Plume of Fire

De: Marie Fostino

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

The BookFest Awards / Fall 2022 / Second Place in Dystopian - Science Fiction
Award - Winning Finalist in the Science Fiction, Post - Apocalyptic category of the 2021 American Fiction Awards.

The heavens experimented with a life form called humans. The world they made was once peaceful and kind but soon changed to hate and evil. A virus was sent down as a warning for humans to change their ways but was ignored. An apparition of a man dressed in black made himself visible to Sarah and Ricky with a message. The world is programmed to be terminated unless mankind can stop their corruption and live in peace.

The Creator is disappointed in the people of the world! Why couldn't humans love one another? Instead of love and goodness, they spread destruction and hate amongst themselves. Humans didn't seem to understand that the new virus that caused the death of about two-thirds of the world's population in 2020 was a warning. It was a warning for them to turn from their wicked ways! Fast forward to 2022, Sarah Taylor is one of the survivors of the pandemic. She lived alone in one of the districts created by the government until Ricky sneaked into her garden one morning, seeking food and shelter. Moved with compassion, Sarah decides to allow Ricky to live with her. One fateful day, an alien appears to Sarah and Ricky and warns them of the Creator's plan to destroy Earth unless people changed their evil ways. Hence, Sarah and Ricky set out to inform the government of the alien's warning. However, they soon discover they have to fight for their lives as their message upsets the people in power. Plume of Fire by Marie Fostino is an intriguing dystopian fantasy book that is easy to recommend. I am sure you will understand why I think so if you read this review to the end. Once I started reading this book, I just couldn't put it down. Thank goodness, it only had 160 pages in it. Ms. Fostino uses the third-person point of view to tell the entire story, which made me feel I was witnessing simultaneous events in the book from a vantage point. The author's writing style is praiseworthy, and I enjoyed how smoothly the story flowed. Also, Ms. Fostino's descriptions left clear pictures on my mind due to her excellent use of vivid imagery. Though the backstories provided for most of the characters were short, I enjoyed how this made the book concise. More so, I liked how distinct and life-like each character was. I couldn't believe how much I feared for Sarah and Ricky's safety. I even fell in love with Sarah due to how brave and determined she was all through the book. What I liked the most about this book is its message of love. The author's intention to bring some societal ills like rape, aggression, and covetousness to light in this book is clear. However, she also reminds us of the need to love and care for one another, which is how the Creator wants us to live on Earth. The author's message is most evident in Sarah's compassion and aptitude to do good despite others doing otherwise. Furthermore, I enjoyed the author's impeccable worldbuilding ability. She was able to give detailed descriptions of a world ravaged by a pandemic. She makes the book relatable by using known locations in the United States. Also, it was easy for me to relate the virus in this book to the coronavirus of today, which the world is still battling to contain. In conclusion, I am glad to rate Plume of Fire 4 out of 4 stars. And like I said earlier, it is easy to recommend. It helps that the book is professionally edited, with few typos, and devoid of profanities. Though Christians will find this book most suitable due to some biblical references in it, I think readers who enjoy fantasy stories will find this title intriguing.