Synopsis: The future is loading…

To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”

But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier or risk being labelled a spy.

Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.

Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…

Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.

Chloe Gong, one of my absolute favourite authors due to her retellings of Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra, steps away from deeply English major premises to venture into a world of futuristic technologies, resulting in a resonant dystopia. This genre has undergone an insane evolution, from the respected cautionary tale classics to The Hunger Games’ marketability overshadowing its intended message to underwhelming entries that irregularly make some strong points.

As far as dystopias go, Gong successfully sets herself apart with something worthy of the discourse. In Coldwire, humans spend most of their time in a virtual reality modeled after the real world, if they can afford the subscription, with monthly, daily, and hourly options. But both the virtual “upcountry” and the real “downcountry” are swept by an ongoing cold war between the two nations of Atahua and Medaluo. Many Medans previously emigrated to Atahua, and now their frequently orphaned descendants are required to receive a military education.

Coldwire follows two protagonists: Eirale, a recent graduate from Nile Military Academy, who is forced to work with a rebel group; and Lia, the adopted daughter of a senator, who is paired with her rival on an assignment in Medaluo, which serves as her final examination at the academy. Both Eirale and Lia’s missions concern a mysterious AI program, which could forever change their world’s status quo and the all-encompassing NileCorp’s control.

Coldwire’s world-building is excellent. Reading the synopsis and trying to parse out a central premise is a futile task because there are too many layers and branches, as Gong uses entwined concepts to explore familiar issues. The enticing prospect of virtual reality, a strenuous cold war, the mistreatment of an immigrant population, and paradigm-altering climate change are all critical themes. More impressive is that Gong demonstrates a clear vision of how these issues intersect and propel each other, and so do her main characters.

Uniquely, the alternating first-person POV characters of Eirale and Lia don’t seem to be harbouring any delusions about the world they live in; they are just being realistic about their prospects and priorities. They know that the government is corrupt as all hell, that capitalism reigns supreme, and that the forced recruitment of second-generation immigrants is a strategy to keep their loyalties in check. Both heroines are grounded and handling the situation as best they can, reminding you that the average person doesn’t want to risk being a revolutionary. It’s a subtle commentary on what could easily be the reality for many people in this world.

The two storylines are presented as largely separate, with only a similar sequence of locations (one in upcountry, one in downcountry) and thematic echoes to connect them, which works in an oddly satisfying way for most of the book. Once readers reach the final plot twist, the reason for this format becomes clear, but the narrative wouldn’t have necessarily been worthless without it. On the other hand, the characters all felt a little flat, and I had to really be invested in getting to know them for their distinct personalities to emerge—but the plot twist gave them all more dimension, almost instantaneously, in my eyes.

Nonetheless, Lia’s dynamic with her classmate and mission partner Kieren (who was definitely my favourite character by the end) in her half of the story is delightful all the way through; peak rivals who are clearly in love with each other. The plot itself is pretty dense, the kind of confusing Westworld material where you only sort of know what is going on. But with a broad sense of the situation and geopolitical backdrop, you have an engaging vehicle for the characters and themes.

The writing style is also missing some of the flowery language present in Gong’s Shakespearean works, but perhaps this was an intentional shift. Some internal exposition and dialogue were also a bit jarring, leaving me wondering how the discussion went from one point to another. However, the text does, most importantly, convey the characters’ feelings about what is at stake. A pervading weariness and the underlying theme that humanity at large is not going to rectify its mistakes colour the story, so by the end of this installment, it takes profound rage to drive most of the characters forward.

Finally, Gong does offer up a unique stance on AI development in this novel, one that doesn’t underestimate the dangers of it. But this storyline is moving in its depiction of how such plans may not work out for evil corporations. Coldwire sets up everything well to carry the story and characters through the next two installments, as this is the first part in a planned trilogy. However, that final reveal also recontextualizes a lot about the main cast and means that the next book will have to shift its POV structure, making me very curious to see where the themes will go.

The story was always headed in the direction of the characters being committed to an active rebellion, setting up Gong to explore in more detail what this means in future installments—and my standards in this regard are very high after Andor. Coldwire is occasionally messy, and a comment from a supporting character early in the story about not needing to understand the exact science of the technology ironically rings true. But when Gong’s published career has exclusively been Shakespearean retellings, I am happy to say that she makes a mark on a genre outside her usual scope, and can go wherever she wants from here.

Coldwire is out now from Hodderscape – you can order your copy on Bookshop.org