Review: The Nihilist Party by Roy Anthony

Yes, I judge books by their covers. And yes, this cover is amazing! I asked Roy for a copy of the e-book, but I went ahead and ordered the novel anyway because this is a cover that needs to be on my shelf! The physical copy is small and I love that it's matte and not glossy.

Anyway, so The Nihilist Party is an independently published sci-fi novel by Roy Anthony. The story follows a Universal Journalist of the Galactic Council, cleverly named Quora, who takes on a mission to a red planet with a disturbing secret. The tale begins at an underground Nihilist Party rally, where we learn of the group's unique philosophy and plans to expose the Galactic Council for their corruption and greed. Quora, an employee of said government, attends this meeting at the invitation of one of the Party's constituents. She thought she would be giving an interview, but she's given a mission instead. The Nihilist Party needs the kind of help that only she could provide; she would need to use her connections in the Galactic Council to help the Nihilist Party locate Aris - one of its members. She has no choice but to accept the mission and is soon on a planet called Crimson, the last known location of the lost member.

The planet is governed by a barbaric race that worships blood as a prized food source, and are somehow being allowed into the Galactic Council. Aris is on the planet, hiding out in plain sight and awaiting rescue, but blending in is a steep gamble as he could lose his life at any moment. Though he is probably in the safest place possible, he endures barbaric treatment that threatens to strip him of his humanity. The tale follows Aris' progression as well as Quora's as she uncovers the secrets of Crimson as well as the corruption within the Galactic Council. By the end, they discover the real reason that Crimson is being allowed into the Galactic Council and Quora makes a decision that she can't turn back from. I'm thoroughly curious if there'll be a book two.

I immediately liked the idea of The Nihilist Party. An underground movement that's planning on sticking it to a corrupt government is the primary staple in most of my reading selections. I do wish the author made the Party more present in the book, though. Technically Quora was on a mission to save a member, so it was prevalent in undertones, but I would've loved to hear more about their actual plans, missions to steal data, protests gone wild etc. I did enjoy Aris' storyline best of all, as the author did a really good job of creating a unique twist that I have NEVER seen before. It was also rather thought-provoking, as it made me reflect how we as humans treat the animals on our planet. There are a few typos, but nothing I couldn't get over. Overall, the Nihilist Party is an enthralling sci-fi with a disturbing twist. Kuddos to Roy Anthony for an absolutely entertaining read.

You can purchase The Nihilist Party on amazon here.