Seeds

by Chris Mandeville

Forty-eight years after a catastrophic solar event destroys all life and technology on the planet’s surface, nineteen-year-old Reid Landers lives in the old NORAD facility deep inside Cheyenne Mountain with other descendants of Originals, barely subsisting on canned food and rats. For all they know they are the last hundred souls on Earth...until Reid meets the first stranger he has ever seen, a stranger with a grown apple. This catapults him on a journey to California to find seeds for his people, an adventure fraught with skin-carving pirates, twisted missionaries, and mercenaries on Rollerblades. Even if Reid can outwit the despot leader of “Lost" Angeles and resist the siren’s song of a beautiful con artist, there may not be any seeds left to find. And his people—including the woman he secretly loves—might not take him back.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Survival

480 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2015

About the author

After growing up in California and graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Chris married a U.S. Air Force officer and moved from state to state, as well as to British Columbia, before settling in Colorado. She now lives in the woods of the Rocky Mountains with her family and service dog.

Chris writes science fiction and fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction books and articles for writers. For the past fifteen years she’s been a member of The Sparkling Hammers, a critique group of eclectic writers that provides inspiration, support, and friendship essential to her writing process. She loves teaching about writing and has presented workshops to hundreds of writers on topics such as Backstory, The Sweet 16 First Lines, Writer’s Block, and more. She served on the Board of Directors for Pikes Peak Writers for more than ten years, five as their president, and is currently on the staff of Superstars Writing Seminars.

Learn more and become a member of her reader group at chrismandeville.com.

Reviews

[Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apocalyptic Adventure... I really liked this post-apocalyptic story because it was different from the usual mainstream apocalyptic stories but damn this son of a bitch was long!! It was like the author took every idea she ever wanted to write about it and threw it all into one book. It did have a lot of action though and kept me entertained but it seriously was like that Energizer Bunny commercial-it felt like it just kept going and going and going...
                                          
 
It took me so long to read the first half of the book, by the time I got to the second half, I forgot half the shit that happened in the first 300 pages. 
 

 
Definitely needs to be shortened & polished. If you need a book to keep you occupied for a couple of weeks this is it!

[Lee Franke · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding post apocalyptic story set in an extremely rich world of characters.

The story will take you on a wild ride through a world that contains pirates, whorehouses, despotic dictators, religious cults and wonderful parents.

Unlike many stories in this genre, this story is self contained. At the end of the story you'll feel satisfied but also ready to read more about the wonderful world the author created even if it is with a different cast of characters.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story.

[Chris Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Post apocalyptic adventure set in the near feature. Mandeville weaves a realistic tale of life after a solar event that scorches the earth. On a scavenging hunt to find food, Reid meets a woman who has an apple, the first food he's ever seen that hasn't been out of a can, unless you count rats. He then sets off on a journey west to Lost Angeles. The adventure pits him against other survivors, pirates, and the tyrannical leader of LA.

It's a fun-filled, exciting roller coaster ride into very bleak times. One of my fave characters is the seductress that enchants young Reid and Nikolai, the sailor. A must read for sci-fi and post apocalyptic fans!

[K. Santelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced, fun, post-apocalyptic adventure. Fun post-apocalyptic? Absolutely! While the post-apocalyptic world is indeed grim, Mandeville approaches it from the point of view of memorable characters, most of whom have never known anything different. These characters are all in some way searching for something critical to humanity's survival: seeds. The journey to find viable seeds is sometimes treacherous, sometimes poignant, and always entertaining. Some of the notable elements include a former amusement park run by a despot, mercenaries on rollerblades, a nuclear powered Humvee, an elaborate house of prostitution (though there's no graphic sex), some cult-like dystopian enclaves, and pirates! Although this is a long book, it's a real page-turner, and I blew through it. When I finished it, the characters, the world, and a feeling of hope stayed with me. It's hard to believe that this skillfully crafted, thrilling adventure story is Mandeville's debut novel.

I highly recommend SEEDS to people who enjoy a great adventure tale, as well as to those who love the post-apocalyptic genre.

[Patricia Stoltey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a post-apocalyptic adventure that moves along at a very swift pace. The disaster that took down society as we know it was a massive solar flare, or series of flares I suspect. Frying electronics, destroying all life that happened to be out in the open, the flare devastated huge parts of the country (and we presume, the world, although we don’t get to find out the fate of the rest of the globe in this novel). Survivors eat rats and whatever leftover food they can salvage in cans or jars, hoping to avoid botulism and salmonella from old supplies.

A multiple point-of-view novel with short, snappy chapters, Seeds kept me reading even when my eyes grew tired (I bought this one as an ebook and read it on my Kindle). Young Reid, who left his safe but politically undesirable haven in Colorado Springs with his dead brother’s wife, Kayla, to search for seeds so new crops can be sown in other communities, is the main good guy I cheered for throughout the novel. Pascal is the evil ruler of Lost Angeles, a community where death is the solution to anything that displeases Pascal.

The search for seeds points to an important element of planning for any future disaster– the need for seed banks stored in a variety of safe locations where the environment can be controlled. Luckily, at least one culture within the U.S. has planned ahead in this novel. Reid just needs to find it and then convince the community to share.

This is good writing in one of my favorite genres…I hope it’s the beginning of a series.

[Shea Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow in places, but overall it was great.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romp in a post-apocalyptic world.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost fifty years after a solar event has scorched the earth, The Originals, those living under Cheyenne Mountain in the old NORAD facility, are running out of way past their expiration date canned goods. Of course, nothing can grow. At least that's what they believe. Until Reid and the woman he secretly loves meet the first stranger they've ever seen. And she has an apple.

The encounter sends Reid on a journey to "Ellay" or Lost Angeles in search of seeds. Along the way he meets a despot, a religious community and pirates. Chris Mandeville had me at pirates, but the rest of the characters are great, too. There are also a sea captain, a madame, a surly cook and a rich playboy who just might have more depth than people think.

This was a fast, fun read with lots of action and characters to root for.

[K.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Mandeville gives us a compelling post-apocalyptic page turner in her novel SEEDS. The earth is scorched. Food stores are running out and spoiling with no way of producing more. For the second and third generation survivors in this dystopian world, hope is fading until a mysterious dying stranger with a fresh apple is found in the city near NORAD. The new hottest commodity on earth is seeds. the search for them leads us on a post-apocalyptic adventure from Colorado to California. Pirates rule the California coast. Small pockets of desperate people survive in abandoned cities and towns. It’s every man and woman for themselves. This book will suck you in and won’t let go until the last page is turned. You will finish with the feeling of returning from another world and with a newfound respect for your own.

[Todd Fahnestock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eat rats! Get chased by Gestapo on rollerblades! Drive a nuclear Humvee! Seeds is an experience like no other. With so many post-apocalyptic books out right now, Seeds distinguishes itself with brilliant and original ideas. The world that Mandeville crafts is unique. Lives are precious, food even moreso, and the treasured prize of seeds is worth murdering for. This romp through a frightening future America was well-written and well-paced. The fluidity of the prose pulled me through. And the story boasts one of the most despicable villains of all time. I felt for him, hoped for him, and then ate my own heart each time he bludgeoned his humanity into the ground. I longed for Justice to find him in some blackened dead-end alley where none of his Gestapo could save him. Does it eventually? Well

[Matt Bille · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific addition to the explorations of what the world and humanity might be like after an apocalyptic event (in this case, an enormous solar flare). With the world society in tatters, the people at the center of much of this novel are not even sure any other survivor colonies exist. To go out looking for other humans is strictly forbidden, but there is one thing people seek above all: viable seeds, and that quest sparks a journey by memorable characters across barren wastes toward a society they know nothing about. The encounter isn't going to be peaceful.... Just an excellent novel in every respect.

[M.j. Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Mandeville has produced a fast-paced novel of adventure that doesn't want to be laid down. Short chapters of quick action move the story along, as a young man searches for the seeds to save his fellow survivors in Colorado from disease and starvation. The cast of characters surges through evil toward, hopefully, something better, and the outcome is totally in doubt. An interesting question is whether, post-apocalypse, would ruthless people be the strong ones who would take over, or would right win out? I enjoyed this novel as it seeks to answer the questions we'd all have under such circumstances.

[J.A. Kazimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Mandeville’s debut novel, Seeds, is a breakout post-apocalyptic adventure. The seeds of the novel grew into a fantastic, unique hero quest. I, for one, have never experienced post-apocalyptic fiction in this way. The main character, Reid, will steal your heart as he journeys to the land of fruit and nuts, or at least he is pinning all his hopes, and his very survival on that fact. But be warned, if you start reading this book, you won’t be putting it down until you read the very last word.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: Chris is a friend of mine and I've been along for part of her writing journey.

That said, I flew through Seeds over three days — which meant that, yes, I lost a few hours of sleep. That's OK though, because I thoroughly enjoyed the post-apocalyptic romp that she has crafted. Intriguing plot, solid world-building — and I'm hoping there's another book (or two?) to follow because the characters have stuck with me.

[Matthew Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Unlike so many in this genre, the circumstances surrounding the apocalypse are frighteningly realistic. No zombies, no nuclear annihilation, no other cliches. From the get-go I really connected with the characters in the story and shared their joys and anxieties. The story itself is very well thought-out and written even better. The story is everything except predictable and dull. I recommend this book to every book lover and any fan of this genre.

[Fatma Alici · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has a fully fleshed out worlds with neat details that sold it. Things like the mutation of words, which are familiar, but clearly changed after the world, as we know it end it. It has a wonderfully interwoven plot that comes together in a satisfying conclusion. Even though the book is a bit on the long side it never drags and kept me engaged the whole time. I’d definitely recommend reading it.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have read in a while. Delightful characters, thought provoking of course a dystopia (my favorites) and post apocalypse. It was an easy page turner that left me wishing it was a trilogy. Came in a Humble Bundle and frankly would make the whole purchase worth this one book. I liked the level of realism, the flawed characters and just the over all story arch. Read it, you won't be disappointed.

[Maranda Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced novel that was very well thought out. I love the short chapters, it made reading the book so much easier to read, and the action never seemed to stop. I loved most of the characters, Reid was my least favorite, but everyone else surrounding him were interesting to interact with. I wish there had been more time spent on the pirates at the end, instead of having them drift off into nothing as soon as their intersection with Reid had ended.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeds is a fast paced, fun new adventure by Chris Mandeville. She takes you from a post-apocalyptic Colorado to a Lost Angeles with pirates who hang out at Catalina Island. I loved seeing iconic locations through the lens of her futuristic vision.
The whole notion of plant seeds being the one guarantee of any future and the role of seed banks were beautifully interwoven in the plot.

[Starr_Lynnae18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a thrilling read from start to finish. It kept me guessing and left me speechless more than once. The character development is spectacular. I've read a lot of books about post-apocalyptic worlds, but none of them have had a world like this one. Full of pirates, Blades, and mysterious girls, this book has definitely earned a spot among my favorites.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely not boring. Fun read.

I'm famous for not finishing books. If it's boring or the dialogue is stilted I will not finish. This book is entertaining, fun, and absorbing. Great read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best adventure books I've read this year! I just love post-apocalyptic and this one is on par with Divergent.

[Charise · Rating 5 out of 5]

You won't want to miss this fast paced ride through Chris Mandeville's post apocalyptic world. She had me hooked from page 1.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different twist on an apocalyptic story. Very good.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started slowly for me but after the first 50 pages really picked up. I only wish I had it on my Nook so I could read it in bed without bothering my wife! Worth the time to savor it.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters. Moving story. Fantastic writing. I don't normally care for post-apocalyptic tales but this one stands above the rest.

[Kristi Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

With so much adventure and mystery, this book is quite the ride!

[Joel Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action moves very quickly in this dystopian travel adventure. Three distinct story lines on a collision course. Starts in Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest. Converging first in Southern California and then receding to the Bay Area.

Relatable characters, although I found the brutality of the principal villain a bit cliche, and the calm resignation of some of the "good folks" a bit strange (you get used to it).

The author lets us "hear" their thoughts - removing a bit of mystery, but guiding the plot effectively and accessibly. So everyone's "hidden" agendas are generally evident to us before the other characters in the story.

Minor characters are just quirky enough to let us keep track of them without needing to go back or wonder, "Now, who was she again?" - but without cluttering up the flow.

Chapters are mostly very short - so easily consumed on a daily basis. No excuses for not getting through it.

Not nearly as grim as some post-apocalyptic stories - so if you rate books in this genre strictly by body count, beware - the vast majority of the bodies pre-date the story line (due to the prerequisite preceding apocalyptic event). The bodies are still there, but just part of the backdrop. No zombie jump scares (and thanks for that!)

Ending was unexpected but understandable and reasonable in hindsight. Kudos if you saw it coming.

[One Last Petal Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story with plenty of relatable characters. The main character was never perfect, but you felt for him anyway. The villain was the right blend of "let me smack him now" and understandable motives. The story moved at a good pace, despite there being a couple of characters who's motives were a little unclear. Unfortunately, the ending ruined it for me, with what felt like a cop-out prophesy. The prophesy was not mentioned throughout most of the book. In fact, I think there was only one vague mention of such a thing in the first half
It seemed as though she got to the end and was like "uhhh how is that going to work to allow that to happen? Oh, let's chuck in a random overly specific prophesy. That will solve everything."
To me, it was disappointing, because up to that point, it was a pretty believable dystopian setting.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall the story was really creative, unusual and suspenseful, but the writing was inconsistent. Parts of the book were quite well written, the dialog was believable, character development good, that kind of thing; but other times the dialog and development seemed ... what? "Young adult"? Although much of the book was original, other parts seemed cliche' The pirate characters come to mind, as does the teen characters. The book was a little confusing to me that way. Perhaps it was her editor that needs the criticism. But overall, as you can see from the other reviews, Mandeville shows a lot of promise.