Review: Great Prequel to the "After" Series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2013
"After: First Light" is the latest installment from a very talented Scott Nicholson, and is a prequel to the "After" series. "First Light" sets up some of the background information about later episodes. This story is contagious, unlike the Zap-heads which figure prominently in the tale; once you start it, make sure you've got a good hour or so of free time ahead of you, because it's not a story you can just set aside until later. It will also get you revved up about reading the next two novels already completed, and the third one on the way.The whole concept of this series is based on a natural, normal occurrence, but one which is a bit more potent than usual. Solar flares can cause static or even a temporary loss of service for communication devices, such as cell phones, satellite TV dishes, and 2-way radios. However, a really strong solar flare can cause an extreme breakdown of the entire communication grid, setting off secondary problems such as loss of the power grid, causing a loss of refrigeration, and an inability to pump gas - but the vehicles won't run anyway, so that's really a minor problem. That rare but natural cyclical event is the premise of this series, and in addition to the expected problems, there are some highly unusual and unexpected problems that greatly exacerbate the situation.Read this prequel; I think you will be downloading the subsequent novels as quickly as you can. I also think you will be glad you did, after you finish reading the series. I cannot recommend this book and this series strongly enough. They are definite "must reads".