Vagrant

The Vagrant Chronicles, Book 1

By: Gabe Thompson

Narrated by: Don Moretti

Logan Hall is a Vagrant, one of the disenfranchised living beneath the mega city of New Washington. The Vagrants have to hide from the Company who is rounding all of them up and shipping them to newly discovered planets to work in the mines. That’s what happened to Logan’s father.

Shayna is one of the privileged. She has a chip, a credit disc, and lives in a shiny stainless steel and glass high-rise above ground. Shayna is allergic to corn so she is one of the few above ground people who is not stoned on Sopore. Sopore is a drug found in genetically altered corn. It’s in almost all food. The Vagrants know about Sopore and avoid it.

These two teens from wildly differing environments meet by accident and fall in love. Logan will stop at nothing to rescue his friend Raj, captured and sent to the moon. Together, he and Shayna will follow his dream of finding his father who was sent to work in the mines of Gliess 67.

©2016 Gabe Thompson (P)2021 Tell-Tale Publishing Group, LLC

A fantastic listen

This was the first book I’ve listened to by this author and I have to say it was worth every minute, I’ll definitely be back for more. The narrator was also perfect for the tone and feeling of the book: well done!

Post Apocalyptic Sci-fi

With the discovery of diamonds and gold on other planets The Company needed more workers to mine them. As a result all prisoners were sent to these to become minors. Back on Earth the company had added a drug, Sopore, to the corn supply making the population tractable. Those who didn't conform or who lost their jobs became Vagrants and Mole People living in the underground. Enforcers hunt them as anyone without an identification chip is fair game. This is what happened to Logan's father 5 years ago. Since then he has become a runner, running to the surface for much needed supplies. When his young shadower, Raj, is captured during a medical supply run Logan vows to get him back. Even if that means travelling to the Moon holding prison or even off-world.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I received both the audiobook and an ebook, although I ended up reading the eBook copy as the audiobook had a slight hiccup around chapter 8. I let the author know and he's in the process of getting it resolved, so by the time you get the audiobook it will likely be resolved. What I listened to of the audiobook was great and engaging I just didn't want to potentially miss anything which is why I switched to the eBook.

This entire book is amazing. I genuinely hated Shayna. She whined non-stop and by the end I was rolling my eyes every time she was so much as mentioned. But options are limited and for some reason he likes her. To each their own. Logan, Raj, Knock, and Eddie are all great. Knock was easily my favorite character. He gave off a skater boy vibe while being level-headed and willing to follow his friend into his various plans.

I love scifi books and the post-apocalyptic company takeover is one that could happen and people likely wouldn't notice immediately. Not if they added a drug to anything with corn in it. Corn is in basically everything and I will admit to giving my Monster a sideways look during the energy drink scene. Thankfully ours are safe. Well, there aren't drugs in them at least. I will readily admit that I was ass surprised as Logan when it came to Eddie and his plans. That being said I hope it works and would love to know what happens next.

This book is one that starts with an idea and while it solves the main issue of the book there is still plenty more to learn from the story. It will easily be able to continue into a series. According to Amazon there are a total of three books in this series.

Entertaining, underground, dystopia

Vagrant is a fascinating journey into a divided society, split into the wealthy but drug controlled that live above, and the poor but free who reside below: the eponymous Vagrant. The story follows a gallery of unique characters whose individual adventures interact in satisfying ways. The main character, Logan, is a particularly likable and resourceful rogue you can’t help but root for as he attempts to rescue a boy he lost on a mission. I’m reminded of classic science fiction like Brave New World, but grittier, more urban, and more expansive. It’s a very enjoyable book set in a novel and interesting dystopia with huge scope for further stories.