By the Feet of Men: A Novel

by Grant Price

WANTED: Men and women willing to drive through the valley of the shadow of death.

The world's population has been decimated by the Change, a chain reaction of events triggered by global warming. In Europe, governments have fallen, cities have crumbled and the wheels of production have ground to a halt. The Alps region, containing most of the continent's remaining fresh water, has become a closed state with heavily fortified borders. Survivors cling on by trading through the Runners, truck drivers who deliver cargo and take a percentage. Amid the ruins of central Germany, two Runners, Cassady and Ghazi, are called on to deliver medical supplies to a research base deep in the Italian desert, where scientists claim to be building a machine that could reverse the effects of the Change. Joining the pair is a ragtag collection of drivers, all of whom have something to prove. Standing in their way are starving nomads, crumbling cities, hostile weather and a rogue state hell-bent on the convoy's destruction. And there's another problem: Cassady is close to losing his nerve.

Genres: Fiction, Dystopia

344 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2019

About the author

Grant Price is a writer of climate fiction. His debut novel, By the Feet of Men (Cosmic Egg, 2019), was submitted for consideration to the Arthur C. Clarke Award. His second novel, Reality Testing (Black Rose, 2022), is part of the Sundown Cycle and was listed in Kirkus's Top 100 Books 2021. Published in December 2023, Pacific State (Black Rose, 2023) is his latest release and the second book in the Sundown Cycle. Grant is currently based in Athens, Greece.

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘By the Feet of Men’ is the second novel from British-German author, Grant Price. This futuristic dystopian tale is set in Europe at a time when the human race has abused the planet’s eco system to the point where the infrastructure of society has broken down and life is about little more than a quest for survival, with water becoming the most precious commodity. Nature has found a way to adapt and re-establish itself but can the population do the same?

Barter is the mechanism of exchange, so Cassady and his mechanic, Ghazi, make a living by transporting goods from one destination to another, with the knowledge that they may get killed in the process. They ply their trade in Warspite, their five ton armoured vehicle, affectionately referred to as the ‘Old Lady’.

We join them as they are contemplating their next destination, having got themselves into a confrontational situation in a settlement from which they need to make a speedy get-away. They decide to make for Prestige, a city which had somehow survived the Change and represents a semblance of order and normality.

‘There was a rule against cannibalism in Prestige, but it didn’t apply in the slums.’ This sentence sums up just how hard-hitting the storyline is going to be. It becomes quite clear from the beginning that this book isn’t for the faint-hearted. Their next delivery seems straightforward but they soon find there is more to it than meets the eye and their ensuing mission sees them lead a disparate team who have formed an uneasy alliance, deep into the Italian desert.

It seems the fragile dynamic is never far from boiling over as the enormity of the task at hand hits home. As if the extreme climatic heat wasn’t enough, we find that there are malevolent powers at work with the team facing danger at every turn in their perilous journey.

The author develops and illustrates his tale with vivid gritty descriptions and a liberal use of similes, metaphors and pathos to paint an earthy picture of life lived on the edge. His three dimensional lead characters are ably assisted by sturdy foils and, as a counter balance to the rapid pace, we see Cassady’s hard, careworn, battle scarred exterior give way to self-doubt, soul-searching, introspection and anxiety.

Assuming the destruction of the world as we know it took place over many years, I’m unclear as to the time-frame and the date in which the book is set. I did wonder about the efficacy of the potential solution to earth’s woes but of course every tale needs its players to have a little hope. We cannot fail to be moved by the relationship between our two main protagonists as they carry the uncomplicated, yet highly entertaining, plot to its conclusion. Fans of this genre will doubtless find this book well-conceived and absorbing. I award four-and-a-half stars.

[Ivana - Diary of Difference · Rating 3 out of 5]

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By the Feet of Men by Grant Price is a very good post-apocalyptic novel, full of adventures and danger. I am glad I got the chance to read and review this book. Thank you to the author, Grant Price, for sending me a copy of his book in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis:

The book is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where the world’s population has been decimated by the Change, a chain reaction of events triggered by global warming. Governments have fallen and cities have crumbled. The productions have stopped. The Alps region, which contains the continent’s fresh water, has become a closed state with heavily fortified borders.

The ones that managed to survive cling on by trading through the Runners, truck drivers who deliver cargo and take a percentage. Two Runners, Cassady and Ghazi are called to deliver medical supplies to a research base deep in the Italian desert, where scientists claim to be building a machine that could reverse the effects of the Change.

On this journey they will be joined by a collection of other Runners, all of whom have something to prove and have a story of their own. Standing in their way are starving nomads, crumbling cities, hostile weather and a rogue state set to destroy the convoy. And there’s another problem: Cassady is close to losing his nerve.

My Thoughts:

The world building in By the Feet of Men is very interesting and very well described, especially the part about the Change and the Koalition. From the beginning, we get a very good idea of what kind of world we are living in now, from global warming, to the starving nomads, to how the Runners make a living. I think that was a very good introduction to the new normal that we are about to engage in.

I think perhaps due to the elaborate description, I found the beginning quite slow. The true adventure and road trip doesn’t start until halfway through the book. Once the adventure begins, though, many things happen in short spaces of time. The pacing is quite fast until the very end. The book contains brutal and graphic details, so it may contain a lot of trigger warnings and I wouldn’t recommend it for the faint hearted people.

I loved Cassady and Ghazi and really enjoyed their backstories.

The way how they made decisions based on their past experiences, which were sometimes very different. I love the constant battle they seem to have between what is right and wrong, when a decision has to be made quite fast to ensure their survival. Sometimes, their survival might mean leaving someone behind, and not both of them would agree that this is the right decision to be made. However, I think there is something much more difficult than making such a decision, and that’s living with the consequences.

Apart from the main characters, I had a very hard time remembering the other characters and their backstories. This made me annoyed a few times. I am very good at remembering side characters, and I usually prefer them to the main characters. However. this wasn’t the case for this book. And this is something that really bothers me.

I was quite intrigued about the ending.

I enjoyed it and I liked how it ended. My initial thoughts were that it was very realistic. It also had an ending that I haven’t seen too much explored in any post-apocalyptic fiction I’ve read or seen. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of explanation to some points. However, I think the main characters’ stories and experiences in the end of the book contributed to a balanced and emotional ending.

I definitely recommend By the Feet of Men to all fans of post-apocalyptic fiction. Something new and fresh, unexplored anywhere else and full of adventure and realistic brutality. I am sure you will enjoy it.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a paperback copy from the author. My review is, as usual, honest and reflects solely my opinion.

I love post-apocalyptic fiction and read this one in go. The prose is straightforward and simple, with no distractions. By The Feet of Men offers a lot of action, and the pacing doesn't let up. Not a dull moment in sight.

Grant Price takes a lot of care to build his characters. Instead of focusing on the world as so many post-apocalyptic novels do, he decided to focus on his characters, and it works.

While the world building is definitely immersive with no info dumps, the apocalypse has already happened, and this is how humanity lives now. The world is a backdrop, an intriguing one, but a backdrop nonetheless, amidst a varied cast of three dimensional characters.

They're all well developed, well written, and I found myself fully invested in all of them. A ragtag group of people, thrown together in an attempt to do something they think will help the world. They form bonds, work with each other, protect each other and support each other.

Loyalty, friendship, but also working together for the greater good, even though one might not like each other all that much are themes Grant Price examines. Besides the aforementioned, there's the usual: is this shit worth dying for. And really, that last theme will always be interesting, and I'll always love reading about characters who decide they're willing to risk their lives for a cause they believe in.

I recommend this to all fans of post-apocalyptic fiction.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught me by surprise. I enjoy dystopian stories, but they tend to follow a formula, especially if they deal with destruction of the planet by humanity's bad choices or climate change. But this story of the aftermath of the fall of civilization really grabbed my attention immediately and kept it until the final page. The story is well-written and not formulaic or melodramatic. The characters and world are well-developed and believable.

The world is completely different since The Change. Europe was decimated and what is left of humanity scrabbles for scraps in the dirt. Some even resort to murder and cannibalism to survive. A group called The Korporation has fortified walls that protect the largest sources of fresh water and supplies. Outside the walled border, runners drive up and down roads delivering supplies to settlements and taking what payment they can get -- water, supplies, food. It's a hard life. But, a settlement in Italy has been working to develop a machine that could reverse the damage to the planet and climate, but they need help and supplies to finish the project. The Koalition wants to seize the machine and prevent it from being used. A group of runners is willing to help....but they will face extreme odds. It's a long trip....and the forces of The Koalition want to stop them.

This story has a lot of action. It's definitely never boring. It paints a bleak picture of a planet and civilization destroyed by mismanagement and greed. Very enjoyable read! I will definitely be reading more by this author!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from John Hunt Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

[Literary Portals · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Made Me Read It I was sent a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The author described it as a "dystopian climate fiction novel"; even though the genre is usually a little too grim and dark for my taste, the focus of this novel seemed to be more on the characters and not so much the post-apocalyptic setting, so I gave it a try.

The Plot The Change has driven the planet back to the Dark Ages. In a post-apocalyptic world where desertification, drought, famine and disease run rampant, civilization has collapsed and infrastructures have all but disappeared. Humanity has reversed to a state of savagery, with survivors knifing each other in the back for half a canteen of radiated water and depending on Runners to barter and deliver scarce supplies.

Edward Cassidy has been a Runner for over 20 years, driving his century-old pantech Warspite between isolated and heavily defended settlements inside the Bowl, transporting crates of expired food and water in what was once Germany. Until the day a badly wounded man offers him a contract: to deliver urgent medical supplies to La Talpa, a research facility hidden underground in the deserts of Italy.

To increase the odds of success, 4 teams of Runners are selected for the job. The crew of the Silkworm, Victor and Tagawa, is too inexperienced; the crew of the Telamonian, Brandt and Renfield, is getting too old; and Orion's own Katarina and Hearst don't look out for anybody but themselves. It's up to Cassady and his co-driver and mechanic partner Salam Ghazi to lead the convoy of Runners through the Bowl and into uncharted territory deep inside the Alps.

Cassady needs to be ready for everything this run throws at him: extreme temperatures, unwanted attention from scavengers and tribal bandits, damaged roads and people who want the convoy to fail - the fanatic religious group Zuisudra, bent on cleansing the Earth of the disease that is humanity, and the Koalition, a merge of corporations determined to maintain an iron grip control over their region. But he's losing his nerve and starting to question everything he does and the reason that keeps him going...

The Good "By the feet of men" is a dystopian novel set in post-apocalyptic Germany, known as the Bowl, in an unspecified (but probably not too far off) future. Throughout the story we're given just enough details about the world the characters live in to get a general idea of the background: a desertified region, where the food is scarce and the few water sources are most likely contaminated by radiation, under extreme heat and an ionized atmosphere, where major cities have been destroyed by conflict and covered in mutant vegetation. We're not told about the events what led to this calamity, only that after something called the Change humanity has reversed to a savage state, struggling to survive each day in the unforgiving environment in small isolated but well-defended settlements, banded together in nomadic violent gangs and fanatical religious groups, frequently resorting to cannibalism. The Runners, men and women driving old reconditioned armored trucks called pantechs, keep the communities going by transporting essential supplies through the few existing roads. Still, the lack of details doesn't harm the narrative since the focus of the novel isn't on the post-apocalyptic setting but the characters instead.

The book follows the journey of a convoy of Runners, contracted to deliver much needed medical supplies to a group of scientists working in secret on technology that could reverse the Change, giving humanity a second chance at life. The plot is fast-paced, with plenty of nerve-racking action sequences as the convoy faces innumerous dangers and foes on its run through the Bowl and across the Alps: bandits and scavengers who murder and cannibalize weary travelers, the religious fanatics Zuisudra and the corporation Koalition determined to keep its iron grip on the Zone, a fortified region in the Alps with a bio-engineered pre-Change climate.

"By the feet of men" is mostly a road trip character study novel. Each of the 8 Runners that make up the convoy are 3-dimentional and fully fleshed out, with believable personalities and realistic behaviors and reactions. Edward Cassidy has been driving his century-old pantech, the Warspite, for over 20 years; being a Runner has given him a purpose but now he's struggling to find a reason to keep going and survive another day. His co-driver and mechanic Salam Ghazi is the philosophical type, trying to find his place in the grand scheme of things. They've been tasked to lead the convoy, a ragtag group of misfit truck drivers put together on a run with little chance of success: Brandt and Renfield are old veterans in their pantech Telamonian but they're getting too old, too slow and cautious and want to get off the road for good; Victor and Tagawa are newcomers and still too inexperienced, but desperate to prove their worth driving the Silkworm; Hearst turned driving the Orion into an art form but she's too wild and only looks out for herself and her co-driver Katarina. As the story unfolds we get to know each of the Runners, their personal stories and what keeps them going; each character has his/her own flaws and personal demons, trying to survive to the best of their abilities in a desperate and cruel world, making good and bad choices and learning to live with them.

Long hours spent behind the wheel encourage each of the characters to reflect on basic questions about their existence and so the novel explores themes of self-sacrifice for the greater good, the meaning of life and its worth, moral and ethics, good and evil.

If you enjoy dystopian tales with good character development, that explore how humanity reacts in the face of adversity, struggling to survive in a ruined world, then this book delivers on its promise. The only reason I couldn't give it a higher rating is a matter of personal taste - it was just too brutal and depressing for me, with a too realistic portrayal of humanity at its worst, eerily believable and entirely too possible in the not so distant future. But that's just me.

Read the full review on: https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/...

Final Rating 3 of 5 stars. "By the feet of men" is mostly a character study dystopian novel set in a future post-apocalyptic Germany, with fast-paced and action-packed sequences. Recommended for those who enjoy stories that focus on the struggles of a dying and savage humanity in a post-apocalyptic world.

[Kiran Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting and well-curated prose propel this climate thriller written by Grant Price. The world of a post-apocalyptic Europe is grim, but Price's command of language gives the novel a briskness that put it above other books of its genre. The pages turn effortlessly as the reader wonders what will happen to Ghazi and the other inhabitants of this ravaged world. Worth reading, for sure.

[Brittany Saferight · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.25 stars

Note: I received a free, advanced reading copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Grant Price and Cosmic Egg Books for the reading & reviewing opportunity.

“Perhaps that was the point anyway: to be prepared to sacrifice oneself in service of something greater.”

This novel really took me by surprise. From the synopsis, I was anticipating the apocalyptic, dystopian story that we’ve all grown fairly familiar with. You know the one: the state of Earth has declined so badly that vegetation is scarce, people are starving, and surviving is all you have to look forward to. And really, you do certainly get those characteristics in this book. But you also get a lot more, too.

Dystopian novels can only go one of two ways for me: poorly, or wonderfully. I often find the set-ups to be unbelievable or hard to grasp and there tends to be a lot of action that doesn’t necessarily add to the plot of the story and is instead there to take up space. With By the Feet of Men, neither of those things were a problem. First off, the author, Price, doesn’t bother with explaining much about the deterioration of the planet. Readers dive right into the mayhem and don’t spend a bunch of time learning how the characters got to where they are. No, Price dived right in and though at first I did wonder if I was going to get an explanation about the state of the world, I later decided that I was glad that he hadn’t forced one on me. There are enough details throughout the novel that you can piece together fairly well a decent amount for yourself, and the rest is left to interpretation. I didn’t have to force myself to believe in a weird circumstance to follow the rest of the story. It was nice.

Second, there is a lot of action in this, but it always felt important. The eight runners on the mission to reach the base of scientists are all vital to the way the story plays out, and each instance of violence or vehicle chases add to their stories in a way I can’t necessarily explain without spoiling bits of the book. Nevertheless, I can tire of action-packed novels quickly, but I didn’t with this one.

The characters were very well planned and written. Though the book mostly focused on Cassady and Ghazi, but the third person POV allowed the 6 others to play an important role as well and I found myself invested in all of their stories. I usually feel like it can take a long time in a book for an author to fully develop the characters, but through the life or death situations that the runners are put into, a reader can quickly learn who each really is without needing to necessarily know how they got to be who they are. Hearst was fierce, unwavering, and strong. Katarina was the peacemaker; kind and wise. Victor was the arrogant but brave youngster. Tagawa was calculated, smart, and cool-headed. I could go on and on for each of them, but it just goes to show how well they were developed through their journey without the author ever having to say that they were these things. They simply radiated their characteristics in a plain-to-see way.

My favorite thing about the entire novel is that, as earlier mentioned, it’s about more than just their dystopian setting and at-hand mission. There is a lot of talking about the meanings of life and in the state that they are in, it’s important for them to decide whether they want to keep surviving or give up altogether.

“Conscious is its own reward.”

Ghazi is deeply spiritual in his beliefs, though not necessarily in the religious ways we’ve often come to recognize spiritually in modern days. Many members of the group find that there is purpose to life, while some are questioning whether or not they are ready to give up the fight. I loved that this story had so much below its surface. It made the hours that the runners rode in their vehicles feel filled with importance.

Overall, I found the story to be extremely intriguing. The first part of the book (about 30-40 min in) was a bit slow for me because the characters were unfamiliar and I was unsure of what direction the novel was going in. The runners weren’t quite as fascinating until the convoy journey began. However, part two presented me with a much more fast-paced timeline and I was completely enraptured all the way to the end! I read the whole book in two sittings over a weekend and really enjoyed it. If you’re a dystopian fan and you enjoy new spins on old tales, I’d recommend this to you!

[dot. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does your vision of the "bright" future involve sea levels rising? Desertification? Food and water shortages? Do you fear social unrest and crumbling of the society as we know it? If it doesn't, then you're probably not reading enough news. If it does, then this is exactly what's bothering Grant Price too, and it's the world he decided to describe in his book.

It all feels very Mad Max, a comparison drawn in previous reviews too: wastelands, bad guys, hunger, and struggle to survive in a world, that is no longer "instagrammable". The technology is gone, most people are gone. What's there to stay is endless heat, rising sea levels, and violence.

There's also a quest, as a group of runners - people who earn their living by delivering supplies to whomever calls a good price - are faced with a task of delivering a very special cargo to a place far away, in the Italian desert. Is it going to be worth it? Will it change anything? Will they succeed?

The plot is well constructed, almost film script-ready, and it reads fast. The characters are well drawn, and interesting, and I especially liked the female ones.

Currently living in Switzerland, I was especially interested in the concept of it turning into an isolationist, corporation-run totalitarian state: it didn't seem all too impossible in some ways!

At times, characters philosophizing about the nature of humankind and other great concepts seemed a bit too pompous and/or shallow, but don't we all do that sometimes? (especially after chewing on roots!)

All in all, it's a great book, talking about important issues, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

[Joseph D'Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A convoy of four monster-trucks embarks on a suicide mission, braving post-cataclysmic deserts, deadly mountain switchbacks and an entire dystopian army in a bid to save the world. In each of the four cabs, two Runners take turns driving and riding shotgun. It’s Mad Max big rigs in a hell-on-earth logistics run that could give humanity back its future.

Nail-biting action and constantly rising tension are counterpointed by the varied philosophies underpinning each Runner’s decision to take on such an impossible supply run in the first place. With life and death challenges awaiting them at every turn of the journey, each member of the team will question everything they’ve ever believed by the time the mission is over.

The novel takes its title from a passage in Walden by Henry David Thoreau. That an apocalyptic action story would seek to claim such a literary and spiritual heritage might seem incongruous. In my opinion, though, By the Feet of Men is worthy of both legacies.

[Grant Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to go ahead and give this one star for every Mad Max film that exists and one star for every The Road film that exists.

You know....as a thank you.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

I read this book via a paperback copy sent to me to review for Rosie Amber's Book Review Team. The fact that it was free has not affected this honest review.

I was really impressed by this book, set during an unspecified time in the future when all that has been predicted about our destruction of the planet's ecosystem has come to pass. Across Europe, meagre supplies of fresh water, medical supplies and other essential cargoes are delivered between settlements by 'Runners' - the drivers of huge trucks. The stars of this book are two of these Runners, Ghazi and Cassady - who are called on to make a delivery to deep in the Italian desert, where scientists are working on a way of reversing the 'change'.

'Standing in their way are starving nomads, crumbling cities, hostile weather and a rogue state hell-bent on the convoy's destruction'

I read the paperback version of this book, unusual for me as I prefer to read on Kindle, but I'd just like to say how well-presented it is, and I am pleased that I now own it.

As for the story itself, the world-building is terrific, totally believable, inventive and clearly well-researched, with details building up gradually to present a full picture of this fantasy world that may or may not be a taste of what lies ahead for humanity. The atmosphere is just as it should be for a story about a dying planet; it's raw, dark, sinister, and there is also a certain strength, cameraderie and resignation of their circumstances between the characters that keeps you rooting for them. Aside from anything else, they know only the world they now inhabit; they refer to the actions of the ancestors who destroyed the world within which they now have to scratch an existence.

This is only this author's second published novel, and he clearly has a lot of talent. Definite recommendation for anyone who is interested in this genre, or loves reading about resolute men and women overcoming adverse circumstances in a hostile landscape.

[Stuart Aken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hard to put down, despite pressing calls on my time. Yes, it’s science fiction (which some readers disparage from ignorance). Yes, it’s dystopian and post-apocalyptic, which brings it into line with the current belated surge of interest in climate change, now recognised as an emergency.
The story revolves around a group of social survivors, mostly misfits, who provide transport to move goods from one place to another. They work under danger, pressure, and with a self-sufficiency entirely to be expected in the world depicted.
Those familiar with my reviews will know what matters most to me as a reader of fiction is empathy with at least one character. Here, following a group of eight distinct individuals, all with history, biases, and flaws, I found I could identify with all on some level.
The story is driven (pun intended) by the characters’ individual responses to the need of their mission: basically, an attempt to cross hostile lands and deliver vital medicine to an isolated group of disease-threatened scientists who just may have the means to put the world back on course for humanity.
The author delves deep into his imagination, clearly fed by extensive research, to portray the sort of society that could result from our current climate emergency. This world is intolerable, with a climate that has made water a vital resource, with all the expected gang violence such need always brings. Food is scarce, poor, and monotonous.
As they make their way through the barren landscape, they face many different barriers and are forced into situations of life and death, where a false move could result in the end of their vital mission.
Well-paced, strong, balanced and utterly credible, this narrative held my attention all the way through. The denouement is moving, tense, unexpected and inevitable.
Those readers who harbour doubts about our potential future will learn of potential futures here, and hopefully come on board. Those already sensible enough to understand the ramifications of our excess and irresponsibility will find a novel that entertains, educates, and satisfies. A really good read that everyone should experience.

[Alex Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dystopian novel by Grant Price is a captivating tour de force. Set in a future world in which global warming has wreaked untold damage to the planet, we are immersed in a world thrown into disarray, and introduced to our two well rounded protagonists Cassidy and Ghazi who eke a living as Runners, driving cargo in huge lorries across Europe. Theirs is a hazardous occupation, to say the least. Society has completely melted down and the world has become a hostile, unpredictable living hell.
Having escaped a hostile reception at one of their destinations, the couple head for Prestige - a city that has somehow managed to survive the worst ravages of global devastation, otherwise referred to as the ‘Change.’ And it’s here that the couple’s next mission takes shape. The pair are persuaded to deliver a very special cargo of medical supplies to a research base housed deep below ground somewhere in the Italian desert where scientists are working on a form of advanced technology designed to reverse the effects of the Change.
This will be the most perilous journey the pair have ever taken on, as they will have to lead a motley crew of other drivers, and contend with soaring temperatures and a rogue state intent on the convoy’s destruction.
Though the narrative is reasonably simple, the tale in Price’s hands is absorbing and deftly told. The writing is crisp; the characters well drawn; and the atmosphere conveyed, wholly credible and very atmospheric.
‘By the Feet of Men' Is a thoroughly riveting read.
Alex Pearl is author of ‘Sleeping with the Blackbirds’ and ‘The Chair Man’

[Mårten Thorslund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won't go into the full plot of By The Feet of Men, since so many before me already did that. And since I actually have only read the first half of the book. However, I know enough about it to say to those considering getting a copy and reading it: you won't regret it! I feel it's a vital contribution to our ability to imagine and understand what's at stake.

Being a dystopian fictitious novel, that's not to say that it's dire setting is a prediction as such. It's far from unlikely that we couldn't be heading for a future that resembles something like that pictured in the book. Realising this can help us play an active role in us, humanity, choosing the smoother, smarter and prosper way, going forward.

I'm not gonna sugarcoat the book's plot - it's outright terror especially to someone experiencing climate anxiety. But without imagining some a worst possible (semi-near) future we won't adapt fast enough to the low-carbon lifestyles. Knowing what's at stake makes the right decision more obvious and urgent. And we don't have time, nor the luxury of having a safe operating space any more. Something, someone else, some other time will NOT save us. We have procrastinated enough. Magic thinking doesn't go together to solve the humanitarian crisis the climate emergency brought to our front porch. And living a lie, as humanity in large part is still doing today, becomes so much harder.
Do read it and try to get your head around what needs to change in our world to avoid facing what plays out in By The Feet of Men.

[Scott Spotson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the cover, the story, not so much.

Never seen Mad Max the movie, but this book is basically a road trip. That's it. Story after story of life on a big truck, carrying valuable cargo for the resistance in a post-apocalyptic world. I got bored reading about life aboard the truck, talking of battery supply, dwindling food and water, barricades aplenty, and so on. And more of the road. And more of the truck. This book became a chore to finish. I was so happy to see the end, because finally the pace changed.

I was even hoping the truck would break down early in the story, so the characters could move on to some more exciting escapades, not too far removed in how Indiana Jones hopped from one adventure to the other--on planes, trains, in sinister caves, viper pits, and army vehicles.

The dialogue sparkled in the book, though, the author knows his mechanics and his street talk. But that couldn't save the very linear story.

Another problem, for me, with the story was that it was very peripheral. The characters are merely side characters in a major war of attrition. They don't really have important roles in the strategy of the war, except for delivering the damn cargo against all odds. They know almost nothing about how the war is fought, and that made for very dull reading. All they do is talk over and over about the supplies they need, how they will make the next destination.

Again, I commend the author for his familiarity with his material. If this story could be condensed to maybe three chapters (just focusing on the best adventures and not all the logistics in between A and B) and take place in a much larger, more broad story of heroics, maybe I would enjoy it a lot more.

[Paperbacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few months ago I took a step back from dystopian as I felt that there was nothing new to the genre for me, I’m so glad that the author reached out to me to review By the Feet of Men as this was certainly the book I had been waiting for to pull me out of that feeling. Fully immersive, thoughtful, gritty and as realistic an interpretation as you’re likely to get of a dystopian future in my view.

There were so many things that this book got right, the world, the characters and the premise. It was also really refreshing to have a dystopian set outside of the USA. What was left of Europe made a great setting, the diverse landscape and terrain making it easy to flip between conditions and as a European reader it was easier to visualise where they were travelling. It’s got a real road movie feel and plenty of Mad Max vibes for good measure. The real stand outs though are the characters, very much driven by them, (pun not intended) the story is somewhat introspective which is what really makes this book stand out from its peers. Rather than the cinematic writing style, all action fights and car chases often favoured by this genre, we have quiet contemplation, teamwork, and long forged friendships but also suspicion and the sense that it has all just become too much to bear. This makes fertile ground for the medical supply run that our runners are tasked with – a chance to make things a little better. By the Feet of Men really looks into the impact of living day to day in an established dystopian terrain. How the characters reconcile what they have to do and have done to survive, whilst retaining their humanity. It tells of a lonely life where friendships with travelling companions are often the only thing to keep runners going. There was also great female representation too, the women are just as tough as the men and I liked how the women present weren’t reduced to eye candy or damsels in distress, they are all runners. You may be thinking that this would make a dull read, but nothing could be further from the truth. There are fights and plenty of action, but only when necessary, there is a great parallel story running along the edge of our characters journey, which provides much of this and could be great scope for a sequel. The real page turning coming from the need as a reader to find out if the convoy makes it in time in the end and how they overcome each obstacle. This is without a doubt a page turner of a read and doesn’t rely on gimicky cliffhanger chapter endings to drive the story forward, it’s able to that under it’s own steam.

I really loved how the vehicles, the Pantechs, were characters in their own right too, they are very much the runners livelihood and it’s only right that were given the credit and care that they were due!

Were there any things that went wrong for me then? Very little in fact. Honestly, I didn’t really like the cover. It works well in the context of the story, by way of representation of the Pantechs, but it’s not one that jumps out to me and doesn’t really convey the great story underneath. It would actually work quite well as a movie poster though! I have to say I did on occasion feel a little confused about the characters that were speaking and being spoken too. For the most part all the team are referred to by surname, so when we’re given a first name as part of a round table discussion it wasn’t always clear to me. This is ultra ultra picky of me though but it did pull me out of the story a few times.

Truly though, this is an exceptional story with highly accomplished writing, I found it a timely reminder too of all that is currently wrong in the world with climate change. It’s totally a standalone but I would love to see a return to the world and one characters next steps as there are clearly plenty of opportunities to expand the world further!

[KarenJo Custodio · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-3.75 rounded to 4 on the Goodreads rating system.

An intriguing and unique dystopian tale, By the Feet of Men addresses hopelessness, hard-wired survival instinct, and what it truly means to be human in a dark, desolate and dangerous post-apocalyptic world. It’s thrilling…it’s gritty, it’s haunting… and will leave readers wondering and contemplating about life and more.

I love dystopian stories and while this may not have completely worked out for me, I still think it’s quite interesting and compelling. I haven’t read anything quite like this, so I really did enjoy the storyline. Grant Price managed to create a realistic post-apocalyptic future with complex characters that feel genuine and real to me. That being said, I just didn’t really get into the story as much as I thought I would. There’s action, suspense, and thrills, but I didn’t feel a strong connection with the story or characters. So, in the end, it’s a fascinating read that made me think, but it’s not something I would consider “fun.” I mostly read for fun and to escape reality and while I do like the story and could probably discuss the themes and significance with other people, I personally would not choose this book to relax with at the end of the day. BUT, this book is definitely worth the read and I would absolutely recommend it.

I like the world-building well enough. Price immediately thrusts the readers in this terrifying and chaotic world without really explaining how humanity has fallen into drought, destruction, death and savagery which definitely made me more interested. The storyline is clever, unique, and engaging with plenty of fast-paced and heart-pounding scenes, intriguing dialogues, and unexpected twists, turns and surprises. The characters are likable and fascinating in their own ways. I like the runners – Cassidy, Ghazi, and the others I meet throughout the story. They each have their own stories, their own flaws and insecurities, and their own hopes and dreams. The writing is exceptional and I think Grant Price is an incredibly talented author. He writes with purpose and passion and I could definitely feel that in this book. I have never read anything by Price before and even though this isn’t a 5 star read for me, I would absolutely read more of his books.

Overall, I think this novel is well-written, intriguing, and gripping. Even though I didn’t love it as much as I expected, I think Grant Price masterfully created a chilling and believable dystopian narrative filled with nerve-wracking action, great character development, wonderful suspense, and relevant and realistic exploration of survival, loyalty, camaraderie, sacrifice, and ultimately what it means to hold on to our humanity when faced with impossible life and death decisions. If you’re in the mood for an interesting, somewhat disturbing, but fascinating story that will definitely leave a lasting impression, then add this book on your TBR.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Horror DNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post-apocalyptic fiction with a global warming theme is a crowded marketplace, but Grant Price’s By the Feet of Men is well worth a closer look, even if you feel you might have been here before. This potent mix of fast-paced action thriller, set in a world which seems to be breathing its last, and bleak survival novel has an outstanding range of characters, clever observations and a very well-drawn society in which resources have diminished beyond exhaustion.

You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi All,

Plot By the feet of men (cool name by the way), is a post-apocalyptic novel set sometime in the future, perhaps a hundred years hence. Technology i gone, cities are gone, the weather is unpredictabe, and civilisation (at least here in Germany) has broken down into small organised communities and outlying tribal bandits. The only thing that keeps the temporary towns going are the Runners. The Runners are the guys driving old armoured trucks between the towns, transporting goods, food, and water (for their own cut of course), running the risk of bandits, breakdowns, doublecrossings, and the environment.
A group of veteren Runners is recruited for a perilous journey to deliver medicine beyond Germany, into the Italian desert (maybe, the geography is guesswork) to a group of scientists working on reversing the effects of the environmental change.

Review When I think of the dystopian genre I feel there is a sense of heavy, overwhelming size to it, to make sure the reader knows the whole world is completely transformed. Although, this book had the bleak backdrop, it always stayed tightly within a few square meters of the main characters at all times (like Cormac Mcarthy's The Road) The focus was on character instead being distracted by world building and concepts which can happen in the dysopian genre. The characters take each problem as it comes, dogmatically keeping their minds on what matters at each moment. From my perspective, their problems could feel quite familiar if you forget about their dystopian nightmare environment.

It feels like they have been living in this world for years, probably their whole lives. The backdrop is no longer noteworthy to them, or perhaps, its a normal incidental danger to daily life. It's important, but not mindbogglingly important as it would be to us if we were to wake in their world tomorrow. Saying that though, the writer carefully integrates the environment into the story so that it has impact. It feels full and dense, the world building is convincing and thoughtful and overall it feels like a tiring place be. It reminded me of driving along eerie English country roads at night at night. You might see camp sites and small shacks, except here there is tropical heat, and all the roads and buildings are slowly falling apart. The world isn't quite unrecognisable yet.
The world seems to get subtly more and more tiring as the group gets further from home, reflecting their situation, both physically and mentally.
The historical reasons for the Earth's breakdown is never made clear, but the characters sometimes acknowledge it in the same way someone might talk about the foreign country they have lived in for a year. It's also not made clear if the entire planet has the same problem. The camera never moves far from the main characters, so we learn only what they know or suspect.

Characters When I think of the dystopian genre, I normally imagine guys fighting against the odds, working together, strong friendship bonds and positive human spirit rising above the mess.
In this, however, I found an amazing and strange interaction between the two main characters, Cassidy and Ghazi. It's like they're colleagues who have worked together for years, but neither one partically likes the other, underneath their social cues. It isn't explicit and is very complex relationship which can flip between respect and disrespect, (almost) friendship and (almost) amnimosity, patronising father and hubristic son, boss and employee, master and slave, etc. Each scene may have different set emotions and situations running, so the characters kind of live those emotions as the truth of their relationships at that moment, kind of like how you might be in love one day and arguing the next.
It made for a pretty unstable and intense journey. In a different novel you'd think the characters (despite their differences) will pull through for each other, but here we are never too sure where the line is for helping each other. They seem to be only together professionally out of convenience, habit, and a strange sense of nostalgia for a relationship which might once have been better, but they'd never admit it if you asked.
Each individual character of the Runners also has their personal demons, insecurities, morals, experiences and skills which makes for a great nuanced interaction within the group. Each person is fleshed out, and is important to the story.
The dialogue is very strong, each person makes sense in their own way, and at times it can turn towards more thought provoking ideas, particularly from Ghazi as a smug, self-important moral philosophiser. I liked how the group was made up of a number of nationalities, and nobody decides the time is right for getting inappropriately laid. What I mean is...there isn't a romance subplot crammed in for no reason. This, for me, made the female characters particularly strong as they were not utilised as predictable love interest for the male characters, Instead female characters have their own stuff to do, not separate from the men, they're just a group of people with a common goal. I'd even argue that they were the strongest characters in terms of heroic zeal. It also isn't a sexless barren universe though, just the group we follow are a bit preoccupied.

There are lots of cool visual elements to this story in each scene as you'd expect in a novel with world building, but in particular are the armoured trucks which the Runner's use. I enjoyed the slight anthopomorphisation. It was hard to choose my favourite truck, but probably Warspite as the original.
As the group pass through different countries, through woodland, desert and mountains, each place is seen as something not beautiful, but ugly and dangerous and quite hostile, which is a helpful reminder about nature. Sometimes it can only seem beautiful in our modern world.

Conclusion I don't want to give any spoilers about the plot or scenes, so I'll just say the ending was satisfying to me considering the characters, and the story felt solid enough to explore some complex human behaviour, morals, and ethics. The story itself is pretty simple, and is more like a place holder for the writer to drape his ideas over. Consider the story to be lord of the rings in cars, on earth, a hundred years after nuclear war and global warming has kicked in.

If you like stories about isolation, people trying and failing to work together, speculations on a dark version of our own future, true characters and imagery, and a few cool action scenes thrown into an 'orrible slog of a dramatic roadtrip, then check out this book, its for you!

[Cameron Ayers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5, rounded up.

By the Feet of Men is a post-apocalyptic tale filled with big vehicles, big battles and big ideas. These qualities help distinguish it from similar books inspired by the Mad Max movies, but not enough for it to escape the shadow cast by its cinematic forebearer.

The story is set in a nightmarish version of northern Europe, decades after an environmental disaster has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. A team of runners — the FedEx drivers of this dystopian wasteland — are talked into a seemingly impossible mission: driving critical supplies across the Alps and into a hidden kingdom where scientists are trying to reverse the damage done to the planet.

The story takes its time as we follow this motley crew — each with their own agenda — across a blighted hellscape dominated by hordes of marauders, cannibals and crazed zealots. It’s nothing you haven’t seen a thousand times before, but it’s decently told.

While the two lead runners — Cassidy and Ghazi — are ostensibly the stars, the world around them is the real star, ala Mad Max. This novel positively bleeds atmosphere from every orifice, an appropriate metaphor given how gritty and brutal this world is. Unlucky people meet stomach-churning ends in the numerous action sequences here, while the fortunate few that survive have only starvation and dehydration to look forward to.

This unrelentingly bleak imagery is simultaneously this book’s greatest asset and it’s biggest weakness. While these grim details drew me into the story and kept me reading, I realized about 2/3 of the way through that I was gradually becoming numb to the constant barrage of them, and by the end I barely even registered them anymore. By neglecting to change things up every so often — a fleeting moment of levity here, or a tender moment of compassion there — the crushing weight of all this dark imagery grinds the reader down, until the book feels less like a story and more like the transcript to a snuff film.

The author tries to justify this approach by spending the quieter moments of the book exploring his characters’ backstories, most of which revolve around — you guessed it! — horrifying and dehumanizing experiences. This turns most of the characters into hardcore nihilists or fatalists, and significant time is devoted to the tug of war between these competing philosophies. While these sequences are critical to understanding character actions later in the story, most of them drag on far too long and bring the story to a grinding halt.

Also like Mad Max, the main attraction here is the action sequences, most of which don’t disappoint. While there’s nothing here as frantic or imaginative as what you see on the silver screen, most of them are well staged and pose unique challenges to the characters. And yes, they can be quite graphic.

Unfortunately, by the third act, the author runs out of new ways to torture his characters and resorts to recycling threats to sustain the pressure. That repetition, combined with the unrelentingly grim imagery and the curious lack of a climax, leads this book to end with a whimper rather than a bang.

Overall, this is a good story that — with the help of a few tonal tweaks and some judicious editing — could have been a great story. Kind of like the Mad Max movies.

[Hayleigh Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

In By the Feet of Men, we aren't told exactly what happened in "the Change" but we are given enough information to know humanity has destroyed its home and this is the world our characters now inhabit. It's a hard, often violent world where people are just trying to survive one minute to the next. We hear, thankfully not in graphic detail, of cannibalism, rape, torture, cults, children as killers and other horrors.
The author, Grant Price, has a wonderful turn of phrase; check out this imagery: "The carcass of what was once a two-seater car lay in rigor mortis by the tree line." I can just picture the carcass, which is also such an appropriate image for this desolate, dying world.
The main characters, Ghazi and Cassady, are Runners, driving supplies between settlements, always just one step ahead of starvation and violent attack. They take on an apparent suicide mission with three other crews of Runners and we follow their journey through some extreme physical and emotional trials.
I was so often struck by the varying philosophical views we see, not just in discussions/debates between Ghazi and Cassady, which appear throughout, but also in secondary characters Tagawa, Hearst, Katarina and Brandt. The reader can imagine how these views might develop as a result of the world they live in but also their own personal histories and temperaments. Interestingly, even tertiary characters like Renfield and Faustine are well-developed.
Price's writing makes the reader think, not only about our personal contributions to the state of our environment, as a good dystopian book should, but also about how we might deal with such a harsh place if it became an eventuality. I love this line:
"The mind is a repository of convictions and fears and you are the sole gatekeeper." I often found myself asking: how would I act in this situation? What would I be willing to do? What kind of person might I become?
By the Feet of Men is a wonderful book, one of the best I've read all year and one that will stay with me.

[Gönning Hemingson · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the Feet of Men, the sophomore work from author Grant Price, is an exceptional foray into dystopian science-fiction that tells a gripping and topical tale about a post climate-catastrophe world and the total collapse of civilization as we know it. It follows the story of protagonists Cassady and Ghazi, two so called “runners”, truck drivers who supply the small insular communities in the crumbled ruins of former central Europe.

Grant Price paints a vivid and terrifying picture of post-calamity Europe, in which society has devolved into a dog-eat-dog, trust-no-one atmosphere with tribalism and religious cultism on the rise, as human relationships become more tightly wound and outwardly suspicious. Ghazi, Cassady and a ragtag group of other runners are sent on a mission to bring critical medical supplies to a hidden research base in Italy, where scientists claim to have found a way to reverse the effects of climate change. Their dangerous path leads them through a marauder-infested wasteland and the militarized neo-fascist state of the “Koalition”.

The effective prose tells an engaging narrative with breathless action and interesting, layered characters and mostly steers clear from clichéd tropes and tired formulas. The author creates a constant forward momentum right until the very end that had me barreling through the pages like the runners barrell through the wasteland of former Europe, and while the whole book is expertly crafted, the final chapters really shine as exceptional pieces of writing.

The book could have been longer, giving the already compelling characters a little more backstory and time to breathe, but as it is, it’s a dense and riveting ride through a potential future, thoroughly entertaining and with an important warning: if we don’t yield from our path, we are bound for a grim and desolate future.

[Bianca Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a literary perspective, this book is a gem. It hits on plenty of themes and is written very well by traditional writing standards. If you love a beautifully worded, edgy story, this book is definitely for you! I was a little worried at first that the intense description would take away from the plot, but it was overall a nice read for me.

This post-apocalyptic story centers on Ghazi and Cassady, partners that drive supplies from one sad settlement to the next. They are scraping by and each year is harder and harder to get by. Then a job comes along that might make a difference in not just their livelihood but the entire continent. The only problem, it's a suicide mission. They are joined by 3 other teams, for a total of 8. Price jumps from character to character so we get a glimpse in several heads. I was disappointed that there were only 2 female characters and they played pretty minor roles. Both female characters were highly respected by the others because they were no nonsense, tough as nails, could hold your own type a woman. To me it says the more like a man you are the more respect you'll get from a man, which often tends to be the case with male main characters. I was off-put by it but I'd wager the average male reader wouldn't mind at all.

The fight scenes were enjoyable and well detailed. The group encounters a lot of trouble along the way so there is plenty of action. We go back and forth between almost dying and then reflection over and over again. I'll admit by about 3/4th through the book I was ready to get to the destination already.

There weren't a lot of surprises for me within the plot but like I said the description was quite incredible. I definitely felt like I was inside this world and I could really see what was happening and feel what these characters were going through. I would say reading this story is an experience and a journey.

[Anna K. Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about survival. Living would be too generous a word for the existence they scrape out in the climate-ravaged, war-torn, polluted ruins of Europe. The main characters are two grizzled men Ghazi and Cassady, who get by as Runners, essentially delivery men to whoever can pay them. They live out on the road in their vehicle, the Old Lady Warspite.

One day, they take a job expecting it to be run-of-the-mill, but are roped into a suicide mission. The cause? Delivering medicine to a group claiming to have invented the solution to the world's problems. If they're telling the truth, then there might just be hope for humanity after all. First though, Ghazi, Cassady and the group they find themselves lumped with have to navigate dangerous terrain, bad weather, boobytraps, desperate scavengers and crazy cults. Not to mention the threat of the Koalition, who don't want the rest of the world to recover. It's the ultimate high-stakes road trip, and tensions are high from the get-go.

The world building is good, but the focus is on the characters. They all have their problems and are barely keeping it together. If anything, some of them have a death wish as they are constantly worn down by the misery, hardship and danger of this apocalyptic world. I found myself getting attached to and relating to all of them. Definitely shed a tear at one point.

It's a stark look at what our world could become, and the nature of humanity.

[Carolyn Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a road trip with a difference, set in a bleak dystopian future riven by war and disease. The author doesn’t go into details about how the descent into hell on earth came about, save for a remark by one of his characters: ‘Man-made systems and automation corrupted us, enslaved us and destroyed the world.’ The aim of the trip is to make an urgent delivery to an Italian geo-engineering research facility which is developing a machine to clean up the mess humans have made of the planet. Their cargo is a consignment of serum to combat a virulent disease which has already killed many of the engineers working on the machine. The action starts with four massive vehicles each manned (and womanned, in one rig) by two driver/mechanics, setting out from northern Germany on an almost impossible trek across the Alps on crumbling roads, in intense heat, with short rations and limited water. At first, the vehicles take the reader’s attention: their waning battery power, the danger of booby traps and armed exoskeletons they might meet along the way. This soon shifts into a closer look at how the dangers faced by the group affect their relationships with each other with sometimes violent consequences. 'By the Feet of Men' is a gut-wrenching adventure, with a compelling cast and powerful locations, written with precision and confidence by an accomplished author.

[Caroline Orfeur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of this book. From page one the reader is pulled into a convincing new world dis-order. We see, hear, smell and feel the struggles of man and machine in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Life is precarious and the mission is dangerous.
Grant Price draws his array of characters skillfully. They are all very individual; we aren’t asked to like them yet we become invested in their future. Their dialogue is convincing and helps to move the story along. The main protagonist, Cassady, is given an inner life and we follow his internal wrangles in parallel with his physical journey. I even found myself willing the pantechs (trucks) to survive. They are given names – Warspite, Old Lady, Silkworm, and we are told they ‘tremble’ need to be ‘coaxed’. For me it was this clever use of language that kept the tale fresh and original and made it such a pleasurable read. The author pulls off a very clever and satisfying ending which I didn’t see coming. It also left me wondering – what happens next?

[Kristian Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the Feet of men is a dystopian story, well written and full of meaningful characters challenged by a world impacted by 'the Change', I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Franziska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I love dystopian literature there were a couple key elements in the summery of this book that I didn’t particularly care about. Specifically cars and road-trips which are a huge part of this story and would have bored me if Grant Price’s writing wasn’t as good as it is.

The plot is simple and straightforward, just the way I like it. I usually prefer character-driven stories over plot-driven ones anyway but in the beginning I was a bit skeptical: “Ok, two grizzled middle-aged men who love cars and just want to survive. Never heard that before…” It could have easily descended into a world of clichés. The story does have its tropes, which are sometimes quite on the nose, but there is something about their dynamic and the characters’ development that works towards an interesting story and my investment in their individual fates. Each character has their own set of morals, ideologies and loyalties. Some undergo profound changes, some are set in their ways. While reading I really got the feeling that Grant Price has a folder somewhere with every single backstory explored in detail whether it’s mentioned in the book or not (and if he doesn’t… I guess good for him). Price also does a great job picking out a different voice for each character. They distinguish themselves not only through their actions but also through their speech patterns and vocabularies.

Why not 5 stars?

The book is written in two different POVs, both 3rd person. The reader isn’t explicitly told whose POV it is (which would have taken me out of the story anyway, so I’m not really being helpful here) and because the two characters share the cab of a car and are thus usually in the same exact location that’s not a point of reference either. The perception of the world and the description of things does change but in the beginning, when I didn’t know these two people and how they each see their surroundings, yet, I had a difficult time distinguishing between them. The way Price gives each character their own voice also means that less dialogue tags are needed – at least when you’ve gotten to know the characters… Again, in the beginning when I still didn’t know them (especially since the two main guys engage in a lot of back and forth) I sometimes had to count out who said what.
After a while the story does become a bit repetitive. They drive, run into trouble, escape, make a rest stop, talk. Repeat (at least for the first two thirds of the book. The last third is quite suspenseful). And some plot devices seemed a bit far-fetched. I think for the most part it was a good decision to be vague about the Change but on the other hand this made it difficult for me to create a timeline. In the beginning I thought the Change had happened way before it actually did and was extremely confused when people seemed to reference pop-culture from the 20th century (“How would they know about that? And why would that still be relevant?”)

Overall, I really enjoyed By The Feet Of Men and am looking forward to seeing what Price comes up with next.

I will never forgive Price for killing off Tagawa and Victor. My precious boys

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Unlike the more articulate reviews, I'll just say that I enjoyed the well-crafted characters, and the unpredictable plot with some philosophy thrown in. Plus, there didn't seem to be filler, just what was needed to tell the story. Nice work.

I really appreciate the copy for an honest review!!

[Daniel Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with a two classes of 16-17 year old Swedes as part of a cross-curricular environmental dystopia project we're working on. I, personally, really enjoyed this novel - it's well-written and definitely a page-turner! And I know my students really enjoyed the action and adventure elements of the story. It's hard to engage students in reading literature in the age of Snapchat, Tiktok and Twitter but they lapped it up!

Picking novels for non-native speakers can be a challenge, but By the Feet of Men has a good mixture of suspense, excitement and action, whilst also being just enough of a challenge for my students language-wise.

Would recommend!