Dispocalypse

by M.A. Rothman

In a post-apocalyptic world ruled by a Governor who is both feared and worshipped, Willow is a seventeen-year-old girl who is trying to get through her last year of studies. But when her father dies, she experiences strange dreams that change everything about how she looks at the world and at herself.

Haunted by the tragedy, Willow pushes herself beyond anything she could have imagined she was capable of. It's only when she catches the attention of some of the Governor's informants that her world is turned upside-down.

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Apocalyptic

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2016

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author, M.A. Rothman, is one of the most unlikely novelists you'll ever meet. He's an engineer first and foremost, with a background in the sciences, and somehow or another, this writing habit of his has turned into a bit more than just a run-of-the-mill hobby.

He primarily writes stories that focus on two things: technology and international intrigue. This writing tends to span the genres of science fiction, techno-thriller, and mainstream thrillers.

When not writing, he enjoys cooking, learning about new technology, travel, and spending time with his family.

Reviews

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I received this book for free from the publisher via YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably one of the most original stories that I have read. This is just a very unique story, and I enjoyed it very much. The thing that makes this book so unique is the blending of genres. The way that the author weaves fantasy and dystopia together is amazing.

I admit to being a little confused at the beginning of the story. We get to experience two different worlds, and the execution of this left me scratching my head a few times. Once the story gets going, things start to fall into place.

I like how this book kept me guessing. It certainly didn't expect the book to go to the places that it did. You think that one thing will happen, but the story surprises you and goes a totally different direction. The lack of predictability was quite refreshing.

I liked the diversity in this book. The main character, Willow, is of Korean descent. And in a world of slender body types, it is nice to see a character that has some meat on her bones, at least at the beginning of the book. I did like Willow's personal goal to get healthy for herself, not to look better.

I loved the personality of the main character. She was very driven and goal oriented. She had some struggles, but she was a trooper. I really connected with her. I also enjoyed Tristan's character.

The pacing in this was great! I was surprised how fast I was able to read this once I got started. Nothing seemed to drag. The flow was just perfect.

I felt like some of the things about the story were never resolved. This is the only thing that really didn't sit well with me in the book. It felt like there were too many things that were unexplained prior to the last page. I am a reader that craves details, and this book didn't have enough of them for my taste. Adding some more details and filling in some of the gaps in the story could make this book truly enchanting.

There was a lack of romance in the book. You think that there is a romantic relationship being forged, but there isn't. It takes an interesting turn in the end, but there is never any real romance.

There seemed to be some religious undertones in spots of the book. I don't personally care for religious undertones in books, but I can actually appreciate them in this story. They were very fitting. Not preachy, just sort of there.

I highly recommend this book! It is one of the most unique stories that I have had the pleasure of reading. The meshing of genres really makes this one stand out.

More reviews on my blog: The Alchemy of Ink

[Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start by saying that this book is very unique. It is not your typical cookie-cut tale of high fantasy & sci-fi fiction. The plot is different (if not odd) and the world is a fresh look at a post-apocalyptic land. It has a very strong female lead character, one who is very admirable in her determination in all things.

To give a brief summary, the meat of the book is spent following Willow through her final year at the Academy in a land ruled by the Dominion (which from what I could understand, translated to the ruling upper class). We know there is another land, The Forbidding, that is basically used as a death sentence for anyone the Dominion does not like. You get exiled to the Forbidding...people go missing...monsters roam the lands, etc. Not a pleasant place to be! This is all set many many years after war destroys the world we know now.

Willow has some odd dreams about the past, as if she had lived another life. I found a lot of this to be confusing in the beginning (or rather just not as interesting as one would expect). It seemed to me that her knowledge of a past life was basically used to define how she was such a good warrior. She tries to become a soldier at the Academy, a story arc that I really enjoyed. I loved seeing her set goals for herself, proving herself as worthy. I was actually really disappointed when the entire story shifted towards the end and went in a direction I really didn't find as enjoyable to read. I had really wanted to see her become a soldier in a land that did not really accept female soldiers. I wanted to see her rebel against the Dominion in that way...but it just wasn't meant to be.

She ends up in The Forbidding and makes her own magical life there, which I personally found to just be way too 'out there' for my tastes. However, the world that Rothman has built is wide and extensive, highly unique!

I will make it clear...I honestly had a very hard time getting into this book. I almost gave up. I pushed myself hard to get past chapter 5. I found the beginning chapters to be all over the place and I just didn't get a good sense of what the story was going to be about or what was going on. I will say, I really enjoyed reading about Willow's time at the Academy- that was my favorite aspect of the book! Basically, after Chapter 6 I finally got pulled into the story. This is not a good thing...I generally base my interest in a book by pre-reading the first 2 chapters. If I am not hooked within the first 2 chapters, I usually abandon a book when I am reading for fun. Most other readers do as well.

Overall, the writing was good, but I never really got attached to any of the characters that died (seriously, some of the deaths just seemed to get thrown in). The story building and plot was a little shaky since I felt like I was being pulled in all directions for a while (the beginning and the end). The middle of this book was very strong, my favorite part since it really worked on character building.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Floryie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacts my view of things.

When I first came across this book, the cover totally made me not want to pick it up. It is similar to another book which I won't mention here which wasn't that good a read. The blurb was what made me try to read this book that too reluctantly. So the book had me almost hating it at the start. So did that opinion change? Oh yes, definitely!!

I am truly thankful that I took a chance. The starting was a bit askew. It took a few chapters to get into the flow of the story. The duality of worlds was very interesting and it hooked me completely especially with the way Willow was made out in those scenes. The presence of a world we are familiar with and then another which had totally different geography and races drew me in slowly but steadily.

The world building was unique and it was a blend of dystopia and fantasy. I believe that was my favourite part of the book. It's not usual that fantasy elements are introduced into a dystopian/apocalyptic tale. And it has more of a feel of the events happening after apocalypse so it was appropriately named too.

As I said it was a bit out of shape at the beginning. But it straightened out pretty fast and I enjoyed following the transition of Willow from a normal student to a survival specialist. The only things which didn't gel were the disappearance of the various students and the unnecessary deaths. Few of the deaths were literally forced into the story. They don't blend in at all. And another thing which had me confused was the easy way Willow was able to get situated in the Forbidden land. Inspite of having a prophecy on her side, it was too easy and I hope the sequel will have a more detailed explanation.

The ending wasn't a cliffhanger though it has me eager for the next book. I can't wait to see how Willow and her people will overcome the Northerners. Overall, the read was a great enjoyable one with ample fighting and adventures. I can recommend this to fantasy and dystopian lovers equally.

My rating : 4/5

[A. Musquiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought Willow was a very strong and confident character that didn't worry too much about her appearance when she was a fighter at heart and was set on learning how to defend herself against enemies through fight training and mastering her archery skills. She was very dedicated to her brothers and would do anything for them which just showed how much of a caring person she was underneath her tough exterior.

I thought the world building and the place Willow knew as home was very much a post-apocalyptic setting with a little bit of a steampunk, dystopia feel to it which I ADORED! I really was very interested in the places Willow traveled to, the things she saw, the creatures she encountered and the legends surrounding the Wildings, the Werebits, and other beings in her world. It was all so cool and kept me hooked.

The storyline was very well written and I didn't ever feel lost even when learning about Willow's world and the things she went through once she started discovering some abilities she never knew that she had or was capable of.

I think the only reason I didn't give this book a five-star rating is because it did take me a little bit to get into the groove of things with this book since it was a unique story and set in a different type of world than I'm used to reading but at the same time, I quite liked it. In my book, if it takes me a few pages to get into the swing of things, that means I've never read anything quite like it before. Highly recommend it!

[Crina | booktwist_ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ths book has an amazing cover and the blurb sounds pretty good; it's not like something very original, but just your typical dystopia, full of different cliches, which tries to be original, fast paced, having tons of characters, multiple perspectives and lots of twists. I started reading it, because I wanted something quick and easy, but man, how hard it was for me to finish this. And honestly, if it didn't had so many good reviews I wouldn't have picked it up.

I don't know, maybe I'm the crazy one and if I see a cute cover and a nice blurb I think that the book is amazing, which lately was very bad for me, because most of them sucked. Hard. I'm not trying to ruin this for anyone or to say that is not worth but for me was bad. There are a lot of characters, whom for me blended, because no one seemed individualized, everyone was plain, boring and just bidimensional; trying to be funny or heroic or whatever, and failing with success. The action and plot were SO cliche, the writing was extremely boring, the end didn't surprise me.

Honestly, I felt like I read a draft and not a polished book, and I'm saying this with no intention of being mean. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone and if you still want to try it, then wish very hard to not be bored to death like me, from the first chapters, and then just struggle to finish it.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,75/5
Sono stata attirata dalla copertina, che mi ha ricordato i fantasy che non mi dispiacciono affatto, ma questo è in realtà un post apocalittico/distopico/fantasy/soprannaturale.
E' una cosa un po' strana quindi, e alcune parti ammetto di non averle capito in pieno.
500 anni dopo la Grande Guerra (cioè la quarta guerra mondiale, se ho capito bene) il mondo è post apocalittico appunto.
Alcuni vivono sottoterra, alcuni sono tornati ad uno stadio medioevale, altri sono mutati a causa delle radiazioni.
Qui incontriamo Willow, la protagonista, figlia di un arciere commerciante in archi e frecce, che vive col padre e i due fratelli.
Willow frequenta un'accademia alla fine della quale deve decidere che mestiere farà da grande, se essere commerciante o magari soldato, dato che è bravissima con l'arco.
Abbiamo quindi i primi capitoli piuttosto interessanti, in cui ci viene descritta Willow e la sua famiglia e il posto in cui abita.
Poi... La Noia.
I capitoli in cui lei è in questa scuola sono pallosissimi, uguali a centinaia di altri YA, e non capivo perchè fossero stati inseriti. E prendono quasi tutto il libro!
Quindi lei deve decidere cosa fare da grande, è assurdamente complessata dal fatto di essere grassa (e un'altra volta non ci viene quantificato il quanto grassa) trova un ragazzo figo, si iscrive ad un corso per soli uomini e blah blah.
Avevamo una storia in cui c'è un mondo distrutto, ci sono mostri che mangiano le persone, c'è un ordine che tiene a bada le persone, e ci riduciamo alla solita ragazzina grassa a scuola che però è troppo figa per fare la commerciante e ha poteri speciali e ommioddio_un'altra_così_anche_no_per_favore.
Poi nel frattempo abbiamo viaggi nei sogni, trasformazioni in elfi e regni sotterranei dei nani che assomigliano in modo imbarazzante a Erebor e lo Hobbit. Ci sono anche due fratelli nani carini e scherzosi e un essere strano che anche dai disegni ricorda moltissimo Gollum. In un'illustrazione abbiamo quindi Tauriel (le assomiglia abbastanza), Gollum e un lupo che chiamerei Nymeria, perchè mi sembra si chiami Growl ma Nymeria è più figo come nome. E Willow ancora complessata dall'essere grassa.
E il fatto che l'autore si sia ispirato a Tolkien è più che lampante.
Mischiato ovviamente con Divergent, Hunger Games e altre cose che adesso nemmeno mi vengono in mente.
Ma allora, mi è piaciuto o no?
L'ho trovato strano, troppe cose tutte insieme, troppo assurdo a tratti e troppo senza senso in altri.
E' scritto piuttosto bene, è abbastanza corto e ha davvero una bella copertina, ma non posso dire che la trama sia di mio gradimento.

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

To read or not to read: No, don’t read. Honestly, this book was terrible! I gave up, I just couldn’t take it anymore. Which was really disappointing because the cover is gorgeous and made me super excited for a kick-ass fantasy. It was all over the place and made no sense. Like I said, I don’t even think there’s a plot to it. Save yourself and give it a miss. Or try it and see if you can make it to the end and see if it actually ends up going anywhere.

Full review here/a> (It's quite an entertaining one!)

[Michelle Bartlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this feels difficult to rate for me. When the book started off I was like 'what the hell am I listening to' and I was about to return the book (had to use one of my credits on Audible for this one). However I am not a quitter so I kept listening and I have to say that overall I enjoyed the listen. The main reason I enjoyed it was the narrator-she is one of my all time favorites-I think she could read a notice about my pending death and I would love it!! As far as the story line goes-it was a bit difficult to follow and try to make sense of because it is different than most post apocalyptic books I have listened it. I liked the characters and there were some plot twists which was nice. I am looking forward to the next in the series but this one will not be one of my all time favorites. If the narrator would have been different I will likely not have liked it as much.

[Cathy Milton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I was looking for something outside of my usual genre. Rothman did not disappoint. He is a gifted story teller, who captivates his reader. I look forward to reading more Rothman. Thanks for a wonderful journey with your characters, I felt like I was in the story.

[Marbea Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I waited too long to read this book,and thinking it to be a standalone. Now I've learned it's apart of another supposed standalone,that's turned into a series! So I've wasted my time on a could've been great standalone novel,if it were completed as one...

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a post-apocalyptic world seventeen year old Willow Parks just wants to make it through the Academy and the Choosing so she can get on with her life. Willow comes from a family of Merchants but wants to be a soldier too. She has a hard time at first getting into the hand to hand combat class without the help from another teacher. But with the help of one of her teachers she finally makes it in. In Willow’s world women do not become soldiers they stay at home doing girly things but not Willow. After getting in the class Willow excels in the hand to hand combat class and all of her classes and makes it to the top.

Some of the students from the Academy start to disappear; after a while Willow puts it all together and realizes that they have probably been exiled. The reason for them disappearing or being exiled is not exactly known but people know that if you say or do anything that goes against the governor then you will be punished.

After Willow lost her mother she decided that she was going to do whatever it took to take down the person that was responsible for her death. Willow knows who this person is and she will take them down when her plan is in place or the time is right. Willow is a very strong person with a great big heart who cares deeply for her family and her friends.

Then one day Willow is awaken and taken from her room at the Academy and is deposited in the Forbidden land. She realizes she has been exiled. The Forbidden land is just as scary as she has been taught but she soon learns that there is more in the Forbidden land than anyone knows or has been lead to believe.

Her whole life she has been taught that no one could survive in the Forbidden land with all the monsters among other things. Can Willow survive the Forbidden land? Will the monsters get her before she has the chance to try?

I loved the world the author created in Disapocalypse and reading about the Great War and how the earth was destroyed over five hundred years ago. I also loved the girl that Willow was and how strong she was but with the life she lead and the things that happened to her would make anyone grow up fast. She had to endure things that no young child should ever have to face. I am just glad she had her brothers to help her out and let her be her own person. She had a great friend in Tristan a guy she met at the Academy who helped her more than he will ever know. I think Willow was also a big help to Tristan as well. She came into his life and became his friend at a time in his life when he needed it most.

If you love a good dystopian novel mixed with fantasy then you are going to love Dispocalyse. It has mixture of few genres. Most of the characters are very lovable and ones that you would love to know more about. I can’t wait to read more of Willow, Raz, Ramia and the other characters stories.

[LAWonder10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willow had fond memories of her mother but since her recent death, Willow enjoyed the love, support and companionship of her father and twin brothers. She enjoyed her small community in the country. She would soon need to return to the Academy to finish her Senior year of studies. Her best friend would be attending with her.
Her father and brothers needed to go to the forest to get a special wood they discovered for the bows and arrows the made and sold at their merchandise shop. Her dad insisted on her going with them. She was certain he just wanted her away from the house to discontinue brooding over the loss of her mother. She had second watch that night for wildlings or other creatures the other side of the outlands from the Dominion which became contaminated after the Great War. Willow needed to stay close to camp but she needed to find a bush or something to go behind to relieve herself . Before she had the chance, something happened that would result in losing her father as well.
Willow discovered she could dream walk. She discovered many other talents as well...Some talents she had top keep secret.  While at the Academy, she was able to accomplish the unthinkable and in the process met a very nice young man...One who she was afraid to trust.
Willow experiences, adventures, danger, betrayal and grief. This is a story of a remarkable young woman who began realizing she could accomplish more than she would ever imagine she was capable of.
The Title and Book Cover re very well-chosen and fitting. It took me several pages before I could "get into" the story. Once I began to understand it, it taught several important principles. I would not recommend this book to youth under the age of sixteen, due to crudeness and graphic violence in parts.
^This book was a gift but in no way has that influenced this honest review.

[Rosie Rizk · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I could cut the book in half, keep the first half, and rewrite the rest, it would be salvageable.

I love the idea of the MC having memories of a past life, and acting on them. What I didn't like, was how there were so many unconnected or irrelevant parts to this book. Like, why talk about someone secretly loving a demon, when it has no relevance to the story beyond the fact that the person is evil? Or why go into detail on how a different part of the world creates monsters out of humans, when we don't really care?

And why would you have the MC's best friend betray her to the government without telling me what that friend gained by doing it. Yes, there are traitors all over this world (like Nazi times), but the MC doesn't ever really stop to feel betrayed past the initial discovery, and I never found out why the 'friend' did it. It was a wasted betrayal.

The story felt like someone wrote down a dream. It's disjointed, some good parts, lots of unimportant info, lots of fuzzy woozy ideas, and then the end. At least my dreams make more sense than that mishmash.

But I really like that idea of remembering a past life, and pushing yourself to match your previous martial arts prowess. That can make a great story, with an author who's not trying to tie a bunch of fluffy ideas together.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five hundred years after a nuclear war we find ourselves in a world of The Forbidding and Dominion. The Forbidding is full of evil, nasty creatures and the Dominion is the human area where we meet Willow. Willow is in her last year at the Academy and is having strange dreams that leave her with some serious fighting skills from her ancestors. With her new skills she decides to start training to be a soldier. But she finds herself exiled to The Forbidding. It seems there is a prophecy for her to fulfill if she can survive.

This is a great combination of several different genera’s that worked really well together. I loved the dystopian destruction after the war and the fantasy twist of the dreamwalking. Willow was a strong lead character. I really like how she slowly discovered different abilities.

On the down side, this book was a bit scattered in the beginning and had some irrelevant tidbits that could have been left out or fleshed out more. I feel there were certain deaths that were just thrown out there for no reason.

So far this looks like a stand-alone book but I do think that it could easily be made into a series. There are some spots that I would love to see a second book about to wrap up some events.

I received Dispocalypse from Teddy at Virtual Author Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

[Victoria Brinius · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a time spanning book. We have the females thrown into the past of womanly duties. We have the present, where Willow is in school and then exiled. Then we have the future of these characters. What will happen to them? I would love a sequel to find out. Willow is a strong character and is wise beyond her years. She has been through a lot and is ready to stand up to the Governor. As she finds herself exiled, she learns about her self and how the things are not always as they seem. I liked the plot and the great world that the author built, However the first few chapters seemed to be more of a prequel to me. There was too much info, however makes me want for a sequel. The flow of the book was good, and I enjoyed the twists and turns, This is a one of a kind read, and I can not wait to read more from this writer. I am giving this book a 4/5. All opinions are my own.

[Joe Goulet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed

I have never read anything by this writer before and I highly doubt I will give him another chance. This attempt of a book is blatantly a condensed ad hoc version of the Shannara series created by Terry Brooks. I would not recommend this poor attempt at epic fantasy for anyone to read. Now I know that Terry brooks clearly used Tolkien as a foundation. But he did so with skill and expanded upon it with his own voice.

[Tom Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you familiar with M.A. Rothman yet? My advice is to give his books a try! This title is what most would consider "Fantasy/Dystopian" but somehow he's written in plausible multiverse theory. His SF title "Darwin's Cypher" is a novel that is an absolute masterpiece - I couldn't put it down until I'd read it all.

Could he be the next Asimov? Only time will tell.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would consider this in the dystopia genre of books though it had a medieval feel to it. Over all, it was pretty good book. The writing is slightly choppy, but I liked the main character.

[Michael Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good!

Really enjoyed this book. The twist of sci-fi to fantasy was great, characters where believable, and good plot. Definitely read this book!