Just Jennifer

Demi-Monde: Winter by Rod Rees (William Morrow, January 2012)

With a nod to Alexander Dumas (from whence the title comes), Rod Rees begins his season quartet of novels set in a cyber-game designed to train military personnel in a simulated environment of urban warfare.  This world is inhabited by some of the most evil people in the history of the world and is in a constant state of civil war.  Something has gone terribly wrong inside the model, however and the cyber-dupes (all based on real people) have come to life, as it were, and taken over the game.  They have also taken seventeen soldiers hostage and it is believed that Norma, the First Daughter, has also disappeared into the game and perhaps been kidnapped.  The military recruits young jazz singer, student Ella Thomas, a person who fits the one remaining cyber-dupe profile perfectly, to enter the Demi-Monde and rescue Norma.   Ella is reluctant, to say the least, but agrees to the government’s request and enters the game.  Once inside the game, Ella finds conditions and situations even worse than were explained to her and she realizes that not only is a civil war going on, but the leaders of the Demi-Monde plan to take over the real world. 

The world Rod Rees has created is utterly fascinating, and his use of historical characters and situations help bring a certain amount of realism to the setting.  There is a feeling of subtle social commentary every now and again. Ella learns quickly how to take care of herself in this unstable cyber-world and realizes that the extra information with which she has been imbued may give her away.  No one in the world is who they say they are or are purported to be and because some of the main characters, Ella included, are not delved into a great deal, it is hard to pick out who is true.  Even readers who say “I don’t like science fiction or fantasy” will find themselves caught up in the action of this book and even a little curious about the next chapter Spring, which is being released in the UK next month.