Savage Boy and The Road is a River - The Old Man and the Wasteland

The Saga starts in post apocalyptic US after nuclear war. The story evolves slowly and the separate parts come together in the final book with the characters interacting in a climactic end. Horrific brutal scenes- with a "Mad Max" overtone. Survival certainly takes on a raw quality, yet the author puts glimpses of hope for mankind through the actions of the characters. Some parts are dreary to the point of depressing- at times hard to follow- but overall ,this is what you expect for a survival genre.

I liked all the primary characters, and deaths carried the weight to make them impactful. If you like rooting for regular heroes in situations where death seems a matter of course, you will enjoy this book!

This is a haunting, thought provoking series that is refreshingly devoid of sappy romance and drawn out battles. Nick Cole's terse writing corresponds nicely with the apocalyptic world he imagines, and there is just the right amount of imagery and detail to sustain the story and mood. These are books to savor, especially the final one.

This is a well written trilogy that keeps you turning the pages. Many times the characters faced hopeless situations but they never quit, never gave up. I enjoyed the book and thought it had a great ending.

You don't know what will happen next! An excellent and believable story, filled with trepidation and danger at every turn. I was in tears at least 3 times, this book is now my all time favorite, replacing The Dog Stars as my number one. Good job Nick!

I read this in one sitting. A tortuous, yet beautiful look at humanity. I greatly look forward to new works from this author. Just to clarify, this is not a short work. I was absorbed, and probably lost a day of productivity.

I had previously read the Old Man and the Wasteland, but enjoyed reading it again. All three stories are outstanding. It is truly hard to put this trilogy down. Great work, fast read, leaves you thinking.

This was very well written and a page turner. Loved it. I couldn't wait to see how the Old Man saved the day. There are heros in all of us if we chose to act - he did. Would love to read more from Mr. Cole.

I previously read The Old Man and the Wasteland: Updated Edition (Revised) and The Savage Boy. I just happened to notice Nick Cole was releasing The Road is a River a couple of weeks ago while I was browsing around the store. I liked the first two books so much, I decided I would just buy the Wasteland Saga to throw the author a little extra money. I signed up for an advanced purchase and it hit my Nexus 7 a few days ago. To say I was overjoyed is an understatement. I tore through the book in a day and a half.

The Road is a River picks up where the other two books left off. As I have said in other reviews of Nick Cole's books, he just has a way of sucking me in. I am in that post-apocalyptic wasteland. I am taking that journey with the characters. I even brought up Google Maps to trace their routes.

The author apologizes for the darkness in The Savage Boy book. I for one think that the darkness and pain in that book were very necessary to carry everything through to The Road is a River. Rarely does a book move me to emotion, but this book most certainly does at one key point. I just can't recommend this series enough.

I hope the author decides to write more books for this universe. Maybe a book about King Charlie, more stories about The Boy, or stories from a different area of the US after the apocalypse. I'm really looking forward to whatever Nick writes next. Keep them coming.

If you are drawn to visions of the apocalypse and like a clever story with interwoven characters, you might become absorbed in this book. It's a multi-layered series of stories that evolve from a post apocalyptic America. Like most fanciful storytelling it based on the struggle between good and evil, loss and redemption, ignorance and wisdom. It is an escapist thrill ride worth taking if this is your kind of thing.

"Our stories are the maps of our lives." ~ The Old Man

Told in three parts, The Wasteland Saga offers the seemingly disparate lives of one who knew the world as it was and others who only know it through the story told through what little is left to scavenge.

Though their writing styles couldn't be more different, Cole stretches my "no more 5 star reviews" rule to the breaking point just like Dean Koontz. Early on I thought Cole was safe with that one as the voice of Wasteland takes a bit getting used to. About ten pages in it seems either the author never learned the much vaunted writing rules or is too lazy to follow them. Another ten pages and I came to the conclusion that he is both a rebel and a mad genius when it comes to said rules. The world he writes about has no rules and why should he?

The Wasteland Saga tells the story of a post-apocalyptic America where the rules have not applied for 40 years and the writing style sets tone for a world we see through the eyes of the protagonists. In Part One: The Old Man and the Wasteland, the Old Man comes across the rules of a barbarous hoard that paints how stark the world has become:

"THERE ARE NO LAWS THERE IS NO GOD THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS WRONG DON’T HATE ANYTHING YOU ARE THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE."

Though harsh and sometimes depressing, this is ultimately a surprisingly welcomed tale of hope. All does not end up happily ever after. How can it in a world gone mad? Though the Laws of the People state there are no laws, no God, and they are the center of all that is, Part Three: The Road is a River shows that they are wrong from a most unexpected source.

If you're looking for borderline literary suspense read Koontz or encyclopedia horror check out King. One reviewer observed that King tells a story in 2400 pages while Nick Cole tells just as broad a story in less than 700. That doesn't mean Stephen King is less of a writer and Cole more of one. It just makes Cole, like Wasteland, different. Different in the best possible way.

If the goal of writing is to follow the rules then Nick Cole is an abject failure. On the other hand, if the goal is to offer a powerful and thoroughly unforgettable story then he has achieved what only a handful of authors ever accomplish.

I really enjoyed this series overall and highly recommend it. However I felt the motivations of the evil characters were kind of lame, particularly in part 2 and somewhat less so but still lame in part 3.

The Wasteland Saga is a post-apocalyptic trilogy. The first and best of the novels, The Old Man and the Wasteland, follows a scavenger known as the Old Man as he takes a journey of redemption. Carrying a Hemingway novel and engaging in an internal monologue with the character Santiago from that novel, the Old Man is tested as he engages in conflicts with nature, with other people, and with himself. The second novel, The Savage Boy, focuses on a young man who is overcoming a disability while taking his own journey of self-discovery.

The third novel, The Road and the River, doesn't seem to have been separately published. It contains echoes of the first novel -- too many echoes, perhaps, as I was left with the feeling that I'd read this novel before. The Old Man is on a mission (rescuing people trapped in a Colorado bunker). He travels through the Wasteland. He talks to, and takes advice from, Santiago. He's introspective. He faces his fears. He perseveres. He learns to trust himself. Sacrifices are made. Good conquers evil.

The primary difference between the third novel and the first (apart from the fact that the Old Man is driving a tank instead of walking) is the addition of the Old Man's granddaughter as a traveling companion. She sees the world with the clarity of innocent eyes and helps focus the Old Man's conscience. Also joining the Old Man is the Savage Boy from the second novel. Like the granddaughter, the Savage Boy is an archetype of purity. That's good in the sense that he's admirable, but the complexity of his character that we saw in the second novel is missing here.

Perhaps due to the story's familiarity, the first half of The Road is a River lacks the intensity of the first two novels. The novel begins to build dramatic tension in the second half and it springs a surprise at the end of the Old Man's journey. The surprise isn't particularly convincing but it sets up a high-impact ending.

As was true of The Old Man and the Wasteland, the most memorable aspect of The Road is a River is the Old Man. Forty years after the bombs fell, he's forgetting the past. He can't remember what a feather duster is called, or the name of the canned stew he always made when he was a student. He wants to return to a past that no longer exists, not because he longs for its comforts (he can't imagine any home other than his little shack) but because he longs for its values. He wants life to have meaning. He wants people to have dignity. He wants people to care about each other, to behave unselfishly. He wants a better world for his granddaughter than the one into which she was born.

While not as emotionally affecting as the first novel, The Road is a River has some touching, resonant moments. Nick Cole has modeled his writing style in these novels after Hemingway, and emotional honesty was Hemingway's strength. The story could easily become maudlin, but honesty saves it. On the other hand, the "story of salvage" theme is reprised from the first novel so often that it becomes tiresome, and I could have lived without the epilog. Still, The Road is a River is a fitting end to a strong trilogy. Rating it separately, I would give The Road is a River 4 stars, while I would give The Wasteland Saga as a whole 4 1/2 stars.

Just don't care about the characters. The setting is appropriately vague, in other words I liked that aspect, but the characters just don't come to life for me. Having read to the 48% point, I've decided that the books have been given a fair enough try, but there are too many other books to read to spend any more time on a story that doesn't hold my attention.

These books keep getting better. I read the "Old Man in the Wasteland" a while back. I remember that I liked it but didn't recall the details. After reading a different Nick Cole book I came back to "The Savage Boy" and really enjoyed it so went immediately into "The Road is a River". Great series, wonderful characters. I had to get use to the old man's internal dialogue style of writing, but it works. Thank you Mr. Cole for creating this world and these characters for me to enjoy.

The Wasteland Saga is a post-apocalyptic trilogy with a difference. Where other authors perhaps concentrate on the interesting question of: What if there was a nuclear war? Or perhaps: There has been a nuclear, what now? What Nick Cole does is look back, introspectively. Feelings of guilt, anger, regret and hopelessness are fully explored throughout the Wasteland Saga. Sounds depressing? Not at all. Cole’s realistic narrative was not only a breath of fresh air but a brilliant exploration of the human condition, after the bomb has dropped.

In the first part/novel we follow the Old Man on his journey across the Wasteland. The reason for his solo road trip? To rid himself of his curse. Whilst other members of his small community are able to find salvage, for nearly a hundred days, the Old Man returns to the village empty handed. He feels a burden and useless. This journey of exploration has him dealing with his feeling and making discoveries along the way. He proves to be a resourceful character and one thing I must stress is the emotional intelligence Cole weaves into his characters. You get so involved. This novel felt special in a way that very few novels do – it gripped me, it made me feel his emotions. I could almost feel the hot desert wind on my cheek.

Yet, this is not just a dry emotional journey, it’s an adventure story too. I don’t tend to give away plot points in my reviews so I’ll leave it there for part one.

The second part deals with Savage Boy. The boy is unsure of his heritage, all he knows is that he was raised by a US Soldier, Sergeant Presley, now dead. There is much more action in this novel but again a lonely introverted narrative – the boy is joined by the voice of Father figure Presley, who lives on in the boy’s thoughts. Again, Cole concentrates on the human story and we feel the aching loneliness of life in this terrible, poisoned world.

I can’t say a great deal about the third novel without giving away a few things so I’ll just say this – you’ll be moved to tears by the expert story telling of this fantastic author who combines elements of the first two novels in a dramatic conclusion. This novel will be hailed as a classic landmark of the genre.

Thank you to Kate at Harper Collins for randomly sending me this terrific book.

Forty years after a devastating thermonuclear Armageddon, mankind has been reduced to salvaging the ruins of a broken world. In a style that’s part Hemingway and part Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, The Wasteland Saga chronicles the struggle of the Old Man, his granddaughter, and a mysterious boy as they try to survive the savage lands of this new American Dark Age.

This novel is made up of three interconnecting stories – The Old Man and the Waste Land, The Savage Boy and The Road is a River. Originally released separately, I was lucky enough to have all three in one go – Thank heavens!

As far as post apocalyptic fiction goes this is at the top of the game – Brilliantly involving, a realistic scenario and some tremendously well drawn characters make it a terrific read for fans of this genre and indeed anyone with a love for storytelling art. The author picks you up and puts you into a different world, paints you a picture and leads you through an amazing landscape where you will need all your senses.

I was bereft when I got to the end of Part one. I thought Part two could not possibly match it. Then I was bereft when I got to the end of Part Two and thought…well, you get the point.

This will have added depth if you have read Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” which I also loved and also suffers inevitable comparison to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (a book incidentally that I hated with every fibre of my being, an opinion that often gets me into trouble!) but the tone and the feel of it for me was more “The Stand” which anyone who knows me well will be aware is my favourite book of all time. Since that novel only Justin Cronin with “The Passage” has come close to evoking the same emotional response in me – and now Nick Cole with this tale. That is perhaps the highest compliment I can pay and probably the easiest way to say how good I thought it was.

There is excitement and adventure here – occasionally an adrenalin rush – but tempered with periods of quiet contemplation and insight. The world the characters inhabit is a harsh one, but there IS hope here. It is a wonderful read. Thats about all I can say.

Happy Reading Folks!

This book was a remarkably good read. The Wasteland Saga is a compilation of three interconected stories by Nick Cole which include The Old Man and the Wasteland, The Savage Boy and The Road is a River. The Wasteland Saga follows the journey of "The Old Man" and the "Boy" in a post apocalyptic world some 40 years after a nuclear war.
These stories are quite deep and powerful in their message and will pull at your heart strings. This book will resonate with me for some time after reading it. I found the writing stlye of the author somewhat difficult to read at the beginning but once I got into the first story I could not put it down and found his style to be quite ingenious. The story is well written and the characters are developed at a great pace. After reading the Old Man and the Wasteland and then moving onto the second story, The Savage Boy, at first I thought it was an unrelated story just set in the same world. Just keep reading and all will make sense. The three stories are placed in their order for a reason and it will make sense and makes the book all the more enjoyable.
I loved this novel and reccommend to anyone that enjoys post apocalyptic or scifi.

INTRODUCTION | The world as we knew it ended forty years ago. A wave of low-yield nuclear bombs targeting many large American cities and then a subsequent invasion changed the landscape forever. Survivors have no idea what is going on as they battle radiation, starvation, and a complete breakdown of American society. It’s the new dark age.

The Wasteland Saga is comprised of three short novels and each focuses on a different challenge. The first, The Old Man and the Wasteland, begins in a small village located in a former processing plant in the Sonoran Desert. The village is on the edge of the Wasteland. The Old Man is a scavenger and he’s been out of luck. The villagers are starting to think he is “curst.” He sets off on a journey to find the largest scavenge he can. The second book, The Savage Boy, is set largely in the southwest as The Boy tries to complete a mission set by his now deceased guardian, Staff Sergeant Lyman Presley. Presley has spent the last 40 years on a mission for the Army, traversing America trying to find out if anything is left. The Boy must get to Oakland to report back on what he found. The third book, The Road is a River, weaves the first two stories together as The Old Man meets The Boy and they go on an adventure together in a desperate attempt to redeem themselves and show that there is still good in the world. The combined saga tests the endurance of humankind and its morality.

REVIEW (minor spoilers) | I fear that as I start my review, the wrong impression will be given. Thus I will start with this statement which should be kept in mind throughout the rest of the review: I enjoyed the combined novels, and The Road is a River was certainly a great read. That said, a soldier is “someone who never gives up” (p. 548) says The Boy to the granddaughter. In that regard, I am most definitely a soldier because the story plods like the half-dead characters in the desert, missing some undefinable and driving “but what’s next?” quality. STOP! Don’t click off the review yet; I’m not done. This style fits in with the storyline and gives ambience to the mental imagery. However, this really isn’t a book for when you’re looking for a quick-paced action-driven novel. This is a story of survival written with slow detail-by-detail precision. I looked forward to each ending of the short stories so that I could take a break and re-group to gear up for the next.

Cole’s strength is in working through an interesting and plausible narrative (and it really was interesting), but his weakness is in creating distinct characters with their own voices. Each – the Old Man, the Boy, the two soldiers – all seemed somewhat interchangeable if not for age and the scant details. This did, also, lend a beaten down feeling to the novel as though each character is no longer distinct or individual because they just don’t have the energy after their daily work for survival. There were two short segments that also seemed somewhat jarring in which Cole switched to the viewpoint of a pride of lions and a pack of wolves.

I had some of the most fun in a segment in The Savage Boy wherein one of the characters who was alive Before started telling stories about her life – and the realization quickly set in that she was describing movies. Matching up each description with its title was fun, and Cole slipped in little hints that made me smile. The Savage Boy is otherwise a depressing story of overwhelming loss. The loss of love, family, friends, and identity. The Boy is completely unknown to even himself. He has no idea who he is or should be; his entire life has been that of Presley’s mission, and he doesn’t even know where he came from. Cole recognizes this sorrow and apologizes in his author bio at the end, which was a nice touch.

The Road is a River likewise had several parts which made me cry. The novel in general didn’t seem to have much in the way of answers and instead reflected the uncertainty of all our lives. It ends on a bittersweet high note, though, with a hope for better and a redeeming glimpse that some people, even in a post-apocalyptic world, might just do right. They might just be good.

CONCLUSION | I would recommend this book to anyone who likes post-apocalyptic novels with a slower-paced story that is easy to read. Cole has a straightforward writing style reminiscent, as the back-of-the-book summary states, of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I’m going to let you know a shameful secret: I have never read Hemingway. The novel has a lot of tie-ins to The Old Man and the Sea that I didn’t understand since I haven’t read that novel. However, it is still understandable and interesting, although I have a nagging feeling that I missed out on a lot of the depth. (I bet you can guess what book is going on my to-read pile.)

A note for the author: thank you for writing a book that reinforces that people are people. There isn’t necessarily a dichotomy of pure good and evil, and people make choices, even when they’re scared (nice reinforcement of the lesson on bravery that I learned in basic training) and in a state of deprivation, to do good and be brave purely because it is the right thing to do. This was refreshing to see in a post-apocalyptic storyline.

Thank you Mr. Nick Cole.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received The Wasteland Saga free from Harper Voyager US. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation. The opinions I have expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I am no writer & feel intimidated about just trying to impart to other readers how moving this trilogy was to me. I haven't before been a particular fan of post apocalyptic stories but this story totally drew me in. I loved his style of writing & it was so believable. I admit I actually cried through parts of it! I know people who think if something is sad enough to make you cry, they wouldn't even want to read it. But I feel if a book can move you to emotional extremes like tears, then it is a very good book. Not that the entire thing was sad, but it is a story of struggle & what happens to humanity faced with the end of the world. The good, the bad and the ugly for sure. This is the first thing I've read by this author but it won' t be the last.