“Lazarus: Chronicles of the A.N.U.B.I.S. System” by R. Garcia Vega

Lazarus: Chronicles of the A.N.U.B.I.S. System

R. Garcia Vega
Independently Published (2025)
ISBN: 979-8278780007
Reviewed by Demetria Head for Reader Views (06/2026)

Lazarus: Chronicles of the A.N.U.B.I.S. System by Raul Garcia Vega is the first installment in this techno-thriller series. It is the year 2060 as the story begins, and readers are brought into the world of Valara. It is one of three major zones that society has been divided into ever since the mega corporations offered bailouts when the institutions collapsed. Valara belongs to the very powerful OmniTech. With no use for human labor, OmniTech usurps its power by regulating the economy, security, energy, and emotions. Even within this particular part of society, the elite are detached and live in their high towers while the less fortunate live in dilapidated mega blocks.

The narrative zeros in on several characters, particularly Gabriel, who works for OmniTech, as his marriage to Laura seems to be unravelling silently. During a financial investigation, he soon discovers a mystery involving CF Holdings and Eidon Therapeutics, recurring cryptic symbols, global power, and the activation of a mysterious entity known as ANUBIS-9. This soon establishes an uneasy atmosphere that suggests there are powerful secrets beneath the surface of Valara’s carefully controlled society and that Gabriel is about to become entangled in something much larger than himself.

There is so much to love about Lazarus. I could not stop turning the pages. It starts out by giving readers a brief backstory of Valara, then quickly picks up with Gabriel discovering something during his investigation that he was not supposed to find out. The pacing is pretty steady, but the intensity just compounds it. Betrayals are happening before we get deep into the narrative, and I love every bit of it. I can imagine this unfolding in a movie. This is not a story where readers can afford to skip pages. It requires careful reading. Every single moment counts, from the dinner scene where Gabriel and his friends are discussing how the mega blocks are forgotten to Katrina Weiss giving instructions to a Master Drone. Readers will want to stay invested to find out what happens to David after he talks to Gabriel, then meets with Katrina. But this is just the beginning, before the biggest revelation.

Vega’s writing style is cinematic and pretty direct. The dialogue is not over-the-top. It has an undertone of danger that hangs on the end of each word. The plot moves forward, mirroring the uneasiness and the mysteries that are lurking nearby. One of the most terrifying scenes was when David was attacked. Vega describes it in such a way that it triggers every emotion and visceral reaction. By the time Gabriel is leaving the hospital, I feel like I’ve suffered the same fate.

Things really begin to shift when Gabriel is talking to a mysterious old man who invites him to his shack near the Synthetic Pacification square. He offers Gabriel help with his injury if he can find one of the engineers from the old days. The scenes continue to get darker and more eerie as the story moves forward. Gabriel’s AI device seems to have a mind of its own, and he responds to a strange demand from Katrina to meet at the Helix Tower. Vega is very descriptive, not just in terms of his characters, but with the scenes. For instance, I can visualize Helix Tower made of glass, with a corridor that has pale marble and polished steel. It feels like a living being. Another example of how descriptive the author can be is in how he describes The Starline Casino as being “A false oasis. A neon dream.” I loved how the author also incorporates a variety of technology: drones, sensors, AI devices, and implants, for example.

The way Vega created the supporting characters was very interesting. They all played a major part in the narrative. Katrina Weiss (Number Two) was the enforcer of OmniTech and the most feared. She is cold, efficient, and handles the corporation’s most sensitive operations. The CEO is mysterious and rarely speaks. But his calm demeanor makes him scary. Master Drone calculates the company’s risks and feels more like an alien intelligence as opposed to a robot. Matias is a brilliant engineer from Project Osiris before it was shut down. Laura, Gabriel’s wife, is emotionally distant and also represents the ordinary life Gabriel risks losing as he is drawn deeper into the bigger mystery. Then there is ANUBIS-9, which starts out as a mysterious activation in Gabriel’s device but becomes far more significant as the story goes on. Oren Salvat seems to be connected somehow to the secrets Gabriel is uncovering.

There were quite a few scenes that stood out for me, including A.N.U.B.I.S. telling its story, and we later find out what the abbreviations stand for and how it is linked to Oren Salvat. I think readers would appreciate this part of the story. Even more so, the author allows readers to make the connections as each part of the mystery unfolds. Without giving too much away, readers will see what happens to Gabriel and how he ends up connected to ANUBIS-9. I loved the contrast between old and new technology, like the nanobots that restore dead tissue in Gabriel’s body versus a primitive battery used in his prosthetic arm. The scene inside the Starline Casino in chapter 10 grabbed my attention when the figure asked to join Gabriel at the table. When he looked at her again, he got a flash of memory as if he’d seen those black eyes before. I also loved the scene where the Master Drone activated a humanoid Commander of Ancient Wars. This elevates the narrative even further. Vega is relentless in moving the plot forward.

Overall, Lazarus: Chronicles of the A.N.U.B.I.S. System is a compelling and ambitious techno-thriller with elements of philosophical science fiction, artificial intelligence, cyberpunk, and corporate conspiracy. The atmospheric descriptions are the strength of the novel. The mystery unfolds gradually and effectively. The villains are definitely memorable, especially Katrina, the CEO, and the Master Drone. Readers who enjoy thoughtful science fiction with dangerous, unchecked corporate power will appreciate what Raul Garcia Vega did with Lazarus. Some elements of it remind me of William Gibson’s Neuromancer.