Epeolatry Book Review: Omniviolence by Jones Worthington

In March of 2023, I had the opportunity to interview Gareth Worthington after reviewing his novel, Dark Dweller. In that interview, Worthington previewed the tagline for the next book: “Insert here [all the triggers], this book is not for you”. I remember being intrigued by the boldness of such a statement. It almost felt like a challenge. 

OMNIVIOLENCE is the latest novel by Jones Worthington, the collaborative pseudonym for Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington. Set in a dystopian near-future, civilization has all but crumbled. Following an event known as The Collapse, the world is run by militias, pseudo-governments, and other groups with enough technology to hold power.

Jackson, the technology reliant teenager, and Joe, the aged mafia hitman, play the part of odd couple protagonists. Their character development is focused on their generational gap and dependence on technology. They share a unique calling as hired guns and Joe helps Jackson understand the moral ground of being a killer. The two bond over their losses, a cat named Neko, and fight to see another day as they are hunted across the world. 

Hunting the two is a shadow player in the new Italian Mafia. Svanire, a power hungry capo, is a crazed killer with disgusting appetites. His proximity to wealth and status gives him access to the latest high end technology, fueling his plans to sow chaos across the globe. Svanire is a perfectly vile character with nothing redeeming about him, committing most of the books triggering actions.

If there is a yang to Svanire’s ying, it would be Anja Khun, leader of Scarlett Moon, an organization seeking a way to end violence for good. Fighting to hold strategic points around the globe, Anja is paying off local militant groups which are seen as morally justified organizations. The means by which Anja seeks her ends will show how corrupt she is. 

Over the course of the novel, the reader is exposed to multiple regions of the world, all held by different power groups. Worthington doesn’t hold back when portraying these groups, no matter their affiliation or ideologies. When Joe and Jackson run into a group known as the Anti-fascist, there is truth in the adage “absolute power corrupts absolutely” as the group has become fascists themselves. 

Does this novel live up to its tagline? Well for starters, violence should be implied but there’s also terrorist attacks, beatings, blood and gore. Racism, ageism, and sexism all make an appearance. Implied sexual assault on minors, televised youth suicides, and matricide rear their ugly head. Violence against women, the mentally disabled, animals, and threats of genital mutilation are all front and center. So, yes. I can safely say there is something in this novel to trigger everyone. 

The most powerful aspect of this book is that the concept doesn’t seem farfetched. Whereas living in space would be beyond our lifetime, the idea that a small shift in the use of our technology could result in this exact future lingers in the background. The prologue starts with online bullying and ends with someone being murdered. That alone should make you think.

OMNIVIOLENCE by Jones Worthington is a look at a world where violence is the law of the land. Portraying a nigh impossible future, this novel is thought provoking on multiple social levels. A recommended read for all generations, face your triggers and come out better for it.

/5

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.