Kindle Edition Amazon Oye Como Va Category:  Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Hope Mountain Press ISBN-10:  0981516653 Type: Fiction Pages: 366 Copyright: Nov. 14, 2015 ISBN-13: 9780981516653 Teenage rebel fights the Augment, her society's connection to status and power. Corrag is a Democravian teenager, smart, funny and bold. Maybe too bold. It is 2045. America has been shattered into two countries. Democravia and the Republican Homeland. Peace between the two continental rivals is always fragile. An ill-fated escapade with her boyfriend launches Corrag on a journey of revolutionary impact, driving her to exile in the Nenkaja from which there is no escape. Will she ever find a place for herself in a society dominated by the Augment? The Victor's Heritage, Book Two of the Jonah Trilogy, is a science-fiction thriller, a roller coaster of a book. "When one special person 'crosses the border' between worlds and faces isolation, abandonment, and trials - this makes for a powerful read, indeed..." "Through the vision and perceptions of Corrag, this world springs immediately to life with all its potentials for love, change, and devastation." Diane Donovan - Midwest Book Review   Excerpt The Victor's Heritage Chapter One --The Augment Corrag smiled at the idea of Gurgie in her bedroom on Durkiev Drive across town and the shock of recognition when she realized her friend had signed off on MandolinMonkey rather than go in for the remnant. So characteristic of a truly dynamic soul, Gurgie would say, to quit nonchalantly on the verge. But for Corrag the reality was less comforting. She had ten minutes before her parents called for dinner. It was a more complex fear coming over her -- of facing Ricky and Alana, the stalwarts of St. Michael's Close, the exclusive, tree-lined enclave of Edmundstown where she had grown and lived her entire sixteen years. Her parents, the Drs. Lyons as they were titled in the annual consensus, had implied that this talk would be “important to her future.” Whatever that could mean. Something about the boring infinitude of possibilities always just around the corner. Like signing off on the game rather than face the interior of the obelisk, it was easier for Corrag to be present and accounted for -- ride the tide of her parent’s displeasure -- then to make a stand by remaining in her bedroom, the private space she continued to carve out of the increasingly imperiled Democravian Federation life she was about to leave behind. She observed numbly as the icon came up on the nanowall, the family crest with the towering crane and the stylized image of the transgalactic, so twenty-thirties, and wished again she’d had other siblings, that Ricky and Alana had been more compelled by the recommendations of the Commission on Demography and less concerned with their augmented careers. But so be it. There were also advantages to being the basket in which were placed all the eggs of the Lyons family name. if only the crest design were more compelling. She hit the kill button before the music, theme of HG Wells acclaimed classic The Shape of Things to Come which she had performed during her sixth grade drama season in a stellar role as Hillary Perron, the Council leader responsible for the withering away of the former power of the state of California, the sclerotic, corrupt vestiges of what had once been democratic governance, could end. Now it just reminded her of her parent’s unfulfilled expectations for her development as a young woman about to assume the mantle of augmentation. She descended the stairs covered in royal blue carpeting and sat at the dining room table of molybdenum, while her father, white beard trimmed neatly and his cardigan in the colors of the University of the Upper West, maroon with cream pockets, beamed at her. Her mother, Alana, continued to talk in that subtle, alluring monotone with hints of New Albion that had entranced many faculty parties on the shores of Mono Lake. “And I’ve always maintained that tennis induces a better oxygen wash of the skin than yoga, Ricky. Well. Here she is. Corrag? Where is your file?” asked Alana. “Oh my God. Can I get my food before the interrogation?” “Of course you can. Don’t be silly,” said her father, trying hard to keep the sound of despair out of his voice. Alana sighed. Corrag hated hurting their feelings, but there was nothing else to be done. This would have to be endured. Not even Alana was going to come out of this smelling of roses. There was probably a word in another language for the moment when a young woman declared her independence from her family without a pre-approved plan in place. But Corrag felt herself destined for a new form of singular existence that depended on taking this risk. “Have you taken a stab at the essay yet? When is it due?" asked her father, once she had served herself from the tray offered by the housebot of the lasagna and truffles. “In two days,” said Alana. “It’s getting late.” “I’m having thoughts about it,” said Corrag. “I’m not sure.” “Not sure. Thoughts. That’s Corrag for you,” said Alana. “What is sure for you? Nothing is ever sure in your world. You are the classic case of choice overload. We never should have let her have a PlayCube of her own.” “Let her speak,” said Ricky. They waited breathlessly, the two anxious parents, while Corrag forked some lasagna and chewed without looking at them. “Didn’t you always tell me to follow my desires, Dad? Well, that’s what I’m trying to decipher. I don’t really know what my desires are. I don’t know if it’s what I really want. That’s my problem. I want to know. I can’t just plunge ahead into fine-tuning until I do. It wouldn’t be right for me.” “Right for me.” Alana repeated. She dropped her fork. It clattered on her plate. Ricky grabbed his head helplessly with both hands. The bot, sensing some urgency, circled the table speedily. Corrag waved it away with her hand and looked at it with a hard stare that sent it back into the kitchen through the energy panel. “This uncertainty of yours is in total defiance of your education and privilege,” said Alana. “I know,” said Corrag. “But it’s what I want. Until we reach augmentation, we can choose what we want, right?” “Within reason, Corrag. The parents still have the final say,” said Alana darkly. “It’s unbelievable, Corrag,” said her father. “There are no more exemptions. Look at the Calder boy. He wanted to take a year and read the books in his grandfather’s library because he said he “valued the experience” of holding the words in his head instead of instant upload. He tried to argue in the consensus - you don’t remember, do you? - that the year of reading was worthwhile. But there were no more exemptions. Do you understand? He was effectively exiled. The only thing left to him was the HumInt Corps. Is that what you want? Hundred mile marches in the swamps where not even the bots can go? Certain premature death? No augmentation means no physical corrections.” “That’s not true. There are other things,” said Corrag, the color rising in her face. “Like what?” asked Alana. “I don’t know.” “Uugh,” grimaced Alana, her face wrinkling like a prune despite the botulin implants. “Look,” said Ricky. Corrag could see the glint in his eye that told her he was probably in the Cloud. “It’s a common condition of human childhood to seek individuation. We try to condition it away, but the vestiges of the trait are stronger in some and may require remedial conditioning. Or else you can choose the Vocag. There are some interesting possibilities. If you like manual work.” “Okay,” said Corrag. She’d heard it all before. The path of the conversation had taken a familiar tack that apparently was not remembered by her father. But Alana would not have it. “Do you know what that is? It’s not exactly gravy, is it. Give them run of the greenhouses. How ... utterly tacky.” said Alana. “So? Somebody has to grow the food. I thought we were all in this together. Hail the Federation. Smile all the while." “Corrag,” said Alana sharply. “What?” “Look,” said Ricky. “I can accept that you need time. You’ve always been ... different." "What are you talking about, Dad? I'm just like you. Have you forgotten? You've told me about refusing to play football. How your dad took it hard. How you had to find your own way." "I know. You're ... different. Yes, like I was once. That’s why we love you. We’ll continue to support you in your choices no matter what.” “But she doesn’t know what she wants.” “Give her a year. What if we send her to New Albion to stay with Geoff and Joan? She can work with them, I don't know, the cows and the vegetable garden and get a real taste of life in the Republic. How does that sound, Corrag? It’s a world away from here. You haven’t seen your cousins since you were oh, two years old.” “I don’t remember.” “I agree,” said Alana, with the glint in her eye. “At first I thought it was a bad idea. After all, the Republic’s ideas on education and adulthood are very different than ours. I just don’t know how it will sit with the Council.” “I’ll run it by Mitchell Culpepper. There is the youth emissary program. It’s usually staffed by graduates of fine-tuning, but they may make an exception for me." “And I’ll get in touch with Joan. There’s the risk of course …” “Of course. But … paradoxically there are fewer opportunities for young people in the Repho. The reliance on market forces will always prove inefficient as a mechanism to harness the singularity.” “Do call Mitchell.” “I will dear. Tonight.” Ricky and Alana finished their dinner with occasional glances Corrag’s way. The matter was closed as far as they were concerned. Corrag watched her parents, wondering at their ability to turn on a dime conversationally once all the options had been thoroughly considered. For her, though, a year abroad loomed mysterious and menacing. She hadn’t heard them talk about the New Albion family in forever, and why that would be the best option for her was not clear. Corrag had, in the back of her mind, figured they would find a way to get her private tutors to prepare for augmentation, with some kind of mental health dispensation. Sure it would have channeled her into the arts, but that was where she felt at home, without the responsibility for determining the way forward for the entire civilization. Just entertain us. That was the mandate for the ArtSmile corps coming out of the Federation system. Most of their recent mindscapes and challenges were pretty bland. The occasional bootleg memes from Sandelsky, the main branding of the Republic that teenaged hackers sometimes spread around the play spheres, far outstripped Democravian productions in technical flair; and they just seemed deeper, somehow more important.

Midwest Book Review
The Victor's Heritage is Book Two of 'The Jonah Trilogy' and rests upon the spunky personality of teen Corrag, who is on track to receive the Augment brain implant that will connect her to the Cloud and thus to the knowledge base of the world.

But this goal about to be derailed, thanks to her association with a boy who is a veteran of war - and who offers quite a different perspective of their world than the one she's been raised with.

In 2045, the U.S. is divided into two very different countries. Within these nations lie the seeds of two competing political and social ideologies (much as is happening today). And when one special person 'crosses the border' between worlds and faces isolation, abandonment, and trials, this makes for a powerful read, indeed.

The Victor's Heritage, being part of a trilogy, enhances the setting provided in Book One, Savior; but while readers ideally should read the first, such is not a requirement to arrive late on the scene with its sequel. Through the vision and perceptions of Corrag, this world springs immediately to life with all its potentials for love, change, and devastation.

The Victor's Heritage is especially recommended for mature teens to young adults - particularly for those inclined to enjoy dystopian stories of the future, who will appreciate a vivid turn of events as Corrag's initial acceptance of her future turns into questions with terrible answers. The connections between family and friends are especially well drawn and lend an immediacy and excitement to the plot, which is powered by and packed with emotional revelations and swift action.

D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, The Midwest Book Review

Tome Tender- The Resilency and Strength of Youth in Troubled Times
The Augment, touted by those in power to be the perfect solution for the greater good. Everyone is urged to receive it, embrace it and be controlled by it, but there are always those who would rather die than be controlled, those who see it for what it is, evil. The year is 2045 and America is now two countries, balancing on a thin truce that could be shattered at any minute and Corrag becomes a free thinking, high spirited female who made one error that will catapult her into the world of revolution and exile, with little hope of freedom, unless she takes her future into her own hands.

Follow Corrag as she sees her dystopian world through eyes that have been opened to different truths and different realities as she weaves her way through the maze of life and survival.

The Victor’s Heritage by Anthony Caplan is non-stop action, adventure and completely spell-binding reading from start to finish. Mr. Caplan has woven a tale that sometimes parallels contemporary events, although set in a futuristic world. We often see teens as rebellious, as they seek to forge their own path, but is that always so terrible? Corrag is one such teen who has been forced into a world she is ill-prepared for and yet is ready to embrace new ideas and concepts far from the standard “party” lines. Mr. Caplan captures the force of youth, of coming of age, of new awareness and puts it all together into a tale that never lets up!

Once again, he writes with a skilled hand and brilliant detail, bring every character and scene to life as the tension stays taut and thought-provoking while never veering off from being 100% entertaining, start to finish! A definite MUST READ, not matter your age!


Full of Action
I had read Savior, the first book in the Jonah trilogy, and when the author asked if I wanted to review the second book, I was happy to do so. Although this is the second book in the trilogy, it is a stand alone book. It’s about the daughter/granddaughter of the main characters in Savior.

In this futuristic world, there is no longer a United States. There is Democravia and the Republican Homeland, each with its good and bad points but in both, the negatives outweigh the positives.

Corrag is a teenage girl who lives in Democravia and she is supposed to be Augmented soon. Although she doesn’t know exactly what the entails, she does know that the emotions and actions of the Augmented are monitored and controlled. She also knows that she doesn’t want to do that, at least for now. She doesn’t know what she wants and she’s bold enough to fight for herself. She’s an interesting character because she’s a lost teen who doesn’t know what her goals are, but she ends up in some crazy situations and usually knows the right thing to do.

There is a lot of action in The Victor’s Heritage along with some twists. You never know where Corrag is going to end up next. I liked the ending and look forward to reading the next book.