His Dark Sun

by Jude Brown

"All those disaster movies you've watched, all the YouTube videos you've seen with people frying eggs on the pavement, seeing ice cubes melt in minutes, that's nothing. You've no idea." London, 2022. The heat is rising and things are reaching boiling point. As the world struggles in an endless heatwave, nineteen-year-old Luke Spargo believes he's the only one who understands what's really happening to the sun - and if he's right, he's the only one who can stop it. But Luke's childhood demons are closing in. With the arrival of vibrant, turbulent Fee, the precarious balance of Luke's life shifts irrevocably. As his secrets become harder to control, Luke must confront the terrible price of protecting them.

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 23, 2019

Reviews

[Kate Morgan]

His Dark Sun by Jude Brown was a captivating read – if not a weird one. We’re plunged into the summer of 2022, where global warming has made much of the world unliveable in unbearable heat. The events take place in the imminent weeks before the end of the world and the sun dying. Luke will do anything and sacrifice anyone to prevent the sun from dying. He is the saviour, the last man who respects and worships the sun. He spends his time isolated, conducting ‘experiments’ to record the sun’s behaviour and providing offerings to appease it. Only he is truly aware of what is going on, The Believers and the Non-believers have no idea, blaming the unbearable weather on climate change, but Luke knows the truth. The sun is dying because we no longer respect it as a God, we don’t appreciate that it gives us life or realise the horror your nightmarish dad can cause with the threat of it being extinguished.
Or is it?
We read from Luke’s unreliable narrator perspective. Alternatively to what is presented to us, is our protagonist actually a man suffering from delusions? A lot of his actions and thoughts echo the dangerous beliefs of the manosphere, his technically legal but definitely underage girlfriend is to immature to realise the risk of being with him until its to late. Luke’s actions from the offset are catastrophic, but he plays down his behaviours with such a causal attitude that you almost shrug them off. I spent the novel questioning who was right, Luke or society? I didn’t want his efforts to be in vain, as he confronts his fears surrounding his father, the dark and the end of the world.

A wild read examining our fears surrounding climate change, online influence and isolated individuals power to change everything, no matter the devastation it causes.

[Teddy]

Imagine the Wasp Factory but a little more sci fi and a lot less likely to make you throw up (this is praise, not criticism). I know this is a good book because I'm now so concerned by the summer day that came out of nowhere this February that I may or may not be considering reserving some books about Ancient Sun Gods from the library.

[Bernadette Robinson]

I gave this debut novel a 3 stars or 6/10.

I really enjoy dystopian themed books, this sure fit the bill in that respect. Set in the not too distant future, the world is warming up dramatically. The heat from the Sun is increasing and the one thing on everyone's mind is when or where will it all end? As we all know Global Warming is a real issue for the World and could have devastating consequences on our existence as we know it.

Luke Spargo is a young 19 year old, who has a theory as to what might be happening to cause this and he thinks that he will be the only person to stop this. How will Luke cope with this knowledge and will he be able to save the World?

This was a great premise for a debut novel and I will be looking forward to more stories from this Author. One minor criticism that spoilt my enjoyment of the story was that it could have done with slightly better proof reading prior to publishing, I didn't feel that it flowed quite as well as it could have done.

[Rachael Ward]

I don’t know why we needed Fee to be 16 if Luke is 19 - it made the multiple sex scenes feel very unnecessary. There’s no reason relative to the plot that she could not also be 18+ or even age Luke down to 17 for reduced creepiness and still be able to keep his job as part of the storyline. I enjoyed the book but it felt a lot like fan fiction writing with the age gap, insta love, sudden pregnancy, emotions that changed at the drop of a hat and the end scene specifically. I get that we’re with Luke though a trauma and manic heat fuelled mental break but even that did not explain some of the odd writing choices. That said, I did finish it in two hours.

[Kay Simpson]

Would never have guessed this was the author's first novel. I was totally transported into 19 year old Luke's mind, severely damaged by the humiliation and mental cruelty dealt out by his absent father, who is always on the periphery. I found myself empathising with Luke, understanding and almost forgiving him for his terrible acts. Such is the quality of the writing. Together with this and the very near future detailing the effects of global warming on ordinary people, if makes for a sinister and fascinating read.

[June Gudgeon]

Draws you in

This has to have a five star rating for me. All the ingredients of a good novel; gripping, believable characters, interesting storyline and woven with social issues. Although a couple of generations away from the main character, I could relate to his hurt and rejection. I was gripped as the story unfolded and impressed by the format. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in what our world may look like in the future; anyone!

[Ledlowe Guthrie]

Absolutely gripping all the way through. Perfect voice. Perfect timing with environmental issues. So many wonderful and flawed characters. The obsession is pulled off perfectly. Brilliant first novel. Highly recommended.

[Jude Brown]

I’m Jude’s Goddaughter Lara so I’m biased but I loved His Dark Sun. The pace never dips, neither does the tension. If you’re looking for a psychological thriller set in an overheated world go read it. You won’t be disappointed #climatechange #dystopian

[Ross Topping]

I really enjoyed this book it's a great representation of the incredible work of northern authors

[Ruby]

Enjoyed the unseasonably good weather in February 2019? Wondering what this means for our planet? Set in 2022, ‘His Dark Sun’ by Jude Brown, explorers this timely question. The globe has heated up to uncomfortable levels but fire-starter, Luke Spargo thinks he is the only one who has all the answers to save the planet, except his methods are dark and sinister. Believable characters I cared about - a gripping read from an accomplished award-winning writer.