Death comes, and misery follows. As a man in his early twenties, Leon never genuinely contemplated what would happen after his death. Like those before him, he never understood the truth of our universe. After his sudden demise, the terrorizing reality of a mysterious dystopian afterlife begins crushing him as it has those prior. Men have started enslaving and killing each other to sate their … greed while enigmatic creatures oppress the masses. Only a select few have shown the courage that is needed to challenge their supremacy.
Through this eclipsing darkness, there is hope. But will that hope prove to be enough to save this turbulent cosmos? The revelations of advanced science, magic, human savagery, and even our gods will be showcased. Both in a new light and disturbing darkness, will the verities of Earth and Afterworld give him a greater understanding of our universe; or in turn, begin to break him as they have done to so many before?
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This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Next Life, Afterworld
Author: James G. Robertson
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 6/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 6/10
Of the 16 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
9 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
13 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“An interesting, fantasy adventure with an afterlife element to it. The protagonist is killed in a hiking accident and must face a complex and dangerous existence. Although the old sentence is a little clumsy, I thought this was a very enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anybody enjoys character-led, fantasy novels.” Mel reader age 42
“I thought the strongest element of this story was the characters. The writer has created a range of interesting, often charismatic, dark and light characters for the reader to get to know and enjoy. The central premise of the story is clever and I thought the plot was well-crafted. I did feel it was a little heavy going at the beginning, but the pacing is much better in the second half of the book. A little let down by a poor cover.” Female reader, age 38
“There’s a terrible danger looming over the world; will Liam be able to save the day? This is a cracking fantasy novel full of mystery and magic. It’s also thought-provoking in parts, but never too heavy that it kills the pacing. The character development is strong for all three, but the author also works hard to show off the fantastical setting. I suspect this is an author will see a lot more of in the future.” Male reader, aged 62
“Unpredictable. An interesting look at the different gods, life and death. Smarter than a lot of fantasy. The author’s a good writer too.” Male reader, aged 65
To Sum It Up:
‘A thoughtful fantasy adventure with strong characterization. A red ribbon win and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
What would you do if you crossed over into the next life and got the shock of your life? This is exactly what happened to a young man, Leon. A tragic accident leads him to a world where evil beings do great harm to others. Leon witnesses much violence on his grand adventure, but he meets good beings as well, including historical figures.
Is there hope for those lost in this world? Not many have the courage to make it so; however, Leon is special. He makes friends and enemies in his plan to make a difference. He will discover himself and his own strengths and weaknesses.
Things move quickly in this story, and the suspense is high. The stakes are high. Readers will feel a lot while turning these pages, and they will think about things as well. If you like intricate, unusual tales of fantasy and other worlds, why not give this book a try?
An Engaging Read
As humans, we don’t know it all about the world we live in. This book provides a caution for the unexpected and a force to think about what exists beneath the surface, literally.
“Afterworld (Next Life Book 1)” authored by James G. Robertson is a fantasy drama novel that offers a Boy Meets New World read, filled with an engaging storyline and a captivating dialogue. It is Book 1 in what is expected a series on the title. The book has two parts – “Afterworld” and “The Need to Struggle and Lie” complemented by 13 chapters that read quickly and flows straight to the back cover. Leon D Michaels has no choice, as he was chosen by his new life after an unfortunate incident on a camping trip.
I like the story, though not much different from other fantasy books that glorify journeying to another world, this title with its twists and unexpected characterization brings an element of creativity. There is drama, friendship, and deceit among the several themes that resonate in between the pages.
This book is recommended for those who want to indulge in the irresistible world of fantasy and are desirous of escaping a mundane world. That may be young adults and those young at heart with an imaginative soul. We await Book 2.
This is the kind of book that you quickly find yourself hooked on, I was unable to put it down!
Leon is a relatable protagonist, fed up with his mundane life what should have been an uneventful trip throws him into a reality which is anything other than mundane. A classic case of ‘be careful what you wish for’ unfolds, as this new world takes him on a journey neither he or the reader could have anticipated.
One of the highlights for me is just how quickly the story gets started, within the first few chapters you are thrown into the thick of the action but there is still enough which is unexplained to keep you hooked. I loved how quickly the plot moved and the explanations came at a good pace so I wasn’t completely overwhelmed by the new information.
An original and interesting fantasy novel, I can’t wait to see what transpires in the next books!