Review | The Fearing: Book One – Fire & Rain by John F.D. Taff (ARC)

A man sits in his apartment, afraid of everything outside. One day he is forced to leave the safety of his apartment and confront his fears. But the world he fears has other plans for him. Three high school students survive a tornado only to realise the danger isn’t over. A group of senior citizens on a bus are hit with an earthquake and more. Three nightmares, and this is just the beginning.

He was absolutely glutted with fears, every niche and hidey-hole crammed full of them. They floated just under the surface of his subconscious, like bubbles filled with toxic gas.

The Fearing is an apocalyptic tale which will be released in four parts over the incoming months. This is the first time I’m reading a book in a serialised format so I’m excited to participate! Initially, I wondered if I would have a problem reading Book One – Fire & Rain knowing that it is only the first part of the book. But my doubts disappeared the moment I started. I was immediately pulled into the story from the first line.

I love apocalyptic stories, particularly ones focusing on the moment the world collapses. It’s why I enjoyed the opening of The Passage, until the story moves a hundred years into the future. The characters’ realisation, desperation and fight to survive against whatever’s coming makes for a thrilling read. So I was pleased that Book One starts with a bang and doesn’t let up.

We get three cataclysmic events, each marking what seems to be the ending of the world. There’s Adam, a man who fears everything. There’s Sarah, Carli and Kyle, caught in a disaster while embroiled in the drama of teenage romance. And there’s Rich, driving a bus for vacationers whose trip is cut short after a catastrophe. No spoilers but Adam’s story took me by surprise and I loved it! It’s always great when a character you had pegged turns out to be completely different. The other characters are equally interesting, and I felt like I already knew them. I’m afraid for their fates. Apocalyptic stories don’t tend to end well.

I thought that the writing is vivid and sharp, and no words are wasted. The dialogue sounds natural and there are even brief moments of humour in between the horror. And there is plenty of horror, chaos and tension especially since the characters are left in the dark. They think they’re facing a natural disaster but the truth is much worse. There is a scene involving butterflies that had me cringing! Nothing is safe in this world. What do you do when your worst fears come to life?

I’m simultaneously dreading and dying to read the next installments of The Fearing. If you want to be in the same boat as me, Book One is out on 9 July!

I received an ARC from the publisher for review purposes.

About the author: John F.D. Taff

Photo by Jose Puma