Of Song and Singularity

by Emory Skwara

Wrenna Sunden lives in the utopian world of Avalon, under the care and protection of Sophia, a personal, synthetically intelligent being that governs everything, creating harmony and peace. Since she was a child, Wrenna was without want, getting all her heart desired, but her lavish lifestyle is stripped away when Sophia institutes the Exodus Act, a relocation program to a new, better utopia enacted by mechanized retrieval units. Wrenna puts her trust in Sophia, but when her father isn’t convinced the Exodus Act is what Sophia says, he wants Wrenna to escape. Wrenna must choose between her father and Sophia. On one surprising day, she is thrust into a decision that will change her fate forever and send her down spiraling into a world of survival. Wrenna must come to grips with her new reality, fight to survive, and somehow find out what happened on that fateful day.

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2015

About the author

I live in Minnesota, have a Liberal Arts degree, and when I'm not reading or watching a movie, I'm probably cooped up somewhere with black coffee, writing. I have a lot of different influences, a lot of which are classic authors (I'm bad at keeping up with modern fiction). I like stories that are entertaining, but also thought provoking, intellectual, and try to reach you at a deeper, emotional level. So, with that said, I try to bring that to my own writing as well. I really hope you enjoy something of mine, and if you do please feel free to let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you.

Reviews

[Emory Skwara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The process of writing this book was a great challenge. Since it is written in first person, I had to really try to see things from teenage girl perspective while she was thrust into a horrible situation. That proved tricky as I am neither a teenager or a girl. Also, I had to consider the context. She's a very pampered and spoiled girl living in a utopia and has everything taken away. The emotional toll that might take on someone is hard to imagine, but I tried to understand her current psyche and really dig deep into her feelings on the situation. Honestly, the challenge was great fun and I had a blast plotting it out and writing it. At the heart of the story, Of Song and Singularity is a survival tale about a girl who goes from being protected and spoiled to learning the trials and terrors of the world. I was really intrigued by this concept when I first started developing it and I'm happy with the result. I think readers will relate with Wrenna's struggle and enjoy her journey. Plus, lots of robots.

[P.H. Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Song and Singularity is a YA dystopian book of the near future where, main charcter, Wrenna Sunden must survive the sudden, confusing displacement of her community to a mysterious new location but the controlling AI, Sophia. It's a shrewd examination of the concept of singularity, deftly woven together with mystery, love, technology and danger. Author, Emory Skwara, has written a story tightly plotted and well developed in Wrenna's own words that should become a classic in years to come.