Objects of Wrath in Permuted Press Authors

Apr 16, 2014 Dawn Peers rated it it was amazing

Shelves: amazon-reviewed

More recently I have been in to viral PA fiction - zombies, plagues and the like. So to pick up Smith's "Objects of Wrath" was like a breath of fresh air in a genre which is chock full at the moment of cannibal infestations. Objects is a steady and sensible tome along the lines of Alas Babylon, but with far more vigour.

Whilst Alas Babylon was written on a leash, primarily I guess due to the era it was written in, Objects has no such restraints.

It is more a coming of age story than anything; our ...more

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Jun 16, 2014 Shana Festa rated it it was amazing

I had no idea when I opened this book that Objects of Wrath is a time machine. In the first few pages it transported me back to my childhood - a time when I prowled my local used bookstores for everything and anything about the nuclear apocalypse (OK, I didn't say I was a normal kid). Given that I grew up in the 1980's, that was about half of what was on the shelves at the time and I loved every second of it. As the 1990's came, however, and the specter of nuclear oblivion abated some, this type I had no idea when I opened this book that Objects of Wrath is a time machine. In the first few pages it transported me back to my childhood - a time when I prowled my local used bookstores for everything and anything about the nuclear apocalypse (OK, I didn't say I was a normal kid). Given that I grew up in the 1980's, that was about half of what was on the shelves at the time and I loved every second of it. As the 1990's came, however, and the specter of nuclear oblivion abated some, this type of fiction died out for the most part and I was left to reread what was already available.

In the last few years there has a been a resurgence of this kind of story, but the threats have morphed into fears about plagues and EMP attacks rather than atomic catastophes. Furthermore, the stories have been more in line with the person-centered, small scale stories the likes of Alas, Babylon or The Road than sprawling sagas of books like The Survivalist, and The Wingman. While there is nothing wrong with this, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Objects of Wrath follows closer in the footsteps of the more epic series of old where there was less focus on the nuts and bolts of survival and more on the human challenges facing the survivors. At the same time, this book gives these types of stories a necessary update by injecting a certain pathos into it that will resonate with fans of more recent books.

Objects of Wrath is told by William Fox, who is only a young boy when an extremist's miscalculation causes a worldwide nuclear exchange. Taken to his grandfather's estate in Magnolia, Tennessee, both he and the compound grow together while facing many challenges (both tangible and existential) along the way. Eventually, the bastion of humanity and William himself must face down a ravaging disease and an army intent on destroying what they have built without becoming the evil they wish to defeat.

From the explosive beginning to the last page, the prose switches from enthralling and poignant to intense and gripping without feeling forced or contrived. Smith weaves a delicate balance of intimacy and an overall worldview that allows us to get to know the characters while still understanding the overall world they live in. The dialogue between characters and the discussions they have feel real, and William's inner dialogue is outstanding. Though at a few times it goes slightly overboard, the emotions feel real, and the characters (by and large) reflect that with authenticity of their own. Conversely, the action is very entertaining and works as a counterpoint to the more sedate sections of the book. Again, Smith strikes a balance that neither bludgeons the reader with constant action, nor puts them to sleep with overwrought discussions.

My caveats are generally a matter of taste. Some might find the discussions of God, faith, morality, and similar topics a little overblown or high-minded. Some may also find the largely unwavering conviction about Magnolia's moral superiority a bit too pat, and indeed, some of the actions they take would be -if perpetrated by the enemy- viewed as dastardly. For me, this worked, however, and showed the inherent human need to rationalize survival in spite of our upbringing as moral beings. Often times, evil is a matter of perception and we humans are often terribly hypocritical in this realm. As I said, some may not be able to get beyond the implicit hypocrisy of it. Lastly, some readers may find the nature of the threat facing Magnolia (despite the multi-racial nature of the compound) a bit troubling considering it is comprised of one ethnic group. Personally, this did not bother me and I got no undertones of prejudice in the text, but some may find it offensive.

There will be readers who find the old-school high adventure tone of continued victory over perilous odds time and again, and survival despite some clearly "dumb moves" on the part of the main character too hard to swallow. Again, this felt like a nod to the books of yesteryear, and the narrow escapes were not so outlandish that I could not suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the story. Lastly, if you are a military enthusiast, you'll notice that the author did some good research, but definitely has a few misfires that a seasoned reader is going to catch. For 95% of readers though, they will not notice a thing.

I truly enjoyed this book, and it probably one of the best reads I've had so far this year. I would unabashedly recommend it to fans of 1980's adventure fiction, old-school nuclear war adventure novels, or simply a rip-roaring tale of survival. Even better, it is the first in a series of three books, and personally, I can't wait for the next two to come out. ...more

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