Stirling's first work in the Emberverse series is, in a word, captivating. The premise is that a worldwide event knocked out electricity and most forms of high-energy technology (such as gunpowder, steam pressure, etc.). This throws the world into utter chaos, with over 90% of humanity dying off in the next few months.
The book follows two different groups: Mike Havel, an ex-marine, leads a group called The Bearkillers, initially a family of five, but quickly expanding. Juniper Mackenzie is a wiccan musician who leads another group of survivors who become known as Clan Mackenzie. The two groups form an alliance against the evil (insert ominous super-villan laughter) Norman Arminger who rules the Portland Protective Association, a feudalistic organization formed of the dregs of society, particularly gang members and criminals. The book chronicles the lives of these groups from immediately before The Change (as the physics-rending event is known) and their quest for survival.
This is, as I said, the first book in the series, and I absolutely loved it. Personally, I like more action than song, and a few of the Clan Mackenzie portions were a little slow for my taste, but it only served to provide contrast to the more interesting parts. Stirling has managed to create a post-apocalyptic world that seems lifelike and vivid without the stereotypes found in many other authors' attempts. The main characters are excellently crafted, the story is enthralling (I lost several hours of sleep because I completely lost track of time), and the writing is superb. There are a few points that seem repetitive, but they are few and easily forgiven in such an extraordinary work.
I look forward to reviewing the rest of this series.
9.5/10
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