It is ten years since The Impact, the day when meteors struck the earth. The city of Boston has become a dark, dust driven scape with a small fraction of its population alive and living the semi feral life of scavenging tribes. Mick, the leader of one of these groups, has been living in an abandoned bomb shelter with no power, running water or any other creature comfort. Just a few miles away, a group of scientists has been working in the past decade to restore the planet while living in a secret site. The fragile equilibrium of survival is shattered when Mick inadvertently stumbles into the realm of the Rubble King while scavenging for food. His first acquaintance, Solomon, seems frightened of nearly everything and it is only after meeting King and his band of miscreants that Mick learns the reason for Solomon’s fear.
Post-apocalyptic novels usually result in opposing sides having a major battle where the forces of good prevail. There are violent interactions between Mick and King but the climax in this story occurs in the secret lab where a virus has been unleashed and has infected the planet. The survival of humankind depends on finding someone with a natural immunity to this fatal virus. King wants the cure for himself and, having found it, attempts to use it to increase his power over all of the surrounding territory. Using subterfuge, Mick neutralizes King and the cure becomes available for everyone.
IMPETUS sets itself apart from other books of this genre by allowing good to triumph through the basic decency of its main characters. Nature is every bit as violent as King and his denizens but, when faced with the ultimate choice, even the most egregious of Kings men come down on the side of human decency. There are a few difficulties with the medical technology referred to in this story, such as referring to CT scans and CAT scans as if they are two different things and the fact that viruses cannot be seen under a microscope. These are minor problems and do not in any way detract from this well told story.
IMPETUS is a unique depiction of humanity after a cataclysmic disaster. The motivation of Mick and his group is based in their humanness and occasional frailty rather than vengeance. It is a paean of hope rather than a whoop of victory.
Reviewed by Ed Bennett for IndieReader