SCAVENGER OF SOULS

All secrets are unearthed in this fight-for-survival post-apocalyptic duology closer to Survival Colony 9 (2014).

Immediately after Survival Colony 9, the survivors, led by Querry’s mother, Aleka, are barely hanging on in a desperate journey to safety. Querry, of course, has questions about himself that only Aleka can answer—and she dodges mightily, withholding information from both Querry and readers in what seems to be an attempt to maintain tension but mostly frustrates. Soon enough, they think they may have found safety, only to find something much darker. There’s also a romantic storyline that doesn’t interfere with the action, although it opens the door to the kind of clichéd jealousies that undermine characterization. The spitfire of a love interest is notable for her dark skin in an otherwise predominantly white cast. Parts of the story move slowly, and the horror (such as in descriptions of the evil Skaldi) from the first installment is missing. Some large elements of the plot feel as though they come straight from a post-apocalyptic checklist: primitives, a religious cult, a militaristic group with secrets, humanity’s role in its own destruction. That said, some expectations are subverted, and the twists are plentiful. Along the way, all questions—about Querry and his abilities, the origin of the Skaldi, and pretty much every mystery—get answered in turn.

A satisfying if uneven conclusion.