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Earth Haven #3
The Reckoning
Unnatural calm prevails. Trepidation builds. Silently, a storm gathers.
Survivors from mainland Europe and North America converge on Britain. Weary, confused, all come seeking answers; some are spoiling for a fight.
What began with the Cleansing and was hastened by the Beacon nears fruition. But time is running out, and human numbers are too few to win the last battle alone. Unless help can be found from the unlikeliest of allies, failure is assured.
Humankind faces its ultimate test. The Reckoning is upon us.
Survivors from mainland Europe and North America converge on Britain. Weary, confused, all come seeking answers; some are spoiling for a fight.
What began with the Cleansing and was hastened by the Beacon nears fruition. But time is running out, and human numbers are too few to win the last battle alone. Unless help can be found from the unlikeliest of allies, failure is assured.
Humankind faces its ultimate test. The Reckoning is upon us.
- GenresScience Fiction
350 pages, Paperback
Published June 22, 2018
23 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Sam Kates
18 books86 followersMy name is Sam Kates, at least when it comes to writing fiction. If there’s a photo on this page of a middle-aged bloke with a hair shortage, that’s me.
I live in Wales, a small constituent country of Great Britain and the U.K. Like many of my fellow countrymen, I possess a fondness for rugby union (though these days only as a spectator) and a good pint of beer. Usually the two go hand in hand.
My tastes in reading and film tend toward the darker side of life and the fantastic. Little surprise, then, that the fiction I write is usually science fiction and fantasy with a decidedly dark flavour, or outright horror.
Outside of writing, my main ambition is to see Wales beat the New Zealand All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup. A forlorn hope, I suspect, but if you're going to harbour ambitions, they might as well be lofty, right?
I live in Wales, a small constituent country of Great Britain and the U.K. Like many of my fellow countrymen, I possess a fondness for rugby union (though these days only as a spectator) and a good pint of beer. Usually the two go hand in hand.
My tastes in reading and film tend toward the darker side of life and the fantastic. Little surprise, then, that the fiction I write is usually science fiction and fantasy with a decidedly dark flavour, or outright horror.
Outside of writing, my main ambition is to see Wales beat the New Zealand All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup. A forlorn hope, I suspect, but if you're going to harbour ambitions, they might as well be lofty, right?
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 2, 2015
So we (sadly) come to the end of the Earth Haven saga then - Sam Kates has written a brilliant trilogy one in which the end is not disappointing but marvellous, I have loved it all the way through.
The thing about this story is it does have a more unusual plot, something slightly different to the normal "plague comes everyone wanders about fighting with each other then dies" type post apocalyptic drama - very character focused with moments as well of pure action, that come upon you suddenly and leave you slightly out of breath.
In The Reckoning the final battle is coming, it is a battle of unexpected allies and unusual foes as has been set up during the previous two books - on the way to the really quite excellent finale the author pulls together the various strands of the created mythology in fine fashion - addictive reading from some very clever writing.
I do like a well told yarn and this is a darned good one - the first book really set the scene and was unexpectedly clever - book two gave the middle ground as things settled then went into upheavel once more - all the time we were getting to know more and more about a set of characters I have come to love and certainly they will stay with me.
Overall a really excellent and top notch set of novels to be had here - a story to be savoured and I have no hesitation in highly recommending these for fans of Scifi, Fantasy and post apocalytic shenanigans - I can't imagine that you will be disappointed especially if you like something just slightly quirkier than expected. And absolute brownie points for never letting the quality slip. Not a single dull moment to be had anywhere in the Earth Haven trilogy. Rocking.
Happy Reading Folks!
The thing about this story is it does have a more unusual plot, something slightly different to the normal "plague comes everyone wanders about fighting with each other then dies" type post apocalyptic drama - very character focused with moments as well of pure action, that come upon you suddenly and leave you slightly out of breath.
In The Reckoning the final battle is coming, it is a battle of unexpected allies and unusual foes as has been set up during the previous two books - on the way to the really quite excellent finale the author pulls together the various strands of the created mythology in fine fashion - addictive reading from some very clever writing.
I do like a well told yarn and this is a darned good one - the first book really set the scene and was unexpectedly clever - book two gave the middle ground as things settled then went into upheavel once more - all the time we were getting to know more and more about a set of characters I have come to love and certainly they will stay with me.
Overall a really excellent and top notch set of novels to be had here - a story to be savoured and I have no hesitation in highly recommending these for fans of Scifi, Fantasy and post apocalytic shenanigans - I can't imagine that you will be disappointed especially if you like something just slightly quirkier than expected. And absolute brownie points for never letting the quality slip. Not a single dull moment to be had anywhere in the Earth Haven trilogy. Rocking.
Happy Reading Folks!
November 12, 2015
This is the third and final part of the Earth Haven series and just as the two earlier books have provided surprises, The Reckoning does so too. It's hard to give away specifics without spoiling the earlier books for those still to read them but I will say that things aren't always as the reader thought. In fact they aren't as many of the characters thought either.
This is a successful and seemingly effortless blend of speculative post-apocalyptic story and science fiction. We follow the fortunes of various groups, including those of the species bent on wiping out humanity and there are shocks in store even for them. Ends are tied up from the first two books, successfully but not always happily. This has been a totally gripping series and I highly recommend it to all sci-fi and speculative fiction readers.
I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher.
This is a successful and seemingly effortless blend of speculative post-apocalyptic story and science fiction. We follow the fortunes of various groups, including those of the species bent on wiping out humanity and there are shocks in store even for them. Ends are tied up from the first two books, successfully but not always happily. This has been a totally gripping series and I highly recommend it to all sci-fi and speculative fiction readers.
I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher.
December 18, 2015
The third and final installment of the Earth Haven trilogy is finally here, and the Literary Connoisseur's verdict is in.
First there was the Cleansing of Earth Haven. Then, the Beacon was activated, which signaled to more toxic beings destined to destroy what we call home. And in the end, there will be a Reckoning.
The Reckoning was an extremely satisfactory ending to an original Sam Kates story. As I expected, The Reckoning was missing the key elements that made The Cleansing (book one) magical. The Cleansing provided a fresh, new story that captured my attention at first glance. The Beacon held my interest and further dug me deeper into the story of Earth Haven. The Reckoning wrapped everything up (in as neat a package as possible). Like most trilogy endings, The Reckoning provided a story that didn't have me as enthralled as the first two, but in the end completed me. The third and final book may not be my favorite of the trilogy, but it was certainly fulfilling enough to have the Earth Haven series, once again, at the top of my favorites list.
There were shocking moments in the Reckoning that I didn't see coming. There were well-needed character developments, and introductions to characters that were key to the story. The Reckoning contained everything needed in a "final book."
I am giving The Reckoning four stars out of five, but I'm giving the Earth Haven trilogy five stars altogether.
I am not a sci-fi fan. But I am a huge Sam Kates fan.
First there was the Cleansing of Earth Haven. Then, the Beacon was activated, which signaled to more toxic beings destined to destroy what we call home. And in the end, there will be a Reckoning.
The Reckoning was an extremely satisfactory ending to an original Sam Kates story. As I expected, The Reckoning was missing the key elements that made The Cleansing (book one) magical. The Cleansing provided a fresh, new story that captured my attention at first glance. The Beacon held my interest and further dug me deeper into the story of Earth Haven. The Reckoning wrapped everything up (in as neat a package as possible). Like most trilogy endings, The Reckoning provided a story that didn't have me as enthralled as the first two, but in the end completed me. The third and final book may not be my favorite of the trilogy, but it was certainly fulfilling enough to have the Earth Haven series, once again, at the top of my favorites list.
There were shocking moments in the Reckoning that I didn't see coming. There were well-needed character developments, and introductions to characters that were key to the story. The Reckoning contained everything needed in a "final book."
I am giving The Reckoning four stars out of five, but I'm giving the Earth Haven trilogy five stars altogether.
I am not a sci-fi fan. But I am a huge Sam Kates fan.
September 27, 2017
3.5 stars for a decent finale to the Earth Haven series. Good, solid writing made this an easy read and was nice to have the tale all wrapped up. It dropped half a star for me as some of the side characters seemed a little superfluous and the whole 'London War' sections were uninteresting and didn't add a whole lot to the tale.
Earth Haven is good post apocalyptic fiction, which is exactly what I was looking for when I came across Sam Kates - would recommend it!
Earth Haven is good post apocalyptic fiction, which is exactly what I was looking for when I came across Sam Kates - would recommend it!
November 9, 2019
The last book in the series did not disappoint. It has the same pace and flair as the previous two with several twists in it to keep the reader turning the pages.
What a good series this has been – thoroughly enjoyable, and as I said before, I think it would make great TV or movie viewing. The characters are likeable and have the reader rooting for them even when it seems their fate is sealed. I don’t want to divulge too much detail because it would spoil the ending for other people, but the tension never flags. At the end of the last page it left me wanting more, which is a sign of storytelling at its best. I shall be looking out for other books by Sam Kates.
What a good series this has been – thoroughly enjoyable, and as I said before, I think it would make great TV or movie viewing. The characters are likeable and have the reader rooting for them even when it seems their fate is sealed. I don’t want to divulge too much detail because it would spoil the ending for other people, but the tension never flags. At the end of the last page it left me wanting more, which is a sign of storytelling at its best. I shall be looking out for other books by Sam Kates.
September 11, 2020
Imaginative, thoroughly enjoyable...can’t say anything bad.
After countless stories that dragged on into innumerable sequels (which I typically give up on) this complete story lasted a perfect (to me) three books. Thank you, Mr. Kates (and don’t think I missed the references to “The Stand.)
The characters are well-developed, dialogue natural and the sci-fi aspects believable. The story even touches on the supernatural of human souls. I will be checking other works from the author. However, if this is the only one I like, it is a stellar contribution to fiction, today. I’m so gratified I found it.
After countless stories that dragged on into innumerable sequels (which I typically give up on) this complete story lasted a perfect (to me) three books. Thank you, Mr. Kates (and don’t think I missed the references to “The Stand.)
The characters are well-developed, dialogue natural and the sci-fi aspects believable. The story even touches on the supernatural of human souls. I will be checking other works from the author. However, if this is the only one I like, it is a stellar contribution to fiction, today. I’m so gratified I found it.
August 5, 2019
Tougher to read than the previous two.
Although I enjoyed the trilogy, I found this, the third one, somewhat harder to get through. It was extremely complex and overly wordy at times.
However, the characterisation remains advanced and convincing. A excellent author.
Although I enjoyed the trilogy, I found this, the third one, somewhat harder to get through. It was extremely complex and overly wordy at times.
However, the characterisation remains advanced and convincing. A excellent author.
April 8, 2020
Keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering, until the final pages !!
June 5, 2020
Satisfying Trilogy Finale
I will miss these characters! Not your usual conquering aliens, not your normal arsehole humans. Well, not all of them.
I will miss these characters! Not your usual conquering aliens, not your normal arsehole humans. Well, not all of them.
September 5, 2020
Awesome
Excellent finish. Will be thinking on this for awhile. Hope you write more epic novels. Am going onto the next Elevator omnibus series. Great flow, felt like I was there.
Excellent finish. Will be thinking on this for awhile. Hope you write more epic novels. Am going onto the next Elevator omnibus series. Great flow, felt like I was there.
January 13, 2024
My least favorite of the trilogy.
March 17, 2025
A good ending - really enjoyed this series, felt like I was reading a movie
January 4, 2016
A fitting end to the series. It wrapped nicely withal questions answered. Well almost all. Sorts leaves a door open for a possible sequel. Overall a good series.
Read
September 13, 2017Even better on second reading
Re-read the earth haven trilogy. Loved it even more the second time. A rollicking adventure, mind reading and mind controlling aliens here from thousands of years ago. Such good characterisations that you want to meet them, humans and aliens and dusty.
Re-read the earth haven trilogy. Loved it even more the second time. A rollicking adventure, mind reading and mind controlling aliens here from thousands of years ago. Such good characterisations that you want to meet them, humans and aliens and dusty.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews