It is perhaps worth the read for you. If you can get over the inconsistencies that is. After all, the story is mostly set in the “afterlife” and you may expect the author to construct a logically sound view of it in order to establish a firmly grounded setting. However, despite having conjured up an afterlife rather similar to the life we know, the author’s physics simply doesn’t work, attempts to weave in and match up the concept of entropy into this afterlife fails, sadly. (E.g it is claimed that life somehow mysteriously defies the laws of entropy when in fact it does not - life does increase order locally yet increases entropy universally -therefore conforms to the laws of entropy). Sorry, for the perhaps unwarranted physics lessons ( )

I had a good time listening to this one. Interesting concept and some fun twists and turns. I'd read more from the author, for sure. The narration was great but I'm still trying to figure out why a British narrator was used for a book set in Chicago with no non-American characters. Still, Finty Williams is a fantastic narrator so the story definitely didn't suffer. ( )

In hindsight should I probably quite early on, just stopped reading this book when I realized that it was not working. Except, my middle name is apparently stubborn and I thought the idea of the book was so fantastic that I couldn't understand why I just couldn't get into the book. I mean it's nothing wrong with the writing, the characters did not annoy me either. I just felt a bit listless reading the book, and I think it's because I just didn't care that much for the story or for the characters. It was just not a book for me.

This will not be a long review. I have nothing really good to say about it, nor bad. I can understand why the story would appeal to readers, I just couldn't feel it myself. I think if the story of this book appeals to you, should you give it a go. The concept is interesting, with an afterlife where you can either become an eater and get godlike powers or try not be "eaten". If I had cared more for the characters would I probably have enjoyed the book more. However, I cared very little about Claire and Will's life and, romance and their angst and that made the book a bit slow to read.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

I chose to read Marcus Sakey's "Afterlife" because I was intrigued by the combination of a crime story with a fantasy. I have been trying to expand my range of reading lately and this seemed a good choice. I normally do not read Fantasy novels because I know before I begin that I will have to tolerate inconsistencies, holes in the plot and places where the fantasy itself exceeds any kind of "suspension of disbelief."
"Afterlife" did all of those things in spades! Moreover, it violated its own premise, the foundation of its story line, included inconsistencies that were too big to ignore and went on to contradict itself in many of its details.
In spite of my general rule to quit reading things when they just aren't working or interesting to me, I finished "Afterlife". It is the second book in a row I did not like yet finished anyway.
I realize that there is a huge market for people who like Fantasy and I can only suppose they apply to their reading skills I just don't/won't apply to me. But at least, reading this helped reinforce my aversion to Fantasy novels so I don't waste time on more of them. ( )

Like many others, I loved Sakey's Brilliance trilogy, and looked forward to this. I was quite disappointed. A crazed elusive sniper is terrorizing the city when two FBI agents: Assistant Director Claire McCoy and Special Agent Will Brody collaborate in an unconventional way to stop him. Meanwhile, the two are crazy for each other and their love passionate, raw and beautiful, until Will is killed. Will wakes up in the Afterlife, a different plane of existence, where if you kill someone, you absorb their life essence and become supercharged. Society in the Afterlife is divided, with one group looking after each other and the other looking to kill for pleasure. Good premise, but it gets silly and overly complex as the showdown between the groups cause Will and Claire to jump around. Made me think a little of Sakey's close friend, writer Blake Crouch. ( )