FEBRUARY FEATURE #1: Horizon by Sophie Littlefield

[paulgoatallen]

[paulgoatallen]

This one was a no-brainer. The first two installments of Sophie Littlefield's Aftertime saga (Aftertime and Rebirth) have been nothing short of phenomenal. These novels, in my mind, have brought new life to zombie fiction and revolutionized apocalyptic fiction. I love the fact that Littlefield's storyline revolves around a total kicka$$ heroine – a woman who is deeply flawed (aren't we all?) but is truly a hero: courageous, smart, loving, etc.

A monumental trilogy – I cannot wait to read this concluding volume!

[dalnewt]

I just got round to ordering 

Horizon (Aftertime Series #3). I'm looking forward to reading about Cass and Littfield's post-apocalyptic world plagued by flesh-eating beaters.

P.S. I've also ordered

When We Were Executioners released 1/31. I loved the first book, Never Knew Another, and can't wait to read the continuing story of the half-demons w/in the brutal, quasi-medieval city called Dogsland.      

[BrandieC]

I just read Horizon in a single day, and it was amazing!  The action was great, as it had been in the previous two books, but I really enjoyed the way Ms. Littlefield explored Cass's interior struggles to overcome the demons haunting her from Before and to resolve her feelings regarding the two men in her life.  I also did not see the family revelation coming, but rather than feeling like a deus ex machina, it, and its implications for Cass's assessment of her history, was completely believable.

While I'm sorry to see this trilogy end, I think that it ended at just the right moment.  I'll be looking forward to seeing what Ms. Littlefield comes up with next.

Oh, I forgot to mention, it's pretty cool to finally have read one of the featured books in the month in which it is actually featured!  Usually, I end up having to go back to read the thread after I finally get around to reading the book months later.

[dalnewt]

I started reading Horizon (Aftertime Series #3)  late last night and was up reading until the early am. The book is so compelling that I couldn't (and didn't want to) stop. I read to page 242 and, at that point, I had stop because my eyes couldn't take it any longer. When I finish reading I'll post my impressions of the book--which will be very, very positive. 

[dalnewt]

This concluding book was both compelling and satisfying. I loved how the author depicted Cass' internal conflicts and fears, especially in the book's first half. Cass' struggles, failures and resilience is very genuine. Plus, Sammi's reactions and thoughts capture the thoughts and actions of an emotionally stressed teenager beautifully.

The book can be divided into two parts. The first half is characterized by Cass' agonizing self-doubt and resultant addictions and problems. Sammi's problems are also highlighted. Then everything changes when the beaters begin to threaten the New Eden island haven.

The second half is dedicated to the actions taken by Cass, Smoke and Door when the surviving New Edenites take to the road. And, at the beginning of that sojourn, Cass is confronted by certain revelations. Note, the way the information is revealed to Cass is very well done, but it does involve a very far-fetched coincidence. Nonetheless, I liked it. Yeah, something like that would only happen in a book or the movies, but it felt right.

This second part is rich in action, suspense and description. Cass' romantic dilemma isn't emotionally debated w/in the second half. Cass knows that the dilemma exists, but instead of working through her emotional needs, she hides from them and retreats from both men. Then, one day, she just knows who she has to be with. All along she's been observing things though. That kind of romantic resolution seemed very realistic to me. You don't intellectually decide who you have to be with, you just know it. 

The end of the book involved a final conflict and sacrifice. It felt both right and satisfying. This book is a compulsively good read. I highly recommend it.

[paulgoatallen]

Agreed, dalnewt. I LOVED this novel – and this series. My thoughts are here:

http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Explorations-The-BN-SciFi-and/A-Monumental-Post-Apocalyptic-W...

And here is a little snippet of my review...

But it’s so much more than female empowerment – while Littlefield has penned this sprawling, epic, end-of-the-world storyline, the ultimate message, I think, is universal and surprisingly intimate. It’s about self-forgiveness. So many of the characters in this trilogy are filled with self-hate and guilt for the mistakes that they’ve made in the past, that they’re missing out on the fleeting beauty and potential for love all around them – even if it is at world’s end! One sequence in particular struck me:

“Cass drank in the sun and dug her fingers into the earth and breathed the good air and allowed herself to wonder if maybe she was more than the sum of her addiction and her sobriety, more than just Ruthie’s mother, if maybe she’d done her penance and suffered enough and deserved something only for herself. Even with the scars and the regrets, some of her spirit remained, and some of it was good, and some of it was worthy…”