By: Manuela Soares
Unanimity is the first book in the new Spiral Worlds series by Alexandra Almeida. This is an incredibly written sci-fi novel entrenched in the genre but also has elements of philosophy and sociology. It’s split into two timelines, Past and Future/Present, takes place in two different “worlds,” Up Above (Reality) and Down Below (Virtual), and involves several fascinating and complex characters. I thoroughly enjoyed how Almeida split this by showing the past and how the Down Below was created, and then the future/present and how that world has not only become the default world for so many but the problems it’s facing and how the current Goddess is trying to fix/address them. I also really love how Down Below has changed from its original purpose to a virtual reality where most people chose to “live.”
I’m not a huge Sci-Fi reader, but this is a sensational novel. Almeida has created an intricate and creative world that’s so easy to get lost in. Add in the characters and their avatars, everything they go through, and the overall interpersonal relationships between these characters, and it’s beautiful.
It can sometimes get confusing due to the intricacies of the story, some of the terms, and keeping the actual names and avatar names straight, but thankfully Almeida included a series guide at the beginning of the book consisting of Souls (characters), worlds, and a history timeline to help straighten things out. I found it to be incredibly helpful.
Overall, this was an incredibly beautiful story filled with superb world-building, rich and complex characters, and jarring parallels that make you stop and think and compare events in the book with our real world. It’s a hefty book both in subject and actual size, but it’s so worth the read!
Thank you to Alexandra Almeida and R&R Book Tours for a copy of this to read and review.
Functionally Fictional 
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