| Book Review |
| February 2010 |
| The Killing Moon is a post-apocolyptic thriller set in northern England. The story is the combined brain child of penman Rod Glenn and his friend Jamie Mitchell. Taking current events to a logical hyperbole, the author weaves an immediately grabbing, absolutely terrifying soon-to-be future. Without giving too much away (because this is one I firmly recommend reading) a cocktail of Iraq, China, Swine-flu, and all around poor human decisions bring about the collapse of society as we know it. But the book's broad-scope beginnings merely set the stage for a coming of age tale that is something of a mix between Mad Max and Stephen King's The Body. It is the characters in this story that really capture the reader and keep you turning pages well into the night. Let me put it this way; at 322 pages, the book is a respectable length and I took it with me to be my reading material on a three day trip--I was done with it in a day and a half. The boys the novel centers around are a charming mix of battered, world-weary angxt, fun-loving immortals, and quietly introspective naivete, and the perilous journey they make across post-cataclysmic Northern England is just the right mixture of suspense, humor, and characterization. The setting, like many of the characters, is gritty and hopeful at the same time. If you are a fan of Mad Max, or the recent video games Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2, you'll find this book enormously enjoyable. In all, The Killing Moon is a fast-paced thrill ride with a pack of guys who could be anyone's best friends. If I have one complaint, it will be that the tale ended too soon; just when all the characters seem to be on the cusp of greatness, the story ends. By the final chapter, you've spent so long waiting to see what happens next that you can't help but be disappointed. However, this one was Rod Glenn's fourth novel, so I have high hopes for a sequel. Overall, I give it 4.5 of 5 star-moons. Gabriel M. Cole Editor, Orion's Child Magazine |
| The Pertinent Details: Title: Under the Killing Moon Author: Rod Glenn (story by Rod Glenn and Jamie Mitchell) Publisher: Wild Wolf Publishing ISBN: 978-0-9562114-8-4 Available at: Amazon.com ($21.67 USD) Amazon.co.uk (£9.49) |
