What do you think?
Rate this book
Flare
Malcolm King is a journalist living in trendy Hove on the south coast of England. His days are taken up with video meetings and research on the internet while he writes articles for magazines around the world.
When a solar flare of unprecedented magnitude hits the Earth, effectively hurling us back to the stone age in a matter of hours, Malc is thrust into a terrifying new world as he travels the length of the country to find his young daughter.
Society, a fragile construct at best, shatters as the survivors fight each other for food and water, neighbour killing neighbour as fires rage through the cities, destroying much of what's left.
Faced with difficult choices at every turn, Malc draws his strength from those around him; Emily, a tough, no-nonsense soldier with a soft spot for lost causes and Jerry, a disgraced astrophysicist who may be the only person left who understands what's happening with the sun.
With their help, he must struggle to answer the ultimate question.
What won't he do to get his daughter back?
When a solar flare of unprecedented magnitude hits the Earth, effectively hurling us back to the stone age in a matter of hours, Malc is thrust into a terrifying new world as he travels the length of the country to find his young daughter.
Society, a fragile construct at best, shatters as the survivors fight each other for food and water, neighbour killing neighbour as fires rage through the cities, destroying much of what's left.
Faced with difficult choices at every turn, Malc draws his strength from those around him; Emily, a tough, no-nonsense soldier with a soft spot for lost causes and Jerry, a disgraced astrophysicist who may be the only person left who understands what's happening with the sun.
With their help, he must struggle to answer the ultimate question.
What won't he do to get his daughter back?
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 18, 2014
22 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Paul Grzegorzek
13 books25 followersPaul is 36 years old and despite the surname hails from Sussex where he has lived all his life, having gone to school in the beautiful countryside town of Midhurst. He was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, within spitting distance of Brighton, a city he's called home since the mid 90's.
Over the last twelve years, Paul has worked as a soldier (part time only), a bouncer, a security officer and a police officer, not necessarily in that order. In a 6 year police career, Paul worked on the beat (on a mountain bike of all things), on response, then on LST, specializing in riot duties and working as a riot medic.
Paul then went on to join DIU (the divisional intelligence unit) and worked on undercover drug operations as well as dealing with vehicle crime for the city and anything else that caught his eye.
During his police career Paul was twice given bravery awards in the form of divisional congratulations.
Paul eventually left the police for a high-profile security job in the US which fell through, leaving him working freelance security in the UK.
He now works in the defence industry and occasionally gets time to write!
While in the police, Paul met Peter James and soon the two became firm friends, Paul helping Peter as an adviser on his Roy Grace series on novels.
Outside of work and writing, Paul has studied white crane kungfu for about a dozen years on and off, and lives in Brighton which he loves and hates with a passion. Wherever he goes in the city he is reminded of a job that he attended, a person he arrested or a crime scene he worked, which is why he writes about the place with such vigour and realism.
To see more of Paul's work including some of his police memoirs, check out his blog at http://diariesofamodernmadman.blogspo...
Over the last twelve years, Paul has worked as a soldier (part time only), a bouncer, a security officer and a police officer, not necessarily in that order. In a 6 year police career, Paul worked on the beat (on a mountain bike of all things), on response, then on LST, specializing in riot duties and working as a riot medic.
Paul then went on to join DIU (the divisional intelligence unit) and worked on undercover drug operations as well as dealing with vehicle crime for the city and anything else that caught his eye.
During his police career Paul was twice given bravery awards in the form of divisional congratulations.
Paul eventually left the police for a high-profile security job in the US which fell through, leaving him working freelance security in the UK.
He now works in the defence industry and occasionally gets time to write!
While in the police, Paul met Peter James and soon the two became firm friends, Paul helping Peter as an adviser on his Roy Grace series on novels.
Outside of work and writing, Paul has studied white crane kungfu for about a dozen years on and off, and lives in Brighton which he loves and hates with a passion. Wherever he goes in the city he is reminded of a job that he attended, a person he arrested or a crime scene he worked, which is why he writes about the place with such vigour and realism.
To see more of Paul's work including some of his police memoirs, check out his blog at http://diariesofamodernmadman.blogspo...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 9, 2014
A read that had an old fashioned feel to it. An enjoyable read, with a well defined sense of tension and clearly drawn interesting characters.
The author isn't breaking down any barriers or innovating but he's a decent story teller and I never felt like putting it down, nor did I consider it predictable. Several plot strands were left open and this reader hopes for a sequel to a great read.
The author isn't breaking down any barriers or innovating but he's a decent story teller and I never felt like putting it down, nor did I consider it predictable. Several plot strands were left open and this reader hopes for a sequel to a great read.
July 4, 2017
Last week I read a book about an EMP that destroys civilisation. That book was also set in England, but ‘starred’ an American Marine. (need I say more??)
‘Flare’ is far more realistic in that the protagonist is a mild mannered journalist, whose only plan is to head north to Manchester to rescue his daughter. The story is - like most ‘End of the World’ scenarios, fairly predictable. There are the usual teenage looters, the bullies, the violence, the starving masses etc etc.
But there were moments of real angst in this story and some great writing. Malcolm comes across as a real person. Not some super hero who has all the answers and is going to save the world.
A refreshing and enjoyable read.
‘Flare’ is far more realistic in that the protagonist is a mild mannered journalist, whose only plan is to head north to Manchester to rescue his daughter. The story is - like most ‘End of the World’ scenarios, fairly predictable. There are the usual teenage looters, the bullies, the violence, the starving masses etc etc.
But there were moments of real angst in this story and some great writing. Malcolm comes across as a real person. Not some super hero who has all the answers and is going to save the world.
A refreshing and enjoyable read.
April 18, 2014
So first off, I am an avid reader and fan of post-apocalypse/dystopian novels, whose themes range from global pandemics (natural and Alien), financial collapse, widespread natural disaster, EMP, and in this novels case: solar flares (note: No Zombies)...
I have enjoyed the likes of "Light's Out", "one Second After", "77 Day's in September", "Redaction series", "Survivors", and "Patriots" to just name a few and I add "Flare" to that list. I enjoyed the story, yet believe it is just a seed from which a much greater world can sprout...
This story is based jolly ole England, a setting that is a first for me, save for a touch of it in the early books of the Emberverse Series... This, however, is entirely set in England and written using the British vocabulary. I have a basic knowledge of British vocab/slang and locations, so the world was not totally alien to me, but it did take a bit to get the visualization of the environment going as I read through; to that, the author did a fabulous job in environment/situational description for me to work through those issues and "see" the world as I believe he intended...
Nothing was really outrageous and the world was pretty believable. The only thing that was a stretch, in my humble opinion, was that the Sun kept consistently throwing out intense flares, one after another, impeding any potential electronic recovery or at least that is the indication I received...
Now I do have to bring this up: the novel was short, 179 pages for the Epub version I received, and I do hope that the Author is planning on making this a series of novels, not just a bne-off...
There is a great opportunity for this story to continue from where it ends, and many stories or plot lines that can diverge from the main. Examples of these are: the conflict between the forces of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Defense Secretary (would love to see what the 21st SAS can do to the numerically superior Regular army force); The continuing struggle to rebuild at the logistics base, using the general populous as "slave labour" to do so (Defense Sec locale), the survival of the community of Ranch folk that helped out our Heros on their journey (does the radiation from the power plant come their way???)... There are so many stories that can come out of the world and locale that the Author has created for the Reader, and only a smidgen have been touched on... So I say to Mr. Grzegorzek, WRITE ON, let those creative juices flow, because I would love to see what you come up with next, to further build upon this exciting new world you have presented...
Rating:
Though I enjoyed this story, I give it 3.5 stars(goodreads won't allow halves though), because it only felt like the beginning of something greater and so much more could have been built up or touched upon... It is written well and allows for a good visualization of the World, BUT the Author limited himself, shown by only decent "depth of character" of the Principles (they got the treatment one expects of Secondaries), missed opportunities to expand in a number of places, and lastly, because of the priors, how short the story is... However, all the minute failings this story has can easily be remedied in follow-ups, which I whole-heartedly hope the Author pursues...
***Note:
(Disclaimer): I received an Epub version of this Novel (from the Author), with the request that I provide a fair review...
I have enjoyed the likes of "Light's Out", "one Second After", "77 Day's in September", "Redaction series", "Survivors", and "Patriots" to just name a few and I add "Flare" to that list. I enjoyed the story, yet believe it is just a seed from which a much greater world can sprout...
This story is based jolly ole England, a setting that is a first for me, save for a touch of it in the early books of the Emberverse Series... This, however, is entirely set in England and written using the British vocabulary. I have a basic knowledge of British vocab/slang and locations, so the world was not totally alien to me, but it did take a bit to get the visualization of the environment going as I read through; to that, the author did a fabulous job in environment/situational description for me to work through those issues and "see" the world as I believe he intended...
Nothing was really outrageous and the world was pretty believable. The only thing that was a stretch, in my humble opinion, was that the Sun kept consistently throwing out intense flares, one after another, impeding any potential electronic recovery or at least that is the indication I received...
Now I do have to bring this up: the novel was short, 179 pages for the Epub version I received, and I do hope that the Author is planning on making this a series of novels, not just a bne-off...
There is a great opportunity for this story to continue from where it ends, and many stories or plot lines that can diverge from the main. Examples of these are: the conflict between the forces of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Defense Secretary (would love to see what the 21st SAS can do to the numerically superior Regular army force); The continuing struggle to rebuild at the logistics base, using the general populous as "slave labour" to do so (Defense Sec locale), the survival of the community of Ranch folk that helped out our Heros on their journey (does the radiation from the power plant come their way???)... There are so many stories that can come out of the world and locale that the Author has created for the Reader, and only a smidgen have been touched on... So I say to Mr. Grzegorzek, WRITE ON, let those creative juices flow, because I would love to see what you come up with next, to further build upon this exciting new world you have presented...
Rating:
Though I enjoyed this story, I give it 3.5 stars(goodreads won't allow halves though), because it only felt like the beginning of something greater and so much more could have been built up or touched upon... It is written well and allows for a good visualization of the World, BUT the Author limited himself, shown by only decent "depth of character" of the Principles (they got the treatment one expects of Secondaries), missed opportunities to expand in a number of places, and lastly, because of the priors, how short the story is... However, all the minute failings this story has can easily be remedied in follow-ups, which I whole-heartedly hope the Author pursues...
***Note:
(Disclaimer): I received an Epub version of this Novel (from the Author), with the request that I provide a fair review...
February 18, 2014
Okay I have to start by being completely honest. When I read the synopsis I made a very hasty judgement. I decided that seeing as I didn’t really read this sort of thing, I wouldn’t enjoy it. I mean, yes, I have managed to sit through a couple of what I like to call Disaster Movies; and yes they were okay. That’s just it though, they were okay. So the thought of reading the equivalent didn’t fill me with joy. However, after reading the first few chapters I realised that the book was not only bloody good, I realised there wasn’t a hope in hell of me actually putting the damn thing down?
Malcolm King (known as Malc) is a journalist who in the first few chapters receives a phone call from his friend Jerry. Jerry is an astrophysicist and he is convinced that something bad is going to happen involving a solar flare. Malc refuses to believe it at first and within a matter of hours, he realises that he should have listened. Before he knows it, Malc is living ion a world where everything he knows is gone. The one problem he has is that he is currently living in the South of England and his young daughter is living in Manchester. He decided then and there that no matter what it takes, he will reach her.
Well in a nutshell as soon as Malc starts his travels the book ratchets up a gear and the reader gets to see just what might happen in the event of a catastrophic event? I know it sounds melodramatic, but at some point you must have wondered what would happen if everything electronic just stopped working; I know I have! The great thing about this book is that although the subject matter may seem extreme, there is always an element of what-ifs in it. The other characters that come into this book also made it that little bit more exciting.
Malc meets Emily and her family, and soon realises that if anyone can help him Emily is it. She is a tough nut soldier and her attitude is what makes their journey even more exciting. At literally every turn there is another threat that has to be dealt with differently. If I’m honest there is a part of this book that kind of gave me the creeps, because I can imagine this country and the people living here becoming everything this book describes (the recent riots proved that!). I raced through the book in one day and by the time I got to the end I was desperate to know what happened next. I was so shocked that I loved it so much, not because of the author (his previous Crime novels are great), but the synopsis just didn’t sound like my cup of tea. Thankfully, I didn’t think about it and ended up reading an absolutely brilliant book. I can only hope that Paul gets his arse in gear and hurries up with the sequel! Even if you don’t think you like the sound of it, give it a go; I think you’ll enjoy it (and for £2 on Kindle it’s a bargain too!!
Malcolm King (known as Malc) is a journalist who in the first few chapters receives a phone call from his friend Jerry. Jerry is an astrophysicist and he is convinced that something bad is going to happen involving a solar flare. Malc refuses to believe it at first and within a matter of hours, he realises that he should have listened. Before he knows it, Malc is living ion a world where everything he knows is gone. The one problem he has is that he is currently living in the South of England and his young daughter is living in Manchester. He decided then and there that no matter what it takes, he will reach her.
Well in a nutshell as soon as Malc starts his travels the book ratchets up a gear and the reader gets to see just what might happen in the event of a catastrophic event? I know it sounds melodramatic, but at some point you must have wondered what would happen if everything electronic just stopped working; I know I have! The great thing about this book is that although the subject matter may seem extreme, there is always an element of what-ifs in it. The other characters that come into this book also made it that little bit more exciting.
Malc meets Emily and her family, and soon realises that if anyone can help him Emily is it. She is a tough nut soldier and her attitude is what makes their journey even more exciting. At literally every turn there is another threat that has to be dealt with differently. If I’m honest there is a part of this book that kind of gave me the creeps, because I can imagine this country and the people living here becoming everything this book describes (the recent riots proved that!). I raced through the book in one day and by the time I got to the end I was desperate to know what happened next. I was so shocked that I loved it so much, not because of the author (his previous Crime novels are great), but the synopsis just didn’t sound like my cup of tea. Thankfully, I didn’t think about it and ended up reading an absolutely brilliant book. I can only hope that Paul gets his arse in gear and hurries up with the sequel! Even if you don’t think you like the sound of it, give it a go; I think you’ll enjoy it (and for £2 on Kindle it’s a bargain too!!
August 25, 2017
I got annoyed with the MC from the very start of the book with his bleeding heart preaching about how those who took part in the London riots are victims of society which is utter rubbish. A lot of those charged after the riots were from rich families so explain to me why they needed to be stealing TV's or anything else? People who use any flimsy excuse to go out looting, assaulting, destroying property, setting fire to property and endangering lives are not victims to be pitied, they are criminal thugs who need locking up. If they were stealing food because of being in extreme poverty, I could understand that, but looting for electrical gadgets is about greed, not survival. The MC also bleats about them being led astray against their will and being poor little lambs, and it just infuriated me.
The victims of the riots were those who lost their homes and businesses, those who were jumping for their lives from burning buildings that some sod set alight 'for fun', those who were assaulted and robbed, those whose businesses were looted and destroyed. They are the real victims. So I was already disliking the tone of the book after the first few pages as Malc gleefully writes his social comment newspaper piece which he believes will elevate him to stardom. Gag.
Malc, the MC, is a journalist who is self obsessed and thinks he is the next great thing. He believes that he knows best about everything, he is right and everyone who disagrees is wrong, and only his opinion matters. I found him arrogant and rude, mocking Jerry constantly and being a total arse. He is a dreadful man and I didn't care what happened to him when the solar flare hits. I bet he changes his mind about criminals when he has to face them on his journey and that will wipe the smugness out of him. Sadly I never found out. The thought of putting up with this idiot on a road trip did not appeal so I gave up quickly.
The victims of the riots were those who lost their homes and businesses, those who were jumping for their lives from burning buildings that some sod set alight 'for fun', those who were assaulted and robbed, those whose businesses were looted and destroyed. They are the real victims. So I was already disliking the tone of the book after the first few pages as Malc gleefully writes his social comment newspaper piece which he believes will elevate him to stardom. Gag.
Malc, the MC, is a journalist who is self obsessed and thinks he is the next great thing. He believes that he knows best about everything, he is right and everyone who disagrees is wrong, and only his opinion matters. I found him arrogant and rude, mocking Jerry constantly and being a total arse. He is a dreadful man and I didn't care what happened to him when the solar flare hits. I bet he changes his mind about criminals when he has to face them on his journey and that will wipe the smugness out of him. Sadly I never found out. The thought of putting up with this idiot on a road trip did not appeal so I gave up quickly.
March 13, 2014
I just bought this book for the very reasonable price of £2 and read it in one sitting. It was totally gripping, and whilst Grzegorzek may have an undecipherable name, his prose is sharp and easy to read, with the story clipping along at a good pace. I shan't go into the plot too deeply, as I rather not ruin it for potential readers, but I will say that it has some great twists and turns, and puts a decidedly British spin on the post apocalyptic genre. Novels with this kind of setting are commonplace in modern literature, but Flare really does set itself apart.
Minor criticisms would be the length of the book, I was able to comfortably read it all in 3 and a half hours, and the fact that sometimes the characters do seem rather unbelievably lucky (you'll see what I mean if you read it), but these are MINOR criticisms, and I would not hesitate to give the book five stars. This book is definitely worth your time.
Minor criticisms would be the length of the book, I was able to comfortably read it all in 3 and a half hours, and the fact that sometimes the characters do seem rather unbelievably lucky (you'll see what I mean if you read it), but these are MINOR criticisms, and I would not hesitate to give the book five stars. This book is definitely worth your time.
July 4, 2016
Flare was a really enjoyable, fast-paced dystopian read. I found the storyline, including the rapid breakdown of society and the roles of the various government players to be totally believable and realistic. There's plenty of action, as the protagonist, Malcolm, heads off on a desperate dash across the lawless landscape to rescue his daughter. My only critiscm would be that I found Malcolm a touch irritating, and we were occasionally told rather than shown his emotional state, which felt a bit clunky at times. Still a great story told in a fast, gripping fashion.
March 31, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. Straight into the story with non stop action throughout.. I just wish it had been longer! Would love a sequel :)
November 16, 2018
Disappointed
This is the first dystopian future book I've given a 1 star. The major problem with the book is a weak, whiney main character that verges on pathetic. He was able to do what needs doing but it's always followed by pages of great personal strife to the point of throwing up on himself. A lot of dystopian books start with a weak character but ends by the first ten pages. This character is pathetic all the way throughout,especially with the girlfriend. She is needlessly risking her life for him and throwing herself at him and he is to shy to do anything. Worse, he is so dense that he has to ask what her feelings are. WTF!!
This is the first dystopian future book I've given a 1 star. The major problem with the book is a weak, whiney main character that verges on pathetic. He was able to do what needs doing but it's always followed by pages of great personal strife to the point of throwing up on himself. A lot of dystopian books start with a weak character but ends by the first ten pages. This character is pathetic all the way throughout,especially with the girlfriend. She is needlessly risking her life for him and throwing herself at him and he is to shy to do anything. Worse, he is so dense that he has to ask what her feelings are. WTF!!
October 3, 2019
Fast paced, plausible tale
I picked up a recommendation for this book from a review of another similarly themed book; claiming this was much better. It was. I liked the familiar geography as opposed to the usual scenario set in the States. Strong characterisations and a good plot.
I picked up a recommendation for this book from a review of another similarly themed book; claiming this was much better. It was. I liked the familiar geography as opposed to the usual scenario set in the States. Strong characterisations and a good plot.
October 1, 2019
Excellent read.
I've read a few of the authors books and enjoyed them all. This one was different from the rest, a great storyline,bit gruesome at times but nevertheless good. Would love a follow-up book to see how it continued........
I've read a few of the authors books and enjoyed them all. This one was different from the rest, a great storyline,bit gruesome at times but nevertheless good. Would love a follow-up book to see how it continued........
April 18, 2021
Interesting....
I have read Paul's other books and this is very different. The beginning reminded me of the television series Cobra but after that a scary story of what could happen.....
I have read Paul's other books and this is very different. The beginning reminded me of the television series Cobra but after that a scary story of what could happen.....
April 19, 2018
Good Story
A good story with many intriguing elements as well as some interesting characters. Fast moving and full of adventure this book is a good book to sit back and relax with.
A good story with many intriguing elements as well as some interesting characters. Fast moving and full of adventure this book is a good book to sit back and relax with.
November 18, 2018
It was a descent read. Needs a closer look by a human editor. Missing words, things a program can't catch. Characters were fair. Story line okay. Decent ending, though open for sequels.
March 5, 2022
OK, but nothing special.
June 16, 2024
Flare
A good story with a credible plot. Believable characters having an action filled adventure in an exceedingly bleak and desolate time.
A good story with a credible plot. Believable characters having an action filled adventure in an exceedingly bleak and desolate time.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
April 12, 2014
Please note that this review is a modified version from my blog After The Last Day.
How fast would society break down if there was no power? Flare examines the effects of a solar storm taking out everything that relies on a microchip and sending mankind back into the stone age.
What’s So Great About It?
Flare doesn’t muck around. It gets right into the action. Only a few pages in, the storm has hit, the world is on fire, and cell phones are nothing more than paperweights. And for a long time, the action and momentum doesn’t let up. When it does, it’s to deepen the storyline so that the next mad dash through the post-apocalyptic landscape can be introduced.
The writing is crisp and readable and descriptive. The story flows well and the pages turn almost by themselves. All of that is great and part of the reason why I liked Flare so much I’m recommending it to you. What I loved the best about this effort, though, is that it’s not a gung-ho, chest-bashingly patriotic excuse for military propaganda (although the military do feature quite heavily in the latter half of the story). The main character is a journalist, and coming up against some of the nastier elements of society is tough for him. At one point he does something to create a diversion that could have real consequences for other people and his reaction to that is much more believable than putting a hero into the same story. Its refreshing to see that although society has lost its sense of right and wrong, the main character struggles to combat the idea that now all bets are off, he’ll need to toughen up to survive.
The characters here are all distinctive, and although some are under-used, they all bring something to the story. You can point to the contrivance of one of the major characters being a scientist who knows exactly what’s going on and how to explain events, but we need to get our exposition from somewhere and the plot doesn’t suffer for it. Likewise some characters conform strictly to a formula but it’s easy to forgive when the characters themselves are such an interesting read. Flare brings these people to life and makes them real for the reader.
What’s Not Great?
I think that the meltdown of society was a little fast. These are people who don’t know that its a solar flare that’s taken them back to the stone age – there isn’t any line of communication to tell them. And although its clear that something has happened, nobody could know what and how permanent the situation would be. This book has people losing control almost from the beginning, which I don’t agree with. Was it enough to turn me off the book? Not a chance.
I also wasn’t a fan of some of the interludes Malcolm must endure. Although it sets things nicely for life beyond the confines of this story, running into the military and their unique ideas about society so late in the piece had me frustrated that we had deviated too far from the main course of the plot.
Recommended By Captain Doomsday
As I’m writing this recommendation, the remnants of Category 5 Cyclone Ita - now Cat 1 – are heading for the Doomsday family home, and I’m racing to get this article finished before the power goes out. Although its a far different kind of event than described in Flare, and I don’t for a minute think society is going to melt because of a Cat 1 cyclone, it’s food for thought. This is the kind of story that stays with you.
Flare is a real page-turner and a brilliant effort. Its stands out from the post-apocalyptic crowd as a thinking person’s doomsday.
How fast would society break down if there was no power? Flare examines the effects of a solar storm taking out everything that relies on a microchip and sending mankind back into the stone age.
What’s So Great About It?
Flare doesn’t muck around. It gets right into the action. Only a few pages in, the storm has hit, the world is on fire, and cell phones are nothing more than paperweights. And for a long time, the action and momentum doesn’t let up. When it does, it’s to deepen the storyline so that the next mad dash through the post-apocalyptic landscape can be introduced.
The writing is crisp and readable and descriptive. The story flows well and the pages turn almost by themselves. All of that is great and part of the reason why I liked Flare so much I’m recommending it to you. What I loved the best about this effort, though, is that it’s not a gung-ho, chest-bashingly patriotic excuse for military propaganda (although the military do feature quite heavily in the latter half of the story). The main character is a journalist, and coming up against some of the nastier elements of society is tough for him. At one point he does something to create a diversion that could have real consequences for other people and his reaction to that is much more believable than putting a hero into the same story. Its refreshing to see that although society has lost its sense of right and wrong, the main character struggles to combat the idea that now all bets are off, he’ll need to toughen up to survive.
The characters here are all distinctive, and although some are under-used, they all bring something to the story. You can point to the contrivance of one of the major characters being a scientist who knows exactly what’s going on and how to explain events, but we need to get our exposition from somewhere and the plot doesn’t suffer for it. Likewise some characters conform strictly to a formula but it’s easy to forgive when the characters themselves are such an interesting read. Flare brings these people to life and makes them real for the reader.
What’s Not Great?
I think that the meltdown of society was a little fast. These are people who don’t know that its a solar flare that’s taken them back to the stone age – there isn’t any line of communication to tell them. And although its clear that something has happened, nobody could know what and how permanent the situation would be. This book has people losing control almost from the beginning, which I don’t agree with. Was it enough to turn me off the book? Not a chance.
I also wasn’t a fan of some of the interludes Malcolm must endure. Although it sets things nicely for life beyond the confines of this story, running into the military and their unique ideas about society so late in the piece had me frustrated that we had deviated too far from the main course of the plot.
Recommended By Captain Doomsday
As I’m writing this recommendation, the remnants of Category 5 Cyclone Ita - now Cat 1 – are heading for the Doomsday family home, and I’m racing to get this article finished before the power goes out. Although its a far different kind of event than described in Flare, and I don’t for a minute think society is going to melt because of a Cat 1 cyclone, it’s food for thought. This is the kind of story that stays with you.
Flare is a real page-turner and a brilliant effort. Its stands out from the post-apocalyptic crowd as a thinking person’s doomsday.
May 3, 2014
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Flare is an exciting disaster novel that explores what might happen if solar flares took out the world's technology. Let's face it, our world is pretty much dependent on technology - so, the results are not pretty. People must suddenly fight to survive. The synopsis describes the results pretty well, so I'll skip right to my review.
The negatives:
Quick degradation of society.
It did seem like things went downhill awfully fast in this book. I definitely think that a disaster of this proportion might cause people to act in ways that went against their character, but I don't see it happening quite so quickly. Of course, there would be people who would take advantage of the situation or react badly, but it seems like, at least at first, there would also be more people really trying to help out and do good. We did see some of that (especially later in the book), but the occurrences were few and far between.
What I loved:
The flares.
I thought that Grzegorzek did a fantastic job creating a realistic disaster and imagining what would happen to the world because of it. Since one of the characters was an expert on the flares, he was able to explain why they caused the damage they did and what could and should be expected. Now, I'm not a scientist, so I can't say for sure that everything that was said was absolutely correct, but I will say that there was a thorough explanation given for everything that happened and that it all seemed very plausible to me. It also wasn't explained in such a way that it was too technical, which would either make it boring or confusing. One thing that I loved about the flares themselves was how beautiful they were - I was fascinated by the idea that people would be enthralled by the beauty of this thing that was going to destroy their world!
Malcolm and Emily.
Malcolm and Emily were a unique pair - opposite of the typical stereotypes that we see. Malcolm was a journalist. He was used to seeing the good and bad in the world, but he wasn't exactly tough, and he certainly wasn't prepared for an apocalypse. He was completely dedicated to his daughter, though, and was willing to sacrifice whatever he needed to in order to reach her. Emily, on the other hand, was ex-military, and she was prepared for just about anything. I enjoyed these two together and was rooting for them to become a couple. However, I appreciated that the book did not center on a romance between these two.
Government plots.
When the world is coming to an end, there are always people who try to pick up the pieces and salvage some sort of government. As is typical in this sort of book, not everyone who tries to take over is doing it in an entirely positive way. Malcolm and Emily certainly find this to be true when they are captured by a government army that is supposedly trying to rebuild society. I was very intrigued by this aspect of the book and hope that we get even more of it in future installments.
I recommend Flare to anyone who loves a good disaster story. This story was exciting and action-packed! I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
Flare is an exciting disaster novel that explores what might happen if solar flares took out the world's technology. Let's face it, our world is pretty much dependent on technology - so, the results are not pretty. People must suddenly fight to survive. The synopsis describes the results pretty well, so I'll skip right to my review.
The negatives:
Quick degradation of society.
It did seem like things went downhill awfully fast in this book. I definitely think that a disaster of this proportion might cause people to act in ways that went against their character, but I don't see it happening quite so quickly. Of course, there would be people who would take advantage of the situation or react badly, but it seems like, at least at first, there would also be more people really trying to help out and do good. We did see some of that (especially later in the book), but the occurrences were few and far between.
What I loved:
The flares.
I thought that Grzegorzek did a fantastic job creating a realistic disaster and imagining what would happen to the world because of it. Since one of the characters was an expert on the flares, he was able to explain why they caused the damage they did and what could and should be expected. Now, I'm not a scientist, so I can't say for sure that everything that was said was absolutely correct, but I will say that there was a thorough explanation given for everything that happened and that it all seemed very plausible to me. It also wasn't explained in such a way that it was too technical, which would either make it boring or confusing. One thing that I loved about the flares themselves was how beautiful they were - I was fascinated by the idea that people would be enthralled by the beauty of this thing that was going to destroy their world!
Malcolm and Emily.
Malcolm and Emily were a unique pair - opposite of the typical stereotypes that we see. Malcolm was a journalist. He was used to seeing the good and bad in the world, but he wasn't exactly tough, and he certainly wasn't prepared for an apocalypse. He was completely dedicated to his daughter, though, and was willing to sacrifice whatever he needed to in order to reach her. Emily, on the other hand, was ex-military, and she was prepared for just about anything. I enjoyed these two together and was rooting for them to become a couple. However, I appreciated that the book did not center on a romance between these two.
Government plots.
When the world is coming to an end, there are always people who try to pick up the pieces and salvage some sort of government. As is typical in this sort of book, not everyone who tries to take over is doing it in an entirely positive way. Malcolm and Emily certainly find this to be true when they are captured by a government army that is supposedly trying to rebuild society. I was very intrigued by this aspect of the book and hope that we get even more of it in future installments.
I recommend Flare to anyone who loves a good disaster story. This story was exciting and action-packed! I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
April 24, 2014
I must say that I really enjoyed this book. Admittedly, after reading the synopsis, I'd thought it looked interesting, but I wasn't expecting to be as enthralled as I was reading this book.
This book doesn't take long to get into the action. Within the first few chapters, journalist Malc recieves a phone call from his astrophysicist friend Jerry who is claiming that there is a threat of a solar flare hitting the earth. Pursuaded through his disbelief, Malc joins Jerry that night, and the solar flare hits, worse than Jerry could have ever imagined.
I was thrown into the action at such a fast pace, and to be honest, I was very glad of it. It gets a bit boring reading through an entire backstory of unnecessary events sometimes. Now, you would think that the excitement ends there, but no, the thrill continues on during the entire book. There is not a dull moment to be seen.
After witnessing the damage of the flare, Malc realises that his daughter has a low chance of survival with her mother, Malc's ex, who is not one to be prepared for disaster. So he ropes Jerry and his working car (one of very few) to drive him across the country to find her. This wouldn't be a story without any complications in the journey, and those are the things which bulk it out, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I'd thought that the worst thing that could happen to them had happened, something else was thrown in their face.
The characters in this book were just perfectly written. There is character development which is just so beautifully portrayed, Malc goes from a journalist with no skills to survive to become a man who is able to do anything he is faced with in order to protect the ones he loves.
Quite early on in the book, Malc meets Emily, an ex-army girl, who is eager to help him recover his daughter. So the two of them travel the country to Malc's daughter. I love the relationship that is shown between Malc and Emily, throughout the entire book, and it just kept on developing into something beautiful.
This book doesn't take long to get into the action. Within the first few chapters, journalist Malc recieves a phone call from his astrophysicist friend Jerry who is claiming that there is a threat of a solar flare hitting the earth. Pursuaded through his disbelief, Malc joins Jerry that night, and the solar flare hits, worse than Jerry could have ever imagined.
I was thrown into the action at such a fast pace, and to be honest, I was very glad of it. It gets a bit boring reading through an entire backstory of unnecessary events sometimes. Now, you would think that the excitement ends there, but no, the thrill continues on during the entire book. There is not a dull moment to be seen.
After witnessing the damage of the flare, Malc realises that his daughter has a low chance of survival with her mother, Malc's ex, who is not one to be prepared for disaster. So he ropes Jerry and his working car (one of very few) to drive him across the country to find her. This wouldn't be a story without any complications in the journey, and those are the things which bulk it out, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I'd thought that the worst thing that could happen to them had happened, something else was thrown in their face.
The characters in this book were just perfectly written. There is character development which is just so beautifully portrayed, Malc goes from a journalist with no skills to survive to become a man who is able to do anything he is faced with in order to protect the ones he loves.
Quite early on in the book, Malc meets Emily, an ex-army girl, who is eager to help him recover his daughter. So the two of them travel the country to Malc's daughter. I love the relationship that is shown between Malc and Emily, throughout the entire book, and it just kept on developing into something beautiful.
August 3, 2017
I got this book as a Kindle Daily Deal and it appealed to me because of it's end of the world story set in England. Solar Flares wipe out everything electrical, resulting in chaos and bedlam as the power goes out. This reminded me of the US TV show Revolution which I thought was ok, nothing great and as it turns out this book about the power going out was also ok.
The plot involves a journalist, who knows exactly what is happening to the world, travelling across England to find his daughter. He encounters good and bad people along the way.
The book is very English (especially when it keeps mentioning what motorway the characters are on such as M25 etc) which I enjoyed but the story was lightweight with no real depth to it. The story addressed moral issues which would arise in this situation but failed to fully develop and explore these issues. It briefly dealt with them but just scratched the surface.
Early on in the book another end of the world English book is mentioned and it is clear that Grzegorzek is following this book and it's ideas. Flare is a homage to this book which is The Day of the Triffids. This is unfortunate because TDOTT is a classic and any attempt at a similar story, plot and setting will have to be exceedingly good to come anywhere close to the quality of TDOTT. I have only just read TDOTT so I was constantly comparing Flare to TDOTT. Would my rating be any different if TDOTT was not so fresh in my memory? No. Flare is 2 stars all the way.
The plot involves a journalist, who knows exactly what is happening to the world, travelling across England to find his daughter. He encounters good and bad people along the way.
The book is very English (especially when it keeps mentioning what motorway the characters are on such as M25 etc) which I enjoyed but the story was lightweight with no real depth to it. The story addressed moral issues which would arise in this situation but failed to fully develop and explore these issues. It briefly dealt with them but just scratched the surface.
Early on in the book another end of the world English book is mentioned and it is clear that Grzegorzek is following this book and it's ideas. Flare is a homage to this book which is The Day of the Triffids. This is unfortunate because TDOTT is a classic and any attempt at a similar story, plot and setting will have to be exceedingly good to come anywhere close to the quality of TDOTT. I have only just read TDOTT so I was constantly comparing Flare to TDOTT. Would my rating be any different if TDOTT was not so fresh in my memory? No. Flare is 2 stars all the way.
June 24, 2014
I received this book to give an honest review.
I have always loved reading about the post-apocalyptic world. Especially when it is written enough to where you could think that something like this could happen.
Flare takes place in England so some of the words used are British terms, it took me a good minute to get that down.
We are following Malc as he is there when the first solar flare hits the Earth. Soon after he is on a journey to get his daughter. But it is not an easy one. He comes across people who are starving, those that are killing, thieves and so much more.
I enjoyed the world that was created from this solar flare happening. You get a feel of what the world could be like after something like this happens.
The relationship that Malc and Emily wasn't what I expected. It didn't feel as real to me as I would have thought it to be. Literally if I was going after my children I would not be worried about starting a relationship with anyone no matter how hot or cute they were. I know it probably can happen but for me in this book I wanted something more darker as it seem to be not quite the end of the world but close to it.
Now I think the author can continue with this story in another book. Because I want to learn more about the Deputy Prime Minister and the Defense Secretary. What exactly is the true and main goal of getting all these people to build some type of protective place. How can the world truly survive, you know those type of questions I think the author could elaborate on.
Good story, and a good world to give us more of.
April 10, 2014
The premise sounded good: crazy, powerful solar flares knock out all but the most rudimentary technology. Chaos ensues. Apocalypse.
However, this book did not go well.
I found Malcolm ("Malc") to be inept and irritating as a main character. There was a superficial (and as usual, wholly unnecessary) love story fabricated for... for... what? The chats and moments between Emily and Malc concerning their 'relationship' seemed stunted and incredibly awkward.
However all that could have been forgiven (or at least bumped this read up to a three star) if the tone of the book had been more appropriate. There aren't enough tragic deaths of characters that you're supposed to care about. Honestly, things work out way too well considering it's supposed to be the end of society as we know it. Apocalyptic books, by their very nature should be dark. Maybe that's just me?
There are flashes of brilliance - getting picked up and put into a military work camp could have been a very interesting piece of the novel, but it just wasn't fleshed out enough to really give any real sense of the horror.
Flare, might have worked with some tweaks and editing as a YA apocalypse novel, considering the tone of the book, but as an adult novel it falls completely on its face. I can't imagine that I'll pick up the (inevitable) sequel.
However, this book did not go well.
I found Malcolm ("Malc") to be inept and irritating as a main character. There was a superficial (and as usual, wholly unnecessary) love story fabricated for... for... what? The chats and moments between Emily and Malc concerning their 'relationship' seemed stunted and incredibly awkward.
However all that could have been forgiven (or at least bumped this read up to a three star) if the tone of the book had been more appropriate. There aren't enough tragic deaths of characters that you're supposed to care about. Honestly, things work out way too well considering it's supposed to be the end of society as we know it. Apocalyptic books, by their very nature should be dark. Maybe that's just me?
There are flashes of brilliance - getting picked up and put into a military work camp could have been a very interesting piece of the novel, but it just wasn't fleshed out enough to really give any real sense of the horror.
Flare, might have worked with some tweaks and editing as a YA apocalypse novel, considering the tone of the book, but as an adult novel it falls completely on its face. I can't imagine that I'll pick up the (inevitable) sequel.
May 30, 2016
A solar flare of unprecedented strength has taken out all electrical equipment and anything with a microchip. Everything journalist Malc King uses in his job is fried. His friend, discredited scientist Jerry, knew it was about to happen and warned Malc who rang his eleven year-old daughter just as the power went out. He has no faith in his divorce wife and promises to come for her. He’s near the south coast and she’s on the outskirts of Manchester. This book asks some searching questions about the stability of society. How long will it be before law and order breaks down and people behave like animals? Will those who decide to restore the basics of civilised living necessarily be the right people? And how much would you do to protect and save your own child?
I enjoy most post-apocalyptic stories and this was no exception. I'm not sure society would have broken down quite as quickly as in this book. I found Malc to be a bit of an anti-hero. His judgement wasn’t always sound and he definitely wasn’t brave. He did, however, collect a strong female sidekick on the journey. It was good to see Emily being decisive and brave, but still shocked and hurt by what’s happening to their world. I found the story gripping and interesting but more attention to editing, in particular to punctuation, would have given it another star from me.
I enjoy most post-apocalyptic stories and this was no exception. I'm not sure society would have broken down quite as quickly as in this book. I found Malc to be a bit of an anti-hero. His judgement wasn’t always sound and he definitely wasn’t brave. He did, however, collect a strong female sidekick on the journey. It was good to see Emily being decisive and brave, but still shocked and hurt by what’s happening to their world. I found the story gripping and interesting but more attention to editing, in particular to punctuation, would have given it another star from me.
July 28, 2014
As dramatic solar flares destroy modern technology and civilisation crumbles, journalist Malcolm King living near Brighton desperately tries to reach his young daughter Melody in Manchester. The story follows his journey through a declining landscape of burning cities and savage people. But as Malcolm discovers if he’s going to survive he must become as brutal as the other survivors left behind. By focusing on the people remaining the novel remains grounded and plausible. This is not about Martians, Zombies or Terminators but more about human behaviour and reaction to a catastrophe. Flare is very readable and thought provoking with a slow burning intensity. Paul Grzegorzek has created a modern novel with a very British heart, reminiscent of The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, which I would recommend to any curious reader. Coincidently I first came across Paul Grzegorzek in eBook compilations True Brit Grit and Action Pulse Pounding Tales Volume One, he is also the author of the well received The Follow.
April 21, 2015
Ok so I got this free on kindle and I admit I started it more than once and left it. It doesn't start off with a bang which was a little off-putting. As was the quaint British terms like "Boot" instead of trunk and petrol instead of gas.
Once I got past that and things got going it was a good read.
The author didn't break any new ground as far as EMP apocalypse but it wasn't terrible. The language flowed fairly well and it was edited well.
I think there might have been one typo where I noticed of should have off.
All in all I liked it. There doesn't seem to be a book two although there is room for a series.
Once I got past that and things got going it was a good read.
The author didn't break any new ground as far as EMP apocalypse but it wasn't terrible. The language flowed fairly well and it was edited well.
I think there might have been one typo where I noticed of should have off.
All in all I liked it. There doesn't seem to be a book two although there is room for a series.
December 11, 2014
The reader is plunged more or less straight into the apocalyptical event in Flare, with hardly any preamble. It's a different angle from the usual plague or bombs, but it soon settles into the road trip that many PA novels become. Flare is a pretty straightforward example of the genre, with no new ground broken, flimsy characterisation and perils that never have the reader seriously worried about the protagonist. That said, Flare is written to be read easily and quickly and is a decent diversion for those who don't expect too much.
January 27, 2015
This was a good book in a genre that is hard to get right. You can throw in all the old ingredients, dilapidated cityscapes, rogue gangs of crazed criminals, famine and pestilence, and more times than not the brew is bitter.
About a third of the way through Flare, it occurred to me why. The very nature of a dystopian novel is to be bleak. Writers typically overdo it. Grzegorzek doesn't, and by seasoning some goodness into the story, he made one heluva stew.
About a third of the way through Flare, it occurred to me why. The very nature of a dystopian novel is to be bleak. Writers typically overdo it. Grzegorzek doesn't, and by seasoning some goodness into the story, he made one heluva stew.
March 14, 2015
Light weight fun to read. I enjoy these kind of stories from other countries so I can use Google Earth as an atlas. This tale takes place in England and having never been there I can look up places mentioned in the story in order to familiarize myself with the the local geography. I guess I don't get out much :-) but it makes the reading more enjoyable and adds a layer of interest to the tale. Now I know where Bognor, Woking, Redhill, and Manchester are located. With street level views, too!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews