The Book of Koli by M. R. Carey [The Rampart Trilogy, Book 1]

 

The Book of Koli is the first book in The Rampart Trilogy and features Koli, who goes by many names during the book as his status changes. It is set way in the future after an everlasting war which devastated humanity and left them in pockets across the world. Koli is born into Mythen Rood in the valley of the Calder River, Ingland.

He worked as a Woodsmith ensuring a safe supply of wood for the village, but like many he dreamed of being a Rampart. A Rampart was important as they could use the artefacts left from the people before the war. Koli can't let things be, when things start to change around him and soon finds himself in a little bit of bother, resulting in him having to face difficult circumstances.

Koli is telling the story of his life, his language is different to ours but he describes things so that you can understand what has happened. He is doing it to make sure that what happened is remembered and so too are the people in the tale. I soon worked out that the places he was describing exist in Yorkshire and can be found on a map if you look carefully enough.

I really liked the way Koli was the narrator for himself, as if he were sat telling a tale to a group of people of how it was. It was easy to assume that you knew what was going to happen, even though you didn't really! What I didn't like was the fact that I reached the end of this first book far too soon and don't know when the next book will be released, so that I can continue reading it.

"So that was our life, and it seemed like nothing would ever happen to change it. But it’s when you think such thoughts that change is most like to come. You let your guard down, almost, and life comes running at you on your blind side. Because life is nothing but change, even when it seems to stand still. Standing still is a human thing, like a defiance we throw, but we can never do it for long.."

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.

  
4/5 Stars (What this means...five-stars-applied-carefully) 

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Official description: 

The start of a new post-apocalyptic trilogy from the author of the million-copy bestselling The Girl With All the Gifts... When the world broke down, all the plants were dying. We tried to make them stronger, but we went too far. Koli has lived in the small village of Mythen Rood his entire life. Beyond its walls lies an unrecognisable landscape. A place where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly seeds will kill you where you stand. And if they don't get you, the Shunned Men will. Koli believes the first rule of survival is to never venture beyond the walls. He's wrong. 

From the author of the million-copy bestselling The Girl With All the Gifts comes The Book of Koli - the start of a breathtakingly original new trilogy set in a mesmerising and deadly future world. 

M. R. Carey has been making up stories for most of his life. His novel The Girl With All the Gifts has sold over a million copies and became a major motion picture, based on his own BAFTA Award-nominated screenplay. Under the name Mike Carey he has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on Lucifer, Hellblazer and X-Men. His creator-owned books regularly appear in the New York Times bestseller list. He also has several previous novels including the Felix Castor series (written as Mike Carey), two radio plays and a number of TV and movie screenplays to his credit. 

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