Willem of the Tafel

by Hans M. Hirschi

The world we know is gone, destroyed by greed and ignorance. On a post-apocalyptic Earth, centuries into the future, few have survived the great war. Some have taken refuge deep inside a mountain. One of them, Willem, is exiled to the surface...

Struggling to survive, alone, Willem embarks on an epic journey, making a discovery that could alter the future of humanity, once again.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, M M Romance, Gay, LGBT, Young Adult

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2015

About the author

Born and raised in Switzerland, Hans graduated from High School in Arizona, worked for several years in the Swiss financial industry before pursuing his university studies in Zurich and Gothenburg.

His majors include literature, linguistics & social sciences.

Hans self-published his first book with poetry and a short story in 1991.

Nine years later, he followed up with a professional book on e-learning pedagogy and in 2010 his book "Common Sense" was published.

He's published several novels and books. Detailed info can easily be found here, below.

Reviews

[Debbie McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Editor's Review)

When Hans told me he was writing a post-apocalyptic novel and mentioned the term ‘sci-fi’ I have to admit to inwardly groaning. There are so many post-apocalyptic sagas out there in both print and film form, and I dislike them immensely. I think on the whole it’s a sign of our times: for those of us in western, relatively wealthy societies, and with our propensity to focus only on what is in our own back yard, our existence seems safer and more stable than ever before.

The reality is very different. War, famine, global warming, pollution, disease, poverty, genocide…these are not things of the past, but I envisage there is a certain thrill many readers attain from reading of a world gone wrong – crumbling cities, the sky a-flame, Bruce Willis/Will Smith/Keanu Reeves romping the streets clad in sweaty vest/sexy vest/Raybans…snore.

Willem of the Tafel is nothing like any of those post-apocalyptic adventures, although Willem is still a hero, but of the only kind that could bring about resolution to global conflict. Thoughtful, discerning, intelligent, young, Willem possesses a wealth of knowledge yet no desire to utilise it to attain power or oppress. A reluctant leader is the very best kind.

I have to – reluctantly – agree that the novel is science fiction, in the sense that it tells of a future that is scientifically plausible. Frighteningly so. However, it’s not heavy on the sci-fi: the technology referred to in the story is already in existence, and it is an aside to what the story is really about: Willem’s journey from childhood to adulthood, from Tafel society out into the world, from solitary wanderer to…well, you’ll have to read it and see.

[Olga Miret · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel where past and future are eerily reconisable  
Willem of the Tafel is not an easy book to classify. The main protagonist, Willem, is quite young at the beginning of the action, and the novel follows his journey towards independence and adulthood, so it has elements of a Young Adult story. It portrays a future post-nuclear catastrophe, where environment takes its toll and pays humanity back, with most of the population being wiped-out and the few survivors taking some radical decisions. It’s a dystopia/utopia (depending on each person’s viewpoint) whereby whilst some groups of humans have decided to abandon technology to avoid further catastrophes, others depend on it for their basic survival. So it could be a science-fiction novel. It’s a novel with a strong pro-environmental message, and it reflects upon the human condition (fear, power struggles, and race relations). It is also a beautiful love story between two extraordinary young men, as different from each other as they could be, but as compatible and similar in their outlook as would be possible.
The author uses third person alternating point of view to make the reader share in the feelings of those characters that, although initially might appear completely alien to us once we move past their circumstances, they are not that different from all of us. Both of the post-apocalyptic societies that are shown have their problems. The people living on the surface who have renounced technology see their lives shortened but their lack of science and experiment hardship without any relief in sight, although they live a much simpler life and enjoy human contact. The society of the Tafel has developed a model of life where the main goal is survival and nothing that does not increase its likelihood is considered worthy of pursuit. Reproduction has become mechanised, society divided and dying due to lack of new blood and light, and each individual is only a cog in a machine. And there are huge division and differences according to race. Neither model is shown as perfect although the Tafel seems, by far, the sadder of the two (and perhaps the closer to where we are going).
Willem is and extraordinary character. An individual part of a system who is wonderfully unlike anybody else and whose punishment for an accidental death becomes his (and humanity’s) salvation. Willem brought to my mind Herman Melville’s character ‘Billy Budd’, the beautiful and innocent sailor who kills another sailor (unintentionally) and pays dearly for it, not only for his crime, but because he represents what the captain can’t be or have. Thankfully, in the case of Willem, this young man goes on to become the link between the two societies and a symbol of hope.
A joyful and optimistic read that affirms the human spirit. Suitable for all ages. A character and a novel I won’t forget.
I was offered an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Frau Sorge (Yuki) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there was more book like this. Everything was just perfect.

[Matthew Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overview
Willem of the Tafel by Hans Hirschi is a post-apocalyptic novel set some four centuries after a mixture of global-warming induced flooding and nuclear war eradicated the majority of the population. Willem is a young man who has spent his entire life among the Tafel, a society who lives within a bomb shelter beneath the Table Mountain in South Africa. Initially a part of a distrusted and mistreated minority, he becomes a pivotal figure in the future of humanity.
The good:
This is a unique take on the post-apocalyptic story, which often find themselves set in nameless deserts with faceless hordes of rampaging lunatics bent on killing (or doing other things) to anything that moves. The world vision presented in this book presents a hopeful vision of an Earth essentially sent back in time by virtue of the loss of almost all technology. Bleakness, so often a theme in the post-apocalyptic setting gives way to an overriding sense of hope.
Willem is likeable character who the reader comes to empathize with over the course of the story. While the omniscient narration felt as though it kept me at arms’ length, I did get a good sense of his isolation, fear, and wonder at the world outside, distrust of surface dwellers, love, longing, and eventual joy. Some of his dialogue felt strange given his upbringing, such as using phrases and colloquialisms that didn’t seem likely. Overall Willem was a well-rounded character with enough innocence, strength, and intelligence to make the reader want to root for him.
His relationship with Hery (barring the suddenness of it) was well portrayed, believable and emotionally touching, especially the sacrifices each had to make.
While I enjoyed this new take on a post-nuclear Earth, some things felt a little strange. It’s unclear if the mention of poisoned parts of the planet where no one can go are the result of superstition or fact, as some aspects of a post-nuclear society as described (chiefly the length of time radiation hazards remain) felt more Hollywood than factual.
The not so good:
The prologue is unnecessary, as all of the information contained within is repeated when Willem has a conversation with Stephane.
Omniscient POV – With a title like Willem of the Tafel, I expected this novel to delve deep into the story of the protagonist for whom it is named. Alas, the author took on an omniscient narration with frequent focus shifts to characters (some rather ancillary) other than Willem. While this did provide a thorough sense of everything going on around Willem, I think overall it detracted from much of the story’s chances at emotional scenes.
The romance between Willem and Hary seemed to come out of nowhere, a ‘love at first sight’ situation. Much of Willem’s evolution from lonely, isolated cave dweller to a person capable of loving and being loved is glossed over in the distance of omniscient narration. We’re not really with Willem during this process, so the reader misses out on a lot of the experience of watching him grow. I felt it was a wasted opportunity to immerse the reader in Willem’s story.
At several points, new chapters leap to relatively minor characters, showing the motivations and schemes of those around him… things that Willem could not know. Allowing the reader to see the actions of the antagonist is often done to create tension for the reader (the reader knows what’s coming but the character does not). The problem here is that the schemes in question don’t imperil the main character much at all for most of the story. When they do, a confrontation occurs, but it feels rushed and―due to the omniscient narration―occurs “at a distance” from the reader. The final conflict between Willem and his greatest antagonist (an antagonist that Willem largely doesn't even recognize as an antagonist) felt forced and brief. It ended before the reader can comprehend what happened… and the reader never does understand exactly who did what.
Also, during these focus switches to side characters, ideas that had already been presented to the reader were repeated unnecessarily (to the reader) from the head of another character. I thought the character of Willem was compelling, and this would have been a more engaging story if we could have spent more time with him, rather than watching from afar vis a vis omniscient narration.
Antagonist – The story’s antagonist felt like a stereotypical megalomaniac, with little character development other than being an opposing force to Willem. His desires were purely rooted in his craving for power, and there was little to nothing redeeming about him. A good antagonist doesn’t see himself as the antagonist, and there is usually some grain of ‘hey, maybe he’s got a point’ to the bad guy’s ideas―not so in this case. Mavuto was, without a doubt, the bad guy. Add to that, his presence in the book is brief: a little in the beginning, and a little closer to the end where his opposition is out of character (a scheming politician type flings violent) and largely ineffective.
Repetition – Many story elements, themes, and facts are repeated unnecessarily. Examples of this include multiple mentions of there having been 50 years since the doors opened, that banishment above ground meant death, an almost heavy-handed battering of the evils of racism, that the Tafelians were vegan and didn’t eat meat, and continuous reminders of how devastating global warming was, among others.
Racial tension – Within the Tafel, the issue of racial animosity is brought again and again to the forefront. The prologue mentions that no one could remember who started the nuclear war, but the tattered group of survivors still managed to remember to hate each other because of skin color? It comes out later in the narrative that a library existed, which presumably allowed the leaders to mold opinion to their desires, but I couldn’t see any purpose for this. The leaders of the Tafel society had nothing to gain by fostering racial animosity among their own people, as it would only serve to weaken them as a whole. With so few humans left in their group, that seems reckless at best and foolish at worst.
Cliché - The dystopian tropish treatment of Tafel women (those of breeding age being kept sequestered from the general population like prisoners) seemed contrary to their goal of increasing the population. Initially, I was confused how there remained such distinct populations of Shadows and Ghosts (Black and White people), especially given the frequent statements that they were running out of DNA combinations and women were required to ‘have as many babies as possible with as many different fathers as possible.’
It’s never clear until much later that there had been some manner of prohibition on interracial procreation, which again struck me as counterintuitive to the survival of the group (worse given that these were all supposed to be scientists and engineers.) It often felt like the black/white issue in the beginning parts of the story was an artifice forced over the backdrop of a desperate survival situation for the sake of telling a moralistic tale of eventual racial acceptance, even though the situation (300 or so people left alive and spending four centuries underground) makes such animosity unlikely. Over four centuries, I think it would have either boiled over to outright murder or faded to acceptance.
Weak editing – While the story is good despite a few oddities, the book needs the attention of an editor. The major issue was repetition of concepts. Actual typos were rare, but I found frequent word echoes, some awkward sentences, misplaced (or missing) commas, bad dialogue tags, and a few instances where dialogue lacked needed attribution to make it clear who was speaking.
Overall, if you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic “mad max” style story with stuff blowing up every few pages, this isn’t the book for you. This is an emotional, cerebral tale of how one seemingly unimportant boy can make a difference. While the “we are killing the Earth” and “can’t we all just get along” morality undertones are far from subtle, this is a captivating story of a boy’s journey from a nonentity to a man who changes the course of human history.

[Estarianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, why didn't I make it very far into this book?

Basically, this book is one of a cluster of slippery slope post-apoc books in which hysterical politicizing is turned into a prediction. The premises were flawed from the start, and that always makes reading hard for me.

Premise One: Humanity is getting more, not less, discriminatory and hateful. So in a post apocalyptic world, society will include government and socially sanctioned segregation.

That is problematic from the get go, given that the world is moving in quite the opposite direction. If it were supported well, I could believe it, but this was supported by the general case of "racism is the way things work." And the prejudice was especially hateful and overt, implying that societal rules against discrimination had completely disappeared (or perhaps this author simply believes that the African people he wrote about are particularly virulent racists?)

Premise Two: If humanity went underground, people of color would be the survivors and so instantly gain power.

What? Think about human adaptation and what melanin is and does. That makes... zero sense. Additionally, adaptation has never equalled political or economic power. The whole set-up was made with no insight into racism at all, or why racism happens, or how. Given that it was supposed to be set in South Africa, a nation where whites (who were very much not adapted to the environment) took and maintained power for generations, I find that puzzling.

There were other issues with the science fiction, but mostly the assumptions killed it for me before it even got started. The effort to make a whole novel out of white discrimination was a non-starter for me. First of all, I can't figure out why making the white people the victims would even be interesting. Second, the way it was set up made racism about superiority. As though those in power are in power because they are superior at surviving or thriving in an environment. That's the exact opposite of "dealing with the sensitive subject of racism."

[Kai Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world far in the future where Earth has been devastated with the effects of global warming and nuclear war. The survivors, known as the Tafel now live underground. They consist of shadows (blacks) and ghosts (whites) but their numbers are dwindling and the ghosts have been the most affected as they have been unable to survive without the sun. Willem is a ghost and the last to grow to adulthood. He has been bullied by others especially Bongani, a shadow. When he accidentally kills Bongani, he is banished out of their dwelling to roam overground. He is surprised by what greets him, an earth that is habitable and also other human survivors. A world different from the one he's grown up in and where technology isn't allowed.

I found the plot of this story intriguing. I realised it was set in Africa as soon as the first character names were mentioned. And the use of Mandiba put a smile on my face. I don't think I've read a post-apocalyptic book quite like this one.

You can't miss the underlying message about earth and how we treat it today. The future the author paints with his words is entirely possible.

There is a racial undertone to the story that didn't quite sit comfortably with me. It was interesting to see how the shadows treated the ghosts within the Tafel society, now being the oppressors of sort. I suppose in an insular society ruled by fear such as they lived it is highly plausible.

Willem is a resourceful and resilient character and you can't help but sympathise with him. I would've loved more connection with him, and also more depth in exploring his relationship with Hery.

Still the intrigue surrounding everything going on meant I kept turning the pages to find out how things would end.

I'm happy to recommend this to any fans of science fiction. There's enough here to keep you entertained.
Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael Thal · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the year 437 after the Great War, the Tafel lived underground to protect themselves from the harsh surface conditions that would probably instantly kill a human. They barely survived in an old military installation built inside a mountain near Cape Town, South Africa. They were the only known survivors of man’s final folly.

Tafel society faced many challenges. Water had to be filtered, caves would sometimes collapse, energy was scarce, and crops needed tending. Everyone had a job, including Willem the Ghost.

One of the few white descendants of the human race, Willem faced bullying by his Shadow peers. One day, while relaxing under the heat lamps that nourished Tafel crops, Bongani, a Shadow bully, found Willem. Unfortunately for Bongani, he lost his footing and plunged to his death.

The Shadow authorities said it was murder, so Willem was expelled from the safety of their cavern home and sent out onto the surface—a death sentence.

Thus begins Hans M. Hirschi’s science fiction fantasy, Willem of the Tafel. Unbeknownst to the Tafel, Willem survived the surface, which had cleansed itself of the nuclear winter. Alone and frightened, Willem soon made a startling discovery: The Tafel weren’t the only survivors of the Great War. In the rubble of old Cape Town he meets travelers from Madagascar who had recently arrived by a sailing vessel.

In his riveting novel, Hirschi tackles important issues—racism, global warming, homosexuality, and survival. Through surprising twists and turns readers will be routing for Willem and the people he encounters outside of the Tafel.

Along the way, Willem learns about responsibility—family, no matter what, comes first, even though our happiness may lie elsewhere. Willem of the Tafel is a must read for all of us if we are to understand the meaning of a nuclear war and its aftermath.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

Wow, okay. So this is a post-apocalyptic thriller written in the here and now, with contemporary issues at stake – issues like race, and war, and religion. One big thing that jarred with me immediately is that there’s a character called ‘Paki‘, which seems incongruous with a book that basically reinforces the fact that racism and xenophobia are both ridiculous. But the author lives in Sweden and therefore presumably is (?) Swedish – a racist term from a working-class town in the middle of England might not have the same meaning.

Other than that, this was fricken amazing – one of my favourite books so far this year, and impressively well-written, too. Unlike a lot of dystopian fiction, it felt both natural and realistic, and to be honest, it’s impressive how many topics that Hirschi covers. And that characterisation – oh boy. Just stick past the first quarter, and you’ll be hooked, especially if you like dystopian stuff.

[Robin French · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tale of Humanity

Willem is the last "Ghost" born to a cave dwelling tribe in a post-apocalyptic world. Alone and outcast into to the world above, he must find his place in a new world where the odds are against him.

I truly enjoyed this title. The world, the characters, the story line all worked together to draw me in and I wanted to stay there until I reached "The End".
The whole "End of the World" stuff is not my usual reading choice. In this case, I would have missed a really enjoyable read. I literally had to make myself put it down and go do "adult stuff" more than once. Even though the time frame of the book covers quite a few years in the lives of the characters, there was no break in flow or a feeling of missing pieces to the storyline.

It's one I will be reading again.

[Nowaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willem of Tafel is an intriguing blend of MxM romance and speculative fiction, though it leans much more heavily into the former. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which humanity is trying to rebuild itself, and while the premise of humanity coming together for a better future is compelling, the execution left me with mixed feelings.

The novel is narrated from a third-person omniscient point of view, which, in my opinion, creates a barrier between the reader and the main character, Willem. This narrative style positions the reader as a distant spectator rather than allowing us to fully connect with Willem's emotional journey. As a result, I found it challenging to become emotionally invested in the characters (not only Willem but others too).

Although marketed as a romance, the book focuses more on Willem's odyssey and the world he inhabits than on the romantic elements. The romance itself feels somewhat rushed, particularly due to the numerous time skips and narrative ellipses throughout the story. The romantic elements don't fully come into play until the final chapters, making the relationship feel secondary to the broader themes of the novel.

Another aspect that affected my reading experience was the structure of the chapters. Each chapter shifts the point of view, often repeating events from different perspectives. This repetition felt redundant and added to the sense of being a passive observer, rather than immersing me in the story as an active participant.

Despite these negative aspects, I did enjoy the overarching narrative about humanity uniting to rebuild even if the emotional connection was lacking for me.

Willem of Tafel is a decent read if you’re looking for a story with a focus on world-building and a hopeful message about humanity. However, if you’re seeking a deeply immersive romance, this might not fully satisfy. The pairing is sweet, but the romantic development is minimal and comes too late to make this a must-read in the MxM romance genre. (There are no HOT SCENES)

[Jessie Pinkham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but not Emotional

I thought this book started out strongly, if somewhat reminiscent of Hugh Howey's Wool. It went in a very different direction, but because the scale of events was so large, and large chunks of time were skipped over, I lost my emotional connection to the characters.

There's nothing else wrong - the plot is interesting, the writing is enjoyable, and it was neat to have our post-apocalyptic survivors be outside of America/Europe - but when I can put a book down and not read it again for a week, it's really lacking in the emotion department. I think because the two lovers fell into a relationship so quickly, and with their love very much told, not shown, it was hard for me to worry about their separation.

That said, I would try Hirschi again because he has really intriguing ideas. I'd just pick a smaller plot where he can focus more instead of jumping ahead in time so often.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I thought the idea of this book was a really interesting one and I especially liked the fact there were clear conflicts between the two groups of people in Willem's society.

The biggest problem I had with this book was that it should have been expanded more. There was too much in the way of telling rather than showing, especially when it came to Hery's relationship with Willem.

It was good to have the opportunity to see how much society as a whole had changed after the nuclear war, but it was hard to fully engage with any of the characters really. I thought there was too much summarising of events and characters.

It was good to see the way people had evolved and how ethnicity was no longer a factor. I would have liked to see more of Hery's history with his family, rather than being told there were conflicts that were then disregarded. I liked Hery's and Willem's relationship... but I would have liked to see it develop a bit more and more time spent showing how they felt about each other.

I would have liked to be able to see more of the council and the conflicts involved, as most of the book seemed to have people working in harmony outside of Tafel. Since conflicts exist in all societies, I would have liked to see that explored a bit more.

Especially towards the end of the book, large periods of time were glossed over with little to no character development. I felt that certain conflicts had been glossed over that existed between the Ghosts and the Shadows. I would have liked to see some time spent on the consequences of what had happened when Willem returned to his people.

I did like the opportunity to meet some of the other characters, but it was very hard to differentiate between a lot of them, due to not having the chance to get into their heads.

While I'd read more books by this author in the future, I would have liked to see the world and characters in this book expanded upon and a lot more showing rather than telling.

[Amberr Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, Willem of the Tafel, so much to say, but I'm going to make an attempt to be succinct with the review, because I usually write a short story in itself. Willem starts life in a technologically-advanced sci-fi underworld in a mountain called the Tafel where racism reigns and Willem is on the receiving end of the hatred. A miserable existence to be the last "Ghost" among "Shadows" (futuristic terms for black and white), grappling with the uncomfortable idea of having a vasectomy, and dealing with a bully in the highly unlikable Bongani.

I didn't bat a lash when Bongani fell to an untimely death, because I loved Willlem and his character from the moment "we met", and it came as no surprise Willem was the scapegoat to murder. Sentenced to what equated to "death" by being exiled from the mountain to perish in a radioactive world with a trial that never would have been in Willem's favor, he is sent out to perish.

Beautifully, the nuclear fallout was no longer an issue and Willem thrived, exploring a new world where technology is verboten, and meeting people who knew love, relationships, and family. He also tasted new foods and finds love with Hery, someone who needs love just as desperately. As with everything Hans writes, there were tears, there was laughter, and definitely many incidences of "the feels."

I applaud Hirschi for going out of his normal zone to venture into science fiction, because he did so magnificently. Buy the book, and if you're a sap like me, read with a box of tissues for happy and sad moments.

Ultimately there is hope for humanity, and it was lovely to read something POST dystopian rather than the typical grim futuristic worlds of Dystopian anguish. 5 stars easily.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of the novel at an author event, and I'm disclosing this thanks to the FTC. I have the receipt if they need it, too.

[blub · Rating 3 out of 5]

A free copy of this book was provided to me from Authoramp in exchange for an honest review.

A dystopian tale of earth, where war has ravaged the earth's surface making it uninhabitable. The underground dwellers segregate themselves into two racial groups: shadows (those with dark skin tones) and ghosts(light skin or white skin tones). The population of 417? is always lead by a counsel made up of a member from each of these three groups: botany, engineering and medical.

Willem of Tafel is the last remaining ghost at age 18. Ridiculed and hated for being a ghost Willem does not have an easy life. It only becomes harder when he is put on trial for an accidental death of a young shadow. He's exiled to the surface which is believed to be a sure death sentence. But what he finds on the surface goes beyond all the false belief/info told within Tafel society. Now Willem just has to convince someone in Tafel to listen to him.

Willem's ignorance/innocence/naivety when meeting Stephane and Hery's group was cute. I liked that there was no real suspicion or danger upon discovery of the group in Cape Town. I was extremely bothered by the discrimination in Tafel and was glad to see that this wasn't the case on the surface. Things moved a lot quicker between Hery and Willem than I was expecting. Seriously, Willem wasn't even altogether sure what was really happening since Tafel society is structured in a way to emotionally stunt it's citizens.

I was quite vexed during a majority of the reading because of the small minded, power hungry belief of the the shadows. Mavuto was just a character easy to hate as were the shadow citizens of Tafel.

It was a lovely read with pretty good world building. It was easy to get caught up in the the culture and depiction of a different society from our own.

[Nerea Blanco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do have enjoyed this book. It is not very long, which means that it’s intense. I like reading this kind of fiction stories settled in the future, a devastated one but with hopeful. I like how it is very easy to understand and you get caught in the story from the very first page. One of the things I have loved the most about this book is how the author deals with the love story: it is not the main issue in the book but it’s there, like in real life, and sometimes the characters surrender to love, but others they know their duty comes first. However, from my personal point of view, I would have liked to have known more about the Tafel society at the beginning of the book, but it is barely described the essential information, and from nowadays point of view, plus, there is very little interactions between the Tafel people in those first pages, and I would have liked to know more about that society from the very beginning of the novel. Anyway, I really have enjoyed it, and it seemed something completely different from what I am used to read, which is a plus to the novel.

[Tracy Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Williem by hans hirschi

What if humans finally push earth to the point of no return? What if earth was left inhabital for generations? Williem and his tribe live in such conditions underground. In this twist of fate roles are reverse and white people are no longer in charge and are now minorities. Williem is smart and kind but an injustice has him sent to an almost certain death sentence.
Hery is a deaf young man who works aboard a fishing vessel. His grandfather is the leader of a tribe William has no idea existed. Williem and Hery meet by chance and strong feelings are felt almost immediately but fate and obligations tears these two apart. It's uncertain if love is in the cards for these two. This story for me almost felt like looking into our feature as a human raise which was filled with gloom and doom. But this story teaches us that humans can learn from there past mistakes and hope is never lost. I highly recommend you read this story you might just come away with a different view of humanity.

[Chutchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC and am so grateful that I got to read it before most people! I have to say, this book is sensational. I am not a fan of futuristic fiction, and was skeptical to read it but I was not disappointed. To live in a world where it doesn't matter what colour you are, who you love, who you 'mate' with, is something I would probably not see in my lifetime. Where countries work together for the good of humankind as opposed to their own gains. One can only hope. Great book, Hans!

[W.S. Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read 4 plus stars

A fascinating story of Willem, Hery and the people of the Tafel. It's a post apocalyptic world, and Willem is a Ghost living in a society that believed the rest of the Earth is uninhabitable. When Willem is exiled he discovers a New World awaits. What he discovers is not only hope, but love.

[Tex Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 of 5 - Interesting Dystopian Future, Societies, & YA-M/M Romance

[Parker Avrile]

I no longer review in genres I write because conflict of interest