modub's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tsap's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
severina2001's review
5.0
In the aftermath of a plague called 'the sweats' that has wiped out most of mankind, two unlikely men are thrown together as they attempt to flee London.
This is the sequel to Welsh's "A Lovely Way to Burn", and the second in her 'Plague Times' trilogy. But it's not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one. In the first book, 'the sweats' had just started to take hold in London. This story follows two new characters as they attempt to reach Scotland from a London that has now totally succumbed to this new disease. There is a nice little tie-in to the first book at the end, but new readers won't feel like they've missed anything.
Magnus McFall is a rising comedian who is mistaken for a rapist when he attempts to help a young woman. He's held in prison over the weekend instead of the local jail due to overcrowding until his release on Monday morning, but the plague has other ideas and Magnus finds himself locked in with fellow prisoner Jeb Soames as the city dies around them. Magnus has been placed in the 'Vulnerable Prisoners' section – where they house sex offenders – and as such he's legitimately leery of Jeb. But the two have to stick together if they want to escape the prison and make their way north safely.
This is a fast-paced and interesting page turner. Both men are dealing with issues of death and abandonment in their pasts, and for Magnus his thoughts as they travel toward Scotland are never far from his family, particularly his cousin Hugh. Jeb is prickly but occasionally lets slip that he is more than he seems, and for me he was the most intriguing of the two.
I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the series.
This is the sequel to Welsh's "A Lovely Way to Burn", and the second in her 'Plague Times' trilogy. But it's not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one. In the first book, 'the sweats' had just started to take hold in London. This story follows two new characters as they attempt to reach Scotland from a London that has now totally succumbed to this new disease. There is a nice little tie-in to the first book at the end, but new readers won't feel like they've missed anything.
Magnus McFall is a rising comedian who is mistaken for a rapist when he attempts to help a young woman. He's held in prison over the weekend instead of the local jail due to overcrowding until his release on Monday morning, but the plague has other ideas and Magnus finds himself locked in with fellow prisoner Jeb Soames as the city dies around them. Magnus has been placed in the 'Vulnerable Prisoners' section – where they house sex offenders – and as such he's legitimately leery of Jeb. But the two have to stick together if they want to escape the prison and make their way north safely.
This is a fast-paced and interesting page turner. Both men are dealing with issues of death and abandonment in their pasts, and for Magnus his thoughts as they travel toward Scotland are never far from his family, particularly his cousin Hugh. Jeb is prickly but occasionally lets slip that he is more than he seems, and for me he was the most intriguing of the two.
I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the series.
abbierhodes's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
neiljung78's review
3.0
For a long time I was finding this grim and depressing, without the gleeful destruction that can add an edge of joy to some apocalyptic stories. But a strong ending and a moving coda won me round.
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