This is the sequel to a book I bought at Book Fair Australia 2023, but I bought this book at Book Fair Australia 2024. I needed to buy this sequel because of how much I enjoyed the first book. You can read my thoughts about it here, complete with my own typos. I don’t need other people’s mistakes, I make my own quite well…sometimes too well.
This second book is much like the first except it comes to a conclusion. I can see where there might be another storyline, but I’m happy with just two books…except. I’m really curious about the war. Why did they invade? What was their goal? Do they want the entire country? How does our government deal with this? Some of the last question is answered in this sequel, but I’d be happy with a more indepth answer.
I still have the same problem as with the first book, although this time I’ll mention the character’s name. I really feel that Jack was a step outside the book and it feels really appropriate to make his character have a book of his own. I’m not saying take him out completely, but take out the chapters from his point of view and put them in a book just for him. You then get the double whammy of seeing his actions through someone else’s eyes in this book followed by being able to read all of his own words separately. I can see some people buying all books and reading them concurrently.
On page 90 we see Chris become fixated on a drop of blood. So much blood had been split by then that it seems silly for a character to look at just one drop. But that’s what happens sometimes when the brain is overwrought and stressed to the max. What would be an interesting writing exercise is to sit down with this paragraph and see how it could be rewritten. I’m not saying this paragraph has issues, just that there are a number of different ways to write it. Someone with more skills than me would probably take a literary bent. Me? I would probably bludgeon the reader over the head with that one drop. Just an interesting exercise.
Here’s a sentence I really liked. The imagery in it is really quite good. On page 94.
Blood ran down its fullers and as he walked, it left a spatter behind him as if he were a careless painter that had forgotten to remove the excess from his brush.
I love it for two reasons. The first is the imagery, if you’re not good with blood then you won’t like this book. The other reason is the word ‘fullers’. It’s one I’ve heard used on Forged in Fire. I love this programme, it shows how people can make a knife. The people compete to be the best in show for that particular episode. A fuller is a groove along the flat side of the blade, it means you can have a wider blade without the extra weight. With the blood running down its fullers it shows the blood is too liquid to fill the fuller and stop.
Rankin is an alcoholic and he’s done an excellent job of getting the alcohol out of his veins. Until things get to him and on page 105 he has a drink, and then continues drinking. We see his anguish as he tries not to drink, and then to give into the drink. It’s incredibly sad. He’s been through so much and finally he gives in again. This is another well written passage, it shows me the anguish of a man who shouldn’t drink but does in the end.
Anyway. There are issues with this book. There’s all the typos I tried to ignore. Not like the typo in my article about Cirson’s first book, he’s had the grace to make his own. But I looked at my bookmark and discovered there’s only three points I picked out. There has to be have been more, but sometimes it’s a challenge to recognise it and pull myself out of the story in order to make a note. Much like the first book I had enormous trouble putting this down, sleep is a wonderful thing but a challenge when the book is a page turner. Next time I see the author I will have a word or two with him about that.
If you’d like to buy the book and have some profits go to a good cause here is a link ‘50% of authors proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to “Soldier On.” To assist with the health and mental wellbeing of current and ex-serving ADF personnel.’ I’ve included this in quotes as it’s written in the front of the book. It’s good to support the ADF.