Childrens Crusade

Children’s Crusade by Scott Andrews

I wouldn’t usually read post-apocalyptic novels. However, in this case I think I would have missed out on a good read. Children’s Crusade is the 3rd book in the tales of St Mark’s school and the 5/6 (Taking place simultaneously with another) in the overall AfterBlight Chronicles set. Actually, just to wrap up something I mentioned on Call of Kerberos- this is the only Abaddon book with a series order in it and very useful it is too!

Children’s Crusade is primarily written in first person, either from Jane’s perspective or her boyfriend, Lee’s. The setting for starters gets the attention, starting as it is in a school in the middle of nowhere, with most of humanity gone during “The Cull”, an unknown disease that wiped out everyone who wasn’t blood group zero (yay! I’m safe! Ahem…) and leading to the breakdown of society as we know it. St Mark’s is a small enclave of predominantly children from various backgrounds, ranging from Jack, the true king of England, to Tariq, who joined the school from Iraq during Operation Motherland*. They are in touch with other groups of survivors, including the “Steamies” (Based around a preserved railway) and the one up near Nottingham, lead by the Hooded Man (Who provide some truly awesome charachters!)

The story follows the lead characters as they respond to a threat to the school in the form of Child Snatchers, operating out of London where no-one has dared to go since The Cull. During a reconnaissance foray, Jane gets separated from the main group and Lee is captured by operatives of the Hooded Man who take him back to Nottingham, believing him to be one of the enemy. The truth however is far murkier and is connected to a shadowy figure from Jane’s past….

The book has a lot of action, and a solid plot as it reveals what’s happened and the events behind it. I’ll definitely be getting the other books to get the full details though! What grabs you though is that at St Mark’s the main actors are children. So the book deals with children from 13 upwards with guns and knives, taught to fight for their lives and resources under Janes leadership, as well as the other teachers of the school. Think Hit-Girl on a large scale and you start to get the idea. The world is well developed, with mentions of technology which has survived but also the techniques required to survive in post Apocalypse Britain. The main characters are also solidly human. So whilst good shots, they can feel pain, make mistakes and show emotion leading to problems for them but giving the book depth only sometimes seen.

There's also a goodly amount of wry humour, starting with quips about the contents of the teachers staffroom at the end of civilization. Also, for an action book, there’s quite a lot of little references to culture and comments on civilization and human nature which, combined with the touches make for a solidly enthralling read.

Enjoy!

Walks away, to look up “Kids with guns” by the Gorrilaz.
P.S. Also, reading this book shortly after Day of the Triffids will start doing odd things to your mind. You have been warned!

*What this is, I’m not sure. However, it’s most likely covered in the second book in the series which has the same name and I’ll read sometime in the future!