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The Ancients
Win a free print copy of this book!
2 days and 02:07:27
40 copies available
U.S. only
A richly imagined, sweeping novel set in the climate-changed world of our own descendants, by the acclaimed author of WHISKEY WHEN WE’RE DRY.
A young boy and his older sisters find themselves suddenly and utterly alone, orphaned in an abandoned fishing village. Their food supplies dwindling, they set out across a breathtaking yet treacherous wilderness in search of the last of their people.
Down the coast, raiders deliver the children's mother, along with the rest of their human cargo, to the last port city of a waning empire. Determined to reunite with her family, she plots her escape—while her fellow captives plan open revolt.
At the center of power in this crumbling city, a young scholar inherits his father's business and position of privilege, along with the burden of his debts. As the empire's elite prepare to flee to new utopia across the sea, he must decide where his allegiance lies.
With a rapidly changing climate shifting the sands beneath their feet, these three paths converge in a struggle for the future of humanity—who will inherit what remains and who gets to tell its story. At once a sweeping survival story; an epic of the distance future; and a post-apocalyptic vision of hope and optimism, THE ANCIENTS weaves a multilayered narrative about human resilience, hope, and stewardship of our world for future generations.
A young boy and his older sisters find themselves suddenly and utterly alone, orphaned in an abandoned fishing village. Their food supplies dwindling, they set out across a breathtaking yet treacherous wilderness in search of the last of their people.
Down the coast, raiders deliver the children's mother, along with the rest of their human cargo, to the last port city of a waning empire. Determined to reunite with her family, she plots her escape—while her fellow captives plan open revolt.
At the center of power in this crumbling city, a young scholar inherits his father's business and position of privilege, along with the burden of his debts. As the empire's elite prepare to flee to new utopia across the sea, he must decide where his allegiance lies.
With a rapidly changing climate shifting the sands beneath their feet, these three paths converge in a struggle for the future of humanity—who will inherit what remains and who gets to tell its story. At once a sweeping survival story; an epic of the distance future; and a post-apocalyptic vision of hope and optimism, THE ANCIENTS weaves a multilayered narrative about human resilience, hope, and stewardship of our world for future generations.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 2, 2025
About the author
John Larison
6 books336 followersJOHN L A R I SON spent much of
his childhood in remote regions of Australia,
the Caribbean, Canada, the South Pacific,
Alaska, and the American West before graduating
from high school in Ithaca, New York. He
studied philosophy and literature at the University
of Oregon, and became a renowned flyfishing
guide ahead of earning an MFA from
Oregon State University, where he stayed to
teach while writing Whiskey When We’re Dry.
He lives with his family on a small farm in rural Oregon, where he is at work on his next novel.
his childhood in remote regions of Australia,
the Caribbean, Canada, the South Pacific,
Alaska, and the American West before graduating
from high school in Ithaca, New York. He
studied philosophy and literature at the University
of Oregon, and became a renowned flyfishing
guide ahead of earning an MFA from
Oregon State University, where he stayed to
teach while writing Whiskey When We’re Dry.
He lives with his family on a small farm in rural Oregon, where he is at work on his next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 27, 2024
The prose? Evocative. The landscape? Harsh and fleetingly beautiful. The story? A testament to human resilience and hope.
This novel is a journey—one that everyone should take.
Set in a world where the line between past and future blurs, the story follows several different perspectives, all through a lens of survival. The characters’ depth and versatility shine against the ever-changing backdrop, embodying endurance in the face of overwhelming odds.
I couldn’t exactly pinpoint where in time the story fell, but ultimately it was irrelevant—the themes are timeless and universal. The spare writing style starkly captures their world yet enriches it with sensory detail, creating a contrast that kept me engrossed from start to finish.
The interwoven fables lent a mythical quality, transforming the narrative into a profound cautionary tale of survival, loyalty, and the quest for a better future.
TL;DR: This novel is a masterful blend of evocative storytelling and poignant themes. If you want a thought-provoking, emotionally charged literary experience, read this book.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the early review copy!
This novel is a journey—one that everyone should take.
Set in a world where the line between past and future blurs, the story follows several different perspectives, all through a lens of survival. The characters’ depth and versatility shine against the ever-changing backdrop, embodying endurance in the face of overwhelming odds.
I couldn’t exactly pinpoint where in time the story fell, but ultimately it was irrelevant—the themes are timeless and universal. The spare writing style starkly captures their world yet enriches it with sensory detail, creating a contrast that kept me engrossed from start to finish.
The interwoven fables lent a mythical quality, transforming the narrative into a profound cautionary tale of survival, loyalty, and the quest for a better future.
TL;DR: This novel is a masterful blend of evocative storytelling and poignant themes. If you want a thought-provoking, emotionally charged literary experience, read this book.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the early review copy!
August 26, 2024
So we have been here before?
Yes, child, this has all happened before, and like the last time, we wil learn again to thrive.
from The Ancients by John Larison
The Ancients imagines a far future world that seems all too familiar, a place we have read about in ancient history, and more unsettling, it is too much like the world we live in.
The Emperor demands endlessly greater tribute, depleting the land in the endeavor to meet his demand. The ‘barbarians’ with bronze weapons capture the ‘heathen’ for slave labor while claiming to better their lives–at least they are fed. Coastal tribal groups distrust each other over differences in culture.
In a lifetime, the fishing folk have seen the dunes overtake the land, the fish disappear. Rather than starve, an entire village leaves for the mountains to follow the elk. One family remained behind. A barbarian ship captures the mother to be a slave, the father drowning in the sea, leaving their three children alone to fend for themselves.
The oldest girl leads her siblings up the mountain to join the villagers. Tragedy strikes, separating the three. The oldest girl becomes a warrior rising up against the barbarians. The middle child bonds with sheep herders who take her in. The boy is sent to the barbarian city to be healed. Their stories reveal an entire world in crisis.
Cyrus, a master in the city, must increase his wool tribute. He has been a scholar until his father’s death. He is forced to borrow money from a powerful general. The man he loves has married. His mother is pushing for him to marry, too. He hopes to be on the massive ark the emperor is building to take the people across the sea, hopefully to a green and thriving place.
Cyrus grows from a sheltered, self absorbed boy. He sees the workers, stolen from their homes, who labor in his wool processing factory, who mine the valuable plastic. He reads ancient scrolls that shatter everything he ever believed about history and the world. Most importantly, he learns that the stories we tell create the world we believe in. Change the story and change the world.
In the author’s note, Larison reveals the inspiration for this story. “History reveals countless examples of technological regression,” he tells us. “Any technology may be just as fragile as the ecosystem of nature, culture, and alliance that fueled it.” We exploit the world to collapse. Yet, humanity survives, even if only a few hundred. There will be a future. Another chance to get things right.
The story is a warning, but not without hope.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
Yes, child, this has all happened before, and like the last time, we wil learn again to thrive.
from The Ancients by John Larison
The Ancients imagines a far future world that seems all too familiar, a place we have read about in ancient history, and more unsettling, it is too much like the world we live in.
The Emperor demands endlessly greater tribute, depleting the land in the endeavor to meet his demand. The ‘barbarians’ with bronze weapons capture the ‘heathen’ for slave labor while claiming to better their lives–at least they are fed. Coastal tribal groups distrust each other over differences in culture.
In a lifetime, the fishing folk have seen the dunes overtake the land, the fish disappear. Rather than starve, an entire village leaves for the mountains to follow the elk. One family remained behind. A barbarian ship captures the mother to be a slave, the father drowning in the sea, leaving their three children alone to fend for themselves.
The oldest girl leads her siblings up the mountain to join the villagers. Tragedy strikes, separating the three. The oldest girl becomes a warrior rising up against the barbarians. The middle child bonds with sheep herders who take her in. The boy is sent to the barbarian city to be healed. Their stories reveal an entire world in crisis.
Cyrus, a master in the city, must increase his wool tribute. He has been a scholar until his father’s death. He is forced to borrow money from a powerful general. The man he loves has married. His mother is pushing for him to marry, too. He hopes to be on the massive ark the emperor is building to take the people across the sea, hopefully to a green and thriving place.
Cyrus grows from a sheltered, self absorbed boy. He sees the workers, stolen from their homes, who labor in his wool processing factory, who mine the valuable plastic. He reads ancient scrolls that shatter everything he ever believed about history and the world. Most importantly, he learns that the stories we tell create the world we believe in. Change the story and change the world.
In the author’s note, Larison reveals the inspiration for this story. “History reveals countless examples of technological regression,” he tells us. “Any technology may be just as fragile as the ecosystem of nature, culture, and alliance that fueled it.” We exploit the world to collapse. Yet, humanity survives, even if only a few hundred. There will be a future. Another chance to get things right.
The story is a warning, but not without hope.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
July 16, 2024
I'm giving this five stars because of the book's high quality. It was moving, and I got attached to the characters. It is fairly slow-paced, though, and may not be accessible to all readers. It's the kind of literary book you have to be in the mood for. I'm writing a Booklist review, although I need some time to digest it before I come up with anything coherent.
July 24, 2024
In a world of sea and sand, everyone looks for green land. Kushim, Maren, and Leerit are a trio of siblings who struggle to survive in the wilderness after they are abandoned by their parents in their rundown fishing village. Their mother Lilah is a captive torn away from her home by desert raiders, and she’s desperate to reunite with her children. Cyrus the city-dweller grapples with conflicting loyalties and forbidden love. The environment continuously shifts and collapses around them, but every versatile character is an expression of human endurance.
This is a poignant climate fiction novel that is post-apocalyptic but with a prehistoric feel. The spare writing style enhances the stark and bleak atmosphere, but it also richly captures both the bounty and brutality of the natural world and the hard lessons they learn from it. Fables are interwoven throughout the story until this novel itself becomes something of a cautionary tale, emphasizing how to learn from the past in order to create a better world for the future. This thought-provoking novel is perfect for fans of The Bear by Andrew Krivak.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
This is a poignant climate fiction novel that is post-apocalyptic but with a prehistoric feel. The spare writing style enhances the stark and bleak atmosphere, but it also richly captures both the bounty and brutality of the natural world and the hard lessons they learn from it. Fables are interwoven throughout the story until this novel itself becomes something of a cautionary tale, emphasizing how to learn from the past in order to create a better world for the future. This thought-provoking novel is perfect for fans of The Bear by Andrew Krivak.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
August 20, 2024
Thank you to Viking/Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC of the novel.
Earlier this year I read Golden Days by Carolyn See, a novel that in part imagines life in a post-nuclear war southern California. The world See describes before the nuclear annihilation is one of Los Angeles glamour, parties at mansions, the accumulation of wealth, while in the air there is the distinct scent of doom. It is never addressed directly, but there are references to tensions in the political sphere, chest-thumping politicians, whispers that grow louder of a nuclear threat. Would they really do it? But life goes on (what else can one do?), until it suddenly doesn't. The final section of Golden Days is the aftermath of the nuclear battle written with great detail and attention to the devastation on the environment and the human survivors. Eventually those survivors make their way to the California coast, where they join other survivors on a beach where the sand has melted into glass. And these survivors start to build community again.
I thought of See's novel when I finished The Ancients. John Larison has written a novel that is an acclamation of the human spirit, a celebration of the human will to live, and a reminder that humans thrive in community. In The Ancients, the existential threat is environmental made worse by the dominant civilization's refusal to change and adapt to the new reality. Instead of moderating their wants into needs, the empire seeks to extract more resources from a dwindling supply, causing devastating suffering for the many people not wealthy enough to purchase even the basics to sustain themselves. The leaders of this empire continue on this path of destruction because they have created an exit plan for themselves, a means of survival that does not have room for everyone.
Of course, there are echoes here of today's world with climate change and its potentially devastating effects along with the stories of the super-rich building their bunkers and spaceships in order to survive. They have their escape plans ready to go. The world of The Ancients is the world we are creating (destroying?) now, generations into the future. It is a world where humans are once again hunters and gatherers, living symbiotically with their environment, appreciating what nature provides without wasting the resources. Yet those humans who live in concert with nature suffer the consequences created by those who don't, those who seek material wealth above all else. And the cycle begins again. But Larison's novel is ultimately hopeful, seeing in humans the potential to survive, to come together and live together as community. There is an appeal in the novel, I think, quiet, yet insistent, that maybe it is time to try a matriarchal approach to civilization. Larison's female characters are as strong as men, as fierce, yet ultimately the wiser, the ones gifted with the "longer view."
The Ancients is a fast, entertaining novel. Larison jumps right into the narrative, and readers are pulled along for a great story with characters that move you. What begins as three separate narratives get funneled into a cohesive final whole that is satisfying and rich. In some parts almost Biblical, in other parts violent, and in other parts tender, The Ancients is a novel that is compelling in its writing and its vision.
Earlier this year I read Golden Days by Carolyn See, a novel that in part imagines life in a post-nuclear war southern California. The world See describes before the nuclear annihilation is one of Los Angeles glamour, parties at mansions, the accumulation of wealth, while in the air there is the distinct scent of doom. It is never addressed directly, but there are references to tensions in the political sphere, chest-thumping politicians, whispers that grow louder of a nuclear threat. Would they really do it? But life goes on (what else can one do?), until it suddenly doesn't. The final section of Golden Days is the aftermath of the nuclear battle written with great detail and attention to the devastation on the environment and the human survivors. Eventually those survivors make their way to the California coast, where they join other survivors on a beach where the sand has melted into glass. And these survivors start to build community again.
I thought of See's novel when I finished The Ancients. John Larison has written a novel that is an acclamation of the human spirit, a celebration of the human will to live, and a reminder that humans thrive in community. In The Ancients, the existential threat is environmental made worse by the dominant civilization's refusal to change and adapt to the new reality. Instead of moderating their wants into needs, the empire seeks to extract more resources from a dwindling supply, causing devastating suffering for the many people not wealthy enough to purchase even the basics to sustain themselves. The leaders of this empire continue on this path of destruction because they have created an exit plan for themselves, a means of survival that does not have room for everyone.
Of course, there are echoes here of today's world with climate change and its potentially devastating effects along with the stories of the super-rich building their bunkers and spaceships in order to survive. They have their escape plans ready to go. The world of The Ancients is the world we are creating (destroying?) now, generations into the future. It is a world where humans are once again hunters and gatherers, living symbiotically with their environment, appreciating what nature provides without wasting the resources. Yet those humans who live in concert with nature suffer the consequences created by those who don't, those who seek material wealth above all else. And the cycle begins again. But Larison's novel is ultimately hopeful, seeing in humans the potential to survive, to come together and live together as community. There is an appeal in the novel, I think, quiet, yet insistent, that maybe it is time to try a matriarchal approach to civilization. Larison's female characters are as strong as men, as fierce, yet ultimately the wiser, the ones gifted with the "longer view."
The Ancients is a fast, entertaining novel. Larison jumps right into the narrative, and readers are pulled along for a great story with characters that move you. What begins as three separate narratives get funneled into a cohesive final whole that is satisfying and rich. In some parts almost Biblical, in other parts violent, and in other parts tender, The Ancients is a novel that is compelling in its writing and its vision.
September 12, 2024
This book definitely takes some patience to get through. It is quite long and very slow paced.
The book is a story of people who try and survive a world where the earth is becoming inhabitable.
The book would have benefitted greatly if it would have started with some background information. It just dove right into the story, and I never really figured out what time period it was from, how they ended up in the situation they were in, and where they were. There was also several different groups of people, and it was never explained who they were or what their differences were. An extra chapter at the beginning setting all of that up would have been helpful and eliminated confusion.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book is a story of people who try and survive a world where the earth is becoming inhabitable.
The book would have benefitted greatly if it would have started with some background information. It just dove right into the story, and I never really figured out what time period it was from, how they ended up in the situation they were in, and where they were. There was also several different groups of people, and it was never explained who they were or what their differences were. An extra chapter at the beginning setting all of that up would have been helpful and eliminated confusion.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 25, 2024
It was an entertaining read. The narrative revolves around 3 main deities: the Sea, the Sand and the Sun. We follow characters devoted to the Sea into the capital of the Sun empire. They call each other barbarian and don’t understand each other’s language. We witness a panicked construction of the Ark that should save civilization from being buried under the sand that’s blowing in all directions. The story touches on issues of homosexuality, slavery (hey, we put food on their table and give them jobs!), extensive growth of production without any measure, wealth inheritance, corruption, claim to power by birth, blinding faith, hunters and gatherers vs scholars and manufacturers.
It definitely gives a general “Game of Thrones on climate change” vibe. There are some intriguing science fiction lines that are left underdeveloped, hints on who the ancients might be (us) and how human society is bound to spin in samsara of prosperity and disaster even when they stay as close to the land as possible. This idea of always having a possibility of a fresh start somewhere else (oh hi, Mars).
It definitely gives a general “Game of Thrones on climate change” vibe. There are some intriguing science fiction lines that are left underdeveloped, hints on who the ancients might be (us) and how human society is bound to spin in samsara of prosperity and disaster even when they stay as close to the land as possible. This idea of always having a possibility of a fresh start somewhere else (oh hi, Mars).
July 24, 2024
This book is the tale of a journey into the unknown, traveling through the harsh landscape of the future; The only goal (at first) is survive. The author masterfully weaves in myths and fables into each persons story: you have siblings attempting to find the rest of their family, the son of a wool merchant trying to balance his position of power while dealing with his father’s debts and the siblings’ mother trying desperately to reunite with her children.
This multi-narrative novel is a sweeping tale of hope, survival and resilience in a climate-shifting world.
This multi-narrative novel is a sweeping tale of hope, survival and resilience in a climate-shifting world.
Read
July 3, 2024DNF. I was sent this by the publisher, so I tried it. I wouldn't have picked it up on my own. And it was not my thing at all.
September 2, 2024
The Ancients is a dystopian story of a society which is close to collapse. Food is scarce; grass has mostly been lost to sand, the elk is the only major huntable animal, and the technology does not exist to properly store food through the winter. Some inhabitants have been building a giant ark, hoping that they can save civilization by finding a more habitable locale. The trouble is, they are not sure if there even is a more habitable locale, or if they are the only people remaining on earth.
Larison's description of the life of these people is deliberately vague. We never learn what happened to cause the current conditions or how long they have been living like this. There are a few tantalizing clues: a sign is uncovered which refers to an American city, and the city's library contains scrolls which seem to refer to ancient times when things were different. These clues, however, are never referred to again, which makes me wonder why they were even included. I had a hard time figuring out the details of these peoples' existence - where they might be located, for example, and an overarching theme for their existence. The publisher's information seems to indicate that this is a story about climate change, but there is little indication of this in the narrative. We don't know if human-made or natural climate change caused their conditions, or whether or not it is reversible. Given that, I'm not sure this is intended as a cautionary tale.
Another aspect of the story which was confusing to me was the caste system. Three levels seemed to exist: the lowest caste which were nomadic, a workers class in the city, and a ruling class. They referred to each other by names that didn't seem consistent - I wasn't sure, for example, if when one group referred to "Barbarians" and another group referred to "Left Coasters" they were talking about the same people. It certainly didn't give me any more information with which to understand their situation.
It seems to me that the key to a good dystopian novel is creating a world where the reader knows more than the inhabitants do. That way, their actions and their fate can be seen in context. I didn't get that in this book.
Thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Larison's description of the life of these people is deliberately vague. We never learn what happened to cause the current conditions or how long they have been living like this. There are a few tantalizing clues: a sign is uncovered which refers to an American city, and the city's library contains scrolls which seem to refer to ancient times when things were different. These clues, however, are never referred to again, which makes me wonder why they were even included. I had a hard time figuring out the details of these peoples' existence - where they might be located, for example, and an overarching theme for their existence. The publisher's information seems to indicate that this is a story about climate change, but there is little indication of this in the narrative. We don't know if human-made or natural climate change caused their conditions, or whether or not it is reversible. Given that, I'm not sure this is intended as a cautionary tale.
Another aspect of the story which was confusing to me was the caste system. Three levels seemed to exist: the lowest caste which were nomadic, a workers class in the city, and a ruling class. They referred to each other by names that didn't seem consistent - I wasn't sure, for example, if when one group referred to "Barbarians" and another group referred to "Left Coasters" they were talking about the same people. It certainly didn't give me any more information with which to understand their situation.
It seems to me that the key to a good dystopian novel is creating a world where the reader knows more than the inhabitants do. That way, their actions and their fate can be seen in context. I didn't get that in this book.
Thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 25, 2024
The Ancients begins with a dilemma: a young boy and girl are orphaned, so they seek help from their elder sister, who has been surviving on her own up the coast. There is little to no food, and the shifting landscape is encroaching on their homes. Their only option is to search out the relatives who stayed in their ancestral homeland. The narrator then shifts over to a coastal town, where the wealthy consume and are consumed by their privilege. The lower classes subsist on very little; the monarch is brutal towards any who push against the status quo. One aristocrat, who must take over the title after his father’s untimely demise, must fit into a very tight mold, and there are parts of him that just won’t conform. Then we learn that the mother of the children survived, but was captured by pirates. The story follows each character or set of characters through arduous physical and mental journeys so that they eventually touch. Over the course of these journeys, the reader encounters landmarks: derelict structures that in our current age convey electricity or oil or water, but for the characters in the novel, represent a mysterious ancient past.
When I picked up The Ancients, I was hoping to see more links to the past. What I got instead was a return visit to problems that have plagued every civilization since the dawn of civilization: struggle for survival, struggle for power and wealth, struggle to control resources. The more I thought about what I had read, my mind connected it to the classic poem “Ozymandias” and the final scene from Planet of the Apes: we are so-far distanced from our history that we fail to recognize the recurring themes.
I highly recommend this novel as a jump off point for discussion around history repeating itself. While the events involving the characters don’t necessarily revolve around the ancients, the ancients certainly revolve around the characters, blind and mute in their wasting away.
Thank you to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for access to the ARC. Opinions stated herein are my own; I don’t receive any remuneration for my review.
When I picked up The Ancients, I was hoping to see more links to the past. What I got instead was a return visit to problems that have plagued every civilization since the dawn of civilization: struggle for survival, struggle for power and wealth, struggle to control resources. The more I thought about what I had read, my mind connected it to the classic poem “Ozymandias” and the final scene from Planet of the Apes: we are so-far distanced from our history that we fail to recognize the recurring themes.
I highly recommend this novel as a jump off point for discussion around history repeating itself. While the events involving the characters don’t necessarily revolve around the ancients, the ancients certainly revolve around the characters, blind and mute in their wasting away.
Thank you to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for access to the ARC. Opinions stated herein are my own; I don’t receive any remuneration for my review.
August 26, 2024
The Ancients is a dystopian novel that imagines society taken back to a historic level. There are references to bronze spears for example. Warmth is down to building fires. This isn’t Mad Max, it’s more Dark Ages.
There are multiple storylines that give the reader different viewpoints on the current hardships. In the first storyline, three children, ranging in age from an 18 year old girl to a young boy, head out from their sea coast home towards the mountains after their parents disappear. They are seemingly all alone with no others to rely on as the rest of the village left earlier looking for better food sources.
Meanwhile, their mother has been taken captive by a marauding boat and their father killed.
And a young man, obviously upper caste, awaits the death of his father. In each, drought, the encroaching sand and an inability to find sustenance are constant problems. The author has also developed religious beliefs and stories to go with the different groups, right down to a story of virgin birth. I have to give him credit for his world building. This is a world that has returned to the haves and the have nots. There’s no middle class, its slaves/indentured or elites or nomads/primitives.
This book didn’t immediately grab me. I had loved Whiskey When We’re Dry, so I stuck with it. And stuck with it. For some reason, I struggled to get invested with any of the characters. Yes, their plights were horrific. But something about this book just felt dry. Or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it. I am in the minority with this one, so please check out other reviews.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for an advance copy of this book.
There are multiple storylines that give the reader different viewpoints on the current hardships. In the first storyline, three children, ranging in age from an 18 year old girl to a young boy, head out from their sea coast home towards the mountains after their parents disappear. They are seemingly all alone with no others to rely on as the rest of the village left earlier looking for better food sources.
Meanwhile, their mother has been taken captive by a marauding boat and their father killed.
And a young man, obviously upper caste, awaits the death of his father. In each, drought, the encroaching sand and an inability to find sustenance are constant problems. The author has also developed religious beliefs and stories to go with the different groups, right down to a story of virgin birth. I have to give him credit for his world building. This is a world that has returned to the haves and the have nots. There’s no middle class, its slaves/indentured or elites or nomads/primitives.
This book didn’t immediately grab me. I had loved Whiskey When We’re Dry, so I stuck with it. And stuck with it. For some reason, I struggled to get invested with any of the characters. Yes, their plights were horrific. But something about this book just felt dry. Or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it. I am in the minority with this one, so please check out other reviews.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for an advance copy of this book.
August 27, 2024
Distant future climate fiction. The writing is clear and straightforward in a way that makes the whole novel feel like a fable, which is fitting. The author’s intentions are effective: what is it like to imagine a distant future for humanity, long after our current climate crisis (and in some ways into the next one). I wished that the author had explored the differences between that future world and our own more deeply. The world-building elements were interesting in their incongruity (some a return to the past, others clearly futuristic) and I would have liked to see more exploration of them. Some of the interesting world-building elements: mined plastic as a precious gem, bronze-age technology (i.e.: bronze), religious worship of natural elements like sand, the sun, the sea. A deeply entrenched caste/class system in the one city-state we see. A lack of knowledge of ancient history (of our current world, past civilizations). There was some exploration of ecosystems and animals but not a lot. I would have loved more of all of this world building.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read, which I would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Viking for the advanced epub in exchange for a review.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read, which I would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Viking for the advanced epub in exchange for a review.
July 22, 2024
Part survival narrative, part cli-fi, this novel throws you a few thousand years into the civilizations of our future, where life seems to be same-same but different. Capitalism and commerce is still the law of the land, we've lost our grip on science and have reverted to a divinely endowed Emperor to rule over the powerful cities while hunter/gathering tribes roam the wilderness outside the cities.
This book was such a good read. Great story and pace. You follow three story lines that converge elegantly, though the siblings and their story is the heart of the novel. It's impossible not to be moved by their resilience, arrogance, strength, and love for each other. I also loved the way this book blatantly calls out the privilege of cynicism and defeatists in the climate change crisis. This story reminds us that the planet and our descendants do and will always have a future, and we shouldn't turn our backs on them.
This book was such a good read. Great story and pace. You follow three story lines that converge elegantly, though the siblings and their story is the heart of the novel. It's impossible not to be moved by their resilience, arrogance, strength, and love for each other. I also loved the way this book blatantly calls out the privilege of cynicism and defeatists in the climate change crisis. This story reminds us that the planet and our descendants do and will always have a future, and we shouldn't turn our backs on them.
August 21, 2024
"What goes around, comes around"
In the far future the Earth is in distress and signs of a non-tech back to the land way of life is everywhere. Humans do all the labor with simple tools, food is harvested or hunted and neighboring cities and villages are at war with each other. Even though it is the future we have returned to ancient solutions where the wealthy use the poor or slaves to do all the labor, the best of the resources go to those in power and there are a few who study the past to find the future. I found some aspects of this new world like plastic gems are treasured and the religious symbols like the worshipping the sun or building the escape ark that will house a select lucky few very interesting. We follow several groups including siblings who become separated from their mom and each other who come together at the end. It is not a quick read but the characters and their plight feel real. Readers of STATION ELEVEN and THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD will enjoy this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
In the far future the Earth is in distress and signs of a non-tech back to the land way of life is everywhere. Humans do all the labor with simple tools, food is harvested or hunted and neighboring cities and villages are at war with each other. Even though it is the future we have returned to ancient solutions where the wealthy use the poor or slaves to do all the labor, the best of the resources go to those in power and there are a few who study the past to find the future. I found some aspects of this new world like plastic gems are treasured and the religious symbols like the worshipping the sun or building the escape ark that will house a select lucky few very interesting. We follow several groups including siblings who become separated from their mom and each other who come together at the end. It is not a quick read but the characters and their plight feel real. Readers of STATION ELEVEN and THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD will enjoy this. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
September 2, 2024
***Goodreads Giveaway Win***
I ADORED this book. Each night I looked forward to curling up in bed and getting lost in the world of this book. John Larison did, indeed, create a world wholly of its own. My first impression was that this was a historical novel set in the early times of British colonialism. This is not normally my bag, but wait, there's more. Soon, I was thinking, oh cool, this is a book about early colonialism but with climate change. But wait there's more...I'm not going to tell you what that more is but it captured my imagination. On top of this cool concept, I loved spending time with each and every character. Excellent book; no notes.
I ADORED this book. Each night I looked forward to curling up in bed and getting lost in the world of this book. John Larison did, indeed, create a world wholly of its own. My first impression was that this was a historical novel set in the early times of British colonialism. This is not normally my bag, but wait, there's more. Soon, I was thinking, oh cool, this is a book about early colonialism but with climate change. But wait there's more...I'm not going to tell you what that more is but it captured my imagination. On top of this cool concept, I loved spending time with each and every character. Excellent book; no notes.
August 20, 2024
Thank you #PenguinGroup #Viking and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is October 15, 2024.
3.5 Stars • In a future where climate change has drastically altered the world, siblings Maren and Kushim embark on a journey to find their missing parents. Their mother, Lilah, has been kidnapped by Cyrus, a wool magnate with an obsession for ancient texts. The story explores survival, family bonds, and the impact of humanity's past on its future.
#TheAncients #JohnLarison #Bookstagram
3.5 Stars • In a future where climate change has drastically altered the world, siblings Maren and Kushim embark on a journey to find their missing parents. Their mother, Lilah, has been kidnapped by Cyrus, a wool magnate with an obsession for ancient texts. The story explores survival, family bonds, and the impact of humanity's past on its future.
#TheAncients #JohnLarison #Bookstagram
Shelved as 'read-some'
September 3, 2024I stopped on page 75. I wanted to like this--I loved the first section about the young boy and his two sisters finding themselves alone in a remote village. Very apocalyptic. I liked the section about their mother, who they thought died, but was kidnapped. But then it switched to Cyrus, the young scholar's timeline, and I lost interest. Other books on my to-read shelf looked more appealing at that point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2024
Dystopian lit has become such a crowded field (I wonder why). Larison's novel is compelling, utterly original and an all-too-realistic dystopia. Incredibly memorable characters, beautiful settings, and nuggets of insight about contemporary society. Well worth a read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 15, 2024
It is a well-written book but slow paced. The created world is relevant to those of us who have researched climate change. None of the characters resonated with me, although the story was interesting.
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