Review | The Fearing: Book Four – Earth & Ember by John F.D. Taff

The Fearing saga concludes with Book Four – Earth & Ember, the fourth and final installment. The survivors try to find a way out from under the tyranny of a sadistic man. And darkness on the horizon threatens to force them to a place where it will all end.

Was it all just fear?

And how far did it reach down into his life? How deep a hold did it have over his choices, from the simple to the profound, even his day-to-day existence?

What an ending! It’s been an absolute pleasure to read each installment of The Fearing, waiting in anticipation for each new release. I’m sad it’s coming to an end but it’s the first interactive reading experience I’ve had and one of the highlights of my reading year. I first met these characters in June and after six months, have finally said goodbye. It’s been a blast and I’ll be thinking of them for a long time. To catch up, you can read my reviews for Book One – Fire & Rain, Book Two – Water & Wind and Book Three – Air & Dust.

Book Four is the longest out of all the installments which allows the story to have proper closure. It picks up after the ending of Book Three where a ruthless man, Tim Jacoby, and his followers arrive at the survivors’ encampment. He says he has a solution to their problem but he brings his own sets of rules. This causes conflict between him and the other survivors, particularly Reverend Mark. I found their interactions intense and complex, adding to the sense of unease.

They plan to travel to Memphis to setup a new society but the incoming darkness proves to be a problem. Reverend Mark and the other survivors including Monday, Doc Cunningham, Cynthia and Jennifer have to decide whether to follow Jacoby’s maniacal leadership or break out on their own. Things get further complicated when they meet another group of people – Rich, Glen, Kyle and the rest of the bus survivors we met previously. Bringing all the characters together was a definite high point and it felt satisfying to see them finally interact. While we spent some time with particular characters, ultimately this is Mark’s story. Even though we only met him in Book Two, it’s his guidance the others turn to. It’s not a position he wishes to be in but in a time of need, he is the person they trust the most. I enjoyed seeing the way his character develop into being a leader.

There is plenty of twist and turns to keep me guessing. We learn more about Monday and Adam, where they come from and where they are heading. But one of the highlights of the book involves a flashback to Jelnik’s past. Without wanting to spoil it, all I can say is that his chapter is one of the most heartbreaking and disturbing things I’ve ever read. It is a reflection of real life’s atrocities and shows how much fear can consume, break, destroy and hurt people. The writing is concise and superb. I liked that the story digs into human psyche and shows that while fears can be personal, sometimes even the most different of people can share the same fears. The question is whether to succumb or to rise above it all.

The Fearing is an excellent post-apocalyptic horror about survival, friendship, love, loss, fear and hope. Because it’s easy to give in to fear, but much harder to hope for the better. This book proves that it is possible, and most of all, worth it.

I received a copy from the publisher for review purposes. All four installments of The Fearing are out now!

About the author: John F.D. Taff

Photo by Marcel Schreiber