Fall of the Cities - Putting Down Roots

Fall of the Cities #2

by Vance Huxley

As Harry and the other residents of Orchard Close struggle to survive, a new crop of problems present themselves. Unstable electricity damages equipment, days are spent scavenging for ammo, weapons, food, glass bottles, and of all things, yarn. Elsewhere, gangs carve out their territory throughout the city. Residents pay for protection through coupons, barter or worse. Citizens fleeing the city gangs, violence and lack of food flock to Orchard Close, but how many can they take in?

Worse, as time goes by, life changes from surviving to enduring. What's the point of maths if you are going to starve to death? The peace is fragile with only a bullet away from having the whole world change again...and it does.

354 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2016

About the author

Vance Huxley lives out in the countryside in Lincolnshire, England. He has spent a busy life working in many different fields. Eventually Vance tried writing though without any real structure.
Then he actually sent one off to be read. As an editor and beta readers explained the difference between words and books, he tried again.

Now he tries to type as often as possible in spite of the assistance of his cats, since he is no longer mobile. An avid reader of sci-fi, fantasy and adventure novels, so his writing tends towards those genres.

Reviews

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We’re in this for the long run now, we’ve got to plan these things.”

British author Vance Huxley has experience working different fields - including the building and rail industries, as a workshop manager, trouble-shooter for an engineering firm, accountancy, cafe proprietor, and graphic artist. His literary entry into the realm of science fiction, fantasy and adventure continues with this second volume of a series he calls FALL OF THE CITIES. This volume is PUTTING DOWN ROOTS.

Vance has that gift to tackle a terrifying subject (and that he manages to do with great insight) and still infuse his story with that time-honored British lingo and sense of humor, knowing all along that if he sets the stage carefully the hefty meat of the story will make more of an impact on the reader.

Yes, the novel is about terrorists and the schism that has been growing steadily in the last decade, but Vance opens his book with a conversation that gets us firmly planted in his corner: ‘Deep in the mostly abandoned English city, a sports stadium towered over the mainly derelict housing nearby. A group of young men and youths armed with makeshift clubs and a few machetes and firearms moved down a street lined with looted and wrecked shops, many burned out. A tall muscular black man pointed at the stadium ahead. “See, I told you. Nobody touched it because there’s sod all in there.” “Not even that great mob of lunatics were interested.” The overweight man in his mid-twenties frowned. “So why do we want it, Snoop?” “Because it’s a fortress. All the entrances are steel plated to stop fans getting in without paying, or dossers getting in there when there are no games playing.” Snoop ran forward. “If they’ve left all the kit you’ll be a happy boy, Bull.” “I’ll be a happy boy if they’ve left the hot dogs.” Laughter rang out from the group around Bull as they followed Snoop. That turned dried of alarm and then glee as a man ran from a ruined shop ahead, clutching a shopping bag. The groups set off after him, quickly running the fugitive down and then beating him to the ground. They stripped off his shirt, jeans and shoes while one handed Bull the bag. “Do we kill him, Bull?” “No need, he’s no danger.” Bull laughed.’

The synopsis indicates where this Part 2 will take us – ‘ As Harry and the other residents of Orchard Close struggle to survive, a new crop of problems present themselves. Unstable electricity damages equipment, days are spent scavenging for ammo, weapons, food, glass bottles, and of all things, yarn. Elsewhere, gangs carve out their territory throughout the city. Residents pay for protection through coupons, barter or worse. Citizens fleeing the city gangs, violence and lack of food flock to Orchard Close, but how many can they take in? Worse, as time goes by, life changes from surviving to enduring. What's the point of maths if you are going to starve to death? The peace is fragile with only a bullet away from having the whole world change again...and it does.’

Few authors can manage to involve us in such uncomfortable territory as this, but Vance does it with aplomb.

[Sharon Umbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was waiting and waiting for the next in the series to come out and wow was I NOT disappointed! These characters and their worlds are cemented in my brain; I can't believe what actually transpires in this dystopian world. The characters are so vivid and the visual details make it all very real.

Huxley's command of language puts me right into the center of the lives of these characters, right in the momentum of this tangled, changing, world! This writer concocts a world, describes it in detail and makes me feel like I am right there in it! Amazing writer, amazing novel.

When I want to go beyond my own life, I immerse myself into one of Vance Huxley's novels. Dystopian writer of the highest caliber! I read a LOT of dystopian novels and his are by far, my favorite!

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid good read

Set i n a plausible near future, this 2nd book in the series moved the story forward, with a twist I wasn't expecting. The story is set in the UK, so someone unfamiliar with British terms and slang may be a little thrown off, but nothing that would detract from the storyline.Will start reading the next book as soon as I post this review - I've been drawn into the story and the characters, and can't wait to see what happens next.

[Timothy Skilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series about England in a premeditated apocalyptic crisis, in which the cities have been targeted and destroyed. Enclaves are popping up for the survivors. Of course, there are conflicts between the enclaves to provide the story action, but the best part is the characters. The author continues to develop them and they are a lot of fun to follow within the larger story about the idiots who triggered the global crisis but are losing control of it. I've already dived into Book three and the story and characters are still fun. A lovely read.

[Chrystal Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

This is a very entertaining book. A little less action and more character driven themes. There is romance, fun, and heartbreak. On to the next one.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

At a meeting of four major gang heads, it became clear that Orchard Close is pretty much the only group that doesn’t see women as currency. We really need to see a dissenter or two; I refuse to believe that virtually every man in the city is a rapist waiting to happen, even during the apocalypse. Later on in the book we do get passing reference to a couple of people in other enclaves being halfway decent toward a woman, but it wasn’t enough and it took too long to come up.

The shadowy cabal is a smirking conspiracy with cartoonishly evil bad guys. The only thing I like about them was that their plans keep going wrong. Which, when all your plans rely on pushing mobs and rioters in the right directions, should go wrong a lot. However, the details of their plans get more and more ludicrous and farcical as time goes on. I kind of wonder if the publisher made the author put them in to explain why the cities were being affected in the way they were (something that was missing from the previous volume). Because frankly, it reads like the author thought they were ludicrous too.

I love so much of the worldbuilding. For instance, when Harold considers who to give weapons and training to, he takes into account who would be capable of killing someone when necessary. There’s an acknowledgement that not everyone would be, and there are members of both genders on the sides of this issue. People’s past traumas often figure in, as do new traumas. Another detail I loved is that skilled workers become incredibly valuable since the bad guys gave most people with useful skills passes out of the city, and the supplies for their work are limited. From dentists to plumbers, knitters to electricians, there’s an acknowledgement that skilled labor can be every bit as valuable as good fighters.

There’s a group of women in Orchard Close who tend to flirt with and tease Harold endlessly. At first I thought it was a bit of Mary Sue-ism, with the main character getting all the sexual attention just because he’s the main character. But then I thought about the fact that many of these women were traumatized, usually sexually. Since Harold isn’t looking for a girlfriend or friend with benefits, he’s a ‘safe’ person they can practice their flirting and personal contact with, while knowing it won’t result in, say, his assaulting them claiming that they asked for it by teasing him. I found that this group and their humorous antics reminded me of the group of ladies in Anne Bishop’s “Others” series, particularly in tone. The major difference is that our main character is on the outside looking in, rather than the inside looking out.

Because rape is so prevalent, it becomes a major crime in Orchard Close. The women of Orchard Close can be somewhat murderous, when they get mad. It’s an interesting look at what happens when you have to create your own justice, while balancing that with dealing with other enclaves which have entirely different mores and morals. Also, it isn’t as though anyone can spare the supplies to house and feed a prisoner, meaning justice has to be swift and decisive. The author doesn’t spend much time moralizing; he just lets us see what can happen when we reach a point where we have to do terrible things in order to survive. Much of the story involves dealing with neighbors and bargaining, and the delicate balance of the town’s enclaves. For a while I thought of the Orchard Close rule that people have to watch their language and not swear as silly and ridiculous. But I eventually decided that it’s an easy way to see whether someone’s going to be willing to abide by their rules, and it helps to maintain a bit of decorum, particularly since there are women and children in the enclave. It’s partly a test, and partly a way of keeping things civilized.

Since most of the story concerns the worldbuilding, it would be easy to fail to provide enough tension. However, I think Huxley pulls it off. When a plot part required Harold to use his skills with guns, the slow buildup to taking one single shot totally hooked me and ratcheted up the tension!

Several events that I won’t spoil for you made me bawl like a little girl. I give this book 5 out of 5 hankies.

NOTE: Book provided free by publisher for review
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/04/r...

[Sarah Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars rather than four.

The residents of Orchard Close are settling into their new life, learning new skills and managing food and other shortages. New residents arrive, and the group meet their neighbours; four gangs with dubious moral standards. In the meanwhile, we discover that the apocalyptic events described in the first book (and continue into this story) have been orchestrated by a secret committee, working to destroy the old world and set up their idea of utopia

"Fall of the Cities – Putting Down Roots” by Vance Huxley is well-written, entertaining, easy to read and features some memorable characters. It contain some violent scenes, and I would generally not recommend it for those under 15 years of age.

What I liked about this book: It’s well written. The theme that people have forgotten how to live without modern conveniences and need to rebuild their world by learning crafts, cooking, preserving, and farming from scratch is very believable. I liked the crazy, super-villain like cabal, even if it does seem a little far-fetched.

What I didn’t like (and why I only gave 3 ½ stars): I thought that the book moved too slowly. There’s a lot of everyday minutia, and the “problems” to be addressed, and the solutions used, got a bit repetitive and didn’t really serve to move to story forward. Also, the characters seem to fall into distinct categories, with women being victims, warriors, mothers or tarts, and men being thugs and rapists, heroes, or wimps

So what’s it like: “The Walking Dead” without the zombies

Can I read this independent from the first book?: Not really, you’d be playing catch up, and a lot of character development is done in the first novel.

I received this book from Entrada Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Fall Of The Cities: Planting The Orchard and I really loved Fall Of The Cities: Putting Down Roots. After reading the first book in this exceptional series, I was already invested in the characters, but Mr Huxley went deeper into the backgrounds of the lead players in this book and pulled me deeper into their lives.
After surviving the destruction of their city, Harold and his unlikely band of soldiers have settled Orchard Close and made it into a safe place for all that are willing to follow the group's civilized rules. In these unusual times there are many who don't show the respect that is expected by the close. Among these are gangs of people who want the weapons, talents and even the women that are part of Orchard Close. It has fallen on Harold to organize and train his friends and neighbors, to protect themselves and their way of lives from these violent hooligans.
Congratulations to Vance Huxley on writing this series to include love, fear, friendship, trust and sorrow. With so many series around with no substance to them, it is refreshing to read about characters that have been put into a realistic situation and not had magical powers to get themselves out of it. They are relying on talent and a desire to live.
Thank you to the author and Entrada publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. I am anxiously awaiting the 3rd book in the series.

[Loren De Leon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading "Fall of the Cities: Putting Down Roots' wasn't the typical book I would usually indulge in but I found myself enjoying the sharp turns in every page of this read.

As its continuation for the search of stability in the lives of the residents of Orchard Close, they conquer dangers and conspiracy to a whole new level. I was taken aback that this post apocalypse set-up was formulated by an anonymous committee whole goal is to banish their old world and aspire for a perfect community. Led by Harry Miller, a morally strong and reasonable protagonist, the group go against the odds and incredibly unites for their clamor for change.

Vance Huxly delivered a riveting action packed novel who showcased love and friendship amidst fear in challenges. He was able to present memorable characters whose roles offered a distinct importance to the formation of a stronger plot.

I loved how this thriller contained a mix of comedic relief and hints of romance to its engaging twists. Although it was a bit slow paced for me, this is definitely worth the read.