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Bogmarkedet.dk (5 out of 6 stars)

A tough, exciting, and absorbing start to the series Victims of Hothouse Earth, which leaves this reader exposed and in critical contemplation. And a little scared.

It is frightening post-apocalyptic fiction, eerily relevant both thematically and timely. The tone is dark, like the film The Road starring Viggo Mortensen, but not without hope. Hope resides in the care that exists despite the harsh living conditions between families, in the fact that there is still enough to share life with Mali, and in the individual families' desire to do good, e.g., by allowing the few surviving trees to live, even though it might seem pointless. There is also hope in the love between Kristian and Fatima and in Magnus and Freja's relationship. For me, this is a significant motivation to continue reading, and I am very curious to see where the story goes from here.

What I like best about the book: Thank you for the wake-up call that hits right into my and many others' areas of concern. It’s very well thought out to set up a realistic scenario for a potential future. The gradual increase in horrors throughout the book ensures that the reader keeps turning the pages. Once you have sympathized with the characters, you feel compelled to know what happens next. The language flows well, and incorporating facts and explanations about the state of things works well. I devoured the book in two days. I am very impressed with how the characters are distributed so that as many different aspects of human nature are represented as possible. The development of both Freja and Mikkel is particularly credible, which makes the story come alive. Above all, I love Mali (but I am also a huge dog lover).

Krimiormen (6 out of 6 stars)

Personally, I have no knowledge of modern refugee camps, but I really hope that the description of refugee camps in this book does not resemble real-life refugee camps. Mali is truly a powerful, terrifying, and violent tale about a climate and world order collapsing, and about people fleeing, unwanted wherever they go.

Mali serves as a warning to today's humanity about what we may face if climate change is not stopped. Mali is also a story about a strong people and a strong family, whose lives are in constant alert mode.

The writing style in Mali is incredibly gripping, keeping the reader on edge throughout the entire thriller. Mali is a terrifying story that reminds us of what might happen if we don't act on climate change before it's too late.

Mali certainly paves the way for more stories in the same genre about a climate crisis that could affect us all. Mali gets my highest recommendation if you dare to read about a climate crisis that could have consequences for us all. Absolutely a top-class climate thriller.

Bogvægten

Mali is an exciting and chillingly disturbing novel about the catastrophes humanity faces if we continue making the wrong choices. Climate change skeptics would likely label the novel as alarmism, but the distance from our reality is not that great, and the characters, their attitudes, and actions in the novel could be authentic. Mali is closer to us than Brave New World or 1984.

The Danish Library Central (DBC)

What a debut. The book is exciting and hard to put down, and the concept of making Denmark a country one has to flee from rather than move to is incredibly powerful. The book highlights, in many ways, the inhumane life of refugees. It really makes the reader reflect on climate change. The author is well-versed in his material, both when it comes to refugees and climate. Recommended for purchase and dissemination.

Mit lille bibliotek (5 out of 5 stars)

I started reading Mali, which is a climate thriller, and was prepared to read about a fictional world invented from the idea of what climate change could mean in the short term. I was not prepared for how well-constructed the book I had begun was. I quickly got absorbed in the plot, and even though the story takes place in an almost surreal Danish society, there was a sense of unease because all the discussions, TV documentaries, Greta Thunberg, and the noticeable climate changes in our everyday life suddenly came into focus.

The book is a page-turner, and just as I had settled into the underlying sense of dread, the horror and shocks increase halfway through the book. Thoughts about refugees and their journeys unfold before your eyes, and despite feeling informed, you realize how little you know. A couple of times, I had to put the book down with tears in my eyes and actually take the dog for a walk. The almost dystopian world that Mali takes place in is not as far away as you think a dystopian society is. The book is told from the perspectives of Magnus and Freja, and the chapters alternate between the two. I was surprised by how much Mali affected me and how effortlessly the plot blended with the climate issues and crises we are actually dealing with in the real world.

A well-written climate thriller that I will not soon forget, perhaps never, and fortunately, Mali is only the first book in the Victims of Hothouse Earth series.

Cats, Books & Coffee (5 out of 6 stars)

Mali is an absolutely fantastic, gripping, and terrifying book. It sets up a sadly realistic scenario for how our planet and world could develop if we don't take serious action soon.

Torben's characters are well-crafted, and they come across as very realistic. Their long and hard struggle is well-described, and you can easily relate to their emotions and considerations. You can follow their thought process as they realize they must embark on a long and dangerous journey. We see how each of them possesses an inner strength, and this, along with hope, is what keeps them going.

Mali is a prime example of how important literature can be. Not only as entertainment, but also as a crucial source of knowledge. And in Mali's case, also a great basis for subsequent reflection on our future. It gets my full recommendation.

Torndahl Books (6 out of 6 stars)

Convincing and terrifying reading

It’s been a long time since I started a book that had me in its grip from page one. Torben Mathiassen writes with great conviction, and he has clearly done impressive research for the book. It just works!

Mali is frighteningly realistic in its telling, and it’s impossible not to become more aware of the climate crisis we are currently facing. Combined with the theme of flight and the treatment of refugees, you get an extremely relevant and important novel, which is also nerve-wracking and entertaining.

I devoured the book, and even days later, it keeps popping up in my mind. Mali is the first book in a series, and I will be eagerly waiting for the next one. I’m a fan!

Mali should be read by EVERYONE.

Gyseren

Mali is truly tough reading. It’s shameful to read about the treatment of climate refugees in the book because I recognize it so clearly from our local politics. For example, the distribution of rations in the novel’s refugee camp (calculated based on how much energy one needs depending on whether you are a man, woman, or child) reminds me of the 2019 discussion about the food scheme at the Sjælsmark Departure Center, where the purpose was to force rejected asylum seekers to leave Denmark.

It’s easier to forget that behind every refugee lies a person with a story, because then you don’t have to confront their tragedies, hopes, and dreams. At the same time, it’s also understandable that we can’t just open all doors, because with climate change, there’s a real fight for the world’s resources. It’s just a bit sad to think that those who must flee the consequences of climate change are not the ones who have benefited from overconsumption.

In addition to climate change, Mali highlights the harsh and at times inhumane life that refugees lead. By flipping the situation so that it is wealthy Northern Europe that needs help, we get a different angle on the issue. Even though the human consequences of being a refugee are the same no matter where we come from, it suddenly feels much closer. Luckily, there are also glimpses of love and humanity in the midst of the darkness.

I was captivated by Mali, which is both a dramatic survival story and a thought-provoking discussion piece.

Camillas Bogunivers, Instagram

Imagine if climate change becomes so severe that Denmark experiences Arctic conditions. In this climate thriller, that's exactly what happens, and we continuously follow either Magnus or Freja in the book, their thoughts, their survival, and their ever-present fear for the future, which only grows colder and colder. Magnus and Freja are husband and wife, parents to Kristian and Emilie. They have a dog, Mali, who is also an extra mouth to feed but is likely the one keeping them alive. What would you do if this happened?

Torben describes in detail the daily battle to gather food and firewood, so they don’t freeze to death or starve, but what can you find when the temperatures plummet to double-digit minus degrees? It’s a thriller that pushes things to the extreme, blending reality and fiction. I certainly sat on my sofa, under a blanket, looking out at the gentle snowfall, reading the book, holding my breath in fear for their lives and wondering if the choices they made were the right ones. Mali is a book that activated my nervous system, just like the wildest action film—only on a completely different level... What if this happens in reality?

A truly good, detailed, and well-written debut novel, built on thorough groundwork. This is a book worth reading.

Susse Kristiansen, Instagram (5 out of 5 stars)

The poles have melted. The glaciers are gone. Climate change has happened faster than predicted, and the "worst-case scenario" has arrived. The Gulf Stream has stopped, leading to a new ice age, and Denmark is covered in a thick layer of ice that marks the beginning of a rapidly growing ice cap. This is the setting that introduces Mali, where we follow a small group of people near the west coast of Jutland who have chosen to stay in their town after thousands of people fled to warmer climates. The daily life of those who remain is reduced to a fight for food and warmth, a battle that becomes more difficult year by year. One day, their resources run out, and the main characters, Magnus and Freja, see no other option but to flee the climate catastrophe before it's too late. Together with their two children and a few neighbors, they embark on a perilous journey south through a freezing Europe.

Mali is Torben Mathiassen’s outstanding debut novel, and fortunately, it’s part of a series. The author has created a believable future world, which he argues convincingly for in the prologue, and a series of fates that are anything but irrelevant. Their struggle for survival is nail-biting, and you sincerely hope for the best for them. This is what character-driven storytelling is all about.

Mathiassen calls his book a climate thriller, and the suspense lies in the drama of the story, but the real horror lies in the book’s Verfremdungseffekt: this could be our reality. Not in the distant future, not in five generations. But for us, our children, in our time.

The UN's climate report was recently released, and it's grim reading that sticks with you like burrs on every page of Mali. Mali is the most relevant work of fiction to date. A wake-up call for everyone.

I am eagerly waiting for the next volume in the series.

A stroke of genius! It deserves nothing less than 5 stars out of 5.

Siggaards Bogpalads, Instagram (4 out of 5 stars)

My emotions have been on a rollercoaster. The book brings so much variety with it. It really gives a “good” insight into what it’s like to be a refugee and fear for your life every day. I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out! I wonder if it will give the same emotional ride?

Lidt bedre Liv (4 out of 5 stars)

It’s an unbearable thought that we’ve taken such poor care of our planet, that the worst-case scenario could lead to extreme weather conditions, famine, malnutrition, and diseases. In this story, climate change is the reason for a new ice age. The extreme cold and violent, unpredictable weather are deadly for everyone, and yet the three families in the book have no choice but to flee their homes, hoping for a better future southwards.

The journey through Denmark and into Germany towards France was a bit of a horror to read about.

The descriptions of the camp in Spain were very realistic. It was so vividly portrayed that I felt like I was there, and I was scared out of my mind.

I think the book would be great for a book club as there are many issues to discuss through it.

Litteraturhesten, Instagram (4 out of 5 stars)

What happens to people when climate change really takes hold and our everyday life suddenly becomes unrecognizable? When all of Northern Europe is covered in ice and snow, and we experience storm after storm? When survival becomes the question? This is the theme Torben Mathiassen explores in Mali, and he does it very well!

The first half of the book primarily covers how the families cope in Denmark, where the only food source is seals (and rats 😬). Their thoughts and discussions about whether they should stay—would they survive—or leave—how far would they need to go, and how bad would it be further south?

It was incredibly exciting reading, and several things were very difficult to relate to, especially their way of life and the descriptions of Hamburg.

The second half deals primarily with climate migration. It’s incredibly tough reading, with several scenes being truly harsh (especially regarding Freja). Unfortunately, I think this could be true... This part was also good and interesting, though the first part was my favorite 😀

The book is alternately told by the couple Freja and Magnus (in the audiobook, they have a female and male narrator, and it worked really well). I really felt that I got to know them and like them both—very sensible and sympathetic people.

So if you’re interested in reading about the potential consequences of climate change and climate migration, I highly recommend reading Mali ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5.

Lissie.dk

I’ve just read (listened to) the book Mali by Torben Mathiassen—a terrifying, tough, exciting, and gripping book about climate change—which results in a new ice age in the Nordic region—yes, even down to Spain—and definitely a warning to humanity today about what we might face if climate change isn’t stopped.

Food for thought.

The first half of the book is about the couple Freja and Magnus—who haven’t yet fled from the ice winter back home in Denmark, unlike most people. These are winters that barely reach above freezing in summer. He goes seal hunting to provide food for the winter, and she looks after the home and the children—the gender role issues are no longer up for discussion because it’s only about surviving the increasingly harsher winters—until they must give up and set out on foot southwards, towards warmer climates. They reach Spain but are “stuffed” into refugee camps that are so miserable, not even my imagination can keep up.

STRONG reading…

—And truly food for thought—I can’t wait for the sequel to come out.

Bogsyn

A strong book and a perfect addition to the climate debate. A novel where words like thriller and suspense don’t really capture it. This is not about fictional stories with fictional plots in fictional settings. It’s about fictional characters in real-world scenarios on Earth. Amidst a ragnarok and on the way to an even greater one.

[...]

As Torben Mathiassen turns things upside down in the novel, he presents the idea that the weather is becoming colder, impossible to live in, and that we, therefore, need to flee to the warmer south, where there will be congestion and a fight for space and food.

An exciting thought, a terrifying thought, and a terrifyingly good novel. We must say that.

Martin Rovang Jensen, Culture Mediator at Næstved Library (post on LinkedIn)

 

😬 WILL POLITICIANS DARE TO READ A ICE-COLD CLIMATE THRILLER? 😬

Recently, many media outlets reported that changing Gulf Stream currents could send Denmark's and Northern Europe’s climate into extreme collapse within a few decades. Read more about it here at videnskab.dk, where the research findings are met with some skepticism: https://lnkd.in/ekYzN8ng ☝️

Regardless of objections, there’s broad consensus that we’re causing irreversible damage to the climate. Unfortunately, many of us are probably becoming immune and resigned to the dystopian climate news stories we are bombarded with daily.

Instead, maybe it’s fiction that can really shift our climate consciousness? And make politicians who have the power to make the most significant changes rethink things?

It would be amazing if all the climate and environmental spokespersons of the political parties read Torben Mathiassen’s Mali, which was released last year and immediately popped into my mind when I read the news about the Gulf Stream. The subtitle “a climate thriller” is very fitting. In Mali, you experience a terrifying near-future where a new ice age threatens. Mathiassen paints a picture of a future nightmare scenario, where survivors are at the mercy of the whims of climate change. Northern Europe is frozen, and millions are forced to flee south. (Towards the promised Mali in Africa—that’s where the title comes from.)

In a small Danish village, however, a few families hold out against the cold and hunger, including a family of two adults and two children.

As a reader, you follow their struggle for survival throughout the novel. And it’s a really intense and powerful story that unfolds.

A great debut by Mathiassen and one of my best reading experiences this year.

Mathiassen has clearly done extensive research for the book and given careful thought to the harsh living conditions in a frozen Denmark. No more should be revealed here. But why not buy Mali or borrow it from your local library to read the novel? If you dare!

Hopefully, Mali will make its way to the bedside table of some responsible politicians and get them thinking about how best to protect our climate. It can’t happen soon enough! ⏳

Lærkes Bogblog, Instagram (4 out of 5 stars)

The author manages to create a shocking and thought-provoking tale of survival in a world that has been altered by climate change...[...]...It’s written so realistically that it leaves the reader deeply reflective. Mali is an exciting, nerve-wracking, and authentic book. However, I felt the ending of the book became a bit too intense and frightening for my taste, but it still deserves 4/5 stars.

Lars Elkjær, Author ´Kannibalens Spor'

Mali is a climate thriller. It takes place in Denmark in bone-chilling cold in the near future. I am TOTALLY sold. It’s as if you’re right there yourself. It’s simply a stroke of genius.

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