REVIEW BY MEREDITH FULLER OAM psychologist and author
A post-apocalyptic tale of an Australia isolated from the rest of the world, ‘Burning the Bones’ by E. E. Markham is a story of love and survival against a back-drop of sword-fighting and monsters.
I’m giving this eBook 4.5 STARS out of 5 and my little puzzle for you:
What on earth could Ice Hockey and A Midsummer Night’s Dream have to do with this impressive eBook by E.E. Markham?
Why am I so impressed with this clever, unique read?
Unlike anything else I have read in this genre, Markham knows how to write about complex relationships between people, plausible futuristic scenarios, sex, and riveting warfare reflexivity with action. Unlike many writers, Markham adroitly handles both sex scenes and sword-fighting to the death.
No turgid, dreary descriptions of wastelands and unnecessary exposition – Markham writes characters that we are viscerally affected by; whether with empathy, fear or dislike, they have verisimilitude. The landscape is outlined crisply and problems require our active involvement.
By constructing our heartfelt connection with the main characters in the initial chapters, Markham ensures that we accept a malevolent low-tech futuristic story with alacrity. By writing a sensitive man and strong woman who respect each other she gives us hope in our current misogynist society.
Markham’s layering of characters is satisfying and intriguing and the story is plausible and confronting. Her description of the dangerous creatures is subtle while her fight scenes are instructive. The power of her writing is in what she doesn’t say – a delicate restraint that is missing in the post-apocalyptic books I have read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and learned a lot about warfare and how Australia might look in the future. I highly recommend this book, suitable for a wide age range and a wonderful introduction to readers who haven’t come across this genre before. Markham is a psychologically minded writer and I am keen to read the next book.
The cover is fascinating and worth contemplation.
Available from the Amazon Kindle Store,
amzn.asia/d/d3fRiAV
