My full review can be found on the Epilie Aspie Chick blog!

Thank you to Pelican Book Group for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed the execution, I couldn't help but find myself still disappointed here. The world building here is solid and well done, but the issue is that there are questions I had that didn't get answered or even touched. The SAP and experimental treatment abstergent are used to remove the issue of Christianity and the Christian God as a problem from society. There's a solid argument made as to the reason why and the social events that led up the moment that caused this to occur. However, I still have one issue: what about all the other religions? It's never questioned or asked, brought up at all in conversation. Maybe its my questioning nature, but this was the first thing that came to mind. What about other religions? Why is this only Christianity and what happened to the other ones? Do they also no longer exist or were they removed using other methods? Its a major plot point that still bothers me after having finished the books.

That being said, there are still some worthy points here. While Briar herself is exactly what you would expect from a character who believes in God and isn't responding to the anti-God treatment, the other characters who are actively on it certainly create an interesting dynamic. Lukas, the head of the experimental lab and primary contact point for Briar, sympathizes with her and starts to develop feelings even though his disbelief in God continues. It's fun to see how they interact together when put in a room and forced to work in a small space. Take discrimination and allow it openly, freely - that's what happens here.