I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review
voluntarily.
The Aftermath: Lunar is the debut novel and first part of a planned series
by Bradley James.
When I saw the cover, I knew I had to read this one. Imagine standing on the
surface of another world where you have had to bring everything you need to
survive and then you witness the destruction of your home planet. Unimaginable,
you say? Yes, it is. But the author of this brilliant first novel builds a
world on another world to spark the imagination.
There are twists and turns galore at nearly every page turn, making this
unlikely story seem plausible. It is packed with plenty of action that begins
on the opening page and never lets up right through to the end. I found myself
not wanting to put Aftermath down because the ends of most chapters are
cliffhangers in miniature spurring one to read on.
Astronauts Elliot Adams and Franklin Lewis are on a mission to the Earth's
Moon near the site of a base under construction. When they look up, they see
rocks and boulders impacting the surface, kicking up dust and debris and seek
to get undercover to wait the event out.
But that is only the beginning of the explorer's problems.
In the chaos, the pair dash for cover and become separated. Elliot notices a
large shadow pass over the surface and can only watch as the Earth suffers from
the impact of a huge asteroid. There isn't time for reminiscing, as survival is
the first order of business. Elliot and Franklin become separated and lose
communication. Elliot falls unconscious.
When he awakes, he literally stumbles into something that shouldn't be on
the moon. What he finds is only the beginning of an adventure to boggle and
fascinate the reader.
One of the author's major strengths in the writing of this story is a
bullpen of well-developed characters. Many are characters the reader will
certainly find themselves caring about, while others are shrouded in mystery.
This makes for a fascinating and well-paced read. I will not talk too much
about them because it would lead to some major spoilers.
The principal character, and the one whom we follow through the story,
Elliot, is a strong character and the one we get to know the best. He is a good
man with a solid moral base. Even with everything he faces, he doesn't lose his
composure as he works out puzzles and navigates through and around obstacles
the author places in his way. He also has some special skills that make him
even more fun to read.
Another of Bradley James’ strengths in Aftermath is the world building and
is my favorite plot point in the book.
Right from the beginning, during the meteor storm all the way to the end of
the book are vivid and make an amazing backdrop for the characters to move
through.
The major theme of this tale is survival. There are numerous and varied
situations presented to challenge Elliot and others as they work to overcome
them. There is never a dull moment in this book.
My takeaway from Aftermath is to remember that no matter how hopeless things
may seem, there will always be a solution to problems as long as one doesn't
stop thinking and acting while taking advantage of what one has at hand and
remains open to learning something new.
The Aftermath: Lunar is just a fun and entertaining story that is hard to
put down once the reader cracks the cover. I recommend this story to anyone who
enjoys a fantastic journey. I think even those who are not sci-fi fans would
enjoy this just for the humanity in it. It is a cracker-jack of a first novel
that includes not only a great story but also great characters and some fine
world building. It has everything one could want in a well-crafted tale of
adventure and survival.
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Find Bradley's website at https://bradleyjamesauthor.com/
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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