02/03/2020
Carey (The Girl With All the Gifts) allows the promising premise of the first installment to his sci-fi Rampart Trilogy —a postapocalyptic U.K. (stylized in this far-future as “Yewkay”) in which human civilization has fallen to murderous, genetically modified plants—to languish as he focuses on a shallow, self-centered protagonist. Teenage Koli Woodsmith wants nothing more than to become a protector of his village. Though Koli sees himself as a hero, he is more swayed by his own desires than by challenging the systems put in place by the power-hungry village elders, and he acts primarily for his own gains, whether the motivation be a girl or a piece of technology. After Koli is accused of stealing from the town’s technological storeroom, he is exiled from the village and must learn to survive the hostile wilderness. The slogging plot is slowed even further by the narrator’s awkwardly rendered dialect (“I opened my mouth but no word come out. Of course I knowed it.”) . From the barely explored setting to the strained ventriloquism of the narrative voice, Carey offers little to inspire confidence in future series entries. Sci-fi readers will be disappointed. Agent: Meg Davis, Ki Agency. (Apr.)
"This is a beautiful book. Gripping, engaging, and absolutely worth the time it takes to burrow yourself into its reality. I can't recommend it highly enough."—Seanan McGuire on The Book of Koli
"M.R. Carey hefts astonishing storytelling power with plainspoken language, heartbreaking choices, and sincerity like an arrow to the heart."
—Locus on The Book of Koli
"A captivating start to what promises to be an epic post-apocalyptic fable. Narrator Koli's inquisitive mind and kind heart make him the perfect guide to Carey's immersive, impeccably rendered world."—Kirkus on The Book of Koli
"The cadence and pacing of [Koli's] voice adds a depth and richness to the strange and malevolent world."—Booklist on The Book of Koli
"An exciting post-apocalyptic coming-of-age trilogy ... Readers will finish The Book of Koli eager to read the next installment."—Shelf Awareness on The Book of Koli
"Told in an enchanting, confessional first-person, we're with Koli all the way, from the stifling security of village life into the direst peril."—Daily Mail on The Book of Koli
"A thought-provoking and deeply engaging story ... profoundly and doggedly humane."—C. A. Fletcher on The Book of Koli
"Carey writes with compassion and fire - strange and surprising and humane."
—Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls on The Boy on the Bridge
"Heartfelt, remorseless and painfully human...as fresh as it is terrifying. A jewel."—Joss Whedon on The Girl With All the Gifts
"A highly imaginative fable."—Nerd Daily on the Book of Koli
"A master storyteller." —io9
2020-01-13
The first volume in Carey's Rampart trilogy is set centuries into a future shaped by war and climate change, where the scant remains of humankind are threatened by genetically modified trees and plants.
Teenager Koli Woodsmith lives in Mythen Rood, a village of about 200 people in a place called Ingland, which has other names such as "Briton and Albion and Yewkay." He was raised to cultivate, and kill, the wood from the dangerous trees beyond Mythen Rood's protective walls. Mythen Rood is governed by the Ramparts (made up entirely of members of one family—what a coincidence), who protect the village with ancient, solar-powered tech. After the Waiting, a time in which each child, upon turning 15, must decide their future, Koli takes the Rampart test: He must "awaken" a piece of old tech. After he inevitably fails, he steals a music player which houses a charming "manic pixie dream girl" AI named Monono, who reveals a universe of knowledge. Of course, a little bit of knowledge can threaten entire societies or, in Koli's case, a village held in thrall to a family with unfettered access to powerful weapons. Koli attempts to use the device to become a Rampart, he becomes their greatest threat, and he's exiled to the world beyond Mythen Rood. Luckily, the pragmatic Koli has his wits, Monono, and an ally in Ursala, a traveling doctor who strives to usher in a healthy new generation of babies before humanity dies out for good. Koli will need all the help he can get, especially when he's captured by a fearsome group ruled by a mad messianic figure who claims to have psychic abilities. Narrator Koli's inquisitive mind and kind heart make him the perfect guide to Carey's (Someone Like Me, 2018, etc.) immersive, impeccably rendered world, and his speech and way of life are different enough to imagine the weight of what was lost but still achingly familiar, and as always, Carey leavens his often bleak scenarios with empathy and hope. Readers will be thrilled to know the next two books will be published in short order.
A captivating start to what promises to be an epic post-apocalyptic fable.
Theo Solomon’s narration is astounding in this story of a ruined future in which humanity is slowly dying and technology is viewed as magic from the past. While the audiobook is outstanding in its examination of humanity’s struggle in an evolving world, it’s the authenticity of Solomon’s voice that makes it so emotionally compelling and deeply personal. He crafts every word into an experience of sound, breath, and inflection. Listeners will be spellbound by the aural depiction of a complex and bitter society in which hope and innocence are precious gifts. With his cadence and British accent, Solomon spins pain and wonder into a performance that is a must-hear experience. E.M.U. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Theo Solomon’s narration is astounding in this story of a ruined future in which humanity is slowly dying and technology is viewed as magic from the past. While the audiobook is outstanding in its examination of humanity’s struggle in an evolving world, it’s the authenticity of Solomon’s voice that makes it so emotionally compelling and deeply personal. He crafts every word into an experience of sound, breath, and inflection. Listeners will be spellbound by the aural depiction of a complex and bitter society in which hope and innocence are precious gifts. With his cadence and British accent, Solomon spins pain and wonder into a performance that is a must-hear experience. E.M.U. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
