South by Frank Owen

I wasn't entirely sure whether this would be the book for me or not - I will admit to being swayed by one reviewer comparing it to The Stand - but I decided to give it a go.  Sorry but The Stand it is NOT, it is very, very good though just not quite epic enough (The Stand is a 10 Star read when the maximum is 5) or the characters engrossing enough or the science anything other than fiction.  The other thing that kind of bothered me was that there is no clear timeframe to hang your hat on - which period is this supposed to be set in, yes I am aware that this is an altered (as well as alternate) reality but it seems to spot about all over the place with cultural references.

However, what it boils down to is a tale that is well told and sucks you in to it.  I did find that it was a read in bursts and then allow what I had read to digest before reading the next segment.  That is a good thing because it meant I was really paying attention to the struggles of not just Vida and Dyce but to all who they encountered on their journey.  You could feel their tension as even a visit to draw water meant being hypervigilant for changes in the weather and particularly that virus laden wind.

The use of The Callahans as Wild West Sheriffs was rather an odd choice of device.  They morphed from being a couple of vigilantes chasing Garrett and Dyce for personal reasons in to suddenly becoming the overlords of the South with everybody mortally afraid of attracting their attention.  Bit of a strange jump but I went with it.  Mainly because as a plot device to force our characters to keep moving on and encountering the Ghost Colony and The Mouth it worked very well.

I would caution though that in order to derive the best enjoyment from the book you do need to remove any scientific knowledge from your mind - nothing fully makes sense here and does not bear close scrutiny.  However, it is a very engaging story that does sweep you along with the characters and I did find myself mulling over the odd plot point or two when I should have been going to sleep - or paying attention in the office.  Don't expect a scientifically sound tale but do expect to be thoroughly entertained.

I'm really looking forward to reading North now that I have finished this one.