Introducing Slack Jaw a Post-Apocalyptic Thriller
With the release of Slack Jaw just around the corner, I thought I’d introduce you to the characters, setting and some of the challenges ahead.
We return to the shattered world of Weep as storm Peggy is about to hit. The events of Slack Jaw take place in tandem with those of the last book, along the west coast of Ireland, a country besieged by the relentless spread of the weeping sickness. While the rest of the world watches in horror, Ireland has been quarantined, its inhabitants left to fend for themselves. The story unfolds primarily on the Aran Islands, where our main characters fight to create a sanctuary in the midst of chaos.
Ireland, once a picturesque haven, has been swallowed whole by the relentless outbreak. The infection begins with a fever hot enough to consume the soul from the body. Left in its wake is the weeper—a monstrous being stripped of their humanity.
With the fear of a global pandemic looming, foreign warships converge on Ireland, imposing a suffocating quarantine in a desperate attempt at containment, the nation is plunged into darkness and despair. People flee their ruined cities, seeking refuge in a desolate countryside plagued by vacant graves. In this grim reality, death offers no solace, as the infected rise again to spread the deadly disease as relentless zombies.
For now, the threat of extinction has been halted, but peace is fleeting. In these precarious moments that could very well mark the end of recorded history, as the boundaries between life and death blur and the darkness threatens to consume all, one question remains: Where did it come from?
When we meet Samantha, a skilled commercial skipper, she has an engagement ring in her pocket and a question on her mind. Her inclination towards solitude won’t sway her from proposing to Aoife, a kind-hearted and selfless woman. Their divergent personalities mattered little until they were put in stark contrast when confronted with the end of the world. Samantha's motivation lies in protecting Aoife, while Aoife's unwavering goal is to safeguard the entire community on the Aran Islands.
As the epidemic in Slack Jaw spreads rapidly, transforming people into monstrous beings, Samantha must navigate a treacherous landscape filled with danger, despair and her new in-laws.
Haunted by guilt and hunted by the infected, Samantha embarks on a mission to find answers to the origins of the epidemic. Along the way, she encounters other survivors, forming alliances and facing unimaginable threats together. As "Slack Jaw" unfolds, it explores the notion that innocence may not survive in such dire circumstances. Samantha grapples with the belief that mere survival might not be enough—true strength lies in forging connections and finding hope in the face of despair.
While the rest of the world battles with containment efforts, our protagonists face a new challenge in the form of a mysterious military ship without insignia of origin or allegiance. Could they be the perpetrators behind this catastrophic event? Why else would they act so shadily? This mystery warship thrusts Samantha, Aoife, and their community into a desperate struggle against both the infected and the sinister forces that unleashed the pandemic.
