Mrs. Y's Review of Hell Gate

This past Monday, Mrs. Y Reviews Books posted her review of Hell Gate. Mrs. Y gave it a thorough and in-depth review, enjoying that "the book not only touches the supernatural themes, but also the science that makes it work," and rates it four out of five stars overall. You can read the entire review here.

Reviews by Nyx Review of Wasteland in Red Square

Stephanie Herman of Review by Nyx recently gave Wasteland in Red Square: Book Two of the Hell Gate Saga a five-star review.

"Do you have the courage to help save humanity?

"I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic stories and the Hell Gate Saga does not disappoint! Wasteland in Red Square takes us to Russia where Jason and his team go to close the second Hell Gate only to find out their job is far from over.

"Matthews gives us copious amounts of blood, gore, and Hell Spawn in this action packed second installment. He also gives us love and compassion for mankind. This group of survivors are putting their lives on the line for humanity, a world that honestly won't remember the sacrifices they make. But it's not about recognition, it's about doing the right thing. And I think that takes more courage than anything."

The Post-Apocalyptic Playground's Review of Rise of the Sataners

The Post-Apocalyptic Playground reviewed Rise of the Sataners: Book Three of the Hell Gate Saga, saying "[The] gamer’s construction can be said for the way different types of monsters encounter The Hell Gaters from country to country. They seem to come in stages and stack neatly on top of one another like a block tower of the horrors and brutalities of Hell that are growing into a full force army of the damned." You can read the full review here. 

The Bold Mom's Review of Rise of the Sataners

The Bold Mom -- Horror Experts reviewed Rise of the Sataners: Book Three of the Hell Gate Saga, saying it's "a book of humanity's psychology dissertation. Full of metaphors and lessons about doom, relations and redemption. Honestly, a very entertaining read. If you are looking for action splashed in horror, this is your book." You can read the full review here.

Post-Apocaltptic Playground's Review of Wasteland in Red Square

Wasteland in Red Square: Book Two of the Hell Gate Saga received a phenomenal review from Katrina of Post-Apocalyptic Playground. Katrina said: "It’s a strange phenomenon, but the continued character development for Book 2 was exemplary. Not to mention, there are twists and turns that take place in Book 2 that take a military style adventure novel and turn it into a fantastical quest." You can read the entire review here.

Review of Hell Gate by Post Apocalyptic Playground

Hell Gate received an excellent review from Post-Apocalyptic Playground. The reviewer noted that the novel is filled with "vivid detail, a true depiction of our deepest apocalyptic nightmares" and gave the novel four stars. You can check out the entire review here. 

My Review of Metro 2033

I picked up Dmitriy Glukhovsky's Metro 2033 because I was in the mood for some post-apocalyptic fiction and had heard good things about the novel. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The setting and mood are well written and the characters are believable and interesting, but the plot dragged. The beginning part of Metro 2033 is mostly exposition about how society developed in Moscow's Metro following the apocalyptic event, the various factions that arose, and which stations they occupied. I made it 20% of the way through the novel without any significant events occurring, at which point I gave up and put it aside. I understand that post-apocalyptic fiction does not have to be action-packed to be entertaining (The Road and On the Beach are prime examples of that); however, Metro 2033 could not hold my interest.

My Review of David Brin's The Postman

A few years ago I watched The Postman (1997) with Kevin Costner and thought the movie was excellent, despite its critics. Recently I picked up the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin to compare the two, and did so with high expectations because usually the book is better than the movie. In this instance, that was not the case.

In the movie, Kevin Costner plays an unidentified wandering minstrel who travels from settlement to settlement in post-apocalypse Oregon, putting on Shakespearean performances in return for food, until he is forcibly inducted into the Holnists, a militia group commanded by General Bethlehem (Will Patton). Costner eventually escapes and stumbles across an abandoned U.S. mail truck, steals the postal worker’s uniform and mail bag, and adopts the persona of the Postman. He still travels from settlement to settlement, only now he claims to be a representative of the Restored U.S. Government. Inspired by the ideal of the country rebuilding itself, the settlements ban together and teenagers establish a Pony Express-like mail service that spreads across Oregon. General Bethlehem, afraid that this Restored U.S. Government will deprive him of his power, cracks down on the resurgent national movement, murdering the teenage postmen and enacting vengeance on any town that has established a post office or flies a U.S flag. Despite the Postman’s repeated attempts to avoid conflict, there is eventually a confrontation in which the Postman confronts and defeats Bethlehem, allowing the foundation to be set for an actual Restored U.S. Government. I always viewed the movie version of The Postman as having a political message that people need to stand up to tyranny, and that the individual has to rise above his/her own flaws and become something greater than themself for the good of the country.

Brin’s novel takes a different track. The main character is Gordon Krantz, a wanderer in post-apocalypse Oregon who hides in a postal truck after his possessions and clothes are stolen by bandits, and who steals the uniform of the postal worker to keep warm. As he travels from settlement to settlement looking for a handout, the locals rally around him, buoyed by the idea of a Restored U.S. Government. In an environment that is more science fiction/dystopian than post-apocalyptic, Krantz comes across: a town that worships Cyclops, a supposed sentient artificial intelligence that offers the locals guidance, but is actually an electronic hulk whose wisdom is provided by the scientists who run it; an all-female settlement of Amazonian-like warriors; and the Holnists, the leaders of which are physically augmented hyper-survivalists. What I did not like about the novel is that Krantz is not the driving force behind events; at best, he is driven by them, and often is only a witness. The Postman is filled with symbolism of what Brin thought, at that time, might bring about the downfall of humanity, and in that aspect it is an interesting novel. However, I had been expecting a riveting post-apocalypse story, and was disappointed.