EFC Bk 16: Blink With A Capital O Review by Laura Clark
Another edition of Earth’s Final Chapter that is sure to charm its readers, Blink With A Capital O is a great debut story from author Remy Fernandes. It is clear that the author is an avid reader of the EFC series: within the first few pages, Fernandes firmly grounds this story in the context of Earth’s Final Chapter’s universe. The story contains all of the right ingredients to make it recognizable: references to The Last War and other events from this world, a variety of mutants, struggles for resources, trade disputes, family conflicts, and the titular character’s personal journey are all set against the post-apocalyptic backdrop we’ve come to expect from this series.
The protagonist of the story is Blink, a nineteen-year-old woman who has a strained relationship with her mother, Rosemary. Rosemary’s in charge of The Nest, a social hub which is home to several groups of people who look to her for leadership. It’s clear that Rosemary isn’t the best leader – she is disorganized, and her priorities are somewhat off kilter. In a world where the ability to spot a valuable resource can mean the difference between surviving and thriving, Rosemary hoards useless trinkets in her house and allows them to accumulate years of grime. The prospect of inheriting Rosemary’s stash and her responsibilities does nothing to improve Blink’s frosty relationship with her mother.
But when Rosemary is attacked and abducted during a trade negotiation with the winged Agwia, Blink feels dutybound to track down her abductors and rescue her mother. This is what makes Blink With A Capital O such an intriguing read; Blink’s journey is fraught with danger, adventure, and encounters with some cool characters. Along the way, the reader is treated to some emotional portions of Blink’s tragic past. But Blink’s quest is far from being all doom and gloom, because she’s accompanied by her Sloth friend, Marla, whose witty turns of phrase and endless list of hilarious nicknames for Blink are sure to make you chuckle.
Blink With A Capital O is a wonderful new addition to the Earth’s Final Chapter series. The story is captivating from the very first page, it has an epic twist you definitely will not see coming, and it ends in a way that suggests there are more stories to tell about these characters. I hope regular readers of EFC won’t be kept waiting too long to find out what happens when Fafi catches up to Rosemary!