The Shock of Survival, by Nicole Field

In the wake of the final battle against The Oppressor, Benedict, Ophelia and Dylan face their magical community in triumph. But that triumph rapidly loses its shine as they realise the war is not so easily left behind. Returning to, and relearning, the lives they had before proves to be more difficult than even they had anticipated.

I enjoyed The Shock of Survival. When I saw it on NetGalley, I noticed that it was from LT3, and have read a few works from this publisher in the past. Everything I’ve read thus far from LT3 have been solid stories.

The premise of the book is simple enough: Three heroes try to return to their lives after defeating The Oppressor. I’ve often wondered this about stories I’ve enjoyed. The aftermath of their heroic deeds has to change them. I mean, after you defeat the villain, aliens or evil robot with murderous AI, what do you do?

The Shock of Survival has an almost Harry Potter vibe to it with those that can wield magic, and those that cannot. After doing the great deed, our heroes have to quell yet another, albeit not earth-shattering, crisis.

The story reveals many aspects of the fight against The Oppressor, but doesn’t dwell on The Oppressor, or why so many wizards died trying to defeat him. I think if the author had revealed any more information, I might have been disappointed. We get a few glimpses of character development told in flashbacks. The relationships between the trio before and after the battle with The Oppressor are well done.

Definitely an interesting read, and I would recommend this to those that like the Harry Potter universe. Four stars!

Nicole writes across the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity. She lives in Melbourne with one of her partners, two cats, a whole lot of books and a bottomless cup of tea. Also likes tea, crochet and Gilmore Girls.

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