My Review of Davyne DeSye’s Carapace

In Carapace, Davyne DeSye paints a dismal future for humanity with the skill of an accomplished painter putting the brush to canvas. Even the title of Carapace is perfection; read the book and you’ll understand why.

A marked departure from her wonderful romance novels that take The Phantom of the Opera to the next level, Carapace is both science-fiction and thriller. As a master of the craft, she shows us that there is much more to Davyne DeSye than romance alone. As I understand it, sci-fi is her genre of choice although she has had great success with historical romance.

The dystopian future Davyne creates in Carapace is no less oppressive and dismaying than the world Philip K. Dick created in Blade Runner. At the same time, it is as bizarre and unfamiliar as the world where men dressed in black erase your memories after eliminating dangerous and disgusting aliens. Of course, I’m referring to the box office hit Men in Black. I could easily see Carapace as a movie directed by someone like J.J. Abrams or Ron Howard.

Narrated in the first person POV, Carapace is an easy read but it will push the limits of your imagination. If you want an engaging read with a protagonist who is much stronger than even she thinks, then Carapace is a great choice.

I understand that the sequel, Chrysalis, will be out soon. I can’t wait to read it. The visual of an alien pulling you in close with its jointed limbs, mandibles open, and its palpus slithering down your throat to suck out the sweetmead from your stomach is disturbing, to say the least.

My only request to Mrs. DeSye would be this: “Please tell me how this all came to be!” An origin story, if you will. I would love to read about how rapidly things digressed in the wake of the insectoid aliens arriving on our planet.

In short, I highly recommend Carapace to science-fiction lovers, especially those who appreciate a romantic twist.