The Book of Koli is the first in the Rampart series from M.R. Carey. Most of this story takes place in Mythen Rood, a small village in a post-apocalyptic UK. Koli has just turned 15 years old and now he will see if the old tech will speak to him. After Koli was unable to get the tech to talk he meets Ursala, the traveling doctor, and learns the truth of how the tech works. One day Koli finds himself without a home and on a journey to learn more and save the world.

This book was written from the get go as a trilogy so it ends with a non-ending. If that is an issue for you, you have now been warned. Since this a post war time in the future where the population is in an uneducated agrarian society the grammar and spelling. This style of writing helps create the atmosphere of the world Koli is in.

While I liked the story I was not drawn in enough to make we enthusiastic about wanting to get the next one and read it. Maybe I am just not a huge post-apocalyptic fan but I do have friends who are and I will definitely recommend it to them.

I was sold just on the “killer forest” idea. The first few chapters explore the nuances of the village and the forest and next follows the dystopian nature-will-kill-you kind of thriller. To my expectations, there are plenty of other dangers, horrors (the sun is deadly - imagine) and advanced techs in this book. Koli has to test with the tech and make it work with his touch to become a Rampart. This part actually interested me a lot. I liked Ursula, Haijon and Monono characters and one of them is an AI 😉The story is fast-paced, which is good bcos, I wanted to know what happens next. I expected more detail history of plants becoming killers, but I was disappointed on that part. Towards the end, the plot seemed to be drifting away from the village, so I think the next book might be more adventurous and will hopefully see more of Ursula and Monono! This is my first read from Carey and I liked his writing, especially the part of Koli. He sounded so primitive, like he hasn’t seen the outside world, which is very apt for the story!

Thank you Netgalley, M.R.Carey and Orbit books for the ARC. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way!

A great new book by the author of, The Girl With All the Gifts. The Book of Koli brings us a welcomed addition to the world of dystopian fiction . The world building is strong without getting bogged down in too many details. This helps the book move at a quick pace. Perhaps the best part of the book is in the character of Koli himself. Koli is entertaining in his naivete and innocence and you root for him with every new challenge. The balance of a dark dystopian world and the light that Koli brings to this adventure makes it a strong, worthwhile read. I look forward to reading the next installment.

I requested this book from Netgalley. I have loved all of the M.R. Carey books that I have read in the past. I inhaled them.

It took me almost two weeks to get through 10% of this book, which was the complete opposite experience I had with the author’s other books. I had to walk away. This is just not the book for me.

I definitely understand artistic license when it comes to several things, including grammar. I can appreciate it (for example, e.e. cummings). Based on Carey’s other books, I know this was an intentional choice- probably to help create the dystopian feel of the novel. Pardon my pun, but I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. I absolutely do not want to sound like the Grammar Police. My grammar is not perfect; however, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that the narrator couldn’t understand past tense, but could adeptly use a semi-colon or punctuate parenthetical expressions and coordinating conjunctions correctly. Here is an excerpt from the book:

“Nobody knowed back then who they was, whether they was just the faceless that had been throwed out of other villages or if they had got a village of their own that was hid somewhere, but they were monstrous cruel and worse than any beast.“

A lot of people are going to read this book and love it, but I can’t turn my teacher brain off long enough to appreciate the story. It’s entirely personal.

The Book of Koli is M. R. Carey's latest entry in the post-apocalyptic fictional realm. Set in a world many generations from ours, in which the pre-apocalyptic world was more technologically advanced than our current world, existing technology becomes the basis for power. Unfortunately for Mr. Carey, take away that tech, and the story becomes nothing more than a coming-of-age story that could be set in an era and any culture.

There is so much to Koli's world, which we barely get to see, given that Koli tells his own story. The plants and animals that inhabit his world are mutant varieties, vicious and extremely dangerous to humans, but Koli mostly mentions them in passing, identifying them as dangerous without giving readers a chance to comprehend them. There is no real explanation as to why trees are suddenly carnivorous and move in sunlight. Readers must assume there was some sort of radiation fallout from a war, but we don't know this for certain. In fact, we don't know much at all. We know there are small villages with people, that these villages rarely intermingle with one another, and that the villages are shrinking. We know the natural world is now extremely dangerous. We know that some people use technological devices from the previous era, but the villages limit who can use this tech because they use such tech as a source of power over the rest of the villagers. The lack of information that would help us flesh out Koli's world is frustrating and disappointing.

While The Book of Koli is Koli's story from his earliest memories until a significant event sets him on his path, Koli is not the most interesting character. In fact, he is a bit of a dullard. He believes he is more intelligent than he is, and he has a tendency to mope rather than take action. Of course, these two attributes get him into a lot of trouble of the avoidable kind.

The most interesting character is one who remains something of an enigma. Ursala wanders around with a robot and knows so much more than everyone else with whom we encounter. I want to know her backstory. I want to know why she knows what computers are and how to use them. Mr. Carey provides a few snippets of information, but one cannot help but feel that there is much more depth to her character than what we already know.

For most of the novel, I felt like I was going through the motions, reading for reading's sake. I still have no interest in finding out the rest of Koli's story, partly because the lack of any answers or basic world-building frustrated me to the point where I no longer want to put forth any more effort or time into the story. Plus, I don't like Koli. Koli is so naive that he is more of a caricature than a compelling character. I know Mr. Carey is capable of much more in his writing, which makes The Book of Koli such a disappointment.

So crafting the first book in what is essentially a fantasy trilogy is harder than I could probably imagine, and this one struggles a little. Carey has so many ideas he's juggling here: ecofiction, technology, societal castes, religious fanaticism, infant mortality, and even a minor foray into the subject of transgender identity. He handles them well but having to introduce all of this in the first book leaves it feeling a little bland. The story feels a little rote "heroes journey," but Carey does deftly get the audience through the first 5 steps inside of a world that is intriguing with an incredibly sympathetic main character.

While the first book on its own has its flaws, I think Carey has built what could be an amazing trilogy. Other fantasy readers can probably relate to the feeling that sometimes the perfect first book can leave less room for the sequels to live up to the expectations. There is so much here that Carey has set up that there are plenty of ways to keep the story alive throughout the series. I will definitely return when The Trials of Koli: The Rampart Trilogy, Book 2 comes out.

This book is one of those that I wish I was allowed to rate in half-star increments. This book would have been a 3.5 for me. The premise feels a little done-before - it reminded me of a bunch of dystopian YA books (even though I think this is technically not in the YA genre). The protagonist is someone I've read before too - Koli is determined to improve his life but still sticks to not harming anyone in the process. The main reason I wouldn't rate this book higher is because it was very challenging to get used to the language. It's told from Koli's point of view, and he's supposed to be illiterate. So there's a weird cadence to his voice and lots of spelling and grammar mistakes. I understood the choice behind this but it made for a bumpy start to the reading experience. Once I got used to that, it was still a little hard to understand the world Carey is describing. It's obviously supposed to be far in the future where only a tiny bit of technology is available to people, but there's also a strange element of trees being alive that I just couldn't follow. Because this is the first book in an intended series, I understand that there were a lot of elements that needed to be laid down in order for the rest of the series to make sense. However, it didn't feel like there was a ton of action, and I was mostly mystified by the choices Koli made. I'd check out other books from this author, but most likely won't be reading more of the books in this series.

*3.75* Thank you so much to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc provided!

Short Summary: The Bok of Koli takes place in a post-apocalyptic England where humans of generations past decided to genetically modify trees and other plant life. The GMOs adapted to the point where they could gain sustenance from people as well as water, sunlight, CO2 etc. Like in other post-apoc books, when one thing goes wrong it creates a domino effect and we now follow a young boy named Koli who lives in a very small (pop. 200ish) community. Note (maybe spoiler?) : The summary the publishers provide mention that at some point, Koli does something that has him exiled from his community. This does happen at around 35/40% of the book. < Thought I should mention that because I was waiting for this to happen somewhat early on.

So this was definitely entertaining. I don't usually read post-apoc books but when I do I love seeing how the fall of humanity comes about. I do wish we got more backstory here. I was personally interested in the killer mother earth aspect but the book does indicate that more things would contribute to the fall of civilization, but again, not super detailed. We do have a kind of AI that does fill in some gaps and I'm curious to see this part elaborated on. I'm sure this is something Carey will be expanding on.

The writing was a little hard for me to deal with at first. Koli and almost everyone we come into contact with is illiterate and have little understanding of grammar and proper verb tenses etc. After about 5 chapters, I finally could get a good grasp of the narrator's rhythm which is super important because the events of this book have already happened and Koli is just telling reciting it to us.

Koli is the type of person who wants so much out of life but he's limited by the world that he lives in. The opportunities that he does have are a sham and it really sucks to read that. I was so angry at everyone that took part in Koli's exile. He deserves so much more.

I'm definitely interested to see where the story goes from here. By the end of the story it sounds like we have a bit of an adventure on our hands in the next installment and a bit of a ragtag group of people. I'm excited! And now I play the waiting game....

Note: I've already posted an edited version of this review to Goodreads.

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey is the first book in the apocalyptic Rampart Trilogy, a Science Fiction novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Orbit Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

In a time after the world was lost, Koli Woodsmith is growing up in the small village of Mythen Rood.  His mother has trained him to catch and dry the wood from the trees, how to soak the wood in poison so that it cannot come back to life, and then how to turn and trim it.  However, Koli dreams of being a Rampart, one who will be able to bring the old technology back to life.  Most of his friends have the same dream.  Koli wants to use the old weapons to defend his village, for the dangers outside the village walls are real.

The environment outside of the fence is hazardous.  The trees attack, the choker seeds will penetrate your skin and quickly grow, and the rain and snow often contain something other than water, something that can kill you.  Then there are the rats, wild dogs, molesnakes, knifestrikes, drones...and worse.

No one goes outside the fence unless they have to.  But Koli's actions will force him to leave the safety of his village, his family, and his friends.


My Opinions:  

This was a really fast and entertaining read.  I love Carey's writing style, and have enjoyed his other books, so it was no surprise to find myself quickly immersed into this new world he has created.  His descriptions of the village and surroundings were mesmerizing, but his descriptions of the "old" tech kept me trying to guess what he was talking about.  That was great.  I often found myself smiling at some of the humour and dialog.

The characters were interesting, and the relationships intriguing.  I loved Koli...he was so innocent, and yet eventually he understood more than most.  His heart always lead him. The plot was quite good, and the journey Koli takes is compelling.  I am not sure if this is aimed at the YA crowd, but I thought it was good for all ages.

Bottom line, I can't wait for the next book!

There was no doubt whatsoever that I would enjoy this new work from M.R. Carey: after being enthralled by The Girl With All the Gifts, The Boy on the Bridge and Someone Like Me, I knew I would be in for another fascinating journey, but The Book of Koli went beyond any expectations I might have held, and confirmed its author as a skilled storyteller in the post-apocalyptic genre.

Civilization fell a long time ago - probably centuries - so that the glories of the past have become more myth than remembrance for most: it’s not specified what happened, but it would seem that a series of climate upheavals and devastating wars destroyed the world as we know it, and what now remains of humanity is confined to small, enclosed villages leading a hardscrabble existence. Nature now rules rather than mankind: some genetic modifications introduced in flora have turned the trees into aggressive, murderous creatures that sunlight can wake from a light slumber, and fauna is just as dangerous, if nothing else because of its increased size and inherent hostility.

Koli, the story’s POV voice, is a boy in his mid-teens living in the village of Mythen Rood, a 200-odd souls settlement that’s considered quite big for the usual standards, which shows how humanity has indeed dwindled in numbers after the fall. Koli is ready to face the testing ceremony that will mark his passage into adulthood and which consist in attempting to “wake” the pieces of old tech in possession of the village. The defense of Mythen Rood is based on four pieces of still-functioning old technology salvaged from the past: those able to activate and wield them are called Ramparts - their role of protectors also making them the de facto rulers or the community.

As every young person undergoing the testing, Koli dreams of becoming a Rampart, youthful imagination and his interest for a girl fueling those desires into something of an obsession that leads him to break the rules and come into the illegal possession of a dormant piece of tech he’s able to wake: a DreamSleeve. The object and its AI interface Monono Aware will open Koli’s mind to unexpected possibilities but also bring about the beginning of a dangerous adventure that will change his life forever.

The changed Earth we see depicted here is both a strange and fearsome place, and seeing it through Koli’s eyes - and his limited vision - shows how people’s look has turned inwards for fear of the outside: enclaves are protected by barriers, the world beyond them filled with real dangers but also by less physical ones brought on by ignorance, which is encouraged and enforced from those in power through mechanisms that are as old as the universe. It’s no surprise that Ursala, a sort of wandering doctor who travels between settlements with her drudge - for all purposes a mobile first aid/defense unit - is welcomed for her skills but considered with suspicion by the leaders, because her considerable knowledge and the news she brings from ‘out there’ might pose a threat to their authority and the aura of superiority they need to project to assert their power.

Koli’s experience in the outside world is a coming of age story, of course, and a hero’s journey as well, but it’s also a way of showing that world and how it mutated from the one we know: being on his own is certainly a harrowing situation, but it also illustrates how limiting an existence based simply on survival can be. The most striking narrative detail here comes from the language and the way it adapted over time, becoming simpler, less concerned with grammar and syntax: I saw a few comments declaring how this aspect of the story interfered with some readers’ experience and made their progress through it more difficult, but to me it was instead the perfect way of driving home the changes people went through from a flourishing, technology-rich society to a more primitive life. Far from bothering me, this less-refined language was the perfect complement for the background the author created and added a level of poignancy to the story that would be lacking with a more polished form of expression. Anyone who read Flowers for Algernon and remembers the language progression in the protagonist’s diaries knows what I mean…

At the start of the novel, Koli is your typical teenager, preferring the carefree company of his friends to the drudgery of the work all villagers must share, and dreaming of a brighter future, one where he might be able to add the qualifier of Rampart to his name, and as such he makes ill-advised decisions dictated by inexperience and hormones, and yet he does not come across as foolish because he’s always guiltily aware of the possible consequences of his actions, and of the often illogical motivations driving them. There is a sort of mature candor (for want of a better definition) that makes him very relatable, the kind of protagonist it’s easy to root for, and his world-view, in spite of the simplified language - or maybe because of it - shows a wisdom that goes well beyond his actual age.

[…] 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.

Yet it’s through his encounter with Monono Aware that his personality truly takes flight, this interaction between two creatures coming from very different worlds and times who nonetheless find the way to build a bridge between them, one who changes and enhances them equally through the bond of an improbable friendship that’s a pure joy to behold. I don’t want to spend too many words on Monono because she must be encountered with as little prior knowledge as possible, but let me tell you that her liveliness, her ebullient glee and her expressive mode are the elements that make a huge difference in this story.

Where the first part of this novel was an intriguing introduction to a strange world and to wonderful characters, in the end I realized it was only the foundation of a larger adventure that will certainly develop in depth and scope in the following books, and I can hardly wait to see where Mr. Carey will lead us next. Please let us not wait too long….

I’m in the middle on this book. I loved Carey’s The Girl With All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge so I was very much looking forward to reading The Book of Koli.

Sadly it was a struggle to read. It took awhile to get used to the writing style and I didn’t start to somewhat like the main character till over halfway through the book.

The world itself was interesting and I was interested in the character Ursula but that isn’t enough for me to continue the series.

I requested this book from NetGalley because I had read <I>The Girl With All the Gifts</I> a couple of years ago and thought "hey, that book was really fun! I would totally read another book from M. R. Carey."

Which is fortunate, because had this been my first exposure to his work I would probably take a hard pass on anything else he'd done.

The premise of the book is interesting and some very neat ideas are hinted at in the beginning of the book - the trees want to kill everyone? What? - but unfortunately anything of interest is beaten down by the utterly generic village story and bland love triangle trope. Not to mention the gimmicky, lazy writing style.

<I>"Everyone I knowed. Everyone as had ever been in my life from before I even knowed my own name right down to the here and now. I seen my mother there, and Athen and Mull to either side of her." </i>

This small passage showcases two of my problems that were rampant throughout the book: an astounding amount of grammatical errors and the fact that Koli feels the need to say almost everything more than once. He does this as above by immediately restating what he just said or by coming back around to something that happened a bare few pages before with "So this is me going back..." or "I think I told you..."

And honestly that example above is one of the better written sentences. "I gun to cry then" and "Are you mazed?" are two of the worse ones. At that point I started to ask myself if Carey was just pulling random words out of a hat.

I understand that Carey did this intentionally to show that Koil was just a simple village boy, but honestly even the huge deterioration in language doesn't really make sense when there are other characters from other places who speak perfectly fine. This is why I call it gimmicky and lazy and it made the entire book an absolute chore to read.

The final straw for me, though, was the addition of the Japanese AI. This is because Monono's AI is not based of any sort of <I>real</I> Japanese <I>person</I> but of course a stereotypical anime parody of a Japanese teenage girl.

Bottom line: I will not read the sequel and I would not recommend this book to anyone.

The Book Of Koli by M.R. Carey is science fiction book after an apocalyptic battle where we tried to fix the environment but the world created trees that can walk and kill for nourishment. This book is the first book in the proposed Rampart Trilogy. This book is all heart, you can't help but fall for Koli as he wants something more in this world, ad he manages to get a piece in the most unlikeliest of ways. The novel has a couple of good twists and turns and went in a direction I didn't see it going. He is the unlikeliest of hero with a weapon to match. I read and reviewed this book thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. The Book of Koli By M.R. Carey was published on April 14 2020.

The Plot: The world we know has long been dead nature is what most are afraid of as a type of tree can walk and kill. Most stay protected in their little village, Mythren Rood and are forbidden from leaving the protection. Koli is a woodsmith in a family of woodsmiths that works at the lumber mill. When he is older he plans to take a test to be a rampart. A rampart is special class of citizen that rules the others, they use tech of yester-years to protect the village. To become a rampart you have make the old tech work on first touch. The tech is a flame thrower, a laser, bolt gun, and some other devices. Koli and his best friend Haijon dream of being ramparts, Haijon's mother, aunt, grandfather, and cousin are all ramparts. Koli is tested with four other young adults with Haijon being the only one who can make the tech work and becomes a rampart. Koli is devastated, thrown into wood work, this all changes when Ursula a visiting healer, who is charge of pregnancy and other abrasions, uses and knows tech she scavenges is saved by Koli holding back a rampart from accidentally hurting Ursula. She tells him how tech really works through access codes and fingerprint analysis and that the ramparts are rigged. Koli knowing this is determined to be a rampart, breaks in to the hold and steals a piece of tech that is not exactly a weapon, that he gets to work. Under the rampart rules he is a rampart, but if the ramparts are rigged what will they do when they find out what Koli has done. So starts the adventures of Koli an totally original story with lots of charm.

What I Liked: The direction the story took was very unique. The tech he gets to work is great and very fitting, I laughed out loud when it was revealed what it did. That being said in Koli's hands it does become a weapon of sorts. Ursula was a great character, that I enjoyed every time she showed up. I liked the idea of the rampart society and how it is easily lead astray by those in power that want to keep it. I liked that his best friend Haijon was good and didn't realize his family was making him a rampart before the test. Senlas was a pretty terrible bad guy, his calm of believe he was a God was terrifying. I liked the analysis of how the tech ages and still goes as programed. I liked the use of modern references to seem old to the knew future. Monono Aware is a one of my favorite characters and i loved her backstory.

What I Disliked: The beginning took be a while to get into it, the character's have weird names , the family of Koli was a lot and kind of confusing, and the syntaxof words used is off. It took me at least three to four chapters where I totally knew what was going on. The book is written in Koli's words and he is really bad at describing what people and some places look like, which took me a little while to tell people apart. I wanted to see Haijon at the Rampart meeting about Koli, but he never showed up. The ending took a little too long to plan the next destination.

Recommendations: The Book of Koli is a special book, that I really enjoyed. This novel is full of heart and charm like I have never seen before. Koli is an easy character to root for and I can not wait for his next destination. This is the third book I have read from M. R. Carey. I liked The Girl with all the Gifts slightly more, and I liked The Book of Koli more than Unwritten Volume 1 Graphic Novel. I love M. R. Carey's brain and the unique places his stories go. I plan to read the next Novel The Trials of Koli when it is released as well as his other novels that I own Fellside and The Boy on the Bridge. I rated The Book of Koli by M. R. Carey 4 out of 5 stars. I was very happy when selected by Netgalley and Orbit Books to read this, I glad It lived up to my expectation.

Really enjoyed this dystopian survival fantasy mix. Fast paced well written and thought provoking without being pedantic. Look forward to the next in the series.

Carey is an excellent sci-fi/fantasy writer! I don't usually read sci-fi but I will read anything Carey writes. It's pure gold.

Koli lives - and has never left - a place called Mythen Rood. There is a large wall surrounding the land. Koli often wonders to himself what is on the other side? And what is stopping him from finding out?

This has a bit of a Dystopian feel to it.. so if you like those types of books, I think you will enjoy this. I particularly enjoyed the character of Koli. He had a perspective that isn't often explored - that of a young boy. I don't often read books that the protagonist is a young boy.. so that too was captivating.

Very intense! This is also the first book in what promises to be an extremely exciting trilogy!

3 1/2 stars. I have been a big fan of M.R. Carey since reading The Girl With All the Gifts. The Book of Koli is definitely not my standard fare (not only sci-fi but YA) so I had a bit of a bias going in. While it was enjoyable and the world created was definitely unique, it wasn't really my favorite. I would continue with the series though as I want to see where this goes.

I have a new favorite series *happy dance*. I really loved this weird, clever, wise, little post-apocalyptic story.

The book touches on themes of climate change, dystopia, and the ways we relate to technology and Artificial Intelligence. That being said, the book doesn’t bog you down in technical stuff. It’s a really interesting, page turner of a book.

Koli is a terrific character. He has lived a life that is at once constantly beset by danger, but also completely insular and sheltered. Because of the events of this book he has to face the world in all its terrifying reality. His world has been thrown into chaos, and yet Koli retains his sweetness and good heart. I really liked him.

This is not a surprise since M.R. Carey is the accomplished author of The Girl with All the Gifts, another excellent post-apocalyptic movie about zombies. I fully recommend that book as well. I think it’s been made into a movie too but I haven’t seen it yet.

The Book of Koli, is the first in a trilogy and I have already added the author to my search fields for Netgalley because I don’t want to miss the next installment. If you’re looking for dystopia, which I acknowledge may not be everyone’s cup of tea at the present moment, I can tell you that you won’t be sorry if you pick up this book.

Rating: 10/10

You will notice I used the publisher’s synopsis for this book, which I only do every once in a while and with a purpose. I really loved reading The Book of Koli, so much so that I do not really want to tell you much about it. M.R. Carey has a written a beautiful gem of a story, and I want you to read it and find out for yourself exactly what make it so so wonderful. So, I will stick to what appealed to me about the book, but in doing so I will stay away from the major plot points.

First of all, the best part of this book is the character set. There are not very many, but the the few the reader is introduced to are all very unique and interesting. Mainly, though, this story revolves around Koli and his thoughts and experiences. The author does a really nice job of showing the reader the world through Koli’s eyes, and it is a full-service encounter. We get to see the good and bad. He becomes a character that you root for one minute, and then become incredibly frustrating the next. But there is no doubt that after spending so much time with him and getting his view of the world, Koli is a character you will grow to love.

The main supporting character is Monono, and, as much as I love Koli, I think she is my favorite. She is the exact opposite in so many ways to Koli, downright hilarious at times, and brings a lot of much-needed knowledge to the table. With the story being told through Koli’s perspective, the time he and Monono spend getting to know each other is precious to the story. They have many experiences together, and I enjoyed seeing them bond so much. The interplay between Koli and Monono is hands down the best part of this book, in my opinion.

I do not want to give much away about the story itself, except to say that I connected with it on a profound level. One would not think it just by reading the synopsis, but so much of it is relevant to today’s world. The issues that Koli encounters are our issues, too, and the themes of the book are extremely relatable. To me, this book is about power and marginalization, and how the struggle is real. We are all Koli, in one form or another, and that connection is what takes this book to another level for me.

The Book of Koli is one of my favorite books of the year. It is equal parts funny and tragic, and I cannot stress enough how relatable the characters are, especially for a story that is set in such a strange and outlandish place. I am beside myself to find out what unimaginable route this series takes next. M.R. Carey has made a fan for life out of me. I recommend this book for all fantasy readers, and for anyone who is looking for a story that is different and engaging.

In a world where humanity is no longer the apex predator, is there hope for anything more than desperately holding on for survival? Koli is a boy living in such a world, where most technology is gone and nature has turned against humanity after a series of genetic modifications to plants made them carnivorous, poisonous, or dangerous in other ways. What little technology remains is controlled by the village elders, who are elders only because they are able to harness the power of that technology. Circumstances push Koli out of his village into this harsh world where he is the juiciest prey. Can he survive? If so, can he also learn why humanity lost its way, and maybe find a path back?

What I liked about The Book of Koli is the blending of lost history, science fiction, and deception as Koli uncovers more about the world he lives in. Koli's speech pattern is somewhat stilted, but give the kid a break! Would you be a master orator if you'd grown up in an apocalyptic death trap of a world? Me either! After Koli leaves his village, the book takes a more serious tone, and the story really amps up. If you aren't afraid of salad yet, you might eye it with a little more suspicion after this book, but hey, it's worth it for a good story, right? Join Koli as he, just like Tarzan, must watch out for that...TREE!

”Weakness is a matter of context, Koli Woodsmith. Until it becomes a matter of logistics.”



Part coming-of-age tale, part survival fiction, The Book of Koli was yet another post-apocalyptic gem from M.R. Carey. Having loved both of his previous end o’ the world books, I didn’t know what to expect from this particular one, but I knew it would have the hallmarks I’ve come to expect from him — phenomenal world-building, incredible, resilient characters, and plenty of heart and in an otherwise heartless landscape. And that’s what I was given, plus several fantastic surprises.

I absolutely loved the character of Koli and how he was right in that incredibly tricky and trying space between young adult and full-fledged adult. Although in his world, kids are forced to grow up faster due to the nature of such an unforgiving place, but that doesn’t mean navigating that awkward space he’s in gets any easier. Poor Koli is trying to find his place in his world while also trying to find his own identity, and his journey was by far my favorite part. Though what made his journey so spectacular in parts is something I can’t mention, and I can’t wait for everyone to discover that sparkling gem when they read this book.

Let’s be real — Koli is the star of this book (and this review), but there are plenty of other things to fall in love with. There’s the trees that eat people, the people that eat people, and the animals that eat people. And the tech, though it’s all so outdated that much of it is useless. But what they could get working is pretty interesting and certainly something to envy if you’re one of the lucky ones chosen by the tech. Which isn’t most people. And some of the tech probably eats people too, so no one is safe from being someone or something’s lunch.

Bottom line — The Book of Koli was a fantastic first part of Koli’s journey, and I can’t wait to see what the sequel brings for him. I have a feeling Koli and this series are going to be new additions to my favorites shelf, right alongside the rest of Carey’s books.

*eARC received via NetGalley.