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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Volk's Bane by Zach Fortier is the second book in The Overseer series, which began with book one, Volk, when over 100,000 gamers made contact with aliens. In Saudi Arabia, an AI named Sophia becomes a citizen, and Spinners, innovative gadgets, become wildly popular. Viktor Roper must unravel the connections between these events as he faces a perilous solo battle to stop the impending destruction of humanity. In this installment, a century later, humanity has achieved a breakthrough in collaboration with mitochondria and the AI empire, guided by The Overseer, leading to an overhaul of human DNA. Genetic diseases are gone and health and longevity are improved. Under The Proctor's leadership, efforts are underway to revive cultural heritage, with Maricella Vasquez spearheading this initiative. Viktor Roper rejects this new order and lives in isolation, watched closely by The Overseer.
In Zach Fortier's Volk's Bane, readers are thrust into a post-apocalyptic world where humanity’s social survival hinges on recovering lost cultural treasures in a shattered society. The novel is anchored by its cinematically immersive writing that starts with showing us the quest of Vasquez, tasked with preserving endangered art and languages, and the haunting dreams of linguistic prodigy Mikhail Yahaya. Fortier's skill is in character development, and I thought the landscape that Viktor is placed in was second only to the intense internal conflict and a call for redemption against El Capitan. I'd be okay if he drove something other than a Tesla, but we won't split hairs here. The writing is exceptional, both intelligently composed and uniquely accessible to readers approaching the series from any genre. I loved the themes that deep dig into human frailty and resilience. Fortier's perspective makes the novel not just a tale of survival, but a thoughtful examination of what it means to rebuild and find meaning in a world we no longer recognize. Very highly recommended.
