The Sons of Lazarus

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Stunning!
Review: Civil Warfields park offers plenty of ways for tourists to view the war between the states. More than reenactment, unbeknownst to the public, the wounds and causalities are real. When a corporal shouts to the pickup that mike that the wounds are real, remote security personnel drown out his words. The true purpose, however, of Civil Warfields is not the accurate representation of the War Between the States, nor financial; indeed, the true purpose of the park is to test a new devise on humans. A tiny implant nestled in the abdomen emits chemicals to keep the wounded in stasis until regeneration can be triggered.

The Confederate Commanding General Calvin Sutton is a megalomaniac, intent upon the South's victory in the reenactment of the Civil War. Recruitment for Civil Warfields was done indirectly. Men who had need of redemption, money, a second chance at life, or who crave dangerous thrills were put through rigorous testing. Then they were given a "pill" that was actually an implant during orientation; this implant can snatch them away from death. He promises tremendous rewards to the men who survive, but doesn't tell them of those men whose implants are beyond recovery range.

Carson creates a gristly novel that holds the reader's attention rapt. It's impossible to put the novel down as the action escalates, sweeping the reader into a world that is all too real. Combining the futuristic aspects with the historical accuracy, the novel provides not only excellent entertainment, but is a telling comment regarding the violence found within our society where reports of gang violence and video games that become "realer and realer" make us immune to death. With remarkable clarity and vision, Carson creates a must read novel that no one should miss. Very highly recommended.