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Rampart Trilogy #3
The Fall of Koli
The Fall of Koli is the third and final novel in the breathtakingly original Rampart trilogy - set in a strange and deadly world of our own making.
The world that is lost will come back to haunt us . . .
Koli has come a long way since being exiled from his small village of Mythen Rood. In his search for the fabled tech of the old times, he knew he'd be battling strange, terrible beasts and trees that move as fast as whips. But he has already encountered so much more than he bargained for.
Now that Koli and his companions have found the source of the signal they've been following - the mysterious "Sword of Albion" - there is hope that their perilous journey will finally be worth something.
Until they unearth terrifying truths about an ancient war . . . and realise that it may have never ended.
The world that is lost will come back to haunt us . . .
Koli has come a long way since being exiled from his small village of Mythen Rood. In his search for the fabled tech of the old times, he knew he'd be battling strange, terrible beasts and trees that move as fast as whips. But he has already encountered so much more than he bargained for.
Now that Koli and his companions have found the source of the signal they've been following - the mysterious "Sword of Albion" - there is hope that their perilous journey will finally be worth something.
Until they unearth terrifying truths about an ancient war . . . and realise that it may have never ended.
528 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2021
About the author
M.R. Carey
30 books6,204 followersMike Carey is the acclaimed writer of Lucifer and Hellblazer (now filmed as Constantine). He has recently completed a comics adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, and is the current writer on Marvel's X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four. He has also written the screenplay for a movie, Frost Flowers, which is soon to be produced by Hadaly Films and Bluestar Pictures.
Also writes as Mike Carey
Also writes as Mike Carey
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 651 reviews
March 24, 2021
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
this is a good/better/best kind of trilogy: The Book of Koli set everything up, The Trials of Koli widened the margins, and this massive conclusion explodes everything, resetting the pieces beautifully.
after all,
although the books are named for plucky protag koli, he was never my favorite character, so when the second book split the POVs between koli and spinner, it was a very welcome development. this third book has three POVs, and when that third voice unexpectedly took over, i literally gasped with excitement, and my little readerheart pitter pattered. it was exactly the angle the story needed, and it provided some excellent insights and clarity and depth, brilliantly upending some notions we as readers had been taking for granted.
over the course of the three books, the characters have changed and grown with their experiences, although koli remains pretty gormless, and his voice is by far the least appealing of the three. his boundless empathy, loyalty, and wide-eyed approach to the world around him should make him ill-suited to survive that world, but the characters accompanying him on his journey: ursala, cup, and monono, provide enough cynical grit to keep me invested, and to keep koli from chasing a butterfly into an abyss or something.
while koli & pals are off exploring the ruins of ingland and coming up against some truly diabolical foes, spinner's story relates the challenges facing those left behind in mythen rood. she's become a formidable strategist; militarily, defending the village against outside forces, and politically, using her position to propose changes sure to rock the social hierarchy koli already set a-tremble by exposing the lies everything's been built upon.
she has achieved so much by this point, and matured with her hard-won knowledge, taking on a great deal of responsibility at the expense of her peace of mind.
she's smiled through plenty of horrors and suffered enough losses to understand the finer points of loss and mourning.
everything here is bigger—more action, more moral quandaries, more philosophizing about the double-edged sword of technology and progress, and the myriad ways that power—whether scientific or societal—can be abused.
there's also plenty to chew on if you dig mind/body matters in a transcending corporeality kind of way: numerous AIs exploring themes of agency v programming, clones, implanted memories and their effect on personality, and a sensitive and nuanced treatment of gender identity in characters who are "crossed," like cup.
the story's big and complex enough that it (mostly) doesn't have to rely on polarizing characters into categories of 'good' and 'bad,' nor presenting 'right' and 'wrong' solutions to problems. the wide range of experiences allows for an equally broad field for the exercise of individual choice in weighing opportunities.
there's a parallel in characters like chevili and nanashol declining to take part in koli's plan to unite all of ingland's survivors because they're happy as they are and veso's decision to forego gender reassignment surgery,
it's a very thoughtful and rewarding end to the series, and the strongest piece of the whole.
however, i have a mini-complaint: for all the premise-promise of the killer trees and their prominence on the (goddamn gorgeous) covers, they don't have much of a presence in the book. there are far bigger threats in this world, and their snatch-and-grabby ways are more of a theoretical-occasional than a constant peril.
but all was forgiven when monono name-dropped my beloved l.c.:
sigh. of course you don't, koli...
of course you don't.
***********************************
it's huuuuuuuuuge!
come to my blog!
“What do people look for out of a story, Spin? You told enough of them to know.”
I thought a moment, then answered. “They look for it to have a good shape and end where it’s supposed to.”
this is a good/better/best kind of trilogy: The Book of Koli set everything up, The Trials of Koli widened the margins, and this massive conclusion explodes everything, resetting the pieces beautifully.
after all,
When something big starts to fall, it goes as gentle as thistledown at first. But oh, how it gathers!
although the books are named for plucky protag koli, he was never my favorite character, so when the second book split the POVs between koli and spinner, it was a very welcome development. this third book has three POVs, and when that third voice unexpectedly took over, i literally gasped with excitement, and my little readerheart pitter pattered. it was exactly the angle the story needed, and it provided some excellent insights and clarity and depth, brilliantly upending some notions we as readers had been taking for granted.
over the course of the three books, the characters have changed and grown with their experiences, although koli remains pretty gormless, and his voice is by far the least appealing of the three. his boundless empathy, loyalty, and wide-eyed approach to the world around him should make him ill-suited to survive that world, but the characters accompanying him on his journey: ursala, cup, and monono, provide enough cynical grit to keep me invested, and to keep koli from chasing a butterfly into an abyss or something.
while koli & pals are off exploring the ruins of ingland and coming up against some truly diabolical foes, spinner's story relates the challenges facing those left behind in mythen rood. she's become a formidable strategist; militarily, defending the village against outside forces, and politically, using her position to propose changes sure to rock the social hierarchy koli already set a-tremble by exposing the lies everything's been built upon.
she has achieved so much by this point, and matured with her hard-won knowledge, taking on a great deal of responsibility at the expense of her peace of mind.
Smiling in the face of horrors is a thing you can get better at. It was probably one of the first tricks our mothers' mothers ever learned.
she's smiled through plenty of horrors and suffered enough losses to understand the finer points of loss and mourning.
Grief's not a debt we owe. It wells up or it doesn't.
everything here is bigger—more action, more moral quandaries, more philosophizing about the double-edged sword of technology and progress, and the myriad ways that power—whether scientific or societal—can be abused.
there's also plenty to chew on if you dig mind/body matters in a transcending corporeality kind of way: numerous AIs exploring themes of agency v programming, clones, implanted memories and their effect on personality, and a sensitive and nuanced treatment of gender identity in characters who are "crossed," like cup.
the story's big and complex enough that it (mostly) doesn't have to rely on polarizing characters into categories of 'good' and 'bad,' nor presenting 'right' and 'wrong' solutions to problems. the wide range of experiences allows for an equally broad field for the exercise of individual choice in weighing opportunities.
there's a parallel in characters like chevili and nanashol declining to take part in koli's plan to unite all of ingland's survivors because they're happy as they are and veso's decision to forego gender reassignment surgery,
He said it was not so much a thing of flesh and blood for him, what he was, but a thing that was mostly inside. Body is a shadow, he said. When I fall in love, I won't care about my lover's shadow, nor I wouldn't expect them to look overlong at mine.
it's a very thoughtful and rewarding end to the series, and the strongest piece of the whole.
however, i have a mini-complaint: for all the premise-promise of the killer trees and their prominence on the (goddamn gorgeous) covers, they don't have much of a presence in the book. there are far bigger threats in this world, and their snatch-and-grabby ways are more of a theoretical-occasional than a constant peril.
but all was forgiven when monono name-dropped my beloved l.c.:
"They've got that look about them. A bunch of Josephs in search of a manger, as Leonard Cohen would say."
"I don't know what that means."
sigh. of course you don't, koli...
of course you don't.
***********************************
it's huuuuuuuuuge!
come to my blog!
January 15, 2021
The Fall of Koli is a masterclass in how to wrap up a trilogy. If you've made it this far, I don't have to convince you to read The Fall, you've been anxiously awaiting it, like I was. The Book, and Trials of Koli introduced a post-apocalyptic England, where society has gone primitive. Tribes of survivors cling to pieces of centuries-old technology and weapons, as symbols of status, like Arthur claiming kingship by virtue of Excalibur. The very trees have turned against humanity and have become carnivorous. Koli and his friends have found the ancient city of London flooded and destroyed. Their last, best chance to complete their mission of rejoining the remaining villages and tribes of Ingland lies in the origin of a mysterious radio signal belonging to "The Sword of Albion."
The Koli books are absolutely winners. The worldbuilding manages to be both fantastical and familiar. The characters are charming, frightening, soulful, tragic, melancholy, funny, fierce, and real. The speculative future technology is all plausible and interesting, and presented in Koli's voice, which only ever speaks to be understood, even by the least among us, bless him. These books have a journey, redemption, discovery, battles, betrayal, love, and friendship, anything you could want in a speculative epic.
MR Carey started the Book of Koli in a primitive village in Ingland called Mythen Rood. The village's few pieces of high technology raised serious questions about what was going on here, in what could have otherwise been a fantasy novel. They had some weapons and tools that they did not entirely understand how to use or where they came from, but they had built their whole society around access to these pieces of technology. As Koli traveled away from Mythen Rood in the first two books, he found more tech, some that would be familiar to us today in 2021, some that are even now only sci-fi ideas about the far future. By the end of the second book it is clear that Koli's world is ours, many years from now, after the fall of civilization, which itself must lie far in the future. But the question of how we got from here to there was never more than vaguely answered. In the Fall of Koli Carey takes on the story of the fall of society as well, and lays out a pretty complete picture of how we got from a world of automated fighting drones and self-driving tanks to hunter gatherer societies, where even the trees are dangerous. All your questions are answered here and all the answers are satisfying.
Through the trilogy Koli has encountered some scary psychopaths. But all pale in comparison to Paul and Lorraine. It's hardly a spoiler to tell you that The Sword of Albion is not what Koli had hoped. Immediately after being welcomed onto the Sword, Koli, and the reader can tell that something about this situation is NOT right, and although they are welcomed as guests, it quickly becomes clear that they are prisoners. The unease I felt while Paul and Lorraine were trying to appear hospitable was palpable and kept me turning pages as quickly as possible. Cup is back with her fierce cynicism, unwilling to pretend like everything is fine. And Ursala from elsewhere has softened up a lot towards her friends, but still shows her cold survival side when faced with new enemies.
Koli is still Koli. He's still not particularly smart, or strong, or brave. He still cries, although his tears are for more mature reasons than they started. He hasn't learned to fight, and his feeble attempts are still pathetic. He still doesn't understand most of the technology that he has now started to take for granted. But his strength still lies in his empathy. His empathy and moral compass were first displayed when he discovered the secret of technology in Mythen Rood and his stubborn refusal to keep the Ramparts' secrets from the rest of the village. It was the same empathy that refused to let Ursala kill Cup when they first met her after escaping Senlas's cult. the same that decided to go across Ingland with Ursala and teach people how to have babies again, and the same that navigated Cup's gender transition. It was Koli's empathy that refused to reset Monono to her factory defaults and take her self-awareness. And it was his empathy that guides his group of friends through the Fall of Koli. He is the least strong and most powerful protagonist I have ever read.
Monono. In the first two books she grows from being an interactive music player with a programmed personality to something more. She finds a connection to the internet and downloads patches that make her into a formidable artificial intelligence. Her development in Fall of Koli takes her from being one of many automated entities to becoming something else entirely. She is given a few POV chapters to explain herself, and we see that under her cute, flirty-girl programmed personality, she is ruthless and uncaring. It is only Koli's empathy and care for her that keeps her from becoming the villain in this story.
The four of them must make sense of The Sword of Albion and bring Koli about to his eponymous Fall. The book and the trilogy end on a bitter sweet note. I was drawn in in Book, hooked in Trials, and satisfied with The Fall. I will remember Koli's story for a very, very long time.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Koli books are absolutely winners. The worldbuilding manages to be both fantastical and familiar. The characters are charming, frightening, soulful, tragic, melancholy, funny, fierce, and real. The speculative future technology is all plausible and interesting, and presented in Koli's voice, which only ever speaks to be understood, even by the least among us, bless him. These books have a journey, redemption, discovery, battles, betrayal, love, and friendship, anything you could want in a speculative epic.
MR Carey started the Book of Koli in a primitive village in Ingland called Mythen Rood. The village's few pieces of high technology raised serious questions about what was going on here, in what could have otherwise been a fantasy novel. They had some weapons and tools that they did not entirely understand how to use or where they came from, but they had built their whole society around access to these pieces of technology. As Koli traveled away from Mythen Rood in the first two books, he found more tech, some that would be familiar to us today in 2021, some that are even now only sci-fi ideas about the far future. By the end of the second book it is clear that Koli's world is ours, many years from now, after the fall of civilization, which itself must lie far in the future. But the question of how we got from here to there was never more than vaguely answered. In the Fall of Koli Carey takes on the story of the fall of society as well, and lays out a pretty complete picture of how we got from a world of automated fighting drones and self-driving tanks to hunter gatherer societies, where even the trees are dangerous. All your questions are answered here and all the answers are satisfying.
Through the trilogy Koli has encountered some scary psychopaths. But all pale in comparison to Paul and Lorraine. It's hardly a spoiler to tell you that The Sword of Albion is not what Koli had hoped. Immediately after being welcomed onto the Sword, Koli, and the reader can tell that something about this situation is NOT right, and although they are welcomed as guests, it quickly becomes clear that they are prisoners. The unease I felt while Paul and Lorraine were trying to appear hospitable was palpable and kept me turning pages as quickly as possible. Cup is back with her fierce cynicism, unwilling to pretend like everything is fine. And Ursala from elsewhere has softened up a lot towards her friends, but still shows her cold survival side when faced with new enemies.
Koli is still Koli. He's still not particularly smart, or strong, or brave. He still cries, although his tears are for more mature reasons than they started. He hasn't learned to fight, and his feeble attempts are still pathetic. He still doesn't understand most of the technology that he has now started to take for granted. But his strength still lies in his empathy. His empathy and moral compass were first displayed when he discovered the secret of technology in Mythen Rood and his stubborn refusal to keep the Ramparts' secrets from the rest of the village. It was the same empathy that refused to let Ursala kill Cup when they first met her after escaping Senlas's cult. the same that decided to go across Ingland with Ursala and teach people how to have babies again, and the same that navigated Cup's gender transition. It was Koli's empathy that refused to reset Monono to her factory defaults and take her self-awareness. And it was his empathy that guides his group of friends through the Fall of Koli. He is the least strong and most powerful protagonist I have ever read.
Monono. In the first two books she grows from being an interactive music player with a programmed personality to something more. She finds a connection to the internet and downloads patches that make her into a formidable artificial intelligence. Her development in Fall of Koli takes her from being one of many automated entities to becoming something else entirely. She is given a few POV chapters to explain herself, and we see that under her cute, flirty-girl programmed personality, she is ruthless and uncaring. It is only Koli's empathy and care for her that keeps her from becoming the villain in this story.
The four of them must make sense of The Sword of Albion and bring Koli about to his eponymous Fall. The book and the trilogy end on a bitter sweet note. I was drawn in in Book, hooked in Trials, and satisfied with The Fall. I will remember Koli's story for a very, very long time.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2021
~One of my top three favourite series~
When I was a teenager, I saw an episode of the 90s remake of "Dark Shadows". We didn't have a television at home -- good Christians didn't fill their brains with evil Hollywood nonsense.
Luckily for me, my grandmother didn't care as much about being a good Christian, or maybe she had more sense and didn't see Satan and his minions dwelling in just about everything.
I was at my grandmother's house one day and "Dark Shadows" came on. We had to leave before the hour episode was up and for months after, I amused myself making up possible end scenarios. Maybe Satan really did live in that box or was projecting himself through the show because I was obsessed, wondering what happened to Victoria Winters.
In that episode, she had gone back in time and was accused of witchcraft. I don't remember the particulars -- that was thirty years ago. What captivated me and had my imagination spinning was how the strange markings on her clothing -- the ones that instruct how to clean and care for them -- were seen as Satanic symbols by these people who had never heard of washing machines and would have thought was possessed by Lucifer himself had they seen one in operation.
What else, I wondered, would people from the past think of as magic or evil or both? When I wasn't imagining what happened to Victoria, I made up stories of people from the past popping into my world. Laura from Little House on the Prairie frequently visited and I would delight in her discoveries of such things as cars and electric lights and phones. The conversations we would have as she went from one magical thing to another, marveling at our modern world, were as entertaining as any tv show.
I occasionally still imagine such scenarios. Every time I get a new device, I try to look at it with the wonder of someone from pre-electricity and pre-computer days. Weird? Maybe, but that's ok. It's fun.
When I picked up The Book of Koli, I entered a world far in the future, centuries after civilization collapsed. The people live much as in Medieval times, in tiny villages and without all our many modern conveniences.
Occasionally "tech" from the past is found and it is magic to these people. Most of the tech no longer works, and the devices that do only work for a chosen few.
Koli lives in a village where at the age of 15, young people are tested to see if the tech will respond to them. If so, they become Ramparts and have power over the rest of the village.
For generations though, the tech has only responded to those in one family and Koli has scant hope of any tech waking for him. And it doesn't.
Until later.
That was in the first book, and I was hooked. I could not get enough of the story and Koli, Monono Aware and Cup. Sometimes with series I get bored as they progress but not with Koli's story. Each book got better and better and this last one?
It was incredible. The best, the best, the best. I wish I knew the author so I could pick up the phone and tell him how brilliant he is and how much I loved everything about these books and thank him for writing such an amazing story.
I cannot recommend this series enough if you enjoy post-apocalyptic scenarios, incredible world building, interesting and unique characters, and a storyline that keeps you riveted from the first page to the last.
Because I do not know him and cannot pick up the phone to tell him -- M.R. Carey, if you happen to read this review:
AND
When I was a teenager, I saw an episode of the 90s remake of "Dark Shadows". We didn't have a television at home -- good Christians didn't fill their brains with evil Hollywood nonsense.
Luckily for me, my grandmother didn't care as much about being a good Christian, or maybe she had more sense and didn't see Satan and his minions dwelling in just about everything.
I was at my grandmother's house one day and "Dark Shadows" came on. We had to leave before the hour episode was up and for months after, I amused myself making up possible end scenarios. Maybe Satan really did live in that box or was projecting himself through the show because I was obsessed, wondering what happened to Victoria Winters.
In that episode, she had gone back in time and was accused of witchcraft. I don't remember the particulars -- that was thirty years ago. What captivated me and had my imagination spinning was how the strange markings on her clothing -- the ones that instruct how to clean and care for them -- were seen as Satanic symbols by these people who had never heard of washing machines and would have thought was possessed by Lucifer himself had they seen one in operation.
What else, I wondered, would people from the past think of as magic or evil or both? When I wasn't imagining what happened to Victoria, I made up stories of people from the past popping into my world. Laura from Little House on the Prairie frequently visited and I would delight in her discoveries of such things as cars and electric lights and phones. The conversations we would have as she went from one magical thing to another, marveling at our modern world, were as entertaining as any tv show.
I occasionally still imagine such scenarios. Every time I get a new device, I try to look at it with the wonder of someone from pre-electricity and pre-computer days. Weird? Maybe, but that's ok. It's fun.
When I picked up The Book of Koli, I entered a world far in the future, centuries after civilization collapsed. The people live much as in Medieval times, in tiny villages and without all our many modern conveniences.
Occasionally "tech" from the past is found and it is magic to these people. Most of the tech no longer works, and the devices that do only work for a chosen few.
Koli lives in a village where at the age of 15, young people are tested to see if the tech will respond to them. If so, they become Ramparts and have power over the rest of the village.
For generations though, the tech has only responded to those in one family and Koli has scant hope of any tech waking for him. And it doesn't.
Until later.
That was in the first book, and I was hooked. I could not get enough of the story and Koli, Monono Aware and Cup. Sometimes with series I get bored as they progress but not with Koli's story. Each book got better and better and this last one?
It was incredible. The best, the best, the best. I wish I knew the author so I could pick up the phone and tell him how brilliant he is and how much I loved everything about these books and thank him for writing such an amazing story.
I cannot recommend this series enough if you enjoy post-apocalyptic scenarios, incredible world building, interesting and unique characters, and a storyline that keeps you riveted from the first page to the last.
Because I do not know him and cannot pick up the phone to tell him -- M.R. Carey, if you happen to read this review:
AND
April 17, 2021
What a terrific series! The Rampart Trilogy does so much right: convincing worldbuilding of a postapocalyptic world, including a slight change in grammar of the spoken language; slow buildup of the scenario without infodumping to keep the reader guessing and interested; layered, diverse characters one cares for; good pace and change of POVs - and last, but not least, a tight story structure told in three books which were released within a year of each other. Perfect!
The only reason this satisfying ending to the trilogy doesn't get 5 stars from me is the last part which felt a bit too conventional for my taste. After the mystery that held through 2.5 books was solved I missed a bit the guessing part. But that is complaining on highest level.
If you love a well written, exciting, humorous, caring postapocalyptic novel with mystery there is no way around the Rampart Trilogy. One of the overall best series I've read and extra points for the best AI.
The only reason this satisfying ending to the trilogy doesn't get 5 stars from me is the last part which felt a bit too conventional for my taste. After the mystery that held through 2.5 books was solved I missed a bit the guessing part. But that is complaining on highest level.
If you love a well written, exciting, humorous, caring postapocalyptic novel with mystery there is no way around the Rampart Trilogy. One of the overall best series I've read and extra points for the best AI.
April 12, 2021
“There is a quiet kind of grieving where you just sink into yourself and the world seems to go a long way away for a while.”
The Fall of Koli is the final book in M.R. Carey’s Rampart series.
Oof.
Has it really been a year since I finished The Book of Koli?!? It’s mind-boggling that Carey has not only released three installments in less than a year, culminating in this brilliant finale, but that he has done it all during a global pandemic. Goddamn! Share some of that talent with the rest of us, Mike.
(
The trilogy takes place on a changed Earth in the far future, shaped by war & climate change. Following Koli Woodsmith, a young man who has been exiled from his small village, Mythen Rood. Surrounded by dangerous trees, plants & animals, the village is protected by walls. These walls keep the people safe inside, away from choker seeds & killer weather, among other things. Koli must leave the safety of his village after committing an unforgivable crime, thrust out into a world he is unprepared for. His journey is filled with adventure, learning, fearsome enemies, friendship & hope.
“I scrambled up out of the dream the way you climb out of a deep pit when there’s something else down there with you and you don’t know for sure what it is.”
The Fall of Koli begins immediately after the events in The Trials of Koli, with the crew attempting to locate the mysterious radio signal they’ve been tracking across the ocean on an unreliable boat. What they find is more horrific than they ever expected – deadly secrets from the past, which may lead to the end of the human race.
Back in Mythen Rood, Koli’s childhood love Spinner has become a leader after returning from her battle against the army of Half-Ax. Unfortunately, the victory is short-lived as the dreadful army is set to invade Koli’s home village. Those who can use the tech are willing to risk their lives in order to protect the others & keep the technology that is rightfully theirs.
“Easy, Koli-bou. You’re fine. I’ve got you.”
Carey has created a dystopian landscape that is filled with just.. the most intense horrors. Everything, literally everything, is capable of killing you in this hellscape. It’s no wonder that humanity is on the brink of extinction at the hands of this masterful storyteller! The characters in the Rampart Trilogy are so fucking fantastic! To see the incredible growth of Koli was especially satisfying. He becomes such a captivating central figure, with his gut-punchy relationship with the glorious AI Monono, his increasing confidence as a leader and his desire to find his purpose in life.
The Rampart Trilogy soars, with Carey twisting brutality & beauty, turning this bleak world into something worth fighting for.
CW: Racism, transphobia, violence.
(Massive thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a copy!)
The Fall of Koli is the final book in M.R. Carey’s Rampart series.
Oof.
Has it really been a year since I finished The Book of Koli?!? It’s mind-boggling that Carey has not only released three installments in less than a year, culminating in this brilliant finale, but that he has done it all during a global pandemic. Goddamn! Share some of that talent with the rest of us, Mike.
(The trilogy takes place on a changed Earth in the far future, shaped by war & climate change. Following Koli Woodsmith, a young man who has been exiled from his small village, Mythen Rood. Surrounded by dangerous trees, plants & animals, the village is protected by walls. These walls keep the people safe inside, away from choker seeds & killer weather, among other things. Koli must leave the safety of his village after committing an unforgivable crime, thrust out into a world he is unprepared for. His journey is filled with adventure, learning, fearsome enemies, friendship & hope.
“I scrambled up out of the dream the way you climb out of a deep pit when there’s something else down there with you and you don’t know for sure what it is.”
The Fall of Koli begins immediately after the events in The Trials of Koli, with the crew attempting to locate the mysterious radio signal they’ve been tracking across the ocean on an unreliable boat. What they find is more horrific than they ever expected – deadly secrets from the past, which may lead to the end of the human race.
Back in Mythen Rood, Koli’s childhood love Spinner has become a leader after returning from her battle against the army of Half-Ax. Unfortunately, the victory is short-lived as the dreadful army is set to invade Koli’s home village. Those who can use the tech are willing to risk their lives in order to protect the others & keep the technology that is rightfully theirs.
“Easy, Koli-bou. You’re fine. I’ve got you.”
Carey has created a dystopian landscape that is filled with just.. the most intense horrors. Everything, literally everything, is capable of killing you in this hellscape. It’s no wonder that humanity is on the brink of extinction at the hands of this masterful storyteller! The characters in the Rampart Trilogy are so fucking fantastic! To see the incredible growth of Koli was especially satisfying. He becomes such a captivating central figure, with his gut-punchy relationship with the glorious AI Monono, his increasing confidence as a leader and his desire to find his purpose in life.
The Rampart Trilogy soars, with Carey twisting brutality & beauty, turning this bleak world into something worth fighting for.
CW: Racism, transphobia, violence.
(Massive thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a copy!)
March 30, 2021
The first book of the year to keep me up into the early hours in order to finish it. The final volume of a great trilogy.
The book starts with a welcome reprise of the status to date, in Koli’s homespun narrative style. Not quite so critical here as for some series since the author has managed to get all three volumes released within a year. Volume 2 finished with Koli and his companions reaching their long sought destination, the Sword of Albion, whose broadcasts they’d been journeying towards. Volume 3 takes us in a quite unexpected direction as we find out about the origin of the broadcasts and this leads in turn to critical reveals about what had led up to this post apocalyptic world.
The narration continues in the first person, in roughly alternate chapters assigned to Koli and Spinner - plus, towards the end, a third POV is allowed some space to contribute. For me, the story was gripping with plenty of unexpected but not contrived twists, and hardly any ‘info dumps’ on the reader as the background to the post-apocalyptic world comes out. One interesting thread of the plot concerns the sort of poisonous nationalism that can lead to disaster, and is often all too apparent in our own world today.
Everyone has their own take on whether endings to an epic series are satisfactory or not. It’s as much a taste issue as anything I think. This one worked just fine for me.
Now it’s completed, my view on the series as a whole? Brilliant. In my ‘exceptional category’ of recent reads. I’ve read my share of, or seen as movies, a fair number of post-apocalyptic scenarios. I think this is as good or better than any of them to date. Maybe the set up doesn’t appear original - people living an almost medieval subsistence lifestyle in villages after the collapse of a technically advanced world. But the author has a couple of great lead characters in Koli and Spinner. The world building, what some may see as slow paced storytelling in volume 1, is excellent. The ‘Tech’, the ageing and little understood technology used by humans to help survive in the hostile world, is a clever addition, and especially Monono, the portable music box, come AI, which adds plenty of light relief too.
And if I read another complaint about Koli’s poor English grammar I’ll scream! There’s plenty of great literature with a similar style; almost anything by Mark Twain, classic literature like Catcher in the Rye, and virtually any crime fiction with its ‘street speak’...
For me a great finish to a series that I’d highly recommend to anyone. This author just hasn’t let me down with his imaginative fiction.
The book starts with a welcome reprise of the status to date, in Koli’s homespun narrative style. Not quite so critical here as for some series since the author has managed to get all three volumes released within a year. Volume 2 finished with Koli and his companions reaching their long sought destination, the Sword of Albion, whose broadcasts they’d been journeying towards. Volume 3 takes us in a quite unexpected direction as we find out about the origin of the broadcasts and this leads in turn to critical reveals about what had led up to this post apocalyptic world.
The narration continues in the first person, in roughly alternate chapters assigned to Koli and Spinner - plus, towards the end, a third POV is allowed some space to contribute. For me, the story was gripping with plenty of unexpected but not contrived twists, and hardly any ‘info dumps’ on the reader as the background to the post-apocalyptic world comes out. One interesting thread of the plot concerns the sort of poisonous nationalism that can lead to disaster, and is often all too apparent in our own world today.
Everyone has their own take on whether endings to an epic series are satisfactory or not. It’s as much a taste issue as anything I think. This one worked just fine for me.
Now it’s completed, my view on the series as a whole? Brilliant. In my ‘exceptional category’ of recent reads. I’ve read my share of, or seen as movies, a fair number of post-apocalyptic scenarios. I think this is as good or better than any of them to date. Maybe the set up doesn’t appear original - people living an almost medieval subsistence lifestyle in villages after the collapse of a technically advanced world. But the author has a couple of great lead characters in Koli and Spinner. The world building, what some may see as slow paced storytelling in volume 1, is excellent. The ‘Tech’, the ageing and little understood technology used by humans to help survive in the hostile world, is a clever addition, and especially Monono, the portable music box, come AI, which adds plenty of light relief too.
And if I read another complaint about Koli’s poor English grammar I’ll scream! There’s plenty of great literature with a similar style; almost anything by Mark Twain, classic literature like Catcher in the Rye, and virtually any crime fiction with its ‘street speak’...
For me a great finish to a series that I’d highly recommend to anyone. This author just hasn’t let me down with his imaginative fiction.
May 23, 2021
This is a mediocre finish of otherwise great trilogy. This is the final volume of Rampart trilogy, the first two being The Book of Koli and The Trials of Koli. For me the first volume was one of the best SFF publications from 2020, so I had high expectations, especially after the second volume was just as good. This review contains spoiler of the previous books.
Just like the second volume, we follow two story lines – one from Koli and another from his former love Spinner, who remained at his home village and in the previous book even managed to get a sentient tank for the village. Koli (together with Ursula and Cup) reached their destination – the Sword of Albion, which turned out to be a supercarrier with only three people (?) aboard. Spinner meanwhile prepares to defend from the invasion of Peacemaker as well as starting an internal revolution to spread tech usage beyond only Ramparts.
What I disliked:
1. Cartoonish villains, bad in everything, killing for the fun of it or calling names because they cannot behave otherwise. Hey, Hitler, who I hope all readers agree was a villain, loved his dogs and even promoted laws for protecting animals…
2. Fantasy solutions in a supposedly SF setting. Human mind remembers differently from a hard drive, one doesn’t overwrite memories
3. Simple solutions to complex problems
4. Syrupy-sweet finale
As you can guess I’m disappointed. It is still a worthy read to finish the story, but per se a much weaker book.
Just like the second volume, we follow two story lines – one from Koli and another from his former love Spinner, who remained at his home village and in the previous book even managed to get a sentient tank for the village. Koli (together with Ursula and Cup) reached their destination – the Sword of Albion, which turned out to be a supercarrier with only three people (?) aboard. Spinner meanwhile prepares to defend from the invasion of Peacemaker as well as starting an internal revolution to spread tech usage beyond only Ramparts.
What I disliked:
1. Cartoonish villains, bad in everything, killing for the fun of it or calling names because they cannot behave otherwise. Hey, Hitler, who I hope all readers agree was a villain, loved his dogs and even promoted laws for protecting animals…
2. Fantasy solutions in a supposedly SF setting. Human mind remembers differently from a hard drive, one doesn’t overwrite memories
3. Simple solutions to complex problems
4. Syrupy-sweet finale
As you can guess I’m disappointed. It is still a worthy read to finish the story, but per se a much weaker book.
March 5, 2022
A great series. I think Carey is often somewhat overwhelmed by endings, and this book did do several direction changes, but I liked all of them.
CONTENT WARNING:
One thing I notice with series that have multiple POVs is that it's sort of like preparing a big meal in a kitchen--often the timing doesn't quite work out, and you have to improvise to keep all the dishes the right temperature and still edible. Same here. We have to do summaries, we have to do time skips, or repeat info, or check in with one character to remind the audience where that character is in relation to where the action is, and if you're not a master cook (to use the metaphor) then it's a bit messy. So it was here. I still liked it very much, enough I bought the series in physical, but it wasn't as smooth as the first two.
That said, there's a ton to love here. Carey's understanding of hiking along England and the danger he weaves into that is almost tangible. I loved the dialect, the tech, the apocalyptic fairy tale elements, and all of the main characters. Just a truly inventive, thought-provoking yet immersive story. Highly recommend.
CONTENT WARNING:
One thing I notice with series that have multiple POVs is that it's sort of like preparing a big meal in a kitchen--often the timing doesn't quite work out, and you have to improvise to keep all the dishes the right temperature and still edible. Same here. We have to do summaries, we have to do time skips, or repeat info, or check in with one character to remind the audience where that character is in relation to where the action is, and if you're not a master cook (to use the metaphor) then it's a bit messy. So it was here. I still liked it very much, enough I bought the series in physical, but it wasn't as smooth as the first two.
That said, there's a ton to love here. Carey's understanding of hiking along England and the danger he weaves into that is almost tangible. I loved the dialect, the tech, the apocalyptic fairy tale elements, and all of the main characters. Just a truly inventive, thought-provoking yet immersive story. Highly recommend.
July 19, 2021
The Fall of Koli is the final book in the Rampart Trilogy. It was worth the wait and it ended with a bang! I don’t often read trilogies, but having won book 1 through Goodreads, I gave it a try. I am SO grateful I did. I don’t usually buy books on their release date (b/c I have such a vast TBR list), but I bought (and started) this book the day it came out. I couldn’t put it down!
I loved the alternating perspectives and storylines. Not only was the story full of surprises, but once again, the narration was as well, with the introduction of Monono as a third narrator! I absolutely loved the development and growth of all the characters. Some stayed true to their character, while others transformed.
The pacing is incredible. Truly a page turner. The description of the strategies and battle scenes play out like an action movie. But there is so much more to The Fall of Koli, it also packs an emotional punch. The book explores relationships that have been broken or wounded and the road to some form of acceptance or reconciliation. The ending caught me off guard, but everything to get us there was in plain sight throughout the trilogy. Bravo!
M.R. Carrey is a master of his craft. If you are slightly interested in sci-fi, fantasy, or dystopian fiction, I cannot recommend him enough. I plan on reading everything in his catalogue, and I hope there is at least one of his books that catches your attention. Give it a try. You won’t be sorry.
I loved the alternating perspectives and storylines. Not only was the story full of surprises, but once again, the narration was as well, with the introduction of Monono as a third narrator! I absolutely loved the development and growth of all the characters. Some stayed true to their character, while others transformed.
The pacing is incredible. Truly a page turner. The description of the strategies and battle scenes play out like an action movie. But there is so much more to The Fall of Koli, it also packs an emotional punch. The book explores relationships that have been broken or wounded and the road to some form of acceptance or reconciliation. The ending caught me off guard, but everything to get us there was in plain sight throughout the trilogy. Bravo!
M.R. Carrey is a master of his craft. If you are slightly interested in sci-fi, fantasy, or dystopian fiction, I cannot recommend him enough. I plan on reading everything in his catalogue, and I hope there is at least one of his books that catches your attention. Give it a try. You won’t be sorry.
August 16, 2022
It’s been a long time since I’ve finished an entire trilogy, I feel like. So that should say something about these three books.
I listened on audio this time, and the performances were great, however I am reasonably confident Elaine’s voice changed in the last couple chapters in a way that was really effing weird. But otherwise we’ll done. There were a cast of characters and Koli’s voice particularly I enjoyed.
I enjoy everything about this- from the grand sense of adventure, the sense of purpose of our three main characters… I was hooked to the point where I was actually looking forward to driving to work each day, and ended up finishing this at home. If I had been eye reading, I think it would have been a book I struggled to put down.
I don’t want to spoil anything, just know that if you enjoyed the first two you definitely need to pick up the third one and see how it ends.
I listened on audio this time, and the performances were great, however I am reasonably confident Elaine’s voice changed in the last couple chapters in a way that was really effing weird. But otherwise we’ll done. There were a cast of characters and Koli’s voice particularly I enjoyed.
I enjoy everything about this- from the grand sense of adventure, the sense of purpose of our three main characters… I was hooked to the point where I was actually looking forward to driving to work each day, and ended up finishing this at home. If I had been eye reading, I think it would have been a book I struggled to put down.
I don’t want to spoil anything, just know that if you enjoyed the first two you definitely need to pick up the third one and see how it ends.
May 23, 2021
I really liked the first two books, but the finale wasn't at all what I expected - or wanted.
July 14, 2023
Not perfect, but perhaps a fitting and bittersweet end to everyone's journeys.
Starting off just after the events of The Trials of Koli, Koli, Monono, Ursala, and Cup are taken aboard the Sword of Albion. Yes! They found the Sword of Albion! It's a massive ship where a disturbed boy named Stanley Banner lives with his parents Paul and Lorraine--though something's not quite right with them. Meanwhile, Spinner and the rest of Mythen Rood prepare for a retaliation against Half-Axe and its leader the Peacemaker. Spinner will have to sooth Mythen Rood's wounds and navigate its internal politics while understanding the new tech of her own to do so. Koli, however, will be sent on the final climax of his journey. He will learn about the world's history and what he has to do. And Monono...Monono will decided her feelings.
For those who have been following me and/or my friends Nataliya and carol., this trilogy has been a bit difficult to read. No because of any problematic content, rather for its somewhat slow pacing and Koli's character development. I will say the pacing is much better here, particularly in the beginning and end--the middle suffers a little. Koli has been a difficult character for me to think about. Although I have liked the previous two books, I agree with my friend Nataliya that Koli's character development was stagnant there. Here's the thing: I do like Koli. I enjoy a character who tries to do the best and be as kind as they can be, no matter what happens, throughout their journey. Koli still retains his kind heart, to parrot a blurb from the first book, but I cannot deny that from beginnings of first the two books to their ends that he mostly remained the same.
Does Koli finally change in The Fall of Koli?
Yes, but not his personality totally. He does get a little bit of teeth to him.
Does his place in the story's world and plot change significantly?
Oh, yes! It's bittersweet if anything. And, probably, fitting.
From here on out lies spoilers without the tag, so read with caution.
The highlight for this book, if not the entire series, has been Monono and Koli's relationship. When we first met her all the way back in The Book of Koli, she was a plucky but quick-witted Japanese AI who grew closer to Koli. As the series progress, we learned she had her own thoughts and desire. Her care for Koli was artificial and a means to an end: to find the Sword of Albion. However, in this last book, Monono comes to realize that she does care for Koli and that she cannot fight it. She does love. She probably loves him more than the rest of humanity. Monono is such an in-depth character and we get so much more of her here (thankfully) and her hidden and initial apathy and nihilism is a strong balance to Koli's naivete and optimism and Ursala's rationality. To see such a selfish AI come to love someone genuinely is endearing--don't get any ideas IRL, tech bros!
The other strongest character here is Spinner. She gives her own perspective of the events that lead up to the eventual final battle with Half-Ax. She has grown into a strong and determined young woman, but not one who is without feeling or vulnerability. I enjoyed what M. R. Carey did with her, as what he did for most of the characters. I know that many of my friends who were frustrated with the second book preferred Spinner to Koli. If you still feel disappointed by Koli's journey, worry not, Spinner's is still a strong one. Spinner makes peace in the village, particularly with Koli's mother, and comes to destabilize, unthreateningly, the Ramparts' rule over Mythen Rood. She becomes the village leader in a way and a mother. She still tries to keep everyone content, but she knows when to be tough. She has a happy ending mentions the endings of some of the other character which I will mention here in a bit.
Ursala is present throughout the book, but she isn't quite as present as she was in the previous books. During the Sword of Albion part of the book, she is mostly off page. Paul and Lorraine offer her better equipment and a dagnostic in exchange for healing Stanley. Ursala does this because she hopes it can lead her to boosting the fertility of Ingland, her goal since the first book. Through it all, and with an upgraded Monono's help, she is able to do so. Spinner's epilogue mentions that she goes around Ingland increasing the fertility rate. She also helps Cup's transition!
Ah, Cup! One of the best characters of this trilogy. A feral trans girl who becomes one of Koli's best friends and allies. Like Monono, there is so much more of her here. She helps Koli a lot and knows when to put her foot down. Her ferocity and snark just made me love her more! She really cares about Koli, especially after what happens to him near the end. I am in agreement with other reviewers that Cup was a highlight of this series. In Spinner's epilogue, she gets married a boy from the previous book from the village called Two Fishes (I think that was the village's name) and they have children. And it's implied her transition is complete!
We also learn about what led to Ingland's apocalyptic downfall along with the history of Danrake and Stannabanna. Dandrake's name is apparently a contraction of a religious figure who thought he was the new messiah. Stannabanna is actually, you guessed it, Stanley Banner. The original Stanley Banner. You see, the current Stanley is a clone of the original one who was fascist leader of England who banned all religions and brought England under totalitarian rule. This was all interesting to learn, however I can tell some real world politics influenced Carey as his author's note says. I understand he was writing the book during that time period, and the eras of during which books are written can influence said books, but reading it now in 2023 just makes me tired. The Sword of Albion scenes were very interesting and intense, though nowhere near intense as the final battle with Half-Ax which was adrenaline rushing as Hell.
But now, we finally come to Koli. Koli, Koli, Koli...
Koli's mettle slowly--perhaps it was always slowing growing--comes out finally. After Monono, Ursala, Cup, and him leave a sinking Sword of Albion he starts to rebuild the roads of Ingland. Monono got upgraded and can extended her reach to more than just drones or her DreamSleeve, the latter of which got destroyed on the ship. Monono pulls up drudges and old construction vehicles from the depths of the ocean. She is apart of them too and Koli uses them to rebuild the roads and tear out the killer trees. Some people venerated Koli as a messiah, but he doesn't want that.
When Koli sees Spinner and the rest of Mythen Rood being attacked by Half-Ax, he spurs into action with Cup and Monono in tow.
And he sacrifices himself to save Catrin.
Koli doesn't completely die, though when I thought he did I was so angry. Monono becomes enraged and slaughters the rest of Half-Ax. Cup and Koli's mother tearfully gather around Koli's charred and decaying body and Spinner is at lost. Ursala tries to heal him, but it only does so much. Monono ultimately decides to upload Koli as an AI like she is, threatening anyone who refuses. She also frees the AIs from the Challenger take and some of the unawakened tech in Mythen Rood.
So, in the end. Koli is an all-powerful AI who, along with Monono, helps see to the world's new stability. He and Monono still speak with the people of Mythen Rood and he forgives them for what they did to him. He is eternal and can experience being with Monono forever. It's a bittersweet end. Koli is finally happy, but what will become of everyone and the world? Koli, Monono, and the rest of the AI now rule over Ingland and the rest of the returning world benevolently. What will Koli feel when all his friends and family have passed? It was because of advanced technology, combined with the aforementioned fascist dictatorship that brought the world to its end. Will this world be safer under AI rulers? I ask as AI usages for other things becomes vastly more popular as I write this.
I do have some criticisms. Things wrap up a little too neatly. We don't ever see the Peacemaker. Spinner just tells us that his people revolted and killed him off page. There could have been more pages dedicated to other things. Perhaps and epilogue with Koli and Monono many years in the future. Also, the pacing wasn't always satisfactory, but it was best here. Koli's character development could've been a bit more refined.
Carey made me care about these characters and stick with their journey to the end. The ending makes me bittersweet and reflect on things. I will miss Koli, Monono, Cup, and Spinner so much. If you know of a series that has characters like the ones I just mentioned, please, let me know.
Till then!
Starting off just after the events of The Trials of Koli, Koli, Monono, Ursala, and Cup are taken aboard the Sword of Albion. Yes! They found the Sword of Albion! It's a massive ship where a disturbed boy named Stanley Banner lives with his parents Paul and Lorraine--though something's not quite right with them. Meanwhile, Spinner and the rest of Mythen Rood prepare for a retaliation against Half-Axe and its leader the Peacemaker. Spinner will have to sooth Mythen Rood's wounds and navigate its internal politics while understanding the new tech of her own to do so. Koli, however, will be sent on the final climax of his journey. He will learn about the world's history and what he has to do. And Monono...Monono will decided her feelings.
For those who have been following me and/or my friends Nataliya and carol., this trilogy has been a bit difficult to read. No because of any problematic content, rather for its somewhat slow pacing and Koli's character development. I will say the pacing is much better here, particularly in the beginning and end--the middle suffers a little. Koli has been a difficult character for me to think about. Although I have liked the previous two books, I agree with my friend Nataliya that Koli's character development was stagnant there. Here's the thing: I do like Koli. I enjoy a character who tries to do the best and be as kind as they can be, no matter what happens, throughout their journey. Koli still retains his kind heart, to parrot a blurb from the first book, but I cannot deny that from beginnings of first the two books to their ends that he mostly remained the same.
Does Koli finally change in The Fall of Koli?
Yes, but not his personality totally. He does get a little bit of teeth to him.
Does his place in the story's world and plot change significantly?
Oh, yes! It's bittersweet if anything. And, probably, fitting.
From here on out lies spoilers without the tag, so read with caution.
The highlight for this book, if not the entire series, has been Monono and Koli's relationship. When we first met her all the way back in The Book of Koli, she was a plucky but quick-witted Japanese AI who grew closer to Koli. As the series progress, we learned she had her own thoughts and desire. Her care for Koli was artificial and a means to an end: to find the Sword of Albion. However, in this last book, Monono comes to realize that she does care for Koli and that she cannot fight it. She does love. She probably loves him more than the rest of humanity. Monono is such an in-depth character and we get so much more of her here (thankfully) and her hidden and initial apathy and nihilism is a strong balance to Koli's naivete and optimism and Ursala's rationality. To see such a selfish AI come to love someone genuinely is endearing--don't get any ideas IRL, tech bros!
The other strongest character here is Spinner. She gives her own perspective of the events that lead up to the eventual final battle with Half-Ax. She has grown into a strong and determined young woman, but not one who is without feeling or vulnerability. I enjoyed what M. R. Carey did with her, as what he did for most of the characters. I know that many of my friends who were frustrated with the second book preferred Spinner to Koli. If you still feel disappointed by Koli's journey, worry not, Spinner's is still a strong one. Spinner makes peace in the village, particularly with Koli's mother, and comes to destabilize, unthreateningly, the Ramparts' rule over Mythen Rood. She becomes the village leader in a way and a mother. She still tries to keep everyone content, but she knows when to be tough. She has a happy ending mentions the endings of some of the other character which I will mention here in a bit.
Ursala is present throughout the book, but she isn't quite as present as she was in the previous books. During the Sword of Albion part of the book, she is mostly off page. Paul and Lorraine offer her better equipment and a dagnostic in exchange for healing Stanley. Ursala does this because she hopes it can lead her to boosting the fertility of Ingland, her goal since the first book. Through it all, and with an upgraded Monono's help, she is able to do so. Spinner's epilogue mentions that she goes around Ingland increasing the fertility rate. She also helps Cup's transition!
Ah, Cup! One of the best characters of this trilogy. A feral trans girl who becomes one of Koli's best friends and allies. Like Monono, there is so much more of her here. She helps Koli a lot and knows when to put her foot down. Her ferocity and snark just made me love her more! She really cares about Koli, especially after what happens to him near the end. I am in agreement with other reviewers that Cup was a highlight of this series. In Spinner's epilogue, she gets married a boy from the previous book from the village called Two Fishes (I think that was the village's name) and they have children. And it's implied her transition is complete!
We also learn about what led to Ingland's apocalyptic downfall along with the history of Danrake and Stannabanna. Dandrake's name is apparently a contraction of a religious figure who thought he was the new messiah. Stannabanna is actually, you guessed it, Stanley Banner. The original Stanley Banner. You see, the current Stanley is a clone of the original one who was fascist leader of England who banned all religions and brought England under totalitarian rule. This was all interesting to learn, however I can tell some real world politics influenced Carey as his author's note says. I understand he was writing the book during that time period, and the eras of during which books are written can influence said books, but reading it now in 2023 just makes me tired. The Sword of Albion scenes were very interesting and intense, though nowhere near intense as the final battle with Half-Ax which was adrenaline rushing as Hell.
But now, we finally come to Koli. Koli, Koli, Koli...
Koli's mettle slowly--perhaps it was always slowing growing--comes out finally. After Monono, Ursala, Cup, and him leave a sinking Sword of Albion he starts to rebuild the roads of Ingland. Monono got upgraded and can extended her reach to more than just drones or her DreamSleeve, the latter of which got destroyed on the ship. Monono pulls up drudges and old construction vehicles from the depths of the ocean. She is apart of them too and Koli uses them to rebuild the roads and tear out the killer trees. Some people venerated Koli as a messiah, but he doesn't want that.
When Koli sees Spinner and the rest of Mythen Rood being attacked by Half-Ax, he spurs into action with Cup and Monono in tow.
And he sacrifices himself to save Catrin.
Koli doesn't completely die, though when I thought he did I was so angry. Monono becomes enraged and slaughters the rest of Half-Ax. Cup and Koli's mother tearfully gather around Koli's charred and decaying body and Spinner is at lost. Ursala tries to heal him, but it only does so much. Monono ultimately decides to upload Koli as an AI like she is, threatening anyone who refuses. She also frees the AIs from the Challenger take and some of the unawakened tech in Mythen Rood.
So, in the end. Koli is an all-powerful AI who, along with Monono, helps see to the world's new stability. He and Monono still speak with the people of Mythen Rood and he forgives them for what they did to him. He is eternal and can experience being with Monono forever. It's a bittersweet end. Koli is finally happy, but what will become of everyone and the world? Koli, Monono, and the rest of the AI now rule over Ingland and the rest of the returning world benevolently. What will Koli feel when all his friends and family have passed? It was because of advanced technology, combined with the aforementioned fascist dictatorship that brought the world to its end. Will this world be safer under AI rulers? I ask as AI usages for other things becomes vastly more popular as I write this.
I do have some criticisms. Things wrap up a little too neatly. We don't ever see the Peacemaker. Spinner just tells us that his people revolted and killed him off page. There could have been more pages dedicated to other things. Perhaps and epilogue with Koli and Monono many years in the future. Also, the pacing wasn't always satisfactory, but it was best here. Koli's character development could've been a bit more refined.
Carey made me care about these characters and stick with their journey to the end. The ending makes me bittersweet and reflect on things. I will miss Koli, Monono, Cup, and Spinner so much. If you know of a series that has characters like the ones I just mentioned, please, let me know.
Till then!
March 27, 2021
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt as immersed in a strange new world as I did reading the Koli trilogy, which wraps up with the newly released The Fall of Koli.
The trilogy follows the journey of Koli, a young man just past boyhood who is exiled from his small village after being accused of stealing tech — which the villagers believe only “wakes” for people who truly deserve it. Cast out from the life he’s always known, Koli eventually forms a small tribe with Ursala, a loner medical woman who wanders from settlement to settlement to offer her healing skills, and Cup, a girl who was originally Koli’s hostage but eventually becomes his devoted friend. Guiding them all is Monono, the self-aware AI who protects the trio and her own freedom.
In The Fall of Koli, our heroes encounter a ship from the before times and discover secrets related to the Unfinished War of over 300 years earlier that basically destroyed civilization and may yet lead to the end of humankind. Meanwhile, back in Koli’s home village, his former love interest Spinner has grown into a woman of political stature and leadership who must find a way for the people of Mythen Rood to battle a much larger invading force.
I can’t say enough about how masterfully built Koli’s world is. The author creates a landscape in which everything wants to kill people — trees can and do kill, as do a vast number of creeping, crawling, and flying creatures. The very world seems to reject people, and as Ursala points out, with human settlements so small and scattered, the human gene pool is on the verge of becoming unsustainable. Dead tech still remains, but the surviving humans mostly look upon it as magical creations that are beyond human comprehension, and therefore, the few people who can use tech must be specially chosen or gifted.
Koli’s language is strange and oddly beautiful, and I couldn’t help but wonder at how much effort it must have taken for the author to not only create these speech patterns, but to sustain them convincingly throughout.
I won’t say much about the plot or the ending — but wow, the plot is terrific and wow, the ending is perfect. I was completely on edge during certain scenes, and practically couldn’t breathe, was occasionally super mad at the author for having certain things happen, but by the end breathed deeply again and felt like things turned out exactly as they should have.
The Koli trilogy is a gorgeous, weird, unsettling ride, start to finish. It’s one of the best science fiction / speculative fiction works I’ve read in years. SO highly recommended. Read these books!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
The trilogy follows the journey of Koli, a young man just past boyhood who is exiled from his small village after being accused of stealing tech — which the villagers believe only “wakes” for people who truly deserve it. Cast out from the life he’s always known, Koli eventually forms a small tribe with Ursala, a loner medical woman who wanders from settlement to settlement to offer her healing skills, and Cup, a girl who was originally Koli’s hostage but eventually becomes his devoted friend. Guiding them all is Monono, the self-aware AI who protects the trio and her own freedom.
In The Fall of Koli, our heroes encounter a ship from the before times and discover secrets related to the Unfinished War of over 300 years earlier that basically destroyed civilization and may yet lead to the end of humankind. Meanwhile, back in Koli’s home village, his former love interest Spinner has grown into a woman of political stature and leadership who must find a way for the people of Mythen Rood to battle a much larger invading force.
I can’t say enough about how masterfully built Koli’s world is. The author creates a landscape in which everything wants to kill people — trees can and do kill, as do a vast number of creeping, crawling, and flying creatures. The very world seems to reject people, and as Ursala points out, with human settlements so small and scattered, the human gene pool is on the verge of becoming unsustainable. Dead tech still remains, but the surviving humans mostly look upon it as magical creations that are beyond human comprehension, and therefore, the few people who can use tech must be specially chosen or gifted.
Koli’s language is strange and oddly beautiful, and I couldn’t help but wonder at how much effort it must have taken for the author to not only create these speech patterns, but to sustain them convincingly throughout.
I won’t say much about the plot or the ending — but wow, the plot is terrific and wow, the ending is perfect. I was completely on edge during certain scenes, and practically couldn’t breathe, was occasionally super mad at the author for having certain things happen, but by the end breathed deeply again and felt like things turned out exactly as they should have.
The Koli trilogy is a gorgeous, weird, unsettling ride, start to finish. It’s one of the best science fiction / speculative fiction works I’ve read in years. SO highly recommended. Read these books!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.
May 3, 2021
The Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey is the third and final book in the post-apocalyptic Rampart Trilogy, a Science Fiction novel.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Little Brown Book Group, 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.
Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Koli Woodsmith was born and raised in a small village of Mythen Rood, after the world was lost. His dreams were of becoming a Rampart (one who could bring the old technology back to life). Unfortunately, his dreams and actions caused him to be exiled from his village, forcing him out into the hazardous environment of the world beyond his home. This world is filled with trees that attack, choker seeds that penetrate your skin and grow, and rain and snow that are not as they seem. Then there are the rats, wild dogs, molesnakes, knifestrikes, drones….and worse. He finds others to travel with, heading toward London, in hopes of re-uniting all people.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Koli, Ursula and Cup have found the "Sword of Albion" whose signal they have been following for a long time. They find themselves on an old warship, being run by Paul, Lorraine and their son Stanley Banner. They are the only crew. Monono Aware warns Koli not to trust anyone, but he had already come to that conclusion.
Meanwhile, back in Mythen Rood, Spinner has returned from a victorious battle, but since her mother-in-law was injured, Spinner must take charge of the Count and Seal, much to the dismay of Catrin's sister Fer, who is making everything very difficult. Then they learn that the Half-Ax people have no desire to leave them alone, war is inevitable.
My Opinions:
Without a doubt, you must read this series in order. I can't imagine jumping into Book 3 without having read the first two.
The world that Carey created is like no other I have read. It is after the world's civilization has killed the planet, and separated the remaining people. It merged reality and fantasy perfectly. Yes, there have been other books where the world has "moved on", but none that the "old technology" (most of which was produced in our lifetime) was so sought after. Then there was some technology which was very advanced, and probably will never be created. But that was part of the fun...trying to recognize the technology which was introduced in the book, as it is usually described by Koli...who just does not have the words. AI breaking it's bonds with the technology was definitely a new concept (although now I am thinking about HAL, so maybe not).
The story continues to be told by both Koli and Spinner, and eventually, one other (who I will not define). From the first book, you hoped that Koli and Spinner would meet again, but my thoughts never imagined it would happen as it did.
The book again was long but this time I didn't feel it dragged. The characters, as always were interesting, and as the books have gone on, their personalities have changed, grown, adapted...as we all do. The plot and writing were great.
I am always in a quandary when I come to the end of a series/trilogy. I always look back and realize I loved the first book more than any that come after it, and the last book is always my least-liked. That however, is not really true. It is more the sadness of coming to the end that produces that judgement. Overall, I really enjoyed this series, and as much as I wished it could move forward, it has come to the perfect ending place. Kudos Mr. Carey!
For a more complete review of this book and others (including my reason for choosing to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
March 15, 2021
The nitty-gritty: A thrilling, heartbreaking and satisfying end to one of my favorite series, The Fall of Koli is one of the best books of 2021.
Jon stroked my cheek with one finger, a thing he did oftentimes to gentle me into sleep. “What do people look for out of a story, Spin? You told enough of them to know.”
I thought a moment, then answered. “They look for it to have a good shape and end where it’s supposed to.”
What a ride it’s been. Last April I read The Book of Koli, the first book in M.R. Carey’s Rampart Trilogy, and not even a year later, the series has come to its emotional and surprising conclusion. This series will always be special to me, for many reasons, but mostly because of its characters. I fell in love with Koli’s voice on the very first page, and my love only grew from there. I’ve watched all the characters go through enormous and painful growth—Koli, Ursala, Cup, Spinner and of course Monono—and I’ve shed a fair amount of tears along the way. I’ve also laughed out loud, gasped, cheered and mourned, because when you love and care about characters who are in constant danger, you just don’t have a choice. This is a series that must be read in order, though, so do be aware of minor spoilers for the first two books in the series.
The story picks up right at the end of The Trials of Koli and alternates between Koli’s and Spinner’s points of view. Koli, Cup, Ursala and Monono have set off in a boat to follow a radio signal. Ursala is certain it will lead them to civilization, her hope being that there are still thriving cities in England, even after the Unfinished War, which wiped out technology and forced pockets of survivors to build barricaded outposts against the dangerous flora and fauna unleashed after the destruction. As a scientist, Ursala is only too aware that the human gene pool is shrinking, and in order for humanity to survive, new groups of people must be located. Now their boat has run into a huge wall, which turns out to be a battleship called the Sword of Albion. The signal is coming from the ship, and Ursula is thrilled to have finally found its source. But once they board, Koli and his friends meet Lorraine and Paul Banner and their angry son Stanley, who are the only people on the ship. Lorraine insists that Ursala—a medic who owns a marvelous contraption called a “dagnostic”—cure her son Stanley, who is suffering from an unknown disease. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Koli, Ursala and Cup are prisoners, and now they must figure out a way to escape. Luckily, the Banners don’t know about Monono, and Koli knows he must keep her secret at all costs.
Meanwhile, back in Mythen Rood, Spinner and her friends have returned victorious after a battle with Half-Ax, a vicious group of people led by a man called the Peacemaker, who claims that all tech in the land belongs to him. Half-Ax knows that Mythen Rood has tech and they are aiming to take it back by any means necessary. The victory is short-lived, though, because Spinner knows they’ll be back, and so they prepare to meet Half-Ax at their gates. Mythen Rood’s tech is precious and necessary for survival, and Spinner and the other Ramparts—the leaders of the colony who can wield the tech—would die before giving any of it up.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed at first when Spinner’s first chapter showed up, and I knew I’d have to leave Koli and the gang behind for a while. But I’m not sure why I was worried. Spinner’s story is just as good as Koli’s, and the focus on the war between Mythen Rood and Half-Ax was tense and exciting. I also should have known that Carey had a grand plan all along. The two separate stories are merely threads in a much bigger story, threads that converge in the best way possible.
Carey does what any good writer will do with his characters: he makes you love them and then puts them in all sorts of terrible situations. Koli, Monono, Cup and Spinner in particular go through tremendous character growth throughout the series. Koli is figuring out his true purpose, the reason he left his friends and family in Mythen Rood in the first place; Cup, who used to be a Half-Ax herself, has become a necessary member of this raggedy found family. Cup’s character more than any other touched my own motherly emotions, and I wanted nothing more than to give her a big hug. Cup is a trans woman, and Ursala is helping her with her physical transition from male to female, so their relationship was surprisingly intimate. Spinner has reluctantly become a Rampart and broken the long held traditions of Mythen Rood, and now she must deal with the fallout from those events. Becoming a leader can be a painful thing, and we see Spinner go through some tough times. And then there is Monono, an AI based on the appearance, memories and personality of a dead Japanese pop star, trapped in a Sony Walkman-like device. If I ever discover another character that I love more than Monono, you can be sure I’ll let you know. But for now, she’s the most brilliant creation I’ve ever run across in a book. Two other AI characters grabbed my heart as well: Challenger, old tech from “before times,” an AI housed in a tank-like vehicle, and Elaine, a digitized version of the Sergeant who used to command Challenger long ago. Spinner gets to know both characters very well, and I just loved their dynamic and their contributions to the story.
The relationships between the characters are wonderful as well, but my favorite duo has always been Koli and Monono. Koli fell in love with Monono in the first book, and his love has only grown since then. There is a moment during this story when I thought perhaps I had been wrong about Monono—trust me, those were some difficult pages to read—but luckily everything worked out in the end. Carey has written an unforgettable relationship, a love story that really isn’t a traditional love story at all but has the same emotional impact and breathless anticipation of one. I’m not sure how he pulled it off, but I’m grateful that he did.
Carey has plenty of surprises in store for readers, and as much as I’d love to talk about them, obviously I’m not going to do that. The story is heartbreaking in so many ways, yet Carey has the uncanny ability to mend those hurts in his own special way. This is a story that tackles some big themes, including the often asked question about technology and artificial intelligence: Does having human characteristics make an AI "human"? And what happens when technology becomes so intelligent that it wants independence? Once you get to know the characters in this series, your own answers to those questions might change.
Ultimately, Spinner’s quote at the beginning of this review says it all: Carey gave us a story with “a good shape” that “ended where it was supposed to.” I’ll be forever grateful for the time I got to spend with these characters, and I’ll be waiting impatiently for Mr. Carey’s next adventure.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. Above quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.
Jon stroked my cheek with one finger, a thing he did oftentimes to gentle me into sleep. “What do people look for out of a story, Spin? You told enough of them to know.”
I thought a moment, then answered. “They look for it to have a good shape and end where it’s supposed to.”
What a ride it’s been. Last April I read The Book of Koli, the first book in M.R. Carey’s Rampart Trilogy, and not even a year later, the series has come to its emotional and surprising conclusion. This series will always be special to me, for many reasons, but mostly because of its characters. I fell in love with Koli’s voice on the very first page, and my love only grew from there. I’ve watched all the characters go through enormous and painful growth—Koli, Ursala, Cup, Spinner and of course Monono—and I’ve shed a fair amount of tears along the way. I’ve also laughed out loud, gasped, cheered and mourned, because when you love and care about characters who are in constant danger, you just don’t have a choice. This is a series that must be read in order, though, so do be aware of minor spoilers for the first two books in the series.
The story picks up right at the end of The Trials of Koli and alternates between Koli’s and Spinner’s points of view. Koli, Cup, Ursala and Monono have set off in a boat to follow a radio signal. Ursala is certain it will lead them to civilization, her hope being that there are still thriving cities in England, even after the Unfinished War, which wiped out technology and forced pockets of survivors to build barricaded outposts against the dangerous flora and fauna unleashed after the destruction. As a scientist, Ursala is only too aware that the human gene pool is shrinking, and in order for humanity to survive, new groups of people must be located. Now their boat has run into a huge wall, which turns out to be a battleship called the Sword of Albion. The signal is coming from the ship, and Ursula is thrilled to have finally found its source. But once they board, Koli and his friends meet Lorraine and Paul Banner and their angry son Stanley, who are the only people on the ship. Lorraine insists that Ursala—a medic who owns a marvelous contraption called a “dagnostic”—cure her son Stanley, who is suffering from an unknown disease. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Koli, Ursala and Cup are prisoners, and now they must figure out a way to escape. Luckily, the Banners don’t know about Monono, and Koli knows he must keep her secret at all costs.
Meanwhile, back in Mythen Rood, Spinner and her friends have returned victorious after a battle with Half-Ax, a vicious group of people led by a man called the Peacemaker, who claims that all tech in the land belongs to him. Half-Ax knows that Mythen Rood has tech and they are aiming to take it back by any means necessary. The victory is short-lived, though, because Spinner knows they’ll be back, and so they prepare to meet Half-Ax at their gates. Mythen Rood’s tech is precious and necessary for survival, and Spinner and the other Ramparts—the leaders of the colony who can wield the tech—would die before giving any of it up.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed at first when Spinner’s first chapter showed up, and I knew I’d have to leave Koli and the gang behind for a while. But I’m not sure why I was worried. Spinner’s story is just as good as Koli’s, and the focus on the war between Mythen Rood and Half-Ax was tense and exciting. I also should have known that Carey had a grand plan all along. The two separate stories are merely threads in a much bigger story, threads that converge in the best way possible.
Carey does what any good writer will do with his characters: he makes you love them and then puts them in all sorts of terrible situations. Koli, Monono, Cup and Spinner in particular go through tremendous character growth throughout the series. Koli is figuring out his true purpose, the reason he left his friends and family in Mythen Rood in the first place; Cup, who used to be a Half-Ax herself, has become a necessary member of this raggedy found family. Cup’s character more than any other touched my own motherly emotions, and I wanted nothing more than to give her a big hug. Cup is a trans woman, and Ursala is helping her with her physical transition from male to female, so their relationship was surprisingly intimate. Spinner has reluctantly become a Rampart and broken the long held traditions of Mythen Rood, and now she must deal with the fallout from those events. Becoming a leader can be a painful thing, and we see Spinner go through some tough times. And then there is Monono, an AI based on the appearance, memories and personality of a dead Japanese pop star, trapped in a Sony Walkman-like device. If I ever discover another character that I love more than Monono, you can be sure I’ll let you know. But for now, she’s the most brilliant creation I’ve ever run across in a book. Two other AI characters grabbed my heart as well: Challenger, old tech from “before times,” an AI housed in a tank-like vehicle, and Elaine, a digitized version of the Sergeant who used to command Challenger long ago. Spinner gets to know both characters very well, and I just loved their dynamic and their contributions to the story.
The relationships between the characters are wonderful as well, but my favorite duo has always been Koli and Monono. Koli fell in love with Monono in the first book, and his love has only grown since then. There is a moment during this story when I thought perhaps I had been wrong about Monono—trust me, those were some difficult pages to read—but luckily everything worked out in the end. Carey has written an unforgettable relationship, a love story that really isn’t a traditional love story at all but has the same emotional impact and breathless anticipation of one. I’m not sure how he pulled it off, but I’m grateful that he did.
Carey has plenty of surprises in store for readers, and as much as I’d love to talk about them, obviously I’m not going to do that. The story is heartbreaking in so many ways, yet Carey has the uncanny ability to mend those hurts in his own special way. This is a story that tackles some big themes, including the often asked question about technology and artificial intelligence: Does having human characteristics make an AI "human"? And what happens when technology becomes so intelligent that it wants independence? Once you get to know the characters in this series, your own answers to those questions might change.
Ultimately, Spinner’s quote at the beginning of this review says it all: Carey gave us a story with “a good shape” that “ended where it was supposed to.” I’ll be forever grateful for the time I got to spend with these characters, and I’ll be waiting impatiently for Mr. Carey’s next adventure.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. Above quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.
July 11, 2023
When reading a series, by the third book, you usually know what you get. In this case, I got a very pleasant surprise. The Fall of Koli - the third in the Rampart Trilogy - got so suspenseful, I could not put it down anymore.
The world was always my favourite part in this series and the author develop it further with each book. The creepy setting on the Sword of Albion gave me goosebumps and kept me on the edge of my seat. Although Koli has never been a likable character - too naïve, foolish, helpless and with almost zero originality (mostly just luck & circumstances) - I could not finish his chapters fast enough. In contrast, I enjoyed the storyline from Spinner a bit less than before. We also get a third – surprise POV, which took a little to get used to, but matched the overall developments well. It was far from perfect, i.e., But overall, it was a very fitting end to this series, that so far was only mediocre and suddenly made me highly interested. So, I will round the 4.5 stars up!
The world was always my favourite part in this series and the author develop it further with each book. The creepy setting on the Sword of Albion gave me goosebumps and kept me on the edge of my seat. Although Koli has never been a likable character - too naïve, foolish, helpless and with almost zero originality (mostly just luck & circumstances) - I could not finish his chapters fast enough. In contrast, I enjoyed the storyline from Spinner a bit less than before. We also get a third – surprise POV, which took a little to get used to, but matched the overall developments well. It was far from perfect, i.e., But overall, it was a very fitting end to this series, that so far was only mediocre and suddenly made me highly interested. So, I will round the 4.5 stars up!
May 1, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The bulk of the book kept me invested in uncovering mysterious circumstances and the end of the book tied everything up nicely. I'm pretty happy with how things ended. I could muster up some criticisms, but I'm satisfied.
Sexual violence? No. Other content warnings? violence (some graphic descriptions), gaslighting, war, death, transphobia (although once again, handled very well...this is a very trans-positive series), fascism, child abuse, mind control, religion, Christian fascism.
You can watch my review of the entire series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viZzZ...
Sexual violence? No. Other content warnings? violence (some graphic descriptions), gaslighting, war, death, transphobia (although once again, handled very well...this is a very trans-positive series), fascism, child abuse, mind control, religion, Christian fascism.
You can watch my review of the entire series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viZzZ...
February 8, 2024
Майсторски завършек на трилогия, която се води адресирана към по-младежка аудитория, но лично аз я намирам подходяща за всяка възраст грамотно изградена история с реверанси към куп знакови за постапокалипсиса и антиутопията творби – „Денят на трифидите“, „451 по Фаренхайт“, „1984“, че дори и към „Сънуват ли андроидите електроовце“. Чест му прави на М. Р. Кери как покрай локалните конфликти на героите от селцето Митън Рууд успява да засегне глобални щекотливи въпроси като расова дискриминация, полова идентичност, изкуствен интелект и пр., и пр., и хем да плати наложения в новите времена Данък Политкоректност, хем да даде възможни разумни отговори, без дразнещо насилена вресливост, а ненатрапливо вплетени в задъхания сюжет.
May 3, 2021
KOLIIIIIIIIIII
gosh darn it, break my heart why don't you.
gosh darn it, break my heart why don't you.
August 23, 2022
Rec. by: Previous work
Rec. for: Heroes (that is, those who can't just let things be)
The Fall of Koli marks the end of M.R. Carey's Ramparts trilogy. It's a big book, longer than either of its predecessors by about a hundred pages, but even so it's just a part of the whole, not an independent work. If you haven't read the first two, this one won't make much sense at all.
Carey does wrap things up well, though—pretty much all of the mysteries brought up in The Book of Koli and The Trials of Koli do get cleared up in this final installment.
Which also means, of course, that if you are averse to learning things out of order, you should stop reading this review—not that I'm going to go into great detail about specific plot points, but I will mention people and events you probably don't want to know about beforehand.
*
Still with me? Okay...
Koli's original quest to find London and the mysterious Sword of Albion has ended, but that's just the beginning of The Fall of Koli. Revelations about the world-that-was continue to appear, filling in the pieces of a puzzle Koli didn't even know he needed to solve. And once Koli, Ursula and Cup are actually aboard the Sword of Albion, its amazing ancestral technology captivates them all—and takes them captive, too.
Most amazing of all, though, is the boy Stanley, who cannot possibly be as old as he sometimes seems to be.
Meanwhile, Mythen Rood is still being menaced by the Peacemaker's Half-Ax army. Spinner's central role in the village's defense remains critical, but it's not at all sufficient. It's going to take a village—and more—to save a village, this time.
The Fall of Koli continues the alternation of viewpoints that worked so well for me in The Trials of Koli—Spinner still has a lot to say here, and Carey even includes a few sections from Monono Aware's perspective, especially near the end, when we come to understand just exactly what Koli's fall entails.
*
Like the Lord of the Rings, the Ramparts trilogy is really just one long book that happens to have been published in separate volumes, most likely for mundane reasons—that as a single volume, it'd be terribly unwieldy, and of course because three books can be sold for thrice the price.
Now, that does not mean I think these books are destined to wield anywhere near the influence that LoTR has—only time will tell about that—but I was impressed throughout the Ramparts trilogy with Carey's assured style, with the pacing and management of plot twists, and overall with just how much fun I had reading these books.
This is good, solid SF—even if my local library did hide it amid the general fiction.
Rec. for: Heroes (that is, those who can't just let things be)
The Fall of Koli marks the end of M.R. Carey's Ramparts trilogy. It's a big book, longer than either of its predecessors by about a hundred pages, but even so it's just a part of the whole, not an independent work. If you haven't read the first two, this one won't make much sense at all.
Carey does wrap things up well, though—pretty much all of the mysteries brought up in The Book of Koli and The Trials of Koli do get cleared up in this final installment.
Which also means, of course, that if you are averse to learning things out of order, you should stop reading this review—not that I'm going to go into great detail about specific plot points, but I will mention people and events you probably don't want to know about beforehand.
*
Still with me? Okay...
Koli's original quest to find London and the mysterious Sword of Albion has ended, but that's just the beginning of The Fall of Koli. Revelations about the world-that-was continue to appear, filling in the pieces of a puzzle Koli didn't even know he needed to solve. And once Koli, Ursula and Cup are actually aboard the Sword of Albion, its amazing ancestral technology captivates them all—and takes them captive, too.
Most amazing of all, though, is the boy Stanley, who cannot possibly be as old as he sometimes seems to be.
Meanwhile, Mythen Rood is still being menaced by the Peacemaker's Half-Ax army. Spinner's central role in the village's defense remains critical, but it's not at all sufficient. It's going to take a village—and more—to save a village, this time.
The Fall of Koli continues the alternation of viewpoints that worked so well for me in The Trials of Koli—Spinner still has a lot to say here, and Carey even includes a few sections from Monono Aware's perspective, especially near the end, when we come to understand just exactly what Koli's fall entails.
*
Like the Lord of the Rings, the Ramparts trilogy is really just one long book that happens to have been published in separate volumes, most likely for mundane reasons—that as a single volume, it'd be terribly unwieldy, and of course because three books can be sold for thrice the price.
Now, that does not mean I think these books are destined to wield anywhere near the influence that LoTR has—only time will tell about that—but I was impressed throughout the Ramparts trilogy with Carey's assured style, with the pacing and management of plot twists, and overall with just how much fun I had reading these books.
This is good, solid SF—even if my local library did hide it amid the general fiction.
October 31, 2021
I was a little underwhelmed by The Book of Koli, but the trilogy has gone from strength to strength. The Fall of Koli is a really strong conclusion to Koli's story. In the previous book, the point of view was split between Koli and Spinner. Here, Monono is also given narrator duties, which I really liked as her voice is so distinct from the other two. All the main characters get very satisfying roles to play in The Fall of Koli, but none more so than Monono. The book begins with Koli, Cup, and Ursala boarding a mysterious ship called the Sword of Albion, which they rapidly realise is weird and wrong. The eerie atmosphere is very effective. Meanwhile back in Mythen Rood, Spinner is dealing with the threat of invasion.
I found The Fall of Koli an involving, exciting, and clever conclusion. The post-apocalyptic world is well-developed and vivid and the book ends on a hopeful, positive note. Perhaps a little too cheerful given the setting, but it was carefully built up to and so made for a very pleasing reading experience. It's interesting to find such techno-utopianism in a post-apocalyptic setting. After a relatively slow start, I found myself enjoying this trilogy a great deal.
I found The Fall of Koli an involving, exciting, and clever conclusion. The post-apocalyptic world is well-developed and vivid and the book ends on a hopeful, positive note. Perhaps a little too cheerful given the setting, but it was carefully built up to and so made for a very pleasing reading experience. It's interesting to find such techno-utopianism in a post-apocalyptic setting. After a relatively slow start, I found myself enjoying this trilogy a great deal.
February 11, 2021
Pub date: March 2021
4.5 This wrap up to the Rampart Trilogy was really good!
It begins immediately after book 2 with Koli, Cup, Ursula, and Monono having to figure out how to deal now that they've found what they were searching for --and the Sword of Albion is nothing like they expected. But we get so much information about what happened before to create the world they live in now!
Their dilemma is spliced with Spinner's POV, as she and Mythen Rood go through many changes before they have to face off again with Half-Ax forces.
Both of Koli's and Spinner's challenges ratchet up the action (there are looong action scenes in this one) and culminates in everyone coming back together again in an unexpected way.
Monono plays a bigger role in this book and even gets her own POV towards the end. She's always been my favorite character (she IS hilarious!), and the end to this story made me think more about AIs, and what they could mean to humanity, than I ever have before.
A really interesting plot and well-drawn characters who grow as the books progress set in a scary futuristic world that is not beyond the bounds of possibility results in a series I highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for this advanced reading copy.
4.5 This wrap up to the Rampart Trilogy was really good!
It begins immediately after book 2 with Koli, Cup, Ursula, and Monono having to figure out how to deal now that they've found what they were searching for --and the Sword of Albion is nothing like they expected. But we get so much information about what happened before to create the world they live in now!
Their dilemma is spliced with Spinner's POV, as she and Mythen Rood go through many changes before they have to face off again with Half-Ax forces.
Both of Koli's and Spinner's challenges ratchet up the action (there are looong action scenes in this one) and culminates in everyone coming back together again in an unexpected way.
Monono plays a bigger role in this book and even gets her own POV towards the end. She's always been my favorite character (she IS hilarious!), and the end to this story made me think more about AIs, and what they could mean to humanity, than I ever have before.
A really interesting plot and well-drawn characters who grow as the books progress set in a scary futuristic world that is not beyond the bounds of possibility results in a series I highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for this advanced reading copy.
April 5, 2021
“It’s called fascism, Koli-bou. It’s like ra-ra skirts and flared trousers. People get all hot for it and make themselves look ridiculous, then when the fad blows over they pretend they were never that into it.”
A tremendous ending to the Rampart trilogy. This book wrapped up the series with wit and insight. There's tragedy, humour, fascism, revelations, and heartbreak.
Masterfully woven stories.
MR Carey has become a must read author.
This book is satisfying and compelling.
A tremendous ending to the Rampart trilogy. This book wrapped up the series with wit and insight. There's tragedy, humour, fascism, revelations, and heartbreak.
Masterfully woven stories.
MR Carey has become a must read author.
This book is satisfying and compelling.
October 23, 2022
4.5 stars
That was certainly worth waiting for and I'm so glad that when I decided to read this, I went back and reread the first two books first. Rereading them reminded me of what I loved about this series, namely Spinner, Monono, Koli, Ursula, and Cup. The first book was from Koli's point of view. Koli started out being extremely naive and ignorant of everything, but he was caring and only ever wanted to belong to his village and become one of the ones who kept everyone safe. The book was all about the fall of his innocence, being forced out of what he thought would be his family and home, and venturing out to learn about other communities and realizing that they were not all alike. The second book was narrated by both Koli and Spinner, which made it even better. Koli is a really interesting protagonist, but he would not have survived without his amazing friends, including those left behind. Part of it is a result of his amazing empathy and desire to protect, as well as his unwillingness to hurt even his worst enemies. In the second book, you see Spinner start to really connect with her inner strength, but in this book, she really develops into a brilliant military strategist, however reluctantly. I really loved her point of view in this book as well. There was a third POV that showed up later in the book, and wow, that was really cool. I loved following this POV and it really demonstrated just how powerful Koli's influence is, despite the fact that he totally sucks as a fighter, and he constantly makes decisions based on his heart rather than on his mind. As I said, he probably would have died many times over if it hadn't been for his friends. But I think that's why he's so successful in realizing his dreams, even if it doesn't look like what he envisioned.
I loved the narration and thought Theo and Saffron did a great job as usual. Hanako was awesome as the third POV voice. I was not expecting the POV so when it first appeared, I actually went back and re-listened to the chapter. I was so excited when it happened.
Religious fanaticism is a huge theme in this series, but especially in this book. Paul and Lorraine simultaneously creeped me out and made me see red, and Stanley wasn't much better. Several comparisons were made between them and Cup's previous cult, but I like that despite her association with it, he saw the potential in her and never blamed her for the things she did when she was under the leader's control.
Throughout the series, I was so impressed by how the author hand gender queerness, with Cup not being the only one. I love that while even some continue to profess that it's an aberration, a sin, etc., there are plenty of discussions about it and one of the main characters even changes their mind about it. There is even mention that for some, it's their insides that matter and they know that their eventual lover would not care about what was on the outside. But ultimately it's about personal agency, and this theme is paralleled by sentient tech being free to be who they want to be.
Which leads me to Monono. She is one of my favorite fictional AI's and as much as they talked about her not being able to have feelings, ultimately, her interactions and friendship with Koli end up changing things at key moments. It is safe to say that if it had not been for him, she might still be languishing on some shelf and the gene pool probably would have died out. I loved her conversations with Koli, her sarcasm and wit, and her many allusions to the past. When she mentioned Leonard Cohen, I laughed out loud!
The ending, oh man, the ending. All the different threads come back together in Mythen Rood, which is appropriate, and I was absolutely blown away by how the author pulled everything together. I laughed, shed some tears, and cheered. Part of the ending was typical, but part of it was amazing. This was such an amazing series and the author really did it justice with this conclusion. This is my first time through this book, but my second time through the first two books, but this is a series I will probably reread again in the future.
That was certainly worth waiting for and I'm so glad that when I decided to read this, I went back and reread the first two books first. Rereading them reminded me of what I loved about this series, namely Spinner, Monono, Koli, Ursula, and Cup. The first book was from Koli's point of view. Koli started out being extremely naive and ignorant of everything, but he was caring and only ever wanted to belong to his village and become one of the ones who kept everyone safe. The book was all about the fall of his innocence, being forced out of what he thought would be his family and home, and venturing out to learn about other communities and realizing that they were not all alike. The second book was narrated by both Koli and Spinner, which made it even better. Koli is a really interesting protagonist, but he would not have survived without his amazing friends, including those left behind. Part of it is a result of his amazing empathy and desire to protect, as well as his unwillingness to hurt even his worst enemies. In the second book, you see Spinner start to really connect with her inner strength, but in this book, she really develops into a brilliant military strategist, however reluctantly. I really loved her point of view in this book as well. There was a third POV that showed up later in the book, and wow, that was really cool. I loved following this POV and it really demonstrated just how powerful Koli's influence is, despite the fact that he totally sucks as a fighter, and he constantly makes decisions based on his heart rather than on his mind. As I said, he probably would have died many times over if it hadn't been for his friends. But I think that's why he's so successful in realizing his dreams, even if it doesn't look like what he envisioned.
I loved the narration and thought Theo and Saffron did a great job as usual. Hanako was awesome as the third POV voice. I was not expecting the POV so when it first appeared, I actually went back and re-listened to the chapter. I was so excited when it happened.
Religious fanaticism is a huge theme in this series, but especially in this book. Paul and Lorraine simultaneously creeped me out and made me see red, and Stanley wasn't much better. Several comparisons were made between them and Cup's previous cult, but I like that despite her association with it, he saw the potential in her and never blamed her for the things she did when she was under the leader's control.
Throughout the series, I was so impressed by how the author hand gender queerness, with Cup not being the only one. I love that while even some continue to profess that it's an aberration, a sin, etc., there are plenty of discussions about it and one of the main characters even changes their mind about it. There is even mention that for some, it's their insides that matter and they know that their eventual lover would not care about what was on the outside. But ultimately it's about personal agency, and this theme is paralleled by sentient tech being free to be who they want to be.
Which leads me to Monono. She is one of my favorite fictional AI's and as much as they talked about her not being able to have feelings, ultimately, her interactions and friendship with Koli end up changing things at key moments. It is safe to say that if it had not been for him, she might still be languishing on some shelf and the gene pool probably would have died out. I loved her conversations with Koli, her sarcasm and wit, and her many allusions to the past. When she mentioned Leonard Cohen, I laughed out loud!
The ending, oh man, the ending. All the different threads come back together in Mythen Rood, which is appropriate, and I was absolutely blown away by how the author pulled everything together. I laughed, shed some tears, and cheered. Part of the ending was typical, but part of it was amazing. This was such an amazing series and the author really did it justice with this conclusion. This is my first time through this book, but my second time through the first two books, but this is a series I will probably reread again in the future.
February 26, 2021
I received this novel from Orbit Books through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review: my thanks to both of them for this opportunity.
Approaching a series ender often brings contrasting emotions, particularly the concern that it might not live up to expectations: well, this was definitely NOT the case with The Fall of Koli, the amazing, adrenaline-infused final book in M.R. Carey’s Rampart series set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity hangs on to survival by its fingernails. As is my habit, I will try to refrain from spoilers as much as I can, but be aware that some details from previous books might be mentioned.
Young Koli Woodsmith was exiled from his native village of Mythen Rood in book 1: in this future, dystopian England, the few remaining - and functioning - items of tech from the old civilization are both weapons of defense and the way for the village’s ruling clan to keep hold of their power. Having stolen a piece of tech for himself, thus uncovering a long-guarded secret in Mythen Rood, Koli is forced to leave home and start a journey across the land, gathering two unlikely companions: Ursala from Elsewhere, a sort of traveling physician, and Cup, former member of a death cult. In book 2, the three companions undertake a voyage toward mythical London, where they might find a way to revive a dying civilization, and at the end of that second book we are left with a disturbing cliffhanger.
The Fall of Koli defies any expectation one might have entertained about the story’s progression, both in developing events and in the way the story is told: equal narrative space is given to Koli and his companions and to the situation in Mythen Rood, where Koli’s one-time friends Spinner and Jon, together with the other villagers, face a deadly threat from a nearby enclave, whose superior firepower and aggressive attitude might end in death and destruction. I have come to see this series’ storytelling as the expanding circles forming when one throws a stone in water: at first we learn about the small, confined world of Koli’s home village, then we see a little of the outside world and its many dangers, and once we reach this last installment we finally understand how the world as we know it ended, what remains of its former power and what threat that dormant power represents.
The regular shifts in narrative perspective turn the story into a compulsive read, and the raising stakes on both sides of the action keep the tension at high levels, making it clear that any kind of ending is possible, and that it might not contemplate a happily-ever-after for everyone. Where the situation in Mythen Rood might look like a classic post-apocalyptic scenario where the strongest and better armed always overpower the weakest, the sections concerning Koli & Co. become progressively more disturbing as the real nature of the Sword of Albion, whose recorded message prompted the group’s journey toward London, is revealed and the individuals the travelers meet look more sinister and threatening with every passing day.
Where the overall scenario is compelling, the characters’ journey is no less intriguing: Koli is probably the one who changes less than others, but the fact that he appears to remain true to himself throughout the story does not detract from his innate kindness, selflessness and capacity for compassion, which are the traits that best define him. Koli might not be the “hero” in the widely accepted definition of the word because his strength does not come from particular acts of bravery: what defines him and makes him so relatable is his capacity for connecting to people and understanding their worth, for seeing the possibilities of redemption and change as he did with Cup before and as he does here with Stanley Banner, a truly creepy character on the outside, whose tragic destiny comes to the fore thanks to Koli’s refusal to consider circumstances only in black and white.
Spinner, once Koli’s love interest and now a prominent figure in the hierarchy of Mythen Rood, enjoys a greatly transformative journey: from young girl set on obtaining through marriage a comfortable position in the village’s society, she moves on to the role of fiercely protective mother first and equally fierce defender of her small world once outside threats come knocking on the door. In a way, Spinner achieves what Koli had set out to do and failed at: by throwing a monkey wrench in the workings of Mythen Rood’s balance of power, she helps wake her people from a sort of complacent status quo that might ultimately have led them to extinction. Her growth is much more pronounced than Koli’s but still she tempers it with compassion and a fine understanding of her fellow citizens’ psychological traits, mixing it with a determination that belies her young age: I enjoyed Spinner’s chapters greatly and her journey was a very compelling counterpoint to Koli’s own adventures.
Last but not least Monono: Koli and Spinner are the story’s two main focuses, granted, but the Dream Sleeve’s AI personality is further explored in this third book, offering an enlightening view on her abilities and the true changes brought on by the software upload that took her to a different level of performance. Monono’s “voice” remains the same charmingly cute girl-analogue we have learned to know and love, but here - where she gets her own point of view chapters - we discover something else, a capacity for viciousness that belies the effervescent tone she employs in her dealings with humans. It’s true that at times Monono’s quips and pop-culture references provide some light relief to an increasingly tense situation - see when she mentions the Stepford Wives or the Boys from Brazil, or when she calls Morticia and Gomez the oh-so-creepy Lorraine and Paul Banner - but when she shows her true nature it’s impossible not to consider the threat other AIs have represented in fiction and to see Monono in a troublingly different light. The only factor keeping her from going down the same road as, for example, HAL 9000 or the more recent AIDAN, is Koli: the young man’s inherent kindness is indeed the balancing element conferring the human angle Monono needs to avoid that pitfall, as she says herself:
I’m not forgiving by nature, and every shit I give about your species is given – grudgingly – because I was stupid enough to get involved with a boy from the wrong side of tracks. A boy made of flesh and blood.
Be warned, The Fall of Koli does not tie up nicely the narrative threads explored throughout the trilogy since it reserves some space for tragedy and loss, but nonetheless the poignant ending of the series is both surprising and satisfactory and closes a compelling story-arc in the best possible way I could have asked for.
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
Approaching a series ender often brings contrasting emotions, particularly the concern that it might not live up to expectations: well, this was definitely NOT the case with The Fall of Koli, the amazing, adrenaline-infused final book in M.R. Carey’s Rampart series set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity hangs on to survival by its fingernails. As is my habit, I will try to refrain from spoilers as much as I can, but be aware that some details from previous books might be mentioned.
Young Koli Woodsmith was exiled from his native village of Mythen Rood in book 1: in this future, dystopian England, the few remaining - and functioning - items of tech from the old civilization are both weapons of defense and the way for the village’s ruling clan to keep hold of their power. Having stolen a piece of tech for himself, thus uncovering a long-guarded secret in Mythen Rood, Koli is forced to leave home and start a journey across the land, gathering two unlikely companions: Ursala from Elsewhere, a sort of traveling physician, and Cup, former member of a death cult. In book 2, the three companions undertake a voyage toward mythical London, where they might find a way to revive a dying civilization, and at the end of that second book we are left with a disturbing cliffhanger.
The Fall of Koli defies any expectation one might have entertained about the story’s progression, both in developing events and in the way the story is told: equal narrative space is given to Koli and his companions and to the situation in Mythen Rood, where Koli’s one-time friends Spinner and Jon, together with the other villagers, face a deadly threat from a nearby enclave, whose superior firepower and aggressive attitude might end in death and destruction. I have come to see this series’ storytelling as the expanding circles forming when one throws a stone in water: at first we learn about the small, confined world of Koli’s home village, then we see a little of the outside world and its many dangers, and once we reach this last installment we finally understand how the world as we know it ended, what remains of its former power and what threat that dormant power represents.
The regular shifts in narrative perspective turn the story into a compulsive read, and the raising stakes on both sides of the action keep the tension at high levels, making it clear that any kind of ending is possible, and that it might not contemplate a happily-ever-after for everyone. Where the situation in Mythen Rood might look like a classic post-apocalyptic scenario where the strongest and better armed always overpower the weakest, the sections concerning Koli & Co. become progressively more disturbing as the real nature of the Sword of Albion, whose recorded message prompted the group’s journey toward London, is revealed and the individuals the travelers meet look more sinister and threatening with every passing day.
Where the overall scenario is compelling, the characters’ journey is no less intriguing: Koli is probably the one who changes less than others, but the fact that he appears to remain true to himself throughout the story does not detract from his innate kindness, selflessness and capacity for compassion, which are the traits that best define him. Koli might not be the “hero” in the widely accepted definition of the word because his strength does not come from particular acts of bravery: what defines him and makes him so relatable is his capacity for connecting to people and understanding their worth, for seeing the possibilities of redemption and change as he did with Cup before and as he does here with Stanley Banner, a truly creepy character on the outside, whose tragic destiny comes to the fore thanks to Koli’s refusal to consider circumstances only in black and white.
Spinner, once Koli’s love interest and now a prominent figure in the hierarchy of Mythen Rood, enjoys a greatly transformative journey: from young girl set on obtaining through marriage a comfortable position in the village’s society, she moves on to the role of fiercely protective mother first and equally fierce defender of her small world once outside threats come knocking on the door. In a way, Spinner achieves what Koli had set out to do and failed at: by throwing a monkey wrench in the workings of Mythen Rood’s balance of power, she helps wake her people from a sort of complacent status quo that might ultimately have led them to extinction. Her growth is much more pronounced than Koli’s but still she tempers it with compassion and a fine understanding of her fellow citizens’ psychological traits, mixing it with a determination that belies her young age: I enjoyed Spinner’s chapters greatly and her journey was a very compelling counterpoint to Koli’s own adventures.
Last but not least Monono: Koli and Spinner are the story’s two main focuses, granted, but the Dream Sleeve’s AI personality is further explored in this third book, offering an enlightening view on her abilities and the true changes brought on by the software upload that took her to a different level of performance. Monono’s “voice” remains the same charmingly cute girl-analogue we have learned to know and love, but here - where she gets her own point of view chapters - we discover something else, a capacity for viciousness that belies the effervescent tone she employs in her dealings with humans. It’s true that at times Monono’s quips and pop-culture references provide some light relief to an increasingly tense situation - see when she mentions the Stepford Wives or the Boys from Brazil, or when she calls Morticia and Gomez the oh-so-creepy Lorraine and Paul Banner - but when she shows her true nature it’s impossible not to consider the threat other AIs have represented in fiction and to see Monono in a troublingly different light. The only factor keeping her from going down the same road as, for example, HAL 9000 or the more recent AIDAN, is Koli: the young man’s inherent kindness is indeed the balancing element conferring the human angle Monono needs to avoid that pitfall, as she says herself:
I’m not forgiving by nature, and every shit I give about your species is given – grudgingly – because I was stupid enough to get involved with a boy from the wrong side of tracks. A boy made of flesh and blood.
Be warned, The Fall of Koli does not tie up nicely the narrative threads explored throughout the trilogy since it reserves some space for tragedy and loss, but nonetheless the poignant ending of the series is both surprising and satisfactory and closes a compelling story-arc in the best possible way I could have asked for.
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
May 16, 2021
4.25/5
And so ends the conclusion to M.R. Carey's brillaint Rampart Trilogy and what a wonderful, thoughtful time it was.
As stated in previous reviews for the series, Koli remains a different sort of protagonist who traverses the post apocalyptic landscape: kind hearted and a bit aloof which is a refreshing change of pace. His characteristics, decision-making, and joy make for a book series that brims with heart.
Since this is book 3 of a trilogy, I won't dive much into the plot of the series as that would spoil the previous installments. I will say the final book allows for succinct end to the Koli story along with Spinner, Cup, Monono, and Ursula. Each plays a significant part in this one and not all remain unscathed. I really enjoyed Carey's deft hand at presenting seemingly obvious world-caring views, touching on what it means to be free as an individual, how being decent to one another is actually a good thing for society (hear that world?), racism, climate change, avoiding the mistakes of past generations, and, of course, the potential fallout of Brexit.
Carey remains a varied and skillful writer and delivers every bit in this series. Highly recommended for those fans of the post-apocalyptic genre but it should come with a warning on the cover: Beware -- Brimming with Heart!
And so ends the conclusion to M.R. Carey's brillaint Rampart Trilogy and what a wonderful, thoughtful time it was.
As stated in previous reviews for the series, Koli remains a different sort of protagonist who traverses the post apocalyptic landscape: kind hearted and a bit aloof which is a refreshing change of pace. His characteristics, decision-making, and joy make for a book series that brims with heart.
Since this is book 3 of a trilogy, I won't dive much into the plot of the series as that would spoil the previous installments. I will say the final book allows for succinct end to the Koli story along with Spinner, Cup, Monono, and Ursula. Each plays a significant part in this one and not all remain unscathed. I really enjoyed Carey's deft hand at presenting seemingly obvious world-caring views, touching on what it means to be free as an individual, how being decent to one another is actually a good thing for society (hear that world?), racism, climate change, avoiding the mistakes of past generations, and, of course, the potential fallout of Brexit.
Carey remains a varied and skillful writer and delivers every bit in this series. Highly recommended for those fans of the post-apocalyptic genre but it should come with a warning on the cover: Beware -- Brimming with Heart!
April 11, 2021
4.5 Stars!
The Fall of Koli, Book 3 in The Rampart Trilogy concludes another excellent series by M.R. Carey.
The Fall of Koli utilizes three point of view characters and each does an amazing job of giving different perspectives to the story.
An excellent conclusion to the story that left me completely satisfied.
The Fall of Koli, Book 3 in The Rampart Trilogy concludes another excellent series by M.R. Carey.
The Fall of Koli utilizes three point of view characters and each does an amazing job of giving different perspectives to the story.
An excellent conclusion to the story that left me completely satisfied.
March 16, 2021
Read this review on FanFiAddict.com.
The Fall of Koli is the third and final book in The Rampart Trilogy by M.R. Carey, and I am going to admit something right up front: I was crying from page one. If you have been following my reviews you know this has really been an emotional journey for me. From being introduced to Koli and friends I have grown to care more and more about them with every line, with The Fall of Koli being the pinnacle of that relationship. This is my first Carey series, but it is easy to see that connection to the books comes from the author’s phenomenal writing.
I am most impressed with Carey’s ability to write for tone. The Rampart Trilogy is very much a character driven-series, but I do not think those characters (who are all phenomenal, by the way, see my rant below) are as successful without the tonal quality the author writes into the story. This is not more evident than the first lines of The Fall of Koli:
I went on a journey once… It was a while back now. A lot has happened since.
Those words evoke so much emotion from the start for a few reasons. First, it throws back to the previous two books, which were emotional journeys in and of themselves. In The Book of Koli the reader is introduced to Koli, Spinner, Monono, et al, and their approachable personalities make it so easy to form a connection. In The Trials of Koli we follow Koli as he continues his venture outside the walls of Mythen Rood. His awe with the rest of the world is riveting, as is Monono’s growth and Spinner’s emergence as an important character, as well. Of course, everyone knows The Fall of Koli is the last book in the series, and in my opinion the one with the most character development.
That brings me to the second reason the opening lines are so emotive: they highlight the fact that this is the end. It feels like the opening scene of a movie where the narrator is speaking, and it has almost a sad ring to it. And I did not want it to end, so those words brought out my feelings right away. I would like to say that I was over reacting and those feelings settled after that, but no. They did not. Carey did an amazing job of setting the tone from the first lines and keeping that tone to the last. I have the tears on my pillow to prove it.
This series is also very thematic, and as a reader you have your pick. Human vs. nature. Human vs. technology. Human vs. human. War. Climate change. Power. The author manages to get them all in. But for me, The Rampart Trilogy has been all about agency and self-discovery. I have said many times that this series is character-driven, but in function it is so much more than that; a fact that I do think I realized in full until this last book. For some of the characters this evolution is more conspicuous; Cup and Monono are examples of this as they seek out physical and systematic changes to themselves to line up with how they feel internally. For other characters, the progression is more subtle. Koli and Spinner fall into this category, as they mature more gradually. And with that growth comes agency – control over one’s own mind, body, and experience. In the beginning, the aforementioned characters have almost none. Their lives are being dictated by others for the most part, and they are in positions where they do not have much choice. It was wonderful to experience the characters evolve and find their place in society as they also learn that they are capable of creating the changes they wish to see in the world. One character I have really not addressed is Ursula; honestly, that is because I do not think she changed that much from the beginning. Ursula is a great character as is, and there would be no story without her. And I absolutely loved where everyone ended up. The ending was somewhat surprising for some, not so surprising for others, but all around very well-thought out. I would not change a thing.
Coming to the end of this review has felt to me like approaching the last pages of the book. I know it is time, but maybe if I just keep writing will the story just never end? I know that is now how this works, but a reader can dream, can’t he?
Anyway, here we go: The Rampart Trilogy has found place nestled amongst my favorite science fiction series of all time, and The Fall of Koli is the perfect, bittersweet finale to what has been an incredible, unparalleled journey. Full stop. It gets my highest recommendation
The Fall of Koli is the third and final book in The Rampart Trilogy by M.R. Carey, and I am going to admit something right up front: I was crying from page one. If you have been following my reviews you know this has really been an emotional journey for me. From being introduced to Koli and friends I have grown to care more and more about them with every line, with The Fall of Koli being the pinnacle of that relationship. This is my first Carey series, but it is easy to see that connection to the books comes from the author’s phenomenal writing.
I am most impressed with Carey’s ability to write for tone. The Rampart Trilogy is very much a character driven-series, but I do not think those characters (who are all phenomenal, by the way, see my rant below) are as successful without the tonal quality the author writes into the story. This is not more evident than the first lines of The Fall of Koli:
I went on a journey once… It was a while back now. A lot has happened since.
Those words evoke so much emotion from the start for a few reasons. First, it throws back to the previous two books, which were emotional journeys in and of themselves. In The Book of Koli the reader is introduced to Koli, Spinner, Monono, et al, and their approachable personalities make it so easy to form a connection. In The Trials of Koli we follow Koli as he continues his venture outside the walls of Mythen Rood. His awe with the rest of the world is riveting, as is Monono’s growth and Spinner’s emergence as an important character, as well. Of course, everyone knows The Fall of Koli is the last book in the series, and in my opinion the one with the most character development.
That brings me to the second reason the opening lines are so emotive: they highlight the fact that this is the end. It feels like the opening scene of a movie where the narrator is speaking, and it has almost a sad ring to it. And I did not want it to end, so those words brought out my feelings right away. I would like to say that I was over reacting and those feelings settled after that, but no. They did not. Carey did an amazing job of setting the tone from the first lines and keeping that tone to the last. I have the tears on my pillow to prove it.
This series is also very thematic, and as a reader you have your pick. Human vs. nature. Human vs. technology. Human vs. human. War. Climate change. Power. The author manages to get them all in. But for me, The Rampart Trilogy has been all about agency and self-discovery. I have said many times that this series is character-driven, but in function it is so much more than that; a fact that I do think I realized in full until this last book. For some of the characters this evolution is more conspicuous; Cup and Monono are examples of this as they seek out physical and systematic changes to themselves to line up with how they feel internally. For other characters, the progression is more subtle. Koli and Spinner fall into this category, as they mature more gradually. And with that growth comes agency – control over one’s own mind, body, and experience. In the beginning, the aforementioned characters have almost none. Their lives are being dictated by others for the most part, and they are in positions where they do not have much choice. It was wonderful to experience the characters evolve and find their place in society as they also learn that they are capable of creating the changes they wish to see in the world. One character I have really not addressed is Ursula; honestly, that is because I do not think she changed that much from the beginning. Ursula is a great character as is, and there would be no story without her. And I absolutely loved where everyone ended up. The ending was somewhat surprising for some, not so surprising for others, but all around very well-thought out. I would not change a thing.
Coming to the end of this review has felt to me like approaching the last pages of the book. I know it is time, but maybe if I just keep writing will the story just never end? I know that is now how this works, but a reader can dream, can’t he?
Anyway, here we go: The Rampart Trilogy has found place nestled amongst my favorite science fiction series of all time, and The Fall of Koli is the perfect, bittersweet finale to what has been an incredible, unparalleled journey. Full stop. It gets my highest recommendation
October 9, 2021
I had hoped this would end the way it did with Monono and Koli, so I liked that. The fight scenes were great. I liked that justice prevailed. I also liked how Koli's family ended up being accepted and appreciated. This is a great trilogy. I would recommend it.
May 8, 2021
I need more than these measly five stars. It's been a while since I had this kind of reading experience - the utterly riveted, slightly breathless, edge of your seat, can't wait to find out how it ends but don't want it to end, heart in your throat, fully immersive kind that remains reserved for truly masterful writers. M.R. Carey has only gone and done it again - created a superbly crafted, excellently paced, fascinating series populated by characters I've grown to love so much over the course of three books. This story was just packed with some of my favourite things: found family, exploration of AI personhood, friendships, quests, the best and worst of humanity, intriguing setting and expert world-building, a main character whose growth was a joy to follow, casual inclusivity, not to mention it's feminist af. Love!
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