Lest They Have Eyes by Bonivon Dyer

Epic in scale, yet with an intimacy that draws the reader in, this dystopian novel follows the lives of four characters who are bound together in a world hundreds of years in the future, following a nuclear war.

Kansis has been rejected by the perfect society that she lives in, after the mate she was matched with refuses to marry her. We feel her pain and rejection as she goes about her daily routine, shunned by those around her. She is tasked with educating the ‘pods’ as they awake. These are humans from centuries ago who wake from their pods, out of time and place in this new world.

Kansis’ work is largely uneventful until Amelia, one of the new pods, wakes to change Kansis’ world forever. Amelia is the daughter of the long-lost warlord, Arkarian Story, still frozen in his hidden cryo tank, a man and memory feared by all. Amelia brings powerful, dangerous secrets from the old world into the new. Kansis commits herself to protecting Amelia and they go on the run.

Pypen has been trying to find the hidden warlord for eight long years, alongside his friend Scout who runs a travelling circus as a cover for finding the warlord. Pypen owes Scout everything, and will do everything for him, but when he discovers what is really going on, will the cost be too high?

Meanwhile, Flister, an immortal, fears the cost of Arkarian’s return, as their lives become increasingly bound together.

This new world seems to be a utopia of peace and prosperity, but it's not all as it seems, especially when they go searching for a long-lost warlord.

Lest They Have Eyes has unforgettable characters, a multi-layered plot and exceptional world-building. In this world of perfection, the return of a warlord could destroy everything. While there is plenty of action, themes of courage, identity, and manipulation are also explored, as people confront who they truly are, their goodness and their scars.  

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Torn Curtain Publishing