THE ANCIENTS by John Larison

4 stars

In a post-apocalyptic world in which our civilization has been destroyed, survivors have had to build-up from the beginning of primitive times. They’ve just entered the bronze age, and pockets of humans are spread out far distances from each other – with for many only remote rumors of others. Moreover, climate change is in full force- with the world drying up and the attending drought causing wide-spread starvation.

The story alternates between a family barely eking out a living fishing by the beach, the rest of their clan having headed to what lore has labeled forbidden mountains in hope of finding migrating elk and greener land. The three children of this family, after their parents suddenly disappear, have to make a survival trek to hope to find their clan in the mountains before they themselves starve, freeze, or get killed by wild bears.

On a wealthy island nation, Cyrus, the studious historian son inherits the family mantle of his newly deceased powerful dad. The family had made a fortune in producing wool for everyone’s clothes, and the son learns of a mandate from his emperor to produce more wool than ever before. To do so, their island captures and enslaves people they find living on other islands The son also learns after his father’s death of the family’s vast debts, as well as his need to produce the wool if he has any hope of getting a place on board a giant Noah’s Ark of a ship the emperor is building to travel to more fertile lands.

What follows is a powerful survival tale of both families, with some somber messaging about where our current civilization is heading.

Thanks to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.