Liberal Nightmare

Avalon: The Retreat by L. Michael Rusin
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I couldn't make up my mind if this was written by a young man with no life/relationship experience, or an older man with some very straightened views on women. Whichever it was, there isn't a lot going on in the 'understanding women' part of L. Michael Rusin's brain. The male characters were wooden enough, but the women were very crudely drawn. I think my favourite line was She was suddenly tired, and it wasn't because of her period ... ...seriously?

This novel needs a very serious edit. I was really looking forward to reading it - post-apocalyptic adventures are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine - all that room for character development and world-building. This just disappointed me. It reads like a survivalist shopping list. Never let it be said that Mr Rusin's didn't thoroughly research his topic, but please, someone tell him that subtlety in drawing that knowledge to the reader's attention would serve him well in the next iteration of this trilogy. He might also wish to check his anti-Liberal tendencies at the door to the cabin - the only emotion in the whole book seemed to be reserved to be directed against the 'effete' liberals and the Canadians - all deserving of the author's wrath due to their anti-guns policies.

I appreciate the advance copy - thank you NetGalley and KamelPress, but I think a bit more work needs to be done on this one, before it is published. While there may be a market in the survivalist camps, and this novel may find its way onto the shelves of the odd bunkered settlement in the mid-West, it requires a lot of 2b pencil markings to guarantee readership (and sales) to a wider audience.



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