I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

In a world destroyed and humanity forced to start over, a small group of humans evolved without technology, learning to become one with nature and the world around them, while another regrouped into a Romanesque society built upon conquest, leading a clash that will change both their worlds forever in author Todd David Gross’s “LOY: in the forests of the mind”.

The Synopsis

The world is destroyed.

Stripped of all modern technology, a small group of people survive and evolve.The Rehloy are born blind and don’t gain sight until they reach puberty. Learning of the world first through their other senses, creates such a high level of awareness in them that they border on the mystical.

For a thousand years they have lived in isolation, developing a special relationship with nature. Theirs is a “spiritual” life, ethereal, in some ways divine. But the outside world is intruding. The trees have begun to whisper of change….

On a distant shore, men whose technology isakin to the ancient Romans, have landed. Bent on conquest, they cut down trees, carve out roads, and begin to build a city.

And so, the struggle between a shamanic-like culture and an industrial one begins.

Loy is the story of a shaman, who must leave his homeland to discover the truth, and in so doing becomes its instrument.

It is about a mother who sacrifices her freedom and sanity in order to save her unborn child. It is about a child born with excruciating sensitivities, whose pain eventually becomes a source of great strength.

It is about monsters and madness, paradise found and lost. It is about the search for inner truth and a journey into the nature of mind and spirit.

The Review

This was such a powerful and gripping sci-fi fantasy novel. The imagery and atmosphere the author created were felt immediately, as the story brought this lush world and nature in the wake of disaster to life perfectly. The action and suspense that came with this new world was engaging, and being able to see how these new societies of people in the wake of our society’s collapse evolved and yet fell into similar pitfalls of our own making was unique to see come to fruition in the narrative. 

Yet the heart of this novel came in the rich world-building and character development of the narrative. The way the author was able to build upon the world we know and flush out brand new mythos and delve into the concept of how we connect and interact with the world around us on both a physical and spiritual nature was amazing to watch come to fruition on the page. The heartfelt story of a mother in this new society and her child, the former that sacrifices everything for their child and the latter that uses their pain as a source of strength really will speak to readers as the backdrop of this conflict between two very different societies takes shape.

The Verdict

Entertaining, thoughtful, and thrilling, author Todd David Gross’s “LOY: in the Forests of the Mind” is a must-read sci-fi and fantasy novel. The heart that goes into this narrative and the brilliant world-building an immediate draw to readers, and the twists and turns in the direction that these characters go will keep readers on the edge of their seats. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

In a past life, Todd David Gross had an extensive background in music and was a veteran of such rock groups as The Burning Sensations, The Band Next Door, and The Shout! He performed primarily on bass, sometimes keys, sang, wrote songs, hauled equipment and performed in downtown NYC clubs, (usually after 2 a.m. on a work night), hauled equipment back, and sometimes saw the sunrise.

Along the way he discovered esoteric literature, and for decades has been an avid student of philosophical, and psychological studies, embracing both Western constructs and Eastern philosophies which strive to bring the light of consciousness to humanity.

Eventually, he traded one keyboard for another and wrote several plays including The Visit, Life In The Park, Sense Memory, all performed in New York City. His most “prestigious” play, Them Within Us, ran Off-Broadway at Theater Row Theater, (alas, now Theater Row Diner), and was published by Broadway Play Publishing.

Thereafter he set about writing Loy, which has become a series, and his most extensive achievement to date. You can read more about Todd by visiting his website at www.toddgrossauthor.com