Flare by Johnathan Maas


This book was the most incredible piece of literature that I’ve had the privilege to read in a number of years. A stark dystopian world ravaged by the very essence that once gave us life is slowly consuming the world and its inhabitants. The Sun’s massive power explodes without warning sending millions of death rays killing off most mammals and plant life in a matter of minutes. Those lucky enough to survive are forced into a world of survival of the fittest. Not a world of the strongest, but a world of the wisest and cleverest.

The pages of this book are filled with mass murder outside of the sun killing people, cannibalism and even entire groups of civilization forced back further than the dark ages in order to survive. New groups emerge as vicious drug addled monsters hell-bent on controlling the surface all the while a smaller more sophisticated group creates an underground utopia where the world’s leading experts in all things left to know are rapidly creating a system that should have already been put into place from the start. A completely self-sufficient, renewable energy system that will last 10,000 years after the first group has already perished, a place that houses enormous city blocks with even an underground tram system in place fight the good battle. Some of their theology and beliefs are debatable and might even come off as cruel but after further thinking make absolutely perfect sense.

About 75% through this book I came to the chapter called “Legion” and this dear readers is as heavy a chapter as anything ever written. During this chapter when one of the main protagonists, “Zeke” is being held captive aboard an enormous gutted ship floating idly in the middle of the ocean, a process called “Church” is taking place where a man gives a short sermon about God. Now whatever you believe please hold dear and near, but this short sermon filled me with such an overwhelming sense of emotion, doubt and confusion that I had to put the book down for a few minutes and collect my thought. I will not transcribe a single word here for fear of sullying the effect. These words felt like red hot truth being burned into my mind through my eyes and I will gladly admit that I even shed a tear. It was completely and totally one of the most disturbing and beautifully written set of words I have ever read in my entire life.

Though and through this rather large story is very compelling and well thought out There are several character and they do cross paths but eventually are forced to go their separate ways for one reason or another. This story captivated my entire life for a few days and made me realize how much we as a species do in fact take for granted. This book is easily a classic piece of literature that will live on forever.

For more information of Flare or Johnathan Maas, please visit his Goodreads page.

I received this book from GOODREADS for this review

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