Published 25th March 2021 by Orbit.
From the cover of the book:
The Fall of Koli is the third and final novel in the breathtakingly original Rampart trilogy - set in a strange and deadly world of our own making.The world that is lost will come back to haunt us . . .
Koli has come a long way since being exiled from his small village of Mythen Rood. In his search for the fabled tech of the old times, he knew he'd be battling strange, terrible beasts and trees that move as fast as whips. But he has already encountered so much more than he bargained for.
Now that Koli and his companions have found the source of the signal they've been following - the mysterious "Sword of Albion" - there is hope that their perilous journey will finally be worth something.
Until they unearth terrifying truths about an ancient war . . . and realise that it may have never ended.
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Welcome to the final part of the gripping dystopian Rampart trilogy, The Fall of Koli - the book where all the little bits and pieces of M.R. Carey's well crafted The Book of Koli and the Trials of Koli come together in a stunning finale.
Starting exactly where the previous book left off, we find Koli and his disparate band of friends Ursula-from-elsewhere, the feisty Cup, and Monono Aware on the verge of discovering the truth about The Sword of Albion. And what they find is shocking indeed - although it reveals much about what happened to bring about the fall Ingland all those years ago in the Unfinished War, and rather worryingly, that it might truly be unfinished...
As before, the story splits between the quest of Koli and co. to find a cure for the sickness that ails the land and her people, and what is happening back home with Spinner and the folk in Mythen Rood, and there is lot to take in from both story lines. I am very conscious not to give away too much of what goes on here, but can tell you that Spinner really shines in her endeavours, and her desire for peace and unity has a great effect on what happens, even if she and her folk have to pass through much conflict to get there. But for me, it is Koli's side of this adventure that is most significant, and the stream of brilliant reveals that Carey drops on you as you follow what happens are delicious in the extreme. Be prepared to learn so much more about my favourite character Monono, who always keeps me entertained with her pop-culture references, and what she is capable of too.
I must admit that I did approach this final book in the trilogy with some trepidation, especially given its portentous title, but The Fall of Koli has proven to be my favourite of the three books, by far - and that is saying something. The well conceived threads that sprang to life way back at the start of the epic series play out beautifully to their triumphant conclusions here, and the pitch perfect ending is hard to beat - even if I did shed some tears in the reading of it. The way Carey plays with the future direction of the 'old world' tech here is rather clever too, and fits nicely with Spinner's long held ideals, which made me smile.
This is a series where you really do have to have read all the books, and in the correct order, for the story to work, but it really is worth your time and attention if you enjoy a post-apocalyptic yarn. Although I am a bit sad to get to the end of the journey, I have thoroughly enjoyed being along for the ride.
The Fall of Koli is available to buy now from your favourite book retailer.
Thank you to Orbit for providing me with an e-copy of this book in return for an honest review and to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
M. R. Carey has been making up stories for most of his life. His novel The Girl With All the Gifts was a word-of-mouth bestseller and is now a major motion picture based on his own screenplay. Under the name Mike Carey he has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on Lucifer, Hellblazer and X-Men. His creator-owned series The Unwritten appeared regularly in the New York Times graphic fiction bestseller list. He also has several previous novels, games, radio plays, and TV and movie screenplays to his credit.
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