Afterworld (Next Life, #1)
Edition: Third Edition Revised
Series: Next Life
Publisher: Next Life Publishing LLC
Published: 2021
Place of publication: USA
Language: eng
Format: Ebook
Number of pages: 297
ISBN-13: 9781954638037
Copyright date: 2022
First sentence: Drifting, falling through the sky, a young man opened his eyes to what seemed to be nothing more than a dream.
Description: Death comes, and misery follows. As a man in his early twenties, Leon never genuinely contemplated what would happen after his death. Like those before him, he never understood the truth of our universe. After his sudden demise, the terrorizing reality of a mysterious dystopian afterlife begins crushing him as it has those prior. Men have started enslaving and killing each other to sate their greed while enigmatic creatures oppress the masses. Only a select few have shown the courage that is needed to challenge their supremacy.

Through this eclipsing darkness, there is hope. But will that hope prove to be enough to save this turbulent cosmos? The revelations of advanced science, magic, human savagery, and even our gods will be showcased. Both in a new light and disturbing darkness, will the verities of Earth and Afterworld give Leon a greater understanding of our universe; or in turn, break him as they have done to so many before?

Review
"This story is complex, with multiple systems of nature to consider and fantastically multifaceted characters. James Robertson has managed to create characters that are reflective of humanity, characters completely devoid of it, and the tricky ones in between. Afterworld is the first in a series (Next Life) and it sets a cracking pace for the ongoing story, with terrific action and some pretty graphic detail. The story incorporates philosophical moral discussion without getting weighed down in argument but instead utilizes the outcomes for the plot - leaving the moralizing to the reader. Fans of dystopian fantasy and sci-fi will have something to love here. Mixing elements from different genres works particularly well in this story and applies a macabre logic to the afterlife created by Robertson. A fast-paced and action-packed dystopic sci-fi fantasy, Afterworld is less of an adventure more of a quest - one you can't help but want to finish."
- manybooks.net

About the Author
James G. Robertson was born in a small town in Kansas. He's also lived in Texas, Missouri, and in New York, where he graduated college from SUNY Oswego in 2019 with a bachelor's in political science and a theatre minor. He has also received an associate's degree in information network technology, which he obtained in 2012 from Pratt Community College. His first book in the Next Life series, Afterworld, was published May 1st, 2020. If you wish to know anything else, feel free to contact him using the contact page on nextlifeuniverse.com