BOOK REVIEW: Coldwire

COLDWIRE
by Chloe Gong
Available Now

As more and more of our interactions — work, school, and social — move to online spaces, Chloe Gong's Coldwire imagines a future where such a setup becomes not just accepted, but necessary. The opening book of the StrangeLoom trilogy imagines a world divide in two: downcountry, the real world becoming less and less inhabitable; and upcountry, a fully-immersive VR space that mimics reality in every way that matters. And when immersed in this space for months at a time, what's "real" becomes more and more difficult to parse.

Coldwire throws the narrative between two agents of NileCorp, the conglomerate with a monopoly on reality as the world knows it. Both are wards of the state, orphans from the country of Medaluo who will be pressed into service when they come of age. Lia is fresh out of training, having spent her academic career competing with fellow top student Kieren. For their first mission out, the two are sent on a secret mission together to upcountry Medaluo.

Eirale works for NileCorp downcountry, where she runs afoul of young anarchist Nik. When Nik's cohorts frame her for murder, she's press-ganged into helping them with their goals. Nik's aim? Bring down NileCorp. But it seems Eirale's bosses want her to follow Nik's lead, making capture of the rebel easier.

Both heroines have their own struggles with reality. Lia constantly struggles with her sense of reality: a condition known as Wakeman's Syndrome, in which downcountry can feel artificial. Eirale, meanwhile, has major gaps in her memory after coming off her last mission. And as both young women move toward their goal — following the same path in two levels of reality — their pasts and futures become inextricably tied together.

The presentation of Coldwire is excellent, squirreling away little details for big reveals that pay off in the books last hundred pages or so. The worldbuilding is also surprisingly believable, roping in public opinion of various technological advances to make this massive jump in lifestyle relatable. (For example, the decision to maintain the illusion of bodily functions in upcountry, while great from a standpoint of realism, absolutely would result in the sort of memes and dunks the book describes.)

The only true downside of Coldwire is scope. There's so much to unpick and unwind in the final act, and the big reveal deserves a bit more room to breathe and expand. The nature of the reveal (and yes, I am being hugely cagey because I don't want to give anything away) means this warrants a second and perhaps a third read, to truly appreciate how deeply interwoven these two stories are. It's just a bit of a shame that the revelation didn't have more room at the end before we hurried to the cliffhanger. That said, "I wish there had been more" is one of the least bad critiques a book can get.

Coldwire is a promising introduction to what will hopefully be an equally strong trilogy. In an era when sci-fi becomes increasingly difficult to write well because the impossible is constantly becoming more and more possible, Gong's writing roots itself in our understanding of the here and now to create a future we can wrap our head around. It interlocks ancient human tendencies with contemporary ethical quandaries in a way many modern writers simply cannot do.

TEA PAIRING: A Date with Mr. Darcy
Given the nature of Lia and Kieren's relationship, this tea's nod to Pride & Prejudice seems all too appropriate. This particular blend, an Earl Grey upscaled with rose and vanilla, reminds me a bit of the nature of upcountry: accurate to the original, but shinier. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and more teas from Chapters!