From the back cover:

WHAT IF THE EARTH YOU KNEW WAS JUST THE BEGINNING?

A New York banker is descending into madness.

A being from an advanced civilization is racing to stay alive.

A dead man must unlock the secrets of an unknown dimension to save his loved ones.

From the visions of Socrates in ancient Athens, to the birth of free will aboard a spaceship headed to Earth, The Unity Game tells a story of hope and redemption in a universe more ingenious and surprising than you ever thought possible.

Metaphysical thriller and interstellar mystery, this is a ‘complex, ambitious and thought-provoking novel’ from an exciting and original new voice in fiction.

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The Unity Game is made up of three seemingly separate plots.  One about David, a young New York Banker, one about Noce-bouk, an alien being and one about Alisdair, an experienced lawyer who dies at the beginning of the book.

Obviously these three stories interweave with each other eventually.  I did think I had it figured out quite early, but was only half right, so the end was a nice surprise.

The narrative quickly switches between periods of high emotion, extreme calm and disorientation.  You are dragged along with the characters’ emotional journeys in a way that makes you feel you are living their lives with them.

All of the senses are explored as the author cleverly uses colour, sound, taste and touch to bring a sense of realism to this fantastical story.  A lot of the language is beautiful and poetic, and the different places the characters live really come to life on the page.

Each of the lead characters are under pressure for different reasons and this stress pours from the book.  You are taken on an emotional rollercoaster which will lead you to question the decisions you have made in your own life and what the point of it all is.

While all of the main characters are identifiable, not all of them are likeable, particularly David.  But you are drawn into the story of each one and really care about their journey.  All of the characters have a personality, even the ones in the background shine out in their moment.

Some of the narrative is heavy on telling rather than showing, which can make the story feel a little quick in places.  There are also a lot of small details which do not move the story forward.  This causes the story to feel juddery in places, going very fast for a couple of pages before grinding to a halt.  However the book is very enjoyable overall, with an original plot, interesting characters and varied settings.

The end was unexpected with not all of the loose ends being neatly tied up creating a sense of openness which reflected the nature of the story.

This is a thought provoking enchanting story about life, love, loss and everything in between, which would be enjoyed by fans of Slaughterhouse 5.

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I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review