“The Four Worlds: The Truth” by Skyler Ramirez

The Four Worlds: The Truth

Skyler Ramirez
Independently Published (2021)
ISBN: 979-8776867453
Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views (11/2022)
5* an excellent debut novel and an exciting series opener.

“The Four Worlds: The Truth” is the debut sci-fi novel by Skyler Ramirez and the first book in The Saga of The Four Worlds trilogy. If you like sci-fi that takes shape as a space opera with military precision, genetic engineering, and an overall dystopian thriller vibe, look no more—this one’s for you.

The 47 Colonies have existed independent of the four worlds of Earth, Mars, Luna, and Europa for over 700 years under the rule of the Council. Everything the Council does is for the benefit of the colonies and no one questions the Council’s authoritarian rule. Until people start dying—by suicide, that is. When two members of the illustrious Guard start connecting the commonalities between the suicides, they threaten the very balance of the Council’s rule and must be stopped at all costs.

I enjoyed this saga immensely. It’s fun and fresh and the author makes a deliberate choice to “keep it clean” with no profanity or vulgarity. And while there are graphic scenes in the story, they are tastefully executed, without resorting to the extreme gore factor to keep the plot moving forward.

Readers will easily recognize the parallels with today’s society in “The Four Worlds: The Truth.” From the Freedom from Religion Act, which outlawed and declared organized religion as fraudulent, to censoring the media and other issues affecting society, the inclusion of these matters instills a sense of trepidation in the form of a cautionary tale.

This adventure is full of memorable characters and readers will no doubt pick their favorites early on. Existing amongst the population of the colonies are four types of genetically engineered humans that enhance the story: Speakers are the mouthpieces of the Council, Readers can read the thoughts of the people, Enacters extend the will of the Council without question and Blenders are spies for the Council. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these unique characters types through the distinct personalities featured in the lead protagonists/antagonists.

A forewarning about the characters: this author is not afraid of “killing his darlings” and there are some pretty significant character assassinations, if you will, that will leave you questioning where to place your loyalties. This is what I love most about defining characters – the dotted lines between good and evil, and the intrigue around those characters crossing the lines, wavering in and out of both sides of the spectrum. And, except for the genetic engineering, of course, the character traits display the flaws you would expect; they are authentic and well-developed. The female protagonist is a character to root for and growing into her own. It will be fun to watch her develop as the series continues.

Overall, I found “The Four Worlds: The Truth” by Skyler Ramirez to be an excellent debut novel and an exciting series opener. I highly recommend it to fans of space opera, and military and genetic engineering sci-fi buffs and I look forward to the continuation of the story.