The Sunrise Lands: A Novel of the Change

This is a novel about the first generation after the Change, which was covered in the trilogy; Dies the Fire, Protector's War, Meeting at Corvallis. It follows Rudi MacKenzie and his companions on a trip from the Willamette Valley of Oregon headed towards Nantucket.
This book gives a much better picture of what happened to the rest of the USA in the 20 years after the Change. It moves at a slower pace than the last novels, but Rudi is a compelling character and his complex relationship with those around him is interesting to read. There is plenty of combat and military maneuvers for fans, there is also a bit more intrigue than the last three. On the whole a good continuation in the world that Changed.

I love this guy. He's smart, well-educated, meticulous. A really good writer. These books (this book follows a previous series set in the same universe) are basically a very involved, meticulously researched fictionalization of a thought experiment: What would happen if we woke up one day and all our technology stopped working? Really think it through, and I guarantee he's thought of stuff you haven't. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic, the dialogue is well-written and convincing. Highly recommended.

Do yourself a favor, though, and read the first series, which begins with "Dies the Fire," first. You'll get a lot of background you need to really appreciate and understand the books that follow after it.

The first post-change generation comes of age. A small group of our young friends from Oregon must set out on a quest to Nantucket Island in response to a vision seen by a visitor from the East. Encountering various civilizations of Change-survivors, some good, some not-so-good, they make their way across the no-longer-existent United States. Love it.

To be honest, I didn't actually finish the book; I read about a third of it until I just lost interest. I just got tired of the religious fanaticism and the killing. Honestly, there's only a couple million people left in North America in this story, and they spend all their time training for war so they can fight over whose religion is the right religion. Whatever. Certainly not my thing. I should have just stopped at the end of the trilogy which was pretty good (though still religious).

Normally I bristle at the author's seemingly derisive tone against Christianity in favor of the Old (yet newer) Religion. However, he made up for it in this installment of post-Change fiction. There are some very sweet and endearing character development moments, and the descriptions of the battles are first rate. The lack of palatable ending is always a concern, but I say that with the knowledge that this book is really a middle part of a larger story arch. Definitely worth the read.

Ok, so I unknowingly read this one first, not knowing that there was a book or two before it, so it was a little confusing & difficult to follow, but otherwise, it was good. I really enjoyed the charachters and the story. Definetly a must read, but READ THE OTHER BOOKS FIRST!!!!!! It will make so much more sense!

Loved this book - not *quite* on a par with Dies the Fire, but not too far off. Love the characterisation and the worldbuilding that Stirling has done with it (and absolutely LOVED the temper-related version of the Litany Against Fear!)

Thought the story was over? Nope. Keep going. The writing is actually evolving and improving. Some classics in this one.

In this book, you see the foreshadowed events from the first three books begin to unfold. Makes you wonder if we would really fall so apart in the wake of such utter upheaval. You have to hope that at such of time of great change we would show a greater nobility that what Stirling writes. Still, the books are well written and it is leading up to some answers to explain why this and the Island in the Sea of Time series occurred.

Stirling really has a knack for creating characters that you instantly despise even before they've done anything. First with Arminger and now with the Prophet, it's like the first time either character was mentioned I was like, "I hate this guy, and I have no idea why." That's talent.