Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Sand Dunes and Skyscrapers is a dystopian sci-fi novella by Delia Simpson. It's been almost two decades since Sherwin has been diligently performing her duties as a tram conductor collecting tickets from the inhabitants of the City. But an unexpected removal from her tram job and a new assignment to an archiving job under the Šéf, who controls the City's Blue Guard, leads Sherwin to work as an investigator in a case to find a blue-haired girl called Leira who has gone missing. Šéf provides her with all the resources, including a new estate, the ex-fighter Lucky, dangerous bounty hunters, and the City's cowering Artificer Lennox to complete her mission and find the mysterious flying ship Leisurely Landler and its crew. However, the new job soon takes a toll on Sherwin as she slowly starts losing her identity. Is it worth it?

Surreal, twisted, and fascinating in equal measure, Sand Dunes and Skyscrapers is a dark sci-fi novella you don't want to miss out on. Author Delia Simpson really excels in building a refreshingly unique dystopian world with a tyrannical megalomaniac ruling the City. The plot is fast-paced and completely unpredictable. At times, you feel like the story might veer into familiar territory when the unexpected twists and turns pull the rug from under your feet. Sherwin, as a protagonist, is riveting to read. She is morally grey and encourages the reader to contemplate whether it's better to live in blissful ignorance and lose the semblance of oneself or pursue the truth to the bitter end. I absolutely loved this book. The story is open-ended and leaves room for a sequel, which I very much hope to read. Readers of dystopian fiction will have a blast with this one!