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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
What is death? Is there an afterlife, and if so, what will it look and feel like? No one knows, but in the truly genre-bending AFTERLIFE, Marcus Sakey has envisioned a place more harsh and far-reaching than we dared to imagine. If you love innovative and striking world-building, AFTERLIFE is the book for you.
With well-fleshed-out characters and heart-pounding suspense, Sakey takes us on a compelling tour of who and what might be out there for us in the "echo", and the possibilities within it. He shows us that good and evil can flourish there, and as in life, that love can conquer more than you'd think.
I received a free copy of Afterlife from NetGalley. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book or my review.
With well-fleshed-out characters and heart-pounding suspense, Sakey takes us on a compelling tour of who and what might be out there for us in the "echo", and the possibilities within it. He shows us that good and evil can flourish there, and as in life, that love can conquer more than you'd think.
I received a free copy of Afterlife from NetGalley. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book or my review.
Fascinating premise, but maybe just a few too many ideas to make it fully coherent. Sakey is a hell of a writer, but I sense he read the Dark Tower a few too many times while putting this one together. Valiant effort but short of his other work.
A unique story and twist on what happens after death. The story started off a little slow to me, but I understand that some setup was necessary to build a connection with the characters. After Will Brody dies, that's when things started to get interesting. The author has created a whole new world and rules that Will must learn. I really enjoyed this read and if you like paranormal thrillers, you will too.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
So good!
I couldn’t put it down. Imaging a world beyond what we know. The story is beautifully written. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I couldn’t put it down. Imaging a world beyond what we know. The story is beautifully written. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
As the author of my own book series about ghosts and the afterlife (THE GHOST CHRONICLES), I was very interested in reading Marcus Sakey's take on the world of the dead. I found the story enjoyable, but felt it did drag in places. At first the world-building was interesting and imaginative, but then it kind of got carried away for me and my suspension of disbelief eroded to nil. I never really found myself dying to read what happened next, so I wouldn't call this a page-turner and considering the hype surrounding the book this caused considerable disappointment for me. I liked the first half of the book much better than the second half and wished the author had explored the world of the echo much more and kept the story grounded in that world.
Not at all what I expected and such a wonderful ride! Thanks, Mr. Sakey!
This book was well-written & entertaining enough, but I probably won't read any of the author's other books. Because I'm a screenwriter, I may see the screen adaptation of this book in order to learn more about adaptation. However, since it usually takes at least two years for a movie to get made & screened, by then, I may have forgotten most of what happens in this book, & reading it so far in advance of the theatrical release may end up being a waste of my time.
Marcus Sakey’s Afterlife is a layered and sometimes convoluted examination of love through the lens of death. The themes mostly work, even if it sometimes feels like the only examples of love Sakey can conjure are sex or sacrifice. Sakey is a master of crafting a universe and creating, and then bending, world rules and this book works best when you lean into the current he is trying to create. Fun read with enough heart and action that it is difficult to put down.
3.5 stars for a well-written, fun story that will certainly make for an entertaining big-budget Hollywood movie.
The first tip-off that it's headed for the big screen, if you didn't notice the promotional snipe on the book's cover, is the too-good-to-be-true, perfect hero/lovers. The second sign of its big screen destination is the made-for-CGI descriptions of virtually every action sequence. I did say it was fun. And I truly can't wait too see it realized in cinematic form. I'm a geek, and I really enjoyed Sakey's Brilliance trilogy.
In fact, I would have given this book at least 4 stars if not for its metaphysics, which bore little resemblance to any world spiritual or religious tradition I'm familiar with. The metaphysics seemed so invented, so disconnected from our shared—usually comforting—conceptions of the afterlife (except for hints of reincarnation), the book would've worked much better for me if it had been set in an equally invented sci-fi or fantasy world.
I'm sure some people will prefer such a fresh, original take on the afterlife, but for me, the whole thing just seemed too cold and dark, where compassion and connection between souls are the exception in a frightening world where someone (including an innocent child) who just experienced a sudden violent death has a good chance of experiencing another one within minutes of arriving in this afterlife.
The first tip-off that it's headed for the big screen, if you didn't notice the promotional snipe on the book's cover, is the too-good-to-be-true, perfect hero/lovers. The second sign of its big screen destination is the made-for-CGI descriptions of virtually every action sequence. I did say it was fun. And I truly can't wait too see it realized in cinematic form. I'm a geek, and I really enjoyed Sakey's Brilliance trilogy.
In fact, I would have given this book at least 4 stars if not for its metaphysics, which bore little resemblance to any world spiritual or religious tradition I'm familiar with. The metaphysics seemed so invented, so disconnected from our shared—usually comforting—conceptions of the afterlife (except for hints of reincarnation), the book would've worked much better for me if it had been set in an equally invented sci-fi or fantasy world.
I'm sure some people will prefer such a fresh, original take on the afterlife, but for me, the whole thing just seemed too cold and dark, where compassion and connection between souls are the exception in a frightening world where someone (including an innocent child) who just experienced a sudden violent death has a good chance of experiencing another one within minutes of arriving in this afterlife.
Without realising it, I have been waiting for a book to come into my life and completely blow me away. Afterlife was this book for me. I had no preconceptions going into it, didn’t re-read the blurb, didn’t Google it, I just dove right in. And I was greatly rewarded once I started.
Afterlife is a stunning read. There is a reason Ron Howard is making this into a movie! It is utterly captivating. Spanning decades and moving between life and death, it is an epic tale of survival and the lengths to which one will go to exist. It is also a sweeping love story, by accident or design I don’t know, but it really got to me.
Will Brody is an FBI agent, and the last thing he remembers is an explosion. Everything is abandoned, the sky is empty and the city of Chicago is still. When he sees people, he is relieved until he realises they have weapons and he is in big trouble. Apparently that’s the afterlife for you!
Head of an FBI task force Claire McCoy is left standing over the ruined body of her former agent. Killed in the line of duty, Brody was trying to protect Chicago from a sniper who has taken the lives of eighteen people. What McCoy’s agents don’t know is that she and Will were in love.
Separated in death, all that matters to Will and Claire is each other. Spanning different worlds, Afterlife is a truly genre-bending novel packed with suspense, murder, life and death. I got lost in this book. The plight of the main characters consumed me while I was reading it. I didn’t want the book to end to be honest. I became so thoroughly invested in the fates of these characters that I couldn’t think of anything else, even when I wasn’t reading it. In fact, I am weeks out from reading it, and I still think about it on a daily basis.
Afterlife addresses the age old question of whether or not there is life after death. What I loved about this book was the battles that were fought before death and beyond. Even in death, the author has created a war. But it is a war unlike any other.
I’m afraid to say any more, but only because I want readers to discover the stellar writing for themselves. I can only speak for myself. For me, Afterlife is one of the best books I’ve had the opportunity to read in quite a while. An excellent, and so very different plot, with a cast of brilliantly-drawn characters made this book a complete winner for me.
Afterlife is an absolutely outstanding book! Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. It is compelling and beautiful, yet so dark at the same time. It is a mix of crime/dystopian fiction and a love story unlike any other, spanning years and worlds, with a very different antagonist. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It caught me unawares and I will be thinking about it for a long time!
All the stars for this one.
Highly, highly recommended!
Afterlife is a stunning read. There is a reason Ron Howard is making this into a movie! It is utterly captivating. Spanning decades and moving between life and death, it is an epic tale of survival and the lengths to which one will go to exist. It is also a sweeping love story, by accident or design I don’t know, but it really got to me.
Will Brody is an FBI agent, and the last thing he remembers is an explosion. Everything is abandoned, the sky is empty and the city of Chicago is still. When he sees people, he is relieved until he realises they have weapons and he is in big trouble. Apparently that’s the afterlife for you!
Head of an FBI task force Claire McCoy is left standing over the ruined body of her former agent. Killed in the line of duty, Brody was trying to protect Chicago from a sniper who has taken the lives of eighteen people. What McCoy’s agents don’t know is that she and Will were in love.
Separated in death, all that matters to Will and Claire is each other. Spanning different worlds, Afterlife is a truly genre-bending novel packed with suspense, murder, life and death. I got lost in this book. The plight of the main characters consumed me while I was reading it. I didn’t want the book to end to be honest. I became so thoroughly invested in the fates of these characters that I couldn’t think of anything else, even when I wasn’t reading it. In fact, I am weeks out from reading it, and I still think about it on a daily basis.
Afterlife addresses the age old question of whether or not there is life after death. What I loved about this book was the battles that were fought before death and beyond. Even in death, the author has created a war. But it is a war unlike any other.
I’m afraid to say any more, but only because I want readers to discover the stellar writing for themselves. I can only speak for myself. For me, Afterlife is one of the best books I’ve had the opportunity to read in quite a while. An excellent, and so very different plot, with a cast of brilliantly-drawn characters made this book a complete winner for me.
Afterlife is an absolutely outstanding book! Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. It is compelling and beautiful, yet so dark at the same time. It is a mix of crime/dystopian fiction and a love story unlike any other, spanning years and worlds, with a very different antagonist. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It caught me unawares and I will be thinking about it for a long time!
All the stars for this one.
Highly, highly recommended!