Guardians of the Phoenix by Eric BrownMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Global warming has taken its terrible toll. The seas have dried up and deserts cover much of the Earth's surface. Humankind has been annihilated by drought and the nuclear and biological conflicts following the Great Breakdown. Desperate bands of humans still survive. Some live far underground, away from the searing temperatures and ongoing conflicts on the surface; others scrape a living in the remains of shattered cities above ground. In Paris, Paul lives like an animal among the sand-drifted ruins of the once great city. Near death, he faces a choice: join the strangers heading south in search of water, or remain in the city and perish. Guardians of the Phoenix tells the story of the last survivors on planet Earth, their desperate fight for survival and their last hope to save the world.
Given the fact that Eric Brown is one of my favorite authors, this book has been sitting in my 'to read' stack for a while now. It's typical stuff for Brown, well written with good characters and plenty of action, which is surprisingly graphic and sometimes rather gory, but the plot and the nature of the story calls for this. I admit to being a little concerned when I first started the book that it was going to be no more than just another post-apocalyptic survival of the meanest tale, but Brown managed to keep me hooked with hints of a greater story that lends hope and interest to the otherwise bleak outlook. A good dystopian type novel with a real sci-fi plot at it's center that I think any Eric Brown fan will enjoy, as will most other readers who enjoy well crafted fiction with a bit of pace to it.
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