The Last to Fall

Diary of the Displaced

by Glynn James

In 1926 Joseph Dean was just getting ready to hang himself when the man named Joshua stepped into his cafe and changed his life.
He made Joe an offer - one that would mean travelling through the door to another world to find something that had been lost for nearly two hundred years.

Joe would discover a lot more than that in the years that followed.

The Last to Fall is a short novel, and the first in a series following Joseph Dean's travels.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2011

About the author

GLYNN JAMES is an author of science fiction, post-apocalyptic, dark fantasy, horror, and dystopian fiction. His love of science fiction began when he was eight years old after discovering HP Lovecraft and Richard Matheson, and then later on Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, James Herbert, Clive Barker, and Stephen King.

In addition to being author of the “ALTERLIGHT” supernatural mystery thriller series, he is author of the dark sci-fi series "DIARY OF THE DISPLACED", the post-apocalyptic "THROWN AWAY" series, and co-author of the "ARISEN" series and the “DUSTFALL” series.

More info on his writing and projects can be found at -
Website - www.glynnjames.co.uk
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/glynnjamesfi...
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/GlynnJames

Reviews

[Chandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

**WARNING: DO NOT DO NOT read this book if you HAVE NOT read the previous 2 books in the series**

AUTHOR: Glynn James is a "crescendo" at its best! The man is brilliant. If you read reviews that I have written on "any" books in my Goodreads/LibraryThing catalog, you should know that I do not waste words. The sign of a great writer is a person that writes a series and you want to choke him/her for not continuing. Oh Glynn dearest, GIVE ME MORE OF THIS SERIES or I'LL HANG YA'!

SYNOPSIS – The Maw from book One. Joseph from book Two, owner of the Caff. Hints of Nua'Lath from book One and Two. The Resistance from book Two. This book brings it all together. Joseph joins the Resistance. The Maw are the Resistance's Allies. They both are battling Nua'Lath. Now READ!!!!

(5 out of 5) Stars. Elements of a Science Fiction Book TEST =
Other worldly............................................YES'
Characters easily identifiable...........................YES;
Adventure................................................YES;
Peril................................................... YES;
Plot easy to comprehend..................................YES.


FAVORITE PART: The locked up warehouse. Awesome concept!

LEAST FAVORITE PART: Who is Joseph talking to in the entire book? Me or does he have a son?

YOU WILL LIKE THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adventure

[C.V. Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and mesmerizing! The story keeps getting better and better.

Joseph Dean comes from our world, but he has chosen a mission in an alternative world when he finds himself with nothing left lose.
The author does another splendid job of storytelling as the narrator tells his son of his adventures across an invisible thresh hold to another world. These books that Glynn James writes know how to captivate my attention and pull me into the story. He does a fantastic job of painting a vivid picture of strange worlds filled with unusual creatures.

I highly recommend.

[Doskoi_panda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last to Fall: The Travels of Joseph Dean #1

Glynn James' weird, interconnected stories have really only been getting better and better with each new story, and with the third installment, Last to Fall: The Travels of Joseph Dean #1, there is also a sense of the beginning of a resolution.The last strong reference to the Texan Joe Dean in Chasing Spirits is to the noose Reg finds hanging from the ceiling of their old cafe, though Reg is oddly certain that Joe didn't hang himself. Instead, we open on Joe, many years from the discovery of the noose, and on a different world, telling his son about how he came to be in his new home, and what he'd been doing there before he settled. This short story* installment of the Diary of the Displaced series, continues to answer questions (and add a few) while taking a decidedly dark science fiction turn.

Other than a few typos, the need for a bit more character development or interaction scenes (particularly with Bailey), and maybe the need to back a bit off the American country boy patter, I really enjoyed this, and am awaiting the next installment.

Overall rating: 4 stars
* I say short story, but this is more like a section of a larger work/novel.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update June 9, 2023: After almost a year I just re-read this book because last week I finished "The Journal of James Halldon" from the Diary of the Displaced series and I realized there was some overlap. I still feel the way I did in last year's review, below. It was a page turner and I really enjoyed it.


August 11, 2022: I really enjoyed this book. It was a real page turner. I had put off reading "The Last to Fall," despite Glynn James being one of my favorite authors. I think I put it off because the description of the book never spoke to me - it didn't really portray what the book is about. But, a few days ago the book selected itself as my next read (really, it did!) and I'm glad it did. The story is full of what I like most about Glynn's writing - interesting characters rummaging around in the rubble of a ruined world. I love me some rummaging in the rubble stories. And, just like "Dustfall" and "Thrown Away" this book did not disappoint in the rubble department. I look forward to the remainder of the series.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novella concerning a character we meet in the author's previous work, 'Chasing Spirits.'

Joe is speaking to his son and tells the boy of his life and how he came to be on this world, and events that led up to where they are at the end of the book - and boy what a cliffhanger!

Though it isn't essential, it's best to read at least 'Chasing Spirits' and perhaps 'Diary of the Displaced' also, to get to know the world(s) James has so brilliantly created. There is also the collection of short stories 'Whispers of the Displaced' which are just as creepy as the main novellas.

This is Book 1, I believe, of Joseph Deans so I look forward to reading Book 2 and find out what exactly comes through those doors!

[Kathryn Merkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Diary of the Displaced series, The Last To Fall, tells the story of Joseph Dean & his unusual assignment to find out what happened on another world to the last of the humans there. Discovered on the verge of ending his life in the London Café, from book 2, Joe is given a unique opportunity to join the Resistance, who are fighting an otherworldly creature of pure evil. Granted immortality by his recruiter, Joshua, Joe trains rigorously to fulfill his new purpose in life, even though he has no clear idea what that purpose is or how long it will take. Joe, who is now known as Xeno, is telling his son who he is & how he came to this world, so that his son can help him complete his mission. I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella ties together some things from the books. It's good in its own right, but you should probably read the other book first. I recommend the whole series. I'm looking forward to where everything is going and how everything interconnects. I only wished this was a longer story!

[Becky Landholt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this third book in the Diary of the Displaced series...I recommend it if you've read the first two.

[Reads_Must · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last to Fall
Sci-Fi
Glynn James
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

• ᴀʟɪᴇɴꜱ • ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟ • ꜱᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄᴇꜱ •

The plot of this book was really unique. It was told from Joe's POV as he was sharing his life story and his memories with his son.

I liked that there was a mix of zombies, time travel, space exploration, alien creatures, and the perseverance of humans.

The pacing was good, although it did take me a little while to become engrossed in the story.

The world building was interesting, and the descriptions of the creatures were good. I wanted to know more about The Resistance and Joshua, though.

I liked the ending but I really wanted to know what happened next. I felt like the whole book built up to finding out what happened, and then it ended 😂.

I'd definitely read more books by this author.

TWs: suicide attempt (described in detail)

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Diary of the Displaced: The Last to Fall by Glynn James is another great story. I gave it four stars.

"I served him as he asked, just a neat whiskey. He didn't have any money and didn't even offer to pay, but that didn't bother me. I think in some way I needed him to turn up at that moment, needed someone to talk to, someone to listen to for a while, just so that I could get my head around what I was preparing to do after he had left.

Link to purchase:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...

[Spurnlad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and engrossing novella, thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the Diary of the Displaced series, and once again it is a very well written, imaginative story. Joseph Dean, the narrator, had a small mention in 'Chasing Spirits' and in 'The Last to Fall', he describes his own journey to the world in which he now lives and his purpose there.

One of the strengths of this series is that the settings created by Glynn James are completely convincing and while too many details can be the undoing of some authors, in this book (as in the others) the details of survival in a hostile, unknown and battle scarred world are very important in building up the reality of that world.

Joseph is telling this story to his son and it's easy to forget as you're reading it that the work is actually a monologue - Joseph's is the only voice we hear. There is plenty of action and suspense, with the possibility of a sequel in the ending. The characterisation is very good and Joseph's companion through most of the story is Bailey, who eventually moves on to the next part of his task and it would be great if a later book followed his story.

All three books in the series are very good indeed and it almost seems churlish to mention the occasional spelling or formatting issues that appear. These can easily be sorted out in later editions and while they don't detract from the high standard of writing and the imaginative stories, the books would be even better without them. I'll be checking out Glynn James' other work and would recommend this book, as well as the others in the series, very highly.

I received this e-book from the LibraryThing Members' Giveaway in October 2011.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph is down on his luck and running a little dive bar in London. When he feels he can’t go on, he decides to hang himself. As he is making preparations, a guy, Joshua, walks into the bar and asks if he needs some help. From there they start talking and Joshua offers Joseph a job. Realizing there is nothing left for Joseph, he agrees.

Joseph is then taking to another planet and taught about the history and inhabitants of the planet. This is one of the dead planets that Nua’Lath has killed with his horde. There were some survivors that have slowly rebuilt. Joseph is now part of the Resistance, a group of people that are trying to stop Nua’Lath. Joseph is supposed to find the last stand of the former inhabitants and to find out what happened.

Joseph is then left to his task. He starts walking down an abandoned road and finds Bailey. Bailey is a scavenger that recycles everything that is found in the abandoned lands. He then sells that to the few communities. Together they look for the final stand of the people of this planet.

I really liked this story. There was great imagery and imagination. This was a quick read but I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for other books in this series. I really want to find out what happens next.

I received this book for free from the Library Thing Early Reviewer program.

[Mirrani · Rating 3 out of 5]

One book in a series of books that have left me wanting more from the very beginning. The Last to Fall is a short story, told in the perspective of a father talking to his son, only the way this is written the reader is the son. Often times the storyteller interrupts his story to answer a question that might have been on your mind. It is written amazingly well in that regard, though in the fist few pages I kept expecting the son to be asking the questions. I quickly found myself "in character" and reading from page to page as quickly as I could.

As with all of the novels that I have read in this series, once I was finished I was left with the sense that there was a book that I somehow missed, because the location, action and descriptions of events and places made me desperate to find out what comes in the next story. There is so much left untold at the end that I was certain another, longer book would follow. As far as this series encouraging you to find more of it's kind, it scores a ten.

Note: Though this book was a free gift from the author, the content of my review was in no way influenced by the gifting. The book speaks for itself and my review would have been worded just this way even if I'd gone out and bought it. I also give bonus points for Text To Speech enabling on Kindle format.... but that also wasn't a factor in the above review.

[David Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is more of a companion-book to the Diary of the Displaced books, which were completely brilliant, than it's own, stand-alone thing. I read this after reading Diary of the Displaced 1-3, and was kind of let down. It's an interesting story, fun to see what happens, and the world the author has created is still fascinating, but nothing as mind-bending as the three main books. The most interesting part, to me, was seeing where this book intersected the plot lines of the Diary of the Displaced books, with both characters and particular settings. It did explain a few things I'd been wondering about.

I would actually recommend reading this, and the other book in set in this same world, Chasing Spirits, before reading the Diary of the Displaced books. Then you'd be coming across little scenes and people from this book and saying "Hey, I know what that is!" or "Oh, that's this guy!"

Worth reading, but really only to either set you up, or help you come down from, the Diary of the Displaced books.

[Stefan Vucak · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Fall is a short pocket-book story based on an intriguing premise that could have been a fascinating novel had the author developed the theme fully. As it is, the flat, uninspiring narrative reads like a well-developed synopsis. The reader is left with many unanswered and frustrating questions. The reader could have coped with this had the story been driven by a strong plot and powerful characterization. Unfortunately, Joseph is colorless and lifeless, as is the story itself.

Glynn James is an imaginative author and reading his professional writing is easy. His ability to capture the reader and transport him into his world is engaging. Where he to develop something of substance, I feel it would make for an enthralling story.

[J.H. Sked · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may have read these in the wrong order - this was the first Glynn James I read, & I was pretty much hooked from the first page. Colourful, larger than life characters in extraordinary situations kept me wanting more - I would have been happy if this book was twice as long.
Told in the form of a conversation between a man and his son, it kept the pages turning and the suspense high.
The story within a story - the last to fall of the title - was fascinating - & I'd love to see what happened to the civilization behind that door..

[Tona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope there is another story coming in the series. I need to read who comes out of the vault. I loved this series. It was completely different from what I usually read.

Joseph has an honest discussion with his son about how he came to be on that planet. He explains to his son how his job is to gather as much information for the resistance. He is also waiting for the door to a vault containing 35 million survivors to open after 235 years.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story within the world of the Displaced. This time, the tale is told from father to son and we learn of Joe's amazing journey.

This is an imaginative and creative story of destruction and loss and yet it is more about survival and a determination to right the devastating wrongs that have overcome the human race.

Cleverly done and superb storytelling. And, despite the typos, I love the easy flow of the writing style.

Highly recommended.

[Heather Cawte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another strand to James' stories of The Diary of the Displaced, and is narrated by Joseph Dean. It tells of his recruitment and life investigating the aftermath of Nua'lath's Horde. He's a very engaging character, and the story unfolds steadily to the climax. I look forward to reading more about him.

This was a free review copy.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't put my finger on it, but something about this story just really interested me, in a way I can't describe.

It was just really interesting, and I want to read more.

[Marsha Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating dystopian novella. The author is very good with dialogue. An easy read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick little short story, not quite as good as the Diary that preceded it, but good. I enjoyed it.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Krizia Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. You definitely have to pick up the next one to appreciate it.