Black Spiral

This is the best ScFi series and futurism I have read since The Arc Of the Scythe series which is also reviewed on this site. It is the final in the series and ties up all the themes and plot lines in a satisfactory ending but leaving food for thought. . . . An extremely thought provoking series that is compulsive reading. Don’t miss this series you will kick yourself if you do.

Bob Docherty, Bobs Book Blog

I adored reading the first two volumes in Eileen Merriman’s The Black Spiral trilogy. My words grace the back of the third volume: 'Characters matter, dialogue matters, real-life detail matters, significant issues matter and you are always held in the grip of a perfectly pitched narrative …This YA fiction at its life-crackling best.' This appraisal also applies to the third and final volume, Black Spiral because it resonates and grips on many levels. Like the first two books, it is exquisitely crafted at the level of both sentence and architecture. . . . What makes the novel strike so deeply are the ideas. Follow the stench of corruption wherein those in power (not just the Foundation but across Governments and other organisations) use power to serve themselves as opposed to multiple communities. To serve the well-off, to dupe the vulnerable. What price human life? was a question running through my mind as I read. Ideas on biological warfare, vaccines, pandemics, human greed, percolate above and below the narrative surface. I am reminded how we need to insist on scrutiny, on speaking out, on maintaining solid, useful and indeed loving human connections. Yet what also makes the novel are the characters. The way good and evil are not clear cut, easily discernible divisions. . . . I couldn’t put the book down. Black Spiral clung to me as I ate, did chores, did my own writing. After I read the final page, I dreamed of the novel that night, and it stuck with me the next day. Like a shape shifter before my eyes. Like a phantom cloud of ideas, plot and epiphanies. The relationships, the connections. Eileen’s medical background adds gritty layers, ethical choices, questions about the babies we carry, medical interventions, using humans as guinea pigs, being transparent. Black Spiral still clings as I work on my own novel, as I read the next poetry book, as I hang out the washing, listen to the latest Covid numbers, the catastrophic events in Ukraine, the twisted choices of the protestors. Novels as good as this offer retreat, reinforcement and uplift. Glorious.

Paula Green, Poetry Shelf

The third and final book in this excellent Young Adult trilogy from Eileen Merriman. . . . A gripping finale to this series and an author to watch out for.

Ann Kilduff, Rotorua Daily Post

The Black Spiral is the final book in the 'Black Spiral' trilogy and brings the series to a thrilling conclusion. . . . The Black Spiral takes the trilogy to a deeper level while still being a suspenseful, page-turning read. The characters are well-drawn, the plotting first-class, and the story lingers in your mind long after reading the final page. It’s aimed at the young adult reader, but older readers will also enjoy these futuristic books.

Karen McMillan, NZ Booklovers

After reading the first two books in the Black Spiral Trilogy I was very eager to immerse myself in the final phase of the trilogy, Black Spiral. . . . I have loved reading Black Spiral. Merriman has created a world that is not necessarily relatable, as it is science-fiction as set in the future, but is certainly believable and well detailed, with its driverless cars, new technology, and fruit and vegetables nearly extinct, the setting of Black Spiral transported me to the mid-2030s. Black Spiral is fast-paced and suspenseful but doesn’t leave you behind feeling confused. I think Merriman has done a great job of creating the characters for the Black Spiral Trilogy. . . . Black Spiral is an action-packed science fiction adventure, with strong characters, a detailed setting, and a suspenseful and well-oiled plot. Merriman concludes the Black Spiral trilogy well, tying up all loose ends and keeping the reader hooked, in Violet’s final fight for freedom.

Amber Cayley, year 10 student, Hooked on Books

After reading books one and two of the Black Spiral trilogy by Eileen Merriman, I thought that, surely, Violet would finally be free, and maybe a mother too. I had a lot of questions. I began reading hoping for a good, satisfying ending. Without giving any spoilers, I finished the book with only a few questions remaining, and I couldn’t have predicted how Merriman revealed information. . . . After finishing this book I came away thinking hard about my own reality. While this is fiction, the elements of the real world make you question those closest to you, and those running the country. I think this world is unsettling, which is vital to the success of a dystopian novel. . . . Black Spiral indicates that we should not trust people blindly. It inspires us to fix our current environmental issues and to always be resilient in any difficult situation. Overall the book is very good with an intricately woven plot and kept me engaged through most of the story. Like in all good stories, Violet gets her happy ending with the one she loves and the villains get the ending they deserve. I would recommend it to anyone who has read the previous two books and likes action.

Trillion Lau, Hooked on Books