Early Riser

 Hibernation, anyone?  That's the basic subject of Jasper Fforde's 2018 Sci-Fi novel, Early Riser (#935).  As winter approaches in Wales, most residents are preparing to chow down to prepare themselves for the coming winter's sleep, when their bodies will consume those calories to keep their bodies going until Springrise.  For most people to do this safely, however, there are dedicated folks who watch over those tucked away in their Dormitorias, making sure the power and heat remain operational, and that any dangers from Villians, Wintervolk, Womads and the like are kept far away from the defenseless sleepers.

Enter our unlikely hero, Charlie Worthing.  It's his first year as a Winter Consul, yet he's never seen a Winter before.  Nor is he likely to survive his novice year to see another.  The mortality rate for newbies in the Winter Consul is extremely high.  

Charlie and his mentor set off for Sector Twelve to explore disturbing rumors of a viral dream.  The sleepers in their charge aren't supposed to be having any dreams, thanks to HiberTech's revolutionary drug Morphenox.  So why are people dreaming about blue Buicks and oak trees and hands?  What is Charlie to do when he starts dreaming about blue Buicks?  The first and most important step is to stay alive until he can figure out what's going on in the bleak midwinter...

I thought this book was a little slow to start off, but once it picked up speed, it didn't stop.  There are some excellent villains in the book, not just the British ex-aristocrats with their penchant for stamp-collecting and mayhem, but the creatures who may or may not exist out in the impenetrable snow, and HiberTech, the tech giant gone rogue with its colorful cast of characters.  There's a love story which can't possibly end well, and there's always the question of Charlie's continued survival.  It's different and hugely entertaining.

Highly recommended.