Savage Survival

Reviewed by
Shawn Oetzel

I have been an avid reader for quite some time. I have read too many books to count over the years covering a variety of genres. Through my literary travels the list of novels which have made me say, "Wow, that was something special", is relatively short. Frank Herbert's Dune, Terry Brooks' The Elfstones of Shannara, and George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire are all at the top of that list. After reading Darrell Bain's novel Savage Survival however, I think that list has grown a little longer.

When Earth is invaded by an unknown alien race, eleven year old Lyda Brightner finds herself swept up in the destructive wake. With her father dead and mother missing, Lyda awakens in a concentration camp somewhere in a desert in the southwest United States. Within hours, she is horribly abused by a man who then in turn tries to sell her into slavery.

After managing to escape, Lyda discovers an inner strength which helps her retake control of her life, and puts her on a path of self discovery. Deciding the only way to defeat those who would hurt her and those she comes to protect, is by meeting them head on, Lyda quickly finds herself the leader of several like minded survivors.

The aliens however, have different plans. The human survivors are put through test after test so that only the humans with the strongest minds will make it through each trial. Along the way Lyda and the other human refugees learn they are changing. There minds are sharper and their bodies are stronger. With each trial the changes become more evident. Lyda uses these "gifts" to protect the people who choose to follow her, and also to discover love as well as learn what true leadership is all about.

Savage Survival is truly a masterful piece of science fiction writing. Darrell Bain uses an alien invasion of Earth as a backdrop to tell not only a coming of age story but also to spark deep thought concerning society as a whole. His character Lyda Brightner is as memorable of a character as you can get. I sincerely hope there are more tales of her exploits coming in the near future.

Darrell Bain's Savage Survival is definitely what is right about the science fiction genre. I believe this is as close to a must read as you can get. With an intricate plot, vivid imagination, and one of the most memorable characters I have run across in a long time, Savage Survival will leave readers left with that same "wow" feeling I received.

This review first appeared in the September 2007 issue of Tales of the Talisman.