A spine-tingling tapestry depicting a dystopian world that feels hauntingly familiar.
The Generation Archives is the explosive debut by R.R. Boxall, following the misadventures of Rin as the world she had once known is suddenly and irrevocably turned on its head.
With the unwavering support of her childhood friend Ieuan, Rin must align with those whom years of indoctrination say she should be most afraid. However, like even Rin’s own heritage, nothing is quite as she had been led to believe, and she is forced into a colossal task to uncover the bitter truth.
If I had to guess, I would say that The Generation Archives was written post-March 2020, portraying a marred portrait in which abused science, climate change, and human instincts converge in a worryingly plausible way.
The world is beautifully (or perhaps rather ‘bleakly’) described, the characters are well-developed and unique (watch out for Cornelius - he was a personal favourite of mine), and the overarching plot is compelling, inventive, and expertly delivered.
I am someone who appreciates great writing and The Generation Archives falls comfortably in that camp, with well-crafted sentences and a clear attention to detail.
My only complaint (small enough that I nearly didn’t include it at all but thought I may be doing a disservice by not mentioning it) is that Boxall does on occasion over-explain, particularly when it comes to character emotions, thoughts, or reading one another’s expressions. This is really just a personal preference in that I like to have a little breathing space in the subtext from which to draw my own conclusions.
This one irk, however, is vastly outweighed by the many things I loved about this book.
All in all, The Generation Archives was an absolute pleasure to read and I sincerely hope Boxall has Book 2 ready to go because I’m not sure how I’m going to rest until Rin gets back to Renegades’ Cove.