Blog Tour: The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey

The Book of Koli
by M.R. Carey

Publication date: April 14th 2020
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 416

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It’s my stop on the “The Book of Koli” blog tour! Thanks very much to Compulsive Readers, Orbit Books and author M.R. Carey who have kindly provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you’d like to learn more about this book, check out the other blogs on the tour, see what people have to say on Goodreads and head over to the author’s Twitter page. If this sounds like your kind of thing, you’ll find the book on Kindle and paperback on Amazon UK.

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Summary:

Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognizable world. A world where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly vines and seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don’t get you, one of the dangerous shunned men will.

Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He knows the first rule of survival is that you don’t venture beyond the walls.

What he doesn’t know is – what happens when you aren’t given a choice?

The first in a gripping new trilogy, The Book of Koli charts the journey of one unforgettable young boy struggling to find his place in a chilling post-apocalyptic world. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and Annihilation. 

Source: Goodreads

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Thoughts:

‘The Girl with All The Gifts‘ is up there in my favourite books of all time, so I jumped at the chance to read the first in M.R. Carey‘s new trilogy, ‘The Book of Koli’.

This is a book like no other, set in a unique dystopian world that I was fully immersed in. This story is told from the point of view of Koli Woodsmith, a young boy on the cusp of becoming a man. He and his best friends Haijon and Spinner are soon to be tested in a traditional ceremony as part of a transition from child to adult, in which you leave your family and move to the Waiting House in preparation for your test: can you awaken a piece of ancient technology?

“I got to be fifteen at last, which is a time in a boy of girl’s life when everything changes.”

It seemed a little odd for me to be reading about post-apocalyptic England during a pandemic, but in fact this took me to another world that I was glad to find myself in during this crazy time. I could truly picture Koli’s world: a deteriorating world with ancient technology that only the elite can get to start, a frightening world with carnivorous trees and plants and a somewhat primitive world where people live in small villages, secluded from the rest of humanity. It was so interesting to consider that our future could be stripped back to basics like this and that people in years to come will question the things we take for granted today.

The writing style took a little while for me to get used to as it’s written in the broken syntax of Koli and his townsfolk. Koli is illiterate, meaning that the grammar and vocabulary used are sometimes odd and disjointed. This didn’t spoil the read for me in anyway, it just meant it took me a little longer to take in and a few chapters in it becomes natural anyway.

In general this coming-of-age story was gripping and kept me entertained, although it did lose me for a couple of chapters in the middle. This book is packed with action, friendship, romance and a little sadness too. I found myself rooting for Koli on his quest for survival and I can’t wait to read about what happens to him next. This was a really great read for me and I’m so pleased that this book has set the scene for the next two books in the trilogy, I can only hope we don’t have to wait too long!

Overall rating: “The Book of Koli” is great and if the rest of the trilogy is anything like this, we’re in for a treat! I engaged with the characters and felt fully immersed in this descriptive world. This was a strong 4 stars for me!

Don’t forget to check out the reviews of other blogs on the tour and if this sounds like your kind of book, support the author by picking up a copy on Amazon UK or in your local bookshop.

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See my other reviews of books by M.R. Carey here:

• The Boy on the Bridge
• The Trials of Koli
• The Fall of Koli

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