NETHER AFTER by Jodi L. Cox - Middle Grade/YA
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the NETHER AFTER by Jodi L. Cox Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours.
About The Book:
Author: Jodi L. Cox
Pub. Date: August 19, 2023
Publisher: Spirit Gate
Studio
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback,
eBook
Pages: 216
Find it:
Goodreads, https://books2read.com/NETHER-AFTER
In a world of darkness and danger, where secrets lurk in every shadow, one young necromancer is determined to uncover the truth and rescue his lost mother. Meet Faust Thaed, a courageous 15-year-old trapped in the treacherous realm of the Nether After. Haunted by the memory of his beloved mother, taken captive by the enigmatic Leiche Guard, Faust's journey becomes a relentless quest for answers. As he navigates the eerie landscapes, he finds solace in the company of ghosts, drawing upon their arcane powers to fuel his necromantic abilities.
Faust's path is fraught with
unimaginable perils. From harrowing encounters with ravenous poltergeists to
facing off against bloodthirsty monsters and cannibalistic predators, every
step brings him closer to the truth and the menacing soldiers of the secret
police.
Thrills abound as Faust's clandestine adventure unfolds, his fate hanging in the balance as he battles not only for his mother's life but also for his own. Every choice he makes, every spell he casts, could tip the scales toward triumph or catastrophe.
Will he rescue his mother from the
clutches of the Leiche Guard? Or will his magical powers consume him, leaving
him forever trapped in a realm of despair?
A Brandy Mulder Review
Nether After by Jodi Cox
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Note: There may be some spoilers in this post
This book is a lot more than what I thought it was going to
be based off the description. It has layers of different things mixed in for a
complex teenage adventure. It has a dash of a twist on the Frankenstein story,
a dash of supernatural magic, and a dash of a few other things all mixed in to
make an intriguing story.
With the loss of his mother Faust has become the one taking
on most of the responsibilities at home. While the description calls him a
necromancer but I’m not sure that is exactly the right word for what he does.
He has more care for ghosts than others in his world and it puts him at odds
with the way others think. His frustration with his situation at home is at a
boiling point when he gets a letter from his grandfather asking him to visit to
talk about something important.
Responding to that letter brings Faust right into the middle
of trouble. Upper class and lower class are starting to clash where his
grandfather lives bringing danger and mysteries into Faust’s life. He finds out
that his grandfather is in trouble because he is planning to do something that
will change their entire society if it actually works and Faust doesn’t know
what to do about it. Many people are against his grandfather for various
reasons causing Faust to make a choice: his family or what is right.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. From
the description I expected a lot more horror but it is a complex and well
thought out storyline that while involving death and ghosts is not a horror
story. There is some world building but it doesn’t dominate the story so I hope
to see more to this series as I believe this is a complex world that could give
us a lot of interesting characters. I would like to say I recommend ages 13 and
up but I’m thinking unless they are comfortable with ghosts and death we may
want to go with ages 15 and up.
About Jodi L. Cox:
Jodi Cox is
an American dieselpunk author born on April 10, 1979 in Union City,
Indiana. She graduated from Simon Kenton High School in 1997. Later she went on
to graduate with a BFA from the College of Mount Saint Joseph, now known as the
University of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio.
After
college, Jodi started writing for Citybeat magazine. Later she went on to
become a pioneer in internet graphics and website development. After spending
nearly ten years writing for everything from tax websites to poetry, Jodi began
developing the world of the Nether After, unbeknownst to her that steampunk and
dieselpunk was turning into a literary genre.
Jodi enjoys
all things speculative fiction, but has a pension for the weird and unusual.
She describes herself as a comic book snob. She is often found
with a stack of Japanese and American graphic novels in one hand and a cup
of coffee in the other. She enjoys drawing and painting, as well as
writing. Her hours not spent on writing are devoted to geeking out over
new computer hardware, or the latest video games. She loves ripping into
electronics to see how they work, as well as cooking and developing new
recipes.
As a
writer Jodi has been writing steampunk, dieselpunk, and fantasy of
all types. She has even dipped her toe into science fiction.
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