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.

Rise of the Read Hand primarily follows the story of Ashiva and Riz-Ali (with a smattering of additional characters as well)set in a utopia/dsytopia cyberpunk-esque South Asia where two populations are at odds.

The Uplanders, including Riz-Ali and his family, live luxurious lives within the Ring, a biodome free from the outside world's threats. The rest of the population, such as Ashiva, struggle to get by with a threats such as unbreathable air, deadly viruses and diseases, and rising sea levels threatening to destroy their adopted home.

Ashiva works for the Red Hand as a smuggler, deeply entwined in the Red Hand's fight against the government in the SA Province. When Ashiva and Riz-Ali cross paths, they both become embroiled in something bigger than they ever expected to find - horrifying conspiracies on both sides.

Overall, I REALLY was entranced with the world-building. The author brought the world to life so well, it really made the book what it was. The characters were relatable and realistic.

However - as much as I loved the story and the world-building, I didn't love the ending. The end of the book seemed extremely rushed compared to the rest of the book, like the author was just wanting to finish it quickly to be done with it. I didn't feel the connection at the end anymore, and that was really disappointing.

I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

SciFi YA/NA is already so rare that getting crumbs of it is a delight. getting that plus a non US story brings the picture to be even more powerful. I was so excited for this book.

This was such a frustrating book to read, because it had so much potential only to be walked over by it's own prose- which I personally found to be rambling and full of exposition. Non stop tell and not show, non stop using conveniently asked questions all of the characters should no so a character could answer and explain to the audience basic concepts. This at times, dragged the book to a slow grind.

The plot itself of an upper and lower class in scifi isn't original, but doesn't have to be. I thought the world was incredibly atmospheric and strong and extremely happy with it. The main character was also likable enough, even though I sometimes feel like we didn't get to know her well.

I hope to see the next installment of Rise of the Red Hand address some of these issues, I can see this being a real hit.

The world-building of the book was amazing! The fact that this was set in south asia made me more interested in finishing the story since the culture was so so rich. The storyline of the book was so engaging and action-packed that it kept me reading until the end, I honestly flew by this book. Will definitely recommend this book!

<i>Rise of the Red Hand</i> scratched my cyberpunk itch. This is a really promising first book in the series.

<b>Hands down, the worldbuilding is brilliant. This is a smart sci-fi novel that actually reads like it was published in 2021, unlike many other cyberpunk stories that seem perpetually stuck in 80s Blade Runner mode</b> (I love Blade Runner, but I hope you get me). Honestly, this universe is a believable extension of our own. A segregated city that divides by both class and genetics, a pandemic sweeping across the land (ehem, 2020) that started from the rich but is used as an excuse to oppress the poor, a government fabricating news, climate change eradicating the world, robots and neural-links and plans to migrate to the moon...

Furthermore, it's set in South Asia and is beautifully rich and casual with culture. <b>As much as I love cyberpunk's Asian-inspired visuals, I wish that they actually represented the cultures they drew from, and <i>Rise of the Red Hand</i> reclaims it all for its own.</b> Asian authors are winning.

<b>It's action-packed from start to finish, which made it an easy read despite the overwhelming info-dumpy writing style that turned me off at first.</b> But once I got used to it, I flew through the story because I wanted to learn more.

<b>However, I couldn't give it a full 5 stars because I felt like some plot points were too convenient.</b> It didn't give me too many twists and turns, and while our protagonists were distinct, I wish we had a slightly deeper insight into their characters. There's a whole lot of them taking things too calmly considering the circumstances lol. <b>Plus the romance felt forced and unnecessary, although it was tiny enough that you can easily ignore it.</b>

<b>TL;DR A promising start to a new series. Recommended for readers who haven't read a lot of cyberpunk, or want a YA dystopia story that's actually pretty deep and has solid social commentary.</b>

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for providing me with a free e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Needs a lot more editing. I really like the setting and story presented in the book. Unfortunately i had to stop reading around chapter four. There are numerous typos, missing comas, and words out of order that distract too much to keep reading. I'm hoping these are just artifacts of the conversation from text to digital and they do not show up in the final product. I will try again if a different review copy becomes available or when the book is published.