For me, the big draw of this book and the thing I'd be most likely to recommend about it is its rather unique premise of a dystopian, post-war near-fuFor me, the big draw of this book and the thing I'd be most likely to recommend about it is its rather unique premise of a dystopian, post-war near-future setting infested with literal demons. That scenario is presented so convincingly and matter-of-factly within the initial pages of the tale that I found it really easy to immerse myself in the world and story and simply go along for the ride.
That said, the excellent setup and world craft did end up doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of my overall enjoyment due to certain other elements striking me as a bit less stellar by comparison. That's not to say that "Below Economic Thresholds" has any truly bad or fatally-flawed components to it. I just would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of the world, its mechanics, and its characters than the story's fairly-brief length allowed. I'd also slightly ding the narrative for its largely one-dimensional main antagonist, who came across to me as less of a proper character and more of a cartoonish caricature of a stereotypical "evil rich guy," which I felt greatly hindered his value to and impact on the plot. In fairness, that sort of thing is a real pet peeve of mine, so others may well enjoy the de facto "stick it to the man" vibe it cultivates, but I personally found it to be a significant missed opportunity in this case, especially when just about every other character felt far more fleshed out and "real" to me.
Those quibbles aside, I'd still highly recommend the book, particularly for fans of dystopian horror who are looking for a quick, fun read that checks all the right boxes and brings a few intriguing new wrinkles to the party via a satisfying array of demonic baddies....more
