The Fall of Koli - M.R. Carey

The Fall of Koli is the final entry in the Rampart Trilogy by M.R. Carey. The first is The Book of Koli (my review), and The Trials of Koli is the second (my review). I've been eagerly awaiting this final entry. It's newly released and is a delicious chunkster with 532 pages of addictive reading!

I don't read a lot of sci fi or fantasy, but if the setting  is post apocalyptic, it's one I definitely will pick up. I am fascinated by the imaginings of what the world might be like if....

As a quick catch-up...sometime in the future, the human race has been decimated. Small pockets of survivors live in their own fortified villages and encampments. Society has reverted to a much earlier time with survival being the goal. Nature has turned on humans, with predator plants and trees. Tech from the past is revered. Koli from Mythen Rood is the main protagonist in this trilogy. Without spoiling things for a new reader, Koli has left his village and is travelling with his compatriots towards a signal. Who could be still broadcasting? Is it simply a computer still functioning somewhere? Or could it be a group farther along in rebuilding than those in Koli's sphere?

Well, in this latest entry, they make it to the source of the signal. And it's not at all what they had imagined or hoped for. More questions than answers and the residents of Albion are more dangerous than safe. Carey kept me reading late into the night by switching the narrative back and forth at crucial junctures from Koli to Spinner of Mythen Rood. She is leading the fight to keep the village safe from a megalomaniac and his followers.  And there's a third character given a voice in this last entry. I was so surprised and thrilled to see this player be given a bigger (and truly pivotal) role. And yes, I'm going to be obtuse about who it is as I don't want to provide spoilers. 

I loved Carey's world building and imaginings of what such a world might look like. (And its a tad scary to be reading a book where a virus wipes out most of humanity at this time...) Science and technology play a large part of  the books - as defender, weapon, and is revered and is of the utmost value and status. Lots of food for thought here...

I've become invested in the characters from the first page of the first book to the sadly turned last page. There's been loss and love, adventures and trials, and I was mentally standing with them as they faced the unknown. The Fall of Koli gives us that final showdown if you will - an epic battle that will change what is left of their world. 

Carey's writing is addictive and invites the reader to be a part of the story. I'm quite sad to see this trilogy finish up, but am looking forward to Carey's next work.

The Electric Kingdom - David Arnold

Well, if the words apocalyptic or dystopian are used to describe a book, it automatically goes on my TBR list. Such was the case with The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold.

Here's a synopsis from Viking Books For Young Readers. My thoughts follow.

"New York Times bestseller David Arnold's most ambitious novel to date; Station Eleven meets The 5th Wave in a genre-smashing story of survival, hope, and love amid a ravaged earth.

When a deadly Fly Flu sweeps the globe, it leaves a shell of the world that once was. Among the survivors are eighteen-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico's father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives Life after Life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected Flies roam the earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and love in a world gone dark. The Electric Kingdom is a sweeping exploration of art, storytelling, eternal life, and above all, a testament to the notion that even in an exterminated world, one person might find beauty in another."

My Thoughts:

Well, the setting is bound to make you wonder....a Fly Flu that has decimated the world as we know it. Close to home in these times...

The novel is told from three points of view - eighteen year old Nico and her dog Harry (loved Harry!), twelve year old Kit and a person called The Deliverer. I love the multiple points of view delivery style. It's guaranteed to keep me up late, reading just one chapter to see what's going on with each character.

Although they have stayed safe all these years, circumstances, wants, desires, curiosity and more drive each of them out into the world. I was just as curious to see what Arnold had imagined. 

Kit and Nico are wonderful leads. I loved the way Kit thought - and his love of 'his' library. He was so well drawn and immediately captured my heart. Being older, Nico is more of a critical thinker - could the stories her father tells be real? There are a number of supporting characters that also have stories to tell. The Deliverer's is the most enigmatic.

Out on the road, the evidence of a ruined world is there. But, that's not the focus of Arnold's tale. Instead it is about relationships missed, treasured, remembered - and those that might be. I found myself wanting a bit more of the ruined world.

As their trek continues, Arnold begins to knit together the threads of the three stories. He does so in a way I hadn't anticipated or imagined. And, I must admit it - in a way that had me struggling to put it together sometimes. Definitely thought provoking though. This is marketed as a YA novel. I would think that older teens would be more likely to grasp Arnold's work.

I did enjoy The Electric Kingdom, but not as much as I had hoped. I think I was looking for more of the ravaged world, instead of ...... Well, I'll leave that alone as I don't want to spoil things for prospective readers. The Electric Kingdom weighs in at 432 pages. Which kept me rapt for most of the time, but near the end I felt like things could have been tightened up and told in fewer pages. Here's an excerpt of The Electric Kingdom.  

I liked it, but didn't love it and I think I'm in the minority on this one. Check out what others thought on Goodreads.  

The Book of Koli - M.R. Carey

I've enjoyed M.R. Carey's previous books. His latest is The Book of Koli - the first in The Rampart trilogy. It's a post apocalyptic novel, one of my favorite genres. (Although perhaps a bit scary to be reading at this time!)

Sometime in the future, the human race has been decimated. Small pockets of survivors live in their own fortified villages and encampments. Society has reverted to a much earlier time with survival being the goal. Nature has turned on humans, with predator plants and trees. Tech from the past is revered.

Young Koli lives in the barricaded settlement of Mythen Rood. He labors with his mother and sisters in the sawmill. But as he comes of age, he begins to question the way things are in his life and village. Traditions, hierarchies, roaming 'faceless' men and what might be beyond the bastions of Mythen Rood.....

I am always curious to see what an author has imagined for a post apocalyptic world. Carey has done a great job of world building. There are bits and pieces of language and roadmarkers that will give the reader hints to the past. The tech is the interesting part. Some of the technology has survived (although it's decades past what we have today) Just as interesting is the way this group has evolved, how their society works - and doesn't. Koli challenges this and the life he thought he would lead is forever changed.

Carey's foreshadowing makes for absolutely addictive reading! I couldn't help but read 'just one more chapter' 'til late at night. Koli's voice makes for wonderful storytelling. Adventure, danger and a coming of age tale fill the pages of The Book of Koli. 

Now, this is the first book of a trilogy. So, while it reaches a satisfying end, there is so much more to Koli's odyssey. And I can't wait to see what's in store. The Trials of Koli releases in September 2020 with The Fall of Koli coming out in 2021. Read an excerpt of The Book of Koli.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World - C.A. Fletcher

I was absolutely consumed by C.A. Fletcher's new book, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World. I literally couldn't put it down, and when I did, it was only because the tension was killing me and I had to walk away before I peeked ahead!

To honor the author's request..."It'd be a kindness to other readers - not to say this author - if the discoveries made as you follow Griz's journey into the ruins of our world remained a bit of a secret between us....", I'll be circumspect.

A event has taken most of the people from the Earth. But decades later there are still pockets of survivors that have made lives for themselves. Griz and his family are one of those, living on a remote Scottish island. (it really exists) But everything changes when a stranger arrives by water. And steals Griz's dog. And, for Griz, there is no choice - he's going to get his dog back.

"There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?"

Oh, what's not to love! What is Griz going to find outside of the parameters of his island? Who is still out there? What remnants of our civilization remain? Does he get his dog back? An author's imagining of a world after ours fascinates me every time. And Fletcher's vision of a future world is fantastic.

I love that Fletcher chose a young protagonist. This journey is a coming of age story for Griz. His determination and courage will endear him to readers. His thoughts and observations as he writes in his journal give this character even more depth. And food for thought for the reader.

The dog. Ahh, readers who are dog lovers (me included) are going to appreciate the canines in this tale. It's so easy to understand why Griz is determined to find his.

Fletcher is a dastardly master of foreshadowing and cliff hanger chapter endings. A sentence dropped into a paragraph that telegraphs a clue, an impending happening in Griz's quest. This is where I wanted to peek ahead so badly. (But don't!) Griz's journey is action-packed and will have the reader on the edge of their seat.

As Griz says - "I said I especially like the ones about apocalypses and dystopias because it's always interesting to see what the Before thought the After would be like."

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is going to a be a favorite read of mine for 2019. C.A. Fletcher - if you're listening - more please! Read an excerpt of A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World.

The Wolves of Winter - Tyrell Johnson

Ahh, Tyrell Johnson, you had me at post apocalyptic. Johnson's debut novel is The Wolves of Winter - and it's one you're going to want to read.

Nuclear war and disease have decimated society and the world as we know it. Seven years on, Lynn McBride and her family are still surviving. They fled to an isolated area of the Yukon. and Lynn's hunting and survival skills are now finely honed. When a stranger named Jax stumbles into their part of the forest, Lynn is curious and does what she shouldn't - she approaches him and takes him back to the homestead. But Jax has brought trouble with him - and now it's on the McBride doorstep.....

Johnson has created a great lead character in Lynn - she's tough physically and mentally. But, on the flip side, she's lonely and isolated - and her world is about to change - again.

Johnson's post apocalyptic world building is believable and perhaps not that far away. The cold of the Yukon seeps into the reader's fingers with Johnson's detailed descriptions. But the beauty as well.

The Wolves of Winter is action packed - the tension increases with each new chapter and plot development. There's a great cat and mouse game played out and an epic battle scene. Johnson takes his plotting in an inventive direction that I didn't see coming, but was just right.

Comparisons have been made by the publisher to The Hunger Games. And I agree, it's in the same vein, but puts it's own stamp on world building, a strong female lead, supporting male characters, danger, survival, intrigue and yes, romance.

The Wolves of Winter ends on a satisfying note. But, I wonder Tyrell......could there be there be more to Lynn's story? Pretty please?

Read an excerpt of The Wolves of Winter. An excellent debut, and I look forward to Johnson's next book. You can connect with Tyrell Johnson on his website, like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

The Fireman - Joe Hill

I am a huge fan of post apocalyptic novels. What would the world be like if it all went to crap one day? It all does in Joe Hill's novel, The Fireman, newly released in paperback. And I'm kicking myself for not reading this book in hardcover. Twenty pages in and I knew it was going to be an amazing read.

A contagion referred to as Dragonscale is infecting people and causing them to, well, go up in smoke. Yes, it burns people alive. Most people that is. But there's a group who have figured how to survive and yes, even control the affliction. See it as a blessing even. They're in hiding from those who are healthy and determined to kill them off.

Okay, that was a quick in a nutshell outline, but it doesn't even begin to touch the breadth, width, depth, scope and inventiveness of Joe Hill's plotting. Epic saga is a good descriptor. The reader's heart is firmly in the camp with the infected. Hill's cast of characters is just as deep and detailed as his plot. The Fireman is at the heart of it - a man who has figured out how to use the fire, to control it. Nurse Willowes is the other main character, a woman who gets calmer and cooler when the situation heats up - all the while singing Mary Poppins songs. They're our main two, but Hill has populated the book with a rich, wide, varied cast of characters - all detailed and each with their own part to play in the book. Good and bad. I love ensemble novels and The Fireman has a wealth of memorable players.

So, I'm speeding through The Fireman - literally I can't put it down - and I hit page 500. And realize I am racing towards the end. And I don't want to finish the book. But I was helpless to stop reading. Hill is one heck of a storyteller. There was no 'down' time. The plot changes and evolves and keeps running faster and faster towards the inevitable outcome. Duplicity, danger and action are woven tightly together with love, friendship, loss - and survival. The final pages did not provide quite the ending I had hoped for, but it was the right one. Everything - plot, dialogue, descriptions and more flows so easily and effortlessly - Hill really has a way with words.

One of my all time fave reads is Stephen King's The Stand. The Fireman has that same epic quest, journey of the embattled underdogs, post apocalyptic survival, battle of good and evil tone mixed with a little Lord of the Flies, The Walking Dead and a dash of Fahrenheit 451. Yup, one helluva hot read.

It took Joe Hill four years to write the 750 pages of The Fireman - and it took me four days to devour it. Read an excerpt of The Fireman.  Fans of The Stand and Justin Cronin's Passage series need to add The Fireman to the 'keeper' shelf of their home libraries. Now, this was my first Joe Hill book, but it sure isn't going to be my last. I'm off to look up his backlist.

Cr: Shane Leonard

Joe Hill is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Horns,
Heart-Shaped Box, and NOS4A2. He is also the Eisner Award-winning writer of a six-volume comic book series, Locke and Key. He lives in New Hampshire. Find out more about Joe at his website and follow him on Twitter and on Instagram and like him on Facebook.

See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.

I received this book for review from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

The City of Mirrors - Justin Cronin

Well, the wait is finally over for fans of Justin Cronin's Passage trilogy. The third and final book, The City of Mirrors, has just released. And for those of you who haven't read any of the books yet - lucky you - you can start at the beginning and binge read right to the final page. And actually, that's what I did - I went back to the beginning and re-read the first book, The Passage, and the second book, The Twelve. There are very few books I would read a second time, but this series is one of them.

Now, I can't imagine you haven't heard of this series, but just in case here's the backstory.....

The Passage: "The Andromeda Strain meets The Stand in this startling and stunning thriller that brings to life a unique vision of the apocalypse and plays brilliantly with vampire mythology, revealing what becomes of human society when a top-secret government experiment spins wildly out of control. At an army research station in Colorado, an experiment is being conducted by the U.S. Government: twelve men are exposed to a virus meant to weaponize the human form by super-charging the immune system. But when the experiment goes terribly wrong, terror is unleashed. Amy, a young girl abandoned by her mother and set to be the thirteenth test subject, is rescued by Brad Wolgast, the FBI agent who has been tasked with handing her over, and together they escape to the mountains of Oregon. As civilization crumbles around them, Brad and Amy struggle to keep each other alive, clinging to hope and unable to comprehend the nightmare that approaches with great speed and no mercy. . . "

The Twelve: "A literary thriller revealed in multiple time frames, The Twelve is a suspenseful tale of the human capacity for sacrifice and the transformative power of renewal. In the present day: As three strangers attempt to navigate the chaos cast upon civilization by a U.S. government experiment gone wrong, their destinies intertwine. More than a hundred years in the future: Amy, Peter, Alicia and the others introduced in The Passage pinpoint the weaknesses of the twelve original vampires . . . even as they confront a betrayal by one of their own."

Myself and multitudes of fans have been waiting four years for the final entry to this absolutely fantastic series. I was so eager to reconnect with loved (and hated) characters, meet new ones and re immerse myself in this future. Familiar faces have aged, some are gone and a new generation has grown. As has complaceny. The virals are gone aren't they? Cronin takes us full circle, returning to that first mutant - named Zero. His narrative is a large part of The City of Mirrors. And he's not gone.....

"To make the world a wasteland; to bring upon it the mirrored image of my wretched self; to punish…my friend, my enemy, who believed he could save a world that was not savable, that never deserved saving in the first place."

I simply can't detail the width and breadth of these books.  And if you think they're just run of the mill vampire killing books, you're very, very wrong. The characters are so detailed, the dystopian world building is brilliant and the plots continually surprise me. And honestly, they're quite literary.

But as I drew closer to the final pages, I was torn. I wanted to see what ending Cronin had imaged, but I didn't want the book to end. Put it down and make it last or......well, binge reading won out. Yes, these are the final battles - action, adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Answers to questions left unanswered over the last two books. And an emotional roller coaster as the last stand takes place. And oh, the end - those last few pages had me in tears....Read an excerpt of The City of Mirrors.

I have no idea how Cronin could top this series, but I seriously hope he's writing his next book. You can connect with Justin Cronin on Twitter and find him on Facebook.

The Dead Lands - Benjamin Percy

I missed reading Benjamin Percy's last novel, Red Novel. The positive reviews I read had me eager to read his latest release, The Dead Lands.

Percy had me at 'post-apocalyptic'. I love books that explore what the world might be like when what we know ends.

Between a super flu and nuclear fallout, most of mankind and society has been wiped out. But there are pockets of humanity left. One such group has barricaded themselves in what is left of St. Louis and dubbed it The Sanctuary. It's a militant society, but at least the inhabitants are alive behind its walls. (It somewhat reminded me of Woodbury from The Walking Dead) And until the day a young woman on a horse rides through the gates they are satisfied with being alive. But not everyone is. A young pair -Lewis Meriwether and Mina Clark decide to go outside the walls. The young woman says there is much more out there - water, crops and a better society.

Lewis and Clark (Aha - just like the explorers!) strike out. But the journey there is arduous, filled with danger from within the group, from The Sanctuary and the land they are traversing. And the girl may have lied....

I loved the idea, I liked the characters - actually my favourite character was Ella - a supporting player from The Sanctuary. I did find the mayor of The Sanctuary and his henchman Sheriff a bit cliched. Percy has done a good job with world building. The journey to the unknown will have you rooting for our explorers. But. Yes, there's a but. No doubt, Percy is a talented wordsmith. But sometimes too many words is just, well too much. I wanted more action, not more descriptions. I started getting bogged down in the details - and I found myself skimming.

Creatures such as albino giant bats seemed more fantastical than apocalyptic. Maybe that's just me - and what I was hoping to find. A good read, but not great for this reader. Here's an excerpt of The Dead Lands.