Anyway, I had a few weeks holiday and it was beach weather, so the reviews will be coming thick and fast for a while. Here is the first, which I enjoyed and was happy to give 5 stars. Click on the picture to take you to Amazon.
This book taps nicely into the current mood and our concern
for the environment. It also echo’s the radicalisation and fanaticism of
certain groups in our society. Here a group called the returners have taken
their concern about the environment to an extreme level and have plunged
Britain back into the dark ages. In this first book of the series we learn how
the village of Dockling is coping with this new world where machines are
prohibited and any descent is harshly dealt with by the returners. We meet
Charlie, a former bus mechanic and a gruff no-nonsense character who is not
willing to give up on common sense and the greater good. His decision to build
a grain mill secures their survival for the winter but also plunges the village
in a heap of trouble. The villagers make a stand against the cruel Returners
and the first seeds of rebellion are sown.
I liked the character of Eliza. She plays rather cruel games
with the local village boys. She knows men and uses her charms as a weapon. But
she is also very courageous and seems to have the greater good at heart. Greg
is the young lad falling under her spell. But as he finds his own courage, she
begins to see him as more than an innocent boy to be toyed with. I look
forwards to finding out more about this young romance and how the village of Dockling
will fare. Well written and exciting start to a series.
