‘The Quake Cities’ is a book that I expected to be one thing, but ended up being something else entirely. Sometimes an unexpected change of direction like that can be a joyous experience. Here it just left me scratching my head and feeling a bit frustrated. What doesn’t help is the fact that this book doesn’t do either thing that well.
The book I thought I was going to be reading was a disaster movie type thing about plucky survivors fending for themselves after a catastrophic series of earthquakes messes everything up big time. It’s true that the book is set after such a disastrous event, but it’s not really about that at all. Instead the slightly convoluted plot centres around a mysterious woman who wakes up in the rubble convinced the year is about 2 decades earlier than it actually is. That initial mystery did hook me, but as it unravelled I became less and less involved. The explanation is The explanation is reasonably clever and inventive, but it’s also one I’ve see done better elsewhere.
The main problem with ‘The Quake Cities’ though is that it just isn’t that engaging. The characters (apart from said mystery woman) are pretty blah and I never cared enough about them to get swept up in the drama and peril. I came away feeling that the author had over complicated things by mashing disaster thriller and weird Sci Fi mystery together. I’d rather have read either a straight up post-apocalyptic type thing or the plot as it is in a regular, contemporary setting.
It’s not all bad. That initial mystery is interesting and there’s lots of running around and incident. At under 250 pages it’s pleasantly brief by modern standards. It just doesn’t hang together well.
That said, if you’re after a light speculative thriller that tries to be different (even if it doesn’t always succeed), then you might find enough to keep you satisfied here.

A bit "out there" but thought provoking

I enjoyed this disaster/sci fi novel set in 2025 - an Earth that has been, and is still being, devastated by powerful earthquakes. These earthquakes leave entire cities flattened and uninhabitable while other other parts of the world are barely touched and become known as LoP - Lands of Plenty.

Este, a Registered Nurse in her life before the quakes, her friend Wilfredo, and her rescue dog, Casey, work as Pathfinders/Tour Guides in the Los Angeles Quake Zone. Most of the time they are exploring the ravaged area for items for a finders fee.

One day they happen upon a young woman while they are out working - nude, hurt, disoriented, and believing it is the year 2003 - and all their lives will definitely never be the same again.

As I noted, this book is a bit "out there" but then if I wanted a dreary read I'd collect grocery lists or read cereal boxes.

I liked the characters. I liked the concepts behind the story. None were explained too thoroughly but that was okay with me.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy disaster thrillers and/or sci fi tales.

I received this book from Severn House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley. I wasn’t expecting the big twist in this story and it made it intriguing and interesting all the way through. I felt for Alice as she struggled to understand what was happening. Este was a great lead character and showed all the skills and courage at each new challenge. I always love a book that has a dog in a pivotal role so totally enjoyed this. I would absolutely recommend this to friends and family.

A Captivating Novel With a Touch of Science Fiction

A woman wakes in the dark place and doesn’t know where she is. I fact, she doesn’t at first remember her name. Her legs are not fully functional. She hears others shouting, and wanted to call out. A hand clamps over her mouth. It’s another young woman who tells her to be quiet and that her name is Este who tells her a way out. The woman remembers her name, Alice, but the voices seem to found her. There were muzzle flashes down the hall, and luckily they were not aimed at her. When Alice reached the street, she sees total major city in total destruction. She wanders to find water and food and avoid any people. Meanwhile Este and her partner, Wilfredo discover that there is a one million dollar bounty for a woman matching the description of the woman she saved earlier. The novel proceeds from here.

The main storyline timeline is set in the near dystopian future. Este’s and Wilfredo’s goal is to find the woman and collect the million dollars. The city is Los Angeles that had suffered three monumental earthquakes. This was a trend for many as major earthquakes happening around the world. There are people living within the ruins for various reasons who eschew the near normal living outside the quake zones, called LoP, Land of Plenty. Soon, into the novel a significant event occurs that significant changes the direction of how Este and Wilfredo will achieve their goal. These significant events keep occurring that also change Alice’s goals. My attention was captured and solidly held all the way to the end.

The B-storyline of both Este and Wilfredo is extensive and is portrayed by them talking with each other, with Casey, Este’s dog, and Alice. For Este, her actions and also tell much about her. There are several submain storyline threads that allow Este and Wilfredo to show additional sides of their personalities. Alice’s background is a major part of the main storyline and unfolds with the main storyline. The author weaves these B-storyline threads seamlessly into the main storyline threads. They enriched my enjoyment in reading this novel.

For areas that some readers find objectionable, there are not any intimate scenes, and foul language instances are the low single digits with zero f-bombs. The most possibly objective language is the use of OMG. Violence is another story. Most of it is described as it occurs which is more edgy. There is significant implied violence. While the level is significant, I did not find it objectionable. This book should not raise any red flags to readers.

I was surprised that this novel really was science fiction. The only novels that I had read by this author before this one were the three Luis Chavez novels that were straight mystery thrillers. I do read science fiction, and this is the type that I enjoy as it is a more story interaction that science fiction. There wasn’t anything negative in this novel for me. It kept me quite interested in continuing to read late into the night and the first thing when I woke in the morning. Everything was tied up by the end. Writing about the end, indicated that the future after the novel probably will challenging but there is hope. This is a good science fiction ending for me.

Overall, this novel met all the aspects I need for a five star rating. I enjoyed it. If you like action adventures with a little science fiction, I believe that you will like it also.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Severn House Publishers with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Severn House Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the publisher and author for providing an ARC.

This Dystopian tale was very interesting, the characters were attractive and I enjoyed the storyline. Unfortunately, the book was slow paced and therefore didn't keep me entertained.

I'm not in the right headspace for this at the moment I think. It IS something I would normally like, but I just couldn't get into it. I will be going back for a re-read in a few weeks, but its so dark, I just can't do it at the moment.

Alice wakes up in an earthquake-ravaged Los Angeles, believing the year is still 2003 and with no idea how she got there. As she desperately tries to make her way home, she finds herself hounded by armed men and bio-engineered animals intent on capturing her.

An amnesiatic woman named Alice in the post-apocalypse hunted by armed men and strange creatures?

OK, I’m not going to lie, as I was first reading this book, I thought The Quake Cities was going to be Resident Evil knock off. However, the story has a unique plot twist that sets itself apart from your average survival thriller. It’s that plot twist that made the story so compelling for me.

Overall, this book is a mind-bending, high-octane ride that’ll leave you on the edge of your seats from start to finish.