Title: Nomas: The Shattered World
Author: T. R. Payne
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-6698-1844-1 Pages: 240
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Suzanne Gattis
Pacific Book Review
What would happen to society if we managed to survive a huge catastrophe in our world? How would we live and restore order? Nomas: The Shattered World answers one such scenario we might face. Author T. R. Payne has captured the theory of life after catastrophe as being both engaging and terrifying.
Similar to stories like The Hunger Games, Nomas: The Shattered World looks at life “after.” This story follows the adventure of a young boy who is thrust out of his comfort zone and goes to explore this new world. Aided along the way with his talent in languages, Nomas is able to have his eyes opened and beliefs expanded. What he
thought he knew and understood turned out to be such a limited and authoritarian life. As he evolves and learns not only to navigate this world, but also the concept of love and companionship, a beautiful growth emerges. We find our protagonist has a courage he never knew he had.
Of particular interest in this book are the three different societies readers find. Each is unique in its own way. We find when people are told how to feel and believe, it becomes oppressive. Blinded by tradition, citizens can not even see their world has become this way. I would like to think that if we had to one day rebuild our society, free will and freedom of expression would still exist. The usual culprits of tensions, lack of understanding, and jealousy lead to a great war in the end.
The setting is incredibly unique and imaginative in this book. The characters were well developed for the most part and, especially with the protagonist, you felt you grew to really know. I did feel at times that the author had so much to say that some of the chapters had so much packed into; it went from concept to concept quickly and I sometimes did not see the tie in. Overall, I would recommend Nomas: The Shattered World to readers of all ages.
