Lindisfarne

After being gripped by Tipping Point earlier this year (this review originally written in December 2018), I have been keen to return to Terry Tyler's dystopian Project Renova series. This second volume, Lindisfarne, is just as scarily plausible as the first and I soon immersed myself back in the story. (I did appreciate the brief Tipping Point recap!) We get to see to what extent Vicky and her daughter Lottie are adapting to their new reality. Lindisfarne focuses on the changing dynamics and relationships within the group as they encounter new people and also rekindle past friendships - and animosities. At one point we have an intricate love hexagon (I think. Geometry isn't my strong point!) which adds great tension to the situation. I loved how Tyler illustrates different approaches towards the leading of this new community of very disparate people. Would a committee or a dictator be the most effective? Which tasks should take priority when there aren't enough people to do everything?

I would have liked more details of the practicality of life as I feel this would have helped me envisage the island day to day. The way British society seems to be imploding right now, it might soon be useful information too! However this is only a minor point. For me what really makes Lindisfarne interesting is its authentic-feeling contrasts. Lottie's youth and inexperience actually allows her to be far more flexible about her lifestyle than Vicky. The well-meaning Marcus envisages a peaceful cooperative commune, but this would always be at risk without the entrenched violence of the biker gang's 'protection'. Plus, as we watch these people, like mice in a lab experiment, struggling to survive, I was always wondering at the back of my mind, how long it could be before the organisation that unleashed the whole mess in the first place returned to enforce their ideas on everyone. Thank goodness I've already purchased the third in this series, UK2, and I won't wait too long to find out!