THE FALL OF KOLI by M.R. Carey – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey
Series: Rampart Trilogy #3
Published by Orbit on March 23 2021
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Science fiction
Pages: 560
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A thrilling, heartbreaking and satisfying end to one of my favorite series, The Fall of Koli is one of the best books of 2021.

Jon stroked my cheek with one finger, a thing he did oftentimes to gentle me into sleep. “What do people look for out of a story, Spin? You told enough of them to know.”

I thought a moment, then answered. “They look for it to have a good shape and end where it’s supposed to.”

What a ride it’s been. Last April I read The Book of Koli, the first book in M.R. Carey’s Rampart Trilogy, and not even a year later, the series has come to its emotional and surprising conclusion. This series will always be special to me, for many reasons, but mostly because of its characters. I fell in love with Koli’s voice on the very first page, and my love only grew from there. I’ve watched all the characters go through enormous and painful growth—Koli, Ursala, Cup, Spinner and of course Monono—and I’ve shed a fair amount of tears along the way. I’ve also laughed out loud, gasped, cheered and mourned, because when you love and care about characters who are in constant danger, you just don’t have a choice. This is a series that must be read in order, though, so do be aware of minor spoilers for the first two books in the series.

The story picks up right at the end of The Trials of Koli and alternates between Koli’s and Spinner’s points of view. Koli, Cup, Ursala and Monono have set off in a boat to follow a radio signal. Ursala is certain it will lead them to civilization, her hope being that there are still thriving cities in England, even after the Unfinished War, which wiped out technology and forced pockets of survivors to build barricaded outposts against the dangerous flora and fauna unleashed after the destruction. As a scientist, Ursala is only too aware that the human gene pool is shrinking, and in order for humanity to survive, new groups of people must be located. Now their boat has run into a huge wall, which turns out to be a battleship called the Sword of Albion. The signal is coming from the ship, and Ursula is thrilled to have finally found its source. But once they board, Koli and his friends meet Lorraine and Paul Banner and their angry son Stanley, who are the only people on the ship. Lorraine insists that Ursala—a medic who owns a marvelous contraption called a “dagnostic”—cure her son Stanley, who is suffering from an unknown disease. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Koli, Ursala and Cup are prisoners, and now they must figure out a way to escape. Luckily, the Banners don’t know about Monono, and Koli knows he must keep her secret at all costs. 

Meanwhile, back in Mythen Rood, Spinner and her friends have returned victorious after a battle with Half-Ax, a vicious group of people led by a man called the Peacemaker, who claims that all tech in the land belongs to him. Half-Ax knows that Mythen Rood has tech and they are aiming to take it back by any means necessary. The victory is short-lived, though, because Spinner knows they’ll be back, and so they prepare to meet Half-Ax at their gates. Mythen Rood’s tech is precious and necessary for survival, and Spinner and the other Ramparts—the leaders of the colony who can wield the tech—would die before giving any of it up.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed at first when Spinner’s first chapter showed up, and I knew I’d have to leave Koli and the gang behind for a while. But I’m not sure why I was worried. Spinner’s story is just as good as Koli’s, and the focus on the war between Mythen Rood and Half-Ax was tense and exciting. I also should have known that Carey had a grand plan all along. The two separate stories are merely threads in a much bigger story, threads that converge in the best way possible.

Carey does what any good writer will do with his characters: he makes you love them and then puts them in all sorts of terrible situations. Koli, Monono, Cup and Spinner in particular go through tremendous character growth throughout the series. Koli is figuring out his true purpose, the reason he left his friends and family in Mythen Rood in the first place; Cup, who used to be a Half-Ax herself, has become a necessary member of this raggedy found family. Cup’s character more than any other touched my own motherly emotions, and I wanted nothing more than to give her a big hug. Cup is a trans woman, and Ursala is helping her with her physical transition from male to female, so their relationship was surprisingly intimate. Spinner has reluctantly become a Rampart and broken the long held traditions of Mythen Rood, and now she must deal with the fallout from those events. Becoming a leader can be a painful thing, and we see Spinner go through some tough times. And then there is Monono, an AI based on the appearance, memories and personality of a dead Japanese pop star, trapped in a Sony Walkman-like device. If I ever discover another character that I love more than Monono, you can be sure I’ll let you know. But for now, she’s the most brilliant creation I’ve ever run across in a book. Two other AI characters grabbed my heart as well: Challenger, old tech from “before times,” an AI housed in a tank-like vehicle, and Elaine, a digitized version of the Sergeant who used to command Challenger long ago. Spinner gets to know both characters very well, and I just loved their dynamic and their contributions to the story.

The relationships between the characters are wonderful as well, but my favorite duo has always been Koli and Monono. Koli fell in love with Monono in the first book, and his love has only grown since then. There is a moment during this story when I thought perhaps I had been wrong about Monono—trust me, those were some difficult pages to read—but luckily everything worked out in the end. Carey has written an unforgettable relationship, a love story that really isn’t a traditional love story at all but has the same emotional impact and breathless anticipation of one. I’m not sure how he pulled it off, but I’m grateful that he did. 

Carey has plenty of surprises in store for readers, and as much as I’d love to talk about them, obviously I’m not going to do that. The story is heartbreaking in so many ways, yet Carey has the uncanny ability to mend those hurts in his own special way. This is a story that tackles some big themes, including the often asked question about technology and artificial intelligence: Does having human characteristics make an AI “human”? And what happens when technology becomes so intelligent that it wants independence? Once you get to know the characters in this series, your own answers to those questions might change. 

Ultimately, Spinner’s quote at the beginning of this review says it all: Carey gave us a story with “a good shape” that “ended where it was supposed to.” I’ll be forever grateful for the time I got to spend with these characters, and I’ll be waiting impatiently for Mr. Carey’s next adventure.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. Above quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.