Rise of the Red Hand is set in an (eerily) not-too distant future, where climate change and WWIII have decimated much of the world's population, and an algorithm has picked how who is deemed worthy--healthy and genetically pure enough--to continue living in comfort with the world's limited remaining resources. It's a cruel and brutal world "where children are thrown away for their imperfections, and an algorithm decides who stays and who will be left out of history."

Led by an entirely South Asian cast, this story is a fascinating new addition to the young adult SFF genre, tackling issues of ableism, classism, environmental damage and warfare with a fierce teen cast who help the rebel group the Red Hand rise against a society warped by the belief that "Without Sacrifice, There Will Be No Tomorrow."

A powerful book, especially for those looking for diverse science-fiction!

Such a cool opening to a sci-fi series set in a futuristic South Asia! The world building is complex and well-thought out, so there's a lot for your brain to work on here, and the themes of climate change and class issues are realistic and important. The heroine Ashiva is awesome, and the cover is just gorgeous!!

A refreshingly complex world that explores the potential impact of climate change on both society at large and individuals across the social strata.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

DNF @ 20%

2.5 stars for what I read.

The premise of this novel is very intriguing, and the characters we have met so far are good characters. That being said, the actual quality of the writing is just terrible. There were multiple sentences with omitted words and other mistakes were very noticeable every couple of pages and I have too many things I want to read to spend time reading something the author/editor clearly didn't spend much time on.

If the book gets a much needed re-edit, I would consider reading again because the content of the story is still interesting to me.

I enjoyed the characters of this book, including the heroine, and her sister, but I admit that the info dump in this book was too much. I think flashbacks would have been better and to have some mystery to the backstory. It was interesting to see it take place in south asia. It could've been better, I suppose

Wow, I loved the stunning cyberpunk worldbuilding set in South Asia, and the well thought out history. Ashiva is a kick ass heroine, and I also really liked her sister. Rise of the Red Hand illustrated thoughtfully how society is willing to ignore the plight of less fortunate as long as they’re not personally affected, and also, how leaving decision-making to AI can be dangerous. The cherry on top: such a cool cover!

I was given this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has so much potential. It is a bundle of fresh ideas immersed into a fascinating culture, but the execution of those ideas just didn’t sit right with me.

The first issue I had with this book was the massive information dumps. It is literally page, after page, after page pf dumping information in your lap. The author had the right amount at first. At first, it started with a paragraph or two which is fine by me, then as the book moved on it turned into pages of information dump. It slowed down the entire plot.

The second issue I have is with the multiple pov shifts. I get that it can work, but for this book there were way too many character perspectives for me. I would rather stick to two characters who are radically different from one another than three or four characters who kinda sound the same.

Overall, I would still recommend this book for those who don’t find these issues problematic. Like I mentioned, there are great ideas here and the characters are refreshingly diverse. It’s just not the book for me.

A dystopian that seems to be fast approaching, this science-fiction set in the south asian province is a sword of horrifying climate change, classist ideologies, and impending destruction of those who don't deserve to be saved—a selection done by humans with more resources—on a lit candle of hope, justice, and revolution. Like a sword than can extinguish this flame, further genes-based stratification in the midst of a raging pandemic is set to choke the already struggling, barely surviving, and largely underprivileged population even more. Lightly but intentionally influenced by the real world tensions and imminent need for alignment to outlive the mechanical, technological, and environmental atrocities, this debut shows strength in the very many themes it wishes to highlight. Interesting is a world set in a dreadful future yet still stroked with nuanced desi cultural references, from food to salutations and from non-translated words to beloved values weaved through generations. The scientific explanations and detailed mechanics is impressive to the genre fans, and the side characters take away the spotlight as more complex personas than the cliched main characters who don't intrigue much—though, the heroines are clearly better developed than their male counterparts. Refreshing and much needed as a desi sci-fi dystopia, it provokes thoughts and inflicts a subtle pain of reality, but does underdeliver through a choppy writing, average editing, and disruptive pacing.

the premise of this story is brilliant -- a south asian-inspired dystopia featuring the consequences of climate change and a technocratic government.

unfortunately, i wasn't able to get through this book and ended up dnf-ing it. but because i felt so guilty about it, i've added it to my 'dnf-but-might-try-later' bookshelf on goodreads.

the first part of the book consisted of a whole lot of info-dumping and i didn't feel a connection to any of the characters ; it felt like they lacked depth. i tried multiple times to finish it off, but i just couldn't. it felt like a chore, and the more i tried to make myself read, the more i ended up skim-reading it.

however, like i said before, i'm going to try again later. since i dnf-ed it, it's likely that there could be better plot development in the second half of the book, and in order to be fair to that point, i'm rating this book three stars for now.

>> thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to review the digital copy of this book !

Rise of the Red Hand is a thought provoking and action packed story. The impacts of climate change and environmental destruction have not only wreaked havoc on the world, but also only exasperated the differences in class. In a world where our resources are dwindling, how do we make sure that we have enough? And how do we decide who deserves the resources? If that's got you hooked enough, then you definitely need to pre-order Rise of the Red Hand.

Amidst this story of a crumbling world, there's a revolution brewing. Never truly extinguished, the Red Hand is biding their time. Rise of the Red Hand is a multiple POV story that examines the intentions of technology versus their impact. A piece of technology, in the wrong hands, can easily be turned into a weapon or a saving grace. My favorite element of Rise of the Red Hand has to be the world building, because it felt so comprehensive and intriguing. Another theme that Rise of the Red Hand examines is the line between protecting someone and letting our protection smother them.

The Rise of the Read Hand is set in the South Asian Province (aka Indian subcontinent) in a post apocalyptic world. The world building incorporates cyberpunk elements within a stratified class system determined by genetics. Only a few [Uplanders] are blessed with the perfect genes needed to successfully link with the computer algorithm (Not quite an AI) that is responsible for coordinating the people and resources needed to survive, but the unlucky [Downlanders] are left to scavenge for themselves in the poisoned world that remains after WWIII. Frequently these means cobbling together cybernetic replacements for missing body parts (the existence of which is enough to prevent you from being accepted by the elite). In the background is a raging pandemic that complicates things for both sides and forces some rather questionable behavior from the powers that be, who themselves are competing for resources from the "Planetary Alliance Commission" (PAC) that prioritizes resources to governments can prove they can effective manage them ... and the neural synch from Solace Corp was created to prevent much needed resources from being reassigned elsewhere.

The story itself comes across a bit choppy with the word choice and diction similar to what I have found in books that have been translated to English and which make it difficult for me to understand some of the cultural nuance. Some of it worked okay, such as calling the prosthetic components for cyborgs replacements. Character interactions seem to be more forced and less natural that I am used to, but they still end about where you would expect then to within the dystopian, cyberpunk tropes. Even the apparent "Romeo and Juliet" romance comes across a tad perfunctory. This would not be as much of an issue if it were not for a rather hamfisted use of info-dumps ... which can be useful in the right place, but should NEVER be repeated. Over all it was an okay story within an interesting world that earned it an extra star on that point alone.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#RiseoftheRedHand #NetGalley

Sadly I didn't finish this one.
On one hand, the world-building was interesting and the fact that it is in a South Asian ambiance, at least from what I have read of it, was original and it added some colors to the story, but on the other, it had a feeling of "same old, same old" that didn't manage to keep alive my interest.
And I wasn't really interested on the relationship between the two sisters, either. I wasn't really looking forward to this development, I wasn't looking forward to anything, really, so I decided to drop it.
I am sorry, but thanks for the opportunity.

It’s evident the author spent time on research and did a magnificent job with world-building. That aspect can make or break novels in this genre. The premise – a city divided by genetics and class – grabbed me immediately, and the setting of South Asia was just a bonus.

As impressive and detailed as the world-building is, the info dump at the beginning of the novel is a lot to process and slows the pacing, and it seemed to get heavier the further I got into the book. I felt as if it got in the way of the underlying story. The plot is also weighed down by exposition, but even with that, I still never felt as if I really knew the characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed the imaginative storyline, but I was overwhelmed and frustrated with the elements that detracted from the plot. That being said, I’d certainly read any future books by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review
This book was just not to my tastes at all. it was dragging and a little too boring.

I liked the idea of this story but could not get into it and ended up stopping about halfway into the book.

Thank you so much to the author and publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review!!

The Rise of the Red Hand was such a promising book that was shot in the foot by its writing style.

When I first read the synopsis of this book I was like oh my god give it to me now! Talk about a new adult sci-fi with South Asian rep? Something wonderful is about to come my way. Unfortunately, 'The Rise of the Red Hand' was such a promising book that was shot in the foot by its writing style.


First, What I liked:
-The science of the book. Chadha was not afraid to explain full on the scientific explanation of something, like the water filtration system. As a huge science nerd, I absolutely loved this. Overall, her commentary on social dilemmas and climate change seemed so realistic throughout the book. I could totally feel this looming in out future.
-The characters. While a bit tropey, the girls in this book were my absolute favorite. They were strong yet so complex that they made me enjoy the story that much more. Unfortunately, their male counterpart seemed more sleazy to me than anything, even while he tried to redeem himself. The side characters of this book really seem to make the story, I honestly loved them.
-South Asian Culture. As a Pakistani-American, all the references to culture and experiences made me feel right at home. I absolutely loved how Chadha carefully weaved in the phrases and culture of South Asia. From the food to the references about Aunties and Uncles, everything seems like it was written first hand; this is why I love POC authors. My one worry is for people who don't understand the language because unless they had a dictionary they most likely wouldn't understand all of the phrases.

The things that didn't work as well:

-Info dumps. The entire first portion of the book seemed to be full of info dumps that made the plot move at a glacial pace. I was halfway through the book and felt like I had gone nowhere. It does get better in the second half, but overall it seriously impeded my interest in reading the book. Many of the info dumps also didn't feel needed. They seemed quite literally dumped in to keep the story moving rather than weaved into the plot.
-Writing Style. Building off the info dumps, most of the story felt like telling not showing; we were told the history, we were told about what was going to happen. There wasn't a lot of showing just the author informing us what had happened. I just didn't seem to mesh with the style.
-Editing. Overall this book had quite a few grammar and editing mistakes. I picked up multiple in the first few chapters alone and I feel that this seriously harmed my enjoyment of the story. I feel this story needs to be edited greatly before moving on.

Overall this book had a good storyline and great attention to detail but needs some more work on the writing style and info dumps. I was so excited about this book and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't what I had hoped for.

I received an e-arc of Rise of the Red Hand by Olivia Chadha from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I ended up DNFing this book, I couldn't get into the story and there was a LOT of info dump at the beginning which was kinda confusing and hard to process at all once.
I thought that this book sounds like a cool sci-fi in the same vein as the Lunar Chronicles when I requested it, and from what I read it was eerily similar, with a cyborg main character and references to a plague....
I think others could still enjoy this title, it just wasn't the book for me.
I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.

Olivia Chadha is a talented author and this is clearly seen in Rise of the Red Hand.

The world-building in this novel is fantastic and felt very unique. It was full of lots of imagination and I appreciate the effort that would have gone into developing such a world. However, there were so many issues and futuristic ideas presented in this book, I felt almost a little overwhelmed - climate change, rising sea levels, spreading diseases, cybergenetic body parts, space stations, neuro-links, and more. I wish there had a been a better balance between the plot development and world-building so that it didn't feel like I was just being overwhelmed with the world details. The first third of the book spends most of the time setting up the world and the current state of things, and not a lot of progressive plot actually happens. Despite the slightly slow beginning, it was still an overall interesting and absorbing read.

I think fans of YA dystopian/sci-fi novels will thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this book!

3.5/5

Rise of the Red Hand provides a glimpse at a future that could be right on our doorstep. A planet ravaged by climate change, and a society that must deal with the aftermath. For the province of South Asia, the population is split in two. The upper class that live in the climate-controlled biodome, being deemed genetically worthy, and the others, that live outside and must fend for themselves. Ashiva, a smuggler for an underground resistance group known as the Red Hand, uncovers a dangerous conspiracy that reaches into the very government that has turned their back on the population outside.

Right from the start, I felt immersed in the potential future that Chadha layed out over the course of the book. A world that has had to adapt and innovate in order to survive. For the most part, aspects of this world hit way too close to home, which was clearly the authors intention. To create a story surrounding the possibility of problems arising from climate change and governmental instability. The rising sea levels, loss of plant and animal diversity, and outcomes from nuclear warfare were really at the forefront here. The three main characters provided a necessary perspective from each part of this society, both inside and outside the dome. However, I think that far too much time was spent laying the groundwork for the problems that would play out in this book. This is due in part to the amount of background given to this world and the characters. More than half the book was spent in this way, and I think that deterred my enjoyment of it as a result. The book in and of itself was incredibly thought provoking though, and I am glad I stuck through it.

Olivia Chadha definitely went above and beyond in her research for this one! The threats posed by climate change, rising sea levels, polluted air, and deadly pandemics were all explored and reasonably well-executed. Rise of the Red Hand also utilized and incorporated scientific facts as well. For example, there was one scene where the water filtration system of the Narrows was brought up. Rather than simply glossing over it and saying it magically exists, like many writers in today’s era, Chadha actually wrote about sodium carbonate being mixed into the collected water, and a calcium filter being employed to help clean it. This may seem boring and dull, but it was actually presented in a really informative and engaging way.

The writing style of this novel was definitely unique. The exposition kept me hooked and wanting more, but the way it was written also made it seem somewhat rushed and info-dumpy. There was a lot that happened, and the reader was frequently dragged from one scene and one character to the next. That made it feel hurried and disjointed. There were also several grammatical errors, but that isn’t anything a good editor can’t fix.

Our main protagonist, Ashiva, was your typical strong and independent female leader. I didn’t mind her, and it was clear she cared for the well-being of her people. Our other main character, Riz-Ali, was less relatable and likable. His life, though opressed in its own ways, was one of excess. His family had money and power, which he initially used as an excuse to buy drugs and play illegal games on the underweb. His blatant lack of ambition and respect was something I personally never got over.

I liked the unique, futuristic Asian setting of this book and the awareness it brought to some of today’s most pressing environmental problems. I think it will appeal to a wide variety of audiences, and I will definitely recommend this to a few friends and fellow bookworms.