Live music is outlawed! - New dystopian book from Kent author

Bluemantle - A work of speculative, dystopian fiction debut from Karen Langston

Live music is outlawed! Set in the sun-scorched city of Wydeye, the totalitarian Authority controls its citizens through fear and cultivated dependence. Live music is deemed a threat to order and is forbidden by law. Punishment for participation is severe.

Chase Newell discovers his sister is missing. His search for her leads him to the underground music Scene, with its ageless Troubadours who must risk their lives to perform in order to survive. To do this, they rely on Bluemantle.

As the Authority’s control-obsessed leader, Governor Blix, and her evil-incarnate Chief of Command, Wulfwin, step up their efforts to seize the Troubadours and destroy the Scene, the risks escalate.

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Debut Kent-based author Karen Langston has an MA in English from the University of Kent.

She says: “I saw my two favourite bands, Haken and Caligula’s Horse, perform live in 2017. Both gigs were in intimate venues in London. The emotional rollercoaster, from the high of the gig to the deflated feeling the following day, knowing it was all over, was an experience I wanted to convey in a story.

“I also wanted to capture the ‘magic’ of those shows, but portray it as something real, physical, as opposed to metaphorical. Both bands have a loyal following of passionate fans. The atmosphere at their live shows, along with other gigs I’ve attended, leaves a powerful and lasting impression. It feels like an exchange has taken place between the crowd and the band. This notion of exchange, and the sense of magic behind the transaction, was the inspiration for BLUEMANTLE.”