After the Fall by Edward Ashton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I first read “After the Fall” by Edward Ashton in late April. It was the first book selected for my then-brand-new book club podcast with my friends Craig and Howie. But for reasons, it was not the book we discussed in our first episode … or our second. But as our third episode approached, along with an interview with author Edward Ashton, I thought I had better read it again so it was fresh in my mind.
On the first read, I recall that it took me a while to get into. In fact, I was probably 2/3 to 3/4 done and not sure whether I even liked the book.
So in “After the Fall,” aliens, referred to simply as “grays,” are now the controlling species on planet Earth. The story says that approximately 120 years prior to when the book takes place, humans had destroyed the planet and the grays got here just in time to save us. They also killed almost all adult humans that remained and turned the kids into … well, pets, basically.
The story in “After the Fall” follows John, a human — kind of — and his master/owner/employer Martok, a gray. They are headed to Laketown to start a bed and breakfast, basically. And on the way, they stop at a creche (a place where juvenile humans are raised) to pick up another human — kind of — named six. I say “kind of” because the humans have been genetically engineered to be smaller and subservient.
They get to Laketown … and shenanigans.
Here were my issues: John is allegedly a 29-year-old male. But comes across almost like a man-child at best. Think Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movie. Six is SUPER smarmy. To the point of annoyance. And Martok is just kind of … dumb. So the likeability factor for the three main characters was pretty darn low. And I have a hard time liking a book when I don’t like the characters in it.
Then toward the very end of the book, there are a couple of reveals/plot twists. And suddenly, at least one of the characters is a lot more likeable.
After the first read, I gave it four stars. Ashton really pulled through at the end. And the narration by John Pirhalla had been solid throughout.
But on the second read, I noticed things I hadn’t truly paid attention to before. And I enjoyed the book considerably more. Although I didn’t get the payoff of the end reveals/plot twists, I still preferred the second read because I was able to see it in a new light.
I’m going to stick with my original four-star assessment. But if I had gotten as much enjoyment from the first read as I did from the second, it would be 4 1/2. Or maybe 5.
View all my reviews