In Scythe we are introduced to a utopian future world where mankind has conquered death. There is no disease, famine, or anything else unpleasant as the world is monitored and managed by the evolved internet that has gained consciousness and is now called the Thunderhead. However, in order to avoid overpopulation in a world where people live forever, Scythes are a necessary part of life. They have to meet certain quotas of people they must glean or kill in order to maintain population control. This is where we are introduced to our two main characters, Citra and Rowan. Both are selected to be Scythe apprentices in order to learn the craft. After a series of events the two are separated and forced to compete with each other for one Scythe position. The winner must glean the loser upon being ordained. Rowan is placed with the particularly evil Scythe Goddard who sees himself as a God and enjoys the killing. Citra is placed with the infamous Scythe Curie where she learns to be empathetic toward the grieving families of those they glean. We then follow their very different paths toward the inevitable end where only one will prevail.
What I enjoyed most about this first installment in the trilogy is that I did not see any of the plot twists coming. When you are an avid reader, it becomes easy to see where the story is heading, but not with this sly book. Just when I thought I had it all figured out I was completely shocked in a good way. The story zigged where I thought it would zag and I could not put it down. I powered through the second half of this book voraciously just waiting to see what excitement the next page held. This is a true testament to great storytelling. The world building was fantastic and vivid. The characters were well fleshed out and dynamic. The plot was well thought out and unpredictable in the best way. This book will make you think about humanity in a very different way once you are immersed in the world. It was definitely one I could not put down and I am anxious to dive into book two immediately. I would highly recommend this one if you are in the mood for a page turning, plot twisting, and system shocking ride.
