Review
Right from page one, readers will understand the kind of world that Ash Land by Matt Harry is set in. With a first sentence that reads “No one knows how to stop the Ash”, we understand that humanity is at the mercy of the environment in which they all live. And it is not favorable to anyone with muscle tissue.
The main character, Kai, is our narrator, a divorced father of two, and private investigator picking up jobs when he can. Even though we may not relate to the extent of the book’s current setting, lots of readers can likely relate to Kai’s living and family situation. Consequently, readers can connect with the character, despite the extreme global mess in place.
The author came up with the idea of this book during the COVID pandemic, asking the question, “How could this be worse?” and then went with it. And he certainly thought of everything – the rich trying to capitalize on the situation and the poor literally scrounging for scraps. No to mention how various industries and families alike would respond to the high-stakes situation.
Ash Land is well-paced, entertaining, with a likable narrator and captivating ensemble of characters. I kept flipping pages without realizing the rate that real life passed by. The author expertly blends investigative fiction and a dystopian backdrop – a definite five stars from yours truly.
Matt Harry joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about his experiences in the film industry and exploring science fiction. Keep an ear out for the episode and pick up a copy of Ash Land, available now.
Book
No one knows how to destroy the Ash.
Two years ago, the flesh-eating microbots escaped from a lab in France and quickly spread across the globe. Twenty percent of humanity was killed in under a month. The people who managed to seal themselves inside survived, but now they’re only able to access the outside world through remote-controlled drones or hazmat suits.
Kai Braddock is one of those survivors. He used to be a cop, but the machine plague and a bitter divorce led to him quitting the department. Now he tracks down bounties via drone, eats cricket burgers with his two sons online, and spends every waking hour in a 70 square-foot studio in downtown Los Angeles. But when his partner is murdered while helping him locate a missing scientist, Braddock realizes he’ll have to do what almost no one has done in over twenty-six months:
He’ll have to go outside.
