Valley of Hope: A Story of Consequences is a sci-fi novel by Francis Mont. Humanity may have survived the nuclear strikes but the damage and loss of life would scar their new society forever. They rebuilt their cities from the rubble and created AIs that would govern in their place. Their fractured community flourished, but only for a brief moment. Climate change was at its peak and the remnants of humanity faced extinction from unrelenting storms and wildfires. A difficult choice was made, and an intergalactic expedition was launched to seek out potential planets for migration. While those on earth seek refuge underground, the voyage among the stars meets with success. They find a compatible planet, but it's soon apparent that it's not theirs to call home. What will they find on the foreign planet, and will humanity endure?

Valley of Hope has an interesting plot. I was hooked on this story of survival early on as Francis Mont did a great job of setting the scene. The incorporation of climate change and where our society might be headed was a nice addition. The pacing mirrored the speed of the impending doom and helped give a sense of how chaotic life might be for the characters. I also liked the way that the situation on Earth kept deteriorating as the story went on, as opposed to the plot just being about brave souls traversing the cosmos. When well done, the duality of despair and hope always work perfectly at getting me invested in the plight of the characters and the plot. This is a book that entertained and got me thinking about the future.

Valley of Hope: A Story of Consequences is the final installment in the Valley Trilogy by Francis Mont. The year is 2098 and the survivors of the nuclear war in the three cities in Sacramento Valley that devastated Russia and wiped out major cities in the U.S. are facing new challenges. While Omega computers supervise food and energy production and distribute them together with all necessities to every household, the human population is encouraged to initiate non-essential projects to make life easier. Then comes the warning from environmental scientists that climate change is increasing at an exponential rate. Humans have to temporarily move underground into protected subterranean towns or leave the planet within one decade and settle in another solar system. An underground city is constructed, while Chris Teggart with a group of able citizens has to leave earth in search of a planet that can sustain human needs. Can they find a friendly planet before it’s too late?

Francis Mont’s Valley of Hope is a fascinating read. What makes this novel enthralling is that it ignites the imagination with a scenario that is believable because the chances of a nuclear war happening are not impossible. With computers and artificial intelligence taking over many human functions, the post-apocalyptic world that the author has created is relatable. The same is true with the Lifeboat spaceship. In short, the author uses technology that we already have today but he pushes it to the extreme. The characters are three-dimensional and relatable and the book shows us what it means to be human by reflecting both the dark and the good side of human nature and the things people do to survive. Valley of Hope is also a story about the indomitable human spirit which makes it an inspiring read.