A horrible malady is spreading like wildfire through the human population. Caused by spores from a fungus called Draco Incendia Trychophyton.
The illness - named Dragonscale - is manifested by gold and black scales on the skin. On the upside, the scales are rather pretty and decorative.
On the downside, they cause victims to spontaneously combust.....to suddenly burst into flames and incinerate. And there's no treatment or cure.
Harper Grayson is a twenty-something nurse who's tending to Dragonscale patients in Maine's Portsmouth Hospital. Like other caregivers, Harper wears a protective rubber suit to shield her from the spores.
One day a fireman carries an ailing boy into the hospital, and Harper - suspecting the child has appendicitis - helps them jump the line to get help. This turns out to be a pivotal event in the nurse's life.
Despite her precautions, Harper starts to see gold and black streaks on her skin.....and knows she's doomed. The nurse has an added concern, however. She recently got pregnant and desperately wants to see her baby born, in the belief that fetuses don't contract Dragonscale from their mothers.
When Harper's husband, Jakob, sees her Dragonscale marks, he's enraged. He blames Harper for bringing the illness into their home and - afraid of being infected - takes off.
Harper quarantines herself in the house, but is running out of food and supplies when Jakob suddenly returns - with a gun. He thinks he has Dragonscale, and plans to kill Harper and himself before they spontaneously combust.
Harper escapes from Jakob and is rescued by the fireman (a British man whose name is John Rookwood), a teenage girl, and the boy from the hospital - who happens to be deaf.
The trio leads Harper to an out-of-the-way enclave called Camp Wyndham, which houses a secret community of Dragonscale victims. The group, led by a man called Father Story, has learned to tame the disease.
According to Father Story, 'if you create a feeling of security, the Dragonscale lives in harmony with you'.....and you don't burn to death. The people at Camp Wyndham attend services every day, where they sing together. This engenders a peaceful feeling that makes the people glow - a condition called 'The Bright.' And one spore-carrier, John Rookwood, has even learned to ignite parts of himself - with no permanent damage. This is a formidable weapon when the fireman needs one!
Most of the story is set at Camp Wyndham, which contains a variety of inhabitants - some good, some bad. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I will say that, in time, the community gets a new leader and becomes a kind of dictatorship - with harsh, medieval punishments for people who break the rules.
In part, this is to ensure the residents' safety. The outside world has gone crazy, and rogue 'cremation squads' make it their business to hunt down and shoot Dragonscale victims - who they call burners.
Jakob has become an ardent member of an assassination crew and is determined to kill his wife, among others.
There are some exciting, action-packed scenes where kill squads meet up with burners.
As in any community, love sometimes blooms in Camp Wyndham. Harper and Rookwood are attracted to each other, but - for various reasons - their relationship is very complicated.
Another couple bonds as well - two people who'd probably never meet in the real world. It's all very sweet.....and fans of romance novels will probably enjoy these minor plotpoints.
Harper experiences a host of difficulties in the course of the story, but is driven to survive - at least until she gives birth. The nurse hopes to give the child to a healthy couple to raise. This seems a tall order to me. Who would believe this baby wasn't infected? I understand a mother's hopes though, and the drive to reproduce.
"The Fireman" - in which a community of 'survivors' is divided into 'good' and 'evil' factions - was clearly influenced by Stephen King's book "The Stand." This isn't a surprise, since King is the author's father.
Still, "The Fireman" is very original in its chosen catastrophe - an illness that causes spontaneous combustion is certainly unique (and horrifying)! And the story plays out much differently than The Stand.
There are a lot of interesting characters in the book, including: a delusional leader who wants to maintain total control; acolytes who'll do anything to please the boss; a man on the side of the angels; chauvinist burner-bashers who think they can do whatever they please; a sweet orphan who longs for a mother; bullying teenage girls; hormonal teenage boys; escaped convicts; and more.
The book is perhaps a bit overlong, but the story moves along at a good clip and held my attention. The tale has many references to popular culture, including: well-known celebrities and politicians (many of whom go up in flames); Mary Poppins; Harry Potter; and others. These were fun and added a touch of humor to the story. I had an idea about what would happen at the climax - and I was right - but this didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book.
Very good horror/thriller, highly recommended to fans of the genre.
The illness - named Dragonscale - is manifested by gold and black scales on the skin. On the upside, the scales are rather pretty and decorative.
On the downside, they cause victims to spontaneously combust.....to suddenly burst into flames and incinerate. And there's no treatment or cure.
Harper Grayson is a twenty-something nurse who's tending to Dragonscale patients in Maine's Portsmouth Hospital. Like other caregivers, Harper wears a protective rubber suit to shield her from the spores.
One day a fireman carries an ailing boy into the hospital, and Harper - suspecting the child has appendicitis - helps them jump the line to get help. This turns out to be a pivotal event in the nurse's life.
Despite her precautions, Harper starts to see gold and black streaks on her skin.....and knows she's doomed. The nurse has an added concern, however. She recently got pregnant and desperately wants to see her baby born, in the belief that fetuses don't contract Dragonscale from their mothers.
When Harper's husband, Jakob, sees her Dragonscale marks, he's enraged. He blames Harper for bringing the illness into their home and - afraid of being infected - takes off.
Harper quarantines herself in the house, but is running out of food and supplies when Jakob suddenly returns - with a gun. He thinks he has Dragonscale, and plans to kill Harper and himself before they spontaneously combust.
Harper escapes from Jakob and is rescued by the fireman (a British man whose name is John Rookwood), a teenage girl, and the boy from the hospital - who happens to be deaf.
The trio leads Harper to an out-of-the-way enclave called Camp Wyndham, which houses a secret community of Dragonscale victims. The group, led by a man called Father Story, has learned to tame the disease.
According to Father Story, 'if you create a feeling of security, the Dragonscale lives in harmony with you'.....and you don't burn to death. The people at Camp Wyndham attend services every day, where they sing together. This engenders a peaceful feeling that makes the people glow - a condition called 'The Bright.' And one spore-carrier, John Rookwood, has even learned to ignite parts of himself - with no permanent damage. This is a formidable weapon when the fireman needs one!
Most of the story is set at Camp Wyndham, which contains a variety of inhabitants - some good, some bad. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I will say that, in time, the community gets a new leader and becomes a kind of dictatorship - with harsh, medieval punishments for people who break the rules.
In part, this is to ensure the residents' safety. The outside world has gone crazy, and rogue 'cremation squads' make it their business to hunt down and shoot Dragonscale victims - who they call burners.
Jakob has become an ardent member of an assassination crew and is determined to kill his wife, among others.
There are some exciting, action-packed scenes where kill squads meet up with burners.
As in any community, love sometimes blooms in Camp Wyndham. Harper and Rookwood are attracted to each other, but - for various reasons - their relationship is very complicated.
Another couple bonds as well - two people who'd probably never meet in the real world. It's all very sweet.....and fans of romance novels will probably enjoy these minor plotpoints.
Harper experiences a host of difficulties in the course of the story, but is driven to survive - at least until she gives birth. The nurse hopes to give the child to a healthy couple to raise. This seems a tall order to me. Who would believe this baby wasn't infected? I understand a mother's hopes though, and the drive to reproduce.
"The Fireman" - in which a community of 'survivors' is divided into 'good' and 'evil' factions - was clearly influenced by Stephen King's book "The Stand." This isn't a surprise, since King is the author's father.
Still, "The Fireman" is very original in its chosen catastrophe - an illness that causes spontaneous combustion is certainly unique (and horrifying)! And the story plays out much differently than The Stand.
There are a lot of interesting characters in the book, including: a delusional leader who wants to maintain total control; acolytes who'll do anything to please the boss; a man on the side of the angels; chauvinist burner-bashers who think they can do whatever they please; a sweet orphan who longs for a mother; bullying teenage girls; hormonal teenage boys; escaped convicts; and more.
The book is perhaps a bit overlong, but the story moves along at a good clip and held my attention. The tale has many references to popular culture, including: well-known celebrities and politicians (many of whom go up in flames); Mary Poppins; Harry Potter; and others. These were fun and added a touch of humor to the story. I had an idea about what would happen at the climax - and I was right - but this didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book.
Very good horror/thriller, highly recommended to fans of the genre.
Rating: 4 stars
This sounds great. I'll go check it out.
ReplyDeleteHope you like it Jacqui. :)
DeleteI read this a while back. I really love Joe Hill and I love how he ties in his father's worlds. I was a little disappointed at the end, however. I wanted some closure, or at least an epilogue.
ReplyDeleteRebecca @ The Portsmouth Review
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Rebecca, I agree that the ending is somewhat open-ended and it would be nice to have closure.
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