Review: `Perception is everything' - a new Apocalyptic fiction novel
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2014
American author Jay Plemons makes a remarkable debut with this Post-Apocalyptic Fiction novel. His career has been focused on music (his majors at Middle Tennessee State University were in both music business and English) and he has had success as a musician (he is a drummer), a carpenter, a chef, an educator, coming from a background of a Fundamentalist Christian home. But this is his initiation into the world of published literature and it only seems appropriate to allow him to speak about what lead him to begin this series of books, The Covenant. ` Last Light Falling was originally planned to be a comic book series, but it was quickly shelved when I realized two years ago how much I had written about the back-story of the characters. It only seemed natural to try and write it into a novel. I had no idea that I would be creating a four book series. Instead of driving too heavily on the big story, I've tried focusing more on the main character, hoping that the layers of the plot will gradually unfold until the last book. This is very much a character driven story and focuses on the raw emotions this young girl has had to endure, but it also uncovers the layers of common struggles we see in our lives today. Whether or not it's aimed to prod into controversy or provoke questions rather than answers, this series has led me to shed more light on my own convictions. This first person narrative is told through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Arena Power, who has been struggling to let go of the tragic loss of her parents when she was nine. Though it often haunts her, she manages to keep a small emotional distance from the jaded past and tries to embrace the comforts of her foster family when she can. Though it's not easy living in a period of history we cannot fathom today, Arena, like many others left on earth didn't ask to be born into a world where tragedy has become a common reality. Her destiny lies beyond the last days. So, if you're looking for zombies to take over the world in this apocalyptic series, then don't read my novels, because you won't find it, except for maybe a cultural reference from time to time. I tried hard to go against the grain when writing this series hoping to extinguish every apocalyptic cliché and typical publishing writing structure and or standard that's expected. Writing is an art, not a template for cookie-cutter stories and characters. My characters are actually based on my own children, names and personalities. My nine-year-old daughter is so close to Arena, it makes me feel sorry for any guy that dates her. If you truly want to get inside my head, then you must read this story because much of it is based on my personal experiences. I won't tell you what is real or what is embellished, and you really don't want to know.'Plemons shows considerable polish in presenting his introduction to his epic. The summary on the title page is fine, but Plemons' own words are better: `For Gabriel and Arena, life has been short of exciting, but when they receive a mysterious letter on their fifteenth birthday, history will forever change. Nations have fallen, economies have collapsed, and half the world's population has been wiped from the earth. The prophecy of the end is near and it's up to Gabriel and Arena to help prepare the world's demise by the wrath of God. Souls will rest in the providence of these ordinary twins put in an extraordinary situation, but when fate chooses them, they will have to accept their destiny changing their lives forever. Descendants of Irish vigilantes, Fifteen-year-old Arena and Gabriel Power have been chosen to carry on a small legacy through their bloodlines to which they have been hidden from. But if they are to survive in a world brewing with tragedy and relentless war, they must accept their fate and continue a covenant that was started by their grandfather, Connor McManus--one of the original Boondock Saints. Born to Abigail and William Power, Arena and Gabriel have struggled to understand the tragic death of their parents, but they have learned to share each other's comforts when life becomes less than desirable. When they are thrust into a world of tribulation, they will have to depend on that bond to keep their hopes alive. When the days are undressed with uncertainty, it's the fate of a man's heart that gets him through it. In this apocalyptic fiction novel, faith will be the key for survival. While only a few will endure the tribulation, most will perish in what will be considered the darkest age in our history.'Intense, swathed in palpable Christian faith, and rich in intrigue and mystery, this is a novel that stirs the heart and the mind - even if the reader is not usually attracted toward post-apocalyptic fiction (though we are inundated with it in films and television): the writing is such that the book acts as a powerful magnet until the final page. A fine debut from an interesting writer. Polish will surely follow. Grady Harp, July 14