In the aftermath of a devastating apocalypse, Earth has become a desolate ice-world, in the grip of perpetual winter.Henry and his family have managed to survive on the tundra of what was once a vast ocean, far from the savage remnants of humanity.When the family are discovered, their peaceful existence is shattered and their lives are changed forever. Henry’s siblings are kidnapped, leaving him … kidnapped, leaving him alone in the ruins of their home.
Broken, altered and tormented by all that has befallen, Henry must bring vengeance to those that assume him dead. By any means necessary.
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A hundred or so years after the big freeze fell over the earth, Henry and his family live on the now frozen Atlantic ocean. They escaped from a community called the Favela (which I assumed to be in Brazil), and now live completely alone, seeing no one else. Their trouble begins when, out hunting one day, Henry and his father find a man who has recently died in the snow.
This tale of survival under brutal circumstances had me totally absorbed at first, and I enjoyed the parts when Henry and his family find relics from the past, not knowing what they are. The suspense builds in a slow, sinister fashion, as they begin to believe that they are not safe in their new home.
Other reviews mention this being a book of two halves, and it is. The first one is a post-apocalyptic tale of danger, survival, loss and the desire for revenge, and I loved it. It’s gritty and violent (warning: contains instances of cannibalism). The second half introduces a robot medic from an abandoned ship – don’t want to say any more because of spoilers, but I liked his scenes a lot, too; the interactions are great, and it’s all well thought out and feasible. As it goes on, though, the tone of the second half felt like more of a fantasy novel.
There were a couple of aspects I wasn’t so keen on – the long dream sequences, which I’ve always found pointless in books and on TV. Then, later on, Henry’s younger sisters turn into Game of Thrones characters: ‘I thank you, my husband, for bringing me to this place. But Mister Lanner’s presence upsets me. I want his head. Serve it on this table with the lobster, if you will’. Where would they have learned to talk like this? I also thought the editor could have lost some unnecessary dialogue tags (which dulled the impact of some lines of speech), and some sentences in which the author has told the reader how the character is feeling, though this has already been illustrated by his dialogue and actions.
To sum up: I liked it, and Mr Hackshaw certainly has talent; it’s a most respectable debut novel and I’m sure he will go onto bigger and better.
Post-apocalyptic frozen Earth
I enjoyed this post-apocalyptic tale about a few survivors left on a frozen Earth. It seems like it’s probably not all that long into our future.
The story centers on one family that has settled on a portion of the frozen Atlantic Ocean.
There are amazing discoveries and terrible attacks. And unexpected heroes come forward.
I rated this at three stars because I just wish the scope of the story had been broadened and some of the characters developed more. As a first novel, this is a very readable story. I wouldn’t mind reading it if some of the fluff was trimmed out, some more back history dropped in, plus the changes already mentioned.
Gripping story of revenge in a post apocalyptic ice world.
This story had me gripped from start to finish. Reminded me of a sort of post apocalyptic story of the likes of Book of Eli or Mad Max on ice. Could easily see this being made into a film or mini series. Can’t wait to read more from this new writer.
Wow, what a page turner. The story is absolutely riveting……. and very well written.
Some content was a bit graphic for my taste.
Wow. I usually struggle with audiobooks but this narrator is amazing. Add to that an amazing and well written story and it’s a win-win.
I absolutely love Henry … well all the characters really … even the baduns. I just can’t put into better words how creative and imaginative this is. This is a definite recommend for those who want a great apocalyptic read/listen.
Started off pretty good and then fizzled out.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a different outlook on the survival of mankind and in an unusual setting (ice age). Highly recommend reading this for those of you who enjoy this genre. Really interesting, well written and NO distracting grammar or spelling errors. Loved it.