The Electric Kingdom

By: David Arnold

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller David Arnold's most ambitious novel to date; Station Eleven meets The 5th Wave in a genre-smashing story of survival, hope, and love amid a ravaged Earth.

When a deadly fly flu sweeps the globe, it leaves a shell of the world that once was. Among the survivors are 18-year-old Nico and her dog, on a voyage devised by Nico's father to find a mythical portal; a young artist named Kit, raised in an old abandoned cinema; and the enigmatic Deliverer, who lives life after life in an attempt to put the world back together. As swarms of infected flies roam the Earth, these few survivors navigate the woods of post-apocalyptic New England, meeting others along the way, each on their own quest to find life and love in a world gone dark.

The Electric Kingdom is a sweeping exploration of love, art, storytelling, eternal life, and above all, a testament to the notion that even in an exterminated world, one person might find beauty in another.

©2021 David Arnold (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"An intricate piece of high-concept sci-fi...carried by crystalline prose, which echoes like poetry, towards a genuinely astonishing and moving conclusion. Accessible, sophisticated, and immensely satisfying." (Booklist, starred review)

"An absorbing read with well-realized characters and beautiful writing, this novel will appeal to readers of science fantasy such as N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy." (SLJ, starred review)

"Particularly poignant.... Arnold brings all the classic elements of a dystopia here…and twists them up with mind-bending dramatics of time travel, making room for harrowing action scenes and deep existential ponderings. Given current circumstances, this makes for a timely and chilling read." (BCCB, starred review)

“This is a story about storytellers, and David Arnold is among the best. The Electric Kingdom is an epic post-apocalyptic tale where humanity is louder than a swarm of flies, and hope radiates in the bleakest of places. Fearless writing and a remarkable cast of characters will send readers on an unforgettable journey.” (Adam Silvera, New York Times best-selling author of They Both Die at the End)

Sweeping exploration of love and life

The Electric Kingdom' is a sweeping exploration of love, art, storytelling, eternal life, and above all, a testament to the notion that even in an exterminated world, one person might find beauty in another.

In 2025, the world basically ends because of swarms of genetically engineered flies (that are really more like bees) that eat every living bit of meat they can get to - animals and humans. The story alternates POV's between Kit, Nico, and The Deliverer.

Nico and her parents, Kit and his family, and Lennon and his adopted family all have stories that converge. I loved the brilliant bookworm/artist boy Kit, Nico was an extraordinary woman, and let's not forget her dog Harry,... the Deliver was a bit more confusing and it took me right until the end to figure that character out. But what an ending! Mind blown.

Outstanding

Don’t doubt yourself, this book is it, it deserved a review and this is it: BUY IT!

When the world ends

Great story with superior narration by Therese , as usual. All the voices are distinct and different and I became absorbed by this world. At times terrifying, occasionally funny, but mostly heartbreaking. Now I want to listen again.

Amazing Performance

Not your usual Sci-Fi story. Has a few twists. Is more about the people in the story than what's happened to get them in the trouble they are in.

I enjoyed it, just because it was not your typical trope-filled boilerplate. It might not be for everyone. It's pretty high on the touchy-feely scale, but I thought the insights into people were genuine.

What I enjoyed the most was Theresa Plummer's performance. She really brought the characters alive for me. I think it was a superb performance.

Thérèse Plummer is a good choice for this

It surprised me how much I enjoyed this book. liked the concept alot. and the characters felt alive. Loved kit. it's a feel good book.
The best thing about this book is the conversations.