective of two characters, Oklas and Prismer, it details a world and society that is highly oppressed where even the smallest crimes are punished brutally by an authoritarian government. Oklas works at a college he founded as an engineer and also secretly aids rebel factions. Prismer is one of the maskads—a subset of the people who are of the lowest social level and forced to keep their entire bodies and faces show more masked. They cannot own property and cannot speak of their condition—and rumors abound about what truly causes the maskad condition. When Prismer helps smuggle a young rebel out of the city, she and Oklas cross paths, and she reveals some of her truth. I loved the world building in this novel. The political climate and the planet were all richly developed. There’s so much detail and it’s all well done. I really felt the novel hit its stride in the second half when a major event happens and a character is forced to question everything they once knew. The scenes that follow are horrific, emotional, traumatic to read, and very well written. I loved the second half of the book, where I felt the strong emotional meat of the story lay and liked the friendship between Oklas and Prismer that developed. I am excited to see what book two has in store for us! 5/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from the author for review purposes. show less

THE TIDELINGS OF DRAS SAYVE is a charming prequel novella set thirty years before the events of Far Removed and is an origin story for Oklas, one of my favorite characters! I loved the beautiful maps, artwork and illustrations, and enjoyed seeing the mentor-apprentice relationship between Oklas and Emis. Loved this! 5/5 stars.