What do you think?
Rate this book
Fall of the Cities #1
Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard
The world is falling apart. Terrorists spark a worldwide oil and gas crisis while imports grind to a halt. Europe and Britain are erupting into chaos as food runs out and desperate people take matters into their own hands. As the government begins to seal off rioting parts of the city, Corporal Harry Miller takes an offered discharge to get his sister and her kids to safety. But he’s not fast enough. Trapped in the city with a rag-tag collection of ordinary citizens, Harry struggles to create a small pocket of stability - a place to ride out the coming confrontation between rioters and the Army, and save themselves from complete annihilation.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2015
339 people are currently reading
841 people want to read
About the author
Vance Huxley
107 books185 followersVance 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this book and it was so close to being 5 stars (4.5 rounded down in the end).
To any British person of a certain age, reading this book I am sure they will be reminded of a TV series called "Survivors". Now that's not to say this is a copy of that programme, far from it, this is a completely different prospect, in the fact that it is not based upon the premiss of an outbreak of some incurable epidemic that kills 90% of the population. This is based on escalating tension in oil producing countries that eventually harms (destroys?) the worlds economy, and thus civilisation.
No , the similarity is in the tension, following the breakdown of law and order. How quickly a "civilised" people become a murdering rampaging mob, and how a few "good" people can help to overcome this descent into lawlessness.
This book, builds the tension, the characters and the setting so well. You feel their nerves, their worries as their local neighbourhood descends into anarchy and mobs begin the assert their authority through violence.
You live with the adventures that a growing group of "good" people go through to survive and establish their own lawful and peaceful community.
I must admit I am looking forward to knowing more about the Orchard Close community and where they go from here, in a world that will only degenerate more.
Why did it not get 5 stars if its so good ? Well I just feel that the setting up of the refuge in London early on for the hotel works and for 'Cyn" in particular was not followed through as much as I'd have liked, what happened to her and her friends/colleagues ?? Or will we find out later ??
A good story well written, thanks Vance for the opportunity to read and review.
To any British person of a certain age, reading this book I am sure they will be reminded of a TV series called "Survivors". Now that's not to say this is a copy of that programme, far from it, this is a completely different prospect, in the fact that it is not based upon the premiss of an outbreak of some incurable epidemic that kills 90% of the population. This is based on escalating tension in oil producing countries that eventually harms (destroys?) the worlds economy, and thus civilisation.
No , the similarity is in the tension, following the breakdown of law and order. How quickly a "civilised" people become a murdering rampaging mob, and how a few "good" people can help to overcome this descent into lawlessness.
This book, builds the tension, the characters and the setting so well. You feel their nerves, their worries as their local neighbourhood descends into anarchy and mobs begin the assert their authority through violence.
You live with the adventures that a growing group of "good" people go through to survive and establish their own lawful and peaceful community.
I must admit I am looking forward to knowing more about the Orchard Close community and where they go from here, in a world that will only degenerate more.
Why did it not get 5 stars if its so good ? Well I just feel that the setting up of the refuge in London early on for the hotel works and for 'Cyn" in particular was not followed through as much as I'd have liked, what happened to her and her friends/colleagues ?? Or will we find out later ??
A good story well written, thanks Vance for the opportunity to read and review.
May 17, 2021
Good speculative dystopian fiction contemplating the of sudden loss of oil and its impact on the world.
At first, reading it, I thought it was back in the first Gulf War when the guys were in Iraq/Kuwait and the oil wells had been set on fire, and burned forever, but as I read further into the story, I realized that no, this is in the future and terrorists have attacked wells the world over. The result is that society as we know it basically comes to a halt and as expected, the majority of people panic and go crazy. The ones with more evil in their hearts use the unrest and chaos as an excuse to loot, rape, kill and destroy with no one really maintaining order. The are a minority of sane people left (or that is the way it seems) who choose still to act like civilized humans and only kill if need be in self defense, and not because they enjoy it. Harry Miller, ex- soldier, becomes their leader, though not by his choice. Everyone in their group looks up to him, though, for strength, courage and wisdom, to decide what should courses of action should be, responses to threats, and eventually how to react to the deaths of those they have grown fond of. With a lesser leader and one given easily to anger, the group could have easily spiraled out of control, wanting revenge on others but Harry keeps a steady course, though at times it got difficult. It would be difficult to live in the circumstances the group had to-- shortages in basics, constant onslaught of violence and continually living in that "flight or fight" mode, and not having any hope anything will change anytime soon. It was good to see them in the end get some relief, but I don't think the end was a happy one. The government ended up monitoring everyone in a way that even a tally of how many cans of beans, rolls of toilet paper, bars of soap, etc. you used in a given month, because money was useless and everyone got vouchers for basics, like rations. So they basically had to trade peace for security. In my mind, with all that invasion of privacy, that was the lesser of two evils. It didn't make me like the book less, I just felt sad for the characters of the story. I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author... thank you!
Read for twogalsandabook.com
Merged review:
Speculative Dystopian Fiction
** spoiler alert ** Good speculative dystopian fiction contemplating the of sudden loss of oil and its impact on the world.At first, reading it, I thought it was back in the first Gulf War when the guys were in Iraq/Kuwait and the oil wells had been set on fire, and burned forever, but as I read further into the story, I realized that no, this is in the future and terrorists have attacked wells the world over. The result is that society as we know it basically comes to a halt and as expected, the majority of people panic and go crazy. The ones with more evil in their hearts use the unrest and chaos as an excuse to loot, rape, kill and destroy with no one really maintaining order. The are a minority of sane people left (or that is the way it seems) who choose still to act like civilized humans and only kill if need be in self defense, and not because they enjoy it. Harry Miller, ex- soldier, becomes their leader, though not by his choice. Everyone in their group looks up to him, though, for strength, courage and wisdom, to decide what should courses of action should be, responses to threats, and eventually how to react to the deaths of those they have grown fond of. With a lesser leader and one given easily to anger, the group could have easily spiraled out of control, wanting revenge on others but Harry keeps a steady course, though at times it got difficult. It would be difficult to live in the circumstances the group had to-- shortages in basics, constant onslaught of violence and continually living in that "flight or fight" mode, and not having any hope anything will change anytime soon. It was good to see them in the end get some relief, but I don't think the end was a happy one. The government ended up monitoring everyone in a way that even a tally of how many cans of beans, rolls of toilet paper, bars of soap, etc. you used in a given month, because money was useless and everyone got vouchers for basics, like rations. So they basically had to trade peace for security. In my mind, with all that invasion of privacy, that was the lesser of two evils. It didn't make me like the book less, I just felt sad for the characters of the story. I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author... thank you!Read for twogalsandabook.com
At first, reading it, I thought it was back in the first Gulf War when the guys were in Iraq/Kuwait and the oil wells had been set on fire, and burned forever, but as I read further into the story, I realized that no, this is in the future and terrorists have attacked wells the world over. The result is that society as we know it basically comes to a halt and as expected, the majority of people panic and go crazy. The ones with more evil in their hearts use the unrest and chaos as an excuse to loot, rape, kill and destroy with no one really maintaining order. The are a minority of sane people left (or that is the way it seems) who choose still to act like civilized humans and only kill if need be in self defense, and not because they enjoy it. Harry Miller, ex- soldier, becomes their leader, though not by his choice. Everyone in their group looks up to him, though, for strength, courage and wisdom, to decide what should courses of action should be, responses to threats, and eventually how to react to the deaths of those they have grown fond of. With a lesser leader and one given easily to anger, the group could have easily spiraled out of control, wanting revenge on others but Harry keeps a steady course, though at times it got difficult. It would be difficult to live in the circumstances the group had to-- shortages in basics, constant onslaught of violence and continually living in that "flight or fight" mode, and not having any hope anything will change anytime soon. It was good to see them in the end get some relief, but I don't think the end was a happy one. The government ended up monitoring everyone in a way that even a tally of how many cans of beans, rolls of toilet paper, bars of soap, etc. you used in a given month, because money was useless and everyone got vouchers for basics, like rations. So they basically had to trade peace for security. In my mind, with all that invasion of privacy, that was the lesser of two evils. It didn't make me like the book less, I just felt sad for the characters of the story. I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author... thank you!
Read for twogalsandabook.com
Merged review:
Speculative Dystopian Fiction
** spoiler alert ** Good speculative dystopian fiction contemplating the of sudden loss of oil and its impact on the world.At first, reading it, I thought it was back in the first Gulf War when the guys were in Iraq/Kuwait and the oil wells had been set on fire, and burned forever, but as I read further into the story, I realized that no, this is in the future and terrorists have attacked wells the world over. The result is that society as we know it basically comes to a halt and as expected, the majority of people panic and go crazy. The ones with more evil in their hearts use the unrest and chaos as an excuse to loot, rape, kill and destroy with no one really maintaining order. The are a minority of sane people left (or that is the way it seems) who choose still to act like civilized humans and only kill if need be in self defense, and not because they enjoy it. Harry Miller, ex- soldier, becomes their leader, though not by his choice. Everyone in their group looks up to him, though, for strength, courage and wisdom, to decide what should courses of action should be, responses to threats, and eventually how to react to the deaths of those they have grown fond of. With a lesser leader and one given easily to anger, the group could have easily spiraled out of control, wanting revenge on others but Harry keeps a steady course, though at times it got difficult. It would be difficult to live in the circumstances the group had to-- shortages in basics, constant onslaught of violence and continually living in that "flight or fight" mode, and not having any hope anything will change anytime soon. It was good to see them in the end get some relief, but I don't think the end was a happy one. The government ended up monitoring everyone in a way that even a tally of how many cans of beans, rolls of toilet paper, bars of soap, etc. you used in a given month, because money was useless and everyone got vouchers for basics, like rations. So they basically had to trade peace for security. In my mind, with all that invasion of privacy, that was the lesser of two evils. It didn't make me like the book less, I just felt sad for the characters of the story. I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author... thank you!Read for twogalsandabook.com
March 31, 2016
There are a few fascinating differences between American survivalist fiction and this picture of British post-apocalyptic survivalism. For one, every American tale I’ve come across so far immediately assumes that cash is worthless the moment things go to Hell. In Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard, cash is still used as a viable type of currency. Even credit cards are still in use–although as one person noted in the narrative, that didn’t make any sense seeing as phones were only working for local calls. (Huxley never did explain this.) In fact, given how much still seemed to be working, I had a little trouble figuring out why the rioting was so incredibly severe. I would have liked a little more background on that. I’m also surprised that the city retains electric power through everything.
Another difference is that our group of survivors, once they decide to move on before the rioters get to them, move into a neighborhood and engage in a friendly dialogue about whether there’s room for them and whether they’re welcome or not. There are weapons, of course, but not nearly as much threat and paranoia as you’d see in almost any American version. It’s really nice to see people coming to agreements and helping each other in a tale like this. Also, the army isn’t turned into a monolithic bad guy the way it often is in other apocalypse survival books.
Harry is a wonderful character, as are those around him. There’s plenty of personality given to the main characters and even many of the side characters. They develop in-jokes and teasing and all the things you expect from a reasonably-sized community of inadvertent friends. The organized looters/rioters are relatively thin on personality, but we generally see them in context as a mass entity, rather than individuals. In this tale that made sense.
I love that Harry and the others found ways to develop a good relationship with the Army as long as they obeyed a few restrictions. It certainly helped later on. There are also great details such as Harry going out and finding brewers who were afraid of getting robbed or drafted by a mob, and convincing them to come on board with their little neighborhood, making them one of the only places with beer!
There’s plenty of action, and Harry goes through several more rounds of learning to get over things like his fear of leadership, or his distaste for having to harm people. I like that he does it without becoming paranoid and super-violent.
Be aware that there are some very dark things in this narrative. They mostly aren’t shoved into your face and certainly aren’t used for titillation, but it’s easy to see that there are some terrible things going on.
One of the interesting points raised is that of figuring out at what point are you simply trying to survive and doing what you have to, versus when you become a looter and thief. The author doesn’t try to force his definition on us–we get to see his characters bit-by-bit trying to come to terms with what they do and don’t have to do.
I absolutely recommend this book, and look forward to the sequel coming out soon!
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/03/r...
Another difference is that our group of survivors, once they decide to move on before the rioters get to them, move into a neighborhood and engage in a friendly dialogue about whether there’s room for them and whether they’re welcome or not. There are weapons, of course, but not nearly as much threat and paranoia as you’d see in almost any American version. It’s really nice to see people coming to agreements and helping each other in a tale like this. Also, the army isn’t turned into a monolithic bad guy the way it often is in other apocalypse survival books.
Harry is a wonderful character, as are those around him. There’s plenty of personality given to the main characters and even many of the side characters. They develop in-jokes and teasing and all the things you expect from a reasonably-sized community of inadvertent friends. The organized looters/rioters are relatively thin on personality, but we generally see them in context as a mass entity, rather than individuals. In this tale that made sense.
I love that Harry and the others found ways to develop a good relationship with the Army as long as they obeyed a few restrictions. It certainly helped later on. There are also great details such as Harry going out and finding brewers who were afraid of getting robbed or drafted by a mob, and convincing them to come on board with their little neighborhood, making them one of the only places with beer!
There’s plenty of action, and Harry goes through several more rounds of learning to get over things like his fear of leadership, or his distaste for having to harm people. I like that he does it without becoming paranoid and super-violent.
Be aware that there are some very dark things in this narrative. They mostly aren’t shoved into your face and certainly aren’t used for titillation, but it’s easy to see that there are some terrible things going on.
One of the interesting points raised is that of figuring out at what point are you simply trying to survive and doing what you have to, versus when you become a looter and thief. The author doesn’t try to force his definition on us–we get to see his characters bit-by-bit trying to come to terms with what they do and don’t have to do.
I absolutely recommend this book, and look forward to the sequel coming out soon!
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/03/r...
December 14, 2015
“Kill or be killed! If you are going to die, die fighting!” Corporal Harry Miller now lives by these words, especially after fighting in Iraq. There is a worldwide petroleum war going on causing people in London to behave sadistic as food and other commodities become scarce. After his discharge, Harry finds shelter in an abandoned community taking his widowed sister and her children, and other residents, after they come under attack from crazed rioters.
Harry is elected their leader and suddenly finds himself in a different kind of war as the fighting escalates. He delegates duties to this diverse group that are mostly defenceless against the violent mobs. They struggle to survive by taking available supplies from stores already looted and defend themselves against the gangs who constantly appear to harm them. This is difficult since the army base nearby will not allow them to retaliate with guns, so they learn to improvise and hope their efforts will not be in vain when the next mob attack occurs.
Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard – Book 1 is a thriller by Vance Huxley. It was hard to put down the book since it is a riveting action packed one. There are several interesting characters that the author developed very nicely, and some had their own special qualities and personal issues to make them stand out. Harry is one such character that I would not make an enemy. I like the way the refugees banded together to defend themselves, despite being scared - “United we stand, divided we fall.”
Vance Huxley created a wonderful story that was intriguing from the beginning with very entertaining sections as well as some emotional ones that made the plot even stronger. He has shown his excellent writing skills in this engaging novel. The book cover is nicely illustrated and readers will eventually learn why the title is appropriate for the story. Planting the Orchard, Book 1 from the Fall of the Cities series is highly recommended.
Harry is elected their leader and suddenly finds himself in a different kind of war as the fighting escalates. He delegates duties to this diverse group that are mostly defenceless against the violent mobs. They struggle to survive by taking available supplies from stores already looted and defend themselves against the gangs who constantly appear to harm them. This is difficult since the army base nearby will not allow them to retaliate with guns, so they learn to improvise and hope their efforts will not be in vain when the next mob attack occurs.
Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard – Book 1 is a thriller by Vance Huxley. It was hard to put down the book since it is a riveting action packed one. There are several interesting characters that the author developed very nicely, and some had their own special qualities and personal issues to make them stand out. Harry is one such character that I would not make an enemy. I like the way the refugees banded together to defend themselves, despite being scared - “United we stand, divided we fall.”
Vance Huxley created a wonderful story that was intriguing from the beginning with very entertaining sections as well as some emotional ones that made the plot even stronger. He has shown his excellent writing skills in this engaging novel. The book cover is nicely illustrated and readers will eventually learn why the title is appropriate for the story. Planting the Orchard, Book 1 from the Fall of the Cities series is highly recommended.
October 19, 2017
Well written but dense writing - took me a little while to get into it, but once i did I was absolutely hooked. It kept me on the edge of my seat through the whole thing! Well written "what-if" fiction that hit very close to home in a few places, what with current conditions of the world. Gave a realistic and somewhat scary glimpse of what could happen when there is no more gas/petrol. Looking forward to reading more!
December 11, 2016
Fall of the Cities
Very good characters, strong plot, Armageddon with a British twist, some humor not just guy stuff, some sex but mild. Typos and missing words abound but the action keeps moving forward.
Very good characters, strong plot, Armageddon with a British twist, some humor not just guy stuff, some sex but mild. Typos and missing words abound but the action keeps moving forward.
March 23, 2016
Started off ok but then got kind of bogged down.
September 12, 2021
This is probably more like 1.5 stars. I can't count how many times I wanted to quit. I should have. But 1) I'm not good at quitting books and 2) there was just enough moments that I liked and wanted to know more of that I kept going.
There are multiple different sections. One, where the main character is in Kuwait, then he's in London, then he's in his sister's flat, and lastly the Orchard Close compound/area. They all feel like different books in a way. And halfway through the main character's name changes from Harry to Harold, just because he meets another person named Harry and it would be too confusing. I'm not sure if that's because the author just got himself confused, or because it's supposed to be some sort of character growth arc. But either way, it was terribly done.
The action scenes were great. They were well written, well paced, and exciting to read. But then there are other long long sections of blah that I just didn't care about at all. They were poorly written, too, with bad dialog. They were downright irritating.
So, ultimately this book just needs an editor. Not that there are misspellings or grammatical errors necessarily, just someone that can point to the parts that need cutting and refining. If it was half as long and some things changed, this could have been pretty good. Unfortunately, with these problems, I definitely will not continue the series.
There are multiple different sections. One, where the main character is in Kuwait, then he's in London, then he's in his sister's flat, and lastly the Orchard Close compound/area. They all feel like different books in a way. And halfway through the main character's name changes from Harry to Harold, just because he meets another person named Harry and it would be too confusing. I'm not sure if that's because the author just got himself confused, or because it's supposed to be some sort of character growth arc. But either way, it was terribly done.
The action scenes were great. They were well written, well paced, and exciting to read. But then there are other long long sections of blah that I just didn't care about at all. They were poorly written, too, with bad dialog. They were downright irritating.
So, ultimately this book just needs an editor. Not that there are misspellings or grammatical errors necessarily, just someone that can point to the parts that need cutting and refining. If it was half as long and some things changed, this could have been pretty good. Unfortunately, with these problems, I definitely will not continue the series.
August 20, 2017
I really enjoyed reading Fall of the Cities by Vance Huxley. In fact, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book regarding possible apocalypse scenarios, actions, or military-based fiction novels.
Fall of Cities is based on a European apocalypse caused by terrorists’ attacks that lead to intense rioting, fighting, and general chaos. It starts with a brief background detailing how Corporal Harold Miller went from a peaceful pay clerk in the British Army to a skilled, renowned military marksman. We follow Corporal Miller from the war in Kuwait to London and finally back to his sister’s home city; now ex-military civilian, Harry is determined to rescue his widowed sister and her child from the devastation he has seen in London. Together, with a group of civilians who had lived in the housing complex with her, Harry and his sister escape a group intent on madness and mayhem to live on the borderland between the city and the Army that has now cut them off from the entire world outside. But setting up a peaceful, self-sufficient society in a city brimming with angst, anger and turmoil is no easy task.
Truly, I enjoyed this book. I do have to note that I took a star off because of the numerous spelling and grammatical errors in the first half of the book. It seemed a bit rushed, but you could tell the author was extremely excited about his story and some spelling may have been overlooked. I also have to note that, as an American, there are differences in English and grammar, but I am well acquainted with them and those are not what I am talking about here. I will allow that the file may not have converted to an eReader accurately when the author’s work was converted originally and that may have led to the issues. That being said, from the middle on, the book was much more detailed, well thought out and better written.
Grammar aside, the plot really is great. Harold, as a main character, becomes more and more developed as you read and grows more and more likeable and relate-able. As stated before, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to reading the next in the series and am hopeful the author has continued to grow and develop in his skills. If this is just the start, I believe it will be the beginning of a wonderful career.
Fall of Cities is based on a European apocalypse caused by terrorists’ attacks that lead to intense rioting, fighting, and general chaos. It starts with a brief background detailing how Corporal Harold Miller went from a peaceful pay clerk in the British Army to a skilled, renowned military marksman. We follow Corporal Miller from the war in Kuwait to London and finally back to his sister’s home city; now ex-military civilian, Harry is determined to rescue his widowed sister and her child from the devastation he has seen in London. Together, with a group of civilians who had lived in the housing complex with her, Harry and his sister escape a group intent on madness and mayhem to live on the borderland between the city and the Army that has now cut them off from the entire world outside. But setting up a peaceful, self-sufficient society in a city brimming with angst, anger and turmoil is no easy task.
Truly, I enjoyed this book. I do have to note that I took a star off because of the numerous spelling and grammatical errors in the first half of the book. It seemed a bit rushed, but you could tell the author was extremely excited about his story and some spelling may have been overlooked. I also have to note that, as an American, there are differences in English and grammar, but I am well acquainted with them and those are not what I am talking about here. I will allow that the file may not have converted to an eReader accurately when the author’s work was converted originally and that may have led to the issues. That being said, from the middle on, the book was much more detailed, well thought out and better written.
Grammar aside, the plot really is great. Harold, as a main character, becomes more and more developed as you read and grows more and more likeable and relate-able. As stated before, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to reading the next in the series and am hopeful the author has continued to grow and develop in his skills. If this is just the start, I believe it will be the beginning of a wonderful career.
December 13, 2017
I really enjoyed reading Fall of the Cities by Vance Huxley. In fact, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book regarding possible apocalypse scenarios, actions, or military-based fiction novels.
Fall of Cities is based on a European apocalypse caused by terrorists’ attacks that lead to intense rioting, fighting, and general chaos. It starts with a brief background detailing how Corporal Harold Miller went from a peaceful pay clerk in the British Army to a skilled, renowned military marksman. We follow Corporal Miller from the war in Kuwait to London and finally back to his sister’s home city; now ex-military civilian, Harry is determined to rescue his widowed sister and her child from the devastation he has seen in London. Together, with a group of civilians who had lived in the housing complex with her, Harry and his sister escape a group intent on madness and mayhem to live on the borderland between the city and the Army that has now cut them off from the entire world outside. But setting up a peaceful, self-sufficient society in a city brimming with angst, anger and turmoil is no easy task.
Truly, I enjoyed this book. I do have to note that I took a star off because of the numerous spelling and grammatical errors in the first half of the book. It seemed a bit rushed, but you could tell the author was extremely excited about his story and some spelling may have been overlooked. I also have to note that, as an American, there are differences in English and grammar, but I am well acquainted with them and those are not what I am talking about here. I will allow that the file may not have converted to an eReader accurately when the author’s work was converted originally and that may have led to the issues. That being said, from the middle on, the book was much more detailed, well thought out and better written.
Grammar aside, the plot really is great. Harold, as a main character, becomes more and more developed as you read and grows more and more likeable and relate-able. As stated before, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to reading the next in the series and am hopeful the author has continued to grow and develop in his skills. If this is just the start, I believe it will be the beginning of a wonderful career.
Fall of Cities is based on a European apocalypse caused by terrorists’ attacks that lead to intense rioting, fighting, and general chaos. It starts with a brief background detailing how Corporal Harold Miller went from a peaceful pay clerk in the British Army to a skilled, renowned military marksman. We follow Corporal Miller from the war in Kuwait to London and finally back to his sister’s home city; now ex-military civilian, Harry is determined to rescue his widowed sister and her child from the devastation he has seen in London. Together, with a group of civilians who had lived in the housing complex with her, Harry and his sister escape a group intent on madness and mayhem to live on the borderland between the city and the Army that has now cut them off from the entire world outside. But setting up a peaceful, self-sufficient society in a city brimming with angst, anger and turmoil is no easy task.
Truly, I enjoyed this book. I do have to note that I took a star off because of the numerous spelling and grammatical errors in the first half of the book. It seemed a bit rushed, but you could tell the author was extremely excited about his story and some spelling may have been overlooked. I also have to note that, as an American, there are differences in English and grammar, but I am well acquainted with them and those are not what I am talking about here. I will allow that the file may not have converted to an eReader accurately when the author’s work was converted originally and that may have led to the issues. That being said, from the middle on, the book was much more detailed, well thought out and better written.
Grammar aside, the plot really is great. Harold, as a main character, becomes more and more developed as you read and grows more and more likeable and relate-able. As stated before, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to reading the next in the series and am hopeful the author has continued to grow and develop in his skills. If this is just the start, I believe it will be the beginning of a wonderful career.
September 9, 2017
This book was entered and was a finalist in The 2016 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchid
Author: Vance Huxley
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 21
Stats
Editing: 7/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 21 readers:
19 would read another book by this author.
21 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
18 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This author is very, very good. He works well with character and speech. But it’s his ability to put together a thrilling plot that is his best quality. Nice cover too.’ Male reader, aged 56
‘Plot-wise, sort of silly. Character-wise, surprisingly good with a few very memorable fellows in there.’ Male reader, aged 58
‘Lots and lots of twists in this novel. The writing is perfect for a thriller of this nature: the characters/setting well described but not overly so and the plot fast and furious.’ Female reader, aged 42
‘This is a page turner in every way. It kept me up till late at night trying to finish it for The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Glad I did. Lots of surprises, intriguing blurb, fab cover.’ Female reader, aged 56
‘Editing needs a little work just to tighten up the odd paragraph. Overall, a pretty run of the mill dystopian novel. But that’s ok. That’s what the reader wants.’ Male reader, aged 34
‘A thrilling battle for survival. A finalist and highly recommended,’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchid
Author: Vance Huxley
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 21
Stats
Editing: 7/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 21 readers:
19 would read another book by this author.
21 thought the cover was good or excellent.
21 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
18 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This author is very, very good. He works well with character and speech. But it’s his ability to put together a thrilling plot that is his best quality. Nice cover too.’ Male reader, aged 56
‘Plot-wise, sort of silly. Character-wise, surprisingly good with a few very memorable fellows in there.’ Male reader, aged 58
‘Lots and lots of twists in this novel. The writing is perfect for a thriller of this nature: the characters/setting well described but not overly so and the plot fast and furious.’ Female reader, aged 42
‘This is a page turner in every way. It kept me up till late at night trying to finish it for The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Glad I did. Lots of surprises, intriguing blurb, fab cover.’ Female reader, aged 56
‘Editing needs a little work just to tighten up the odd paragraph. Overall, a pretty run of the mill dystopian novel. But that’s ok. That’s what the reader wants.’ Male reader, aged 34
‘A thrilling battle for survival. A finalist and highly recommended,’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
December 1, 2017
Corporal Harold Miller has returned home from Kuwait. But when he gets to London, terrorist attacks and riots have turned everything on end and caused severe shortages. Harry is determined to get to his widowed sister and two kids to try and keep them safe. When he gets to her apartment complex, everyone basically votes for him to lead them and keep them safe from the roving gangs.
The little group tries to make it for the border of London and the military border to try and setup a new, safer home. They try to make a new home but quickly learn that they are not going to be able to simply go back to how things were, especially being cut off from the rest of the world. But they are going to fight for peace because there is no other option.
I am a huge fan of dystopian and apocalyptic stories and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. This book has a feel of two books in one. The first portion of this book talks about Harry and getting back home from Kuwait. Then things go to hell and He is bound and determined to try and keep his sister and her kids safe. Harry is a great lead character. He is strong and willing to fight for those he cares for. And the more you read about him the more you will be cheering him and his little group on.
I loved this book and am beyond happy that it is the first in a series. I can’t wait to get the second book and continue this journey with Harry.
I received Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard from Silver Dagger Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
The little group tries to make it for the border of London and the military border to try and setup a new, safer home. They try to make a new home but quickly learn that they are not going to be able to simply go back to how things were, especially being cut off from the rest of the world. But they are going to fight for peace because there is no other option.
I am a huge fan of dystopian and apocalyptic stories and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. This book has a feel of two books in one. The first portion of this book talks about Harry and getting back home from Kuwait. Then things go to hell and He is bound and determined to try and keep his sister and her kids safe. Harry is a great lead character. He is strong and willing to fight for those he cares for. And the more you read about him the more you will be cheering him and his little group on.
I loved this book and am beyond happy that it is the first in a series. I can’t wait to get the second book and continue this journey with Harry.
I received Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard from Silver Dagger Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
December 20, 2015
4.5 stars. Oil is scarce and the world is in turmoil. Army pay clerk, Harry (Harold), is on assignment in Kuwait when thing go pear-shaped. During a violent skirmish he discovers that he has a natural (and alarming) ability to shoot and fight. This is just as well, because on return to London his unit is assigned to crowd control duties, as the resource-driven civil unrest reaches a crescendo. When he is able to secure a release from the army, Harry goes in search of his widowed sister and her children, with the hope of setting up a safe area for them to survive the turmoil. "Fall of the Cities – Planting the Orchard” by Vance Huxley is well-written, entertaining, easy to read and features memorable and believable characters. It does contain some violent scenes, which are not for the faint-hearted, and I would generally not recommend it for those under 15 years of age. So what’s it like: “The Walking Dead” without the zombies, violence level similar to “The Purge” without the deadline, and the feel (and probably same time setting) of “Children of Men”. I thoroughly recommended this for lovers of dystopian future and survivalist style adventures.
I received this book from Entrada Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received this book from Entrada Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 21, 2017
Starting this book out, took a little bit of effort, on my part; due to the nature of writing. I kind of had to wrap my mind around the British language all over again. But to my surprise, when I finished reading it I was a bit disappointed because I discovered that I really did not want the story to be over. I actually felt like I was on a journey with Harold. Not just reading about him, the way his mind would 'disconnect', shut down or become numb to all the different scene aspects, but the many ways that he seemed to connect and 'click' with all the characters that he crossed paths with.. I can't thank the author, Vance, enough for the superb writing and creative expression in his words. But thank you so much for sharing this and I really look forward to the next installation of this story!
December 15, 2015
For full review please go to: 5girlsbookreviews.blogspot.com, Twitter @camartinez and Facebook "5 Girls Book Reviews"
REVIEW BY: Arianna, age 12 years, 1 day until 13!
MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:
This book was fascinating!
My favorite character is Daisy because she is so free and naive compared to her neighbors. She reminds me of my little sisters when they wake me up at the crack of dawn.
My favorite part was when the Orchard Close group battle the mobs and win.
REVIEW BY: Arianna, age 12 years, 1 day until 13!
MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:
This book was fascinating!
My favorite character is Daisy because she is so free and naive compared to her neighbors. She reminds me of my little sisters when they wake me up at the crack of dawn.
My favorite part was when the Orchard Close group battle the mobs and win.
January 1, 2017
When I started reading this book it seemed iffy to me but once I got into it I really ended up enjoying it. It was nice to see these people build their own little society. They grew to love and respect each other and some even died for them. I didn't realize Harold was so young but liked the way every one else looked up to him. I'm looking fowrd to the second book of the series.
July 14, 2017
Great read
I really liked the flow of the book, grabbed my interest very quickly. There are so many characters to keep up with. I wish there had been a little more discription of them as they entered the story. I definately will seek out the other books in this series.
I really liked the flow of the book, grabbed my interest very quickly. There are so many characters to keep up with. I wish there had been a little more discription of them as they entered the story. I definately will seek out the other books in this series.
May 30, 2017
Exciting read
I enjoyed Fall of the Cities. Exciting story of a desperate time and how humanity rises and falls in different situations.
I enjoyed Fall of the Cities. Exciting story of a desperate time and how humanity rises and falls in different situations.
August 30, 2017
Fall of Cities: Planting the Orchard
Enjoyed reading the first book, glad I have a couple more to read. I also liked it was a longer story, hate reading short ones.
Enjoyed reading the first book, glad I have a couple more to read. I also liked it was a longer story, hate reading short ones.
November 15, 2017
Initially I wasn’t sure I would continue reading but I’m glad I persisted! I’m totally hooked.
April 6, 2018
This is a dystopian, possibly apocalyptic novel about what may happen in England in the not-too-far future. A cautionary tale, it depicts the importance of self-education and self-sufficiency, while seemingly scoffing at the ideas at the same time. Harold, an easygoing soldier turned ex-soldier, is made the natural leader of a small group of people who want only to survive the turbulence around them. Everywhere you see complete chaos. It's civilians versus military, military versus civilians, and civilians versus civilians. Businesses (stores, breweries, gun clubs, etc.) are being looted and ransacked by desperate people. The criminal element runs roughshod over peaceful folks. In this mad world, will Harold and his group be able to escape the city unscathed?
The plot is good, and the depiction realistic. However, I found myself disliking the main character several times throughout the story. Even though he is portrayed as the tough-talking, good-willed "good guy", he is in fact an atheist, a murderer, a philanderer, a liar, and a thief. None of the characters in the book were very likable, either, and everybody came off as needy idiots who needed to be led around and had no grasp of what it meant to really be self-sufficient. When the number one priority to forming a self-sufficient community was calling a brewer to join them, you know you have a problem.
The book has a lot of cursing in it which is not needed, and being written by a Brit, the book contains a whole lot of strange British slang (some vulgar) that was very confusing and hard to understand. I counted over 60 such words. I had to look up more than a few words, until I determined that there were just too many and stopped. But it really interfered with my enjoyment of it. I also did not like the fact that the story had no conclusive ending, and only asked you to read the sequel to find out what happens next. After making it through such a long book, I really wanted to see how it ended, so that was a disappointment. All things considered, I'd give the book three stars.
The plot is good, and the depiction realistic. However, I found myself disliking the main character several times throughout the story. Even though he is portrayed as the tough-talking, good-willed "good guy", he is in fact an atheist, a murderer, a philanderer, a liar, and a thief. None of the characters in the book were very likable, either, and everybody came off as needy idiots who needed to be led around and had no grasp of what it meant to really be self-sufficient. When the number one priority to forming a self-sufficient community was calling a brewer to join them, you know you have a problem.
The book has a lot of cursing in it which is not needed, and being written by a Brit, the book contains a whole lot of strange British slang (some vulgar) that was very confusing and hard to understand. I counted over 60 such words. I had to look up more than a few words, until I determined that there were just too many and stopped. But it really interfered with my enjoyment of it. I also did not like the fact that the story had no conclusive ending, and only asked you to read the sequel to find out what happens next. After making it through such a long book, I really wanted to see how it ended, so that was a disappointment. All things considered, I'd give the book three stars.
February 1, 2019
The history of some foreign war...
Is what I thought once I'd read the first few pages, and my opinion hadn't really changed once I finished the first chapter. My only other thought was that this Harry is an odd sort of fellow, but that just makes him all the more likable. He *is* a pay clerk though so like a librarian I'm sure he'll turn out to be much more than meets the eye. And of course my first opinion was changed while my second wasn't. Harry to me was really relatable and though he sometimes made choices I don't really agree with, I definitely still like him as a character.
This read like an old time war story of some kind (I was thinking one of the WW) but it's actually a dystopian future, and not only that, it's one that really sets you thinking about how our world could be. I like how through Harry some really interesting themes are introduced, like how killing a person impacts the one doing it, how resources can be the bane of existence, and how social interactions during “war” are affected by it. I also liked how well the dialogues flowed.
My only complaint is that this was a little lengthy for my tastes. Whether said word milage is justified or not; let's just say I'm glad it's an ebook.
And that's really about all I have to say. I'm not usually for “history” books, but since this one wasn't one that lagged and was overall entertaining I give it a 3.5 but I rounded up to 4 since I can't really find a great enough fault to justify rounding down.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes “war” books or movies (kind of like with the feel of Saving Private Ryan) and doesn't mind an almost 400 page book, though in all fairness the actual read is less if you subtract the character list.
Is what I thought once I'd read the first few pages, and my opinion hadn't really changed once I finished the first chapter. My only other thought was that this Harry is an odd sort of fellow, but that just makes him all the more likable. He *is* a pay clerk though so like a librarian I'm sure he'll turn out to be much more than meets the eye. And of course my first opinion was changed while my second wasn't. Harry to me was really relatable and though he sometimes made choices I don't really agree with, I definitely still like him as a character.
This read like an old time war story of some kind (I was thinking one of the WW) but it's actually a dystopian future, and not only that, it's one that really sets you thinking about how our world could be. I like how through Harry some really interesting themes are introduced, like how killing a person impacts the one doing it, how resources can be the bane of existence, and how social interactions during “war” are affected by it. I also liked how well the dialogues flowed.
My only complaint is that this was a little lengthy for my tastes. Whether said word milage is justified or not; let's just say I'm glad it's an ebook.
And that's really about all I have to say. I'm not usually for “history” books, but since this one wasn't one that lagged and was overall entertaining I give it a 3.5 but I rounded up to 4 since I can't really find a great enough fault to justify rounding down.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes “war” books or movies (kind of like with the feel of Saving Private Ryan) and doesn't mind an almost 400 page book, though in all fairness the actual read is less if you subtract the character list.
May 13, 2019
I wasn't sure I would end up liking this book. It starts out in a military setting with a lot of focus on the functions and culture of the British military. But the characters were so engaging that I found myself glued to the book.
The plot takes a little bit of time to build. And that's a good thing. This is not a post-apocalyptic book set in some cyberpunk future. Plating the Orchard takes place as the first dominoes start to fall. Huxley takes his time building the world that his characters are struggling to survive in.
And the best part - without spoilers - has to be the ending. It makes you want to go back and read the book again to see if your suspicions about The Troubles are correct. And there's no way to know if mine are until I read the next book, which I will definitely be doing! I just have to know what happens to these characters and see what Huxley does with the world he has created.
The plot takes a little bit of time to build. And that's a good thing. This is not a post-apocalyptic book set in some cyberpunk future. Plating the Orchard takes place as the first dominoes start to fall. Huxley takes his time building the world that his characters are struggling to survive in.
And the best part - without spoilers - has to be the ending. It makes you want to go back and read the book again to see if your suspicions about The Troubles are correct. And there's no way to know if mine are until I read the next book, which I will definitely be doing! I just have to know what happens to these characters and see what Huxley does with the world he has created.
October 21, 2023
I must admit after reading the first few pages I wasn't sure I would like this book. It is written in British English which was a little hard for me to follow at times. I also wasn't in love with the opening events thinking I was reading the beginning of a war story. However, after to continuing to read I found this book to be much more. The main character, Harry, is a well developed character and more than just a soldier. He left the hellish reality of war in the Middle East with his unit thinking they were returning to their home base. They return to find London in shambles and are instead thrust into fighting rioting and looting civilians. I really began to like Harry when he decided to leave the army to help his sister and her two children after the death of her military husband. This begins the meat of the story of a group of civilians banding together to survive the chaos of a dystopian world. It was a little graphic and gory in some places.
May 29, 2019
This is book seven of my second summer of free amazon books. (2.7)
I very much enjoyed this book. It’s not YA, and it’s not really post-apocalyptic either. It’s more like mid-apocalypse... but without some extreme weather or zombies or outbreak or whatever. This honestly seems quite plausible... It shows a way civilization could end by some terrorism, and then political games. So... speculative dystopian action ?
I feel like this might work as a gateway-drug to post-apocalyptic or dystopic literature for doubters :) There isnt that much worldbuilding going on, cause its just this world, with a tad more unrest.
I loved the little in-jokes between the chars.
Read it, and then make your dad read it too :)
I very much enjoyed this book. It’s not YA, and it’s not really post-apocalyptic either. It’s more like mid-apocalypse... but without some extreme weather or zombies or outbreak or whatever. This honestly seems quite plausible... It shows a way civilization could end by some terrorism, and then political games. So... speculative dystopian action ?
I feel like this might work as a gateway-drug to post-apocalyptic or dystopic literature for doubters :) There isnt that much worldbuilding going on, cause its just this world, with a tad more unrest.
I loved the little in-jokes between the chars.
Read it, and then make your dad read it too :)
May 29, 2018
I've read other work by this author and loved it. This book was a noticeable lower quality of writing so I looked it up and it seems to be his first book. I am amazed at how much and how fast the writing has progressed. This wasn't bad, far from it. I enjoyed it very much. I only point it out to applaud an author who has managed to build and improve his writing style so rapidly. I don't feel a need to point out the small issues since the author has already dealt with them in his newer work. But if this is your first read of Mr. Huxley and have doubts, stick with it, the ride is worth it. It gets five stars because I was moved to tears in several scenes. Any author who can do that gets my endorsement!
I'll be continuing the series for sure and keeping track of this author and his work. I'm a fan.
I'll be continuing the series for sure and keeping track of this author and his work. I'm a fan.
May 19, 2019
Kindle abounds with post-apocalyptic fiction of varying quality. Despite some editing issues, and a heaping helping of "this behaviour makes no sense right now but I will explain it in a later book, I promise", this is one of the better efforts. Harry/Harold is a reasonably engaging lead, and in this first book at least, Huxley's good guys do a reasonable job of balancing "we can't become thugs" with "we have to adapt to this new world and the violence it contains".
April 10, 2018
A pleasant read
After a slow start, it turned into an enjoyable read. It took a while to get used to the lingo, it it definitely UK-centric, but by the end of the book had figured most of it out. It was enjoyable enough I will continue on in the series. The premise of this series is close enough to reality to make this dystopian immediate future eerily real.
After a slow start, it turned into an enjoyable read. It took a while to get used to the lingo, it it definitely UK-centric, but by the end of the book had figured most of it out. It was enjoyable enough I will continue on in the series. The premise of this series is close enough to reality to make this dystopian immediate future eerily real.
October 5, 2019
This book was a great departure from my usual mystery books. A non-stop action, "what if" apocalyptic story set in Britain. There was great character development, which I enjoyed. I liked the military aspect and Harrys struggle to overcome fear and moral dilemmas to do what has to be done to survive. Highly reccomend!
April 16, 2020
I was looking for a page-turning, thought-provoking read and came across Vance Huxley's Fall off the Cities: Planting the Orchard. From start to finish, this thriller was packed with action and excitement. I read it in just a couple of days because I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to get to the next book in the series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews