The Phlebotomist by Chris Panatier

War brought the Harvest. Willa Mae Wallace is a reaper.

To support herself and her grandson Isaiah, Willa works for the blood contractor Patriot. Instituted to support the war effort, the mandatory draw (The Harvest) has led to a society segregated by blood type. Hoping to put an end to it all, Willa draws on her decades-old phlebotomy training to resurrect an obsolete collection technique, but instead uncovers an awful truth.

Patriot will do anything to protect its secret. On the run and with nowhere else to turn, Willa seeks an alliance with Lock, a notorious blood-hacker who cheats the Harvest to support the children orphaned by it. But they soon find themselves in the grasp of a new type of evil.

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There are some books that you pick up on a whim that turn out to be absolutely brilliant reads.  The Phlebotomist is one such book for me.  I didn’t know a huge amount about it going in, but soon found myself caught up in this gripping read. 

The Phlebotomist is set in a near future world a person’s blood type determines their place in this society’s hierarchical structure.  Those with blood type O, as near universal donors, are considered the elite, while those with blood types B and AB are considered “low bloods” and are the poorest in this society.  Governed by an entity known as Patriot, individuals are required to donate a pint of blood every 45 days – a sacrifice known as the Harvest, and which earns individuals basic food essentials.  For those willing – not necessarily able – Patriot will pay for additional donations over and above the statutory minimum, leading many to make themselves ill in the process as they seek a little extra income to make ends meet.    

The blood collected in the Harvest is shipped out to the Gray Zones – areas outside the cities that are rife with disease and where the donated blood may just help to save a life.  Panatier paints an incredibly bleak future of a world ravaged by war that has left many destitute and starving, and even those with blood type O don’t seem to have it all that easy.  I was, of course, immediately hooked by this strange and original dystopian world. 

The main protagonist in the novel is Willa.  As a grandmother, she’s quite an unusual hero, but she’s a character that I took to immediately.  I liked her honesty and determination to do the right thing, even though the odds are very much against her.  Willa works as a “Reaper”, taking in the blood for the Harvest as well as those additional donations that people make.  She takes pride in her work and knows herself to be one of the best at what she does.  It’s a job – one of the few available now that automation has largely eradicated the need for human labour – that allows her to support herself and grandson, Isaiah.  She does her best to get by, keeps her head down, her focus being Isaiah and his wellbeing. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a novel if we were simply present while Willa collected blood all day.  In the wrong place at the wrong time, Willa discovers that things may not be quite as they seem and is then caught up in circumstances she could never have conceived of as Patriot seeks to keep their secrets.  For me, it was an unexpected but entirely welcome twist, although I don’t want to say too much as it would be far too easy to spoil it for others and part of the joy of any novel it’s uncovering its mysteries along with the protagonist, after all.  I will say that Willa isn’t entirely alone in her efforts, nor is she the only older-than-usual female present, and I loved seeing this admittedly ragtag crew trying to do the right thing and get the truth out there. 

I really can’t say any more about the plot than that, but The Phlebotomist is an unusual and brilliant dystopian novel that puts likeable and realistic protagonists into a situation where they have to do their best to survive against the odds as they challenge the status quo.  It’s a novel that touches upon various genres and that I found to be fast paced and engaging throughout.  Recommended.

The Phlebotomist is published by Angry Robot and is available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.