ABOVE THE CLOUDS by Tim Vee
GENRE: post-apocalypse, dystopian, sci-fi, horror
MY REVIEW
Tim Vee writes some interesting stories, and Above The Clouds had me intrigued. This unique apocalyptic/dystopian novel takes place deep underground, in long unused subway tunnels and sewers. No one knows what came before .
Everyone has their duties to perform, whether it’s raising the young, hunt or work to provide necessities. When their usefulness comes to and end, whether through injury or old age, they are sent to the surface to fend for themselves.
Dara and her sister, Squirt, are the main characters in Above The Clouds. Squirt is still young enough that she helps where she can and not much is expected of her. Dara is a hunter. She is expected to bring back from the hunt a dozen rats or three cats or a dog.
The world Tim Vee has created is bleak and dangerous. It is a world I haven’t visited before and I have read many apocalyptic and dystopian fiction novels. We go from the depths of the earth to the clouds in the sky, where Squirt will find a life she could never have envisioned. I like the twist from dark to light, from despair to hope. I was suitably creeped out and that is always a good thing. LOL
BLURB
n a ruined, distant future of our world, filled with rain, gloom, and danger, Squirt and her sister Dara fight to survive as part of the underground clan, hunting meat to survive and clinging to the edges of existence.
When Squirt encounters a mysterious figure above ground, her life is upended. Taken to a gleaming paradise above the clouds, she finds herself trapped in an idyllic prison, where everything seems perfect—but is danger hiding in plain sight? Does Charlotte, her enigmatic and gentle companion, hide secrets behind her perfect smile? Does Mrs Wallis, the tower’s cold matriarch, watch Squirt with a predator’s patience?
Below, Dara hunts alone, trying to find meaning in her life and haunted by her sister’s disappearance while whispers of betrayal within the clan force her to choose between being a victim or fighting for her survival.
As the sisters’ paths converge, truths are exposed: immortality comes at a terrible price, and the ones they’ve trusted most may be their greatest enemies. Above the Clouds is a haunting tale of the fight for survival and identity, asking the question: What does it truly mean to be human?
EXCERPT
She made it to the side of the ruins, ducked under a concrete slab, and crouched silently, listening and watching the darkness. She allowed her ears and eyes to acclimate to the noises and darkness of the ruins, the dripping water, the scurrying of a rat, the rattle of a falling piece of rock, and the sounds men made.
She sniffed and smelled something. Something cooking.
Rat! she thought.
Moving slowly and cautiously, she crept out from her hiding place, not making a sound. She climbed onto a slab of concrete laying diagonally and crawled upward until she was looking down at where Chagga sat on a rock, roasting a pair of skinned rats above a fire. Adam was standing, shaking and banging the water off his furs. Chagga was speaking.
“…Tomorra, when the hunters head out, make sure our men are on guard at the big tube that comes in by the butcher…”
Hidden in the shadows above, Dara silently slipped her quiver from her shoulder.
“…That is where we attack…Once we have taken control, all those who have no faith will be butchered, and we will call Major Tom, and he will pick up, and he will send the riders, and we leave for Marbro Country!”
She rolled onto her back and slid two arrows from the quiver.
“Can you trust this bandit, Barg, father?” said Adam.
Gently, she laid one of the arrows on the concrete, and the other she notched.
“No,” said Chagga firmly. “But I need them to do in the guards while you kill the chief.”
She rolled, holding the bow with her left hand, pulling the bowstring back.
Kill Adam, and the others won’t know the plan? she thought. Or kill Chagga, and there is no plan?
She closed her left eye, pulling the string tighter.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Tim works in digital marketing in Toronto and is well-traveled, having visited over 80 countries. When he is not working or writing, he likes to spend time with his family and German Shepherd and go cycling.
Website: https://timvee.com/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/above-the-clouds/id6741713791
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ddhFEQAAQBAJ
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Above-Clouds-post-apocalyptic-Tim-Vee-ebook/dp/B0DTJL73QM/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1704940
X: https://x.com/_Tim_Vee_
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21960899.Tim_Vee
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