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The world has collapsed, and there are no heroes any more.
His name is Three, a travelling gun for hire in a dying world. He has no allegiances, no family, no ties.
Against his better judgment, he accepts the mantle of protector to a sick woman on the run, and her young son. Together they set out across the plains in search of a mythic oasis, attempting to survive the forces that pursue them, and the creatures of the dark.
In these dark times, a hero may yet arise.
His name is Three, a travelling gun for hire in a dying world. He has no allegiances, no family, no ties.
Against his better judgment, he accepts the mantle of protector to a sick woman on the run, and her young son. Together they set out across the plains in search of a mythic oasis, attempting to survive the forces that pursue them, and the creatures of the dark.
In these dark times, a hero may yet arise.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2013
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4671 people want to read
About the author
Jay Posey
16 books346 followersJay Posey is a professional typist with a face for radio and a voice for print. He’s the author of the Legends of the Duskwalker trilogy (novels, THREE, MORNINGSIDE FALL, and DAWNBREAKER), and the military science-fiction novel OUTRIDERS, all published by Angry Robot Books.
He's also Expert Narrative Designer at Ubisoft/Red Storm Entertainment, where he has spent over a decade contributing as a writer and game designer to top franchises like Tom Clancy’s award-winning Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, as well as several top secret projects he's not allowed to talk about.
He blogs occasionally at jayposey.com and spends more time than he probably should hanging around Twitter as @HiJayPosey.
He's also Expert Narrative Designer at Ubisoft/Red Storm Entertainment, where he has spent over a decade contributing as a writer and game designer to top franchises like Tom Clancy’s award-winning Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, as well as several top secret projects he's not allowed to talk about.
He blogs occasionally at jayposey.com and spends more time than he probably should hanging around Twitter as @HiJayPosey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews
June 20, 2013
When he runs into a woman and child on the run, gun-toting bounty hunter Three finds himself escorting them across a post-apocalyptic wasteland and protecting them from genetically altered warriors, brain-hackers, and the Weir, glowing-eyed ghoul-like creatures that stalk the night. Can Three stop the people following Wren and his mother and get them to safety or will they join the ranks of the undead?
Official Business: I got this print ARC from Angry Robot in exchange for reviewing it. Thank you, Angry Robot!
When I first saw the cover of Three and read the description, I knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed. Three is a post-apocalyptic adventure tale in the vein of The Road Warrior, only with fewer vehicles and a higher tech level and body count. Actually, it feels more like a Western than anything else, despite cybernetics, mutants, and things of that nature.
Three, the hero of the tale, is cast from the Man with No Name mold, a deadly man hiding a secret. Cass, is a chemic, a drug-dependent fighter who is running on fumes. Wren, her son, is a six year old with some pretty amazing abilities. The men hunting them, Asher and his crew, are a power-hungry bunch of brainhackers and fairly colorful to boot. Dagon was by far the most interesting and well rounded of the antagonists. The lesser characters like jCharles, Mol, and Jackson were memorable enough for me to remember their names and mannerisms, long after there time in the story had passed.
The story goes from wasteland to wasteland, ruined city to ruined city, and the world is revealed gradually with not an infodump in sight. There are enough twists and secrets to keep things interesting, even when the good guys aren't hiding in the dark or getting into bloody battles. The world feels lived in, not like a collection of movie sets strung together.
The writing is a notch above what I expected when I picked up the book, a step beyond the workmanlike prose one normally gets in genre fiction like this. Posey knows how to pour on the tension, what with the Weir wandering the night and bad guys always on Three and gang's heels.
I may sound like an old softie but my favorite part of the book was Three's relationship with Wren, going from uncaring loner to a surrogate father figure to the boy over the course of the book. There were a few touching moments between the two.
4.5 stars. Now I'll twiddle my thumbs until the next Legends of the Duskwalker book comes out.
Official Business: I got this print ARC from Angry Robot in exchange for reviewing it. Thank you, Angry Robot!
When I first saw the cover of Three and read the description, I knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed. Three is a post-apocalyptic adventure tale in the vein of The Road Warrior, only with fewer vehicles and a higher tech level and body count. Actually, it feels more like a Western than anything else, despite cybernetics, mutants, and things of that nature.
Three, the hero of the tale, is cast from the Man with No Name mold, a deadly man hiding a secret. Cass, is a chemic, a drug-dependent fighter who is running on fumes. Wren, her son, is a six year old with some pretty amazing abilities. The men hunting them, Asher and his crew, are a power-hungry bunch of brainhackers and fairly colorful to boot. Dagon was by far the most interesting and well rounded of the antagonists. The lesser characters like jCharles, Mol, and Jackson were memorable enough for me to remember their names and mannerisms, long after there time in the story had passed.
The story goes from wasteland to wasteland, ruined city to ruined city, and the world is revealed gradually with not an infodump in sight. There are enough twists and secrets to keep things interesting, even when the good guys aren't hiding in the dark or getting into bloody battles. The world feels lived in, not like a collection of movie sets strung together.
The writing is a notch above what I expected when I picked up the book, a step beyond the workmanlike prose one normally gets in genre fiction like this. Posey knows how to pour on the tension, what with the Weir wandering the night and bad guys always on Three and gang's heels.
I may sound like an old softie but my favorite part of the book was Three's relationship with Wren, going from uncaring loner to a surrogate father figure to the boy over the course of the book. There were a few touching moments between the two.
4.5 stars. Now I'll twiddle my thumbs until the next Legends of the Duskwalker book comes out.
September 27, 2018
Three
Legends of the Duskwalker, Book 1
By: Jay Posey
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
This book blends some wonderful things together to make a book that was excellent listening!. A book about a seeming post-apocalyptic world with techno access. It also has "Weir" that change shape and other more fantasy aspects to this sci-fi thriller. It has a lone survivor that is different from most others and he chooses to help a mom and her kid. They too end up being very different. Three is the guys name. He is a tough guy and helps her and the kid but she is not a damsel in total distress, she too has skills. It is a wild adventure and had plenty of action, creative characters, great plot, and I can't wait for book 2!
Legends of the Duskwalker, Book 1
By: Jay Posey
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
This book blends some wonderful things together to make a book that was excellent listening!. A book about a seeming post-apocalyptic world with techno access. It also has "Weir" that change shape and other more fantasy aspects to this sci-fi thriller. It has a lone survivor that is different from most others and he chooses to help a mom and her kid. They too end up being very different. Three is the guys name. He is a tough guy and helps her and the kid but she is not a damsel in total distress, she too has skills. It is a wild adventure and had plenty of action, creative characters, great plot, and I can't wait for book 2!
July 30, 2013
Buddy read with JennyJen, Faye and Angela. Needless to say, I am Steve Carell.
Welp. I can’t finish this. Not because I don’t want to (Jenny). Or because I quit (Angela). But because I’m a moron. My stupid digital edition of this never verified itself and so my ARC has expired and it’s now lost in the aether somewhere. I blame myself for not paying better attention. So three stars it is as I liked what I read in the hundred pages I was able to manage.
I’ve seen some other reviews for this and I feel like it’s my duty to say a few words of advice here. If you can’t swim, don’t approach Three, as it will pick you up and lob you into the deep end without your floaties. But if you’ve had your literary swimming lessons via numerous fantasy or post apocalyptic books (NOT THE YA KIND), you should be fine with the method of world building within it. If not, you’ll likely be both lost and angry that it’s not more informative.
You see, this book is a shower, not a teller. It doesn’t feed you page upon page of intricately woven alternate history. It doesn’t detail the downfall of mankind, the world’s current political systems or try to shove a moral down your throat about human greed. It dumps you bodily into a bleak yet technologically advanced future and expects you to take it as it is.
Continuing along this vein, the descriptions of settings might be too subtle for some tastes as well. For me, they were perfect. Posey would mention heavy rust on the hinges of a thick metal door, the concrete shells of buildings, broken out windows and layers of grit and grime on sidewalks and my mind immediately began to paint the rest of this desolate world. With a few simple turns of phrase he had me seeing entire city blocks and subterranean complexes.
Did I have a lot of unanswered questions? Yes. Was I still confused at times? Also, yes. My advice is to take notes.
Welp. I can’t finish this. Not because I don’t want to (Jenny). Or because I quit (Angela). But because I’m a moron. My stupid digital edition of this never verified itself and so my ARC has expired and it’s now lost in the aether somewhere. I blame myself for not paying better attention. So three stars it is as I liked what I read in the hundred pages I was able to manage.
I’ve seen some other reviews for this and I feel like it’s my duty to say a few words of advice here. If you can’t swim, don’t approach Three, as it will pick you up and lob you into the deep end without your floaties. But if you’ve had your literary swimming lessons via numerous fantasy or post apocalyptic books (NOT THE YA KIND), you should be fine with the method of world building within it. If not, you’ll likely be both lost and angry that it’s not more informative.
You see, this book is a shower, not a teller. It doesn’t feed you page upon page of intricately woven alternate history. It doesn’t detail the downfall of mankind, the world’s current political systems or try to shove a moral down your throat about human greed. It dumps you bodily into a bleak yet technologically advanced future and expects you to take it as it is.
Continuing along this vein, the descriptions of settings might be too subtle for some tastes as well. For me, they were perfect. Posey would mention heavy rust on the hinges of a thick metal door, the concrete shells of buildings, broken out windows and layers of grit and grime on sidewalks and my mind immediately began to paint the rest of this desolate world. With a few simple turns of phrase he had me seeing entire city blocks and subterranean complexes.
Did I have a lot of unanswered questions? Yes. Was I still confused at times? Also, yes. My advice is to take notes.
June 26, 2013
When the world of ARCs opened it's doors for me I realized something; I have a weakness for using quotes in my reviews, and really hate being without them.
The story is set in some kind of apocalyptic future, but other than that, I can't give any other background. Not because the publisher asked to keep it quiet, no, it's because there's none there. This bothered me until some 30% into it, and is a pretty big deal to me; I need to know the why of things. It was especially hard not knowing since the main characters had these abilities that made no sense, and weren't really explained (I use that loosely) until roughly 80% (give or take). They can do things like have images projected onto their corneas, and access satellite information with just a thought; they have various drugs for different things, and body modifications abound it seems. No food grows either apparently, but I have no idea why as there was nothing to suggest that the atmosphere itself was altered. This still annoys me that I know so little, but the heart of the story was able to push through the lack of basic information.
Moving on to said heart, this was a really good story. Very intense, and tugged at my heart strings a lot. Mainly because of Wren, but Three and Cass both hurt me a few times too. Cass and Wren are mother and son, and when Three first sees them she's desperate and seems hurt. Tightly controlled and nomadic, Three never helps people in that same situation, but something about these two won't let go of him, and somehow he ends up helping them escape. From what, he has no idea, and often mentions that the choice of taking them on might kill him. But does it?!
Wren and Cass were really, really great. Wren is a young boy who felt very authentic to his age (Three thought he was about five, but much later we learn he's almost seven), and as my own son just barely turned eight, I felt his scenes much more in my marrow than I wanted. He goes through a lot, and I mean, a lot, but he's incredibly brave and strong, and just good. He's special and it's because of this that Cass ran with him trying to save him from Asher. I won't reveal the secret about Asher because I want you all to be as surprised as I was, but it's good. Back to Cass and Wren though, she was just incredible with her will to save him and make it through their terrifying nights, but if not for Three she would have failed. There's a bit of romance for them, but again, I use the term incredibly loose.
The bad guys are really bad, and the Weir freaked me out! Asher was spectacular in his role as scary asshole, and actually, all the bad guys were wonderfully scary. The good guys were also good, though I still have some questions about a few. Like jCharles and Mol. Mol especially since there seemed to be such depth of history with her and Three, but once again, we're not privy to what that was.
The action is never ending, and even at 99% I kept waiting for the relief to know that the good guys triumphed over the bad guys, and that maybe Three and Cass became a family, and, and, and...there is an epilogue.
The prose is both sparse and really lovely (at one point he likens a sound to that of shadows sliding over a roof), and I really enjoyed it. Jay Posey might have driven me CRAZY with the lack of information, but he wrote a really great story, and though it had flaws for me, I know I'm not going to forget anytime soon.
7/29/13 **Edited to add** Well I said I wouldn't forget the story, but I sort of have, except for the many things that worked on my nerves while I read. :/
June 26, 2013
The book was rude. It threw me into the mix with scant explanation. I waited and waited and when answers were finally given I didn’t understand them because the book didn’t explain what they meant. Characters would act shocked upon awareness and I would just go, “So what?”. The writing spent too much time with scene setup and barely any time with world building. I craved exposition.
For example, Weir were roaming zombie-like monsters. A competent warrior can take one down relatively easily, but the true danger lies within their number and their tendency to ambush preys. Bites wouldn’t necessarily turn a person into a Weir, but then again I’m not sure because the book never explained how one became a Weir. Neither did it explain how Wren came to rule the world when there were powerful humans who could take them on, in groups of course, and reclaim the world for humanity.
As far the book was concerned, the world was always apocalyptic, part of the population always had paranormal abilities, and etc. Unless you were paying close attention and noticed certain words, you wouldn’t have known the fictional world was a futuristic Earth.
+ the characters
Characters were a complete cliché. Three was a strong warrior with a sense of honor. Cass was an ex-criminal who aspired for redemption. Wren, Cass’s son, was a boy with peerless but unreliable power. I bristled how the latter two characters were used for emotional manipulation of the reader. When things needed to vomit sad, the book trotted out the desperate mother and her son who was around 5 year old and cried “Mama,” lip quivering and all that shit. Aiy.
For the main villain, Asher was power crazy because, well, someone got to be evil. The funny thing was that he and the other important characters had more character development than the eponymous hero. I still didn’t know who the fuck Three was by the end of the book. Equally frustrating was the absence of explanation of his secrets when they were revealed. What the fuck does “wired” mean? Ugh. I don’t care anymore.
+ the plot
The plot was so simple that it was strongly more suited as a novella than a novel. I lost patience with it halfway through and heavily skimmed to the end. The only time I ever bothered to pay close attention again was in chapter 22 of 31 when Cass revealed her past and secrets, answers that put her and her son into their present predicament.
The ending was cliché and bittersweet, redolent of some tragic warrior myth. As a reader with a zealotry for happy endings, I would have been upset but I honestly couldn’t give a shit. I never connected with any of the characters so I felt little sadness with the good guys’ death and little joy with the bad ones’.
In Conclusion
I rate Three 1-star for I didn’t like it. A post-apocalypse setting, a touch of cyberpunk, a galore of chase and battle scenes: all that glitters was not gold.
For example, Weir were roaming zombie-like monsters. A competent warrior can take one down relatively easily, but the true danger lies within their number and their tendency to ambush preys. Bites wouldn’t necessarily turn a person into a Weir, but then again I’m not sure because the book never explained how one became a Weir. Neither did it explain how Wren came to rule the world when there were powerful humans who could take them on, in groups of course, and reclaim the world for humanity.
As far the book was concerned, the world was always apocalyptic, part of the population always had paranormal abilities, and etc. Unless you were paying close attention and noticed certain words, you wouldn’t have known the fictional world was a futuristic Earth.
+ the characters
Characters were a complete cliché. Three was a strong warrior with a sense of honor. Cass was an ex-criminal who aspired for redemption. Wren, Cass’s son, was a boy with peerless but unreliable power. I bristled how the latter two characters were used for emotional manipulation of the reader. When things needed to vomit sad, the book trotted out the desperate mother and her son who was around 5 year old and cried “Mama,” lip quivering and all that shit. Aiy.
For the main villain, Asher was power crazy because, well, someone got to be evil. The funny thing was that he and the other important characters had more character development than the eponymous hero. I still didn’t know who the fuck Three was by the end of the book. Equally frustrating was the absence of explanation of his secrets when they were revealed. What the fuck does “wired” mean? Ugh. I don’t care anymore.
+ the plot
The plot was so simple that it was strongly more suited as a novella than a novel. I lost patience with it halfway through and heavily skimmed to the end. The only time I ever bothered to pay close attention again was in chapter 22 of 31 when Cass revealed her past and secrets, answers that put her and her son into their present predicament.
The ending was cliché and bittersweet, redolent of some tragic warrior myth. As a reader with a zealotry for happy endings, I would have been upset but I honestly couldn’t give a shit. I never connected with any of the characters so I felt little sadness with the good guys’ death and little joy with the bad ones’.
In Conclusion
I rate Three 1-star for I didn’t like it. A post-apocalypse setting, a touch of cyberpunk, a galore of chase and battle scenes: all that glitters was not gold.
December 21, 2014
I'm not quite sure what to say about this book. The start was so dull and boring that I nearly quit around the 25% mark. I pushed on and was rewarded by this developing into an average read. It had some interesting aspects, but plenty of faults.
The World
This was set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi future. Some unexplained event has decimated the human population. The survivors huddle in safe zones as the mysterious Weir prowl the night killing all they find. The remaining humans were all connected to some super version of the internet via some internal computer chip direct in their minds. Advancements in technology have also made it possible for the humans to enhance both their body and their minds abilities. That was all pretty cool and interesting. Unfortunately there was little explanation given for anything and Posey's description was so vague it was impossible to get a real picture of this world.
The Story
Bounty hunter and drifter Three decides, on a whim, to help a troubled women and her 5 year old kid who are on the run from some villainous characters. That is it really. From then it is just the three of them on the run from the thugs chasing the boy. Some of the action scenes were OK. I also enjoyed some of the character interactions.
The Characters
Three - Our mysterious bounty hunter and all out action man. As far as I could tell Three had almost no personality and his character had less depth than a sheet of paper. He felt like a wasted opportunity. The guy really should have been a total bad-ass.
Cass - The troubled women. Cass was as unlikable a character as I've had the misfortune to encounter in a while. Over the course of the story the vile junkie managed to kill some poor doctor to acquire a fix of her chosen drug, attack Three for not doing a good enough job of protecting her, and even slapped her own 5 year old son when he became to scared to concentrate on rescuing her! I fail to see why every guy in the book, including her own elder son, thought she was the mortal incarnation of Aphrodite.
Wren - The kid with the special abilities. He was a likable enough character.
The Villains - These enhanced goons were as generic a bunch of thugs as you will ever find. The one potentially interesting villain in the story only lasted a short time. Even the Weir's were just faceless bores.
Rating: 3 stars. That is me being generous considering the vague world building, the characters lack of depth, and a storytelling style that was fairly plodding.
Audio Note: This book was not helped by Luke Daniels narration. It took me nearly 5 hours to get used to some of his awful voice choices for the characters. Cass sounded constantly breathless and whiny while Three sounded like he was modeled on Clint Eastwood, if Eastwood had his jaw wired shut! Definitely not his best performance.
The World
This was set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi future. Some unexplained event has decimated the human population. The survivors huddle in safe zones as the mysterious Weir prowl the night killing all they find. The remaining humans were all connected to some super version of the internet via some internal computer chip direct in their minds. Advancements in technology have also made it possible for the humans to enhance both their body and their minds abilities. That was all pretty cool and interesting. Unfortunately there was little explanation given for anything and Posey's description was so vague it was impossible to get a real picture of this world.
The Story
Bounty hunter and drifter Three decides, on a whim, to help a troubled women and her 5 year old kid who are on the run from some villainous characters. That is it really. From then it is just the three of them on the run from the thugs chasing the boy. Some of the action scenes were OK. I also enjoyed some of the character interactions.
The Characters
Three - Our mysterious bounty hunter and all out action man. As far as I could tell Three had almost no personality and his character had less depth than a sheet of paper. He felt like a wasted opportunity. The guy really should have been a total bad-ass.
Cass - The troubled women. Cass was as unlikable a character as I've had the misfortune to encounter in a while. Over the course of the story the vile junkie managed to kill some poor doctor to acquire a fix of her chosen drug, attack Three for not doing a good enough job of protecting her, and even slapped her own 5 year old son when he became to scared to concentrate on rescuing her! I fail to see why every guy in the book, including her own elder son, thought she was the mortal incarnation of Aphrodite.
Wren - The kid with the special abilities. He was a likable enough character.
The Villains - These enhanced goons were as generic a bunch of thugs as you will ever find. The one potentially interesting villain in the story only lasted a short time. Even the Weir's were just faceless bores.
Rating: 3 stars. That is me being generous considering the vague world building, the characters lack of depth, and a storytelling style that was fairly plodding.
Audio Note: This book was not helped by Luke Daniels narration. It took me nearly 5 hours to get used to some of his awful voice choices for the characters. Cass sounded constantly breathless and whiny while Three sounded like he was modeled on Clint Eastwood, if Eastwood had his jaw wired shut! Definitely not his best performance.
July 22, 2015
4.5 Stars
I'm trying not to get a temper tantrum over certain events. But frakk, man. Even though I knew where certain aspects of the story were headed, certain things sucked all of my emotional investment and desire to continue with the series. Why, Jay Posey?! Why?!
But, despite my disappointment over certain events, the truth is that this book is really, really freaking good. Three is truly one helluva post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel. It's filled with suspense, well-drawn characters, great world-building, and some great fight sequences.
Both the characters and the futuristic post-apocalyptic world are extremely vivid and well thought-out. I read that the author is a narrative writer for video games, and that background definitely shows.
I loved the way the story unfolded: with bits of information about the world and characters, motivations and background stories, revealing themselves slowly as the story progressed. I read a review in which the reviewer made note of the lack of (or not enough) exposition, but I actually preferred that. The way information was revealed kept me intrigued, engaged, and invested. Frankly, I thought it added to the suspense. But I can understand wanting to know more about the world. By the end, the reader still does not know what caused the collapse of civilization. But it's clear that it will be revealed in later books.
As to the narrative pacing, if I had to describe it in two words, it would be: meticulous and unrelenting.
I loved the characters -- particularly the character Three. He is my idea of a perfect hero: tough, noble, and not afraid to be vulnerable. And he made mistakes which humanized him quite a bit.
The final 10% or so felt rushed, especially after so much time taken throughout the story to detail all events.
An epilogue was included which gives some finality to Book 1 so that if you do not wish to continue with the series, this would be a good stopping point.
So, will I continue with the series? Yes, darn it all, I will because I'm a glutton for punishment. And because I loved the storytelling, the writing, and the world too much to not continue.
Final rating: 4.5 stars
I'm trying not to get a temper tantrum over certain events. But frakk, man. Even though I knew where certain aspects of the story were headed, certain things sucked all of my emotional investment and desire to continue with the series. Why, Jay Posey?! Why?!
But, despite my disappointment over certain events, the truth is that this book is really, really freaking good. Three is truly one helluva post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel. It's filled with suspense, well-drawn characters, great world-building, and some great fight sequences.
Both the characters and the futuristic post-apocalyptic world are extremely vivid and well thought-out. I read that the author is a narrative writer for video games, and that background definitely shows.
I loved the way the story unfolded: with bits of information about the world and characters, motivations and background stories, revealing themselves slowly as the story progressed. I read a review in which the reviewer made note of the lack of (or not enough) exposition, but I actually preferred that. The way information was revealed kept me intrigued, engaged, and invested. Frankly, I thought it added to the suspense. But I can understand wanting to know more about the world. By the end, the reader still does not know what caused the collapse of civilization. But it's clear that it will be revealed in later books.
As to the narrative pacing, if I had to describe it in two words, it would be: meticulous and unrelenting.
I loved the characters -- particularly the character Three. He is my idea of a perfect hero: tough, noble, and not afraid to be vulnerable. And he made mistakes which humanized him quite a bit.
The final 10% or so felt rushed, especially after so much time taken throughout the story to detail all events.
An epilogue was included which gives some finality to Book 1 so that if you do not wish to continue with the series, this would be a good stopping point.
So, will I continue with the series? Yes, darn it all, I will because I'm a glutton for punishment. And because I loved the storytelling, the writing, and the world too much to not continue.
Final rating: 4.5 stars
June 30, 2013
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. This did not alter my thoughts in any way. The following text is my opinion only.
I really, really need to stop falling for covers. I mean, look at that baby right there - isn't it just mad cool? It gives me that Assassin's Creed vibe, something that I don't really play (I gave up on the first mission...) but think is awesome nonetheless. I know, I know, there's a bit of bias, but even without my identifying it with AC, it still looks pretty sweet. It has zombies. And it's post-apocalyptic! POST-APOCALYPTIC! That means something happened that made the world this way. Something scary, to have all these zombies with blue eyes coming at our throats, right?! Right?!
But... le sigh...
If there's one thing that this book made me feel, it's disappointment. I expected so, so much, given that sci-fi and post-apocalyptic fiction are two of my favorite genres, but unfortunately everything felt so... I don't know, lacking? For the first 90%, I was so frustrated with how things were going, and my mind was full of "WTF WTF WTF?!?!" and not in a good way.
First, there was very little world-building. I was just thrown into a world where there were fields and fields of empty lands, void of people and of life, save for a few walled cities and underground refuges. It's post-apocalyptic but there were some technologies that still worked (like satellites orbiting the planet...). There were these zombie-like creatures popping at night, creatures who used to roam the world as humans. AND apparently, there were also some people with special powers... These were really interesting, but I couldn't really picture it in my head because nothing was ever explained in depth. How am I supposed to consider this book as post-apocalyptic when no explanation has been given on how everything came to be? Was there a war? Was there a nuclear fallout? Where did these Weirs come from? Were they a result of some sort of mutation, or a failed bio experiment, or what? How the hell did certain people get to have superhuman abilities?
I really, really wanted everything to make sense, but it was one big WTFuckery throughout. There were times some terms were introduced, but like the world-building, I never got a clear picture of them. Apparently, you get "shipped" when you die, and it was thrown in several times, and each time I was like, "WHAT THE FUCK DOES SHIPPING OR BEING SHIPPED MEANS??!!! DUDE. As in, seriously. Then early in the novel, Cass showed this ability that kind of sends signals to satellites and can even take a sneak peek into some sort of internet technology that allows her to pinpoint where they are in a map... she used this twice in the beginning, but until the end, there were no explanation on how she can do that or on how that ability works exactly. AND IT WAS NEVER USED AGAIN. Just like that. Forgotten. Buried in the early pages. Never to be seen once more. Ugh...
And like I said, I couldn't really imagine the place. The prose and narration was more telling of what the characters were doing every fricking second (verb here, verb again, then verb verb verb), that details on the environment were almost non-existent. I wanted more exposition regarding these things, because it's with the environment and world-building where the post-apocalyptic element of this really shines. Of course, that's just my opinion; it could be different for other people. But for me, post-apocalyptic depends on the scenery, on the setting, and on how this setting affects other people, how it becomes an important factor in their every day life. And I really didn't see that here. Even the walled cities didn't really make any sense. There was this city where apparently color was everywhere and people had a particular fashion sense, and I was like HUH?! Errrr...
As for the characters, I couldn't really connect to them. At first, I totally liked Three as he was portrayed as this bad ass mofo who could kick your ass without batting an eyelid. He was shown as this way for the first 40 percent - cold, calculating, meticulous, kickass... and then later on, his personality did a 180° change. He suddenly traced his finger over Cass' cheekbone gently, nudged her on the elbow after an inside joke, he winked, suddenly "stopped breathing" when Cass smiled at him, suddenly felt warm in his chest when he saw her... like WHOA. I know I sound really nitpicky right now, but why the heck would this book portray him so much like THIS, and then next chapter he's like an all-new person? I don't know, a lot of people may see that as character development, but it was just weird to me. It wouldn't have been if there were more build-up between the two of them, but I didn't really find any that justified this sudden change. Sorry, Three, you're badass, but your lovesick puppy moments didn't work out for me.
And, of course, there's Cass... sigh. I really didn't like this heroine. I thought she was so selfish and useless. She tried to get Three to help them run away from some bad guys due to her kid's speshul power, leading him to a bigger trouble than what's its worth without him knowing. I didn't like how she involved him without having even the gall to tell him what he was up against. And apparently, she was part of this strong crew, the best crew evar that has killed a lot of people, and yet when she was traveling with Three, she was useless as hell! All she did was whine and cry and wait for things to happen or wait for Three to make things happen for her. She depended on him so much, that how she was a part of RushRuin's crew was beyond me. Truly, truly baffling. There was this scene where she was so helpless on what to do, so she asked Three about it. He said he'll find a way. And she was like, "Ok! He'll find a way! Three always does! I'll just sit here and relax!" Of course, that's not really how it happened, but you know what I mean, right?
I think this book's saving grace was Wren. He's the kid the bad guys are after, and I think he was portrayed nicely. There are some books out there where there are kids below the age of ten, but act mature for their age, or too childish. I think the author shown his confusion, his innocence, and his fears really... accurately? If that's the right word? Like you can really tell he's a six year old and a half kid. Well done on that part.
90% of the plot didn't really engage me. It was confusing as hell, frustrating, and sometimes boring. I had to skim a lot of pages. The last 10% was pretty fast-paced and cool, so that makes an extra star. I'm not sure if I'll read the sequels, though... time will tell.
Final Verdict: 2 / 5 stars
October 22, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel & it wrapped up more completely than I expected for the first of a series. As weird as the post apocalyptic world is, we slowly figure out much over the course of the novel. There were no data dumps. LOVE IT, although if you like tidy answers & everything explained, this book isn't for you. You need to read between the lines & remember the few facts that are so casually dropped. Even so, you still won't know all the answers, although I think I made some good guesses. That's why it is first in a series. This is an action packed introduction to the world & there is much more to be revealed.
The main characters are all remarkable, may be a bit too much so at times, but pretty good overall. A hardbitten man, a beautiful mother & her son are the main heroes. They're facing a main set of villains plus a world that is out to eat its own, but nothing is quite as it seems on the surface. Stereotypes mutate suddenly to add depth & deliver a kick in an understated, often bleak tone. Posey isn't afraid to use his characters hard to make his points, either. Excellent. I'm looking forward to reading the next which is due out next year, I believe.
Write faster!
The main characters are all remarkable, may be a bit too much so at times, but pretty good overall. A hardbitten man, a beautiful mother & her son are the main heroes. They're facing a main set of villains plus a world that is out to eat its own, but nothing is quite as it seems on the surface. Stereotypes mutate suddenly to add depth & deliver a kick in an understated, often bleak tone. Posey isn't afraid to use his characters hard to make his points, either. Excellent. I'm looking forward to reading the next which is due out next year, I believe.
Write faster!
December 27, 2013
DNF at 21%.
I just can't anymore.
Some reasons I quit:
1. I have no idea what's going on. What kind of world this is, how it got this way; what kind of people these are, how they got this way. Where it is, when it is, how it is....I've got nothing. This is best as I can figure it.
We're in some vague science-fiction world; maybe earth, maybe some place else. Weirs populate the outside (and it took until 18%ish to get a name/idea of what they were). FYI: They're zombie like creatures with glowing blue eyes that track based on a multitude of things, including characters 'linking (I'll get to that). I have no idea how they came about though. Because of the weirs, humanity has closed themselves up in cities that are locked up tight after dark - apparently the weirs only come out at night? And it's got to be full dark, none of this partial-dusk, mostly dark crap. Also, they apparently communicate with screams and/or screeches.
The characters have some sort of 'link to a central 'net? They can link and find out their global positioning, have access to internal time, get information, and track based on use of this. I don't know why, or how this came about.
There are weird drugs (chems) that people can take to become super strong/fast/smart - but they become addictive to the point where you need them to function later.
2. Characters act in ways that are inconsistent with the world-building.
Enter Three. He's a mercenary? I guess. That was what I imagined him to be considering he was claiming a bounty on someone when we first meet him (unless that's him in the prologue - but I don't really know who that was to be honest). Then he randomly decides to save this woman and child. Next, he continues to help them for a really long time, protecting them despite the woman being an ungrateful person who berates and yells at him for not doing enough (apparently). Also, I have no idea why the mother was in the bar with her son when she first meets Three, and asks him for help. Obvious authorial hand here.
Additionally, Three can kick weir ass. Yet, the rest of humanity can't band together to find the weir and fight them or eliminate them. They're all weak cowards, I guess.
3. Characters that piss me off.
Enter Cass. Previously mentioned mother. She's a quint (the previously mentioned chem) addict with a special son (you know the type - the ONE). She alternates between helpless, bitchy, ungrateful and downright mean. Not to mention that she apparently can't really do anything for herself, and allowed herself AND HER SON to get into a very shady dealing. Though now she is on the run, so at least I can give her that for getting her kid out of it - though he is SEVEN so it took her long enough.
About the time she slapped her son because he wasn't able to find the way out to save them, , I lost all interest in her as a character and pretty much came to hate her.
And that pretty much ended my ability to read this. I was going to keep trying to go, but when my whole weekend went by without me picking up my Kindle because I just couldn't make myself. Time to just stop.
I do think this has potential, and that it's probably going to work great for others. It just isn't working for me.
Perhaps I'll come back to it at some point. Right now I doubt it, though.
Also - if anyone does/did finish this , I would LOVE to know what the hell these people are and/or how the world got this way, etc.
I just can't anymore.
Some reasons I quit:
1. I have no idea what's going on. What kind of world this is, how it got this way; what kind of people these are, how they got this way. Where it is, when it is, how it is....I've got nothing. This is best as I can figure it.
We're in some vague science-fiction world; maybe earth, maybe some place else. Weirs populate the outside (and it took until 18%ish to get a name/idea of what they were). FYI: They're zombie like creatures with glowing blue eyes that track based on a multitude of things, including characters 'linking (I'll get to that). I have no idea how they came about though. Because of the weirs, humanity has closed themselves up in cities that are locked up tight after dark - apparently the weirs only come out at night? And it's got to be full dark, none of this partial-dusk, mostly dark crap. Also, they apparently communicate with screams and/or screeches.
The characters have some sort of 'link to a central 'net? They can link and find out their global positioning, have access to internal time, get information, and track based on use of this. I don't know why, or how this came about.
There are weird drugs (chems) that people can take to become super strong/fast/smart - but they become addictive to the point where you need them to function later.
2. Characters act in ways that are inconsistent with the world-building.
Enter Three. He's a mercenary? I guess. That was what I imagined him to be considering he was claiming a bounty on someone when we first meet him (unless that's him in the prologue - but I don't really know who that was to be honest). Then he randomly decides to save this woman and child. Next, he continues to help them for a really long time, protecting them despite the woman being an ungrateful person who berates and yells at him for not doing enough (apparently). Also, I have no idea why the mother was in the bar with her son when she first meets Three, and asks him for help. Obvious authorial hand here.
Additionally, Three can kick weir ass. Yet, the rest of humanity can't band together to find the weir and fight them or eliminate them. They're all weak cowards, I guess.
3. Characters that piss me off.
Enter Cass. Previously mentioned mother. She's a quint (the previously mentioned chem) addict with a special son (you know the type - the ONE). She alternates between helpless, bitchy, ungrateful and downright mean. Not to mention that she apparently can't really do anything for herself, and allowed herself AND HER SON to get into a very shady dealing. Though now she is on the run, so at least I can give her that for getting her kid out of it - though he is SEVEN so it took her long enough.
About the time she slapped her son because he wasn't able to find the way out to save them, , I lost all interest in her as a character and pretty much came to hate her.
And that pretty much ended my ability to read this. I was going to keep trying to go, but when my whole weekend went by without me picking up my Kindle because I just couldn't make myself. Time to just stop.
I do think this has potential, and that it's probably going to work great for others. It just isn't working for me.
Perhaps I'll come back to it at some point. Right now I doubt it, though.
Also - if anyone does/did finish this , I would LOVE to know what the hell these people are and/or how the world got this way, etc.
May 8, 2016
Cinematic. Visceral. Dramatic. Creative. Poignant. I can't begin to articulate how good Three is without spoiling the immersive experience. Go pick it up for yourself and dive into the stark realism of Jay Posey's world. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll set it down ready for the next one.
June 25, 2013
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with a pre-release copy of Three in exchange for an honest review. This futuristic, post-apocalyptic science fiction novel piqued my interest as soon as I saw it, and I knew even from reading its simple and brief description that I definitely had to check it out.
The story opens, introducing us to a world where society has crumbled and human activity only exists in pockets of safe zones across a devastated landscape. When the sun sets, creatures known as the Weir come forth and the night is filled with their glowing blue eyes and sounds of their electrifying howls. The setting is unmistakably post-apocalyptic and even has the slight feel of a western, but at the same time it appears a significant portion of technology has survived. Throughout this novel you will encounter characters utilizing high-tech weapons, implants, chems, mechanical limbs and the like.
The book features our eponymous protagonist Three, a lone gunman who has turned to bounty hunting to make a living. One day, he emerges from the wasteland to collect on a successful job and encounters a distressed woman pleading for help with her young son in tow. Three has always worked alone and prefers it that way, so he is surprised to find himself accepting the mantel of protector to Cass and her boy Wren. To keep themselves alive, the trio must go on the run to escape the merciless adversaries who are after them.
I remember finishing the prologue and being a little unsure about what to make of it, which really isn't all that unusual given how it typically takes me at least a few chapters to get a feel for a book. But then I read the first chapter which introduces Three, and I was hooked. There's just something about him that makes the reader want to learn more, his character being a man of few words notwithstanding. While Three may play to the familiar dangerous-looking-but-honorable-tough-guy archetype with simple and straightforward motivations, the author definitely knows how to present his character as someone you want to root for right away.
I also liked the trust and respect that develops between Three and Cass over the course of their journey. To me it felt really natural and gradual, even with the many trying yet justifiable obstacles along the way. Cass loves her son Wren and guards him with the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cub, so it's such an engrossing process to see her views evolve as she begins to accept Three and make room for him in their lives.
I very much enjoyed the setting as well, which I talked a bit about at the beginning of this review. There are elements of it that will be familiar to readers of post-apocalyptic science fiction, but it also feels unique. My one regret is that the book didn't provide as much context as I'd have liked, such as how the world became this way, how some of this strange and awesome technology came about, what gave rise to the Weir and where they go during the daytime and how they turn others into one of them, etc. None of this information is necessary to understand and follow the story, of course, but my curiosity gets the better of me sometimes, and it sucks having these questions hang at the back of my mind as I'm reading, especially for such a fascinating world.
Needless to say, for a debut novel, I thought this was very impressive. Three may be a little light on plot, but I like that it makes up for this with its fast pacing and well-written action sequences, sometimes alternating between the viewpoints of the various characters like you see in movies, creating this atmosphere of danger and suspense.
If his goal was to leave me wanting to know more about these characters and this world, then Jay Posey definitely succeeded. I wasn't sure before if this was going to be a series and if there were going to be any more books, since the story's ending tied up rather nice and neatly (which was a nice plus). But then some digging around showed me that Legends of the Duskwalker is indeed going to be a series, so I'll be sure to be on the lookout for more by this author in the future. There's still so much I want to know about the history of some of these characters, how they got to where they were, and what else is in store for them.
More reviews at The BiblioSanctum
The story opens, introducing us to a world where society has crumbled and human activity only exists in pockets of safe zones across a devastated landscape. When the sun sets, creatures known as the Weir come forth and the night is filled with their glowing blue eyes and sounds of their electrifying howls. The setting is unmistakably post-apocalyptic and even has the slight feel of a western, but at the same time it appears a significant portion of technology has survived. Throughout this novel you will encounter characters utilizing high-tech weapons, implants, chems, mechanical limbs and the like.
The book features our eponymous protagonist Three, a lone gunman who has turned to bounty hunting to make a living. One day, he emerges from the wasteland to collect on a successful job and encounters a distressed woman pleading for help with her young son in tow. Three has always worked alone and prefers it that way, so he is surprised to find himself accepting the mantel of protector to Cass and her boy Wren. To keep themselves alive, the trio must go on the run to escape the merciless adversaries who are after them.
I remember finishing the prologue and being a little unsure about what to make of it, which really isn't all that unusual given how it typically takes me at least a few chapters to get a feel for a book. But then I read the first chapter which introduces Three, and I was hooked. There's just something about him that makes the reader want to learn more, his character being a man of few words notwithstanding. While Three may play to the familiar dangerous-looking-but-honorable-tough-guy archetype with simple and straightforward motivations, the author definitely knows how to present his character as someone you want to root for right away.
I also liked the trust and respect that develops between Three and Cass over the course of their journey. To me it felt really natural and gradual, even with the many trying yet justifiable obstacles along the way. Cass loves her son Wren and guards him with the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cub, so it's such an engrossing process to see her views evolve as she begins to accept Three and make room for him in their lives.
I very much enjoyed the setting as well, which I talked a bit about at the beginning of this review. There are elements of it that will be familiar to readers of post-apocalyptic science fiction, but it also feels unique. My one regret is that the book didn't provide as much context as I'd have liked, such as how the world became this way, how some of this strange and awesome technology came about, what gave rise to the Weir and where they go during the daytime and how they turn others into one of them, etc. None of this information is necessary to understand and follow the story, of course, but my curiosity gets the better of me sometimes, and it sucks having these questions hang at the back of my mind as I'm reading, especially for such a fascinating world.
Needless to say, for a debut novel, I thought this was very impressive. Three may be a little light on plot, but I like that it makes up for this with its fast pacing and well-written action sequences, sometimes alternating between the viewpoints of the various characters like you see in movies, creating this atmosphere of danger and suspense.
If his goal was to leave me wanting to know more about these characters and this world, then Jay Posey definitely succeeded. I wasn't sure before if this was going to be a series and if there were going to be any more books, since the story's ending tied up rather nice and neatly (which was a nice plus). But then some digging around showed me that Legends of the Duskwalker is indeed going to be a series, so I'll be sure to be on the lookout for more by this author in the future. There's still so much I want to know about the history of some of these characters, how they got to where they were, and what else is in store for them.
More reviews at The BiblioSanctum
January 30, 2021
I was expecting Michael Bay,
what I got was Christopher Nolan.
There were unexpected moments of real emotion in here that are that much more impactful because of their out-of-left-field-ness. I picked this up because I needed something fast and action-y, the last book I read was sort of a turd, and Three was everything I was looking for and so much more. Three kind of drops you in the middle of a chase scene and while not non-stop action for the whole book, it does keep its forward momentum for the entire length and doesn't skimp on the blood and guts and entrails... BUT! But, this book's strong point is the characters and in their interactions. This is what pulled me in completely. Posey nails the tense interactions, the funny moments, the sad and tearful reunions and separations and does all of this while expanding on the world and filling in TONS of background details and delivering a killer overall story.
Three starts out small but not simple. It gives you a few characters, an intriguing underlying mystery, then after making you totally care about everyone involved Posey throws everyone and everything in a blender and drags you kicking, screaming, and saddened to the finish line. Not to be left on a total downer though, he instills a modicum of hope and sets up the anticipation of an excellent sequel.
It's no secret that I LOVE Angry Robot Publishing and I think this is the twenty-fifth or so release I've read of theirs, and this keeps that tradition going (even if this was written YEARS ago [I'm mad at myself for just now reading it]).
what I got was Christopher Nolan.
There were unexpected moments of real emotion in here that are that much more impactful because of their out-of-left-field-ness. I picked this up because I needed something fast and action-y, the last book I read was sort of a turd, and Three was everything I was looking for and so much more. Three kind of drops you in the middle of a chase scene and while not non-stop action for the whole book, it does keep its forward momentum for the entire length and doesn't skimp on the blood and guts and entrails... BUT! But, this book's strong point is the characters and in their interactions. This is what pulled me in completely. Posey nails the tense interactions, the funny moments, the sad and tearful reunions and separations and does all of this while expanding on the world and filling in TONS of background details and delivering a killer overall story.
Three starts out small but not simple. It gives you a few characters, an intriguing underlying mystery, then after making you totally care about everyone involved Posey throws everyone and everything in a blender and drags you kicking, screaming, and saddened to the finish line. Not to be left on a total downer though, he instills a modicum of hope and sets up the anticipation of an excellent sequel.
It's no secret that I LOVE Angry Robot Publishing and I think this is the twenty-fifth or so release I've read of theirs, and this keeps that tradition going (even if this was written YEARS ago [I'm mad at myself for just now reading it]).
June 26, 2013
Received this to review from Netgalley. I enjoy most Angry Robot books, but this one was a cut above. They normally have new and intriguing ideas, but this was a whole world that felt organic, revealed slowly, with no unnecessary detail. The whole idea of the Weir was perfect -- enough information that they were frightening, but not so much that the mystery went out of it and left them ridiculous. They're sort of zombies. High tech zombies. They're not invulnerable, and their danger isn't hyped up unbearably -- danger comes from all around: the Weir, basic survival, and the gang on Three's heels.
I didn't expect some of the twists this book took; some were obvious after another previous turning point had been passed, and yet at the same time it wasn't obvious that that would have to be the outcome. And I loved the way the characters developed: the way relationships slowly grew between them, and the way that very little could be seen as black and white.
Ultimately, I don't know how to talk about this book without spoiling the experience. It's a little bit of a Western, a little bit sci-fi, a little bit horror survival story. It's absorbing and well-written, and surprised me on many fronts, and I'll rec it to everyone once it's published. If you have a Netgalley account, this is one not to be missed; if you're an Angry Robot fan, part of the Robot Army, likewise; if you're not, may I suggest that this is a most excellent place to start?
I didn't expect some of the twists this book took; some were obvious after another previous turning point had been passed, and yet at the same time it wasn't obvious that that would have to be the outcome. And I loved the way the characters developed: the way relationships slowly grew between them, and the way that very little could be seen as black and white.
Ultimately, I don't know how to talk about this book without spoiling the experience. It's a little bit of a Western, a little bit sci-fi, a little bit horror survival story. It's absorbing and well-written, and surprised me on many fronts, and I'll rec it to everyone once it's published. If you have a Netgalley account, this is one not to be missed; if you're an Angry Robot fan, part of the Robot Army, likewise; if you're not, may I suggest that this is a most excellent place to start?
March 7, 2016
This is a post apocalyptic, fast paced story that pulled me in from the start. Not my favorite genre but this is one of the few that I could stick with and enjoy. The characters were original and the world was believable, without being over the top, or violent every second.
A roughneck bounty hunter who keeps his secrets to himself is thrown into a position where he feels responsible for a mother and a child. They find themselves on the run from a group of miscreants that have special talents and a sinister agenda that not even they can imagine. As their journey together unfurls, the bounty hunter starts to realize that he is not the only one who has secrets. Inventful and interesting with moments of tenderness. Luke Daniels does a good job with all of the different voices.
A roughneck bounty hunter who keeps his secrets to himself is thrown into a position where he feels responsible for a mother and a child. They find themselves on the run from a group of miscreants that have special talents and a sinister agenda that not even they can imagine. As their journey together unfurls, the bounty hunter starts to realize that he is not the only one who has secrets. Inventful and interesting with moments of tenderness. Luke Daniels does a good job with all of the different voices.
August 24, 2015
Probably the best post-apocalyptic novel I've read in the past two years. I really enjoyed the setting and Three. He was one of those guys you don't want to like, but end up liking because he's inherently good, no matter how much bad shi* he does.
The world Posey has developed is really cool, and the Weir are unlike anything I've read about. My only complaint is the lack of information on them. I suppose that was the point, but I really wanted to know more about their origin.
The world Posey has developed is really cool, and the Weir are unlike anything I've read about. My only complaint is the lack of information on them. I suppose that was the point, but I really wanted to know more about their origin.
October 30, 2025
Stars: 2.5 out of 5
I really wanted to like this book. I am a sucker for a good post-apocalyptic story, so I had high hopes. And that cover is amazing.
The book started strong, and I really connected with Three, even if I was confused about the different pieces of worldbuilding the book was throwing at me left and right. Surely, everything will get explained eventually, I thought. Right?
Wrong. NOTHING is explained. We have a world surviving some earth-shattering technological catastrophe that left everything in pretty much ruins. Yet it seems like advanced technology still works. I mean, all the people born in this world have a genetically implanted ability to connect to satellites to check the time, use GPS, ping each other, etc. So that means that the satellites are still functional... How exactly? Without constant monitoring from the surface and course corrections, all of them would have slowly drifted out of orbit and burned in the atmosphere.
At one point, it's also mentioned that people can upload their consciousness into a digital afterlife before they die, but where exactly are those servers kept? That's a lot of data that would require a lot of processing power and infrastructure. It's not like it can exist in thin air alone. So are there still places with advanced enough technology to keep the satellites and other complex systems functioning? Don't know. It's never mentioned.
The same catastrophe presumably also created the Weir, but we never get any explanation as to what those Weir really are or where they come from. Why do they attack at night and hide during the day? Are they all part of a technological hive mind? Do they infect other connected people or reuse the bodies of those they kill?
And speaking of uploading and leaving their bodies behind. It's mentioned at one point that one of the characters uploaded, but then came back into his body, even though it's implied that that is not possible... And afterwards, it's never mentioned again. All the characters just shrug at something that is clearly abnormal and just go on about their business.
And this whole book is like that - the author throws in a concept or mentions some kind of event, but never expands on it. Nothing is ever explained. It's hard to understand the hardships the characters are facing if we aren't clear about the rules of this world. What is the Strand? We are told that it's mortally dangerous, but it's never explained why. And the Weir's behavior also changes depending on what the author needs it to be. In the beginning of the book, Three mentions to Cass that if they stay silent and "unplugged", the Weir won't sense them. Yet, the Weir find them anyway in the Strand, so which is it?
My other issue is with the characters. While I liked Three, I was a lot less happy with Cass and Wren. I mean, Cass doesn't have much personality apart from Mama Bear when Wren is concerned and a damsel in distress when he isn't. We are told that she was a valued member of RushRuin, but why exactly? What was it that she brought to the table?
And once again, this is where the lack of worldbuilding is hurting characterisation. Cass is augmenting her body and mind with chems, and it's killing her, but we never get a real explanation as to why. What is the difference between the chems named in this book? Why is quint so dangerous? How exactly is it killing her? How is all this produced if most of the world is in ruins? Also, what are the limitations? See, I cannot tell when Cass is doing something normal, or phenomenal, or even extremely dangerous because I have no clue what quint is supposed to do to her.
I was okay with Wren, because even though he is the Special One, he behaved like a normal 5 year old child for most of the book. A scared child who is out of his depth and forced to see and confront some pretty ugly things.
What I didn't like was that Three transformed from this ultra-compenent survivalist, a lethal warrior who roamed the desolation between various human enclaves for years, into a self-doubting wreck of a man who couldn't do anything right. Also, I wasn't sold on the sudden affection he developed for Cass. Sorry, don't buy it. Grudging respect - yes, care for her and Wren - absolutely, but love to the point of sacrifice? Erm, nope.
It is hinted that she reminded Three of someone he had loved and failed to protect, but once again, the lack of worldbuilding does a disservice to the characters. We get brief mentions of Three's past, but not enough to explain his behavior. Like what ties him to jCharles and his wife? Where does his guilt come from? What was this House he was created in and for what purpose? Also, WHEN was that?
In the end, I was left with a lot more questions than answers and a very vague worldbuilding that left me frustrated and unengaged most of the book. And the final confrontation with Asher was just ridiculous. Talk about a one-dimensional villain with no redeeming qualities. It begs to question, if Asher was such a horrible human being, why didn't the other members of RushRuin do him in or walk away from him? Most of them seemed like decent people and were powerful in their own right, so he must have had some kind of hold on them.
Anyway, I am not sure if there are more explanations about this world in the next book, and I am not even sure I feel like continuing with this series.
I really wanted to like this book. I am a sucker for a good post-apocalyptic story, so I had high hopes. And that cover is amazing.
The book started strong, and I really connected with Three, even if I was confused about the different pieces of worldbuilding the book was throwing at me left and right. Surely, everything will get explained eventually, I thought. Right?
Wrong. NOTHING is explained. We have a world surviving some earth-shattering technological catastrophe that left everything in pretty much ruins. Yet it seems like advanced technology still works. I mean, all the people born in this world have a genetically implanted ability to connect to satellites to check the time, use GPS, ping each other, etc. So that means that the satellites are still functional... How exactly? Without constant monitoring from the surface and course corrections, all of them would have slowly drifted out of orbit and burned in the atmosphere.
At one point, it's also mentioned that people can upload their consciousness into a digital afterlife before they die, but where exactly are those servers kept? That's a lot of data that would require a lot of processing power and infrastructure. It's not like it can exist in thin air alone. So are there still places with advanced enough technology to keep the satellites and other complex systems functioning? Don't know. It's never mentioned.
The same catastrophe presumably also created the Weir, but we never get any explanation as to what those Weir really are or where they come from. Why do they attack at night and hide during the day? Are they all part of a technological hive mind? Do they infect other connected people or reuse the bodies of those they kill?
And speaking of uploading and leaving their bodies behind. It's mentioned at one point that one of the characters uploaded, but then came back into his body, even though it's implied that that is not possible... And afterwards, it's never mentioned again. All the characters just shrug at something that is clearly abnormal and just go on about their business.
And this whole book is like that - the author throws in a concept or mentions some kind of event, but never expands on it. Nothing is ever explained. It's hard to understand the hardships the characters are facing if we aren't clear about the rules of this world. What is the Strand? We are told that it's mortally dangerous, but it's never explained why. And the Weir's behavior also changes depending on what the author needs it to be. In the beginning of the book, Three mentions to Cass that if they stay silent and "unplugged", the Weir won't sense them. Yet, the Weir find them anyway in the Strand, so which is it?
My other issue is with the characters. While I liked Three, I was a lot less happy with Cass and Wren. I mean, Cass doesn't have much personality apart from Mama Bear when Wren is concerned and a damsel in distress when he isn't. We are told that she was a valued member of RushRuin, but why exactly? What was it that she brought to the table?
And once again, this is where the lack of worldbuilding is hurting characterisation. Cass is augmenting her body and mind with chems, and it's killing her, but we never get a real explanation as to why. What is the difference between the chems named in this book? Why is quint so dangerous? How exactly is it killing her? How is all this produced if most of the world is in ruins? Also, what are the limitations? See, I cannot tell when Cass is doing something normal, or phenomenal, or even extremely dangerous because I have no clue what quint is supposed to do to her.
I was okay with Wren, because even though he is the Special One, he behaved like a normal 5 year old child for most of the book. A scared child who is out of his depth and forced to see and confront some pretty ugly things.
What I didn't like was that Three transformed from this ultra-compenent survivalist, a lethal warrior who roamed the desolation between various human enclaves for years, into a self-doubting wreck of a man who couldn't do anything right. Also, I wasn't sold on the sudden affection he developed for Cass. Sorry, don't buy it. Grudging respect - yes, care for her and Wren - absolutely, but love to the point of sacrifice? Erm, nope.
It is hinted that she reminded Three of someone he had loved and failed to protect, but once again, the lack of worldbuilding does a disservice to the characters. We get brief mentions of Three's past, but not enough to explain his behavior. Like what ties him to jCharles and his wife? Where does his guilt come from? What was this House he was created in and for what purpose? Also, WHEN was that?
In the end, I was left with a lot more questions than answers and a very vague worldbuilding that left me frustrated and unengaged most of the book. And the final confrontation with Asher was just ridiculous. Talk about a one-dimensional villain with no redeeming qualities. It begs to question, if Asher was such a horrible human being, why didn't the other members of RushRuin do him in or walk away from him? Most of them seemed like decent people and were powerful in their own right, so he must have had some kind of hold on them.
Anyway, I am not sure if there are more explanations about this world in the next book, and I am not even sure I feel like continuing with this series.
July 27, 2013
The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/07/....
“A fun, action packed read that serves as a solid debut – I’m on board for Book Two for certain.” ~The Founding Fields
All too often, I find myself either reading or requesting a book to review purely based on its cover, and Jay Posey’s Three is certainly no exception. I mean – just look at it. Sure, it may fill the bill of a hooded-man clichéd cover, but its design really drew me in, and I was eagerly awaiting the chance to read this book. And when I started it, at first – I was somewhat let down. It wasn’t as enthralling as I thought it would be, and it wasn’t as gripping early on. Until I got to a certain moment in the book, when the pace really got going and the book itself really got interesting. From then onwards – I couldn’t put it down. Three took me on a whirlwind ride through the Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic setting and builds to a fantastic conclusion, with an awesome climax. There are several things that I enjoyed about this novel once I got into it – but I just wish that It had been able to hook me in right from the start.
But that’s pretty much one of the few flaws that I had with Three. The rest of the book is really awesome, and very engaging – and I’m glad that this is the first part of the Legends of the Duskwalker series.
"The world has collapsed, and there are no heroes any more.
But when a lone gunman reluctantly accepts the mantel of protector to a young boy and his dying mother against the forces that pursue them, a hero may yet arise."
Three’s blurb is sharp and to the point, and the same could be said about its dramatis personae. Three as a name works two ways – not only is it the name of the titular character, but also the book follows a cast of three main heroes, Wren a six year old boy with some rather unique abilities, and his mother – Cass, a fighter who depends on drugs to operate – aka a chemic. The lesser cast are mainly antagonists, such as Asher, Dagon and more – most of them being well rounded and interesting. The smaller cast really allows for more time to be spent on establishing the dominant characters, and because we’re not introduced to a new one every other chapter, we don’t get ourselves detracted from the adventures of Wren, Cass and Three.
ThreeThe book itself, despite being set in the future, feels more like a Western at times – despite the clear elements of science fiction terminology and mechanics. Pretty much every place that the characters visit is desecrated and destroyed, really ramming home its post apocalyptic setting. Expect lots of wastelands and ruined cities here – with Three being a book that successfully avoids falling into the trap of info-dumping, allowing for the pace to move along pretty quickly once it grabs you in.
Just don’t expect the book to grab you in almost instantly though – I wasn’t enthralled in from the get go. It took a while for everything to fall into place for me, but the book certainly got more interesting later on, and as a result – I was glad that I stuck with it – for the ending certainly pays off. Another flaw that some people might have with Three is that there’s also a lack of world building – the world isn’t really fleshed out. Whilst this may bother some, I didn’t find it as that much of an issue. We don’t really know how the world came to be a post apocalyptic setting and neither do we know why there are certain people with special powers. Some people may find this more of an issue than me, however.
Jay Posey’s debut is pretty solid despite the aformentioned issues. If you’re a fan of gritty, dark, fast paced and action packed books - you’ll love Three. It moves along at a breakneck pace and doesn’t let up. Three is a badass lead character with loads of promise and undergoes interesting development over the course of the novel – and if you’re a fan of this sort of setting and concept, I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty impressive, so I can offer my recommendation behind it. Count me in for Book Two, though – particularly if the cover’s as awesome as this one.
VERDICT: 3.5/5
“A fun, action packed read that serves as a solid debut – I’m on board for Book Two for certain.” ~The Founding Fields
All too often, I find myself either reading or requesting a book to review purely based on its cover, and Jay Posey’s Three is certainly no exception. I mean – just look at it. Sure, it may fill the bill of a hooded-man clichéd cover, but its design really drew me in, and I was eagerly awaiting the chance to read this book. And when I started it, at first – I was somewhat let down. It wasn’t as enthralling as I thought it would be, and it wasn’t as gripping early on. Until I got to a certain moment in the book, when the pace really got going and the book itself really got interesting. From then onwards – I couldn’t put it down. Three took me on a whirlwind ride through the Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic setting and builds to a fantastic conclusion, with an awesome climax. There are several things that I enjoyed about this novel once I got into it – but I just wish that It had been able to hook me in right from the start.
But that’s pretty much one of the few flaws that I had with Three. The rest of the book is really awesome, and very engaging – and I’m glad that this is the first part of the Legends of the Duskwalker series.
"The world has collapsed, and there are no heroes any more.
But when a lone gunman reluctantly accepts the mantel of protector to a young boy and his dying mother against the forces that pursue them, a hero may yet arise."
Three’s blurb is sharp and to the point, and the same could be said about its dramatis personae. Three as a name works two ways – not only is it the name of the titular character, but also the book follows a cast of three main heroes, Wren a six year old boy with some rather unique abilities, and his mother – Cass, a fighter who depends on drugs to operate – aka a chemic. The lesser cast are mainly antagonists, such as Asher, Dagon and more – most of them being well rounded and interesting. The smaller cast really allows for more time to be spent on establishing the dominant characters, and because we’re not introduced to a new one every other chapter, we don’t get ourselves detracted from the adventures of Wren, Cass and Three.
ThreeThe book itself, despite being set in the future, feels more like a Western at times – despite the clear elements of science fiction terminology and mechanics. Pretty much every place that the characters visit is desecrated and destroyed, really ramming home its post apocalyptic setting. Expect lots of wastelands and ruined cities here – with Three being a book that successfully avoids falling into the trap of info-dumping, allowing for the pace to move along pretty quickly once it grabs you in.
Just don’t expect the book to grab you in almost instantly though – I wasn’t enthralled in from the get go. It took a while for everything to fall into place for me, but the book certainly got more interesting later on, and as a result – I was glad that I stuck with it – for the ending certainly pays off. Another flaw that some people might have with Three is that there’s also a lack of world building – the world isn’t really fleshed out. Whilst this may bother some, I didn’t find it as that much of an issue. We don’t really know how the world came to be a post apocalyptic setting and neither do we know why there are certain people with special powers. Some people may find this more of an issue than me, however.
Jay Posey’s debut is pretty solid despite the aformentioned issues. If you’re a fan of gritty, dark, fast paced and action packed books - you’ll love Three. It moves along at a breakneck pace and doesn’t let up. Three is a badass lead character with loads of promise and undergoes interesting development over the course of the novel – and if you’re a fan of this sort of setting and concept, I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty impressive, so I can offer my recommendation behind it. Count me in for Book Two, though – particularly if the cover’s as awesome as this one.
VERDICT: 3.5/5
October 6, 2013
The moment when you read a memory which is shared with the character and you realize you both just figured it out ... at the same time.
Wow was uttered so much throughout this book my husband wondered if I was reading erotica, which I don't read (that and the squealing).
Post-Apocalyptic Fan? Pick this book up. Like books with a bleak outlook and very little hope? Pick this book up. Like books with a touch of sci-fi and make you feel cool reading them? Pick this book up. Do I sound like a fan-girl? Well I am. Jay Posey created an amazing world for me to immerse myself in.
The protagonist is someone who, as you can see on another of Angry Robots commissioned covers, stays in the shadows, keeps to himself and survives. He comes into the light when he needs to. What drives him? Who knows! This book made me feel like I did when reading parts of R. McCammon's "Swan Song", Nevil Shute's "On the Beach" and even Stephen King's "The Stand". My heart would race, or stomach drop. I would think "How would I do this? Wait, you could use that for..."
Post-Apocalyptic books have always been an exploration for me into my own favorite playground of bleakness. I love the idea of it all, but I am also the girl who is obsessed with the black plague and the zombie apocalypse, so go figure.
Oh wait, zombies? Did I mention zombies? OK I tease :) there are no zombies but there are monsters in this one, and they used to be people but they have been taken over by something and are called Weir. I won't go into it, not important but what is important is that they come out during times of darkness so there are a few things very important. One, post-apocalyptic, no cars.. (There is a train… but it is… oh dear, spoilers) If you are going to go on a walk about you have to be inside and behind a safe wall before dark which means you have to time your walks or you are dead.
Now the interesting thing about this post-apocalyptic world is that tech is still around, even the monsters have tech or are part of it. People are part of the tech, they are born with it, and they sense it. Three is special, and I will let you figure that out for yourself.
I will say this is a book about the characters, about a man who lives a life for himself and who finds out how to let folks in and the costs of doing so, the good and the bad. It is about the people. This is, for me, what makes a post-apocalyptic book, the story about what happens to the people.
In the end… oh the end? The beginning of the end? Mysteries are left unanswered, lives are lost and people’s lives changed forever, hopefully including yours. I held off reviewing this for a bit… and ended up reading it a second time finding even more joy again. I high recommend those who like true dystopic post-apocalyptic looking through a pair of dirty cracked goggles at a bleak world with the sunrise trying to break across the horizon… maybe it will make it up maybe it won’t.
Jay Posey made me want to shake a stick at him and occasionally smack him around and also lick his brain pan on more than one occasion during this read! I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author! He earned every star I give him and more! Oh and a lot of bacon delight (yes, there has to be bacon involving this guy, he rocks, I would give him my bacon)!
Wow was uttered so much throughout this book my husband wondered if I was reading erotica, which I don't read (that and the squealing).
Post-Apocalyptic Fan? Pick this book up. Like books with a bleak outlook and very little hope? Pick this book up. Like books with a touch of sci-fi and make you feel cool reading them? Pick this book up. Do I sound like a fan-girl? Well I am. Jay Posey created an amazing world for me to immerse myself in.
The protagonist is someone who, as you can see on another of Angry Robots commissioned covers, stays in the shadows, keeps to himself and survives. He comes into the light when he needs to. What drives him? Who knows! This book made me feel like I did when reading parts of R. McCammon's "Swan Song", Nevil Shute's "On the Beach" and even Stephen King's "The Stand". My heart would race, or stomach drop. I would think "How would I do this? Wait, you could use that for..."
Post-Apocalyptic books have always been an exploration for me into my own favorite playground of bleakness. I love the idea of it all, but I am also the girl who is obsessed with the black plague and the zombie apocalypse, so go figure.
Oh wait, zombies? Did I mention zombies? OK I tease :) there are no zombies but there are monsters in this one, and they used to be people but they have been taken over by something and are called Weir. I won't go into it, not important but what is important is that they come out during times of darkness so there are a few things very important. One, post-apocalyptic, no cars.. (There is a train… but it is… oh dear, spoilers) If you are going to go on a walk about you have to be inside and behind a safe wall before dark which means you have to time your walks or you are dead.
Now the interesting thing about this post-apocalyptic world is that tech is still around, even the monsters have tech or are part of it. People are part of the tech, they are born with it, and they sense it. Three is special, and I will let you figure that out for yourself.
I will say this is a book about the characters, about a man who lives a life for himself and who finds out how to let folks in and the costs of doing so, the good and the bad. It is about the people. This is, for me, what makes a post-apocalyptic book, the story about what happens to the people.
In the end… oh the end? The beginning of the end? Mysteries are left unanswered, lives are lost and people’s lives changed forever, hopefully including yours. I held off reviewing this for a bit… and ended up reading it a second time finding even more joy again. I high recommend those who like true dystopic post-apocalyptic looking through a pair of dirty cracked goggles at a bleak world with the sunrise trying to break across the horizon… maybe it will make it up maybe it won’t.
Jay Posey made me want to shake a stick at him and occasionally smack him around and also lick his brain pan on more than one occasion during this read! I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author! He earned every star I give him and more! Oh and a lot of bacon delight (yes, there has to be bacon involving this guy, he rocks, I would give him my bacon)!
July 25, 2013
I still visit the world of Three from time to time. I feel the dry, arid landscape. I hear the rusted scrap metal banging in the cold wind as the sun begins to set. I see the glowing blue lights in the distant darkness.
I still wonder what happened. How the world ended up this way. What went wrong.
I think about Three, about Cass, and about Wren. I can picture each of them. Their demeanor. Their struggles.
I can visit this world, much like I can take a quick trip to "The Book of Eli", "I Am Legend", or "The Walking Dead". I don't remember all the details, but I know the place. I've been there before.
That's what makes Jay Posey's "Three" such a great read. It's vivid. Almost real. No, it is real. Not because of the world he paints. In fact, it's practically the opposite. It's his ability to not define it. To simply outline this place, this future, and let you fill it in. The time. The scenery. The history.
It's precisely this unique writing style that emphasizes the characters. The story. The relationships. The tension and the turmoil.
And it's this tension and turmoil that grab you. That pull you in. That keep you from putting the book down.
Trust me. I'm not even a fan of scifi. Perhaps on the big screen, but not on paper. I don't read scifi. I read non-fiction. Books about business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Honestly, when Jay, who I should mention is a friend of mine, asked me to read a draft of his first novel, "Three", I agreed, but with a caveat. I reminded him that I don't read scifi (I hardly read fiction). So I told him not to take it personally if it took me a few weeks, or even months. to get through it.
He emailed me a draft... 72 hours later I was done. I, literally, could not put it down.
"Three" is a great story. Not just for die-hard scifi, post-apocolyptic, zombie-loving, dystopia enthusiasts. It's a great story for anyone who loves to read.
But don't take my word for it...
I still wonder what happened. How the world ended up this way. What went wrong.
I think about Three, about Cass, and about Wren. I can picture each of them. Their demeanor. Their struggles.
I can visit this world, much like I can take a quick trip to "The Book of Eli", "I Am Legend", or "The Walking Dead". I don't remember all the details, but I know the place. I've been there before.
That's what makes Jay Posey's "Three" such a great read. It's vivid. Almost real. No, it is real. Not because of the world he paints. In fact, it's practically the opposite. It's his ability to not define it. To simply outline this place, this future, and let you fill it in. The time. The scenery. The history.
It's precisely this unique writing style that emphasizes the characters. The story. The relationships. The tension and the turmoil.
And it's this tension and turmoil that grab you. That pull you in. That keep you from putting the book down.
Trust me. I'm not even a fan of scifi. Perhaps on the big screen, but not on paper. I don't read scifi. I read non-fiction. Books about business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Honestly, when Jay, who I should mention is a friend of mine, asked me to read a draft of his first novel, "Three", I agreed, but with a caveat. I reminded him that I don't read scifi (I hardly read fiction). So I told him not to take it personally if it took me a few weeks, or even months. to get through it.
He emailed me a draft... 72 hours later I was done. I, literally, could not put it down.
"Three" is a great story. Not just for die-hard scifi, post-apocolyptic, zombie-loving, dystopia enthusiasts. It's a great story for anyone who loves to read.
But don't take my word for it...
May 12, 2016
What an intense ride this was. Never really let up from the first page to the last.
Not much world building or character development, but man was it exciting. The world does seem pretty interesting, from the little we're given, and I wonder if the following books delve deeper into it.
If you're looking for a fast-paced, futuristic thriller you could do a lot worse than this one
Not much world building or character development, but man was it exciting. The world does seem pretty interesting, from the little we're given, and I wonder if the following books delve deeper into it.
If you're looking for a fast-paced, futuristic thriller you could do a lot worse than this one
July 29, 2017
Sometimes I come across stories that are so well-written but also so safe and undemanding in their tropes and structures that I'm simultaneously enchanted and bored. Three is one such story. Immediately recognizable to anyone with even a passing knowledge of post-apocalyptic stories, it nonetheless has all the hallmarks of an exciting, well-paced, thoroughly plotted novel. Jay Posey has a talent for narrative, both in the sense of the twists and turns that keep you reading, as well as the little flourishes that add to the characters. Three is a post-apocalyptic road story in the vein of Mad Max, but it also reaches back and borrows from Greek tragedy and more cyberpunk dystopian worlds. The result, surprisingly, is not a mess; unfortunately, it also doesn't wow me.
Posey drops us into the story with little concern for exposition or background story, and this works really well. I think this is a good call in general--if your book opens with a monologue scrawl, why?--but sometimes, in attempting to execute it, authors just leave me too confused or not invested. Posey hits the balance perfectly; he drops terms, for example, that obviously mean something specific--like disconnected--without really explaining what they mean. You have to just keep reading, pick things up from context, while you accompany these characters on their journey. Far from being frustrating, the lack of exposition keeps the story streamlined and accessible.
It probably helps too, as I said above, that Posey leans heavily on all the tropes you'd expect in such a story. You've got your walled enclaves of "civilization" (such as it is) dotted across an unlivable hellscape. You've got the people in power, the people with power, and the people who want power. You've got your allies and support characters, your enemies and your minions, and of course, the "good guys", fighting the good fight with their cool guns and minor superpowers. You've got your badass action hero, your kickass action heroine, and your creepy child with powers neither he nor the other characters completely understand but which, of course, turn out to be very useful and plot-specific.
These tropes are all well-executed; this novel runs like a smoothly-oiled machine. It's a pleasure to read in that sense. Yet, perhaps for this very reason, the novel is a little boring. These tropes are all there is. Three is enjoyable but eminently predictable and safe.
And some of these tropes aren't all that positive, either. They could stand with some subversion. Take the trio of Three, Cass, and Wren, for instance. I don't mean to rag on Cass too much, because I genuinely like her character and, for the most part, the way that Posey portrays her. She's strong and competent but also clearly stressed by the ongoing peril she finds herself in. But at times she is reduced to the "mama bear protecting her cub", and motherhood becomes her overriding trait. She exists as the parental safety net for Wren, as a damsel in distress--and even though this damsel is capable of fighting back by herself, pairing her up with the very masculine and hyper-competent Three just makes for an extremely standard setup.
It would have been so much cooler if Three were a woman or nonbinary and he and Cass could have a queer thing going on (either platonic or romantic or ambiguous, doesn't matter). Or even if Posey had gender-swapped, making Three a woman bounty hunter and Cass a father on the run with his child.
I know there's a fine line between critiquing a book for missed opportunities and criticizing a book too harshly for not being an entirely different thing that you want. Still, I just feel like Three could have been awesome if Posey had taken more chances with the characters, settings, and plot elements.
I'm going to digress now into a more general rumination on post-apocalyptic fiction; my comments here don't necessarily apply to Three solely or even at all, but these thoughts occurred during and after reading this book.
It strikes me there is something very Eurocentric, Western, and fetishistic about most of our post-apocalyptic literature. That is to say, the stock vision of the "hellscape", if you will, is often something already experienced by people around the world. Broken cities separated by vast distances now difficult to traverse, roving gangs of thieves and ex-soldiers regurgitated by the latest in a cycle of strife and civil wars--these are not hypotheticals but are actualities for people who grow up in regions like Sudan and Darfur, in Syria now, etc. When we construct fictional post-apocalyptic worlds that resemble these locations, then, are we colonizing these spaces all over again? Are we engaging in a kind of literary crisis tourism? Is this our equivalent of nineteenth-century novelists writing escapist penny dreadfuls set in the "primitive and untamed wilds" of South America?
Three and other such stories with a Mad Max tone to them feature rugged protagonists fighting for survival against the eternally unjust world of their dystopia. In this way, post-apocalyptic fiction serves as a kind of morality play for the modern age: in this broken future, the individual can endure by being good and strong and fighting back against all odds. This is part of the appeal of post-apocalyptic fiction despite its bleak and often devastating settings and events: if individuals can fight and endure even in such dangerous places, then we must be able to survive our 9 to 5s.
Post-apocalyptic fiction is a speculative attempt to recreate the frontier-like feeling of the Wild West, replete with science-fictional technologies and miracles of one's choosing. The core group of protagonists, as our heroes, receive the privilege of being individuals. They often square off against faceless enemies--hordes of zombies (or the Weir, here) or barbarian groups, real or mythological or fictional-but-loosely-based-on-real groups. But the whole conceit of the Wild West is very Eurocentric--it is itself a revisionist construct designed to legitimize settlement and manifest destiny. So when we recreate the Wild West in fictional futures, it's worth examining the elements of colonialist thinking that we drag along into those futures.
I don't know if any of that makes sense. And, as a I said a few paragraphs above, I'm not sure how much of this applies to Three specifically. Like I said, it just occurred to me, and I wanted to record these thoughts.
Posey drops us into the story with little concern for exposition or background story, and this works really well. I think this is a good call in general--if your book opens with a monologue scrawl, why?--but sometimes, in attempting to execute it, authors just leave me too confused or not invested. Posey hits the balance perfectly; he drops terms, for example, that obviously mean something specific--like disconnected--without really explaining what they mean. You have to just keep reading, pick things up from context, while you accompany these characters on their journey. Far from being frustrating, the lack of exposition keeps the story streamlined and accessible.
It probably helps too, as I said above, that Posey leans heavily on all the tropes you'd expect in such a story. You've got your walled enclaves of "civilization" (such as it is) dotted across an unlivable hellscape. You've got the people in power, the people with power, and the people who want power. You've got your allies and support characters, your enemies and your minions, and of course, the "good guys", fighting the good fight with their cool guns and minor superpowers. You've got your badass action hero, your kickass action heroine, and your creepy child with powers neither he nor the other characters completely understand but which, of course, turn out to be very useful and plot-specific.
These tropes are all well-executed; this novel runs like a smoothly-oiled machine. It's a pleasure to read in that sense. Yet, perhaps for this very reason, the novel is a little boring. These tropes are all there is. Three is enjoyable but eminently predictable and safe.
And some of these tropes aren't all that positive, either. They could stand with some subversion. Take the trio of Three, Cass, and Wren, for instance. I don't mean to rag on Cass too much, because I genuinely like her character and, for the most part, the way that Posey portrays her. She's strong and competent but also clearly stressed by the ongoing peril she finds herself in. But at times she is reduced to the "mama bear protecting her cub", and motherhood becomes her overriding trait. She exists as the parental safety net for Wren, as a damsel in distress--and even though this damsel is capable of fighting back by herself, pairing her up with the very masculine and hyper-competent Three just makes for an extremely standard setup.
It would have been so much cooler if Three were a woman or nonbinary and he and Cass could have a queer thing going on (either platonic or romantic or ambiguous, doesn't matter). Or even if Posey had gender-swapped, making Three a woman bounty hunter and Cass a father on the run with his child.
I know there's a fine line between critiquing a book for missed opportunities and criticizing a book too harshly for not being an entirely different thing that you want. Still, I just feel like Three could have been awesome if Posey had taken more chances with the characters, settings, and plot elements.
I'm going to digress now into a more general rumination on post-apocalyptic fiction; my comments here don't necessarily apply to Three solely or even at all, but these thoughts occurred during and after reading this book.
It strikes me there is something very Eurocentric, Western, and fetishistic about most of our post-apocalyptic literature. That is to say, the stock vision of the "hellscape", if you will, is often something already experienced by people around the world. Broken cities separated by vast distances now difficult to traverse, roving gangs of thieves and ex-soldiers regurgitated by the latest in a cycle of strife and civil wars--these are not hypotheticals but are actualities for people who grow up in regions like Sudan and Darfur, in Syria now, etc. When we construct fictional post-apocalyptic worlds that resemble these locations, then, are we colonizing these spaces all over again? Are we engaging in a kind of literary crisis tourism? Is this our equivalent of nineteenth-century novelists writing escapist penny dreadfuls set in the "primitive and untamed wilds" of South America?
Three and other such stories with a Mad Max tone to them feature rugged protagonists fighting for survival against the eternally unjust world of their dystopia. In this way, post-apocalyptic fiction serves as a kind of morality play for the modern age: in this broken future, the individual can endure by being good and strong and fighting back against all odds. This is part of the appeal of post-apocalyptic fiction despite its bleak and often devastating settings and events: if individuals can fight and endure even in such dangerous places, then we must be able to survive our 9 to 5s.
Post-apocalyptic fiction is a speculative attempt to recreate the frontier-like feeling of the Wild West, replete with science-fictional technologies and miracles of one's choosing. The core group of protagonists, as our heroes, receive the privilege of being individuals. They often square off against faceless enemies--hordes of zombies (or the Weir, here) or barbarian groups, real or mythological or fictional-but-loosely-based-on-real groups. But the whole conceit of the Wild West is very Eurocentric--it is itself a revisionist construct designed to legitimize settlement and manifest destiny. So when we recreate the Wild West in fictional futures, it's worth examining the elements of colonialist thinking that we drag along into those futures.
I don't know if any of that makes sense. And, as a I said a few paragraphs above, I'm not sure how much of this applies to Three specifically. Like I said, it just occurred to me, and I wanted to record these thoughts.
September 29, 2021
Notes:
Solid MC & interesting setting. Story execution was choppy. Book would make a fun movie.
*Only buy audio on sale or read via library.
Solid MC & interesting setting. Story execution was choppy. Book would make a fun movie.
*Only buy audio on sale or read via library.
April 16, 2021
Three was my first dive into the works of Jay Posey and while not the greatest thing I ever read it was such a fun time. The story is what really sold it for me, while some of the characters fell to the wayside and the setting was completely solid. That is not to say our three (not to be confused with our main protagonist Three) leading characters were bad, but it did take me a while to really be sold on their motivations.
So the setting of Three is more of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi universe. It is not quite clear if this is like our world in the far future or the author's own imagination. So I just wished we had more of a solid foundation when it came to this setting. As we got a little more into the book, I felt myself feeling more comfortable with my surrounding. I hope Jay Posey will do some more fleshing out when it comes to the other books in this series.
I'll talk about the characters an then lead into the story next. Three follows the journey of three characters. Our main for this journey is a mercenary/bounty hunter for hire named, yup you guessed it Three. I really enjoyed following his perspective. He is definitely that brooding guy who closed off and sheltered but when he is thrown into unforeseen circumstances, you kind of see the layers peal back a little at a time. This is because of our other two POVs Cass and Wren whose Povs really made this book shine for me. Cass is a very sick mother trying to escape from some questionable people with her very special son Wren who has some secrets. You learn more about why this is when you read the book. I really enjoyed the overall plot after about 1/3 of the way in when it really took off. The first 1/3 was a bit of a slog to meander through but once the action kicked into high gear I was sold.
Jay Posey used to be or still is a game developer and you can really tell in how he writes his book. I truly felt like I was the characters and I was following their every move. Once again this was my first experience with Jay Posey and I am only just getting started. Really looking forward to diving into book two ASAP.
So the setting of Three is more of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi universe. It is not quite clear if this is like our world in the far future or the author's own imagination. So I just wished we had more of a solid foundation when it came to this setting. As we got a little more into the book, I felt myself feeling more comfortable with my surrounding. I hope Jay Posey will do some more fleshing out when it comes to the other books in this series.
I'll talk about the characters an then lead into the story next. Three follows the journey of three characters. Our main for this journey is a mercenary/bounty hunter for hire named, yup you guessed it Three. I really enjoyed following his perspective. He is definitely that brooding guy who closed off and sheltered but when he is thrown into unforeseen circumstances, you kind of see the layers peal back a little at a time. This is because of our other two POVs Cass and Wren whose Povs really made this book shine for me. Cass is a very sick mother trying to escape from some questionable people with her very special son Wren who has some secrets. You learn more about why this is when you read the book. I really enjoyed the overall plot after about 1/3 of the way in when it really took off. The first 1/3 was a bit of a slog to meander through but once the action kicked into high gear I was sold.
Jay Posey used to be or still is a game developer and you can really tell in how he writes his book. I truly felt like I was the characters and I was following their every move. Once again this was my first experience with Jay Posey and I am only just getting started. Really looking forward to diving into book two ASAP.
July 11, 2013
Full disclosure I received an electronic copy of this book to review from NetGalley.
It is rare nowadays with all my other commitments that I can find the time to finish a book in one day, but Three was one of those rare exceptions that 1) caught me at the right time and 2) was engaging enough that I wanted to see it through and not put it down.
In many ways Three combines the elements we’ve all come to expect from stories with a dystopian setting. The lone hero with the mysterious past, a tough exterior, a heart of gold and can kill anything that gets in his way….Check. The beautiful woman with a young child in tow, a mysterious past, and who is being pursued across the wasteland by a group bent on recapturing her….Check. Deadly creatures that roam the wasteland and will kill anyone they find….Check. Random settlements with trying to survive or that want to exploit travellers….Check. You get the point.
However, even with all of these typical elements thrown in Jay Posey creates a world that is unique unto itself and delivers a story that kept my attention throughout. The basic premise of this story is that the “hero” Three saves a mother (Cass) and her young son (Wren) from the group of men pursuing them and subsequently agrees to lead them to safety across a wasteland fraught with danger from the monstrous Weir. Throughout this journey we come to learn more about the past of all three characters and watch them grow into a family of sorts that cares and supports one another. The exploration of Three’s past and the feelings he develops for Cass and Wren as well as his interactions later in the book with his friends were interesting to me. It changed my initial perception of him as a character who was only interested in his own survival into considering that Three maintains this persona as a defense mechanism. His relationship with this friends was definitely eye-opening as it revealed a completely different side of him that we might not have glimpsed otherwise.
Another aspect of this story I enjoyed was that Jay didn’t feel the need to completely explain everything to the reader. I’ve found that many authors feel the need to go into great detail explaining the history behind the world, how all of the technology works and what environmental or political events led to the dystopian setting. Jay however took the approach of giving the reader the basics and then leaving the rest open to interpretation or the reader’s imagination. For example, early on in the story a minor character is told to “upload his soul” before a Weir attack but we’re never given any explanation as to what they really means or the consequences. Some additional detail is given later but even that does little to answer the obvious questions. We’re also never privy to exactly what led to the dystopian world the characters live in. I think for the readers that need everything spelled out in black and white this might be a source of frustration for them.
I think the only nitpicky complaint I have with the overall story is that in the latter half of the story I had to suspend disbelief with the action sequences. We’re given the sense that for all intents and purposes Three is an average human being with incredible fighting skills but there is no way an average human being could not continue to fight at the level Three does with the injuries he sustains.
Overall this was a highly enjoyable story and I’m glad I took the time to read it over some of the books I have queued up in my To-Read list. From everything I’ve seen this is the first in a series entitled ‘Legend of the Dustwalker’ and I look forward to reading the next book as its released. I do however wonder what those next books will look like as the ending of Three had a well-defined ending that didn’t leave a clear opening for future stories with this characters.
It is rare nowadays with all my other commitments that I can find the time to finish a book in one day, but Three was one of those rare exceptions that 1) caught me at the right time and 2) was engaging enough that I wanted to see it through and not put it down.
In many ways Three combines the elements we’ve all come to expect from stories with a dystopian setting. The lone hero with the mysterious past, a tough exterior, a heart of gold and can kill anything that gets in his way….Check. The beautiful woman with a young child in tow, a mysterious past, and who is being pursued across the wasteland by a group bent on recapturing her….Check. Deadly creatures that roam the wasteland and will kill anyone they find….Check. Random settlements with trying to survive or that want to exploit travellers….Check. You get the point.
However, even with all of these typical elements thrown in Jay Posey creates a world that is unique unto itself and delivers a story that kept my attention throughout. The basic premise of this story is that the “hero” Three saves a mother (Cass) and her young son (Wren) from the group of men pursuing them and subsequently agrees to lead them to safety across a wasteland fraught with danger from the monstrous Weir. Throughout this journey we come to learn more about the past of all three characters and watch them grow into a family of sorts that cares and supports one another. The exploration of Three’s past and the feelings he develops for Cass and Wren as well as his interactions later in the book with his friends were interesting to me. It changed my initial perception of him as a character who was only interested in his own survival into considering that Three maintains this persona as a defense mechanism. His relationship with this friends was definitely eye-opening as it revealed a completely different side of him that we might not have glimpsed otherwise.
Another aspect of this story I enjoyed was that Jay didn’t feel the need to completely explain everything to the reader. I’ve found that many authors feel the need to go into great detail explaining the history behind the world, how all of the technology works and what environmental or political events led to the dystopian setting. Jay however took the approach of giving the reader the basics and then leaving the rest open to interpretation or the reader’s imagination. For example, early on in the story a minor character is told to “upload his soul” before a Weir attack but we’re never given any explanation as to what they really means or the consequences. Some additional detail is given later but even that does little to answer the obvious questions. We’re also never privy to exactly what led to the dystopian world the characters live in. I think for the readers that need everything spelled out in black and white this might be a source of frustration for them.
I think the only nitpicky complaint I have with the overall story is that in the latter half of the story I had to suspend disbelief with the action sequences. We’re given the sense that for all intents and purposes Three is an average human being with incredible fighting skills but there is no way an average human being could not continue to fight at the level Three does with the injuries he sustains.
Overall this was a highly enjoyable story and I’m glad I took the time to read it over some of the books I have queued up in my To-Read list. From everything I’ve seen this is the first in a series entitled ‘Legend of the Dustwalker’ and I look forward to reading the next book as its released. I do however wonder what those next books will look like as the ending of Three had a well-defined ending that didn’t leave a clear opening for future stories with this characters.
October 28, 2015
Too much casual misogyny, that was still somehow overstated and overemphasized. But unfortunately, if one avoided books with misogyny, one would never read. I just needed to say that the way Posey presented it was highly irritating. And then, just when I thought I had made it, Completely unacceptable.
Another thing: Three's transformation from lone wolf to family man wasn't very believable (possibly because we got so little backstory as to why he was the way he was, another blindingly disappointing disappointment that didn't even seem all that disappointing until I found out ), but was even less so. Like EXTREMELY LESS SO. Three was compared to Joe Pitt and Sandman Slim (nothing like the first, just maybe hardly barely like the second) so I thought I'd take a look at this book. Now I'm disappointed on all sides.
The world was so interesting and fantastic, and I love the lack of exposition and info-dumping (I find that so annoying- SHOW, don't tell). A few typos and repetitive word choice, but that can always be fixed. However, I can't ignore these glaring errors. So I sadly won't be finishing the series.
Read
April 14, 2021Three is a bounty hunter. He is well equipped for his chosen career, dark hood and attitude. He’s the typical loner, bristling with enough weaponry and broodery to discourage casual approach. A woman, Cass, and son, Wren, approach him anyway and ask for his help. Even as he offers a substantial stack of local currency, Three seems to know money won’t solve the woman’s problems. So, against better judgment, he follows her and becomes immediately entangled in a plot that involves more than one woman and boy.
Dodging chemically enhanced predators, brain hackers and the zombie-like Weir, Three, Cass, and Wren cross a post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of shelter and answers. In order to protect her son, Cass is running from her old crew. Three questions his motives at every turn. The chase begins to wear away his edge and gruffness and the world he has trained himself to navigate is changing.
‘Three’ is more than just another novel of the apocalypse. It’s a tale of adventure and intrigue. It is unclear how long ago the collapse occurred, but it is very clear the world is not ours. Not our present, anyway. The remnant population is confined to armoured cities which are separated by Weir-infested wasteland. The Weir might be zombies. They’re mindless, hunt at night and have terrible claws, but they emit electronic screams and their eyes glow in the dark. The people of this world are permanently wired. They can ping satellites, read data flashed across their retinas and communicate with one another using only their minds. Many have genetic enhancements and chemical processors.
The story is fast-paced. I found it hard to put the novel aside. Still, the central characters are fully formed. Three is particularly compelling. He is obviously different. Questions surround his past and his actual purpose, a few of which are answered as events begin to dull those sharp edges. Cass is heart-breakingly human in her faults and need to protect her son. The villains vary. Some are just nasty, some have a secret heart.
‘Three’ is an impressive debut. The plot and setting are different enough to stand out from the post-apocalyptic and dystopian crowd, while still appealing to the same readers. I look forward to reading the more ‘Legends Of The Dustwalker’.
Written for and originally posted at SFCrowsnest.
Dodging chemically enhanced predators, brain hackers and the zombie-like Weir, Three, Cass, and Wren cross a post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of shelter and answers. In order to protect her son, Cass is running from her old crew. Three questions his motives at every turn. The chase begins to wear away his edge and gruffness and the world he has trained himself to navigate is changing.
‘Three’ is more than just another novel of the apocalypse. It’s a tale of adventure and intrigue. It is unclear how long ago the collapse occurred, but it is very clear the world is not ours. Not our present, anyway. The remnant population is confined to armoured cities which are separated by Weir-infested wasteland. The Weir might be zombies. They’re mindless, hunt at night and have terrible claws, but they emit electronic screams and their eyes glow in the dark. The people of this world are permanently wired. They can ping satellites, read data flashed across their retinas and communicate with one another using only their minds. Many have genetic enhancements and chemical processors.
The story is fast-paced. I found it hard to put the novel aside. Still, the central characters are fully formed. Three is particularly compelling. He is obviously different. Questions surround his past and his actual purpose, a few of which are answered as events begin to dull those sharp edges. Cass is heart-breakingly human in her faults and need to protect her son. The villains vary. Some are just nasty, some have a secret heart.
‘Three’ is an impressive debut. The plot and setting are different enough to stand out from the post-apocalyptic and dystopian crowd, while still appealing to the same readers. I look forward to reading the more ‘Legends Of The Dustwalker’.
Written for and originally posted at SFCrowsnest.
December 1, 2014
A lot of the reviews I'm reading for this book seriously don't do it justice. I feel that many of the people who are angry about lack of exposition and backstory, i.e. how we entered into this post-apocalyptic situation, are missing the point of this book entirely. We don't need to know how, this book isn't about the fall of the earth. It's about something that happened well after the fall. In my opinion, if one lived in a world where some great reality-shifting destruction occurred, I don't think it would have to be explained to anyone. If Three had suddenly burst out with a well thought-out explanation on how the world became what it was, I would've laughed at the ridiculousness.
After reading a few reviews, I was prepared for this book to confuse me as much as George R. R. Martin's 500 characters whose names started with "A". Upon opening the book however, I came to the conclusion that most of the people who didn't understand must not have been reading very closely. There aren't many terms one needs to remember. Shipping, for example, is described adequately as one electronically sending their consciousness to a warehouse for permanent storage before they die. Doesn't seem like too hard a concept. Another reviewer commented on Cass's 'hidden powers' of accessing satellite feeds, time, etc. This reader must have read only one or two chapters of this entire book before posting a review. Everyone in this society is 'wired' meaning that they have been electrically wired into a network. Each one can access these satellite feeds, as well as some being able to track other people, hide themselves, etc.
All in all, my 5-star rating for this book might be pushing it a bit. It was certainly enjoyable, kept me interested, and didn't leave me with a bad taste in my mouth as some of my more recent reads have. I feel the rating might be lower if I hadn't been entering the reading experience expecting to be dragged through the dirt for this book. In any case, Three was very enjoyable. My only critique would be that I didn't get as much depth as I would've liked. The world itself was overshadowed by this weight of imminent danger throughout. I'm interested in the next book, but don't know exactly what it would cover.
After reading a few reviews, I was prepared for this book to confuse me as much as George R. R. Martin's 500 characters whose names started with "A". Upon opening the book however, I came to the conclusion that most of the people who didn't understand must not have been reading very closely. There aren't many terms one needs to remember. Shipping, for example, is described adequately as one electronically sending their consciousness to a warehouse for permanent storage before they die. Doesn't seem like too hard a concept. Another reviewer commented on Cass's 'hidden powers' of accessing satellite feeds, time, etc. This reader must have read only one or two chapters of this entire book before posting a review. Everyone in this society is 'wired' meaning that they have been electrically wired into a network. Each one can access these satellite feeds, as well as some being able to track other people, hide themselves, etc.
All in all, my 5-star rating for this book might be pushing it a bit. It was certainly enjoyable, kept me interested, and didn't leave me with a bad taste in my mouth as some of my more recent reads have. I feel the rating might be lower if I hadn't been entering the reading experience expecting to be dragged through the dirt for this book. In any case, Three was very enjoyable. My only critique would be that I didn't get as much depth as I would've liked. The world itself was overshadowed by this weight of imminent danger throughout. I'm interested in the next book, but don't know exactly what it would cover.
February 9, 2016
'Three' by Jay Posey takes place in a strange post-apocalyptic world and has an unlikely hero. I kindof liked it.
When bounty hunter Three accepts the job of protecing a young boy and his ailing mother, he is a bit reluctant about it. The job is to escort them from point A to point B, but of course that's not going to be easy. There are all manner of strange bad guys in this world, like brain-hackers and the Weir, with their glowing eyes and scary nature. This is world where life is cheap, but if you've played your cards right, you might be able to come back, but I'm not sure why you'd want to.
It's an interesting cyberpunk kind of world, so I liked that enough. The main characters are a bit stereotypical: brooding hero, beautiful but tragic mother, smart adorable waif. I liked it well enough, and I'd like to see where the story goes. I definitely enjoyed the world more than the characters so far.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Angry Robot Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
When bounty hunter Three accepts the job of protecing a young boy and his ailing mother, he is a bit reluctant about it. The job is to escort them from point A to point B, but of course that's not going to be easy. There are all manner of strange bad guys in this world, like brain-hackers and the Weir, with their glowing eyes and scary nature. This is world where life is cheap, but if you've played your cards right, you might be able to come back, but I'm not sure why you'd want to.
It's an interesting cyberpunk kind of world, so I liked that enough. The main characters are a bit stereotypical: brooding hero, beautiful but tragic mother, smart adorable waif. I liked it well enough, and I'd like to see where the story goes. I definitely enjoyed the world more than the characters so far.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Angry Robot Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
June 16, 2013
First of all, thank you very much to the wonderful awesomeness that is Angry Robot books for the ARC of this book.
Three looked like the kind of book I dig, Futuristic end of the world setting, creatures, Mad Max style action, guns, swords, fighting!! You know! manly book!
All kidding aside, Jay Posey creates a deep world with great characters, and the dialogue was spot on. I cared about the main protagonists and most importantly he succeeds in the cardinal rule of starting a new series. I WANT TO READ BOOK TWO.
If you are into action and interesting future world settings, Get this book, read it today, and I was caught looking at the end of this, Mr. Posey if you going where I think you are going with this series, I owe you a star in my review, and YES I will give it to you
Three looked like the kind of book I dig, Futuristic end of the world setting, creatures, Mad Max style action, guns, swords, fighting!! You know! manly book!
All kidding aside, Jay Posey creates a deep world with great characters, and the dialogue was spot on. I cared about the main protagonists and most importantly he succeeds in the cardinal rule of starting a new series. I WANT TO READ BOOK TWO.
If you are into action and interesting future world settings, Get this book, read it today, and I was caught looking at the end of this, Mr. Posey if you going where I think you are going with this series, I owe you a star in my review, and YES I will give it to you
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