Dev is a refugee. At the age of seven, alien spacecraft appeared above her homeworld and covered it with napalm, burning it to the ground. Thrust into the family’s ship and ferried off the dying planet, she is the survivor of a superior race called the Progenitors’ destructive warning: to leave their artefacts alone.
Twenty years later Dev becomes understudy to one of the scientists on the Faculty ship Sanctity Architect. She has grown up, moved on and buried her frightful past.
But unbeknownst to Dev, her life is about to collide with the Progenitors once again. They destroyed her planet, boiled its atmosphere away, burnt her parents alive – and now they need Dev’s help.
Nicholas J. Ambrose’s What Happened on the Sanctity Architect is a revelation. I, for one, have never been a fan of the science-fiction genre and there are few pieces of literature, if any, that have managed to convince me otherwise. After reading Sanctity Architect, however, I think I’m finally ready to change my mind. After all, it is character and plot that take precedence in Ambrose’s novel. Yes, simple enough, yet whenever I’ve read (or attempted to read) a science-fiction novel, the overall arch of the story is always eclipsed by the author who douses their readers with their knowledge of science, technology and anything else they feel they must include to make their novel part of the genre. Not here. The science in Sanctity Architect rightly plays a supporting role with nothing but characterisation to drive the plot towards its thrilling and devastating climax.
Gone are the long streams of ‘techno-babble’ that would usually dominate this kind of novel. Ambrose is careful not to segregate any readers, a clever strategy for his debut. Yes, there are moments where character’s conversations revolve around science, yet it is finally understandable. There is great intellect here, yet Sanctity Architect does not insult its readers by containing scientific nonsense that not even the smartest of us can understand. However, Ambrose really shines when the pace picks up. Chapter Three, titled ‘Dev, Dreaming’ is a notable example, containing passages that will terrorize and haunt. The tension that Ambrose creates is at times unbearable, relentless in its ability to continue throughout the majority of the novel. This makes for one gripping finale, although I will not go into that here.
Loss of humanity, for me, is a major occurrence in the novel and it is interesting that Ambrose should highlight this in such a bold way. Indeed, at times he even promotes the loss of human antics as an advantage, this ‘upgrade’ hindered only by Dev’s reluctance to surrender to the ‘norm.’ This is where Sanctity Architect really shines. Although subtle, the idea of what it means to be human packs a powerful punch when we look at the story overall. Conflict arises in the novel as humanity and technology fight for dominance. There are hints of feminist values; Dev stands up for what she believes in, and although her actions inevitably have their consequences, she is a strong character with humanistic morals, a rarity in a world where outer space is oppressive and non-humans (Cam) cherish their patriarchal 'personality.' The best novels are those where characters embark on a metaphorical journey, whether it end with their downfall or their uprising. In an effort to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, I shall not divulge as to which Dev is destined to, yet the change is there, and with it, differences in thematic significance. Although at times it may be seen as a burden, Sanctity Architect, is, essentially, a novel about humanity.
It seems hardly worth it to mention the one criticism I have. It is, after all, a minor blip. Ambrose has a tendency to chop and change scenes in quick succession during the novel. This happens rarely, but when it does, I feel it damages the structure that the author has brilliantly crafted. It is a literary technique that has been placed there for a reason, yet I prefer the passing of time, more often than not, to be described, rather than an overuse of cutaways and page breaks. Again, it’s only my opinion, and a very minor criticism.
It will be interesting to see where Ambrose goes for his next novel. I will be waiting eagerly for his second book and I anticipate many re-reads of his debut. Totally original, What Happened on the Sanctity Architect is a standout example of what science fiction literature should be about. Heart breaking, action packed and extremely frightening, Ambrose’s novel is one that will stick with you for a long time.
You can purchase What Happened on the Sanctity Architect for the Amazon Kindle here or in print here. Why not visit the official website of Nicholas J Ambrose for up to date news on his latest releases?
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