Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Ten years ago, a virus swept the planet, killing millions. Just as the human population was starting to recover from that disaster, mechanical aliens invaded Earth looking for iron—and they had no problem exterminating the human race to get it.

Anthony Roarke lost his lover in the first wave of the virus. Frankie James's family secreted him away in a cryogenics facility until a cure could be found. But that was before the mechs invaded.

Roarke has searched for Frankie since the day he disappeared. Once word reaches him that Frankie has been located, Roarke wastes no time in going after his lover. But brining Frankie into the new world might cost him more than his sanity. It might cost him his life.

NOTE: This book was previously released by Silver Publishing in December 2012 and has been extensively revised and expanded.

 

Book Review

Ten years is a long time to search for a lover – but in this post-apocalyptic world it is the one thing that keeps Roark going. Actually, it is a post-alien-invasion world, and things look pretty grim. The logic behind the scenario is simple – the mechanical alien invaders are looking for iron and have no scruples getting it, including retrieval from the human body. The consequences for humans, and Roark and his long-lost lover, Frankie, in particular, are less straightforward. And that tension made this story both utterly cruel, and beautifully hopeful at the same time.

Frankie doesn't know what hit him when he awakes on what he thinks the next morning after his one-year anniversary celebration with Roark, and finds out ten years have passed. Like anyone in this situation, it takes him quite a while to wrap his head around the time that has passed, as well as everything that's gone on since he was put into cryostasis to protect him from a virus. Unlike most of us, he has a stubborn streak a mile wide, and manages to get through his "adaptation period" with flying colors. His love for Roark plays a major role, of course, but his basic personality is well suited to coming out fighting and making sure he wins.

Roark is the lover we all wish we had. Determined not to give up when Frankie's parents get a restraining order so he cannot see Frankie while he is ill, Roark sets out to find Frankie. Not even when his lover vanishes into some unknown institution does he let that stop him. He even uses the resistance organization to help him make sure the world is a somewhat safer place by the time he finds Frankie. The reality of having Frankie back makes him really happy, even though they have a few obstacles to overcome where the practicalities of such a long separation are concerned.

I guess it always reassures me to read about humankind overcoming all kinds of disasters. It may be simpleminded of me, but it does give me hope that we might be bigger than our issues. Granted, the problems in this book are mostly external, but Roark and Frankie's fellow humans still manage to be mean and outright evil, adding to their problems.

 

If you like post-apocalyptic stories, if you enjoy reading about a group of warriors fighting seemingly insurmountable odds, and if you're looking for a read that will keep you turning the pages, you should give this book a try. I can recommend it to fans of the futuristic as well as those who like a touching love story.    

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 43060 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	24-May-2014
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.bookstrand.com/finding-frankie-glenn