2 Book Lovers Reviews
The first thing with apocalyptic/dystopian fiction is the author needs to make it new and different, no one wants to read about a group of people stuck in a shopping mall surrounded by zombies or a young girl who volunteers to put her life at risk to save her little sister. We’ve been there; we’ve done that. The second thing is that it has to be about the characters. Whatever dangers exist in this new world it should only be friction that pushes the characters and incites friction between people, human conflict is the cornerstone of great fiction. How could we do that to each other?
In The Book of Koli Carey has demonstrated his mastery of these two concepts. Right from the first page I was captivated by the style he chose to use and the situation that he placed his protagonist, Koli, into.
I have to say a little something about the style, kudos to Carey for pulling this off. Koli uses our verbal English language, without our grammatical conventions. My wife shuddered when I read her some of the passages. It must have taken a monumental effort for Carey and his editorial team to put the red pens away and just let Koli be Koli. This style reinforced that this is not the world that we know and love, but one that could be if we are not careful.
I appreciate the time that Carey took in revealing the conflict between the people in Koli’s community. We go from a community surviving in harmony until the cloak is lowered bit by bit to reveal the greed and disdain that those in power have for others, as well as the lengths of deceit that they will use to maintain that power, even at the detriment of those around them.
The scenario in The Book of Koli was unlike anything I had seen before, not only from the society that Koli lived in, but how we got there, to the dangers that existed. It was fresh and unique.
The Book of Koli is the first in a trilogy. It works as a story in and of itself, but it left me wanting more. The biggest question I was left with: when will that more be coming?
*5 Stars
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The Book of Koli
(The Rampart Trilogy, Book 1)
By M.R. Carey
