Angharad reviews...'The Voices' Series by G.X.Todd

Here's library staff member Angharad with a review of 'The Voices Series' by G.X. Todd.

Dyma Angharad gyda'i barn am 'The Voices Series' gan G.X. Todd.

Fans of Stephen King’s The Stand will love the premise of this series. Set in modern times after an apocalyptic event divides humanity into those who hear mysterious inner voices and those who don’t, two people who are far more than they seem are brought together by a voice. It tells the enigmatic traveller Pilgrim to buy lemonade from lonely teen Lacey as though doing so would fulfil a prophecy. Pilgrim takes its guidance and so begins a long and harrowing journey.

The pair become an unlikely duo; though different, they share a unique bond. They are among the few lucky survivors of the wasteland that is the post-voice world. A place where people kill others and themselves as a result of their inner voices. The voices are dangerous, or so it seems. Where did they come from? What sparked their arrival? Who is the sinister Flitting Man and why is he searching for those who hear them?

G.X Todd creates a bleak and frequently savage world where trusting the voice in your head can lead you to salvation or slaughter. Between the voices and what’s left of humanity’s morals, you’ll ask yourself who the real enemy is time and again.

The atmosphere of this series is like a gust of wind swirling dust down a long backwater road. The setting is really brought to life through Todd’s descriptions. Every character feels authentic, every scene is paced perfectly, steadily. Each book begins as a slow burn, with some seemingly innocuous events only making sense much later in the story when things culminate. This approach works so well within the narrative and there’s some satisfying twists that make the build-up worthwhile. Everything happens for a reason, and incidentally this is also a theme within the story itself.

If you enjoy gritty survival-based stories with a focus on introspection and character development and a huge side of dangerous sci-fiction forces – think Birdbox, The Walking Dead, The Happening and The Last of Us- then there’s a very good chance this could be your new favourite book series. The final book’s expected publication is set for late 2020, so listen to your inner voice and start this series now!

(Books in quadrilogy- #1 Defender, #2 Hunted, #3 Survivors and a fourth to be announced.)