Delirium (Debt Collector Episode 1)

disclaimer, haven't read it yet, I picked out about 5 books at the same time ............. but the author should have held out, written more and compiled them - I know it says it's 44 pages in the product description, but I didn't see that when I ordered it - was under the impression it was a full book - I like short stories and I like novellas, but putting a 37 page story out on its own is something I would normally not buy

Wow...just wow...this was a very well crafter short story (the series is broken up into 9 "seasons", each about 50 pages long.) Since this is the first part of the series, much of the book is dedicated for acclimatizing readers into this gritty, new world and introducing characters. But that doesn't mean it's boring! No, the world building was well planned with no info dumps. Although there are some concepts the author does have to outright describe (ie. the job of a debt collector), most of the world building was relayed across to the reader through descriptions and word character interaction--basically showing, not telling. It's done so subtly that readers don't really notice the author is sneakily presenting information about this futuristic society :)

So basically there is no such thing as "money" in this society; credit is measured in "life" or "life energy." Basically once a person no longer contributes to society, his/her life energy is transferred to a person who is considered worthy of living a longer, youthful life. The debt collectors--what Lirium, the MC, is--are basically the people who take the "life" from one person and transfer it to another. It should be noted that only authorized "high potential" people are allowed to receive life energy; transfers to other people are forbidden and highly illegal.

And gosh--that character voice! Lirium (aka Delirium) has such a distinct, almost cynical, voice. I love how beneath his tough guy exterior he is still human. I thought the author made an awesome choice choosing to write in first person, because I loved seeing what was going through Lirium's mind; his snarky remarks really livened up the pages!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a futuristic thriller with a gritty setting.

***free copy received in exchange for an honest review**

****I received a copy of this episode in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.****

I'm really excited about this series. In a way I'm reminded of the movie A.I. because Delirium takes place in a futuristic world with technology that seems to have outstripped what society is ready for. This seems to be the beginning of a series where anything is possible. There could be androids! Well, I'm hoping there will be androids at some point. ;)

The main character, Lirium, works for the government's Debt Collector Agency, collecting souls from people who only have a short time to live and who have racked up too much "debt" - medical bills, taxes, credit cards, etc. The problem is that if the doctors are wrong about how much time a person has left to live, the collector collects the soul anyway. Basically this process is supposed to get rid of people who are no longer productive in society and give their life force to someone who is at the height of his or her productivity.

I was pulled in right away, and I really like the way Delirium makes me think about the implications of this system. It's horrific really - if I only had six weeks to live right now, my soul would be collected today. I have so much student debt it's ridiculous, not to mention I still owe on my car and my house... I would love to know more about this world. How was this system devised? Who came up with it? When did it start?

Lirium is complicated with many layers to his personality, and I'm eager to peel back those layers. He seems bitter and disenchanted with the world, but he is doing a job that is depressing. He doesn't seem to really live until he's collected a soul and gets his cut. Collecting souls is like a drug for the collectors. They can keep a certain percentage before turning the rest in, and they feel like they're "high." Lirium only lives for those highs, but once he meets a new sex worker from Madam Anastazja, a different side of him is revealed once he realizes this girl isn't quite who she claims to be.

This leaves you wanting more, to read the next episode right away. At this time, I haven't read beyond this first episode, but I've bought the entire season. I recommend you have the entire season to read each episode back to back. With the way this first episode ends, you'll definitely be ready for the rest immediately!

Sometimes I head into a book and get exactly what I expected to. And sometimes I head in and get so much more.

You see, I'm a total sucker (as I've mentioned numerous times) for not reading blurbs, or skimming blurbs, or forgetting whatever the blurb said even when I did read it. So, I'd seen the bits about the MC being a collector and automatically made the leap to reaper.

This is absolutely not a reaper story.

Let me just point out before continuing: Delirium is not a complete story. Susan Kaye Quinn has decided to venture down the (possibly insane) route of publishing (and writing) a book in instalments. Kinda like you'd get with a TV series, I guess, where you get a piece of the whole and then have to wait for the next episode (instalment) to find out what happens next. Well, I loved the idea of this. Little tidbits of tale drip-fed to me so I'll always be eager for more and spend the following weeks in perpetual anticipation.

So am I eager and waiting in anticipation?

Actually, yes. Which is surprising as this reads almost sci-fi to me (which I struggle immensely with).

Because although this is only a short snippet--the intro so to speak--I was kinda wowed by a good few things.

Like Susan's writing. I have Open Minds on my Kindle to read but haven't gotten around to it, and now I'm wondering why the heck not? From the off, I liked the style, the voice, the flow, the descriptions. This author seems to have written with such natural ease, that I was swept along with scarcely a hitch to my stride.

The MC. I loved Lirium. I thought he was a great MC. Good tone to his voice. A decent connection. Hard nut to crack in the opening with attitude and arrogance, yet the longer you read, the more you see there's potential for him to be better than your initial assumptions peg him.

And the world building. Now, I'll hold my hand up and admit, I got confused by the world building. HOWEVER, this is by no means the fault of the author. It is down to ME. Because when there is a lot of world building, due to my concentration levels not being brilliant to begin, I struggle to absorb everything I need to absorb in order to not question if `I'm supposed to know this' when we get to something relevant to the built world. But these confusions I had didn't mar my reading enjoyment, or my connection with the story, or my understanding of what was going on. Admittedly, once I'd finished reading, I hunted down the author and bombarded her with questions. The ones where I'd gotten confused, she dumbed them down for me (at my request), and the others, she told me I'd have to wait and see (darn you, you pesky tease), which leads me to my next good point ...

All these blasted questions I have swirling in my head. I love that I reach the end wondering if X means Z, and if Y might happen, and if I'd read M's character correctly ... and so on and so forth.

More so than being filled with all those Q's, though, I loved that I reached the end and so didn't want it to be so. In fact, I may have sat here, staring at my Kindle, going, `What? Nooooooooooooo! You can't finish here because I'm not done yet dammit!'

So I guess one can safely say I enjoyed it. I guess they can also safely say I'll be reading on.

A solidly written short story with more character development than I expected in such a short space. The author manages to build the world with great skill, avoiding huge infodumps and dialogue-as-infodumps. The world is pretty vivid and truly interesting. It's also pretty grim. I feel like this author captures some of the magic of William Gibson's short stories, but without trying to copy him -- it just flowed naturally. I will definitely read the rest of the Season 1 collection. I rarely give 5-star reviews anymore, but this short is a rock solid 4-star tale.

Lirium is a collector, draining life energy from those that don't have enough potential to cover their debt and transferring it to those who have great things in their future. In Lirium's world life energy is addicting and there are hit seekers everywhere, even mob bosses who enslave collectors trying to force them to provide illegal hits. After a routine transfer Lirium follows his usual routine. He returns to his apartment, takes a few shots of vodka and orders in a call girl. But this girl is different and her request has the potential to change his life.

I've been following the author since I read her YA Mindjack trilogy and I was looking forward to getting started in on this serial. This world is much darker than the author's previous works, but her writing style translates well into this more adult orientated series.

Even though this is the first installment in a serial and is short, the information and character development that the author manages to pack into it is impressive. The author has created a vividly gritty world that pulls you in from the first sentence. Just the description of the reflection of Lirium's coat in the first scene manages to create an ominous vibe: "[A] spook that lives on the surface of the oft-scrubbed tiles." Liruim himself is dark and conflicted. He lives in a world where people in his line of work are feared but also hunted. He maintains a careful psychological balance by drowning the "black abyss" he feels after a transfer in alcohol and sex. When faced with a chance to redeem himself, Lirium's internal struggles are sympathetic and engaging. I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Grim Reaper with benefits. This version of the grim is not a romantic lost soul he is an addict. He gets a charge off every life he ends and it is euphoria for him, not so much for the other guy. He works for controlling people who sell his collections
to prominent clients and give him a small tip/hit for his service. After a good hit he likes to celebrate with a little hide the sausage in one of the prostitutes that specialize in his kind. It's all going as planned till his girl on the pay check is not after his payment but needs him to help another. This change upsets his balance and has him stumbling to understand what he is and why he is.
I was not expecting to like this much I went in with negative expectations. First it's a serial which haven't sold me till now. Second, well the blurb sounded good but I've been disappointed a lot. Ha ! I loved it. Wow, it was edge of the seat, mind twisting, sci-fi, urban fantasy, and horror dark fun. The grim was not at all like I expected, and I loved reading him. His world was do far off from what everyone else writes and it worked, oh it sure
did. I'm hooked.

Susan Kaye Quinn's DELIRIUM sets up a great introduction to her new episodic series, DEBT COLLECTOR.

DELIRIUM sweeps the reader into Lirium's world. As a debt collector, his job is to take the life energy from a dying person and transfer it to the people who will make the world a better place--or so they say. Each transfer creates a blot on his soul. Lirium is dark and tragic, yet I cheered for him and felt connected to his plight. Apple Girl is brave and full of an inner light that makes the reader care about her. She's a good foil to Lirium. I love how Quinn sets up the minor characters and creates a distrust in the ones with "high potential" as well as the life energy accountants.

This fast-paced episode does its job to set up the main character as well as future problems that could happen in the storyline. The present tense gives an intense edge and sense of immediacy to the story. The amazing futuristic setting is dark, gritty, and has a noir feel--minus the detective. Quinn's writing rips open the emotions--sadness, horror, smiles, and smirks. I feel like we've just scratched the surface, and I can't wait for future episodes.

The first of nine episodes, DELIRIUM by Susan Kaye Quinn has the reader craving for more, just like a debt collector taking a sweet hit of life energy.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

What a fantastic start to a serial novel system. Not too much world building or telling but enough so that we understand what's going on.

Lirium the central character is a debt collector and not the guy you'd like. He does the dirty work and to relieve his stress he drinks and hooks up with prostitutes. But in this opening episode, we see that he does have a heart, a soul, that he cares. A sex worker arrives at his door, which is his usual routine, but something is not right.

And this is what pushes Lirium down a road which will probably mean his destruction but also the start of an exciting story. He seems like the guy we hate to love and love to hate. But you can't help but care about him through the evocative writing and the pressure of his career.

Lots of hints and foreshadowing to areas of his life that aren't quite right and where everything isn't as it seems. Lots of mysteries to solve in future episodes!

Great start!

I got the first three Debt Collector stories for free on LibraryThing, and after reading the first one went right back to the store and bought the rest of them (a series of 9 stories - approximately novella length). Excellent depiction of a dark future, and raises several interesting issues. Others have summarized, so I will just note that the main character is having a crisis of conscience with his job (he kills dying and "low worth" people and transfers their life force to people who ostensibly deserve it.) How did this get started? Isn't it likely that a medical researcher who "deserves" more life force is likely getting some of it from patients who might benefit from his findings? Kind of reminds you of income inequality taken to its logical extreme. Very, very good.

Delirium is the first episode in a serial--think Charles Dickens, only so much better I can't even really think Charles Dickens (okay, I hated Great Expectations, so what do you expect of me?). Think dark and gritty dystopian future and forget Charles Dickens. This is fast paced, adult (definitely not recommended to under 18 readers), and thought-provoking. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but you know what? There better be! This is the first episode. If everything was answered in the first installment, Great Expectations would have been about 500 words long and I would have liked it a lot more. In this case, although the situations are more adult than I typically like to read, I'm still very interested in reading the next installment, and wouldn't mind another 300 pages. A serial (and a writer!) to watch.

I was talking with author Leigh Moore and she was telling me about this book that Susan Quinn was working on. My first thought was "Wow this is not YA." And my second thought was "This sounds awesome."

Quinn's immense world building skills from her YA series are clearly evident in this gritty, future noir thriller. From the first line you are sucked into the collector's world and follow him down his harrowed world of collecting, drinking, and sex.

This is not for a younger crowd, but for those who enjoyed the premise of movies like IN TIME with a futurustic, almost gritty society and combine it with a new technology.

Highly recommended if you are looking for a fast, chilling read that still gives me nightmares when I think of Lirium's boots clicking past me on the hospital floor.

This future world is cold and cruel... but Lirium doesn't seem to quite grasp that, initially. He is smart, but he is also doing something dark and miserable, so it is better to keep the blinders on. The author does a great job painting it--the necessary coping mechanisms for the job he has to do, the way nobody will look at him. The hints without ever saying it about the vast disparity being created in the world between people who are gifted in some way, and those who are not--a disparity that literally sucks life from one sort and gives it to the other. It's excellently crafted. This was my first test of an 'episodic' story, too, and I think it does well with giving an arc of the story that leaves me wanting to know what else is going to happen. I am definitely eagerly awaiting more.

In this first episode of The Debt Collector serial, we meet Lirium, a young man whose occupation is to collect the life force from those who are dying and transferring this enery to others who can pay. It's a grim job, being a collector, but the payoff is a high like no other. Lirium struggles with his reaper-ness, using sex and alcohol to cope with the depression that hits when he pays out life energy. This time, his sex-cape turns out to more than he bargained for--and the high nearly kills him.

Lirium is fully aware of his faults, and his self-depricating humor is enjoyable. It's a great start to a compelling series and sure to have readers searching for the next episode.

***Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for a review.***

As the intro to a new series, and a new concept in serialized fiction, Delirium both relies and avoids a lot of standard sci-fi/dystopian tropes: the hook of transferring life energy is not new but the reasons and methodology are. It teases you with the hints of the larger world revealed in the next installments, and that's the only real drawback. Too much inner monologue and not enough dystopia- we know what Lirium is doing but no clues to why or how he or the society got to this point. I guess we'll have to keep reading. lol

My first experience with a serial read and Susan Kaye Quinn certainly kept me wanting more!

"Delirium" is about a man (Lirium) who collects people's life energies and essentially kills them- all to repay their debts to the government. What is in it for him? He gets a cut of their life force as payment for the job.

The first installment was just a taste of what is to come in the series and it completely whet my appetite. It was very well done; bold, dark, and fast- just how I like 'em! I think that this series has a lot of potential and I will certainly be reading more of Susan Kaye Quinn's books in the future.

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Utterly captivating and completely amazing from the first word to the last. This is science fiction at its forward-thinking best. Delirium is the first in a serial about a man who collects people's life force when their time is up and they have ceased to be a productive member of society with a valuable future. It promises to be an outstanding series, one that I will be waiting on with bated breath. This is everything the movie 'In Time' should have been, and then some. It would not surprise me in the least if Hollywood comes calling Susan on this one.

Author Susan Kaye Quinn is bringing serials back into fashion. And wow do I want to strangle her neck because I need more...right now! She launched the first episode of Debt Collector last week (the next one is tomorrow!) and blew my mind. It's an adult series (which I'm psyched about) and it's set to come out through nine different episodes. If you can force yourself to wait, she will package them as three small novels or the full series all in one. But I think I'll be reading them piece by piece and tweeting at her constantly for more.

These are my honest thoughts as I read through the story:

Noir
Great details
Edgy
Powerful
Emotional
Impactful
Beauty in agony
Unique yet familiar

Seriously, I could barely get a coherent thought out. I just kept reading, and when I reached the end I wanted to scream. I'm so excited for where this story could go. The suspense of a serial has me already marking my calendar to remember to snag the next one as soon as it's up.

The concept is wicked cool (collecting and giving life like stocks on the market); the characters are harsh, engaging, and raw; and the fact that I have to wait for more is really killing me (can you tell?). So the suspense within this short story, that has it's own ending as well as potential for more, is outstanding.

Give me more!

I received this book from the author for review.

I rarely review self-published books but THE DEBT COLLECTOR blew my mind! Susan Kaye Quinn is a master. I was hooked from the opening line and have been devouring every page since. This is a serialized novella, available as 9 separate episodes or as a complete collection. I've read the first 5 episodes so far and I love, love, love it! The great thing is that Episode 1: DELIRIUM is always free for Nook or Kindle.

This serial is a good introduction to this story. It gives some insight into this world without telling you everything. Very short, quick read. I like the way the story flows, and the way the characters are introduced. So far i am intrigued by the characters, their stories, and this world.

Had had never heard of Susan Kaye Quinn before and I'm sorry I was not impressed. I kept reading hoping it would get better. The story was hard to follow and the main character did not grab me enough to want to read the next book.