Thank you very much for the chance to review this, but I am going to decline to review this. I haven't been able to get into this book, so I am setting it aside. Thanks!

After finishing this book, I had to sit with it for a few days.  I'm a fan of Sakey's Brilliance Trilogy - but Afterlife is a cut above and unlike anything I've ever read.

Whatever ideas you've entertained about the afterlife - I promise, you've never thought of it in this way.  Highly creative and thoroughly engaging, Afterlife is a phenomenal blend of thriller, fantasy, and love story set in a dark, dangerous world.

I really liked Will and Claire and their likability is crucial to this story.  Both are what you hope to see in law enforcement - unwavering honor, incredible bravery, and keen intelligence, although Claire is usually a couple of steps ahead of Will.  What they're willing to sacrifice for mankind and each other is completely selfless.

Although I felt the strength of their bond later in the story, the initial connection between them wasn't quite believable for me.  Maybe I'm just not an almost 'love at first sight' kind of person.

Afterlife is an epic battle between good and evil with an original, wondrous story that will stay with you long after finishing the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

I actually couldn't finish this book. This isn't any reflection on the author just couldn't get into it so maybe not a book for me.

This was an interesting read with echoes of The Great and Secret Show and RIPD (without the humour) but with its own philosophy and world building. Life, death and what goes on beyond are all grist for the mill in this story of two FBI agents and a love that not only endures but flourishes as a result of all that is thrown at it. Underlying it all is the apparent belief that to gain power is a selfish and ultimately destructive act and that the more you get the more isolated you become. As a result such power is fragile and can be destroyed by selfless acts. Remember that this is a story first and foremost and so thankfully falls short of polemic. Nevertheless, the characterisation is affected by this morality tale, with all key figures appearing as archetypes and secondary characters therefore suffer in their lack of development.

Despite all of the above it was a story that held my attention and was sufficiently rich and unique that I looked forward to each step in the tale. Recommended.

Afterlife is an absolutely outstanding book! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It is compelling and beautiful, yet so dark at the same time. It is a mix of crime/dystopian fiction and a love story unlike any other, spanning years and worlds, with a very different antagonist. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It caught me unawares and I will be thinking about it for a long time!

Looks like another good thriller from Sarkey, who has a talent for snappy dialogue and plot.