Written by L. Ross Coulter
There’s something about a dystopian future that captures the imagination. It’s a reflection of the world around us; a world that’s less than it could—or should—be. Dystopian fiction is prevalent in books aimed towards young adults, perhaps because they are realising the future they now live in is not the utopia they imagined while growing up. L. Ross Coulter’s Mannigan: A Speck of Light imagines one such dystopia. Although it leans into the dystopian trope, Mannigan takes it a step further with the post-apocalyptic setting, blends science fiction and fantasy, and tells a tale peppered with Christian themes and iconography.
Coming in at 376 pages in paperback (319 for those who prefer to read their books in hardcover, or an estimated 378 pages for anybody reading the eBook), Mannigan tells quite the tale. The book’s packed plot tells the story of Will, a young man in prison. Will is soon recruited by a group named Legion, gifted the powers of resurrection, and sets about working for them to stop the villainous Koi. It’s an intriguing plot that keeps the reader invested to see what comes next; however, the author keeps many elements relating to the driving narrative vague, or simply not mentioned. This may be a deliberate choice, particularly if Coulter envisages the novel to be the first book in a series, but it makes it more difficult to invest in Will’s journey.
This lack of detail extends to Mannigan’s conclusion, which provides an open-ended, vague close to the story. I’m unsure as to whether it’s to set the scene for a sequel, to leave the reader to theorise about the gaps, or both. It works on both fronts, but some readers who like definitive endings may be frustrated by this approach. As intriguing as the book’s ending is, it follows a book that drops the reader into its world with little explanation and spends much of its first half world building and moving the plots pieces together, before the pace picks up as it moves towards its climax. While I enjoyed the pacing and how it built towards its ending, some readers may come away feeling it ended suddenly, as if they had read part of a story,
Another area where Mannigan lacks detail is in its characters. While this approach builds an air of mystery in context of the plot and the ending, it doesn’t work as well with the characters. As vague as the novel is about Legion’s motivations, it’s almost as vague about its protagonist’s. Will is an enjoyable character to follow, but the book doesn’t explore who he is as a person, outside of the saviour Legion deems him to be. The other characters fulfil the roles the story requires of them, but they also lack a great deal of depth.
Although the novel doesn’t provide much detail about Will’s motivations, it tells a coming of age story that young adult fans will be familiar with, and likely enjoy. The book’s subject matter is appropriate for the broad spectrum that the young adult genre encompasses, whether they’re young teens or adults. The book features biblical themes and imagery that Christian readers will no doubt enjoy. The book doesn’t cater only to readers who don’t follow any of the Christian faiths, and the book’s usage of religious iconography doesn’t overpower the book.
Ordinarily, the prose in books I review is either simple or colourful, yet Mannigan’s feels altogether different from the norm. The book’s prologue is arresting; evocative in how it sets the scene. Most of the remainder of the book’s prose lacks this majesty, but it draws the reader in while keeping them on their toes. Many of the book’s sentences are inverted from the standard written style. Subordinate clauses take precedence over the subject of the sentences, creating an off-kilter effect. These sentences flow together well, creating a sensation that’s almost poetic.
As effective as the prose is, the dialogue doesn’t reach the same heights. The characters’ voices don’t sound as realistic as they could, and with a few exceptions, their voices are quite similar to one another. Unfortunately, this means the conversations don’t flow particularly freely. In effect, they feel stilted, as if the characters are espousing information instead of interacting with one another.
Mannigan is an intriguing book in a variety of ways, and the mileage people will take from it will vary based on their preference. Whether it’s a lack of detail given in relation to various plot elements, character motivations or the ending, or the prose’s unique sentence structure that’s grammatically correct but outside of the norm, the book sits outside of the reader’s expectations. The author tells an entertaining story against a fantastic science fantasy backdrop, and weaves biblical themes and imagery through it, crafting a story that’s appropriate for readers of most ages, regardless of any religious persuasion.
Favourite Passage
Walking down the steps, Will follows him across the yard through an open doorway. The bitter smell of decaying refuse mingled with the cooking of family meals hovers in the humid air and as he steps inside, it is almost completely dark, a stark contrast to the bright light of day. Up a narrow staircase and down a corridor, the metal floor clangs hollow under their feet. Until, reaching a heavy door at the end and announcing himself, Tom nods at the face that appears behind the sliding hatch, and with the bump of deadbolts, it swings open. Onto a rickety outdoor balcony that wraps in a loop a few floors above the courtyard below, a scruffy doorman slings his shotgun back over his shoulder, nodding at them as they continue on their way.
Mannigan: A Speck of Light, Chapter 8: “The Sea of Sand”
Mannigan: A Speck of Light was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest review.
Mannigan is available in physical and eBook forms from retailers, including—but not limited to—Amazon..
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Mannigan – A Speck of Light
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