I’ve really been upping my reading game this year, mostly because I spend hours on the T just trying to get from place to place. As you know, I’ve been trying to focus on female authors and authors of color. In my research I came across this book, The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales. I’m usually not a sci-fi fan but the cover art was cool enough for me to give it a try. Yes, I judge books by their covers.
I’m so glad I did. The story follows a league of female assassins recruited by a semi-otherworldy group to fight crime around the world. Except some of the assassins aren’t too happy with management. I think we can all relate to that. And when assassins decided to reevaluate their jobs, they don’t do it with a performance review.
The result is a fast-paced, well written sci-fi thriller. I have to give Gonzales props. Normally I hate when male authors try to write female characters because it becomes painfully clear that they know nothing about women. But Gonzales does a great job of making well rounded, interesting women the focus of his novel. It does end with the focus on a man but hey, small steps are still steps.
I recommend this engaging read even for people who don’t usually gravitate towards sci-fi/fantasy books. It’s very much grounded in the real world and provides some interesting food for thought about the correlation between personal experience, perspective, and revenge.