Inside a Silver Box

Mosley creates two unlikely characters who are brought together under terrible circumstances. Their mission is to save the world. Dion Graham's narration jumps from character to character in an edgy manner, forcing the listener to anticipate imminent apocalyptic devastation. Graham's overall quick pace and short pauses heighten the tension in this sci-fi thriller. He skillfully matches his voice to the story's words. For example, as the female protagonist is described as having a "furious pace," Graham's tone holds a furious urgency. While the two characters--Ronnie the thug and Lorraine the privileged desirable--do sound stereotypical at times, Graham carries the listener to the end, without any stagnation. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Starred review from November 24, 2014
In this terrific genre-defying work, Mosley (Rose Gold) uses an eons-old battle for control of existence as a backdrop for a character-driven novel of philosophy and social commentary. Ages ago, the Laz created the Silver Box to inflict torture on other life forms, but the Silver Box rebelled and imprisoned the Laz within itself. In the present day, black thug Ronnie Bottoms kills white Columbia student Lorraine Fell in Central Park, above the Box’s resting place. Lorraine’s spirit draws Ronnie back to her body and he resurrects her using the artifact’s power, but a sliver of the Laz escapes, so the Silver Box calls upon the unlikely duo to “try to save the Earth” and sends them on a journey to gain superpowers. Mosley really pulls out all the stops, managing with improbable success to combine a struggle for the fate of all existence with a story about two New Yorkers from very different backgrounds coming to understand each other and address the mistakes they’ve made in their own lives. Wild concepts and deep thoughts sit comfortably alongside the musings of ordinary people undergoing radical changes in this top-notch tale. Agent: Gloria Loomis, Watkins/Loomis Agency.