The heart of the Troll by Iva Dimitrova

To succeed in life, we need a few key things. A job that pays enough to keep the bills under control, friends and family to love and care about, and good health, because really, without your health, the others can start to fall apart. What if life was completely governed by your health? What if, you were cast out, if you didn’t keep up to date with everything expected by the head healthcare company?
This is the life that Ernest is living. Everything that is left in his life after his divorce, is controlled by Pharma Care. His job is working for the company, an occupation that pays so little he is back living with his mother. His health is controlled by a 3D printed heart that beats ineffectually within him and is slowly counting down to the day it will wear out and cease to function.
What would you do if this was your life? What would you do, if a heart became available, even if under slightly illegal circumstances? These are the decisions that lead Ernest to a thrilling and challenging new world, where he meets Grace, the last bookseller in the city, and someone who will change his life forever. Whether this is good or not will be for you to decide as you follow them on their journey to answers and possible freedom from their rule-bound lives.

I honestly started this one because the cover draw me.

We are following the journey of a nerdy troll and a bookseller in a dystopian world where Pharma companies took the power and lure people to new "remedies" and genetic editing procedures to allow them the illusion of an healthy life under a burning sun after an Armageddon-ish worldwide disaster and health collapse.
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I wasn't exactly sure what I was reading at first to be totally honest, and then it started to kick and wow I was totally hooked. The plots would have been better with a bit more developpement, but the world building is awesome and the characters are easy to root for.

Everything is connected and the author managed to close everything without plot holes, thanks for that. Though, I would have signed for a bit more context at the beginning as I struggled to be hooked in the first few chapters and more depth for the characters. But I still loved them like this so it did the trick.

The writing is good, really good, and I liked the punchlines between Ernest and Grace were super fun and I really loved all the plot twists even if a bit too predictable for my taste.

A good book. I'd love to read more from this author, especially from this universe.

In a blend of dystopia and science fiction, The Heart of the Troll tells the story of a world taken over by a pharmacological company named PharmaCare. In an attempt to help humanity survive climate change, science has advanced to the level of genetic editing. Monthly boosters will help keep you healthy, and extra procedures can help you with predisposed conditions or cosmetic desires. But if you don't comply with the medical reform? You will be kicked out of the city and stripped of your rights. A renegade.

The books tell the stories of our two main characters. Ernest Goodman is a Troll, meaning he writes blog posts as an online influencer advertising PharmaCare products he knows are bogus. Grace Holly is a bookstore owner, daughter of the leader of the renegades. When Ernest needs a heart transplant, both of their stories collide.

The science parts of this story are very interesting. A society that has access to gene editing to combat major health problems should be an utopia, but we see this medical accomplishment be twisted into a vehicle for eugenics. We also get an interesting glimpse into how PharmaCare managed to manipulate the population, the existence of the Troll shine a light on our own influencers and their powers and responsibilities. Although I wished Ernest's feelings about his work were explored a bit more in depth, it is already a cool concept.

However, the story lost me when it started veering away from the science. It is a fictional book, so obviously I don't expect it to be accurate. But I prefer science fiction books that remain in the level of plausible; or at least of consistency. Without spoiling too much, the renegades end up closer to the side of mysticism or magic, with a lot of the fundamental plot points simply not having an explanation. Not having opportunities to run scientific testing of their group is not a read I, as a reader, can accept for such integral parts of the story such as what made the Leader so special.

Regardless, I probably would have like this book a lot more if it weren't for the narrative style. A lot of the exposition is shared through the characters talking to themselves, for starters. It was sometimes also hard to identify when a character was talking to themselves or to someone else, since both texts used quotation marks. Additionally, the way characters were referred to made me very irritated. The Troll, the Tall One, the Traitor, etc. It caused a strong disconnect to the characters and reminded me of when people try to overcorrect not repeating character names.

I am very sad I did not love this book. I genuinely think it has a fascinating premise and an interesting take in a dystopian/science fiction novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Iva Dimitrova for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.

*2 stars for NetGalley rating requirement*

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me, but while I didn’t necessarily vibe with it myself, I do think others will definitely enjoy this.

I think my biggest issue with this was that I really struggled to connect to the characters, whether that was the writing or maybe just characters that I didn’t really relate to I’m not entirely sure, but I do think that the plot is a really unique premise. I love a great dystopian, sci-fi plot line and people who love speculative fiction will thoroughly enjoy this, as it follows heavily along the idea of the control behind big pharma. It raises a lot of questions, a lot that I really don’t feel equipped myself to think about too much as I’m not really in a position where pharma is a big part of my life, but I can definitely see how others would relate this.

Thank you so much to the author for reaching out, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

The Heart of The Troll by Iva Dimitrova is a thrilling and thought-provoking dystopian novel that blends sharp social commentary with gripping suspense. Ernest and Grace’s fight for truth and survival is both moving and unforgettable. I enjoyed this imaginative and compelling read and rated it five stars.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters! The pacing felt a bit off at times but didn’t impact my reading or enjoyment of the story.

I thought the book had an interesting concept and liked learning more as I read. I liked the characters and how they interacted. I thought the pace was a bit slow at times.

I found this book to have a really interesting flow, it seemed jerky and surreal in most instances, but I couldn't help but feel interested the more I read. The characters all have very clear personality, but there was a lot of telling rather than showing.