Us: Volume One: A Reimagining of Antiquity

by M.P. Web

When an unprecedented occurrence leaves Paul Fuller alone in a suddenly-inexplicable world, every part of reality and his very existence comes into question—though none more than his sanity. In the days then weeks that follow, one unexplainable event after another eventually leads him north—where his real journey truly begins. Mysteriously paired with someone whose survival is just as baffling as his own, the true origins of mankind are unexpectedly revealed as they do what’s needed to survive . . .

484 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2016

Reviews

[Karl Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is something very special. It's seemingly a first outing by the author, and I hope it continues as the title and the ending implies. Anyway, the plot is simple yet complicated. Guy goes out fishing with his buddy, guy sees massive pillar of light, guy finds he's the only person left in the world. Or is he? There's a grand mystery here about what exactly happened, but it takes a back seat to how the protagonist deals with the problem. The reality of being the sole human left, the emotional and mental effects, the logical survival steps are all captured wonderfully by the author. The story sucks you in because the main character bucks a lot of tropes typical I'm used to seeing and behaves like a logical thinking human being. There are some narrative contrivances, but I feel they all serve to further play around with Fuller and his character. There's a lot of heady themes at work here, Identity, Spirituality, the meaning of life and more. At times it feels like it's struggling under the weight of what it's trying to convey, like trying to have a conversation about astral physics without understanding algebra, but this also serves to deepen Fuller as a character because he feels the same way. The ending is unfortunately a rough cliffhanger, but it definitely has me excited for the next volume.

All in all, worth the asking price.