Publication Date: November 24, 2013
The inhabitants of Galatia, a post-apocalyptic community, have been living underground since a nuclear attack left the world uninhabitable. When their underground bunker collapses, the Galactians are forced to the surface, some of who embrace the change. Lars Steelson is a kid who didn’t fit in the underground. On the surface, he blossoms. He’s joined by hothead Josie Albright. Can Josie and Lars work together to find a new home for their people?
The author, C.D. Verhoff, gifted a copy of this novel to me in exchange for my review.
The construction of the history and transformative society in Promised Land: A Galatia Novel is impressive. Verhoff writes an evolved human. Her story is deeply infused with religious allegory while honoring the spirit of a truly great dystopian work.
Verhoff writes some very interesting characters. Josie is the focus early in the novel. People in the new society have gifts, and Josie’s sisters and mother have the gift of beauty and perhaps, it’s hinted seduction. When Josie’s sister flirts with Lars and “steals” him from Josie, she uses her gift to injure her sister. We get a sense of a self not tempered and true rage from this character. She has always lived in the shadows. Lars has a similar problem. He wants to be part of a fight club but hasn’t measured up. There’s a diminished self-esteem. When both of these characters reach the surface, they cannot help but come into their own. Whether they come into their own together or not is something a reader will simply have to discover for themselves.
Red Wakeland is another story. I will let readers decide if he’s a true leader or just truly insane, but he was a fascinating character to read. He is, without a doubt, a zealot. Verhoff writes Red as a complete character but with so much room for interpretation. He is the healer of the world in a sense and a world he will protect. Verhoff paints a realistic and relatable tale and this character with classic beauty. Verhoff’s use of the language packs a punch. She is able to convey meaning and feel in a compact construction which is a much-valued talent.
What really enhances Promised Land: A Galatia Novel is Verhoff’s great attention to her setting. This is the world we know many years in the future, and yet there’s something new and fresh about it — an undiscovered country. Those who will thrive embrace the open air and free reign, something they’ve never experienced. There are new challenges, but they deal with those challenges with a great sense of optimism, which is awesome to read. We know that humans are more resilient than it may have seemed in recent years and this novel, written with realism, gives a reader hope. I know this may sound pie-eyed or naïve but it’s nice to see a futuristic tale written with such an eye toward everything one day being OK. I have never read a dystopian society novel quite like Verhoff’s Promised Land: A Galatia Novel is just a great read.
Red the First (Galatia Series) is a prequel to Promised Land: A Galatia Novel which is first in a planned series.
Read an excerpt and buy Promised Land: A Galatia Novel by C.D. Verhoff on
Amazon U.S. Amazon U.K. Amazon CA
That review was definitely worth the wait. I really enjoyed reading your intellectual insights and emotional reactions – especially about Red. Thank you so much.
FYI, the linked YouTube comments are not my own. Unbeknownst to me, a family member was using my account to post their own comments. I put a stop to it, but my parental oblivion went on far too long.
I will remove the Youtube link. 🙂
As I said, I really enjoyed the novel and I’m sorry for the time it took to post the review. Red was just an awesome character and I am picking up the prequel to read on vacation in order to learn more about him.