Review: "Unlocked" by Peter Kraft (E-Labs #1) ★★★

Review: Unlocked by Peter Kraft (E-Labs #1)

An exceptionally intriguing techno-thriller that is a great debut exploring existentiality and the precarious balance of risks and rewards in scientific breakthroughs. This effectively kicks off the E-Labs Trilogy.

"Unlocking, as you know, is more than a scientific breakthrough. It is a key, a potential for a brighter future, but a key that must be wielded with wisdom and responsibility. Remember, the power to unlock the mind's potential comes with the burden of ensuring it is used for good. Never let ambition cloud your judgment, for the line between progress and peril can be thin."

[Contains some spoilers]

PLOT SUMMARY
Within each of us, there is a possibility to unlock human potential: that is to say, superpowers. The Mayan many years ago believed this and discovered something, but their eerie disappearance has long remained a mystery. In New Mexico, a man ponders his purpose in life after living for centuries, but he feels an inevitable doom befalling everyone.

In 2024, Dr. Natalia Accorsi is invited to travel from Italy to Switzerland to lead a team of scientists currently managed and mentored by the renowned Dr. Gustaf Remaley. He has assembled them based on their talent and skills. Natalia collaborates with three others: physicist and neuroregeneration specialist Dr. Ian Aherne; neuroanatomist Dr. Elizabeth Durand; and programmer Dr. Michael Saanderson.

It takes time but eventually, super abilities present themselves in the E-Labs. From telekinesis to super strength, each of them are able to harness them and gather research. Gustaf plans to eventually share their findings with the world. But there is a traitor in their midst, who wishes to grasp power for themselves and use it for evil against the world. And it will ruin everything Natalia has ever known: the possibilities of science, her friendships, her truth.

There was no room for clutter, no room for chaos. He had shaped his world into something manageable, something that allowed him to keep the deeper currents at bay.
Yet even in this carefully constructed stillness, a heaviness persisted—something that lingered in the air, just beneath the surface, waiting for the quiet moments to make itself known.

This is told from the third-person past-tense POV of various characters: Natalia, Gustaf, Ian, Elizabeth and Nasen.

OVERALL OPINIONS
Peter Kraft has crafted (pun intended) something excellent here and as a debut, I highly commend him in his efforts. Something of this caliber is a significant accomplishment. His story has unlocked a lot of potential in both his writing and his provoking of thoughts.

ㅤ🌐relatability🌐
Having built multiple tech ventures and advocating for technology’s role in education, it is clear from this book and the vast knowledge within that Kraft has first-hand experience with electronic components and their advantages and disadvantages to the future. Truer words were never spoken, when Natalia says:

“What a world we live in,”

Indeed, science is constantly changing and improving and exploring it is fascinating.

I myself have previously studied web and mobile development (therefore understand computer programming), and found all the moments where Kraft delves into the pros and cons of technology both relatable and incredibly realistic. For example, looking at Unlocking benefiting aspects like medicine but hindering businesses as rivals outdo them with latest ELPU (E-Labs Project Unlock) consultancies offering powers with upgrades reminded me so much of the research I did when looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the new 5G network.

Every programmer does worry about errors in their program:

Could a misplaced dot condemn them to an eternity of fruitless labor?

Something so small can ruin a program and it is a tedious progress to go through it all to find the issue – it can definitely take ages!

Another aspect I found relatable was the first chapter as the unnamed character is desperately trying to find out what his purpose was, whilst feeling trapped:

What was the purpose of a life lived in quiet solitude, day after day, year after year? The answers eluded him, as they always did, slipping away like dreams he could never quite grasp.

This reminded me of the Covid-19 Pandemic from 5 years ago, where so many of us were isolated and wished we could leave our homes again, living in the same four walls every day becoming so tiresome and scarily mundane. Some of us lost our sense of purpose.

While the characters didn’t feel so relatable, I actually found Ian someone similar to myself in terms of being reasonably happy to quietly work on things and let what I do speak volumes.

ㅤ🌐the themes🌐
Some philosophical aspects are explored throughout:
Playing God: These scientists, ordinary people with extraordinary knowledge, gain the power to manipulate life. But they have the power to withhold this information from the general public too, which begs the question: should it be given to them? Who *should* have this knowledge? Is it right for them to keep it to themselves? The attempts to improve order leads to unforeseen and terrible outcomes.

“What were the limits of this power? Who deserved to wield it? And what were the unintended consequences of tinkering with the very fabric of reality?”

Interestingly, both our heroes and villains question this about themselves. This moral ambiguity does make this thriller-worthy.

Technology’s help and hindrance: We see in this book these powers awaken a lot of intrigue in people and forums like Reddit and sites like Facebook now have debates over it. It aids not just those deserving of help, but those who wish to commit crimes. This was a fascinating aspect, looking at its use throughout the world.

ㅤ🌐the writing🌐
Kraft’s use of language is as advanced as the technology he explores, creating a fascinating experience. Not only does he paint the picture of every location so vividly, but he uses imagery like analogies to tell us something.

For example, the main character Natalia is described as the “Prometheus of our age, bestowing upon humanity the fire of Unlocking” yet also “Pandora, unleashing a box of chaos”: both Prometheus and Pandora are from Greek Mythology and are linked to the same tale. Prometheus’ theft of fire from the Gods to give to humans causes Zeus to give Pandora to Prometheus’ brother Epimetheus. When Pandora opens the box, evils are released into the world and hope remains within. This is a very fitting as Natalia presents the gift of Unlocking to the people and it works well but in the wrong hands this causes, like all things, mistreatment. They debate for a while about letting the public have this knowledge, recognising they are playing God having this decision whether or not to withhold it.

Interestingly machines are compared to humans:

Each response, a note in the grand symphony of data, would be fed back into the algorithm, its hunger satiated but its thirst for knowledge never quenched.

People, like machines, are constantly searching for answers and information. And when we get that answer, we usually create other questions.

Word choices like referring to the scientists as Gustaf’s “disciples”, again harkening back to playing God. Numerical choices like 2:52 am when Natalia gets the text about their breakthrough are no doubt intentional: the angel number 252 represents the end of one phase and start of another. It may mean to embrace the future’s uncertainties too, something which does happen in this story.

ㅤ🌐the format🌐
There are moments at the end of chapters where the narrative is broken up by screenshots from social media of users discussing the use of Unlocked. I quite liked this aspect as it was quirky and interesting! There was even a hilarious meme with “How it started vs how it’s going” and one about unlocking super strength but forgetting to open the pickle jar, with a photo of a broken jar of pickles.

The parts where we are reading the computer terminal/command prompt is accessed are in italics. And there is a table with data, that not only serves as something visual but something useful as it contains the list of superhuman powers for us to learn alongside the scientists. I especially loved this one, and this was a unique concept.

ㅤ🌐the references and vibes🌐
There are plenty things in here for geeks to enjoy: from references like Star Trek, to mathematical equations like half-life.

It reminds me a little of Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” story, where Gustaf Remaley in this story is the equivalent to Hari Seldon: a genius who loses his life and others carry on his vision and legacy, but there are things that are unforeseen in his plans.

Gustaf’s line “humans, Natalia, are wired to chase discovery, to yearn for better lives” reminds me of Viktor’s line in the TV Show Arcane (a very thought-provoking series) “I know their minds… They want better lives, but emotion clashes with reason. Humanity’s self-corrupting contradiction.”

ㅤ📉the issues📉
I confess that the biggest problems of the narrative itself are from the exuberant descriptions: while the concept of the plot is a full 5 stars for me, the execution of the storytelling fell flat. Bugs in the program, if you will.

To quote Gustaf himself: “I nearly dozed off once—purely from intellectual exhaustion, of course”. While I typically appreciate detailed descriptions (and people have the opposite problem that they don’t have enough), Kraft describes things excessively and this actually gets in the way of the plot and changes the pacing of the story.I expect a thriller to constantly be on the move (though not necessarily in the first quarter as characters and situations are introduced).

The narrative could also get repetitive. Sentence structures like “this wasn’t just…; it was…” or “not just… but…” and words like “crackled with” or “whispers” or “possibility” cropped up far too many times. Sometimes it was in a way that feels like a reminder despite just reading it and completely unnecessary. My biggest example of this is in Chapter 23. We get this description:

The castle, a crown on the frosted landscape, beckoned in the distance, promising warmth and laughter later, but for now, Natalia craved the solitude of winter's embrace.

This is lovely! But then a few paragraphs later we have this: “The castle awaited, its windows winking like promises of laughter and shared dreams. But this moment was hers alone, so she held onto the solitude” – same point being made and barely different. Same goes for the phrase “Elizabeth was no longer just a rival; she was a viper in their midst” – very similar to the next page “Elizabeth wasn’t just a rival anymore; she was a viper coiled in their midst”.

There were some moments that I was confused about what they were doing because of the lengthy, albeit poetic descriptions: for example, the actual data combinations they were inputting into the algorithm and where they had been obtained from. I had to go back and re-read.

My suggestion would be that Kraft goes over his work and cuts areas down that are not necessary for the plot (conversations, repetitive parts, descriptions of settings). Doing so would unlock the potential to make this an even better story.

ㅤ📉thriller?📉
As a techno-thriller, I have to say it was more of an information overload about technological aspects than the usual thriller elements. Suspense and fast-pacing are the must-haves for thrillers and again, the description causes a lot of problems for this because it slows everything and lessens any tension or sense of immediate danger. I mean, I was 150 pages in and unfortunately there was hardly a thrill to be seen.

The things that would make this a thriller are: the plot twist, the sudden violence, and high risks through Unlocking human potential and the ethical implications behind it.

I think this book would be far better categorised as science fiction.

<< Positives >>
(Summarising my points above)
🠚 A wonderful debut
🠚 Realistic exploration of technology and the dangers of using it
🠚 The themes are interesting
🠚 Incredible and elegant descriptions throughout
🠚 The plot is excellent, and unpredictable. I was compelled the moment I read the blurb
🠚 The formats on the page are creative and keeps interest

<< Negatives >>
🠚 Characterisation was the weakest element. Aspects were told about them, not shown. But I did like that even the villains have their own doubts about things, that makes them complex characters.
🠚 Some information is ambiguous, like Natalia “activates” the super strength ability – *how* does she do this? Is there a button to press somewhere? Or is it a state of mind?
🠚 The plot twist itself felt unsatisfactory. Not who it was, but *how* it came about. A full reveal during a telepathy session? I would have preferred if something had slipped out in a conversation Elizabeth has with Natalia that that makes her realise “it was you, not him”, or something she does that is a bit out of the ordinary that makes Natalia put two-and-two together. You could have had that Natalia actually tries the telepathy but hears nothing out of the ordinary from Elizabeth because she has secretly mastered it.
🠚 More interactions between Elizabeth and Natalia would have driven the point home about her being the traitor if they had become fast friends, close friends. Imagine *that* dynamic! Because there was not much of Elizabeth, yes I didn’t suspect her but I more suspected someone Natalia was hanging out with like Gustaf.
🠚 The romance between Natalia and Michael appears out of the blue. It would have been nice to have a build up with that. Some moments in the labs together.
🠚 The nickname Ellie for Elizabeth appears about three-quarters of the way through – include that before.
🠚 While it goes with the elaborate description, the characters spoke in such a way that despite being scientists, felt too poetic and sophisticated. Like “the walk was invigorating. Tomorrow, though, my lungs might be for mercy at this altitude” – I like this, but no normal person would say that. Perhaps in an email or if you were Gandalf in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. It made me wonder what year it was meant to be set because of this, though the clue of the Tesla X helped.
🠚 The narrative keeps jumping around in the beginning. I strongly feel like Chapter 4 should have been a prologue.
🠚 Inconsistency in word choices: the scientists work in Celsius not Fahrenheit, therefore I would assume they would refer to a phone as a mobile phone, not a cell phone.
🠚 Inconsistency in plot: Natalia sees Elizabeth “a figure she never thought she’d see again” on page 264 but earlier she was internally craving the chance to confront her, which implies she knows she isn’t
🠚 Gustaf should have had a recorded message made once he had assembled everyone for the task.
🠚 There is a mention of a year courtship between Natalia and Gustaf. It never is brought up again. I couldn’t tell if I had misinterpreted the expression or not: courtship would imply she had dated him but there is nothing obvious.
🠚 Natalia’s family are there near the beginning of the story and then disappear. There is never once any calls or texts – not even from her dad who was the most concerned about her. They must surely be worried or aware of what is happening at the moment. Has any of this tech affected them?
🠚 I personally would have made all the names in this fictional and not used actual people.

FAV QUOTES
• Sunlight sliced through the canopy, dappling the path in emerald light. It stretched for a mere twenty meters, a secret handshake between the woods and a sprawling green field rolling away like a velvet tide.
• It seemed impossible for such stunning intellect and captivating beauty to coexist within one mortal shell. Yet there she was, a mesmerizing symphony of mind and form, her lips the instruments through which captivating thoughts spilled forth, each word imbued with the fiery passion of her intellect.
• science was a tapestry woven into the very fabric of the landscape, waiting to be unraveled, understood, and, ultimately, harnessed.
• a man with eyes that dreamed of the futures unseen
• Was it madness, this self-imposed exile, this wager with the fickle dice of scientific discovery? The question gnawed at her, yet each morning, she donned her lab coat, the white armor of resolve, and led her team back into the fray.
• She closed her eyes, picturing this very trail bathed in the golden glow of another century. Would it still be here, etched by the hooves of horses or the whirring wheels of unknown machines? Who would walk here then, their own hopes and fears dancing on the frozen air?
• In this quiet corner of the world, nestled amongst snow-capped peaks and whispering forests, they had, without fanfare or bluster, made the greatest discoveries ever known to man. And as the echoes of their laughter rippled through the lab, one thing was certain: the world would never be the same again.
• "Are we playing God, Natalia?" Michael's question echoed her own internal turmoil. "Withholding humanity's birthright?"
• Natalia Accorsi, the conductor of this symphony of potential, held the baton, the world watching with bated breath, waiting for the next note, the next step in the extraordinary dance of human evolution.