The Dirt Eaters

The Longlight Legacy, Book 1

By: Dennis Foon

Narrated by: Joshua Swanson

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

It's a struggle to survive on post-apocalyptic Earth. In this first book in the trilogy of The Longlight Legacy, the wars have transformed the world, and 16-year-old Roan is about to discover a terrible truth.

When Roan's parents and the people of Longlight perish in a raid, Roan is filled with rage. Torn between his desire for revenge and the legacy of peace he has inherited, he is taken in by a sect of warriors. With them he learns he has exceptional talent as a fighter. But Roan is haunted by visions he can't understand. When he commits his first act of violence, he flees in disgust into the most wasted lands of all, the Devastation.He meets friends and allies in unexpected places, as his enemies hunt him down. But it is only when Roan meets Alandra that he begins to understand his life's purpose and why his village, Longlight, was destroyed.

Dennis Foon has created an immensely powerful and disturbing look at a wasted world. Through the character of Roan, hope and the promise of renewed life seem possible.

©2003 Dennis Foon (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Outstanding... compelling... well-written adventure... All in all, an entertaining and promising start [to The Longlight Legacy trilogy]." ( School LIbrary Journal)

Not what you might expect.

This is not the kind of book I normally go for. The pacing was slow and the action was light. It kind of drags along. That said I was oddly compelled by it none the less. It's more of a post-post apocalyptic world. Mad Max it is not. It is set about 100 years after the apocalypse and people are living in small villages or communities. Good water and fertile land are rare. There are many groups living in this waste land and all does not seem as it appears. Roan is an interesting and complex young man struggling to find his place in this world and about the meaning of his life and past. You can't help but cheer for Roan as he fights his nature against what the outside world is like. The story has a somewhat realistic feel to it with a little mysticism thrown in. There are several threads of a mystery that get tied together by the end. The second book I assume must be about what Roan has learned and what he plans to do about it. As for the narrator, he reads in a whispery tone that kind of grates on my nerves as do the voices for the characters. He tries, but it just don't cut it. I really think this audio book would have been better served with a stronger narrator. I would recommend listening to the sample audio first, you might be better off reading the book. Don't know if this is an YA novel but you could listen with your older kids. If you like this book you might like Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.