The first book in Carey's new trilogy it started a bit slow for me. I was distracted by some of the sentence structures, but once I got to the back half the story picked up.

The Book of Koli follows the tale of Koli, a young man, who lives a simple life in his village, set in a dystopic future. A future where trees can move and kill in the sunlight, where strange creatures threaten those who leave the safety of the village. A village ruled by Ramparts, those who can control ancient technology. All have a chance to test the tech at a certain age, and Koli hopes he will be found worthy and become a Rampart.

The Book of Koli took me a while to get in to - the writing is stilted, intentionally, but it takes a bit to really get into the groove of how Koli tells the story and the language that is used throughout. Some of the words it takes a few tries to understand what is actually being said, and sometimes it’s just half words or a type of slang. This worked well for the book though, especially in the sense of education in this distant future world. Despite the extra effort it takes to get into the writing style and the language, it is well worth the effort.

The story itself is super interesting, Koli is a just one of those characters that you can’t help but love. His innocence, and his sense of longing and adventure are palpable throughout the story, as is his fear and confusion through other parts. The latter half of the book especially has such an exciting story for Koli, despite his fears. The best character of the story though is Monono Aware, an AI that Koli befriends later in the story. She is sassy, and bright, and brings such a perfect balance to Koli with his innocence, and his ignorance, of the world. As much as this is the Book of Koli, and his tale, Monono is the character you want more of. You love Koli, but Monono is the friend we all want, the one we want to read about. The banter is perfect, even when Koli doesn’t understand it.

Despite the rough start I had with the writing, The Book of Koli is one that I strongly recommend for fantasy fans and fans of a dystopic future. There is a vagueness throughout the story though, especially about the killer trees and the changed environment, but the book takes you through such a an exciting adventure, and it’s so clear that future books in the trilogy will continue to feed us more information about this changed world, that you can’t help but fly though it and then wait impatiently for the next book.

I read this months ago and can't stop thinking about it. The Book of Koli is such a humane post-apocalypse book, I can't love it enough. The pacing and plot was wonderful. I loved the Dreamsleeve as a character. The world is well-built and convincing. I can't wait to read more.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARCs of book 1 and 2 of the Rampart Trilogy. This is a review of both books together, and although book 2 was a bit of a slog for me, I will read book 3 when it comes out. Book 2 should not be read without book 1.

Right away I loved the future world in which our boy Koli lives. It's some number of generations ahead of us, and all sorts of things have gone wrong, most of which was the fault of us humans. We have a post global warming, where the weather is hot and the ocean has overtaken a great deal of what was once England. Our greatest enemies are now the trees, not because of evolution, but because humans genetically tinkered with them so much that the trees figured out feasting on us was the most nutritious way to go. The world population has dwindled because of wars, and because of... disease and pandemics. Which... was weird to read a book written before Covid having its characters quarantine, wear masks, and stay 6 feet apart. But now the birth rate is near zero and humans are dying out.

Due to the wars and all of the above, the knowledge of technology has been lost. There are only a few pieces of "tech" that have survived the wars, and no one knows how to use most of it because written language has also been lost (not to mention electricity). What is left of tech is hoarded, mostly used as weapons, and the how-to of use is closely guarded.

In one of the tiny villages is our boy Koli. He's a teenager in love and just trying to get through life. But along the way he makes a bad decision and is sent out from his village to survive among the trees.

He has a friend he meets up with and they travel through Great Britain to various old villages, some dead and some very much alive and very much dangerous. We meet crazy leaders, dangerous followers, and a lot of interesting tech. Book one is mostly about Koli and his life in the village of Mythen Rood. I really enjoyed reading about the new world and life in Mythen Rood.

Book two is about the journey and a quest, and I found it to be terribly monotonous. The one thing that saved it was that in the second book we also start hearing Spinner's story back in Mythen Rood after Koli was exiled. I think we are being set up for a great battle in Book 3, and the cliffhanger at the end of 2 has me impatiently waiting for the final book.

The characters are not just diverse in race, but there are also a couple trans characters. One is even a main character! These characters still have trouble with acceptance, however aside from some discussions where the topic would naturally come up, the characters are treated with respect and no better or worse than any other character, they are just human.

So I give 4 stars to Book One, because I loved learning about the world, I really like the main characters, and I wanted to know more about Koli. I give 3 stars to Book Two because journey stories can be boring but Spinner's adventures were interesting. All in all, I hope I get a copy of Book Three so I can find out what is at the top of that wall!!!

I was apprehensive when I started this book because Koli writes/speaks in dialect. I hate reading dialect. But, it was not nearly so jarring as I feared, and I'm glad, because I really enjoyed this book.

I don't necessarily like Koli. He's a young man who makes a ton of mistakes. But that messiness makes him real, and memorable. I could relate to some of his decisions and rationalizations, even as I knew they would be disastrous. As the story progresses, he shows personal growth, and more ingenuity than I had expected.

This world is fascinating, and the world-building well-done. I expect the collapse of civilization and the decline of humankind. The loss of technology makes that knowledge become nearly magical. However, carnivorous plants and the genetic decline of humankind distinguish this stories from others.

The ending sets up the characters on a trip that seems familiar to the genre, but I'm hoping that Carey gives the journey as many twists as he gave this book.

I received a digital advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Plant dystopia? Sign me up. There's trans representation, which isn't something seen much, so definitely noteworthy on that front. Seems like it's head down a comfortable aisle with some tropes though.

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey, is the beginning of a new trilogy called Rampart. The story takes place presumably several hundred years in our future, except instead of humanity progressing during that time, humanity is at the break of extinction. Everything, including trees, as evolved to hunt and kill humans. Most technology has been lost, and the little technology that does still exist, is jealously guarded. Most of the population has been split into small, isolated villages, with very little travel in between. One such village is Mythen Rood, where 15 year old Koli Woodsmith resides. Koli dreams of becoming a Rampart, a village leader that uses technology to protect and rule the village. He is willing to do almost anything to join their ranks.

I am no stranger M.R. Carey’s works. I have previously read The Girl With All the Gifts and did not enjoy it. The book struggled with pacing issues in my opinion. While the Book of Koli also struggles with pacing problems, it is nowhere near as bad as The Girl With All the Gifts. It does struggle some in the first half of the book with the setting up the characters and introducing the conflict. In fact, I’d argue that the major conflict, Koli’s struggle to survive, doesn’t really start until the midpoint. That would normally frustrate me, but it gives the novel some time to really flesh out the characters. And character is where this book really shines. You really gain a sense of what drives each characters from the very start, without the characters coming across as simplistic. The most notable example of this would Ursula. While she appears to most of the villagers as standoffish and cold, but Carey lets you know up front that there is more to her then meets the eye. And she has got some cool tech.

Outside of the characters themselves, the most notable feature about the writing is the voice used. The story is told from Koli’s perspective. Koli, and those around him, speak with a dialect. It can best be described as backwoods. I really liked this choice as it allowed me to get closer to Koli in a much shorter span of time. It allowed me to be immersed in his world and viewpoint. There were no notable shifts in vocabulary between Koli’s voice to the reader and Koli speaking to another character, so it felt natural. The dialect also highlighted just how far humanity has fallen from our present day. Koli and other characters are almost unable to navigate technology. There was notable scene where Koli was setting up an access code, or “axis code”, as he called it. The fact that most of humanity has little understanding of how technology works, lends those that are able to use technology, such as the Ramparts, an almost godlike air.

As this was the first book in a new trilogy, there were many questions left unanswered. While the book did not end on a cliff hanger, the way forward for Koli and company is clear. I am very excited to pick up the second book of this trilogy.

First off, I know the writing style is meant to be what I’m about to complain about but my god it was like reading a different language. It’s like caveman speak the entire book. It’s not written in standard English.
Exact sentence from chapter 1: “Judging is what them that listen does for them that tell”

Bring = brung
Only = onliest
Road = rood

The word “et” kept being used consistently and I’m still unsure what that is supposed to mean. Eat maybe?
It’s full of double negatives for example: “when there wasn’t hardly no trees at all.” (Taken from chapter 4)

Again, totally understand it’s how this dystopian community speaks since all knowledge is gone but it drove me nuts and I feel like it gave Koli, the main character, zero personality having to tell the story this way.
Argh but the idea behind this story is so cool! KILLER PLANTS. The community can't even venture outside because if even a single seed falls on their skin, it'll root into there body. I wish I could have loved this but I can't get over the writing style.

*Note: This was received as an arc through Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, life has kept me from getting this review finished and posted in a timely manner. Though that doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten about this book. Actually, this was one of my top favorite reads in the month of April. I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about this book without including any spoilers, which is a little difficult, but I’ve definitely done my best and hope that’s appreciated.

At face value, The Book of Koli is the story of a teenage boy whose entire world changes after he makes some foolish decisions. As a result he is forced to grow up quickly in order to adapt in a harsh world that’d kill him otherwise. Yet this book offers a lot more though it doesn’t give it up fast.

The first half of this book is a slow-burn, and the writing can take a little adjusting to given the way Koli and the people of Mythen Rood speak. We are being told the story by an older Koli who believes that in order to understand what he has to tell us then we must first understand what came before. As he recounts his experiences, we learn about this hopeful, naive young boy of 15 who was born in a town named Mythen Rood in a dystopian world that shaped itself after an apocalyptic event that happened a long time ago. The plot is definitely character driven as everything progresses with Koli’s actions whether they’re for good or ill, and that means while there is action to be found it also can move slowly at times too.

Koli is a character that it’s hard not to root for given his dreams and desires are relatable enough for any under-privileged, love-struck kid. And that means when the disappointments come it’s hard not to feel everything with him. Koli isn’t the type to stand-up for himself or open up about his feelings at first and while his mistakes are partly foolish, they’re also well-meaning too. Learning a secret that shakes the foundation of his entire world at an unfortunate time leads him to behave in a manner that’s totally unlike himself. This leads to him allowing himself to be controlled by emotions, and hormones, until he commits an act that alters his life forever. As the story grows you definitely feel pride in watching this rather inexperienced young boy start to become the man who is telling this story. Though also sympathy as any innocence that was there is stripped away rather forcefully. As a narrator, his voice is strong and grabbed me immediately. And to me he seems like a rather reliable narrator and to an extent I’d even say an objective one as he doesn’t make excuses nor pity for mistakes of his own making.

As far as worldbuilding, in my personal opinion I found this to be a rather fresh take on the dystopian/post-apoc setting. It’s set in what was formerly the UK. The names of certain places have become warped over time as people lost the ability to read or understand the old language. It’s clear within the story that this takes place a long, long time in the future after a world altering event based on: how characters talk about the world before, lack of comprehension to the former language, the tech advances that existed prior to the event, the way the flora and fauna behave. Ah, yes, let's talk about that fascinating element: the flora and fauna. . . that can kill you! Not just kill you, but eat you as well. Trees that eat people. The world is harsh, but it’s not just other people that make it that way — it’s the animals and plants too. Imagine not being able to go outside to collect resources or hunt food when it was sunny, but having to wait until it was a more rainy time. Why? Cause the plants are more active when the sun is out and could bring about harm. And this world gets more dark and harsh as we learn more about it with Koli. And lastly, the supporting cast were definitely an interesting bunch with different personalities. There wasn’t one of them I couldn’t feel something for to some degree. We didn’t get to learn about them all as thoroughly given we’re seeing much through Koli’s eyes, but that doesn’t mean they were flat or uninteresting.

Now, there were flaws to be found in this book. There weren’t many though and the only one that really comes to mind that feels worth talking about at any length is there’s a little bit of ableism, homophobia, and transphobia with religious persecution — aimed toward the latter two — that can be found in the story. However, it’s easy to tell that it isn’t the attitude of Koli’s character nor necessarily of everyone in this setting. It feels more like the result of a world that has gone backwards to some degree, and we’ve all seen throughout history how this can happen. Yet it’s easily a minor flaw as Koli himself, and others we come to meet, clearly don’t think this way nor agree with those that do.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book. Honestly, the killer trees are what drew me to this story, but I stayed for everything else. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in this series.

(posted on Goodreads, but it will also be posted on my Blog & on my Amazon in the next couple days, and mentioned/linked to on my Instagram)

Not quite what I expected. I think this book has a certain audience that just didn’t hit the mark for me in terms of the way it is written. I think big fans of sci fi fantasy will like it, again just not me.

I love post-apocalyptic stories and am a big fan of Mr. Carey, so when I first heard about this series, I was excited. It's a good book about the dwindling remnants of humanity in a far future where remnants of tech are still around and where plant and animal life have evolved to become extreme threats to human existence. Take the choker trees for example--even a seed that might fall on your skin can be deadly--not to mention the trees themselves, which can move around and trap unfortunate people who find themselves outside the walls of a village or town when the sun breaks through the overcast. Koli is a young boy in Mythen Rood who wants nothing more than to be a Rampart (one of a select group who wield tech--a flame thrower, bolt gun, etc.--to keep his village safe). No one seems to have really thought about why one family in the village seems to have an iron grip on tech, even though every child gets his or her chance to try. When he discovers a secret that might put his village in jeopardy, Koli is banished and must find his way in the outside world as a "faceless" man, and deal with all manner of heretofore unseen dangers and surprises. And this is only part one of a trilogy! Looking forward to the next book.

An interesting new world to explore from MR Carey. I’m a big fan of the Girl with all the Gifts and the Boy on the Bridge and enjoyed the twists and turns of Fellside. I was excited to know that he had new books coming out and couldn't wait to read them. I was not disappointed. I was pulled into Koli’s world and I can’t wait to see where the next books go.

I had a feeling I was going to love this book before I even read it. Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for approving me for this book. I am so grateful! The Girl With All the Gifts is one of my all time favorite books and The Book of Koli is a strong contender.

I was very intrigued by The Book of Koli. I still am, to be honest. I can’t wait to read more! I was drawn in by the way the story is told. It’s in first person with Koli as the narrator. It reminded me a lot of Forest Gump, the way Koli is looking back and telling a story from his past. I don’t know why but first person narration always hooks me.

Carey’s character work is near flawless, in my opinion. His characters always feel so real! I adored Koli, but honestly, Monono and Ursala stole the show for me. Monono is witty and rough around the edges. My favorite quote of hers is: “...you’re still my favourite breakfast.” I mean, come ON! Can this be the next “Always.” 😂 And Ursala is a straight up badass. Enough said.

I will say, the dialect in this book took some getting used to. In the beginning, there were quite a few times I had to reread things because I wasn’t sure what was going on. Once I got used to it, about 50 or so pages in, it was smooth sailing.

All in all, The Book of Koli was highly enjoyable. If you’re interested in post-apocalyptic dystopias, you would most likely enjoy this one!

A great original novel that will take you into a new world! Or rather into a scary version of our own world, a future that could happen if we're not careful.

M.R. Carey wraps his book up in sci-fi varnish, but it is the climate crisis he's talking about. What happens when mankind manipulates nature for his own profit? Nature strikes back! And we soon discover that trees are stronger than we are.

That's why young Koli has to live in a small village protected from the forest, which he can only enters at his own risks. Only "old tech" (the rest of our 20th-century technology) keeps the people alive. But one day, Koli doesn't have a choice: he has broken the law and is banned from his community. It's time to face the forest.

Koli's adventures are packed with suspense, but most of all with remarkable characters. We see Koli changing through the chapters, and the more he describes his world to us, the more we understand what his life is like. Why he's desperate for freedom. And why we should do all we can today so that he never has to fight this fight.

Similar title: "Niourk" by Stefan Wul

I tried really hard with this one. I loved Annihilation, I loved Oryx and Crake, I loved Station Eleven, and I loved this authors previous book The Girl with All the Gifts, but this just didn’t click for me, partly due to the writing style and partly due to the main character.

It was written in first person and there were asides in which Koli spoke to the reader which I didn’t care for, and I struggled with their grammatical system and it really slowed down the read for me. It just didn’t seem to serve a purpose to have the MC use verb tenses that were different from ours and something that cumbersome should have a purpose.

Koli also had next to no personality and the brief glimpses weren’t enough to get me to relate. With such limited world building and such a formulaic plot thus far, I need a relatable and entertaining character to keep me invested.

I think I emotionally gave up around 20-25% but kept skimming, waiting for something to happen to pull me in. Obviously based on my rating, that never happened. I think the building blocks were there but they needed to be assembled in a different way.

An absolutely fantastic book that you will NOT want to put down for any reason.

M.R. Carey has a truly wonderful gift - the ability to create worlds so vivid that you cannot help but see them in your mind's eye.

THE BOOK OF KOLI was one of my favorite reads of the year and I cannot wait to get my hands on THE TRIALS OF KOLI (The second book in this series which is due for publication in September of 2020.

5 Enthusiastic Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

To read more of my reviews go to http://Amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com

The first thing with apocalyptic/dystopian fiction is the author needs to make it new and different, no one wants to read about a group of people stuck in a shopping mall surrounded by zombies or a young girl who volunteers to put her life at risk to save her little sister. We’ve been there; we’ve done that. The second thing is that it has to be about the characters. Whatever dangers exist in this new world it should only be friction that pushes the characters and incites friction between people, human conflict is the cornerstone of great fiction. How could we do that to each other?

In The Book of Koli Carey has demonstrated his mastery of these two concepts. Right from the first page I was captivated by the style he chose to use and the situation that he placed his protagonist, Koli, into.

I have to say a little something about the style, kudos to Carey for pulling this off. Koli uses our verbal English language, without our grammatical conventions. My wife shuddered when I read her some of the passages. It must have taken a monumental effort for Carey and his editorial team to put the red pens away and just let Koli be Koli. This style reinforced that this is not the world that we know and love, but one that could be if we are not careful.

I appreciate the time that Carey took in revealing the conflict between the people in Koli’s community. We go from a community surviving in harmony until the cloak is lowered bit by bit to reveal the greed and disdain that those in power have for others, as well as the lengths of deceit that they will use to maintain that power, even at the detriment of those around them.

The scenario in The Book of Koli was unlike anything I had seen before, not only from the society that Koli lived in, but how we got there, to the dangers that existed. It was fresh and unique.

The Book of Koli is the first in a trilogy. It works as a story in and of itself, but it left me wanting more. The biggest question I was left with: when will that more be coming?

*5 Stars

I was super excited to read M.R. Carey's new Rampart series after really enjoying his previous two novels. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this novel as much as the others. I think my main issue was that this is the first novel in a trilogy and, as such, it does a lot of heavy lifting to get the series on its way. I just found the first 50% to be a lot longer than it needed to be and it took a really long time for the story to get on its way. I've nothing against slow stories, but this just felt like a lot of detailed setup with very little payoff. I imagine the other books in the series will utilize some of the back story.

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey is set a future post-apocalyptic England where human intervention has changed trees into carnivorous predators. People live in small villages and work to keep the trees at bay. However, the story doesn't really focus too much on the trees. Instead, it is a coming of age story for Koli as he grows into adulthood and, eventually, exile. It explores the relationships between the past, technology, and the loss of what we would consider to be modernity.

The story is told through a type of dialect that takes some time to get use to. It is also told in first person narration as if Koli is telling the story to the reader. The narration utilizes a lot of foreshadowing which does become quite repetitive as the story goes on.

Koli is the type of character who drives me absolutely crazy. They know the potential ramifications of their actions but they are either too naive or so delusional that they don't recognize that the consequences may happen to them. Be aware that you will spend most of the first half of the novel questioning the decision making of the main character and the mess he makes for himself and other.

Overall, I am interested to see how this story ends up, but I am not sure if I will actively seek out the sequels.

Two and a half stars out of five.

I have had the pleasure to read M.R Careys book The Girl with All the Gifts and quite enjoyed it. The Book of Koli is supposed to be a trilogy and was immediately intrigued. The book follows Koli who lives in post apocalyptic world and in a village named Mythen. Technology is rare and considered to be magic and used to keep the village safe. Koli stumbles upon a secret that will disrupt everyone’s way of thinking and living and gets thrown out to the outside world to fend for himself. Koli is an extremely likeable character you feel for him and all the events he is thrown into. And the worldbuilding is exceptional. You feel like you right there seeing and feeling all the things Koli does. I know people might have some issues with Kolis language skills but for someone who is illiterate I honestly would find it more unbelievable if he talked like your average Joe. If you read and enjoyed Blood Read Road you will not have any issues with Kolis language skills.
Overall, The Book of Koli is a fantastic post apocalyptic read with outstanding worldbuilding and an endearing main character.

I love MR Carey! I have read several novels by this author and was excited when this came out on Netgalley. I immediately requested an ARC but wasn't approved until mid-May, so thanks for that; better late than never.

Anyway Koli lives in a post-apolyptic Earth but it has been named something else. There are strange and dangerous creatures all around him. Plants and trees have become deadly to humans are lethally active in the sun. The few villages of surviving humans wait to hunt in the rain for their own safety from the flora.

Koli wants to be like the magical tech called the Ramparts to chose who gets use tech and it can often be random. This is a major dystopian thriller of a book and it has a super fast pace. Just when Koli thinks he could be safe for an hour or a day, he is always battling for survival. Definitely #teamKoli.

I cant wait til the other books come out for the Koli series! This is a more unique different read for the dystopian genre, there is no much hope or silver linings throughout the book. What will happen to Koli? Will he survive? IDK but cant wait to find out in book 2 of the series, Trials of Koli in Sept 17 of this year.

Thanks to Netgalley, MR Carey and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/14/20