A sci fi read, a genre outside of my normal ....but I liked it, & consider it a successful venture! The story follows a Pathologist living/surviving in California, who now has to lead a hospital....doing surgeries & treating patients, in post apocalyptic times. There's a lot of medicine/medical procedures described...& as a nurse, I liked that aspect of the book. They talk about what tools/medicines might still be available during those 'end times.' They also deal with the 'end of the world' fears/attitudes/fighting/hoarding/stealing/scavenging. They also expand on a lot of science talk/explanations dealing with aliens/extraterrestrial beings.....some of that got kind of deep/thick for me to understand! All in all, it was a pretty quick, easy & interesting read.
I received an e-ARC of the book from Demodocus Publishing, LLC/IPBA Members' Titles via NetGalley for review purposes...& this is my own independent & fair review.

Saint Elspeth is the first book by Wick Welker I've read and though some parts read a bit slow overall it was a very entertaining book. The story takes place about 20 years after the world nearly destroys itself by attempting to kill what looks to be an alien invasion though, no alien actually attacked anyone. Our main character Elspeth Darrow was a pathologist when she entered the bunkers more than twenty years ago, after emerging from the bunkers she has taken on the roll of medical doctor off of training she learned via books and video recordings.
When the body of one of the little known aliens is discovered on a salvage trip, Elspeth goes back to her pathology roots in an attempt to discover what makes these aliens tick. When she and her colleagues start having the same vision about the Hilman...(the aliens) she discovers that maybe it's not just human life she was meant to save.
The story was pretty well paced and the characters were well developed. Overall a good read for those looking for an end of the world survival type story based on an alien invasion.

I love reading post apocalyptic novels and this was really good. 20:years post invasion and war, centering on a semi self educated doctor struggling to save people with minimal supplies. Deducing information of the aliens and figuring out how to save the world with their help and trusting strange beings bringing out the innate humanity of man and hopes for the future. Loved this one.

Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker

Intriguing, intellectually stimulating, immersive look at what an apocalyptic world might be like. It is heavy on medical terminology and scenes as it should be since the main character is a pathologist that has had to learn new fields of medicine on the fly as she adapted and adjusted to her new situation. Her job used to be in a lab that was quiet, controlled with regular hours – twenty years on she has become a general practitioner doing her best to heal and save all she can no matter what the situation might be. She is the only trained physician in what was once San Francisco and the world she once knew is long gone.

As a retired RN, this book was much easier for me to relate to and read than the last book I read that had more to do with military equipment, terminology, and strategies. There were politics, greed, power struggles, thievery, gamesmanship, and other similarities in both books – rather surprisingly.

The plot was tight and well crafted. The characters were well developed and easy to visualize and understand. The cause of the demise of civilization was intriguing as were the theories on why the aliens arrived and what their true purpose was. I enjoyed the depth of thought that went into creating the world this book takes place in and enjoyed the fact that it managed to engage all of my senses. This story made me care, made me think, and gave me much to ponder. My reading experienced was enhanced by knowing the locations mentioned in the book as I grew up in California.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Demodocus Publishing LLC for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this novel for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed most aspects of this book. I think the character work was very well done. Elspeth felt like a complicated, well fleshed out individual. I also really liked the alien presence in the book. I haven't read many post-apocalyptic books where survivors have to navigate interactions with aliens, as well as each other. This complication brought a freshness to what can feel like a very tired genre, at least for my tastes. And that doesn't mean that Saint Elspeth didn't fall into some of my least favorite tropes, because it did. As a reader I am tired of reading post-apocalyptic stories where men fight to be the supreme leader of whatever civilization is left. I've seen it a million times, it doesn't feel creative, it doesn't make me excited to keep turning the pages. And unfortunately, that was definitely present here and it's why I couldn't give a higher rating. This is a personal distaste of mine and doesn't mean that another reader can't absolutely love that story line. But even with this trope that I dislike, Welker still kept me interested in what would happen because of the aliens. I enjoyed the conversations around both their motivations and biology. They were easily my favorite sections to read.

The only other critique I would give is that I would have enjoyed more flashbacks to the time right after the alien craft arrived and during Elspeth's time in the bunker. The few we got to see were incredibly interesting and a great opportunity to explore more of her history and development.

Overall, this was a very good book, and I will check out more of Welker's work.

Saint Elspeth
Sci-Fi
Wick Welker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was slow to start with but it did get better. There were lots of medical terms too, which were a bit confusing at times.

Ward was such a frustrating character to begin with, I just wanted to shake him. It was nice to see him grow, become more confident and actually play an active role in running the hospital though.

The world building was great! I found the Hillamen (the aliens) so interesting. I've never read a book with similar creatures before and I wanted to know even more about them: are they sentient, do they understand the humans, why did they choose earth? And so many more.

Elspeth was a very good character. I loved how raw and real she was. She helped save peoples lives for over 20 years, day in day out, but she had her own selfish reasons for doing so. Her grief was heavy and her vulnerable moments made me emotional but she had an incredible strength.

Sabion's character actually grew on me. To begin I thought he was an awful bully but after a certain event, he changed for the better and proved himself.

The ending was good. I could've easily read more about what happens next for everyone, the colony and the world.

I LOVED the writing style of this author and although I'm a little sad that this book is a standalone, I'll definitely be reading more books by this author.

TWs: grief, loss of a child/children, suicide, racism, homophic language from bullies

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

I loved the first half of this book and liked the 2nd half. I was enthralled by Elspeth's story and loved the depth and complexity of her character. The book felt too long in the middle and dragged just a little. Maybe there should be less time between when they figure out what's happening with the Hila and putting their plan in motion. Not sure. It would have been a five-star read with a little more editing. Definitely a great read - even if you don't love sci-fi.

Good sci fi mystery with an engaging plot, I enjoyed watching the characters work thru their challenges and how the story played out.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

Dr. Elspeth Darrow remembers a time before the alien pods had arrived and the apocalyptic changes brought on by them. Working in a failing hospital without adequate medical supplies, she scavenges San Francisco for what she needs. Well written with extremely accurate medical knowledge.

I got to read Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker. I really enjoyed this sci-fi, post apocalypse story told from the first-person perspective of Doctor Elspeth who is doing everything she can to keep the citizens of Neo-San Francisco healthy while dealing with the annoying leadership of Mayor Hutch and his son Reece. This book also has an intriguing alien race that is at the crux of why this apocalypse happened on Earth as while they were peaceful on arrival, humanity did what they do best and fought each other and this all just within the premise of the novel without going into spoilers. This book also has some elements of Arrival with how the main human characters interact with the aliens as well as a bit of Ender’s Game in that same context. As someone who loves sci-fi, I really loved this book as while it’s low-tech it definitely kept my interest. I highly recommend it to any sci-fi, post-apocalypse lovers who also enjoy a little bit of heavy science talk as with Doctor Elspeth being the main point-of-view character we get a lot of bio babble instead of the usual technobabble. Check out Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker which is available now.

If you like dystopian science fiction, you’re probably going to enjoy “Saint Elspeth” by Wick Welker. I know I did.

The arrival of aliens in stationary pods sends the population of Earth into such a state of panicky frenzy that despite the aliens not even exiting their pods, governments across the globe launch nuclear war on both the pods and each other. Twenty years later, in the American state of California, groups of people leave their nuclear bunkers to reestablish civilisation. Another twenty or so years have passed when we meet our main character, Dr Elspeth Darrow, a former pathologist and now only doctor in the colony of Neo San Francisco, where she attempts to run a post-apocalyptic hospital despite a severe lack of staff, equipment, and medicines. Power struggles between Neo San Francisco and the other colonies of California combined with the mystery of the aliens makes for a highly charged political landscape in which Elspeth must navigate.

I very much enjoyed this book. I found it inventive and interesting and the aliens unlike any I have ever encountered before. One of the things I enjoy the most about science fiction and dystopian fiction in general is their scope for philosophical reflections on human nature. This is very much a book about humans and their capacity for good and evil when the layers of civilizations have been stripped away. Some rise to the occasion, others emerge as power-hungry megalomaniacs. Most, however, simply try to survive as best they can in a world gone hostile in a whole new way. This becomes especially clear in the contrasts between the older people such as Elspeth, who remember the times before the world fell apart, and the new generations of young people, who have been born into the new reality.

Throughout the book Elspeth struggles with what can only be described as ptsd from having lost both her husband and unborn child in the early days when the aliens were newly arrived and the world turned to nuclear warfare. Constant crises and demands on her time and professional expertise have never allowed her time to grieve and move past her loss. Elspeth navigates through life in a fog of exhaustion and depression which allow her to keep herself somehow apart from her surroundings. I enjoyed following along on Elspeth’s journey and think she is a character who will appeal to many readers.

Wick Welker creates a great novel in this type of book, I enjoyed the idea of aliens in this book. It wasn’t a typical story and the characters worked in the setting. I enjoyed what I read and am excited to read more from the author.

Saint Elspeth
I received this book from NetGalley for a honest review!!
I give this 4.5 stars🌟

Wick Welker is a unique talent and Scifi is his jam. I have read dark theory from him and was really impressed.

This book doesn’t miss a beat!! He is very methodical with emotions e running on all cylinders!
Extraterrestrial is a large word , but Wick knows how to fill the pages with characters and Strong female protagonist!! With great world building! And a physical or chemical nature.!!

Elspeth is a doctor working on Neo California as a doctor 20 years after an alien invasion. The book starts when the alien arrives and then fast forwards to 20 years on the future.

The main female character, who is the only trained medical doctor for all that remains of the city. But be forewarned, there is plenty of medical gore while we share her desperate attempts to save lives. I think the author was also a trained doctor so the descriptions are very accurate, Unfortunately there was the problem for me, as an individual, i dont like biology or its related topics very much or doesn't find it very interesting, So all these medical terms made my enjoyment of this book low. If you are someone who likes to read things about this, you may find this book very good.

Great reading for sci-fi fans and others. well-written book that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering about the aiiens and the future

Saint Elspeth is a post apocalyptic novel following Dr. Elspeth Darrow in a Neo California colony. This book starts with an alien invasion and then quickly dives into what it life is like as a doctor 20 years later.

I love all things dystopian fiction. I love how humanity is explored in this genre. Saint Elspeth is a character development story that also happens to have an engaging plot. From the beginning of the book I was taken in by Elspeth and how she approached challenges and problems. I loved how the author incorporated science all across the book from the medical adventures to the socratic method.

Dr. Elspeth tries to help every patient she can. The world has changed since the aliens appeared ten years ago. Although the aliens have one nothing to hurt humans, humankind has reverted to a more primitive state. There are no medicines unless they raid local deserted towns. The book has a good surprise ending and is well worth the read.

*4 stars*

Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker is a solid post-apocalyptic, sci-fi novel. This is the first of Welker’s works that I’ve read, and I might just need to sample some others.
I really appreciated the description of life in San Francesco, post-nuclear war, brought about by the arrival of an alien species almost 40 years ago. This allowed me to feel immersed in this altered world, where modern technologies are rare. Cinematic is the word I would use to describe the world-building here.

I was drawn to this novel because of the main female character, who is the only trained medical doctor for all that remains of the city. Determined & driven is good description of Dr. Elspeth Darrow. But be forewarned, there is plenty of medical gore while we share her desperate attempts to save lives. Not for the faint of heart reader.

The book did become a bit heavy handed in its idealistic, philosophical ending, but since I share a similar outlook on life, it didn’t bother me. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a unique post-apocalyptic tale, and I look forward to film adaptation of this book.

Publishing date for this is 11/4/23.

Many thanks to Demodocus Publishing LLC and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest, unbiased review.

Well written post-disaster/sci-fi thriller. Think 'The Road' meets 'The Last of Us'. I think this would be a compelling mini-series and the villains could be even more scary and awful. Also, it's been a while since nuclear disaster was in literature. I appreciated that.

Much thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.