AFTER THE SKY, BOOK ONE of Spirits of the Earth series, is one that will stay with you for a long time after you turned the last page to look off into the shadows reflecting on the epic tale you’ve just finished.
But be warned, it will not be finished with you.
It is a suspenseful, grim cautionary speculative fiction that asks the important questions:
WHAT MAKES US HUMAN?
ARE WE MORE THAN OUR PAST?
DOES ISOLATION FESTER THE DARKNESS WITHIN US?
ARE WE COMPELLED BY OUR VERY NATURES TO SELF-DESTRUCT?
Dystopian futures are a reflection of our current fears. We may well arrive in a future not too dissimilar from the one presented in AFTER THE SKY if our leaders are not wiser than our past ones have proven to be.
The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. AFTER THE SKY highlights the quandary to that thought: who determines what is THE truth?
The world to this novel is vast in its perspective and scope … which is why the author uses multiple points of view.
One of the key benefits of multiple points of view is the ability to show the reader what multiple characters are thinking and feeling. The reader gains a greater sense of the relationship between the characters and the overall world because they have more perspectives and more data.
The reader then knows more than any one character. This provides the opportunity for the author to create dramatic irony, where the reader thinks “No don’t trust him!” because they know what is behind that man’s easy smile and manner while the character does not. Dramatic irony is a great technique to create tension, suspense, and faster pacing. And Milo uses it expertly.
The story is bigger than any one character, so multiple points of view was needed to get all of the plot points and information to the reader. Seeing into the fractured minds of certain characters was like watching a ticking bomb hidden from the rest of those around him or her.
AFTER THE SKY reveals the truth of who we are and who we may become. But beware: truth revealed is like lighting a match; it can bring light to your world … or burn your fingers.
I truly enjoyed this novel. Pick it up and find yourself swept up into a tale you will not be able to put down.
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Wool Meets WWZ
After the Sky (book 1 in "Spirits of the Earth" series) by Milo James Fowler is pretty darn good. It's a "Post Apocalyptic Tale with a Paranormal Twist" according the publisher, Aethon Books. That's an apt description. I liken it to "The Silos of Wool meets World War Z" - and I'm pretty sure it will appeal to fans of Wool, Stephen King or Dean Koontz, and The Walking Dead.At a nice and solid 400 pages, you'll get to spend some time with this motley crew of heroes - and you'll want to. There are multiple points-of-view and time frames, so the story line takes some paying attention. Fowler is a good plotter, however, and you'll be rewarded with an engrossing tale that will leave you wanting to read the rest of the books in the series. Recommended.(Disclaimer: Yes, I got a free ARC from the publisher, but I also bought it as a pre-order because it was that good, check my Verified Purchase tag! ;-)
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2020
After the Sky (book 1 in "Spirits of the Earth" series) by Milo James Fowler is pretty darn good. It's a "Post Apocalyptic Tale with a Paranormal Twist" according the publisher, Aethon Books. That's an apt description. I liken it to "The Silos of Wool meets World War Z" - and I'm pretty sure it will appeal to fans of Wool, Stephen King or Dean Koontz, and The Walking Dead.
At a nice and solid 400 pages, you'll get to spend some time with this motley crew of heroes - and you'll want to. There are multiple points-of-view and time frames, so the story line takes some paying attention. Fowler is a good plotter, however, and you'll be rewarded with an engrossing tale that will leave you wanting to read the rest of the books in the series. Recommended.
(Disclaimer: Yes, I got a free ARC from the publisher, but I also bought it as a pre-order because it was that good, check my Verified Purchase tag! ;-)
At a nice and solid 400 pages, you'll get to spend some time with this motley crew of heroes - and you'll want to. There are multiple points-of-view and time frames, so the story line takes some paying attention. Fowler is a good plotter, however, and you'll be rewarded with an engrossing tale that will leave you wanting to read the rest of the books in the series. Recommended.
(Disclaimer: Yes, I got a free ARC from the publisher, but I also bought it as a pre-order because it was that good, check my Verified Purchase tag! ;-)
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2022
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Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
jason Smith
love the story need it to expand now...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2020
K M.
A bit like Marvel meets the apocalypse
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2020