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The Perils of Forgotten Pain #0.5
Remembrance
The war is over. The majority of humanity has fled the dying planet to live in space, leaving behind a chemical called Overgrowth that will speed up the restoration of the war torn world.
Some were left behind, and not all by choice. As one chapter of humanity comes to a close, a soldier who thought he had nothing left and a historian who sees potential even in destruction will make a life out of what remains.
Some were left behind, and not all by choice. As one chapter of humanity comes to a close, a soldier who thought he had nothing left and a historian who sees potential even in destruction will make a life out of what remains.
- GenresM M RomanceDystopia
106 pages, ebook
First published July 15, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 18, 2019
4 Stars
A surprisingly good read considering how short it is...it's got some flaws, some dangling plot threads and I'm not so sure of the science aspect of this scifi book. BUT I am intrigued to find out what unfolds in subsequent installments.
I've had this book for at least 5 years and never quite got around to reading it; now I'm kicking my own ass and putting the sequel up on the TBR shelf, hoping for it to meet a challenge requirement really soon. (Honestly, even if it doesn't, I'm probably gonna read that one this weekend.) I really do appreciate how the Listopia lists and categories for challenges come together to make me consider books I'd normally let languish forEVER otherwise.
A surprisingly good read considering how short it is...it's got some flaws, some dangling plot threads and I'm not so sure of the science aspect of this scifi book. BUT I am intrigued to find out what unfolds in subsequent installments.
I've had this book for at least 5 years and never quite got around to reading it; now I'm kicking my own ass and putting the sequel up on the TBR shelf, hoping for it to meet a challenge requirement really soon. (Honestly, even if it doesn't, I'm probably gonna read that one this weekend.) I really do appreciate how the Listopia lists and categories for challenges come together to make me consider books I'd normally let languish forEVER otherwise.
January 30, 2014
I recevied a copy of this book from the author in exchnage for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. The world building was complex, and interesting. I love how the author's writing really fit the post disaster world she had created. The people, and places just seemed to fit, and make sense in that setting. I like how people had such varied reactions to their situation. They all seemed to act differently according to their personality, history, and character. I appreciated that. I'm not a fan of books where only the main characters have any sort of development. It makes for stale reading for me.
I really liked Aldric. I liked how his past was slowly explored over the course of the story, and how his history worked with the history of how the world came to be as it is. I appeciated the author's sensetive handling of his trauma, and how that impacts his relationship with other people, and his personality. It felt honest, and it really gave me an appreciation of how hard it has been for him to just keep moving on.
I liked the bond he formed with Daniel. Nothing felt like instant love, and I appreciated the time they took to get to know, and trust each other before love came into the picture. Anything faster would not have fit either one of the characters.
I liked Daniel as well. I loved the role he is playing in the world, and how hard he is working to perserve the stories of the people around him. I had a little more trouble with his backstory, and since we never really get into his head some of his changes of heart later felt a little more awkward to me. Nothing too serious, but I would have liked a little more into his past relationship, and how he moved on.
The plot was engaging, and well paced. It gave me a real feel for how the world came to be like it is, and what impact it has had on the people of the world. The history of this world is well reasoned, and I really loved how rational and cold the final decision was. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. A really well done first instalment.
I really enjoyed this book. The world building was complex, and interesting. I love how the author's writing really fit the post disaster world she had created. The people, and places just seemed to fit, and make sense in that setting. I like how people had such varied reactions to their situation. They all seemed to act differently according to their personality, history, and character. I appreciated that. I'm not a fan of books where only the main characters have any sort of development. It makes for stale reading for me.
I really liked Aldric. I liked how his past was slowly explored over the course of the story, and how his history worked with the history of how the world came to be as it is. I appeciated the author's sensetive handling of his trauma, and how that impacts his relationship with other people, and his personality. It felt honest, and it really gave me an appreciation of how hard it has been for him to just keep moving on.
I liked the bond he formed with Daniel. Nothing felt like instant love, and I appreciated the time they took to get to know, and trust each other before love came into the picture. Anything faster would not have fit either one of the characters.
I liked Daniel as well. I loved the role he is playing in the world, and how hard he is working to perserve the stories of the people around him. I had a little more trouble with his backstory, and since we never really get into his head some of his changes of heart later felt a little more awkward to me. Nothing too serious, but I would have liked a little more into his past relationship, and how he moved on.
The plot was engaging, and well paced. It gave me a real feel for how the world came to be like it is, and what impact it has had on the people of the world. The history of this world is well reasoned, and I really loved how rational and cold the final decision was. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. A really well done first instalment.
March 2, 2024
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! It's a sci-fi dystopian romance where the author put a creative spin (based on my limited knowledge of the genre) on the dystopian aspects and created a well paced romance filled with solid character arcs for both MCs. There were some issues with the plotting and worldbuilding and I felt the story could have had more depth to it, but I was very satisfied with it.
In this future version of our world, humanity has less than a century left before dying out completely. A big war happened, during which The Anarchists rose up and fought against The Government and after the situation got on the UN's nerves, the government was instructed by the UN to use nuclear weapons on the opposition. The details are vague and this is one of the areas where the author's sloppiness was evident. There are two brief references to Europe but it's never made clear what country the story takes place in. It's also ludicrous to think that the UN would demand that the entire planet is destroyed because of a small group of rebels causing a civil war in one specific country.
Anyway. After the planet is destroyed, half the population is chosen to escape on spaceships, while the other half are left behind to die. The author added a cool twist that the departing humans spread some type of super fertilizer all over the planet which causes excessive and abnormally fast plant growth, which the humans hope will rejuvenate the planet so they can return one day. The fast growing trees have a really creepy vibe because of the way they basically absorb any organic material that comes near them, which is why dead bodies can just be left near trees and they'll be swallowed up in hours. I liked that creepy and unique detail.
The humans who are left behind are living lives that are bleak and literally pointless - they're all just waiting to die. The impact of the nuclear devastation means diseases like cancer are extremely common, lifespans have been reduced, most animals have gone extinct and humans live off of food stores that were left behind for them. Daniel is a historian who was chosen by the departing humans to help record the experiences of the humans who were left behind. This work provides him with purpose, which made him a refreshingly optimistic and cheerful character amid the sea of depressed, directionless people around him. Aldric is one of those depressed, directionless people. Having been a soldier for the government, he was badly injured during the nuclear blast and ended up with PTSD, damaged vocal cords and a prosthetic arm. He's been wandering around by himself for years, struggling with his PTSD, the things he'd done as a soldier and his difficulties speaking. He randomly saves Daniel's life when Aldric visits Daniel's town and Daniel hires him as his bodyguard.
The main conflict in the story is that Daniel is being hunted by a group of former Anarchists. The reasons why don't matter, but what does matter is that we find out later that . This additional aspect added a lot of depth to the scenario and it beautifully tied in with the romance development between the MCs, which I loved. Normally I'm not a fan of stories where , but it made perfect sense in this scenario and it was really refreshing to have Daniel fall for Aldric much slower than Aldric had fallen for him. I also enjoyed that Daniel was devoted to helping Aldric deal with his various issues and helped the grumpy, scarred soldier come out of his shell.
Another thing I loved was the multiple hurt/comfort scenarios that were included in the story. Both MCs save each other's lives multiple times throughout the story and Daniel nurses Aldric through injury and illness twice. The author also got big brownie points from me when sexy times happened and to my pleasant surprise, . Both of these situations are things I love so that made me happy.
The downfall of the story was its short length, which meant the author didn't provide details about things that really should have been explained (ex. more about the world's history, how exactly Aldric's throat was injured, where Daniel's seemingly endless amounts of money came from) and didn't expand on some plotlines that could have been fleshed out to make them more impactful. I won't spoil anything, but there are some character deaths in the story and I would have liked to spend more time with those people before they kicked the bucket. Since their deaths are very important in the story, I would have been happier if I had gotten to know them better, which would have resulted in their deaths being more meaningful. The ending arc that included the resolution of Daniel's conflict with the former Anarchists and also had Aldric making progress with his trauma were also very rushed and would have been more impactful if they had been expanded.
But overall, I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I adored both Daniel and Aldric and I loved their romance progression. Most of my enjoyment came from the author including specific tropes that I love so YMMV with this one, but I liked it. I definitely liked it enough to give the next book a shot.
Sidenote: why does this poor cover model keep getting used in covers for books that don't include any characters that resemble him?? He's way too young and doesn't physically resemble either MC. The other cover I've seen him on is Matt Peter's Pitch Prince where the poor guy is meant to represent a rugby player. I mean - come on!
In this future version of our world, humanity has less than a century left before dying out completely. A big war happened, during which The Anarchists rose up and fought against The Government and after the situation got on the UN's nerves, the government was instructed by the UN to use nuclear weapons on the opposition. The details are vague and this is one of the areas where the author's sloppiness was evident. There are two brief references to Europe but it's never made clear what country the story takes place in. It's also ludicrous to think that the UN would demand that the entire planet is destroyed because of a small group of rebels causing a civil war in one specific country.
Anyway. After the planet is destroyed, half the population is chosen to escape on spaceships, while the other half are left behind to die. The author added a cool twist that the departing humans spread some type of super fertilizer all over the planet which causes excessive and abnormally fast plant growth, which the humans hope will rejuvenate the planet so they can return one day. The fast growing trees have a really creepy vibe because of the way they basically absorb any organic material that comes near them, which is why dead bodies can just be left near trees and they'll be swallowed up in hours. I liked that creepy and unique detail.
The humans who are left behind are living lives that are bleak and literally pointless - they're all just waiting to die. The impact of the nuclear devastation means diseases like cancer are extremely common, lifespans have been reduced, most animals have gone extinct and humans live off of food stores that were left behind for them. Daniel is a historian who was chosen by the departing humans to help record the experiences of the humans who were left behind. This work provides him with purpose, which made him a refreshingly optimistic and cheerful character amid the sea of depressed, directionless people around him. Aldric is one of those depressed, directionless people. Having been a soldier for the government, he was badly injured during the nuclear blast and ended up with PTSD, damaged vocal cords and a prosthetic arm. He's been wandering around by himself for years, struggling with his PTSD, the things he'd done as a soldier and his difficulties speaking. He randomly saves Daniel's life when Aldric visits Daniel's town and Daniel hires him as his bodyguard.
The main conflict in the story is that Daniel is being hunted by a group of former Anarchists. The reasons why don't matter, but what does matter is that we find out later that . This additional aspect added a lot of depth to the scenario and it beautifully tied in with the romance development between the MCs, which I loved. Normally I'm not a fan of stories where , but it made perfect sense in this scenario and it was really refreshing to have Daniel fall for Aldric much slower than Aldric had fallen for him. I also enjoyed that Daniel was devoted to helping Aldric deal with his various issues and helped the grumpy, scarred soldier come out of his shell.
Another thing I loved was the multiple hurt/comfort scenarios that were included in the story. Both MCs save each other's lives multiple times throughout the story and Daniel nurses Aldric through injury and illness twice. The author also got big brownie points from me when sexy times happened and to my pleasant surprise, . Both of these situations are things I love so that made me happy.
The downfall of the story was its short length, which meant the author didn't provide details about things that really should have been explained (ex. more about the world's history, how exactly Aldric's throat was injured, where Daniel's seemingly endless amounts of money came from) and didn't expand on some plotlines that could have been fleshed out to make them more impactful. I won't spoil anything, but there are some character deaths in the story and I would have liked to spend more time with those people before they kicked the bucket. Since their deaths are very important in the story, I would have been happier if I had gotten to know them better, which would have resulted in their deaths being more meaningful. The ending arc that included the resolution of Daniel's conflict with the former Anarchists and also had Aldric making progress with his trauma were also very rushed and would have been more impactful if they had been expanded.
But overall, I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I adored both Daniel and Aldric and I loved their romance progression. Most of my enjoyment came from the author including specific tropes that I love so YMMV with this one, but I liked it. I definitely liked it enough to give the next book a shot.
Sidenote: why does this poor cover model keep getting used in covers for books that don't include any characters that resemble him?? He's way too young and doesn't physically resemble either MC. The other cover I've seen him on is Matt Peter's Pitch Prince where the poor guy is meant to represent a rugby player. I mean - come on!
February 9, 2014
The world has gone...well, to shit, basically. Half the population has hightailed it out of the atmosphere, and the other half have been left to struggle along on a half-dying planet. Not that they will have to struggle for all that long, since what the radiation poisoning doesn't kill, they might finish off themselves. Sure, the planet might survive, but humanity, it seems, is reaching its last few decades on Earth.
Daniel figures that if the world is going to hell in a flammable hand-basket, that the least he can do it make sure the people in it are remembered. He is part of a group of people, volunteers who stayed behind when the chosen half of humanity skedaddled, that have dedicated what is left of their lives to recording the lives and memories of humanity on Earth. It is a bit of a thankless task really. And an increasingly dangerous one, too. Which is where Aldric comes in. Ex-soldier, and general wandering hermit, he might just be the man (hired-gun) that Daniel needs to stay alive and keep his work safe. Aldric...well he's not sure why he agrees...but there is something about the crazy man that he can't leave. At least not yet. Humanity is dying...and they know it. Sometimes a few days pretending that they are still human, is all that they can hope for.
I'll admit that the dystopian genre has never been my favorite. Something about it, about the lows that humanity is willing to go to, just puts me in a funk. I tend to like to believe that humanity is not so fucking stupid as to kill off their planet...but, yeah. Not so much. I'm delusional, not blind.
There are some really good things about this dystopian though. I liked that humanity (while totally responsible for fucking everything up) tries to right some its wrongs. It tries to fix the planet, seeding it with something called Overgrowth, that is supposed to help speed up the recovery time for the earth. I do wish we might have got a bit more on how exactly this was supposed to work though. It seemed like a vague idea, even if a good one. I also liked how they also tried to do their best to leave help for those left behind. Maybe it was a way to ease their conscience, but it left a way to survive that at least that supported the world model presented in the story. They had supplies, so it was possible that they could continue to live in the cities. Which is probably good, 'cause the forest is kinda creepy.
However there are just some things about this book I could not buy. One of them is the whole 'let the soldiers vote' thing. Putting aside the fact that soldiers don't vote, they do as they are told, but even if they did, how is it possible that you got every single soldier to vote yes to destroying the world? And whose soldier were these exactly? Did this future world only have one army? Was there only one governing body? But then it talked about a UN, so there were countries...but somehow by some miracle you actually got them to agree on something? I was also really unclear on exactly what kind of weapon they used to kill all these 'anarchists' because it was apparently enough to poison the whole damn planet, but wasn't enough to kill what is left of humanity...well, at least not yet. I'll admit that I am not exactly fluent on nuclear weapons (if that was in fact what was used) and their fallout, but if you are going to base your whole world concept on the idea that they are the reason everything is going to hell, it might help if you paint a clearer picture on how exactly it is doing it.
As to the relationship between Daniel and Aldric...well, honestly I wasn't feeling it. Which, I guess is perfectly understandable, since they have just met, and well trust is going to be an issue for everyone. But it would have been nice by the end to feel some type of spark, at least. Maybe everything was just victim to the fact that there really is no happy, and certainly no ever-after, for anyone in this book. The best you seemed to be able to hope for was not in pain, with a side-helping of slightly content. It casts a bit of a downer on the whole story.
I had a hard time buying a lot of what this book was selling. It has some really good points, and a real interesting story to tell, but I guess I'm a bit of a stickler for the story to make sense. And some parts just really didn't. Maybe in future books the world is better fleshed out, but here it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. I did enjoy Aldric's story though, and all the things he went through. His voice, and pov, were interesting. Maybe I'll read further into this series to find out if it gets less confusing, but I'm not sure. 2.5 stars.
I was provided a copy of this book as part of the M/M Romance Group's DBML program on GoodReads in exchange for an honest review.
Daniel figures that if the world is going to hell in a flammable hand-basket, that the least he can do it make sure the people in it are remembered. He is part of a group of people, volunteers who stayed behind when the chosen half of humanity skedaddled, that have dedicated what is left of their lives to recording the lives and memories of humanity on Earth. It is a bit of a thankless task really. And an increasingly dangerous one, too. Which is where Aldric comes in. Ex-soldier, and general wandering hermit, he might just be the man (hired-gun) that Daniel needs to stay alive and keep his work safe. Aldric...well he's not sure why he agrees...but there is something about the crazy man that he can't leave. At least not yet. Humanity is dying...and they know it. Sometimes a few days pretending that they are still human, is all that they can hope for.
I'll admit that the dystopian genre has never been my favorite. Something about it, about the lows that humanity is willing to go to, just puts me in a funk. I tend to like to believe that humanity is not so fucking stupid as to kill off their planet...but, yeah. Not so much. I'm delusional, not blind.
There are some really good things about this dystopian though. I liked that humanity (while totally responsible for fucking everything up) tries to right some its wrongs. It tries to fix the planet, seeding it with something called Overgrowth, that is supposed to help speed up the recovery time for the earth. I do wish we might have got a bit more on how exactly this was supposed to work though. It seemed like a vague idea, even if a good one. I also liked how they also tried to do their best to leave help for those left behind. Maybe it was a way to ease their conscience, but it left a way to survive that at least that supported the world model presented in the story. They had supplies, so it was possible that they could continue to live in the cities. Which is probably good, 'cause the forest is kinda creepy.
However there are just some things about this book I could not buy. One of them is the whole 'let the soldiers vote' thing. Putting aside the fact that soldiers don't vote, they do as they are told, but even if they did, how is it possible that you got every single soldier to vote yes to destroying the world? And whose soldier were these exactly? Did this future world only have one army? Was there only one governing body? But then it talked about a UN, so there were countries...but somehow by some miracle you actually got them to agree on something? I was also really unclear on exactly what kind of weapon they used to kill all these 'anarchists' because it was apparently enough to poison the whole damn planet, but wasn't enough to kill what is left of humanity...well, at least not yet. I'll admit that I am not exactly fluent on nuclear weapons (if that was in fact what was used) and their fallout, but if you are going to base your whole world concept on the idea that they are the reason everything is going to hell, it might help if you paint a clearer picture on how exactly it is doing it.
As to the relationship between Daniel and Aldric...well, honestly I wasn't feeling it. Which, I guess is perfectly understandable, since they have just met, and well trust is going to be an issue for everyone. But it would have been nice by the end to feel some type of spark, at least. Maybe everything was just victim to the fact that there really is no happy, and certainly no ever-after, for anyone in this book. The best you seemed to be able to hope for was not in pain, with a side-helping of slightly content. It casts a bit of a downer on the whole story.
I had a hard time buying a lot of what this book was selling. It has some really good points, and a real interesting story to tell, but I guess I'm a bit of a stickler for the story to make sense. And some parts just really didn't. Maybe in future books the world is better fleshed out, but here it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. I did enjoy Aldric's story though, and all the things he went through. His voice, and pov, were interesting. Maybe I'll read further into this series to find out if it gets less confusing, but I'm not sure. 2.5 stars.
I was provided a copy of this book as part of the M/M Romance Group's DBML program on GoodReads in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2014
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I'm a sucker for any sort of post apocalyptic romance, so the blurb for this made me think it would be right up my ally. I liked a lot of the ideas behind the book. Humanity fleeing Earth after destroying the planet isn't really a new idea, but I thought the idea of Overgrowth was really interesting - people actually being proactive about trying to fix the planet's ecosystem. I also thought it was interesting that the humans who left didn't just leave everyone else on the planet to fend for themselves - they have food and water stores that are supposed to last them until they die out (of inability to reproduce after being exposed to radiation, another interesting idea). So the remains of humanity in this book was a lot more civilized than I would usually expect from this sort of set up.
There were some little details in the world building that bothered me though. People seem to still use money and Daniel seems to have a lot of it. How? It didn't seem like he was really getting paid doing his job as historian. I also wanted more details about the war that caused the destruction of the planet, I wasn't really clear on exactly what had happened and how people had managed to survive the radiation at all. I was also curious about how the computer worked and how they still had power, especially if the forest was taking over everything outside of the city. Also what happened to Aldric's throat? Was it injured in the same way as his arm? I was never clear on that either.
What really didn't work for me in this book was the romance. I never felt anything between Aldric and Daniel. I felt like they only had sex because they had limited other options. . Also I didn't actually like Daniel very much - the book is from Aldric's point of view, and I never got what he saw in Daniel. I felt like the romance was tacked on because the book was supposed to be a romance - it was supposed to be a romance, wasn't it? It felt like it was a box that needed to be checked, rather than an important or even necessary part of the story. (Also, side note, saliva is totally not sexy to me. The phrase "saliva dripping from his mouth" was used twice, and not even in the context of blow jobs!)
I thought the plot wasn't quite fleshed out enough. I kept waiting for things to come together, but it never really did. Part of the problem was that there wasn't enough time for me to care about the characters. . I thought the role of the villain was really interesting, but also not quite developed enough. . But all of that was brought in really late in the book and then over very quickly and almost completely forgotten about.
Overall I think the book would have been better if it was longer. Great ideas, but they just weren't developed enough for me.
I'm a sucker for any sort of post apocalyptic romance, so the blurb for this made me think it would be right up my ally. I liked a lot of the ideas behind the book. Humanity fleeing Earth after destroying the planet isn't really a new idea, but I thought the idea of Overgrowth was really interesting - people actually being proactive about trying to fix the planet's ecosystem. I also thought it was interesting that the humans who left didn't just leave everyone else on the planet to fend for themselves - they have food and water stores that are supposed to last them until they die out (of inability to reproduce after being exposed to radiation, another interesting idea). So the remains of humanity in this book was a lot more civilized than I would usually expect from this sort of set up.
There were some little details in the world building that bothered me though. People seem to still use money and Daniel seems to have a lot of it. How? It didn't seem like he was really getting paid doing his job as historian. I also wanted more details about the war that caused the destruction of the planet, I wasn't really clear on exactly what had happened and how people had managed to survive the radiation at all. I was also curious about how the computer worked and how they still had power, especially if the forest was taking over everything outside of the city. Also what happened to Aldric's throat? Was it injured in the same way as his arm? I was never clear on that either.
What really didn't work for me in this book was the romance. I never felt anything between Aldric and Daniel. I felt like they only had sex because they had limited other options. . Also I didn't actually like Daniel very much - the book is from Aldric's point of view, and I never got what he saw in Daniel. I felt like the romance was tacked on because the book was supposed to be a romance - it was supposed to be a romance, wasn't it? It felt like it was a box that needed to be checked, rather than an important or even necessary part of the story. (Also, side note, saliva is totally not sexy to me. The phrase "saliva dripping from his mouth" was used twice, and not even in the context of blow jobs!)
I thought the plot wasn't quite fleshed out enough. I kept waiting for things to come together, but it never really did. Part of the problem was that there wasn't enough time for me to care about the characters. . I thought the role of the villain was really interesting, but also not quite developed enough. . But all of that was brought in really late in the book and then over very quickly and almost completely forgotten about.
Overall I think the book would have been better if it was longer. Great ideas, but they just weren't developed enough for me.
August 31, 2016
A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Remembrance is a prequel to The Perils of Forgotten Pain: Part 1 but can definitely be read as a stand alone. I have not read Perils and did not feel like I was missing anything reading Remembrance.
The story is set in an incredibly bleak future time on Earth. Not only has society been almost decimated by war, radiation is causing high rates of cancer and the planet is being overgrown by forest at an alarming rate, but much of the population has left and the people remaining were rejected for the evacuation. There is no hope for the human race to survive on Earth past a century. Despite all this, Remembrance is ultimately a hopeful story - a story of small hopes found in individual people and their interactions/relationships.
Ravon Silvius did an excellent job building the future-state world without awkward or lengthy exposition. Details are organically included in dialog or scene descriptions.
Aldric is one of the loneliest characters I have ever "met" in a book. I felt so much empathy for him, especially when, despite everything he has experienced, he opens himself up to Daniel. Daniel, was a bit more difficult for me to connect with as he seems to be using Aldric and is rather callous to him (albeit mostly unintentionally). Secrets about the men are revealed throughout the story that explain their actions.
A couple things took a bit of my enjoyment away. The author had the unfortunate propensity to refer to Daniel as "dark haired," as in the "dark-haired man." Sometimes, this descriptor was used several times within a few paragraphs. The repetition pulled me out of the story. There was also an event where Daniel follows Aldric into the forest and the timeline seemed off. Despite this, I really enjoyed the book and loved the very last line: "He had lost everything, but at the end of the world, he had found so much more."
Remembrance is a quick read - took me about two hours. However, a lot is packed into the story. It has piqued my interest in the Perils of Forgotten Pain books.
Remembrance is a prequel to The Perils of Forgotten Pain: Part 1 but can definitely be read as a stand alone. I have not read Perils and did not feel like I was missing anything reading Remembrance.
The story is set in an incredibly bleak future time on Earth. Not only has society been almost decimated by war, radiation is causing high rates of cancer and the planet is being overgrown by forest at an alarming rate, but much of the population has left and the people remaining were rejected for the evacuation. There is no hope for the human race to survive on Earth past a century. Despite all this, Remembrance is ultimately a hopeful story - a story of small hopes found in individual people and their interactions/relationships.
Ravon Silvius did an excellent job building the future-state world without awkward or lengthy exposition. Details are organically included in dialog or scene descriptions.
Aldric is one of the loneliest characters I have ever "met" in a book. I felt so much empathy for him, especially when, despite everything he has experienced, he opens himself up to Daniel. Daniel, was a bit more difficult for me to connect with as he seems to be using Aldric and is rather callous to him (albeit mostly unintentionally). Secrets about the men are revealed throughout the story that explain their actions.
A couple things took a bit of my enjoyment away. The author had the unfortunate propensity to refer to Daniel as "dark haired," as in the "dark-haired man." Sometimes, this descriptor was used several times within a few paragraphs. The repetition pulled me out of the story. There was also an event where Daniel follows Aldric into the forest and the timeline seemed off. Despite this, I really enjoyed the book and loved the very last line: "He had lost everything, but at the end of the world, he had found so much more."
Remembrance is a quick read - took me about two hours. However, a lot is packed into the story. It has piqued my interest in the Perils of Forgotten Pain books.
January 21, 2014
Aldric is a former soldier. His Alliance compatriots destroyed the Earth with nuclear weaponry and then departed to spaceships to wait while the radioactivity dissipates. Left behind to wait out the recovery--tantamount to a death sentence--are millions of people who didn't make the cut. Orphans, Anarchist soldiers, the old, infirm, infertile...and people like Aldric. Because he's fertile but unlikely to procreate--being a homosexual.
Aldric has roamed the land for five years now. He enters a populated area and encounters Daniel, a historian. It's Daniel's mission to record the memories of Earth's forgotten to upload it for the colonists to view when they return in a century. He's also a target of the Forest Boys--marauders who will kill to obtain what supplies the desire.
Daniel recognizes Aldric's strength and hires him to be a bodyguard, which is great--except Aldric strives to keep his past secret, and it's hard to do when he's in close quarters. See, Aldric's got some replacement parts courtesy of the military following a mortar attack. Daniel discovers this after Aldric is injured saving him from an ambush. Oddly, Daniel isn't repulsed, and doesn't send Aldric away.
In fact, things seem to get good between them, on account of Daniel also being into men. This is short-lived however. And Aldric's back on the road. At least, until Daniel's ex attacks.
This story is both somber and uplifting. Throughout all, there is this pervasive inevitability of death. People know they aren't going to survive, yet they attempt to live the best they can. This fatalistic approach allows for people to not only do heinous things (the Forest Boys) it also allows for people strive for better, and to build lasting bonds (Aldric and Daniel). I really enjoyed the story and felt the world building was excellent. The complex relationship between Aldric and Daniel felt so real. I wanted very much for them to find some peace in their desolate world, and that hope was met.
This novella is a prequel to a two book series, but stands alone quite nicely. I received a free review copy of this book through the Don't Buy My Love program.
Aldric has roamed the land for five years now. He enters a populated area and encounters Daniel, a historian. It's Daniel's mission to record the memories of Earth's forgotten to upload it for the colonists to view when they return in a century. He's also a target of the Forest Boys--marauders who will kill to obtain what supplies the desire.
Daniel recognizes Aldric's strength and hires him to be a bodyguard, which is great--except Aldric strives to keep his past secret, and it's hard to do when he's in close quarters. See, Aldric's got some replacement parts courtesy of the military following a mortar attack. Daniel discovers this after Aldric is injured saving him from an ambush. Oddly, Daniel isn't repulsed, and doesn't send Aldric away.
In fact, things seem to get good between them, on account of Daniel also being into men. This is short-lived however. And Aldric's back on the road. At least, until Daniel's ex attacks.
This story is both somber and uplifting. Throughout all, there is this pervasive inevitability of death. People know they aren't going to survive, yet they attempt to live the best they can. This fatalistic approach allows for people to not only do heinous things (the Forest Boys) it also allows for people strive for better, and to build lasting bonds (Aldric and Daniel). I really enjoyed the story and felt the world building was excellent. The complex relationship between Aldric and Daniel felt so real. I wanted very much for them to find some peace in their desolate world, and that hope was met.
This novella is a prequel to a two book series, but stands alone quite nicely. I received a free review copy of this book through the Don't Buy My Love program.
September 7, 2016
This is a prequel but stands very well on its own.
I liked it, and I'm amazed by how much I liked it. I can only attribute that to Aldric, someone I adored from the beginning. Aldric was a soldier whose fellow soldiers and command released nuclear weapons basically destroying the earth. The water and fish are unsafe, people are dying of cancer and have been sterilized by the radiation. A new type of forest is over taking the planet, a forest that consumes corpses. Seeing where the earth was headed, many of them escaped to space ships but there wasn’t room for all of them all so many had to stay behind. Aldric is one of those forced to stay behind due to his orientation because they wanted healthy connected breeders on the ships. They’ve left enough food behind for 100 years, the end of which everyone will die off, if they don’t die off before that due to the non existent birth rates.
The story is told only in Aldric’s POV. He’s is a loner, by choice and necessity, always on the move. I was entranced by him from the beginning. He has a history, a painful history, that he’s hidden for five years and keeps moving to keep from discovery. He’s met a lot of people in his travels, but Daniel catches his attention from the beginning, different from anyone he’s ever known. After Aldric saves Daniel from a gang, Daniel hires him as a bodyguard. We don’t miss out not having Daniel’s POV, Daniel is essentially an open book, it’s Aldric’s thoughts and interpretations that are intriguing. His attraction to Daniel is inevitable.
Daniel’s part of a unique group of people who chose to stay behind to record the history of those who remained. He’s an optimistic sort but treats Aldric somewhat callously, though it’s not Daniel’s intent to hurt Aldric, he just doesn’t feel that level of affection for Aldric. Not at first. For Daniel has his own secrets and regrets.
I felt for Aldric the entire story....his loneliness, his affection for Daniel, his desolation when he realizes Daniel does not care for him the same way, his pain from his disturbing past. I felt them but thankfully the author doesn’t wallow in them or use them to make Aldric weak.
The ending was somewhat predictable and the problem of the Forest Boys given a light hand, but it fit and I couldn’t imagine anything else.
I did have my niggles though. While grateful there wasn’t a world building info dump, I could have used more. I’m still not sure I understand who the different sides were and why the war happened. I also don’t understand where the space ships came from or where they are going. Then there was a murder that meant to pose an emotional impact but didn’t work as Aldric only met them once and I’m not convinced he had that kind of empathy in him at the time. Finally there were times the Aldric/Daniel chemistry didn’t’ work.
Mostly though, I enjoyed this story. A bleak world with a set end date that had so much hope. I’m very curious now about the rest of the series.
I received a copy of this story from the author at no charge in exchange for an honest review.
I liked it, and I'm amazed by how much I liked it. I can only attribute that to Aldric, someone I adored from the beginning. Aldric was a soldier whose fellow soldiers and command released nuclear weapons basically destroying the earth. The water and fish are unsafe, people are dying of cancer and have been sterilized by the radiation. A new type of forest is over taking the planet, a forest that consumes corpses. Seeing where the earth was headed, many of them escaped to space ships but there wasn’t room for all of them all so many had to stay behind. Aldric is one of those forced to stay behind due to his orientation because they wanted healthy connected breeders on the ships. They’ve left enough food behind for 100 years, the end of which everyone will die off, if they don’t die off before that due to the non existent birth rates.
The story is told only in Aldric’s POV. He’s is a loner, by choice and necessity, always on the move. I was entranced by him from the beginning. He has a history, a painful history, that he’s hidden for five years and keeps moving to keep from discovery. He’s met a lot of people in his travels, but Daniel catches his attention from the beginning, different from anyone he’s ever known. After Aldric saves Daniel from a gang, Daniel hires him as a bodyguard. We don’t miss out not having Daniel’s POV, Daniel is essentially an open book, it’s Aldric’s thoughts and interpretations that are intriguing. His attraction to Daniel is inevitable.
Daniel’s part of a unique group of people who chose to stay behind to record the history of those who remained. He’s an optimistic sort but treats Aldric somewhat callously, though it’s not Daniel’s intent to hurt Aldric, he just doesn’t feel that level of affection for Aldric. Not at first. For Daniel has his own secrets and regrets.
I felt for Aldric the entire story....his loneliness, his affection for Daniel, his desolation when he realizes Daniel does not care for him the same way, his pain from his disturbing past. I felt them but thankfully the author doesn’t wallow in them or use them to make Aldric weak.
The ending was somewhat predictable and the problem of the Forest Boys given a light hand, but it fit and I couldn’t imagine anything else.
I did have my niggles though. While grateful there wasn’t a world building info dump, I could have used more. I’m still not sure I understand who the different sides were and why the war happened. I also don’t understand where the space ships came from or where they are going. Then there was a murder that meant to pose an emotional impact but didn’t work as Aldric only met them once and I’m not convinced he had that kind of empathy in him at the time. Finally there were times the Aldric/Daniel chemistry didn’t’ work.
Mostly though, I enjoyed this story. A bleak world with a set end date that had so much hope. I’m very curious now about the rest of the series.
I received a copy of this story from the author at no charge in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2016
This book was provided to me in return for an honest review as part of the M/M Romance group DBML program. I have not received any compensation for this review, it's freely given.
The world has been torn apart by a nuclear war. Part of the population has left the planet, intending to return when it's safe to do so. The rest of the population is left behind to survive as best as they can, but they're slowing dying & expect to be completely gone in about a century.
Aldric is a former soldier who was left behind basically because he's gay & won't be reproducing. He's been damaged both mentally & physically by the war. He's taken to wandering around since he had no home or family left to return to when the war was over. He meets Daniel in a brothel while he's there for some human contact & saves him from being killed.
Daniel works at collecting people's memories for a project that will ensure that those left behind won't be forgotten when those who left return. He's thankful that Aldric saved him & asks Aldric to protect him so he can safely work on his project, as there are people who want to steal his equipment.
Aldric's not used to being around people for extended periods of time, but he agrees to stay & help Daniel for awhile. Until he & Daniel get intimate & Daniel calls out another man's name. Aldric is hurt because he thought that Daniel had some feelings for him, so he takes off. While he's in the process of moving on, a gang of criminal types they call the Forest Boys try to ambush him & steal his things. He's injured while fighting them off & decides to seek Daniel out for help once he realizes that infection has set in & he'll die if he doesn't get treated.
Daniel finds him passed out in the forest, he had tried to track Aldric down wanting him to tell him what went wrong so that maybe they could try again. He gets Aldric medical help, then works at trying to regain Aldric's trust as he realized that he did indeed have feelings for Aldric. He confronts his former lover, Blake, who is the leader of the Forest Boys & discovers that the love he thought he had for Blake wasn't true love, but instead some sort of warped infatuation. Blake is wounded in the fight & instead of killing him, Daniel decides to take a stand & make him responsible for the wrong things that he's done to their community.
Aldric realizes that it's time he stop being so afraid of his past & share it for the project because all the memories that will be left behind when the humans finally perish are important & shouldn't be forgotten.
This was a sad story & yet there was still hope in the end. People could still be good at heart even though they were slowing dying & becoming extinct. Hope that love could still heal hearts. I enjoyed it a lot & would happily read more from this author.
The world has been torn apart by a nuclear war. Part of the population has left the planet, intending to return when it's safe to do so. The rest of the population is left behind to survive as best as they can, but they're slowing dying & expect to be completely gone in about a century.
Aldric is a former soldier who was left behind basically because he's gay & won't be reproducing. He's been damaged both mentally & physically by the war. He's taken to wandering around since he had no home or family left to return to when the war was over. He meets Daniel in a brothel while he's there for some human contact & saves him from being killed.
Daniel works at collecting people's memories for a project that will ensure that those left behind won't be forgotten when those who left return. He's thankful that Aldric saved him & asks Aldric to protect him so he can safely work on his project, as there are people who want to steal his equipment.
Aldric's not used to being around people for extended periods of time, but he agrees to stay & help Daniel for awhile. Until he & Daniel get intimate & Daniel calls out another man's name. Aldric is hurt because he thought that Daniel had some feelings for him, so he takes off. While he's in the process of moving on, a gang of criminal types they call the Forest Boys try to ambush him & steal his things. He's injured while fighting them off & decides to seek Daniel out for help once he realizes that infection has set in & he'll die if he doesn't get treated.
Daniel finds him passed out in the forest, he had tried to track Aldric down wanting him to tell him what went wrong so that maybe they could try again. He gets Aldric medical help, then works at trying to regain Aldric's trust as he realized that he did indeed have feelings for Aldric. He confronts his former lover, Blake, who is the leader of the Forest Boys & discovers that the love he thought he had for Blake wasn't true love, but instead some sort of warped infatuation. Blake is wounded in the fight & instead of killing him, Daniel decides to take a stand & make him responsible for the wrong things that he's done to their community.
Aldric realizes that it's time he stop being so afraid of his past & share it for the project because all the memories that will be left behind when the humans finally perish are important & shouldn't be forgotten.
This was a sad story & yet there was still hope in the end. People could still be good at heart even though they were slowing dying & becoming extinct. Hope that love could still heal hearts. I enjoyed it a lot & would happily read more from this author.
February 5, 2014
**I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
This book is a prequel in a dystopian series that I have not read yet. It is said that it can be read ahead of the others, but I cannot personally attest to that. However after reading it, I am wondering if it is not best to read afterwards.
There was something lacking in this book for me. It is told from the point of view of Aldric, a former soldier, left behind on dying Earth. Aldric is a wanderer. He has wandered the forests and cities since those selected to survive had fled the planet. He is the strong, silent type. He minds his own business until stopping into a bar for a meal and saving Daniel from an attack on his life, and Daniel convinces him to stay with him and be his bodyguard.
Aldric’s character is the more fleshed out of the two MC’s. As it’s told from his point of view, the reader is able to get his thoughts and feelings, his history through a few flashbacks. Daniel we only get to see through Aldric’s eyes and he comes across as a bit one dimensional. He seemed a bit flippant, definitely focused on his work as a historian and seemingly lacking in emotion. For example, Aldric comes out to him relatively quickly, Daniel doesn’t say anything beyond accepting Aldric. It seemed very surface to me.
The reader is told so much of the story, yet I really didn’t feel much of it.
The actions that take place, the main conflicts in the story, aren’t really as big as I think they are meant to be. In many instances, a “big reveal” happens, and yet it doesn’t register very strongly. I think part of this may be because I didn’t know to expect anything. There was no big build up. Without the buildup, or prior knowledge, I think elements like this one in the book lost some of their importance.
Overall, I was able to enjoy the story, but I found certain things missing. I think I may check out the other books in the series and see if I can find the answers there.
This book is a prequel in a dystopian series that I have not read yet. It is said that it can be read ahead of the others, but I cannot personally attest to that. However after reading it, I am wondering if it is not best to read afterwards.
There was something lacking in this book for me. It is told from the point of view of Aldric, a former soldier, left behind on dying Earth. Aldric is a wanderer. He has wandered the forests and cities since those selected to survive had fled the planet. He is the strong, silent type. He minds his own business until stopping into a bar for a meal and saving Daniel from an attack on his life, and Daniel convinces him to stay with him and be his bodyguard.
Aldric’s character is the more fleshed out of the two MC’s. As it’s told from his point of view, the reader is able to get his thoughts and feelings, his history through a few flashbacks. Daniel we only get to see through Aldric’s eyes and he comes across as a bit one dimensional. He seemed a bit flippant, definitely focused on his work as a historian and seemingly lacking in emotion. For example, Aldric comes out to him relatively quickly, Daniel doesn’t say anything beyond accepting Aldric. It seemed very surface to me.
The reader is told so much of the story, yet I really didn’t feel much of it.
The actions that take place, the main conflicts in the story, aren’t really as big as I think they are meant to be. In many instances, a “big reveal” happens, and yet it doesn’t register very strongly. I think part of this may be because I didn’t know to expect anything. There was no big build up. Without the buildup, or prior knowledge, I think elements like this one in the book lost some of their importance.
Overall, I was able to enjoy the story, but I found certain things missing. I think I may check out the other books in the series and see if I can find the answers there.
July 20, 2016
A free copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Remembrance is a prequel to Silvus’ Perils of Forgotten Pain. The book is a combination of different themes; we’ve got a post-apocalyptic world, a little bit of science-fiction meets action with an underlining tone of love and comfort. This is a story of a world that lies on its destruction and waits to be forgotten, and about those who were lucky to get away and the rest who were unfortunate to be left behind.
Aldric is a man punished by the war, coming from a life that no longer exists, with a past he hopes to forget and doesn’t care to share. He’s heading off to nowhere, never thinking he might stay to one place longer than few moments. Then he meets Daniel, a man in need of help and desperate enough to get it from where he can. Aldric takes upon the offer and soon these two men, not quite alike, find something neither of them bargained for in the midst of survival.
I loved the conrast between the characters; Aldric is tardy and distant in his carefully built shield whereas Daniel is almost naive in his quests to leave something of himself behind. It’s not foolish stupidity that drives him into acts that at first seem pointless and meaningless to Aldric, but the beluef that even if their world is crumbling apart around them, there is still something they can do, something that makes a difference.
However much I enjoyed this book, I have to say I wished it was longer. I would’ve needed a bit more flesh around the frames, a little bit more story-telling throughout the book. I felt there were a lot of story placed on these pages and it would’ve needed a bit more space to meander in. This being said, I’m glad I read this book though this isn’t the type of story I usually read. To me, it was interesting and entertaining, for my narrow field of knowledge a very fresh and welcomed read. I haven’t read any books by this author before, but now that I’ve read Remembrance, I most definitely will read more.
Remembrance is a prequel to Silvus’ Perils of Forgotten Pain. The book is a combination of different themes; we’ve got a post-apocalyptic world, a little bit of science-fiction meets action with an underlining tone of love and comfort. This is a story of a world that lies on its destruction and waits to be forgotten, and about those who were lucky to get away and the rest who were unfortunate to be left behind.
Aldric is a man punished by the war, coming from a life that no longer exists, with a past he hopes to forget and doesn’t care to share. He’s heading off to nowhere, never thinking he might stay to one place longer than few moments. Then he meets Daniel, a man in need of help and desperate enough to get it from where he can. Aldric takes upon the offer and soon these two men, not quite alike, find something neither of them bargained for in the midst of survival.
I loved the conrast between the characters; Aldric is tardy and distant in his carefully built shield whereas Daniel is almost naive in his quests to leave something of himself behind. It’s not foolish stupidity that drives him into acts that at first seem pointless and meaningless to Aldric, but the beluef that even if their world is crumbling apart around them, there is still something they can do, something that makes a difference.
However much I enjoyed this book, I have to say I wished it was longer. I would’ve needed a bit more flesh around the frames, a little bit more story-telling throughout the book. I felt there were a lot of story placed on these pages and it would’ve needed a bit more space to meander in. This being said, I’m glad I read this book though this isn’t the type of story I usually read. To me, it was interesting and entertaining, for my narrow field of knowledge a very fresh and welcomed read. I haven’t read any books by this author before, but now that I’ve read Remembrance, I most definitely will read more.
February 1, 2014
(A free copy of this book was received from the author via the GR MM Romance Group DBML program in exchange for an honest review.) Remembrance takes place in a post-apocalyptic future Earth. The privileged class has departed for the stars. The dregs of society remain behind. Anarchy reigns. Everyday life means hanging out at the brothels and drinking homemade alcohol. Aldric is a wandering veteran of the wars. Daniel is an historian uploading people’s memories for posterity. They meet when Aldric drifts into town. Daniel runs into him at a bar-brothel and likes his big brooding appearance. On impulse, he hires Aldric to be his bodyguard against the forest boys who want to steal his technology.
Not much happens in this story. Aldric and Daniel dance around their mutual attraction. Aldric feels hurt when Daniel’s interest doesn’t immediately seem to match his. (They have known each other maybe two days.) He decides to leave without explanation. He decides to return. There is a run-in with the underwhelming forest boys. The story was interesting enough to keep me turning pages. Smoothly written. But it wasn’t complex or deep enough or perhaps long enough to qualify as more than an average one-time read for me. It doesn’t stand out from many similar post-apocalyptic things I have read.
Not much happens in this story. Aldric and Daniel dance around their mutual attraction. Aldric feels hurt when Daniel’s interest doesn’t immediately seem to match his. (They have known each other maybe two days.) He decides to leave without explanation. He decides to return. There is a run-in with the underwhelming forest boys. The story was interesting enough to keep me turning pages. Smoothly written. But it wasn’t complex or deep enough or perhaps long enough to qualify as more than an average one-time read for me. It doesn’t stand out from many similar post-apocalyptic things I have read.
February 3, 2014
This book tells the story of a soldier just trying to survive in the aftermath of a war. He travels from place to place, in part because he has no other purpose, or because he is used to being nomadic in his life as soldier, but mostly to keep the ghost of the war at bay. He has to live with the choices he has made, and the injuries he has obtained; both dodge his step often, and later on in the story, threaten to overwhelm him. Then there's the historian whom he begins to care for as the story progresses, and the relationship developing between them.
The set-up of the story is some dystopian future as summarized in the synopsis. Even with this bleak setting, I'd say that the business of living, at least for the MCs, feel more like an adventure to me. Since the beginning, there is always danger shadowing them which climaxes towards the end of the story.
The narration is smooth and evenly paced. Emotions are vividly described without being overwhelming. Technical details on how present situation came about are provided sparingly, enough for readers to understand what is happening, but focusing more about the now.
It is a pleasant read that doesn't overdose reader with angst, like a lot of the story with ex-soldier theme oft to do, but just enough to pull on your heart string.
The set-up of the story is some dystopian future as summarized in the synopsis. Even with this bleak setting, I'd say that the business of living, at least for the MCs, feel more like an adventure to me. Since the beginning, there is always danger shadowing them which climaxes towards the end of the story.
The narration is smooth and evenly paced. Emotions are vividly described without being overwhelming. Technical details on how present situation came about are provided sparingly, enough for readers to understand what is happening, but focusing more about the now.
It is a pleasant read that doesn't overdose reader with angst, like a lot of the story with ex-soldier theme oft to do, but just enough to pull on your heart string.
April 8, 2013
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The characters were so...I’m actually at a loss for words. They were perfectly flawed is the best way to describe them. The world the author created was dark and twisted but so imaginative and real. I was hooked at the beginning and pulled through to the end.
Remembrance is a novel that no one should pass up because it will touch your soul.
The characters were so...I’m actually at a loss for words. They were perfectly flawed is the best way to describe them. The world the author created was dark and twisted but so imaginative and real. I was hooked at the beginning and pulled through to the end.
Remembrance is a novel that no one should pass up because it will touch your soul.
January 26, 2015
This is a prequel to Perils of Forgotten Pain, although I think it was published/written afterward. I read it first in the series though.
This was a great story. It was somewhat depressing in that the people were left behind for various reasons, having basically no future. Mankind would die out in less than 100 years and these were the last humans who would live on the Earth.
This was a great story. It was somewhat depressing in that the people were left behind for various reasons, having basically no future. Mankind would die out in less than 100 years and these were the last humans who would live on the Earth.
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