Tar (Hell on Earth #2.5)

If you knew the world was going to come to an end, absolutely and without doubt or question, and, not just eventually, but in a matter of days or hours, what would you do? Thats the question faced by the characters in Iain Rob Wrights novella, Tar, and the answers they provide make for a fascinating morality tale.

The culprit in Tar is just that, a creeping gray slime that was created as a result of a nuclear experiment in Australia gone very, very bad. Once created, the tar simply spread in a growing circle across all surfaces, solid or liquid, engulfing and absorbing any life in its path. (Ironically, one of the best books of this type, Nevil Shutes On the Beach has exactly the opposite plot. There, nuclear radiation eventually makes it way to Australia from the rest of the world.) Last to go is England, diagonally across the globe from Australia.

Other than a fairly creepy introductory chapter showing the genesis of the substance, Tar is not a conventional horror story. Instead, it starts out as more of an action/revenge story focusing on Finn, an IRA soldier who was, until very recently, in Northern Ireland, setting off bombs. He returns to England, barely escaping the tar that enveloped Ireland, partly to spend the remaining time with his family, but primarily to get revenge on his recently deceased sisters boyfriend, who murdered her. Complicating matters is the fact that the boyfriend is a local mobster, and, even in the last days of the world, is surrounded by some loyal cohorts.

Although the impending end of the world is a constant given in Tar, author Wright doesnt dwell on it or describe in detail the worldwide procession of horrible ways in which people meet their demises. Instead, he gives just enough detail to make readers feel more sad than shocked, and also works the effects of the coming apocalypse into the story line (power is gone, as are the police). For the most part, however, the book is about Finns quest for the man who killed his sister. In this regard, Tar is a good action story, with some rather brutal fight scenes and a fair amount of suspense when the ultimate showdown occurs.

However, Tar is much more than that. Its an old-fashioned tale of morality and redemption, as Finn faces who he was and what he did (his hands were quite bloody before he came back to his hometown), and contrasts and compares it with what the other characters do. Some people cant take it, others hide, and still others choose to give vent to their basest desires knowing that there are, for all practical purposes, no consequences to their actions. As Finn continues his quest, he encounters a number of relative innocents, some of whom latch on to him for safety, and the interplay becomes much more complex. I dont want to go into much more detail, because things do not play out in Tar the way readers might think, and the characters prove far more complex than they first appeared. And, by the end of the book, author Wright has gotten readers deeply involved in both the end-of-the-world scenario and the characters.

Assigning a rating to Tar is a bit difficult for me. The story itself is a novella thats about 90 pages long and would easily rate five stars on its own. However, it only occupies about half the book. The other half contains six short stories by other authors. Most are fairly good, but none are at the level of Tar. If I were rating this book as a story collection, I would give it four stars overall. Since the book isnt advertised or sold as a collection, most people will buy it on the strength of the main story, which is a strong one, so Ill accordingly give the book five stars overall. Tar is a story that will really stick to you.

Tar: An apocalyptic horror novella by Iain Rob Wright is a compelling story about the development of an expensive science facility in Australia. It was called the Oceanic Science Collider, OSC.

After the experiment was halted, Shepherd said: “We’ll assess things and see where we stand, but there is no reason to lose heart. No scientist ever walked a straight path to discovery. Humanity’s destiny has always been a meandering zig-zag. Each obstacle in the road gives us a tiny glimpse at the mysteries of our world–and how to overcome them.” I gave it four stars because I found it intriguing. It was a well-written story.

Finn returned home to discover that his sister, Marie had been beaten to death. He was ready for vengeance.

I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Amazon. That did not change my opinion for this review.

Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LEX9LQA

Just finished reading Tar by Iain Rob Wright. I know I sound like a recording when it comes to Iains books, but what can I say, he writes some fantastic stuff. This was a great Post-Apocalyptic/Horror/Thriller Novella. Novella being the only problem with this book, it ended way too soon. Something that Iain does so well is a story within a story within a story. The Tar is coming and the world is ending, but Finn, an ex IRA member, has to find the low life piece of crap who killed his sister and avenge her death. Along the way he meets some interesting characters, human and canine alike and has time to recollect on his past. Will he find the killer and end his life before the end of the world? Its worth you time to read this gem and find out. Another great non stop, action packed adventure by Iain Rob Wright.

Synopsis: (from the back cover): How do you go on living when youre already dead?

The world has ended, yet a few places still cling to life, dragging out their final, dwindling moments until the last second. The United Kingdom is one of those places still left alive, but it is only a matter of time before it too is wiped from the face of the earth.

The Tar is coming, covering every inch of the globe. There is no escape.

It means the clock is ticking for Finn, who needs to find the monster that murdered his sister. The world might be over, but vengeance never dies

What do you get when you combine a failed experiment, mass extinction event and one pissed off older brother hell-bent on revenge? You get Tar the newest novella from Iain Rob Wright.

While not a long book, Tar checks in at approximately 230 pages, this story really packs a punch with regard to action and suspense. Finn is desperate to hunt down his sisters murderer and avenge her death but doesnt have the luxury of time as the Tar creeps ever closer. As usual in a story such as this if that werent bad enough, there is also the element of the other survivors functioning as the wild card element.

This was a really quick read and of course, I pretty much adore anything that IRW writes. A few incidental characters seemed eerily similar to other novels, but for me that added more to the story. Its not uncommon to have cameos of characters from his other books in the IRW created universe, why would this book be any different? Its sort of like little Easter Eggs for loyal readers.

Bizarre, mildly unpleasant and dark. This is not a story for those of us that believe that the human spirit shines through the darkness, no this is for those of us that see the darkness in our world and still think what if!
The story has similarity to both final winter and the peeling in both plot and structure and pace although it seems faster I assume that’s because this story is just a lot shorter in length.
Here is a darkly disturbing post-apocalyptic setting with a great twist which reminds me of some of the more epic nineteen-eighties horror movies which I was thankful I was allowed to watch on rented VHS tapes from the local shop, this is In vibe and overall style which is darkly fun and entertaining while still being mildly unpleasant to experience but left me wanting both popcorn and more story.

Finley our hero is definitely of the anti-hero mould, who goes looking for what he perversely feels will bring him some redemption for sins he committed while an active IRA hardman back in his native Northern Ireland. Personal salvation finds Finely more or less in spite of his perverse desire for redemption via vengeance as the harder he looks to bring more pain and darkness to the world he inhabits, he accidentally manages to bring a small amount of light and hope to some unexpected and unwanted travelling companions that by the end of both the story and the world that the characters fight to survive, The companions become something far more valuable.

The author has crafted a really fun world with this novella, and the story can be enjoyed separately from any other novels or series by Iain Rob Wrights. However, I enjoy the authors work and if you give this story a go I think you just might get hooked on this author. Most of Iain Rob Wrights works are available on kindle unlimited and are really well priced for us the readers if not so much for Mr Wrights profits.

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