The Dead Lands

by Benjamin Percy

In Benjamin Percy's new thriller, a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga, a super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of the world we know. A few humans carry on, living in outposts such as the Sanctuary-the remains of St. Louis-a shielded community that owes its survival to its militant defense and fear-mongering leaders.

Then a rider comes from the wasteland beyond its walls. She reports on the outside world: west of the Cascades, rain falls, crops grow, civilization thrives. But there is danger too: the rising power of an army that pillages and enslaves every community they happen upon.

Against the wishes of the Sanctuary, a small group sets out in secrecy. Led by Lewis Meriwether and Mina Clark, they hope to expand their infant nation, and to reunite the States. But the Sanctuary will not allow them to escape without a fight.

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

417 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2015

About the author

Benjamin Percy is the author of seven novels -- most recently The Sky Vault (William Morrow) -- three short fiction collections, and a book of essays, Thrill Me, that is widely taught in creative writing classrooms. He writes Wolverine, X-Force, and Ghost Rider for Marvel Comics. His fiction and nonfiction have been published in Esquire (where he is a contributing editor), GQ, Time, Men's Journal, Outside, the Wall Street Journal, Tin House, and the Paris Review. His honors include an NEA fellowship, the Whiting Writer's Award, the Plimpton Prize, two Pushcart Prizes, the iHeart Radio Award for Best Scripted Podcast, and inclusion in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay, so this book is fantastic. i mean, to me. it hit all my personal zing-buttons: sharp characters and a george r.r. martin-esque willingness to pare them down, well-described post-apocalyptic world, surprising twists, bleak atmosphere, and a chewy, cinematic quality to the writing that pans around and takes in everything. when it comes to horror, i can't appreciate that lovecraftian tradition that makes the reader work to "see" the horror. i'll work for any other kind of book, but with horror, i want it all there on the page for me to immerse myself into. it doesn't need to be splatter-gore description, and in fact it's better if it's not, but my mind can't fill in the gaps effectively when it's forced to conjure up "the ineffable." i find it flat, boring and lazy. which i guess describes my mind.

but this book is so descriptive that i could completely see the world he created. and not just because the sanctuary has a real woodbury feel to it.



another series this reminded me of, just in tone, was julianna baggott's pure series, which is a fantastic and underread post-apocalyptic trilogy. i urge you towards it. it is immersive and spectacular, and i haven't felt as viscerally connected to a blasted wasteland in a novel until i read this one. yes, Station Eleven is a great book, but it's a different kind of aftermath novel. it's more cerebral and it doesn't get its hands dirty. like The Road, it's more about the humanity that rises above the ashes than these, where the reader gets to actually roll around in those ashes. and sometimes i like to get my hands dirty.

this book is many things - an aftermath novel, an epic quest, a supernatural horror story, and there's love and revenge and betrayal and human trafficking and power that corrupts and knowledge that sustains and a little clockwork owl.



it's the story of america, 150 years after a flulike virus caused people to cough blood until they died, and the insult-to-injury nuclear ping pong that resulted as a way to prevent its spread. what little life remains is mutated from radiation, and the human part of it is no longer the uncontested top of the food chain. we start out in the sanctuary - a fortified compound in what was once st louis, where a man named thomas is the mayor of a dwindling community, which his panic of being deposed (and losing all the resources he has secretly been hoarding) causes to diminish further with public executions of potential threats to his authority. lewis meriwether, the curator of the museum that serves as the sole entertainment for the walled community, is a quiet scholar whose father was mayor before thomas, and whose hermitlike existence and vast knowledge has given him a slightly spooky reputation - "the wizard in the tower." his no-nonsense assistant ella is the only one who is not in awe of him, and she is the closest thing he has to a friend. wilhelmina clark and reed are both sentinels and rangers, keeping watch on the wall overlooking the wasteland beyond, and venturing out beyond to hunt and assess dangers.

and one day, a potential danger arrives at the gates in the form of a black-eyed young girl named gawea who claims to have come all the way from oregon, where a man named aran burr would very much like an audience with lewis.

what follows is an epic journey as lewis and clark (and others) go on a manifest destiny road trip across the blighted landscape, not knowing if the enigmatic gawea can be trusted, or what lies at the end. along the way, they encounter horrifyingly-altered animals, slavers, a band of heavily-armed teenage girls, desert and snow and visions and madness and mutiny.

and it is outstanding.

percy is so good with small details. i still remember that horrifying zoo scene in Red Moon, and in this one, i will never forget the television set with the screen smashed in and dolls placed inside in some kind of desperate tableau.

and his characters are so rich and go through such transformations. apart from those already mentioned, there are other equally tremendous characters: simon - a young petty thief who navigates the secret catacombs of the sanctuary, danica - thomas' brittle trophy wife, clark's brother york - a puppyish street performer, colter - a tracker with his very own wolf pack, and slade, who performs all of thomas' wetwork.

and his descriptions are arresting:

This morning, as the sun rises and reddens the world so that it appears it might catch flame, Clark stands at her sentry post atop the wall. Around it reaches a burn zone of some seventy yards. Beyond this grows a forest with many broken buildings rising from it, black-windowed, leaning masses of skeletal steel and shattered stone. The remains of the St. Louis arch, collapsed in the middle, appear like a ragged set of mandibles rising out of the earth. In the near distance, where once the Mississippi flowed, stretches a blond wash of sand.

and his descriptions of the survivors with their striking deformities (another thing i liked so much in baggott's trilogy):

A second set of teeth barnacling their shoulder. Cysts bulging and sacks of fluid dangling. Moles so plentiful that a body appears like some fungus found in the forest.

i don't know much about the historical lewis and clark expedition, so i'm sure i'm missing a lot of references (for example and conveniently enough, the book i read directly after this one had a character named york who was named after a member of the lewis and clark expedition, so there's a little wink i missed), but that's clearly not a prerequisite for enjoying this book, because i loved loved loved it.

so i was genuinely stunned to see so many negative ratings on here. i've read the reviews, and i understand some of the complaints. yes, scientific explanations are not a priority for percy. which is something i am guilty of complaining about with other books, but mostly in books that were not very well-written and had nothing else to make them stand out.

and not to stoop to saying anyone is "wrong" for their opinions, but i think that a barrage of scientific explanations would have dragged this book down. i mean, there's not a lot of science in The Stand or The Road or Swan Song, but you know what? they're fantastic, entertaining books whose focus is characters and atmosphere, not explanations.

i don't know poundcake about science, but percy's cause-and-effect explanations seemed fair enough to me. i'm not going to cry "biologically unrealistic" when i am treated to the entertainment value of GIANT BLOODSUCKING ALBINO BATS the size of horses, or any of the other amazing fauna that exist here after radiation has had its way with it. that would be like some nerd pushing up his glasses and saying "i don't reckon sharks would survive the rotation-speed of a tornado, nor would they be able to breathe." YOU ARE NO FUN, NERD! just sit back and enjoy the bats.

other complaints: the villain was too … villain-y. yeah, that's probably true. but who doesn't love a completely irredeemable douchebag to root against?



and thomas is really the only character who is flat-black evil. there are characters who are creepier and do worse things on the page, *koff* slade *koff*, but i kind of felt bad for that guy, after seeing his … home furnishings. which were unquestionably horrific, but i am a softie for lonely psychopaths.



he loved his dog SO MUCH!

my only complaint is with the wrapping-up of this book. i started getting a little nervous about 50 pages from the end because i was thinking "how the hell is he going to wrap this all up in so few pages?" answer: not perfectly. it's a little too rimshot-abrupt, and it feels more like the beginning of a marvel movie. it was fine, just not as satisfying as the rest of the book was to me. and what happened to colter?? the last we see of him, he's banging on the door like an impatient husband and what - he doesn't go with them on their avengers field trip to the white house?? where is his resolution?? i also would have liked to know what ella is up to now, although her last scene is pretty triumphant. and while we're safe under spoiler-shield, i was so freaking sad about simon. ugh. way to martin it, percy!

but yeah - i guess i'm in the near-minority in loving this book, but i'm perfectly content here. no crowds, good view, and my heart filled with appreciation for someone who has taken the wasteland theme to a whole new level of unsettling.

come to my blog!

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This month's post-apocalyptic book club selection.

At our meeting, this book elicited a pretty universal reaction of, "Well, it was OK." And I would have to agree.

This is a pulp fiction story with literary pretensions. Honestly, I think it would've been better without the pretensions. Much has been made of the concept that it's a 'retelling of the story of Lewis and Clark' but in a post-apocalyptic landscape. But that's just a gimmick. The plot neither follows closely nor comments on American history. If the characters had different names, even the most avid student of 19th-century exploratory expeditions would never, ever notice a correlation.

The walled town known as 'Sanctuary' has become less and less of one since a new leader took over. As a matter of fact, it's become a brutal dictatorship, with people under the thumb of a madman. But there are giant killer mutant spiders outside the walls, and no one knows if there's anywhere else to go.

That is, until the girl Gawea turns up, with tales of an idyllic community to the West. Of course, the mayor sees her as a threat to his power, and tries to have her killed. After rescuing her, a team decides to go with her and see what she's talking about, in hopes of bringing good news back to their community. Clark, a tough, hard woman is the driving force behind this trip, but essential to the expedition is Lewis - whom Gawea says she came to find.

Lewis is a nerdy historian who's been busy as a museum curator - but he's also psychic, has mad steampunk-engineer skillz, and may very well develop extra superpowers whenever the plot requires them.

So, off the group goes on the requisite Trek Through The Wasteland. It will be arduous and plagued by beasts, madness, bizarre groups of survivors, and betrayal. And at the end, we may assume from the start, no idyll.

Meanwhile, back in Sanctuary, things go from bad to worse, and it will be up to Lewis' assistant, a young woman, to try to fight the power.

it's entertaining, and moves along. On the one hand, though, I thought the varied and disparate references to/influences from various pop culture tropes were fun - but on the other hand, I think this might've been a better book if it had more of a clear sense about it of what the author wanted it to be.

[Karl · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is noting in this book that would recommend it. Its structure is bad, the writing is poor, and we've seen it all prior and seen it better.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benjamin Percy’s novel is sort of a reimagining of the Lewis and Clark expedition, but across a 22nd century, post-apocalyptic landscape filled with strange mutated creatures and a devastated environment.

I had a lot of fun with this book, apparently there are scientific inaccuracies in the book that some other reviewers have pointed out, but since I was reading the book to be entertained and not to be taught about evolution and science. If you enjoy picking apart the problems of science in a book like this I might suggest you turn your attention next to something like anything by Marvel that deals with mutants, maybe how it’s not possible that any of the X-Men could actually exist?

The basic background to this end of the world novel is pretty much the same as Stephen King’s The Stand, a lethal virus gets out of a government lab somewhere in middle America and goes on to wipe out most of humanity. Where Percy’s story diverges is in the world response to the epidemic. In an effort to quarantine the virus other countries start launching nuclear missiles into America, destroying large urban centers and helping to set into motion the environmental catastrophe the novel is set in. The real problem though seems to have come from various energy facilities in the US that no longer manned eventually fail. Mostly this is nuclear reactors melting down, but there are some other neat little things Percy throws into the mix of this awful future.

As I said, the science behind everything that happened might be inaccurate but it creates an interesting world for the story to take place in. The story begins in St. Louis, which is now a barricaded city with giant walls surrounding it. That part of America survives in a perpetual drought filled summer where water is a precious commodity.

The city has a Walking Dead Woodbury feel to it, along with scary lethal things just waiting on the other side of the wall waiting to kill (not zombies though). The city is run by a unlikable hedonist who rules through fear and intimidation, but really in the situation that he is in there probably isn’t that many other ways to meet the basic survival needs of the city (I’m not saying he’s free of blame, he has more than his share of awfulness about him, but he’s really not in an enviable position).

Lewis is the son of the former mayor and now runs the city’s museum. Clark is a hard drinking loose canon solider (and should i mention a woman?). When the story’s Sacagawea shows up at St Louis she incites Clark to get together a group of people to leave St. Louis in search of the rain-rich land of the Pacific Northwest.

The myth that the city lives under is that they are the last bulwark of humanity, that everyone but them are dead and that the outside world is just filled with monsters and scarcity. So leaving the city to go on this journey is unprecedented—not that the appearance of Gawea in the city doesn’t shake a lot commonly held beliefs the city had about itself. But in the age old fashion of when someone tries to dismantle existing myths the city tries to kill Gawea instead of figuring out if maybe there is something beneficial they could do with the knowledge that they aren’t alone.

So a group of them set out for Oregon where a man named Aran Burr awaits them—having sent Gawea on the journey to bring Lewis across the country. I guess that Burr is being used as a historical figure for his rebellion or whatever it was that he did for a short time in the western wilderness, but my memory of what the details of that were are hazy and maybe inaccurate since they just come from the Gore Vidal novel about him.

I had a lot of fun reading this book, I don’t think it was as strong as Red Moon, but for the type of book it was I found it to be good. My only real complaint with the book was the ending started to feel a little rushed, I don’t think it ended poorly, just the ending is a little weird and breaks from the pacing the novel had established earlier on. It didn’t ruin the novel, though.

I’ve already recommended this to a few people, and would definitely offer it up for someone looking for a dystopian novel that isn’t written for a YA audience. I really liked the bit of a nod to Stephen King’s Pet Semetary at the end when the nearly invincible Slade finally gets his. I wasn’t so sure about the epilogue, which I think Karen summed up perfectly as an “Avengers, assemble!” moment that was maybe unnecessary, but did add a little bit of a twist to what the state of the world was. Let’s see other spoiler worthy things, I liked the assumed awfulness that was going to end up happening for everyone in St. Louis, Percy doesn’t lay out what is going to happen to them, but I can’t imagine that after their insurrection they have any chance of survival, not that there was much hope for a real future in that city. Ok, those are my thoughts on things that could be spoilerish

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK!

Sorry... it takes me so long to finish books now days but I had to see this one through to the end. There's something about Benjamin Percy's writing that draws readers in. He's descriptive and paints the portrait vividly of a dystopian world that's been ruined by a flu-like disease. I was hoping The Dead Lands was a sequel to Red Moon which I enjoyed (for the most part). So SPOILER ALERT: It isn't! Insert sad face here.

The Dead Lands is the story of a group of people who choose to escape the Sanctuary's fortress in hope that there is life outside of that hell. They expect their journey will lead to a new less hellish hell. I mean really, the world is ruined, could there really be a land of milk and honey somewhere? Chances are there aren't, but the hope of that discovery keeps me flipping electronic pages and caring deeply for the characters who brave the dead lands.

What's so captivating about The Dead Lands are the characters. Percy holds nothing back in his efforts to create characters who are alive and breathing. And the irony of the names Lewis and Clark are not lost on me Mr. Percy... I digress at times.

Although I loved most of the characters, Lewis was by far my favorite. His thirst for knowledge and preserving the history of the past places him on the Mayor's watch list despite their friendship many moons ago. We witness Lewis battle all his own personal handicaps in an effort to explore the world outside of the Sanctuary.

There's also Gawea... and Clark... and... actually all the characters you come across in this book are interesting, fully fleshed, and real. Although it took me forever to read this book it wasn't because it was boring at any point. I just have a very busy life. There isn't any point where the novel slowed just to expound a character. The novel reads at a steady pace that allows readers like me who read in short intervals to jump right back in and feel like I'd never left at all.

The Dead Lands is definitely a worthwhile read about hope and the human condition in the worse possible circumstances. Fans of Red Moon should give this book a go. I didn't have any gripes with this book which is very surprising. It was quite a journey of life in the dead lands. Can't wait to continue this journey to the Alive lands... no?

Copy provided by Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley

[Scott Sigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see why this book produces such mixed reviews, but, as a writer, I loved it. Percy has a talent for description, for painting pictures of people, settings and creatures that dance through my thoughts. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Holter Graham, and Graham's performance may have played a factor in how much I enjoyed Percy's lyrical writing style.

There are monsters galore in this a Lewis & Clark expedition across a shattered. There's even a Sacagawea (in this book, simply "Gawea") in the mix to guide them across a landscape bled dry from dozens of disasters.

Percy plays fast and loose with the science of evolution, but the rapid mutations leading to entirely new species aren't the meat of the story, they are there to hang a backdrop of our familiar landscape turned alien and hostile. His description of how Things Went Horribly Wrong, however, feels rivetingly accurate, as if the process could begin tomorrow. That might have been my favorite part of the book.

If you're in it for pure action, yeah, that's there, but if that is *all* you want it might not be for you. THE DEAD LANDS is very much a "literary" story and there's ample amounts of breathtaking writing. Percy's chops are sick.

I can sum up my feelings for this book in one final sentence: I really hope there is a Book II.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s been awhile since I’ve read something that I’ve enjoyed one moment, became frustrated and annoyed with the next, returned to enjoying, and alternated back and forth until the closing pages. What it comes down to is that I found I could stomach and enjoy The Dead Lands when I shut off my brain and simply let the thrill of a the post-apocalyptic adventure carry me. If I tried to analyze it as anything more, from themes to the language of the text, I felt like abandoning it.

Percy’s novel has two types of inspiration. One, according to the author’s remarks is his rekindled appreciation of fantasy and long held appreciation of Stephen King’s work, particularly those apocalyptic and those featuring a ‘contained’ society (e.g. Under the Dome or Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption). The other inspiration is from history, the exploration west of the Mississippi led by Lewis and Clark, and guided by Sacagawea, following the Louisiana Purchase.

The historical aspects of the novel are nothing more than loose inspiration, the novel is set after all in a post-apocalyptic former USA, starting in the walled city of St. Louis, which has managed to survive by shutting itself off from the wastelands, the dead lands, surrounding. Kept relatively shielded from the viral and nuclear breakouts that brought an end to the civilization we know, the surviving community of St. Louis has kept going through the careful management of its past mayors and leaders, and the hope that one day they will discover news of a United States still around to rejoin and continue rebuilding.

But Thomas Lancer, the new mayor of St. Louis seems more concerned with maintaining his power and keeping the community insular through fear. When a strange rider named Gawea arrives outside the city walls with news of lush lands and other pockets of civilization to the West, Thomas acts to suppress rather than investigate the possibilities this holds for the city.

Circumstances lead Thomas’ childhood friend, Lewis Meriwether to join with Mina Clark and a group of discontents to escape the ‘sanctuary’ of the city and discover what world and possibilities exist beyond. A passionate woman battling alcohol addiction, Mina Clark yearns for adventure and discovery, the complete opposite to Lewis’ personality, but she is kept grounded by love and devotion for her brother. A quiet tinkerer and intellectual, Lewis has spent his life in St. Louis as an outcast, content to spend his time in the halls of the museum and books of the past age rather than pursuing the political career and position that his father held prior to Thomas taking over. Lewis’ odd nature has begun to evolve into signs of supernatural abilities, and Gawea’s role as messenger includes an invitation for Lewis to join the leader of the Pacific community to learn about this next evolutionary step for humanity that he, Lewis, and Gawea each manifest.

The major players of history are thus present here: Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Thomas Jefferson, and Sakagawea. Their fictional counterparts follow a similar trek towards the Pacific. But similarities end here. Thomas Lancer shares a name and political power with historic Jefferson, but Lancer here tries to keep any exploration from happening, rather than commissioning it. The mayor is painted more like Caligula, corrupt, cruel, and deviant. Initially I was troubled by Percy giving Lancer a young male lover, the seemingly only homosexual relationship of the novel shown as an aspect of his uncontrolled desires. This somewhat was lessened by implying later in the novel that another homosexual attraction existed between characters that shone more positively.

But the pure ‘evilness’ of the villains of The Dead Lands weakened any serious nature to the novel, rendering it more like pulp. Thomas Lancer’s right-hand-man, the town sheriff is sadistic and disturbed, abusing his power, collecting hair from female victims that he uses to decorate a collection of mannequins kept in his hideaway. The leader of the Pacific community is likewise portrayed as rather brutal, singular in vision, and thus none of the villains here are particularly relatable.

Gawea is seen as an other by the community of St. Louis, but unlike the historic Sacagawea there is no particular unique cultural heritage that she displays to give any diversity to the cast of characters. She is given a backstory, but very little unique to herself beyond being a tool for the plot. As an outcast who is largely self-selected, Lewis is also hard to identify with as one of the main protagonists. His distance from other characters likewise keeps him rather distant from the reader. Brief moments are spent as he struggles with his newfound magical abilities, but little of substance is established. The most interesting character is probably Clark, though it is not her complimentary/clashing relationship with Lewis that shines, but rather the one with her brother. The added element of romantic interest between Clark’s brother and Gawea could have been used to really develop this trio of characters, but unfortunately the plot doesn’t go this way.

Aside from a few surprises of character demises, the plot goes predictably as the group journeys westward. The ultimate arrival and showdown with the community is lackluster, devoid of weight, making the journey and what will follow in the novel’s sequel of greater import. There is a lot of build up for a simple conclusion. To prevent the novel from following the cliched fantasy journey route, Percy alternates the western journey of Meriwether and Clark’s team with a continued plot of events occurring back in St. Louis as Lancer tries to maintain control and Meriwether’s assistant and friend at the museum starts to work with a young man in pushing the city towards greater freedom and overthrowing the mayor’s ruthless control. This mixture of settings is a good thing for the novel, and though also proceeding predictably, it greatly helped the flow of the novel and helped it maintain its quality of simple entertainment, with protagonists it was easy to love and root for against the evil mayor and his sheriff.

Rather than science fiction, The Dead Lands is closer to fantasy, so don’t equate the future setting with scientific accuracy. The flu strain that played a role in the apocalypse is called H3L1 (Hell, get it?), but in reality the H and N of influenza stand for particular proteins. There is no ‘L’. The biological basis for the evolution and mutations seen in the wilds of post-nuclear America are also just absurd, playing into this novel being more like B movie entertainment than anything serious.

Finally, I really didn’t take to Percy’s style of writing. To a degree I can’t really pin down what the issue is for me, but partially I recognized that it came from his frequent uses of nouns as verbs, and similar twists of grammar that sounded odd or confused meaning. Though there is much that just didn’t sit well with me while reading this I have to admit that the adventure of the plot did make me keep reading and it became enjoyable in that way that pulp or a B movie can, so flawed that it’s mildly fun.

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reading copy of this from Grand Central Publishing via the Goodreads’ First-Reads Giveaway Program in exchange for an honest review.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s All About the Spiders and the Bats, No Science

One of the most important science popularizers of our time, the late Stephen Jay Gould, began his scientific career by reviving the study of allometry – quite literally, the mathematics of body size and shape – while finishing his Ph. D. dissertation in invertebrate paleontology at Columbia University, and then as a young assistant professor of geology and assistant curator of invertebrate paleontology at Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology (now the Harvard University Museum of Natural History). In both his scientific papers and popular science essays for the public, Gould showed the relevance of allometry in understanding the evolution of body size over time in animals as diverse as mollusks – he was a life-long student of the land snail Cerion found in the Bahamas – and mammals, including us, Homo sapiens. What he would think of Benjamin Percy’s “The Dead Lands: A Novel” could be summarized as – with apologies to singer/songwriter Meaghan Trainor – “It’s All About the Spiders and the Bats, No Science.” In writing a far future apocalyptic/dystopian speculative fiction/thriller novel channeling the celebrated Lewis and Clark expedition during the first decade of the 19th Century, Benjamin Percy has all but ignored some basic, fundamental, facts relevant to evolutionary biology, unlike for example, Nancy Kress (“Yesterday’s Kin”) and Jeff VanderMeer (“Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy”), whose novels published last year, are quite cognizant of current evolutionary biology, and, in Kress’ case, rely on it for some major plot elements in her superbly written, quite terse, novel that is one of the most original speculative fiction novels ever published pertaining to first contact with aliens. In his depiction of monstrous spiders and vampire bats, Percy assumes only that mutations from nuclear bomb detonations and atomic power plant meltdowns would result in such creatures, not realizing that there are limitations imposed not only by allometry, but also the daily metabolism of such creatures who need abundant, sufficiently large, prey, that would make their existence impossible, even in an apocalyptic/dystopian speculative fiction/thriller novel like “The Dead Lands”. If we compare his scenario with what actually happened to local biodiversity after the Chernobyl, Ukraine power plant disaster, then we would recognize that there’s no evidence of the kind of rapid, grotesque, mutations that could produce abnormally large creatures like those described in his novel; what he has envisioned runs counter to scientific laws of chemistry and physics as well as evolutionary biology.

Benjamin Percy is a fine writer, with excellent descriptive prose, but as a former invertebrate paleobiologist – like Stephen Jay Gould was – and a student of American history acquainted with the Lewis and Clark expedition, I was expecting a lot from “The Dead Lands”, which the writer doesn’t quite deliver, even though he offers us an intriguing post-apocalyptic future a century and a half after a viral epidemic and nuclear war has wiped out most of humanity. He has his version of the Lewis and Clark expedition – museum curator Meriwether Lewis and soldier Wilhelmina (“Mina”) Clark – lead a small ragtag group from the Sanctuary – a ruined Saint Louis – to the Pacific Ocean shore of distant Oregon, led by the young clairvoyant woman Gawea, whose unexpected arrival on horseback to Sanctuary – which has lost contact with the rest of the humanity for decades – prompts Clark and several others to undertake the dangerous trek across the Dead Lands with its grotesque, monstrous creatures. Gawea arrives with a message for Meriwether from one Aran Burr, prompting him to join Clark and the others. Meanwhile, behind the walls of the Sanctuary, its dictatorial mayor, Thomas Lancer, and his sadistic sheriff, Slade, initiate a reign of terror against the Sanctuary’s inhabitants, in reaction to Clark, Meriwether and the others departing secretly. Some readers may find objectionable, Percy’s appropriation of the names Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea (Gawea) and Burr, and also York, especially when the real York – who was William Clark’s slave as well as an expedition participant – was a far noble figure than his fictional equivalent; if I was a black American reading Percy’s novel, I would be greatly offended by his fictional version of York, since that character is among the least notable in the Meriwether and Clark expedition. It is worth noting that Matt Ruff in his exceptional post-9/11 alternate history speculative fiction novel “The Mirage” is far more successful creating credible – and far more compelling - fictional versions of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden than Percy is here, with the sole exception of Lewis Meriwether, this novel’s most memorable character.

“The Dead Lands” is replete with logical inconsistencies of such a nature that they make Lev Grossman’s “Magicians” novels seem realistic in comparison, especially when Grossman has done a fine job in world building, creating magicians who must adhere to certain formal rules of magic. Midway through the book, the Meriwether – Clark expedition encounter gigantic vampire bats which feed on its horses, and somehow drag Clark back to a deserted house that is their lair, saving her for a future meal. Again, for the reasons stated in the opening paragraph of my review, bats – even those affected by nuclear radiation – couldn’t grow to sizes sufficiently large enough to consume adult horses and to seize adult humans. Near Bismarck, North Dakota, the expedition is attacked by gigantic snow white bears in the dead of winter; however, there’s little or no evidence for bears in the continental United States pursuing potential prey then, instead, they are hibernating, waking in the Spring when ample food is available. Another notable example occurs at the end, when having described the Eastern Seaboard of the United States as a desolate realm still scarred by the nuclear holocaust which claimed Boston and New York, the three main characters – Clark, Meriwether and Gawea – arrive in a ruined, virtually deserted, Washington D. C., still the capital city of what remains of the United States of America, meeting with its president, someone named Jefferson. “The Dead Lands” is a sterling example of failing to adhere to what J. G. Ballard, and, more recently, William Gibson, have referred to as the “tool kit of science fiction”. While readers may still be interested in reading “The Dead Lands” because of Percy’s excellent descriptive prose, it pales in comparison not only with Nancy Kress’ “Yesterday’s Kin” and Jeff VanderMeer’s “Area X: The Southern Reach Trilogy”, but especially with a landmark classic apocalyptic/dystopian science fiction novel, Walter M. Miller’s “A Canticle for Leibowitz”, regarded by many as the finest ever written.

[Veeral · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Dead Lands” is a post-apocalyptic novel in the sub-sub genre of science-fantasy (with a touch of steampunk as well), which prompted some readers to complain that the science of the novel made little sense. And I empathize with them – but only up to a certain degree. Because I felt that the science of the post-apocalyptic world was actually not inaccurate (excluding the mutant creatures, of course), and the weakness actually existed with the ungainly fantasy elements, which overshadowed the "sciencey" parts every now and then.

The book is long, which is certainly its major plus point (and Percy never lets you feel stuck at any point throughout the whole book), but the mutant creatures, included to add some spice to the story, end up serving only as needless distractions.

The book is a reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga, where instead of exploring uncharted territory in a new land, here Lewis and Clark embark upon a journey to find a promised haven after the USA is ravaged by super flu and nuclear warfare.

Here, Meriwether Lewis becomes Lewis Meriwether, and William Clark is re-imagined as a girl, Wilhelmina (Mina) Clark. I confess I had to make sure by googling that indeed the real William Clark was a man and not a woman (my history of Lewis and Clark is that scratchy, and that’s why I have now put Undaunted Courage: The Pioneering First Mission to Explore America's Wild Frontier on my immediate to-read list).

Lewis and Clark live in a walled city called Sanctuary, run by a token evil man. As far as the people of the Sanctuary are concerned, theirs is the only city that has survived the apocalypse, that is, until a girl arrives from beyond the walls, through the dead lands, to tell them otherwise.

Lewis and Clark leave on the expedition with the girl and few other people from the Sanctuary to reach the fabled land. Lewis runs a museum in the Sanctuary (the only entertainment for the people in the walled city), where he has an assistant named Ella. Ella stays in the Sanctuary and ultimately teams up with a robber-boy called Simon.

From then on, Percy alternates with a chapter each of Ella and Simon in the Sanctuary, and of Lewis and Clark on their expedition towards the west.

And that’s when the fantastical creatures start to take the story apart. The Sanctuary story remains compelling right till the end, but the hastily drawn creatures harrying Lewis and Clark on their journey make little sense.

Even Bejamin Percy is aware of that. He writes in the acknowledgement in the end:

And I’m indebted to books like Alan Weisman’s The World Without Us for helping me understand the science of the apocalypse. The Kingkiller Chronicle series by Patrick Rothfuss made me fall in love with fantasy again, and I owe him a debt of gratitude for that and for his intricate magic systems, which influenced my own clumsy attempts at spellbinding.

Notice the words “clumsy attempts at spellbinding”. But when I read the descriptions of the post-apocalyptic world, especially of the concrete deterioration of man-made structures, they sounded so factual that I wondered whether Percy had consulted Weisman’s book. And I am glad my guess was right, for once.

Sadly, I didn’t care about either Lewis or Clark (and given that they are the main characters, it was a bit of a downer), but I found the struggle of Ella and Simon in the Sanctuary really interesting, and in fact Simon is my favorite character from the book.

You might have noticed Stephen King’s approval on the book cover. And I think it’s there for a reason (you can call it an unintentional foreshadowing), because Percy pulled a King here. The ending of the book is as bad as a great King novel.

But despite its flaws, this book is the best post-apocalyptic novel I have read in a long time; because the bad parts are, thankfully, bearable, but the good ones are actually great.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read 4/6/15 - 4/9/15
3 Stars - Recommended to fans of post apocalyptic fiction that feels more like an epic fantasy
Pages: 400
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Released: April 2015



Let's get one thing straight right from the get-go. When I rated this book, I was really torn between three and four stars. A big part of me wanted to rate it four stars because I read the hell out of this thing in a matter of a few days. I didn't want to put it down and it's not very often that a book really pulls me in like that. But there was another part of me that thought about who I was rating the book for. I rate the book for you. The reader. To help you decide whether this is the kind of book you'd want to go out and read for yourself. So I had to look at this book through the eyes of someone who reads post apocalyptic fiction and compare it against all of the other books out there in that genre. And while The Dead Lands is most certainly a post apocalyptic book, it also reads like an epic fantasy. So much so that at times, I had to remind myself that it was taking place in an undisclosed future (or possibly a very distant past?!) and not some alternate world.

The novel opens up one hundred years after a series of apocalyptic events wipe out most of humanity. While the threat of nuclear war and super viruses are things of the past, the world still suffers the effects of it greatly. Most humans are deformed in some way - stunted limbs, blindness, the development of strange powers - and their deaths are usually brought about by cancer, melanoma running rampant due to the nuclear fall out still polluting the air and the dust. And theirs is most definitely a world of dust.

Our group of survivors live in The Sanctuary, located out in old St. Louis. It's supposed to be a kind of safe haven - high walls surround it, an internal government rules it, and everyone's got a job to do, a way to contribute to the greater good. But things are bad and only getting worse. They are barely hanging on - the water supply has run low, food is scarce, and everyone is fearful of Thomas, the new Mayor.

Outside the walls is what is known as the Dead Lands. Untold miles of dust and destruction, inhabited by super-creatures. Gigantic spiders and bats, hairless sand wolves. Animals that were forced to evolve, that were poisoned during the fallout. Those that rule within the Sanctuary's walls use these creatures as a consequence for potential usurpers and nay-sayers. Anyone who speaks out against the Mayor of the Sanctuary will find themselves exiled, tied to a tree in the woods beyond the walls, and left to be eaten by the horrors beyond as a warning to the others.

Of course, for some, the Sanctuary is anything but. And there's a small group of people who are planning to escape from it, in the hopes of finding something, anything better. Led by Clark, a female sentry and supply runner, the group's willingness to flee the walls becomes a necessity when a strange rider named Gewea arrives at the Sanctuary's wall, pleading with them to come with her, back to her home, in Oregon. She tells of green grass and endless supplies of water. She speaks of their leader, Aran Burr, and has with her a letter, addressed to Lewis, a quiet man who runs the Sanctuary's museum and who is feared and mistrusted by many of the inhabitants. Lewis recognizes Aran as the man in his visions, the man who has been calling to him in his dreams. And so Lewis, Clark, Gawea, and a handful of others sneak out of the Sanctuary on an epic journey towards an uncertain future, towards a promise of a New America, all on the word of Gawea, a women whose jet black eyes hide many secrets.

From here, the book breaks in half. On one hand we follow Lewis and Clark's trials and tribulations as they make their way to Oregon, and on the other we remain within the walls of the Sanctuary and watch as Ella, Lewis's assistant at the museum, and Simon, a local pickpocket, take steps to tear down everything Thomas (the Mayor) has worked so hard to build.

Part Station Eleven (sprawling epic, years after an apocalypse, relics of the old world stored in a museum), part LotR (minus the elves and dwarves but with just as many bad ass battles), and part history lesson (Lewis, Clark, and Sacajawea - there are so many parallels), The Dead Lands can sometimes come across as a book that doesn't know exactly what it wants to be. And while there were moments where I felt Percy was trying to take on way too much, or was losing his focus, in the end he did a really nice job pulling it all together.

It's been interesting, watching Benjamin Percy's writing evolve over the years. With each novel, he tackles larger landscapes. His world building and story telling becoming more solid, more confident. His books demonstrating a bit more swagger. Which makes it all the more interesting when you realize that The Dead Lands is quite possibly his most polarizing novel to date.

[John McDermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like Benjamin Percy ,I think he’s a fine writer. He creates characters that get under your skin and that you care about. Also, he delivers big action set pieces that are cinematic, horrifying and keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Dead Lands is no exception ; a post-apocalyptic retelling of the journey by Lewis and Clark in America (love that EP by The Long Ryders!).
Really very good indeed, with an open ending, so hopefully the author will return to this world at some point.

[Larry H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I'll admit I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, but I have come a long way from being convinced I had the plague when I caught a bad cold while reading Stephen King's The Stand many years ago. If I hadn't, I certainly wouldn't be able to read many of the post-apocalyptic, dystopian novels out there that chronicle the world after major pandemics without convincing myself I had whatever illnesses wiped out most of the world!

Benjamin Percy's The Dead Lands chronicles a future world in which our planet was hit by a massive flu epidemic that wiped out millions. In an effort to prevent the further spread of the disease, or perhaps wipe out those they felt were carriers, many countries detonated nuclear blasts, which caused further illnesses in survivors and caused animals to mutate into savage, deadly creatures.

In what used to be St. Louis, a walled outpost called The Sanctuary has thrived for many years, purportedly protecting its citizens from the threats of the outside world, while governing through fear, violence, and corruption. The only bright spot in this bleak existence is a museum devoted to chronicling artifacts and events of the past, curated by Lewis Meriwether, the highly intelligent son of the Sanctuary's former mayor. One day, from the dead lands surrounding the Sanctuary, a lone woman comes riding in, telling of places far away where there is water, and natural resources, and life beyond the drudgery they all know. While the mayor tries to brand her as a deadly savage, she has come for one reason: to bring Lewis Meriwether back with her.

But the tales that the woman tells prove too enticing for some. Mina Clark, a tough ranger with demons of her own, convinces Lewis (yep, in case you haven't been following along: Lewis and Clark) and a group of others to follow this woman, Gawea, into the dead lands, and find out whether the world she promises beyond the Sanctuary is true. But they're utterly unprepared for the danger—both human and otherwise—and the beauty which they will find. And getting to Astoria, Oregon isn't half the battle.

I'd never read anything by Percy before but I was tremendously impressed by the vividness of his language and the world he painted. The characters were really fascinating, although at times the shift in perspectives among so many characters became a bit confusing. Ultimately, though, I didn't think the book delivered on its promise—I felt as if it took far too long to get going, at times it was unrelenting in its brutality (how many mutant creatures and tragedies could one group of people encounter?), and the whole thing didn't quite have the payoff I was hoping for.

The Dead Lands is a well-written and unique addition to the dystopian landscape, although a little bit more horror-focused at times than other novels in this genre. It's certainly not the Lewis and Clark story you're used to!

See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one - it seems to have been a bit hit and miss with advanced reviewers but for me it was a big hit for several reasons.

Firstly I was fascinated by the set up and the world building. Set in two locations if you like, firstly The Sanctuary which is anything but and secondly in The Dead Lands - the world outside The Sanctuary. The world has been decimated both by an epidemic and by nuclear explosions - in the world of The Sanctuary safety comes at a high cost, outside the walls danger lurks around every corner.

Secondly I loved the characters - Found them all endlessly fascinating and was more than happy to take a journey with them even though I had no idea where it was going.

There are echoes of both The Stand and The Road here whilst also being definitively its own thing, which very much appealed to me, it was like taking an old journey with some new friends. As a small group leaves The Sanctuary in hope of something better, those left behind are living more and more dangerously under the thumb of an arrogant dictator. Jumping between the two situations gives the story an intriguing flavour, a dual narrative that is intelligently done.

There is also a beautiful storytelling twist as Lewis and Clark follow the path of another Lewis and Clark from our real world history - added into the mix is a possible evolutionary jump alongside some terrifically imagined creatures and wild west type dangers. The road trip portion was probably my favourite but overall for me it was just a stonking good read.

I guess I'm just a fan of this authors writing style and storytelling ability - after Red Moon which was a book I devoured, once more with The Dead Lands Benjamin Percy has captured my imagination, kept me up into the early hours and given me a remarkably good and satisfying yarn. Left open for a possible sequel I really do hope to read more from this devastated world - but for now I am very sorry to say goodbye to them all. I had a great time.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Jody McGrath · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 100 pages. It was just weird and the writing wasn't a style I enjoyed. I was very confused.

[Gabriella]

I got to p 119 but am stopping here. A hundred years after an pandemic wipes out most of humanity, an isolated community struggles to survive in a harsh landscape, surrounded by dangerous creatures. A mysterious girl with superhuman powers arrives alone to the community and leads a band of people to...it doesn't matter. I've read this all before in The Passage.

If you read The Passage and found it too long, perhaps Dead Lands is for you. Otherwise, stick to The Passage for well-developed characters, world-building, and heart-stopping action. Dead Lands wasn't bad but not original, at least the parts I read.

[jess sanford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Just not quite for me. A seemingly decent post-apocalyptic story ruined (as far as what I was hoping for) but a pretty bland and formulaic touch of fantasy as a means, in my opinion, to try and set it apart from other post-apoc books floating around these days. I'm sure this hybridization of genres works for a lot of people but it felt a bit lazy and forced to me, same in regards to the 'historic' flourish that just felt awkward (the naming convention that was used, etc.) and unnecessary. DNF about 50% through.

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just too dark for my tastes. I was pleased with the character arc of the three main players and the side-by-side action of the expedition with the folks back in the sanctuary also added interest to the book. There just so much death and despair. . . and the supernatural element seemed to sometimes be a bit cliche in carrying the plot forward. Not quite the ride I was expecting when I picked up this book.

[Lee Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love his writing and would have been a five star book, but like RED MOON, he rushes his endings too much for me.

[Richard Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time. The Stand meets Swan Song meets The Road. Full review at Cemetery Dance soon.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dead Lands is a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the adventures of Lewis and Clark. This book is nothing like the adventure I imaged for Lewis and Clark. This tale includes dark leadership, America 150 years after a super-flu, living mutants, fierce love, indifference, theft, loyalty, friendship, thirst, affluence, and an adventure across a rugged terrain.

Meriwether Lewis and Wilhelmina “Mina” Clark have been friends since childhood. She was always the stronger of the two, but there is something special/different about Lewis. In a city that acts more like a prison, Lewis and Clark are doing hard time just surviving. Her as a guard of the outside lands, him as the keeper of the only source of entertainment in a city of thirst, the museum of what used to be. In what was once St.Louis a fortress city stands. It is 150 years after the super flu came and killed 99.9% of the population, those left dropped bombs to try to stop the assault. The nuclear fallout has reeked havoc on every living thing left. A girl, a clairvoyant named Gawea, on a horse comes to bring Lewis to her leader. She is quickly taken captive and Lewis enlists Clark, and a few chosen others, to help him escape the city with the girl to see where she has come from. The journey will take them through danger and change the world as they know it. From Missouri to Oregon, Lewis and Clark set out on an adventure.

I was completely captivated by this story from the first few pages on. The writers sets us up in a world full of dangerous animals and even more dangerous people. The world building in this book is fantastic and very believable. I was as terrified as the characters must have been to set out and face the elements and even more scared of the people they might encounter. In this world we are pursued by giant spiders, gigantic vampire bats, and bears that don’t sleep in winter. We also encounter slavers and magicians who desire power over people. The terrain and the climate are just as unforgiving.

Back in St.Louis the people, especially the girl (Ella) left to tend to the museum, are tired of being held captive. The story of Ella and her little friend Simon had me rooting for their triumph over the evil tyrants that run the town. They get a little help from an owl and a beautiful mistress. Their story could easily have been its own book. I loved that every other chapter we got to check in on their progress and their scheming to expose the evil leaders and motivate the people.

The relationships forged in this story are what really did it for me. Clark, in all of her strength, is just a big sister protecting her little brother York, and her weak willed friend Lewis. York serves as a bit of comic relief in this story. Gawea is a mysterious loner. I felt really felt for all of them, even Reed and his pathetic efforts. Lewis and Clark were my favorites, of course. This story is theirs.

This is a great story. To say I loved it, is actually an understatement. Dyspotia is my favorite genre, and The Dead Lands is exactly the kind of book I hope for. This book combines so many genres. It is post-apocalyptic dystopian, with a little science fiction and fantasy sprinkled in. It is wildly imaginative and completely captivating. It is a story I will not soon forget. I highly recommend this book.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I originally heard about this book in my Stephen King Book Group. It was up as one of the books to read and I thought it sounded really interesting.

I actually enjoyed this book a lot. The world is all but wiped out by a virus/nuclear bombs. It's like a cluster of things going on. Then we have all of the mutations from the radiation that shows up in people and animals. Of course, the animals were there worst as they were either bigger or just plain freaky and dangerous!

So here is this Sanctuary that is built around St. Louis with a tyrant of a Mayor, Thomas Lancer, who is a lot like The Governor in The Walking Dead. Meaning, he's a big jerk who has a big head and has no trouble with torturing and killing people!

Not everyone wants to stay in the Sanctuary under these conditions and are waiting for a chance to escape. This comes to them unexpectedly in the form of a girl with black eyes that shows up at the wall of the Sanctuary. There are a lot of things that go down with her arrival, but eventually some of them escape and head to what they are hoping is the promised land as the girl, Gawea, makes it out to be.

I love so many characters in the book, even some I didn't like in the beginning. You have Clark, she is a girl that is a wall sentry and ranger. York is Clark's half brother, he is funny and sweet. Lewis I didn't care for at the beginning, he seemed to be shady with his mechanical owl going around spying on people and out in the bad lands looking for signs of life, but I ended up liking him. I loved Gawea with her black eyes but feel sorry for her later in the book when some things happen. Ella, who is a girl that worked for Lewis that he just left behind. And there is Simon, I loved his and Ella's story. Although, he has a sad story with his father.

There are other characters in the book but I didn't seem too impressed with them accept Jon Colter, he was cool.

So some of them set out to find this land and a man named Aran Burr that has sent for Lewis, that is why Gawea is there.

On this trip you have deaths of people you love as per the norm. and a whole lot of craziness going on! But I did enjoy this little journey into the Dead Lands and beyond!

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

[Lance · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, I am amazed at the high ratings for this book. For one, the author's writing style was very intrusive. I guess he was trying to be a colorful writer, but his unusual word choices - constantly using nouns and adjectives as verbs - kept calling attention to itself and dragged me away from the story. There were also cases where he used a word with a common meaning but applied his weird writing style to it. So, for instance, we might think the verb "socked" had something to do with punching, but he meant it mean "being wrapped in something as with a sock." Not hard to decipher, but again it means getting away from the pleasure of reading to trying to figure out what the heck he meant.

"The wind tunnels down the street." Might has well written "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

The characters were very crudely drawn. The evil mayor couldn't just be a little evil. He had to be whole-hog evil. And only the worst people surrounded the mayor.

Finally, the story was very reminiscent of Steven King stories. The major surprise for me was that it was not a re-write of "The Shining."

I could go on citing issues with this novel, but what's the point?

[MARILYN · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid B until the end and I realized he wasn't finishing it but writing a sequel. Although this is a page turner and the action part is great there is little character development. In a story so intimate with life and death hanging by a thread a few more paragraphs to let us know who the characters were would be nice. I will read the sequel though just to see what happens next.

[Lainy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time taken to read - on and off for 4 days

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Pages - 416

Blurb from Goodreads

In Benjamin Percy's new thriller, a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga, a super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of the world we know. A few humans carry on, living in outposts such as the Sanctuary-the remains of St. Louis-a shielded community that owes its survival to its militant defense and fear-mongering leaders.

Then a rider comes from the wasteland beyond its walls. She reports on the outside world: west of the Cascades, rain falls, crops grow, civilization thrives. But there is danger too: the rising power of an army that pillages and enslaves every community they happen upon.

Against the wishes of the Sanctuary, a small group sets out in secrecy. Led by Lewis Meriweather and Mina Clark, they hope to expand their infant nation, and to reunite the States. But the Sanctuary will not allow them to escape without a fight.



My Review

A brutal opening, a woman in labour, her husband slaughtered and just after she gives birth she is dragged out and the child left alone on the bed. Chapter one takes us immediately inside the wall, guarded with knives and bows, there are no guns inside the wall, inside Sanctuary. Things of the world we know it is long gone, a museum holds items that once had value in the world. Since the super flu and nuclear fallout, humans are thin in number, mutants and the aftermath from both make it unsafe to be outside. Sanctuary is ruled by the new major, Thomas Lancer who pleases himself and cares not much about his people. His confident and childhood friend Lewis Meriweather is a master with creations and Thomas wants weapon to further his hold on his people. When a visitor comes from outside Sanctuary bringing hope that there is life outside of the wall, a small group led by Meriweather breaks out to what they hope is a better life, but is it?

Lewis has an inner power, he is intelligent and wants to believe Gawea, the outsider, that Aran Burr has sent her, can offer a new life and help him with his powers. The rest of his group want something better, freedom and follow him through danger to get it. The journey is dangerous, mutants will threaten their lives and the group will discover that Gawea may not have been 100 percent honest in what she claims.

The story is a post apocalyptic style story, it features friendship, love, betrayal, murder, loss, sex and violence to name a few of the themes. The story pulled me in to begin with and it takes you through an arduous journey for many of the characters. An interesting read although I would have enjoyed it more had there been a bit more story behind the powers, mutations, flu and construction of the Sanctuary. 3/5 for me this time, my first time reading this author, I would read this author again. Thanks so much to BookBridgr for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Rob Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another triple-apocalyptic whammy: deadly plague, nuclear war, nuclear plant meltdowns (seems a single whammy won't hack it in this genre anymore). Survivors huddle in what remains of a now walled-in St. Louis controlled by a despot. Question: Is the evil ruler more concerned about keeping the bad guys out or the populace locked in and controlled in for his own nefarious purposes?

Most elements in this book echo those found in other dystopian novels. One mildly interesting novelty is the thinly overlaid references to the real-world Lewis and Clark expedition, e.g., some St. Louis escapees have the same or similar names to those in the historic journey; they travel from St. Louis to Astoria, OR, just like their counterparts did; etc., but it's never really clear why this matters. Some history in the book is the same as in our world--the characters know of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWII, 9/11, etc.--but somehow are not aware of the original Lewis and Clark expedition. Feels uneven.

I never felt emotionally attached to any of the characters or really cared what happened to any of them. There were a few kinda interesting scenes that made me idly wonder what would happen (though I'd probably check my phone a few times before finding out), and the descriptions of nuked out American were sobering, but overall it felt hollow, scripted, and B-grade super-hero-movie-ish. It sometimes seemed like it was written more with a soul-less Hollywood special-effects blockbuster-wannabe in mind than with the creation of an engaging, well written book.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

An average fantasy-ish post apocalyptic tale that never quite clicked for me, and I gave up around page 275.

[Miriam Michalak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this rre-telling of the Lewis and Clark exploration in a post apocalyptic landscape. Well paced, great character development and lots of journeying through a devastated land.

[Allen Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.themaineedge.com/buzz/pres...

Post-apocalyptic fiction is everywhere you look, with slowly-rebuilding societies and crumbled civilizations as far as the eye can see. And when subject matter becomes this popular, there’s a real difficulty in trying to bring something new to the table. Many authors struggle to find true inspiration amidst the oversaturation.

Author Benjamin Percy has found a way.

He shines a different light on the end of the world in his latest novel “The Dead Lands”, using a sci-fi foundation to bring to life what is essentially a retelling of the journey of Lewis and Clark. No, really. And it winds up being a fascinating take on a potentially tired genre, an undeniably engaging folding of fact into fiction.

It has been centuries since the world fell apart, struck down by the one-two punch of a wildly contagious fatal disease and the nuclear missiles used in a failed attempt to contain it. Much of the country has been rendered inhabitable, but in one place, the people have survived.

In what was once St. Louis, a community known only as “The Sanctuary” has arisen. Here live the last vestiges of humanity, governed by a mayor whose claims of altruism only mask a thirst for power. People live a hardscrabble life, often overwhelmed not just by their circumstances, but by the mutations and diseases that spring from their world’s contamination.

Meriwether Lewis is a man of quiet brilliance, proprietor of the museum that is the sole source of information regarding how things used to be. He is feared and scorned in equal measure, a man apart from the people. Mina Clark is a hard-hearted, hard-drinking member of the Sanctuary’s ranger corps, a group that alternates between manning the haphazard wall that surrounds the Sanctuary and roaming out into the surrounding area in search of game and salvage.

But when Gawea, a lone woman with jet-black eyes, comes out of the wilderness and arrives at the Sanctuary, everything changes. She comes bearing tales of a place that is still green and still thriving. A place where rain still falls and crops still grow. A place called Oregon.

Lewis and Clark and a small band of others decide to undertake the trip, a months-long voyage that will traverse thousands of miles. But their violation of the mayor’s rule leads to some unintended consequences, both for their own group and for those who they left behind.

Alternating between the harrowing tale of Lewis and Clark’s path and the equally harrowing experiences of those still in Sanctuary, “The Dead Lands” tells two gripping tales – one of an epic journey, the other of the breakdown of a post-breakdown society. Taken together, they paint a vivid and unsettling portrait of a world disintegrated.

Projecting Lewis and Clark onto a post-apocalyptic landscape is a choice that might seem gimmicky at first glance. Fear not – while Benjamin Percy is clearly possessed of immense knowledge regarding the expedition, he uses it as a springboard to tell an immersive and wholly original tale.

Our world has forever been expanded by explorers and adventurers, people willing to venture into the unknown. History’s Lewis and Clark are prime examples of that indomitable desire. So too are Benjamin Percy’s Lewis and Clark. The author has constructed an intriguing amalgam, overlaying a veneer of fact atop a fictional universe. It is as compelling as it is unexpected. “The Dead Lands” isn’t intended to be a history lesson, but by introducing reimagined versions of historical figures, Percy gives readers an additional way into his narrative.

But it’s more than just a slick trick. The world that Percy has built is a complex one, rendered by way of broad strokes and intricate details as needed. The dramatis personae share that complexity; with characters that are subject to intimate explorations. This is what elevates “The Dead Lands” from a (admittedly clever) writing exercise into a well-wrought saga of actions and consequences in a future gone awry.

As the old adage says, “History repeats itself.” However, no one has ever repeated it quite like Benjamin Percy.

[Kathleen Minde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Percy's last book, Red Moon, and knew what to expect with his penchant for supernaturalish, dystopic, futuristic, alternate reality. This book did not truly disappoint me, just made me wish it were as good as Red Moon.

In the dystopic future, after an international pandemic and consequent nuclear war, the city of St. Louis has created a walled fortress against the contagious. Years later, when the trickle of humans attempting to enter the city, now called Sanctuary, has completely died off, the wall still remains. The radiated fallout has created monstrous creatures. Thinking themselves the last bastion of humanity, Sanctuary has created it's own government, it's own army of rangers, and a money system.

But radiation has also punched holes into the ozone. People now show signs of mutation and cancer is rampant. The heat is overwhelming, they are in their third year of drought, and their wells are running dry. After the election of their latest mayor with his strict laws and punitive reprisals, morale has dropped. And anyone attempting to leave Sanctuary is severely punished. Then, a single girl on a horse arrives from the west. They are not alone in the world she tells them; there are acres of green forest, running water, and rainfall where she came from.

Anyone who studied the history of Lewis and Clark, the Corps of Discovery and Manifest Destiny in elementary school will recognize the similarities to the group that leaves Sanctuary. Headed by Mina Clark and Meriwether Lewis, they follow the girl, Gawea, west. But, other than the names and the route this group takes to Oregon, the similarities end. While the book follows this group west, it also stays in Sanctuary and focuses some of the other characters that remain behind.

There are such wonderful and well deserved moments in this story: when the group sees a river for the first time, the relationship between Gawea and one of the travelers, the personal evolution of each member of the Corps and the appealing story of a couple of teenagers who remain in Sanctuary. But then BAM, something awful happens. And again, BAM, something equally rotten occurs. It’s as if the author does not want the reader to get comfortable; we need to remember that life on this planet sucks and it is never fair.

This would be a great story if not for a few nettlesome parts. The reader will understandably hate the one-dimensional mayor and his equally one-dimensional, but really weird, sheriff. The author’s handling of their stories is ham-fisted and predictable. Gawea’s story is strong but it’s exposition, instead of slowly unraveling her mysterious life, takes place in large chunks. And when they finally reach Oregon, that part of the story is rushed and resolved too easily. But, my least favorite part was the Epilogue. No spoilers: it was silly.

Percy is a great writer and a strong storyteller. I love that he used the saga of the original Corps of Discovery to tell this story. Mina Clark may be prickly and abrupt but I found her to be rather kickass and compelling.
The historical Lewis battled his own demons as does the one in the book and it is powerful. But my favorite parts of the book involved the teenagers back in Sanctuary; theirs is an irresistible story.

[Checkman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I've never used this one before, but all in all I have to say that "The Dead Lands" rates a solid..... meh. It's really just a pastiche of other post-apocalyptic and dystopian stories. Allow me to list the few that came to mind as I read this novel:

Summer of the Apocalypse(group traveling across a PA world in which modern technology collapsed during the apocalypse and ruined the world - see nuclear reactors and oil fields)
The Stand(world ending plague)
Divergent(post-apocalyptic city, people living among the ruins,tyrannical government, failing system)
The Passage (besieged community, group on a dangerous journey, and the plucky teenage girl with super-powers)
Damnation Alley (group on a dangerous journey across a ruined world with monsters and radiation)
Clash of the Titans (a mechanical owl? I kept waiting for Pegasus and Medusa to show up)

and finally

The Shannara Chronicles Series 3 Books Bundle Collection (people with super-powers, aspects of magic,takes place many decades after the collapse of our world, a world reduced to a medieval standard of living )

As I look at that list I realize a few things. First of all I read too many post-apocalyptic novels. I think I'm burned out and it's time to give the genre a rest. Second is that the field is probably just too crowded and writers have run out of original ideas (just how many times can you kill off the world in an original way?). Third is that taking elements from other stories isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the past I've read some real slam-bang books which were essentially an homage to earlier works. However "The Dead Lands" lacked the "chutzpah" of those works. What I read was an okay book which had no spark. Well no spark and the combining of fantasy with horror, dystopian and post-apocalyptic into a type of stew that needed some spices. Everything was there, but it didn't grab me.

As I wrote at the beginning.....meh. A perfect description for this book. You won't hate it, but it won't leave you wowed either. Into the yard-sale box it goes.