#BlogTour Tomorrow's Ancestors: The Base of Reflections by A.E. Warren

It's my second turn on the Blog Tour for the Tomorrow's Ancestors series by A.E. Warren. I blogged about the first book The Museum of Second Chances a few days ago and today it's all about the second book, The Base of Reflections.

About the Author
AE Warren lives in the UK. A not-so-covert nerd with mildly obsessive tendencies, she has happily wiled away an inordinate amount of time reading and watching sci-fi/ fantasy and gaming. She is interested in the ‘what ifs’.

The Museum of Second Chances is her first novel and she is currently writing the third book in the 'Tomorrow's Ancestors' series.

Follow @amauthoring on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit aewarren.com, Buy The Base of Reflections

About the book
What happens when the future abandons the past?

Elise and her companions have made it to the safety of Uracil but at a price. Desperate to secure her family’s passage, she makes a deal with Uracil's Tri-Council. She’ll become their spy, jeopardising her own freedom in the process, in exchange for her family’s safe transfer. But first she has to help rescue the next Neanderthal, Twenty-Two.

Twenty-Two has never left the confines of the steel walls that keep her separated from the other exhibits. She has no contact with the outside world and no way of knowing why she has been abandoned. With diminishing deliveries of food and water, she has to start breaking the museum’s rules if she wants a second chance at living.

One belongs to the future and the other to the past, but both have to adapt—or neither will survive…

Review
This is part of a series and I would definitely suggest reading the first in the series, The Museum of Second Chances. Aside from the intricacy of the plot, and it is a really well thought out and intriguing premise, it is necessary to get the entire gist of the story and the characters.

The first book ends with Elise and her companions heading towards Uracil and this one begins with them arriving at their destination. The council is willing to help Elise in return for a favour - they want her to spy for them. She also has to rescue Twenty-two.

Meanwhile Twenty-two is just as determined to escape, especially because the powers that be have been treating her differently to the other human species - the Neanderthal exhibits. For some reason there seems to be a concerted effort to starve and deprive her of her basic needs. Some of their experiments are inhumane, which in itself says a lot about the post-apocalyptic society in power.

Warren deserves to be on quite a few radars. The plot is clever and compelling, and is very much driven by the emotional element that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.

It's a futuristic, dystopian post-apocalyptic tale - an intriguing look at the worst side of so-called intelligent life form. How easy it is for humankind to swing from survival instinct to excusing acts of cruelty and oppression in the name of science, evolution and development.

Buy The Base of Reflections at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of The Museum of Second Chances by A.E. Warren.

#BlogTour The Black Ditch by Simon J. Lancaster

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Black Ditch by Simon J. Lancaster.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a signed copy of The Black Ditch, and for your name to be used for a character in the sequel (Open Int)

About the Author
Simon J Lancaster is the author of The Black Ditch, the first in the Laurie Sterne trilogy of dystopian future thrillers. Prior to writing novels he was a national newspaper journalist in London, as well as a music critic and private pilot. He has written short stories and plays and, after reading extensively about climate change, concluded that the fantasy gun-play of contemporary-set action novels would be the lived experience of our coming world.

Follow on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Facebook, Buy The Black Ditch

About the book
Laurie Sterne feels like he’s been cut adrift in space. His father has been shot dead, caught in the crossfire of a gangland war that has also claimed his boss’s life. Laurie is a refugee who lost his adoptive mum years before and doesn’t know where he was born, let alone who his birth parents were. But he’s not alone in the world: someone is trying to kill him.

This is London, 2050, a dumping ground for climate refugees and dissidents. Gangs rule, murder goes unpunished and the police make sure you can’t escape.

In his struggle to stay alive, he finds an ally: his former boss’s secret daughter. But with the killer predicting his every move, is the man without a past being betrayed by the woman who seems to offer him a future?

Review

When you suddenly realise that 2050 sounds really far into the future, ergo flying cars and space stations on Mars, but in actual fact it's only 30 years from now. The scenarios the author paints aren't unrealistic given that they are grounded in part in reality.

The beginning of the story is perhaps the strongest part and is incredibly astute when you draw comparisons to what is going on in certain parts of the world at the moment. The abysmal treatment of illegal and refugees in the US. The way the children have been separated from their parents and imprisoned. That cruelty is echoed in Laurie's story.

He fears being caught and taken by the authorities, despite being legal - at least he thinks he is. The truth turns out to be a little more complicated, and it leaves one heck of a mark on the young child.
Fast forward to 2050 and Laurie the grown man is the stooge of a bigwig criminal. The kowtowing has never really left him, perhaps it's residual fear left over from his childhood.

It's a dystopian post-apocalyptic read rooted in modern day fears. Lancaster uses politics and environmental concerns in our era to create a fictional scenario, which sails rather close to a worst case scenario.

The strength of the first few chapters isn't quite mirrored in the rest of the book. It's easy to be swept up in the violence, confusion and lack of rational in the future, as opposed to capturing the essence of the child and place, and transporting it throughout the book.

Buy The Black Ditch at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win a signed copy of The Black Ditch, and for your name to be used for a character in the sequel (Open Int)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.*

#SeriesBlogTour Tomorrow's Ancestors: The Museum of Second Chances by A.E. Warren

It's my first turn on the Series Blog Tour for Tomorrow's Ancestors: The Museum of Second Chances by A.E. Warren and will be blogging about the second book, The Base of Reflections, in a few days.

About the Author
AE Warren lives in the UK. A not-so-covert nerd with mildly obsessive tendencies, she has happily wiled away an inordinate amount of time reading and watching sci-fi/ fantasy and gaming. She is interested in the ‘what ifs’.

The Museum of Second Chances is her first novel and she is currently writing the third book in the 'Tomorrow's Ancestors' series.

Follow @amauthoring on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit aewarren.com, Buy The Museum of Second Chances

About the book
What happens when the future recaptures the past?

In a post-apocalyptic world the human race has evolved beyond us through genetic engineering – and we’ve been left behind to make amends for the damage inflicted on the earth.

The reversal of the extinction of long lost animals is key to our reparations and all of these are housed in the Museum of Evolution – along with another species of human that hasn’t existed for 30,000 years.

Elise belongs to the lowest order of humans, the Sapiens. She lives in an ostracised community of ecological houses, built to blend with an idyllic landscape. Deciding to widen her stagnating life in the manufacturing base, she takes a chance opportunity to become a Companion to a previously extinct species of human.

And while living in the museum, Elise realises that little separates her from the other exhibits…

Review
Now and again you find an unexpected gem of a read and this is one of those reads. The worldbuilding, research and thought that has gone into this makes it an extraordinary and interesting experience.

Hierarchy and sub-levels of humans isn't a new idea per se, doing it from the Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens onwards perhaps more so. This is set in a future after the Homo Sapiens has self-imploded their own civilisation, and because of that they are considered less superior than other groupings of humans.

In fact any group above them is genetically superior. Stronger, smarter, taller - every possible advantage can be bought or is yours by birthright. If you're really lucky you might even win the opportunity to rise up in the ranks by adding genetic advantages.

Elise is Sapiens, which means she is treated either like dirt or as non-existent in the grand scheme of the hierarchy laws. She isn't satisfied with being confined to a specific job just because she was born in a certain area. She applies to be a Companion to a museum exhibit, which displeases her own family and other Sapiens.

Now imagine the exhibit living in a bubbled replica of their native environment. Caged like an animal, studied like a lab rat, but an ancestor to all the other human species.

It's very much a case of you don't belong to the higher social group if you come from below and those below no longer accept you as one of their own when you rise above your own social status. No difference there really - it's the same in present day society.

It's a dystopian novel with post-apocalyptic and futuristic elements. Warren combines anthropology, natural science, genetics and eugenics to create a fascinating read. I'm looking forward to the next part in the series.

Buy The Museum of Second Chances at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.  Publisher: Locutions Press; pub date 17 Feb. 2018. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Remember Tomorrow by Amanda Saint

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Remember Tomorrow by Amanda Saint. It's post-apocalyptic fiction with a futuristic flair.

About the Author
Amanda Saint's debut novel, As If I Were A River, reached #3 in the WHSmith Travel charts; was selected as a NetGalley Top 10 Book of the Month; and chosen as a Top 20 Book of 2016 by the Book Magnet Blog.

Her short stories have been widely published in anthologies and literary magazines, twice appearing on the Fish Flash Fiction longlist and the Ink Tears Short Story shortlist. She runs her own creative writing business, Retreat West, through which she runs writing courses and competitions; and an independent publishing house, retreat West Books. Amanda also works as a freelance journalist writing about climate change and environmental sustainability.

Follow @saintlywriter @RetreatWest on Twitter, on Facebook,
Visit amandasaint.net
Buy Remember Tomorrow

About the book
England, 2073. The UK has been cut off from the rest of the world and ravaged by environmental disasters. Small pockets of survivors live in isolated communities with no electricity, communications or transportation, eating only what they can hunt and grow.

Evie is a herbalist, living in a future that’s more like the past, and she’s fighting for her life. The young people of this post-apocalyptic world have cobbled together a new religion, based on medieval superstitions, and they are convinced she’s a witch. Their leader? Evie’s own grandson.

Weaving between Evie’s current world and her activist past, her tumultuous relationships and the terrifying events that led to the demise of civilised life, Remember Tomorrow is a beautifully written, disturbing and deeply moving portrait of an all-too-possible dystopian world, with a chilling warning at its heart.

Review
It doesn't matter how far into the future we go, we can always rely on humans to never learn from history or their past. The human race excels at destroying themselves. For some reason they seem particularly talented at repeating the most heinous acts of the past centuries. The title of the book is therefore quite apt.

Instead of moving forward and evolving, a small community in the future has reverted back to the days when the mere whiff of suspicion could mean the difference between living in peace and being burnt at the stake for witchcraft. Healing becomes spells, witchery and the devil's work. This places Evie in the unfortunate position of being a target.

The fact that religion always seems to make an appearance in some way, shape or form is definitely part of the problem in this dystopian, post-apocalyptic and futuristic story. A once thriving community set in the year 2073 in England is facing increasingly harder struggles to survive. Food has become scarce, which makes people desperate.

Her own family uses religion to make Evie seem like a threat and the guise of her being a danger to the community is probably just hiding the fact it is a way to rid themselves of community members. Less people equals less mouths to share food with.

Humans tend to target the vulnerable, the different and the non-conformists to deflect from their own failings or hidden agendas. Evie and any other person refusing to become part the fanatical religious group have a big bullseye painted on their back.

It's post-apocalyptic fiction with a futuristic flair. Given the rise of certain radical groups and the attacks upon specific religious groups and ethnicities at the moment, despite prior tragedies and atrocities in the last century, this isn't a far-fetched premise at all.

Saint captivates the mass hysteria of religious zealots, which supersedes any common sense or prior knowledge that questions the beliefs of the fanatics. It's a recipe for violence and disaster.

Buy Remember Tomorrow at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Retreat West Books; Ecopy pub date 21 Mar. 2019. Paperback pub date 17 March 2019.

Read my review of Word for Freedom and Nothing is As it Was.

#BlogTour The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Widening Gyre by C.J. Sutton. It's futuristic, dystopian sci-fi meets action packed space opera. I look forward to reading where this series goes.

About the Author
Born in the San Francisco bay area and raised in Napa, California, Michael R. Johnston grew up steeped in everything Science Fiction and Fantasy from Asimov to Zelazny, as well as endless terrible SF TV shows he still has a slightly embarrassed fondness for.

Faced with the choice between moving back in with his parents and continuing school, or paying his rent, he took “a year” off from college. He spent time as a court process server, a retail sales associate, a sandwich maker, and a data entry tech, before finding himself in a management role. A decade later, burnt out from his job in political research and facing 30, he decided he’d had enough and returned to college, graduating with honors from California State University, Sacramento.

In fall 2006, he became a high school English teacher, a job he likens to herding a swarm of angry bees. It’s the best job he’s ever had.

In 2013, he attended the 17th Viable Paradise Science Fiction Writing Workshop. The experience of having his story critiqued by other writers, some of them professionals he’d been reading for years, helped him realize he could write professionally, and introduced him to some of his best friends.

He currently lives in Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughter. When he’s not writing or teaching, he spends time with his family, plays video games and tabletop RPGs (often with family), and reads.

Follow @MREJohnston @flametreepress on Twitter,
Visit MJohnstonBooks.com
Buy The Widening Gyre

About the book
Eight hundred years ago, the Zhen Empire discovered a broken human colony ship drifting in the fringes of their space. The Zhen gave the humans a place to live and folded them into their Empire as a client state. But it hasn’t been easy. Not all Zhen were eager to welcome another species into their Empire, and humans have faced persecution. For hundreds of years, human languages and history were outlawed subjects, as the Zhen tried to mold humans into their image. Earth and the cultures it nourished for millennia are forgotten, little more than legends.

One of the first humans to be allowed to serve in the Zhen military, Tajen Hunt became a war hero at the Battle of Elkari, the only human to be named an official Hero of the Empire. He was given command of a task force, and sent to do the Empire’s bidding in their war with the enigmatic Tabrans. But when he failed in a crucial mission, causing the deaths of millions of people, he resigned in disgrace and faded into life on the fringes as a lone independent pilot.

When Tajen discovers his brother, Daav, has been killed by agents of the Empire, he, his niece, and their newly-hired crew set out to finish his brother’s quest: to find Earth, the legendary homeworld of humanity. What they discover will shatter 800 years of peace in the Empire, and start a war that could be the end of the human race.

Review
In this story the humans are the underdog. The rare species fighting for survival in a world run by aliens who eat raw and live meat. Shout out to the original V at this point, who loved to eat live rats and even hamsters.

Even in sci-fi there is room for sub-species to be discriminated against, treated as less than the superior race, and yet still used to stock up numbers in a war (aka bullet fodder). Tajen Hunt is a decorated war hero, the sole human carrier of the title Hero of the Empire. The fact he achieved this title by inadvertently causing the mass deaths of his own race, makes him a traitor to his own and deserving of an odd respect from the Zhen.

Tajen has to confront his feelings of guilt about his military career when a tragic event forces him to interact with his past and his immediate family. Easier said than done. He struggles to connect with his niece, in fact he struggles to connect emotionally to anyone.

He accidentally creates a team of determined truth seekers, who are willing to follow the scavenger hunt for information hidden by his brother. Not all of them believe the conspiracy theory and that the search will lead them to a planet surrounded my myths and tales of non-existence.

It's a sci-fi space adventure with a ship full of rebels willing to defy a whole alien race to discover the truth about planet earth. What is so important the Zhen will go to any length to keep it secret, including killing those who are willing to dig deep to discover said secret.

I enjoyed the read. It's futuristic, dystopian sci-fi meets action packed space opera. I look forward to reading where this series goes.

Buy The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Flame Tree Press; pub date 14 Mar. 2019. Buy at !ndigo, Flame Tree Press, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Powell's, Waterstones or Book Depository.

#BlogTour Spaghetti Head by Sarah Tyley

Today it is my turn on the BlogTour for Spaghetti Head by Sarah Tyley. Don't be fooled by the title, which suggests a fun and light-hearted read, it is in fact an intriguing mixture of futuristic and post-apocalyptic fiction with an emphasis on mental health, human rights and the oppression of the human race

About the Author
I grew up on a dairy farm in Somerset and had a lovely childhood running around outside, spending alot of time surrounded by cows. I would have to be biased towards Friesians, but really any cow will do - I love them all.

I have written a diary since I was twelve, and some years ago I thought to myself ‘hey, that must mean I’m a writer’ – and so I embarked on short stories. I never quite got the hang of those so moved on to trying a novel.

I currently live in France splitting my time between my gardening business, writing, and playing tennis. I love Roger Federer almost as much as I love cows

Follow @sarah_tyley on Twitter

Or on Facebook

Visit sarahtyley.co.uk
Buy Spaghetti Head

About the book
Journalist Nell Greene is intelligent, beautiful and quirky – but a failure at relationships, thanks to her untrusting and disruptive inner voice. She has received The Award, and refusing to help repopulate the earth can seriously complicate your life: it is time for Nell to change. In a world where greed, war, and an environmental disaster have massively reduced the population, survivors have introduced a new system of governance - led by women but delivered by robots, and designed to promote peace and remove opportunities for abuse of power. Or at least that was the intention… Will Nell overcome the challenges of life in a post-apocalyptic world to find happiness, or will the System win? Spaghetti Head is Sarah Tyley's debut novel that addresses issues of modern womanhood, environmental devastation and the impact of technological advances on our freedom, relationships and mental health.

Review
Spaghetti Head is an intriguing mixture of futuristic and post-apocalyptic fiction with an emphasis on mental health, human rights and the oppression of the human race, in particular when it comes to the reproduction process. Women and men who conceive are more valuable than those who can't reproduce.

The story takes place a long time after a natural disaster almost completely eradicates the human race. Now the earth is run by computer programmes, although they have 'supposedly' been programmed by humans. The focus is on the main character Nell, a woman with a successful career, but she is emotionally crippled by her paranoia and self-doubt. The System intervenes in her life to tell her it's time to do her female duty and have a child, which means leaving her career to raise one or being forced into a new assignment or 'life' altogether.

My two favourite aspects of this premise are Cyd and Alice. Alice is the companion/pet bot who seems to be a lot more clued in than Nell the majority of the time. Cyd lives inside the spaghetti maze inside Nell's head. Cyd is what Freud would call the very conscious Id of Nell's personality. Cyd is like the inner voice who influences and convinces Nell, even if it is to her detriment. In reverse it is Nell who determines how Cyd acts, looks and speaks. This was an exceptionally innovative way to explain and show the thought process going on inside Nell.

This is a fascinating way to present a mental health problem. The strands or threads of spaghetti represent the emotional turmoil inside Nell's mind, and depending on how curled they are or how straight determines how ill, paranoid or distressed Nell is. The

I know the title has specific meaning to the author, and indeed the spaghetti threads are an important part of the premise and story, but I personally think the title of Spaghetti Head doesn't do the book any favours. It certainly doesn't do any justice to the extremely clever premise and content, and both the cover and title may create misconceptions about what type of story it is, which means potential readers or buyers may not be interested because it suggests a different type of read. They say never judge a book by its cover (or title), and in this case it's true because this story is innovative and complex.

It's a combination of speculative, futuristic, post-apocalyptic and evolutionary fiction mixed with aspects of artificial intelligence, which evolves into autonomous intelligence. There are echoes of The Handmaids Tale when it comes to the empowerment of women and their reproduction systems, and their value in regards to said reproduction. Viewed as resources, as opposed to valued members of society.

It wasn't at all what I was expecting, but this a really interesting read and definitely one I will be recommending.

Buy Spaghetti Head at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson

Subtlety is what makes this an exceptional read. The dystopian element of the story is almost imperceptible, it unfolds slowly like flowers uncurling at the first sign of spring.

The solitude, the silence and the snow gives the story an aura of complete and utter isolation. The kind of isolation one would experience under normal circumstances in an area like that, let alone in the aftermath of a global disaster. Which is probably why the small community appears to be nothing more than a close-knit family unit living in the Yukon wilderness. Hence there being nothing unusual about Lynn hunting for her next meal, and going head to head with anyone who dares to cross her or her family.

Although it doesn't seem to be a priority, they are all aware that they are part of the small group deemed survivors of the disaster that ravaged and decimated the entire population. Lynn is also acutely aware of being a young woman with only minimal choices when it comes to romantic partners or viable partners.

So the arrival of new blood in the area is the beginning of new emotions, new threats and Jax also brings the key to Pandora's box with him. Lynn discovers something about herself and her past that will not only change her path in life, it also has the potential to change the lives of those around her.

Johnson has a knack for the minimalistic approach whilst creating vivid imagery, solid characters and the kind of story readers will want to follow to the end.

Hopefully readers won't have to wait too long for the sequel to The Wolves in Winter, and yes there really needs to be one, because I need to know what happens next.

Buy The Wolves of Winter at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @tjohnso14 @HQStories

Visit tyrelljohnsonauthor.com

Today Blog-Tour: The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent

Today it is my absolute pleasure to host the tour for The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent. She just happens to one of my favourite urban fantasy authors, which means it is double the pleasure.

Author bio:

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent loves good chocolate, comfortable jeans, and serial commas. Rachel is the author of the SOUL SCREAMERS series and can be found online at www.rachelvincent.com.
You can connect with @RachelKVincent and @HQYoungAdult on Twitter. Keep an eye open for #TheFlameNeverDies

About the book

Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go.

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth. Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review

Rachel Vincent doesn't really get the recognition she deserves when it comes to her writing. Her Shifter series is one of the best urban fantasy series I have read. The Flame Never Dies is the sequel to The Stars Never Rise, a riveting YA fantasy. It is an interesting combination of a post-apocalyptic scenario and urban fantasy.

Nina Kane and her merry band of exorcists are fighting for survival in the badland wilderness of a world destroyed by a hoard of demons. All humans have become a potential body source to the creatures from hell.

They have tricked humans into thinking they are trying to save them from the imminent threat of the soul devouring entities. Only a small minority of humans can see through the charade. Nina and her fellow crusaders are blessed with the gift of exorcism, and being able to see the demons for what they are.

One of the best bits, as far as I am concerned was the whole demon vs Nina and her sister scenario towards the end. Pure comedy gold, in a post-apocalyptic supernatural surreal kind of way of course.

All that seems and sounds pretty simple, on a purely demonic level of course, but Vincent manages to incorporate a few intricate sub-plots. Including the dilemma of an empty well of souls. She tends to be able to pull her readers in quite quickly with her strong characters and innovative world-building.
I think the only negative is the fact this is supposedly only a two book enterprise. What a shame, it has such potential to be a longer series.

It's a fast-paced YA read with memorable and well-developed characters, and it's a jolly good read.

Buy The Flame Never Dies at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

The Last of Us by Rob Ewing

What a horror scenario, a small number of children left to fend for themselves on one of the remote Scottish islands.

The pandemic has wiped out every adult and nearly everyone else on the island. There is no way of knowing how far the contagion has travelled or whether there is anyone left alive at all.

Poor little lambs. what a sad story.

Rona and Alex look to Elizabeth for guidance. She is slightly older than the two of them. They make up one group of survivors and the second group consists of the two brothers Duncan and Calum.

Just a few really young children all alone on an island fending for themselves. When I say fend I mean scavenge for food and fresh water. At least Elizabeth knows how to get clean drinking water.

It truly is a horror scenario. It is one thing to contemplate being the last of a few survivors, but when you imagine young children in the same situation, it is even worse.

Faced with the absolute carnage of a fast-acting lethal contagion these children show strength, resilience and a lot of courage. Perhaps even more than an adult because they are free from certain fears that they will eventually grow into.

I really like the way Ewing has kept the story basic and simple. In fact the simplicity of the children's thought processes, decisions and actions is what makes it such an authentic read. They still have their normal childish rivalry and squabbles, whilst having to simultaneously survive as the new adults in town.

Buy The Last of Us at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Machinations by Hayley Stone

Artificial Intelligence has started a war against humans. Initially the machines are infected with a virus that in essence turns them against all things two-legged and breathing.

Humans become the targets of extermination and slavery. The machines are trying to annihilate the pockets of rebellion, which exist all over the globe, but are isolated due to the nature of the threat.

The machines can pick up any signal or message sent via any type of equipment. All humans have become sitting ducks and face the threat of extinction.

Rhona or rather the new and improved version of Rhona finds herself torn between her friend Samuel and her old lover Camus. Not all of her memories, and the emotions attached to them, have been restored after her rebirth.

On top of that she isn't considered trustworthy by the upper echelon. and yet the underlings still consider her to be in charge. Talk about mixed messages. Nobody quite knows where she fits in, including Rhona.

Machinations is a fast-paced story with plenty of room for development. It is certainly the type of read I tend to enjoy.

What Stone really needs to do is pick a genre and stick with it. Not that you can't mix, but this has a great post-apocalyptic premise, which is weakened slightly by the strong romantic vein flowing through it.

If you're writing sci-fi, dystopian, fantasy or post-apocalyptic stories you have to be bold and ruthless enough to do without the en vogue popular formula you think will draw in readers from other genres. It is absolutely doable. Not that you can't have a love interest or romance, you just shouldn't let it overpower the premise or main genre you're going for.

Saying all that, I did enjoy the premise and the read. I also look forward to seeing where Stone takes the story in the sequel, Counterpart.

Buy Machinations at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

Quite a fascinating post-apocalyptic tale, set in a near future realistic scenario. The way Mandel has created a type of spider web of characters in an almost TV show like scenario.

The world as we know it has been reduced to a pre-technology, pre-electricity and pre-internet time. The population has been reduced to a minimum.

Survival has become a thing of the most ruthless, the fittest, and the ones willing to do anything to live a day longer.

The whole plot is set around and connected via one individual. Not the main character, but rather someone most of the characters, who play major roles in the story, have been in contact with. I thought it was an interesting way to go about it. A kind of six degrees of separation via one person.

To be completely frank, I thought the beginning was a wee it confusing, so much so I wasn't sure where Mandel was taking it at all. Even when it became evident that it was going the apocalyptic route I still didn't quite get why Mandel kept coming back to Arthur and Co.

I really enjoyed the idea of the Symphony.What a wonderful grand gesture of hope in an otherwise desolate world. A travelling company of musical artists and performers of Shakespearean plays. Art as a beacon of light and home comforts of a forgotten world.

Certainly a different way of going about it, and although it reminded me slightly of Revolution, it was a good read.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.