Review of The Conflagration

Oyedeji Okikioluwa · Post by **Oyedeji Okikioluwa** » 30 Aug 2022, 08:19

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Conflagration" by B. Sabonis-Chafee.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The Conflagration by B. Sabonis-Chafee is a compelling tale about the resuscitation of a cryonically-preserved woman three hundred years after the conflagration era. The theme of the book revolves around values, compassion, and ethics.

After the global annihilation of World War III, the earth's remnants come together and begin to rebuild themselves. Holding in memory the mistakes of the 21st century, they draw forth a more value-based, compassionate, and ethical system with a vehement distaste and suffocation of a repeat situation. When the 'ice-woman' is found and resuscitated, her team works hard to acclimatize her to the present world. Identifying herself as Sydney Constance Thrasher, she finds support in the arms of Trevor, Dr. Hillin, Ellen, Rashita, and Quillin in starting her life afresh. She gets into an educational program with Dr. Hillin and begins exploring questions about her past. However, as time goes on, she gets overwhelmed with everything and risks running away. Would Sydney ever get a hold of this life so different from the world eons ago? Read to find out more.

B. Sabonis-Chafee spins a very intriguing story with a vast depth of intellectual topics. She deftly whips a fudge of thought-provoking issues within the lines of this story that seems to plague our world today. The author was precise in her characterization, as she was meticulous about the value elements each character seems to uphold best. She didn't only draw a character; she gave them a resonating uniqueness of thought that was undoubtedly impressed in the readers' minds. A lot impressed me from the book, especially this quote, which says, 'The earth cannot change for the better unless the consciousness of individuals is changed first.'

Sydney's character intrigued me the most in this book. I love the slow-burn change and development that occurred in her adaptation and the high level of intelligence she displayed. I also liked the characters' personal lives involved in the book, however minuscule. It added color to the otherwise serious contents of history and global death. The peculiarity of the topics discussed in this book piqued my interest. Most of them were highly intellectual, and I struggled to flow with them but enjoyed it. I particularly liked Trevor and Sydney's first discussion of values; that scene was a treasure of admirable articulation.

There are just a few things about this book I dislike. I observed that some characters' names were misspelled throughout the book. For instance, Sydney was sometimes called Sidney, and Quillin was called Quillen. There was also the premature unveiling of Sydney's name at the beginning of the book before she introduced herself, alongside some punctuation and grammatical errors. This showed that this book might need another editing. Therefore, I rate The Conflagration 3 out of 4 stars.

I recommend this book to fans of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic events. From me to you, this is a very exhilarating read with a plethora of valuable information to be learned.

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The Conflagration
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Odowgu kenso · Post by **Odowgu kenso** » 01 Sep 2022, 17:15

You made very good observations about this book especially with the spelling of thr characters names. Your summary of this book was absolutely exquisite. Great review.

Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 01 Sep 2022, 17:48

Ever since I first heard about crogenics I wondered how these people would function in the future. I hope Sydney can acclimate

Patty Allread · Post by **Patty Allread** » 02 Sep 2022, 12:03

I enjoyed your review very much. This book seems to have a lot of dimensions--strong characters, social values, and intellectual topics. It sounds like the author was skillful in putting a lot of elements together in her book. The premise of a cryogenically preserved person from 300 years ago waking up in modern times is not entirely far-fetched. I lived in Colorado, where they celebrate "Frozen Dead Guy" in Nederland.

Post by **Rebecca De Figueiredo** » 03 Mar 2025, 09:28

Written in short passages, this book is easy to get into. What a subject: something that could possibly happen one day.. not impossible. A nice thought, if a future world could be more ethical, more caring. Thank you, reviewer, for a good explanation of the book.

Post by **Ajiferuke Ajibola** » 03 Mar 2025, 09:40

A book that revolves around values, compassion, and ethics promises to be interesting. The idea of an ice-woman in "The Conflagration" by B. Sabonis-Chafee is intriguing. Congrats on BOTD. Insightful review.

Post by **Moisés Alcántara Ayre** » 03 Mar 2025, 09:41

I just love this post-apocalyptic book that portrays the rebirth of humanity after a war that decimated most humans on earth. Another great aspect in the book is how this new world, 300 years after World War III, presents ethics, values, and compassion as a unified front to be embraced by all humans so that past mistakes are not repeated.

Post by **Bertha Jackson** » 03 Mar 2025, 09:45

After living in a society without values, compassion, and ethics, I can only imagine Sydney's difficulties in her new life. Thank you for your informative review.

Post by **Supritika Ghatak** » 03 Mar 2025, 10:01

B. Sabonis-Chafee's The Conflagration imagines a world remade by disaster, combining scientific discovery with ethical complications. Engaging storytelling and richly drawn characters make for a gripping tale that subverts notions of progress, ambition, and human responsibility in a reconfigured reality.

Devesh Patel · Post by **Devesh Patel** » 03 Mar 2025, 10:05

This review highlights "The Conflagration" as a thought-provoking, post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel with rich themes of ethics, compassion, and societal rebirth. While praising its intellectual depth and character development. Overall, it’s a compelling read for fans of the genre.

Ainsley Hall · Post by **Ainsley Hall** » 03 Mar 2025, 10:21

This review is beautifully written. So thought provoking. I found B. Sabonis-Chafee, The Conflagration as a warm and comfort book through this review.

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 03 Mar 2025, 10:23

Apart from the minor downsides you have stated, such as the misspellings and the premature revelation of the name, the story sounds really amazing. I am still wondering how Sydney managed to acclimatize and get used to a world years away from what she was used to. The book is on my shelf.
Thank you, @Oyedeji Okikioluwa, for this captivating and well-balanced review.

Timothy Rucinski · Post by **Timothy Rucinski** » 03 Mar 2025, 10:28

This was an exceptional review of what appears to be quite an interesting novel. I'm not a big fan of sci-fi, but this storyline is compelling. I also enjoy books that feature strong characterizations and a dynamic plot. Congrats to the author on BOTD.

Lorna Walters 1 · Post by **Lorna Walters 1** » 03 Mar 2025, 10:31

Any book with a ‘call-to-heed’ message about our poor treatment of our earth and the consequences of that treatment, is a most welcome read. Great review!

Andrea Witt · Post by **Andrea Witt** » 03 Mar 2025, 10:44

This sounds like a cross between the movie Idiocracy (the setup of it!) and Brave New World. I'm not sure I am going to read this--it doesn't sound like my type of book, but it does sound intriguing for those who read dystopian fiction. This is a great review and the reviewer obviously put time and effort into finding the grammatical errors and noting all the positive highlights of the characters and plot. Thank you!