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Last Light #2
Afterlight
The world lies devastated after the massive oil crisis that was described in LAST LIGHT. Human society has more or less entirely broken down and millions lie dead of starvation and disease. There are only one or two beacon communities that have managed to fashion a new way of living. Jenny Sutherland runs one of these groups. Based on a series of decaying offshore oil-rigs - for safety - a few hundred people have rebuilt a semblance of normality in this otherwise dead world. But as her and her people start to explore their surroundings once again, they start to realise not every survivor has the same vision of a better future than their catastrophic past. There are people out there who would take everything they have. War is coming, and the stakes are truly massive...
464 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
36 people are currently reading
850 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
June 11, 2011
This book is recommended to me by Don.Thanks yo!XD
I know this book is a sequel, but I dont bother to read the first one.u dont really need to read the first if the second book somehow explains to us what book one is about.spoiler,yo!
Ok, I've bought this book when I was going to an outing(to a bookstore,really!) with my bestfriend(Mi_kan) the other day. I was browsing through the shelves when I saw this book looking at me curiously.Or maybe u can change the 'I' and 'the book' position in that sentence.This book was,at that time, sitting alone on that shelves.Yeah, it was the last copy,I guess.So, I was lucky to notice it and at The same time I remembered the recommendation by Don.So, what else?I bought the book,of course!haha
I read this book a few days after that, and yes, this book is a page-turner.Then, I brought this book along with me when I went to holiday and somehow my holiday turned into finish-this-book trip!oh!
I am going to be honest.This book is good, really!But, u have to be real 'tough' to go on with this book if u were some way like me.I cant stand when people make something mine like his/her.And that, happens in this book through Valerie Latoc!And I cant stand a person who talks malicious about someone just because he/she was not in charge and felt unimportant.And that, happens through Alice.I hate both of them like I hate everything most hateful in this whole world! I dont know if u know how much hate I needed to go through!Urgghh for just thinking about it.
However, surely I have reasons for saying that this book is good even though the author killed my favourite character, in a mean way!ok,ok.relax!I will go to the good sides.
Well, good.good.Which parts are good?Think.Think.oh, yeah!I know!the whole book is good except the parts that are not.How's that?lol~
I know this book is a sequel, but I dont bother to read the first one.u dont really need to read the first if the second book somehow explains to us what book one is about.spoiler,yo!
Ok, I've bought this book when I was going to an outing(to a bookstore,really!) with my bestfriend(Mi_kan) the other day. I was browsing through the shelves when I saw this book looking at me curiously.Or maybe u can change the 'I' and 'the book' position in that sentence.This book was,at that time, sitting alone on that shelves.Yeah, it was the last copy,I guess.So, I was lucky to notice it and at The same time I remembered the recommendation by Don.So, what else?I bought the book,of course!haha
I read this book a few days after that, and yes, this book is a page-turner.Then, I brought this book along with me when I went to holiday and somehow my holiday turned into finish-this-book trip!oh!
I am going to be honest.This book is good, really!But, u have to be real 'tough' to go on with this book if u were some way like me.I cant stand when people make something mine like his/her.And that, happens in this book through Valerie Latoc!And I cant stand a person who talks malicious about someone just because he/she was not in charge and felt unimportant.And that, happens through Alice.I hate both of them like I hate everything most hateful in this whole world! I dont know if u know how much hate I needed to go through!Urgghh for just thinking about it.
However, surely I have reasons for saying that this book is good even though the author killed my favourite character, in a mean way!ok,ok.relax!I will go to the good sides.
Well, good.good.Which parts are good?Think.Think.oh, yeah!I know!the whole book is good except the parts that are not.How's that?lol~
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2012
Post apocolyptic thriller, which had me from the first page. This is a follow on from Last Light and I can honestly say that this was better than the first book. The scary thing was not the ruthlessness of life post social breakdown, more the way the story rang true. This is no Mad Max type wasteland novel, this is how I suspect things would really turn out if we ran out of oil. There are some interesting parallels to Lord of the Flies and the inclusion of a charismatic child abuser added a dimension which had me thinking about who you really could trust in a world where the old rules had broken down.
February 17, 2014
I got through a quarter of this and I'm bored. I had high hopes as I thoroughly enjoyed the first book (last light). Unfortunatley, the book is too slow to get started with the story split between the days of the crash (which was fully explained during the first book) and also the interactions of a community spent on an oil rig........ too much time is spent trying to force on the reader a utopian existence without power, rather than constructing an action post - apocalyptic action story that could have still had some subtle philisphical messaging!
The character continuation from the first book to this book was confusing, I can't believe that the two kids, despite surviving the crash, would have grown to become such passive and week individuals. In fact, I would have thought the daughter, with what she did in Last Light, would have been more likely to have lead the oil rig community rather than the mother!!
I may revisit this book at a later date, but that would be through obligation rather than desire.
PS - I may have been compromised by the authors note in book of each which I felt was a little pretentious and self righteous.
The character continuation from the first book to this book was confusing, I can't believe that the two kids, despite surviving the crash, would have grown to become such passive and week individuals. In fact, I would have thought the daughter, with what she did in Last Light, would have been more likely to have lead the oil rig community rather than the mother!!
I may revisit this book at a later date, but that would be through obligation rather than desire.
PS - I may have been compromised by the authors note in book of each which I felt was a little pretentious and self righteous.
April 10, 2011
i was fortunate enough to see the end of communism. hopefully i will be fortunate enough to not see the end of this civilization.
April 17, 2025
I haven't read much these past few years. Growing up and all , the "part-ee of no responsibilities having reached its end.
Most books I've tried since ,failed to so much as make me curious.
But this.
Now this was masterfully written. From the first page you can feel the writer has an eloquence, a really enjoyable grasp over words. The way he put things I could picture it clearly , the way the words put you in a scenario that came alive.
Gone were disjuncted scenes, things that just seemed to happen and flat - unreal dialogue.
Reading it you felt the anger, joy or otherwise the characters experienced, they spoke like people at the same time distinct and the actions flowed. Every fidget , caring hand and strike was so well narrated I could nearly see it
The appeal to a moral or message without it f**king bashing you in the face every five seconds was very well done. It's not like it was hidden, the whole premise is anti oil but it felt subtle. Left to sink into you as opposed to blatant reminders that so many LGBT authors seem to like and complete destroy your immersion. Yes please preach your message but does Arthurian Knight absolutelyhave to remind me of his outstanding ho mosexuality at every turn.
Characterization was solid. Characters fit the moulds they were given well. So much so that when the Sergeant we'd barely known 50 pages died I felt as shocked as the others. When Harry's corpse came before us I could feel the disquiet inside the cast.
And the use of Character deaths which authors are so often shy to do, was used for impact. Not willy nilly mind you . But when it came it on my mind as much as it was on the characters'.
The two complaints I have though ( and of them is a me thing )
1) this was very real . Although not unnecessarily detailed , the author didn't pull any punches. And I came here to escape reality.
2) The final climax was well , after so many pages of buildup. Over very quickly and somewhat to me boringly. It's probably just me but the way the event happened there was very little foreshadowing and it was over in a a few pages
Most books I've tried since ,failed to so much as make me curious.
But this.
Now this was masterfully written. From the first page you can feel the writer has an eloquence, a really enjoyable grasp over words. The way he put things I could picture it clearly , the way the words put you in a scenario that came alive.
Gone were disjuncted scenes, things that just seemed to happen and flat - unreal dialogue.
Reading it you felt the anger, joy or otherwise the characters experienced, they spoke like people at the same time distinct and the actions flowed. Every fidget , caring hand and strike was so well narrated I could nearly see it
The appeal to a moral or message without it f**king bashing you in the face every five seconds was very well done. It's not like it was hidden, the whole premise is anti oil but it felt subtle. Left to sink into you as opposed to blatant reminders that so many LGBT authors seem to like and complete destroy your immersion. Yes please preach your message but does Arthurian Knight absolutelyhave to remind me of his outstanding ho mosexuality at every turn.
Characterization was solid. Characters fit the moulds they were given well. So much so that when the Sergeant we'd barely known 50 pages died I felt as shocked as the others. When Harry's corpse came before us I could feel the disquiet inside the cast.
And the use of Character deaths which authors are so often shy to do, was used for impact. Not willy nilly mind you . But when it came it on my mind as much as it was on the characters'.
The two complaints I have though ( and of them is a me thing )
1) this was very real . Although not unnecessarily detailed , the author didn't pull any punches. And I came here to escape reality.
2) The final climax was well , after so many pages of buildup. Over very quickly and somewhat to me boringly. It's probably just me but the way the event happened there was very little foreshadowing and it was over in a a few pages
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2021
― Arată-te! strigă el cu putere.
Închise ochii şi rămase nemişcat în poiana scăldată de razele soarelui, cu simţurile acutizate, în timp ce mintea lui sfredelea luminişurile din jur, alunecând ca o şoaptă prin frunzişul des al copacilor, strecurându-se prin ierburile înalte, căutând. Văzu cuibul de prigorie ascuns într-un tufiş de măceş, veveriţa care-şi spăla mustăţile pe creanga cea mai înaltă a unui alun bătrân, şarpele negru care se strecura neauzit într-o gaură săpată la rădăcina unui mesteacăn.
― Ştiu că mă auzi, strigă el din nou. Te desfid: arată-mi-te!
Ţipătul şoimului îl făcu să privească spre cerul incredibil de albastru şi un zâmbet ironic îi înflori în colţul gurii. Pasărea se rotea în cercuri largi, scrutând peisajul, înregistrând orice mişcare de dedesubt. O clipă mai târziu deveni conştient de prezenţa lupului enorm şi sur, care se furişase la o distanţă de cincisprezece paşi de el şi care acum se tolănise în desişuri, observându-l cu o oarecare detaşare. Deşi ştia că deocamdată nu era în pericol, se încordă.
Şi-n clipa următoare o simţi. Îi simţi puterea. Şi tăria.
Deschise ochii şi fu surprins să vadă vălătucii de ceaţă, apăruţi de nicăieri, ce se încolăceau în jurul trunchiurilor, târându-se pe pământ şi înghiţind ierburile. Mintea lui trasă un cerc în jurul său şi aburul acela strălucitor şi dens se opri, pulsă, tatonă, şi se retrase uşor. Ceţurile începură să se subţieze şi prin fumul lor o zări.
Înveşmântată într-o pelerină cu două nuanţe mai deschise decât seninul cerului, vrăjitoarea îl privea nemişcată din dosul unei glugi ample, care-i ascundea chipul pe jumătate. Magia o însoţea, strălucitoare, puternică şi la fel de palpabilă ca însăşi prezenţa ei. Se văzu nevoit să recunoască în sinea lui că era o idee surprins. Se aşteptase s-o vadă apărând în straie de un alb orbitor şi pur, care să contrasteze cu întunericul veşmintelor sale, făcându-şi o intrare dramatică.
― Vreau să-ţi văd faţa, îi porunci el.
― Voinţa ta n-are nicio putere aici, damnatule, veni calm răspunsul ei.
Închise ochii şi rămase nemişcat în poiana scăldată de razele soarelui, cu simţurile acutizate, în timp ce mintea lui sfredelea luminişurile din jur, alunecând ca o şoaptă prin frunzişul des al copacilor, strecurându-se prin ierburile înalte, căutând. Văzu cuibul de prigorie ascuns într-un tufiş de măceş, veveriţa care-şi spăla mustăţile pe creanga cea mai înaltă a unui alun bătrân, şarpele negru care se strecura neauzit într-o gaură săpată la rădăcina unui mesteacăn.
― Ştiu că mă auzi, strigă el din nou. Te desfid: arată-mi-te!
Ţipătul şoimului îl făcu să privească spre cerul incredibil de albastru şi un zâmbet ironic îi înflori în colţul gurii. Pasărea se rotea în cercuri largi, scrutând peisajul, înregistrând orice mişcare de dedesubt. O clipă mai târziu deveni conştient de prezenţa lupului enorm şi sur, care se furişase la o distanţă de cincisprezece paşi de el şi care acum se tolănise în desişuri, observându-l cu o oarecare detaşare. Deşi ştia că deocamdată nu era în pericol, se încordă.
Şi-n clipa următoare o simţi. Îi simţi puterea. Şi tăria.
Deschise ochii şi fu surprins să vadă vălătucii de ceaţă, apăruţi de nicăieri, ce se încolăceau în jurul trunchiurilor, târându-se pe pământ şi înghiţind ierburile. Mintea lui trasă un cerc în jurul său şi aburul acela strălucitor şi dens se opri, pulsă, tatonă, şi se retrase uşor. Ceţurile începură să se subţieze şi prin fumul lor o zări.
Înveşmântată într-o pelerină cu două nuanţe mai deschise decât seninul cerului, vrăjitoarea îl privea nemişcată din dosul unei glugi ample, care-i ascundea chipul pe jumătate. Magia o însoţea, strălucitoare, puternică şi la fel de palpabilă ca însăşi prezenţa ei. Se văzu nevoit să recunoască în sinea lui că era o idee surprins. Se aşteptase s-o vadă apărând în straie de un alb orbitor şi pur, care să contrasteze cu întunericul veşmintelor sale, făcându-şi o intrare dramatică.
― Vreau să-ţi văd faţa, îi porunci el.
― Voinţa ta n-are nicio putere aici, damnatule, veni calm răspunsul ei.
February 7, 2018
Post apocalyptic thriller - set after the collapse of the oil industry - Afterlife is the follow on from an earlier work called Last Light which I have not read. This book manages to stand alone although there are a few reference to the earlier work and having read it would probably be beneficial.
The story is told between the two communities of Bracton oil rigs and the surviving group of people in London. The breakdown of society is well told and fully believable and the main characters of Jenni and her daughter Leona are also well drawn, but some of the minor characters are rather one dimensional. Several plot twists keep you reading, although some areas, such as the sections on the London community were rather more plodding.
I did have to withhold incredulity that the scavengers kept finding more containers of food or drink or cigarettes even ten years after the collapse of society and I'd have thought rather more communities would have set themselves up... but hey, this is a novel after all.
The story is told between the two communities of Bracton oil rigs and the surviving group of people in London. The breakdown of society is well told and fully believable and the main characters of Jenni and her daughter Leona are also well drawn, but some of the minor characters are rather one dimensional. Several plot twists keep you reading, although some areas, such as the sections on the London community were rather more plodding.
I did have to withhold incredulity that the scavengers kept finding more containers of food or drink or cigarettes even ten years after the collapse of society and I'd have thought rather more communities would have set themselves up... but hey, this is a novel after all.
October 8, 2024
This is the second book in a series. It isn't absolutely essential, but I recommend that you read the other book first.
This story begins around 10 years after society has collapsed due to the lack of an oil supply (which leads to a breakdown of food supplies, transport and so on). The main plot line features a community of around 450 people living on abandoned gas platforms a few miles offshore from eastern England. This is a real location (even if they call it Bracton, not Bacton). This seems a bit impractical to me, but I understand why you might do it for defensive reasons.
Of course, there's more to it than that but I don't want to spoil it. It's a pretty realistic and interesting variant of post-apocalyptic Britain. It feels like this is the end to the two-book series as there is a fairly conclusive ending, but it's possible that the same events could be revisited from a different perspective.
This story begins around 10 years after society has collapsed due to the lack of an oil supply (which leads to a breakdown of food supplies, transport and so on). The main plot line features a community of around 450 people living on abandoned gas platforms a few miles offshore from eastern England. This is a real location (even if they call it Bracton, not Bacton). This seems a bit impractical to me, but I understand why you might do it for defensive reasons.
Of course, there's more to it than that but I don't want to spoil it. It's a pretty realistic and interesting variant of post-apocalyptic Britain. It feels like this is the end to the two-book series as there is a fairly conclusive ending, but it's possible that the same events could be revisited from a different perspective.
December 23, 2017
Loving this from the start. The story took up from Last Light and told the tale from 10 years in the future back to the crash day, jumping forward and back to fill in the gaps. I think I like the idea of the world as we know it ceasing to exist and mankind having to start again. A tale of survival.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish. No major surprises just a well told story which is totally believable. We have been warned!
Thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish. No major surprises just a well told story which is totally believable. We have been warned!
September 9, 2021
Better than the first book - must read!
Author is right in the epilogue - there is a lot of post-apocalyptic movies or books focused on times right after the crash. That is why this book is so refreshing as the action happens 10 after the oil stops flowing. It presents a compelling vision of how rebuilding the world might look like. I liked the ending very much (no spoilers) and that's why this book deserved its 5 stars.
Author is right in the epilogue - there is a lot of post-apocalyptic movies or books focused on times right after the crash. That is why this book is so refreshing as the action happens 10 after the oil stops flowing. It presents a compelling vision of how rebuilding the world might look like. I liked the ending very much (no spoilers) and that's why this book deserved its 5 stars.
August 29, 2023
This book has flaws that, in the end, I was totally willing to overlook due to how well-paced, well-realised and well-built the plot is here. It's just an excellent page-turner, functions even as a standalone book, and is just a fun and exciting apocalyptic yarn. My biggest gripe is that the conspiracy from the first book is just ignored throughout. Well worth your time.
January 8, 2024
Kindle read while away. Estimated start & finish dates. Finished while in Sydney but not sure exactly when.
Didn’t really want to read this book as the first one shook me up so much but I was compelled to. Struggled to read it as the frequency of rape & pillaging & senseless violence is just not my sort of read but is unfortunately a likely reality in the event of any major loss of policing power/authority. Every man for himself, survival of the fittest, smartest or rather, let’s be honest, in this sort of scenario more survival of the luckiest than anything else.
I just pray the world doesn’t end up like this at any point in time, not our lifetime or ever, even though, I suspect, it might.
Didn’t really want to read this book as the first one shook me up so much but I was compelled to. Struggled to read it as the frequency of rape & pillaging & senseless violence is just not my sort of read but is unfortunately a likely reality in the event of any major loss of policing power/authority. Every man for himself, survival of the fittest, smartest or rather, let’s be honest, in this sort of scenario more survival of the luckiest than anything else.
I just pray the world doesn’t end up like this at any point in time, not our lifetime or ever, even though, I suspect, it might.
March 28, 2021
This book is the type of book that you would want to read if you were Shakespeare’s Son. It is full of real case scenarios and it is amusing and builds suspense easily. I would definitely recommend this book.
August 11, 2025
This was a very emotional book to read. I felt that this was the way our world could land up. I know we have got past 2010 when the Crash started but global warming is still with us. I would have gone with 5 stars but felt the end was a bit of an anti-climax.
June 2, 2017
again loved this book, hated finishing it.
October 24, 2019
Un excellent livre qui sur une intrigue de pic pétrolier nous fait prendre conscience de notre dépendance au pétrole et de la fragilité de notre société et même de notre civilisation.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
October 6, 2021
Superb book, kept me on edge and wanting to keep turning the pages. Probably better than last light the first novel. Really good read, and original .
March 19, 2024
Loved it
March 11, 2025
Amazing! Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, really got to feel like I knew the characters on a personal level. Overall brilliant book
May 4, 2025
Incroyable ! Spectaculaire, vraiment. Étonnamment, à l'opposé, un peu, du premier tome ; post apocalyptique plutôt que durant la catastrophe elle-même, et pourtant... Tellement poignant et intense.
February 26, 2017
The setting for ‘Afterlight’ by Alex Scarrow is the UK, ten years after the oil ran out. It is a sequel to ‘Last Light’ but can be read as a standalone novel. Like the first, it is a moreish thriller with the touch of frightening reality. After the oil crash there were riots, looting, murder and rape. Beacon communities were established, safe zones which eventually became unsafe. Now, only two remain. This is the story of what happens to them as survival and recovery phases into rebuilding and re-establishment of democratic government.
Scarrow recalls some of the main characters from the first novel – Jenny Sutherland and her two children – and introduces new people. There are flashbacks to the oil crisis which shows events from different viewpoints. Ultimately, this is a story of Them and Us which does at times seem stereotyped. Jenny now runs a community of 400+ living on an abandoned oil and gas rig in the North Sea off the Norfolk coast. There are rumblings of discontent with the strict rules, then a mysterious Belgian stranger arrives and a young girl goes missing. This story is interwoven with that of Adam Brooks, a former RAF officer, who was sent to secure London’s o2 Arena as a safe zone. Run by a civil servant and policed by a gang of teenagers with guns, it is far from safe. This segment of the story is the least satisfying. The link between the two places is Jenny’s children, Leona and Jacob, who set off for London. Jacob longs to see city lights, which he barely remembers, and Leona wants to return to the family home to die alone.
There are some big subjects tackled here. The functioning of the group dynamic in far-from-ordinary circumstances, the management of resources and long-term planning, and how to handle a crowd which hasn’t realized the food really is going to run out. These pressures challenge what it is that makes us human, in our preferences, tolerances, sacrifices and beliefs.
I confess to picking this up one weary weekend when I had re-read a chapter of a more worthy book. ‘Afterlight’ was just the tonic. I read it in two days, curled up on the sofa on a snowy afternoon. I returned later to the worthy book, and enjoyed it too.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
Scarrow recalls some of the main characters from the first novel – Jenny Sutherland and her two children – and introduces new people. There are flashbacks to the oil crisis which shows events from different viewpoints. Ultimately, this is a story of Them and Us which does at times seem stereotyped. Jenny now runs a community of 400+ living on an abandoned oil and gas rig in the North Sea off the Norfolk coast. There are rumblings of discontent with the strict rules, then a mysterious Belgian stranger arrives and a young girl goes missing. This story is interwoven with that of Adam Brooks, a former RAF officer, who was sent to secure London’s o2 Arena as a safe zone. Run by a civil servant and policed by a gang of teenagers with guns, it is far from safe. This segment of the story is the least satisfying. The link between the two places is Jenny’s children, Leona and Jacob, who set off for London. Jacob longs to see city lights, which he barely remembers, and Leona wants to return to the family home to die alone.
There are some big subjects tackled here. The functioning of the group dynamic in far-from-ordinary circumstances, the management of resources and long-term planning, and how to handle a crowd which hasn’t realized the food really is going to run out. These pressures challenge what it is that makes us human, in our preferences, tolerances, sacrifices and beliefs.
I confess to picking this up one weary weekend when I had re-read a chapter of a more worthy book. ‘Afterlight’ was just the tonic. I read it in two days, curled up on the sofa on a snowy afternoon. I returned later to the worthy book, and enjoyed it too.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
January 13, 2013
If you've read the previous book, Last Light, you'll probably enjoy this one too. It's set 10 years after the events of the first one, Alex Scarrow states his reasons why which I thought was a refreshing thing to see - I like it when an author takes time to connect with their readers.
The story itself isn't quite as gripping as Last Light, the sense of urgency is somewhat lacking, possibly due to the nature of the story being 10 years after the chaos and panic of the first story. However, I still found myself eagerly turning each page at 2 and 3 in the morning. There are plenty of "what would you do?" thinkers dotted along the way as the characters struggle through their various paths. I like a story that makes me ponder how I would react in a similar situation.
As with Last Light I thought some of the characters were pretty well fleshed out. Others I wanted to know more about seemed a bit limited in their purpose, needs, desires and so on. The use of dialogue gives the characters good individuality, although I'm not a huge fan of the multiple explanation marks the author uses in his dialogue. The circumstances and character behaviour (if well written) should be enough to tell the reader a situation is tense or not without a lot of !!! at the end of so many bits of dialogue.
Another nit-pick for me is the use of capitols in dialogue. Again this shouldn't be necessary to convey emotion if the writing is strong. Despite this, the dialogue and regional dialects, slang, street talk etc is very well done.
I'm sure the Kindle version has been poorly laid out as there are huge gaps between the paragraphs, more than the first book. I got used to it, sort of. A slightly odd thing is the first person diary entry at the start. That in itself is okay, however another one crops up toward the end of the story and I thought this was a sort of conclusion, but the story continues on. It felt misplaced.
Without giving away specifics I thought it ended in a strange place, with all the build up I expected something big but it just dwindled to a stop quite unexpectedly.
The concept of what a population would do following a collapse of society is an interesting one, and well thought out here, with some interesting ideas of how individuals and groups work through such hardships. Many apocalyptic stories tend to centre around destruction and chaos, zombies, guns, cars that still work years later despite petroleum having a limited life span.
Afterlight is different as it looks at things from a realistic point of view, this is evident in the research the author has done. The characters have flaws, even the good guys don't always get it right, and the bad guys have reasons for their behaviour. It illustrates how some people will strive to help each other and some will act like locusts, consuming and killing.
As with the first book I was dismayed to see the repetitive nature of rape, whether that be actual rape or the intention/implication. I understand it is used to illustrate a point, that of men being dominant over women, using them as objects etc, but it felt forced to the point of "oh, just stop going on and on about rape and docile women and get on with the story!"
Despite these criticisms I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. Thought provoking subject matter, decent enough characters and locations I could relate to, England, London, East Anglia and so on.
If you want a good read about how people might realistically survive following a collapse then I recommend Afterlight whole-heartedly.
The story itself isn't quite as gripping as Last Light, the sense of urgency is somewhat lacking, possibly due to the nature of the story being 10 years after the chaos and panic of the first story. However, I still found myself eagerly turning each page at 2 and 3 in the morning. There are plenty of "what would you do?" thinkers dotted along the way as the characters struggle through their various paths. I like a story that makes me ponder how I would react in a similar situation.
As with Last Light I thought some of the characters were pretty well fleshed out. Others I wanted to know more about seemed a bit limited in their purpose, needs, desires and so on. The use of dialogue gives the characters good individuality, although I'm not a huge fan of the multiple explanation marks the author uses in his dialogue. The circumstances and character behaviour (if well written) should be enough to tell the reader a situation is tense or not without a lot of !!! at the end of so many bits of dialogue.
Another nit-pick for me is the use of capitols in dialogue. Again this shouldn't be necessary to convey emotion if the writing is strong. Despite this, the dialogue and regional dialects, slang, street talk etc is very well done.
I'm sure the Kindle version has been poorly laid out as there are huge gaps between the paragraphs, more than the first book. I got used to it, sort of. A slightly odd thing is the first person diary entry at the start. That in itself is okay, however another one crops up toward the end of the story and I thought this was a sort of conclusion, but the story continues on. It felt misplaced.
Without giving away specifics I thought it ended in a strange place, with all the build up I expected something big but it just dwindled to a stop quite unexpectedly.
The concept of what a population would do following a collapse of society is an interesting one, and well thought out here, with some interesting ideas of how individuals and groups work through such hardships. Many apocalyptic stories tend to centre around destruction and chaos, zombies, guns, cars that still work years later despite petroleum having a limited life span.
Afterlight is different as it looks at things from a realistic point of view, this is evident in the research the author has done. The characters have flaws, even the good guys don't always get it right, and the bad guys have reasons for their behaviour. It illustrates how some people will strive to help each other and some will act like locusts, consuming and killing.
As with the first book I was dismayed to see the repetitive nature of rape, whether that be actual rape or the intention/implication. I understand it is used to illustrate a point, that of men being dominant over women, using them as objects etc, but it felt forced to the point of "oh, just stop going on and on about rape and docile women and get on with the story!"
Despite these criticisms I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. Thought provoking subject matter, decent enough characters and locations I could relate to, England, London, East Anglia and so on.
If you want a good read about how people might realistically survive following a collapse then I recommend Afterlight whole-heartedly.
September 28, 2012
Overall, incredibly disappointing book.
After reading the first of the series, I had high hopes for the sequel - I was very wrong.
Set 10 years after the events of the first book (with the exception of some of the characters at the start of the book which take place during the same time period as the first book until they catch up with the other characters (time-wise) and then they run in parallel again.
Despite using some of the same characters (the heroes of the first book) - I'm completely at a loss to understand how the author not only managed to make them completely unlikable, but also incredibly boring, predictable and also rob the reader of caring about what happens to the character in the least.
I had a very hard time finishing the book purely because I didn't care in the least about what happened to the characters.. actually.. thats not completely true.. but the only caring about the characters I did was caring that they'd be killed in the next scene. Because of this.. for most of the book, I was woefully disappointed.
Ok.. spoiler time to vent some more
After reading the first of the series, I had high hopes for the sequel - I was very wrong.
Set 10 years after the events of the first book (with the exception of some of the characters at the start of the book which take place during the same time period as the first book until they catch up with the other characters (time-wise) and then they run in parallel again.
Despite using some of the same characters (the heroes of the first book) - I'm completely at a loss to understand how the author not only managed to make them completely unlikable, but also incredibly boring, predictable and also rob the reader of caring about what happens to the character in the least.
I had a very hard time finishing the book purely because I didn't care in the least about what happened to the characters.. actually.. thats not completely true.. but the only caring about the characters I did was caring that they'd be killed in the next scene. Because of this.. for most of the book, I was woefully disappointed.
Ok.. spoiler time to vent some more
July 15, 2025
4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Plot: 3.75/5
Characters: 4/5
World building: 4.25/5
Ending: 4/5
Overall: 19.5/25
78% = B
Writing: 3.5/5
Plot: 3.75/5
Characters: 4/5
World building: 4.25/5
Ending: 4/5
Overall: 19.5/25
78% = B
October 25, 2014
Great page-turner. The fact that it only took me 3 days to read this 584 page beast proves how much I couldn't put it down.
I really enjoyed seeing the different communities that succeeded (or failed) 10 years after the crash. It's a refreshing change of pace from the typical starving plague-ridden cannibalistic riot stories that make up the majority of post-apocalyptic fiction.
The treatment of women though... It wasn't offensive. It wasn't chauvinistic and it wasn't feminist. It was just downright strange. There was so much talk of gender, women versus men, rape (incredible amounts of rape), deep-seated generalizations about both genders. I can tell that the (male) author has an amazing respect for women. And sadly not as much respect for men.
The theme of this novel seems to be: the men screwed this world over and the women are going to heal it. The last paragraph only confirms that:
"When young people ask me hard it was just after the crash, how did we manage to get through those tough, dark times and build things anew, I find myself thinking that it was 'power' that got us here. Not the sort of power that comes from burning oil or gas, or spinning turbines, but the kind that comes from a mother who wants something better for her children. There truly is nothing more powerful, more world-changing, more complete than a mother's love."
This is so beautiful. And maybe it's true. Maybe it will be love that saves us all.
It made me sad though. I'm a woman but I'm tired a being a woman. Can't I just be a human? Can't we all just be humans? All races? All religions? All genders? Why are they're always these dividing lines between us all?
If love is what saves us in the end, I hope it is the love of PARENTS for their children, not jut mothers. If love is what saves us, I hope it is the love of all humans for all of humanity. That is the only way we can survive this.
I really enjoyed seeing the different communities that succeeded (or failed) 10 years after the crash. It's a refreshing change of pace from the typical starving plague-ridden cannibalistic riot stories that make up the majority of post-apocalyptic fiction.
The treatment of women though... It wasn't offensive. It wasn't chauvinistic and it wasn't feminist. It was just downright strange. There was so much talk of gender, women versus men, rape (incredible amounts of rape), deep-seated generalizations about both genders. I can tell that the (male) author has an amazing respect for women. And sadly not as much respect for men.
The theme of this novel seems to be: the men screwed this world over and the women are going to heal it. The last paragraph only confirms that:
"When young people ask me hard it was just after the crash, how did we manage to get through those tough, dark times and build things anew, I find myself thinking that it was 'power' that got us here. Not the sort of power that comes from burning oil or gas, or spinning turbines, but the kind that comes from a mother who wants something better for her children. There truly is nothing more powerful, more world-changing, more complete than a mother's love."
This is so beautiful. And maybe it's true. Maybe it will be love that saves us all.
It made me sad though. I'm a woman but I'm tired a being a woman. Can't I just be a human? Can't we all just be humans? All races? All religions? All genders? Why are they're always these dividing lines between us all?
If love is what saves us in the end, I hope it is the love of PARENTS for their children, not jut mothers. If love is what saves us, I hope it is the love of all humans for all of humanity. That is the only way we can survive this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2011
About a year or so ago, I read the Alex Scarrow novel 'Last Light' where the world's oil supply is disrupted, global civilisation collapses within a matter of days and an English family fights to survive and escape from an increasingly savage London.
Although nothing new in terms of premise and delivery, 'Last Light' was a compelling thriller that kept me reading until the end.
'Afterlight' is the sequel that takes up the story again 10 years after 'Last Light'. Despite the hardships and privations of post-collapse England, one community is making some success at surviving until it comes under threat from both within and without - especially after an expedition to a mostly-empty London makes a dark discovery...
There is a lot to like in 'Afterlight'. At times, it is very gripping, moving, thought-provoking and unnerving. As well, during flashback scenes to when London burned after global collapse, it was hard not to be reminded of the stunning 2011 riots that took place in England only weeks before I read 'Afterlight'. Like its predecessor, 'Afterlight' has many page-turning moments.
Alas, there were other parts of 'Afterlight' that I didn't find as interesting. Part of this was personal preference - I found the expedition-to-London scenes more compelling than the community-under-internal-threat scenes - but part of this was when the prose did more telling than showing, and became plodding rather than stimulating.
Still, 'Afterlight' is not bad, and if you liked 'Last Light' you most likely won't mind this sequel.
Although nothing new in terms of premise and delivery, 'Last Light' was a compelling thriller that kept me reading until the end.
'Afterlight' is the sequel that takes up the story again 10 years after 'Last Light'. Despite the hardships and privations of post-collapse England, one community is making some success at surviving until it comes under threat from both within and without - especially after an expedition to a mostly-empty London makes a dark discovery...
There is a lot to like in 'Afterlight'. At times, it is very gripping, moving, thought-provoking and unnerving. As well, during flashback scenes to when London burned after global collapse, it was hard not to be reminded of the stunning 2011 riots that took place in England only weeks before I read 'Afterlight'. Like its predecessor, 'Afterlight' has many page-turning moments.
Alas, there were other parts of 'Afterlight' that I didn't find as interesting. Part of this was personal preference - I found the expedition-to-London scenes more compelling than the community-under-internal-threat scenes - but part of this was when the prose did more telling than showing, and became plodding rather than stimulating.
Still, 'Afterlight' is not bad, and if you liked 'Last Light' you most likely won't mind this sequel.
January 26, 2011
Afterlight is not the type of book I would normally pick up but I'm glad I got a chance to read it as it was immensely gripping and scarily realistic.
The novel tells the story of how after an oil crisis in 2010 our world has become devastated. The story is mainly focussed on the United Kingdom and in flashbacks shows us how the first days after the crisis were filled with riots and parties and everybody taking whatever they could get their hands on for themselves and if necessary (and sometimes even when not) killing other people along the way. Ten years AC (after the crash) it seems that a small group of people has finally managed to create a self sustained community on old gas platforms in the North Sea, yet there are still those out there planning to just take, take, take and maybe even ruin this last beacon of hope. What follows is a very realistic story of what humanity can come to when there is no democracy left to guide them; groups of young children running around the city as wild tugs possibly resorting to cannibalism, dictators emerging and those proclaiming the word of God but only to help themselves, child soldiers, you name it.
Afterlight is a very fascinating novel and makes the reader think. It shows us how we take things we use on a daily basis for granted and have become absolutely reliant on them in such a way that we wouldn't be able to cope for ourselves without them anymore. And more importantly how easily it can all be lost.
The novel tells the story of how after an oil crisis in 2010 our world has become devastated. The story is mainly focussed on the United Kingdom and in flashbacks shows us how the first days after the crisis were filled with riots and parties and everybody taking whatever they could get their hands on for themselves and if necessary (and sometimes even when not) killing other people along the way. Ten years AC (after the crash) it seems that a small group of people has finally managed to create a self sustained community on old gas platforms in the North Sea, yet there are still those out there planning to just take, take, take and maybe even ruin this last beacon of hope. What follows is a very realistic story of what humanity can come to when there is no democracy left to guide them; groups of young children running around the city as wild tugs possibly resorting to cannibalism, dictators emerging and those proclaiming the word of God but only to help themselves, child soldiers, you name it.
Afterlight is a very fascinating novel and makes the reader think. It shows us how we take things we use on a daily basis for granted and have become absolutely reliant on them in such a way that we wouldn't be able to cope for ourselves without them anymore. And more importantly how easily it can all be lost.
September 10, 2011
Having spent the last year and a half devouring every post-apocalyptic and dystopian novel I can get my hands on, I can confidently say that Last Light & Afterlight are my favourite so far! (In fact, I think this second book is actually better than the first, which is fairly unusual as these things go) Between them, they depict such a likely scenario, (I personally believe it's the most likely potential apocalyptic event at this point in time ... and particularly we in the UK would certainly hit crisis point extremely quickly, because we store/grow/raise so little food here!! Makes me crazy mad when I think of how completely un-forward-thinking our government are being, sigh.) and the author has clearly put an awful lot of time into researching the probable consequences of a sudden loss of oil, and the ways in which people might survive such a situation.
But it's so much more than just a good story with good knowledge suffusing it! Lifelike, interesting, flawed characters who you can really grow to care about people this book, and the world building is extremely well executed. Plus I just loved the cleverness with which the characters survived.
Give it a try - it might just become your new favourite! ;)
But it's so much more than just a good story with good knowledge suffusing it! Lifelike, interesting, flawed characters who you can really grow to care about people this book, and the world building is extremely well executed. Plus I just loved the cleverness with which the characters survived.
Give it a try - it might just become your new favourite! ;)
August 23, 2010
This was an excellent sequel to 'Last Light'. Whereas the first book was a fast-paced thriller with knife-wielding hitmen, shadowy conspiracies and an effective countdown-to-armageddon, Afterlight has a more considered feel, albeit with a strong polemic tinge to it.
Most of the story takes place 10 years after the crash, on an offshore gas rig where about 450 people are living, led by Jenny from the first book. The baddies are a group of brutalised survivors from one of the government Safe Zones in London, led by a former history teacher who's raised an army of child soldiers to rule his 'serf' class. Further conflict takes the form of a religious nutter who's taken in by the group on the rig.
There are some pretty solid themes and motifs in the book - Jenny and co. represent the progressive, reformed future, the messianic bloke is the superstitious past that they must avoid, and the London crowd are the savages that they could easily become. There are a few rants about consumerism and unrestrained capitalism, but these aren't laid on too heavily.
All in all, a cracking read. I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction and this is on my list of favourites now.
Most of the story takes place 10 years after the crash, on an offshore gas rig where about 450 people are living, led by Jenny from the first book. The baddies are a group of brutalised survivors from one of the government Safe Zones in London, led by a former history teacher who's raised an army of child soldiers to rule his 'serf' class. Further conflict takes the form of a religious nutter who's taken in by the group on the rig.
There are some pretty solid themes and motifs in the book - Jenny and co. represent the progressive, reformed future, the messianic bloke is the superstitious past that they must avoid, and the London crowd are the savages that they could easily become. There are a few rants about consumerism and unrestrained capitalism, but these aren't laid on too heavily.
All in all, a cracking read. I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction and this is on my list of favourites now.
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