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For Where There Are Harps
For Where There Are Harps, the third book in Alyce Elmore’s Angels Have Tread trilogy, plunges readers into a post-pandemic dystopian world where societal structures have crumbled and a matriarchal republic reigns. This installment intertwines the personal struggles of its characters with the broader socio-political turbulence of the era, exploring themes of power, survival, and human connection. It is an expansive tale, shifting between the perspective of a young historian seeking truths and the lives of those who experienced the chaos firsthand.
Elmore’s writing is vivid and immersive, though it occasionally leans toward a richness that may feels very detailed in some moments. One scene early in the book particularly struck me—a young girl grappling with the Old One’s stories, her sense of truth shifting like tectonic plates. The descriptions of nature, such as the mocking laughter of the kookaburra, are poetic and grounding. The Old One’s philosophical musings, while thought-provoking, sometimes slow the story’s momentum.
The interplay of characters adds both charm and tension. The four musketeers—Karen, Josh, Benny, and Zane—each represent different responses to the repressive laws of the Republic. Benny’s cynicism, borne from his experiences as a stud, is balanced by Karen’s quiet resilience. The moment Benny realizes the futility of plans, while imprisoned in Inverloch, encapsulates his character’s journey. The subplot involving Patricia Bishop could have been more tightly woven into the main narrative because what we are giving is intriguing. Her investigative arc often felt tangential, though her fiery confrontations were highlights.
Elmore shines brightest when tackling big ideas—what it means to control a narrative, the ethics of rebellion, and the cost of change. The Great Upheaval looms large in the backdrop, a reminder of the fragility of peace. The nuanced portrayal of Evelyn Perkins’ leadership as both tyrannical and tragically misunderstood struck a chord with me.
For Where There Are Harps is a sprawling and ambitious tale. It’s for readers who love deeply political dystopias, rich world-building, and morally complex characters. If you’re patient with its deliberate pace, this book rewards you with thought-provoking insights and poignant moments. It’s a gripping conclusion to a trilogy that asks us to question the truths we take for granted.
Pages: 274 | ISBN : 176385020X
A Web Of Conflict
Pray to the Dead: Book Two in Angels Have Tread Trilogy is a unique and interesting concept for a storyline. Where did the idea for this trilogy come from, and how did it develop over time?
As part of a writing course, we were asked to write an action scene so I had this idea for a researcher looking for a cure to save her son. That formed the basis of the character for Dr Harris. As I developed that idea, I realised that most action books and movies are set in a male dominated world. In the first draft of the first book in the trilogy, When All Hope Is Lost, I didn’t explain to readers that all men over 20 had died from a disease. Instead I dropped the reader directly into a world where all the characters were female; politicians, doctors, guards, reporters. I gave those opening chapters to a number of readers and the response from male readers was interesting. They were visibly upset by the lack of men. That’s when I realised that I didn’t want to write about the disaster or the struggle to get through it. I wanted my readers to discover a world that was already a comfortably established matriarchy. It’s a world that accepts women in all walks of life.
What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
I wanted to create a three dimensional world so I felt it was important to have multiple points of view. I wanted characters that had known the world before the pandemic and those who’d grown up in this changed world. I wanted to show that intergenerational conflict. I also wanted characters that came from different locales which is why there is the urban versus rural points of view. In my first book, When All Hope Is Lost, the relationships are laid out in parallel lines. Patricia the reporter lives with her mother. Dr Bonnie Harris with her son Josh. Evelyn as the political leader in Melbourne has her inner circle in the same way Sofia has hers in the Warragul Colony. The idea was to bring these separate lines together in a web of conflict that reaches its conclusion in the final book of the trilogy.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
I took the creative writing course as a way to reconnect with life. I’d spent time caring for my partner whose dementia was slowly eating away at both our lives. Covid struck, he went into full time care and I was bereft. I’ve always made up short stories but I found myself with a lot of time and the need to deal with my loss. That loss added a new dimension to my writing.
What will the next book in that series be about and when will it be published?
The next book, For Where There Are Harps, is still in first draft but it brings all the characters together in the civil war called the Great Upheaval. As one of my early readers pointed out, this world is out of whack and you need to put it back in balance. Book three is about destroying what isn’t working and laying the groundwork for something that will be better.
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Pray to the Dead
Pray To The Dead, the second book in Alyce Elmore’s Angels Have Tread Trilogy, follows the lives of several individuals and the new world they encounter 20 years after the desolation exterminated all males over the age of 20. Catherine is pleased to be the rising star of the New Order Party and looks forward to a new society with no use for males. Sofia, a council moderator in the Warragul colony, believes the government, or someone in the government, is responsible for the murders of the boys she is investigating. Finally, Patricia, a political journalist, discovers that the government is concealing some research from the public and is perplexed about what it all means. Is there a diabolical scheme being carried out by the government against males?
The gripping book features an impressive and well-developed world. The glossary of terms at the beginning of the book contains several words that reflect the changes in the new world. For example, the latter years of a young man’s life are referred to as cusp, and male sex workers are referred to as studs. Furthermore, viewing the physical features via the perspective characters’ thoughts makes envisioning the scenes a delight. The book contains profound insights, such as when Patricia characterizes an interior design as nice enough but lacking in personality. Another excellent quality of the novel is how unpredictable it is; the twists and turns have you eagerly anticipating the next chapter.
Pray To The Dead is a thought-provoking and riveting novel that will have sci-fi and fantasy readers unable to put the book down. I applaud author Alyce Elmore for writing such a brilliant story that inspired me to envisage a world where males play minimal societal roles through a riveting chain of events. Readers who appreciate dystopian and political novels with multiple intricate turns will enjoy this book.
Pages: 354 | ASIN : B0BSGQYQ4J
LITERARY TITAN 