john m broadhead Archives - fundinmentalfundinmental

MY REVIEW

Our people don’t know what else to do, so we dig.

Right out of the gate we meet the haves and the have nots. Could you imagine living underground? You get up in the morning and dig until you go to bed at night, barely enough food and water to keep you alive. I worked for General Motors and used to think, if I die, they are going to step right over me, or on me, and continue working. Morbid, huh? I feel that is Coal’s future, if he doesn’t follow his instincts.

He wants to save the people of Dirthome, and what an appropriate name it is. Nothing to see for miles but desert. John M Broadhead’s descriptions are spot on, considering he knows them so well, being raised in rural New Mexico.

The Outliers want what they have, mounting attack after attack, bodies falling on both sides. But, the biggest threat that so many refuse to even think about is the darkness coming. The sun will go down and not return. So many continue their day to day lives, refusing to make a decision to leave the only home they have ever known. There will be no food. No water. They cannot survive. A religious leader uses their fear to keep them under control.

Coal heads out with Slate, searching for a new home. He never anticipates what will happen when he sees birds for the first time, meets the sea, and the Stacca, a violent and dangerous people.

We travel from the present to the past and back to the present. Part One set the hook, Part Two gave me Coal’s adventurous history, bringing us to Part Three, where decisions will be forced, whether the people want to follow him or not. He never wanted to be a leader, just wanted to save his people, especially the governor’s wife, who he loves.

Farewll To Dust And Sun by John M Broadhead was a different kind of apocalyptic/ dystopian read and I am always on the lookout for someone to take one of my favorite genres and tweak it. Once I started, I couldn’t stop and will be eagerly awaiting the next Slow World Tale. How about it John? I hope you are writing fast. 🙂

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

His scorched desert world is doomed. To save his people, first he’ll need to fight them.

Loyalty and love will be tested and treacherous alliances made, but is it too late to ensure their survival?

Coal is a tenacious and headstrong young laborer who lives in the harsh wasteland of Dirthome, a brutal and unforgiving place where relentless violence and apathy are commonplace. As the sun prepares to set for the first time in generations, he hatches a daring plan – to persuade his people to abandon their desert abode before darkness and cold consume the world.

But driven by a complex love for the governor’s wife and accompanied by a mysterious warrior woman, Coal must navigate dangerous partnerships and confront his own fatal weaknesses. In this sweeping and gritty western-themed fantasy, traditions are shattered, flawed characters clash and civilizations collide in pursuit of uncertain salvation.

“Farewell To Dust And Sun” is the thrilling first installment in the “Slow World Tales” series of post-apocalyptic adventure fantasy books. If you like coming-of-age, survival fantasy books set in a barren and grim future, this book is for you!

Genre: Action and Adventure, Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction
557 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2023 by John M Broadhead

ABOUT JOHN M BROADHEAD

“I just want to make things that people can nerd out on. There’s nothing in life more joyful than nerding out over something.”

I am excited to share my newly completed novel “Farewell To Dust And Sun.” Fitting nicely into the apocalyptic genre, this is a fast-paced adventure story set in an unforgiving desert, a quest to save the world that eschews fantasy tropes and focuses on the characters, their hopes, failures and crises.

Heading toward publication on November 7th, this will be my second self-published novel, but the first in which I believe I truly found my voice. I believe it to be a “millennial” story through and through, expressing the angst in the hearts of a generation stuck between a bleak past and a bleak future.

Among other projects I am in fact working on the sequel in what I hope to eventually craft into a trilogy of “Slow World Tales.” My writing credentials include my previous novel “Talking Man,” along with a novella, a children’s book, and a novelty picture book. I have been recognized with numerous awards for my poetry and screenwriting, and my academic background in English Literature provides me with a deep understanding of the craft. Additionally I am a filmmaker, runner, thru-hiker, and Tolkien nerd.

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