The Navigator (Awash In Starlight‪)‬

A superbly dark, funny and entertaining romp through the universe with the last survivor of a viral epidemic as our guide and an un-named virus as our narrator. This story begins with the Munich Virus, which wipes out every known population of humanity across the universe, leaving Kego, our schizophrenic nine year old navigator, to fend for himself and return to Earth with the Frozen, those who were lucky enough to be in stasis when the virus struck. We follow Kego on his journey through the cosmos as he stears the Solstice back to Earth to re-establish the human race.

Narrated by an unknown and un-named virus of indefinate age, wisdom and sarcasm who gives his somewhat unusual yet strangely enlightening views on Kego's, and utlimately humanity's, journey, as obstacles are met, faced and hurdled, this is more than just a story. It is a romp through the history of mankind as viewed by one who has not been subject to 'civilised' influences and has gained his knowledge through The History itself and by another who was there as an outsider looking in.

Somehow this book manages to cover every subject from religion to politics, using life, death, peace, war, love, hate and humanity as its stepping stones, without burying the story or bombarding the reader with endless details. Instead Merrick has created a post apocalyptic science fiction tale set in a future that seems possible even today, that will make you both laugh and cry, feel compassion for each and every character at some point while hating them in the next and leaving you wanting more when you reach the end.

The review above is reproduced courtesy of Sams Reviews at goodreads