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J.M. Salyards (born 1982) lives in Maryland with his wife and daughter and dreams of becoming a man of a million words.
Mr. Salyards is passionate about writing bold, entertaining fiction. "Shadow of the Last Men" is the first volume of the Next Man Saga, a series that introduces his new voice into the arena of mature, speculative art.
Drawing on his experiences in the US Air Force and a lifetime of reading, Salyards is an "artistic and effective" author with an "intense and distinctive voice". He is a proud member of the Xchyler Publishing 'X Team'.
Reviewed by Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite
Shadow of the Last Men (The Next Man Saga) (Volume 1) by J.M. Salyards takes you to the bleak outlands in the shadow of the third city. This is a place where one soul emerges to deliver his people from the technocratic overlords known as the last men. This man, Harrow, will do anything and go to all lengths to exact vengeance, even if it means he will only be able to hold onto his humanity by thin threads. However, his quest of havoc and vengeance puts him in the path of allies; as unlikely as that may be, they will change his life forever.
This is a gripping and engaging story and a fantastic start to a series that I cannot wait to dig deeper into. J.M. Salyards has created a host of likable characters that make for the perfect ensemble in this book. I have spent a lot of time wondering if Harrow or Alouine was my favorite and in the end I decided they both were, because the character development is really that solid. The pacing is perfect as well, I never felt as if the story was going too fast, nor did I feel as if it was dragging in parts. This is a refreshing take on the post-apocalyptic story lines that are so popular right now. If you are into a good solid adventure read and the post apocalyptic genre I highly recommend this read.
