Bisentient by Patrick O’Connor

Conspiratorial nightmares merge with the dark realities of power, religion, and psychological manipulation in Bisentient by Patrick O’Connor, a chilling thriller that touches on a number of genres.

Mason, a curious cameraman, is pulled into the surreality of psychic connections after a beautiful woman begins frequenting his dreams. In the real world, she remains comatose in a mental institution, yet the British government has taken a classified interest in her cognitive abilities. At the same time, a clan of religious zealots is using blackmail, extortion, and murder to climb America’s political ladder, and the connections between the two are disturbing. Mason must learn to navigate – and survive – alternate dreamworld realities to prevent an apocalyptic prophecy, with the help of his intrepid new partner Molly, while staying one step ahead of the myriad forces who want to put him to sleep forever.

Thematically, this book resonates powerfully given today’s political and social climate, where conflicts over religious rights and personal autonomy are rampant. O’Connor takes this a step further by introducing an ancient malevolent entity, but it doesn’t take much extrapolation to fit that into a larger geopolitical metaphor, using poignant descriptive passages and believable relationship-building to bring this otherwordly story into our present-day sphere. A minor final proofread is recommended to catch small errors, inconsistent dialogue formatting, and occasional choppy structural patterns, but the overall story is clearly written and engrossing.

Such expansive storytelling means that the book should appeal to a broad fandom, from sci-fi and dystopian readers to readers of political thrillers and religious conspiracies, for an enticing start to the author’s Realm Series.