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Apocalypse Weird: Reversal

(Polar Wyrd ##1)

Jennifer Ellis (Goodreads Author)

4.38 · Rating details · 58 ratings · 21 reviews

Snow, Volcanoes, and the End of the World

Contrary to Sasha Wood’s expectations, the isolated International Polar Research Station on Ellesmere Island turns out to be an incredibly dangerous assignment. After researchers and sled dogs go missing in a freak storm, distress calls go mysteriously unanswered from the outside world. Cut off and stalked by strange killer polar be ...more

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ebook, 220 pages

Published February 23rd 2015 by Wonderment Media, Inc. (first published February 21st 2015)

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Apocalypse Weird

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· 58 ratings · 21 reviews

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Feb 21, 2015 Michael Hicks rated it really liked it

[Note: I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from the author for review.]

I’m a sucker for arctic survival stories, and have a particular soft-spot for thrillers and horror stories that are set against a snowy, frigid backdrop. So, when I learned that Apocalypse Weird would be venturing to the far north with Jennifer Ellis’s Reversal, I was eager to read it, particularly once I saw The Thing get name-dropped in the description.

I’ve mentioned in my other reviews of Apocalypse Weird tit [Note: I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from the author for review.]

I’m a sucker for arctic survival stories, and have a particular soft-spot for thrillers and horror stories that are set against a snowy, frigid backdrop. So, when I learned that Apocalypse Weird would be venturing to the far north with Jennifer Ellis’s Reversal, I was eager to read it, particularly once I saw The Thing get name-dropped in the description.

I’ve mentioned in my other reviews of Apocalypse Weird titles that I was enjoying how this open-sandbox world was shaping up, and this entry is no different. As with the other titles kicking off the AW launch, there are certain touchstones to help unify it to the larger universe being constructed here but with enough room to maneuver to allow Ellis to tell her own unique story set in a very unique part of the world.

We have mentions of Dr. Midnight, several mysterious URLs, demonic members of the 88, and a deeper look at the day of blindness. All of this is fairly naturally crafted into Ellis’s own narrative about the End Times, which sees a sudden and complete reversal of Earth’s polarity and a central mystery about what, exactly, is happening. And this mystery is where a good amount of fun questioning comes into play – how did a scientist from the antarctic end up in the arctic, why is the polar research station suddenly different, and what’s with all these weird craters that have mysteriously appeared?

This culminates in a heated finale that gives us, perhaps for the first time, a glimpse at the true inner-workings of the Apocalypse Weird universe and an indication of just how expansive the overarching mythology could prove to be as the story builds. As with the other entries, there is a shared expectation of what comes next and further musings over how and when these various series will intersect, but whatever culmination is on the horizon promises to be big. In the meantime, the journey, which is really only just getting started, mind you, is shaping up to be epic and well worth reader’s investment. Keep on rockin’ it, Weirdos! ...more

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Feb 20, 2015 FanFiAddict rated it it was amazing

I don’t think we are in the Arctic anymore…

Pugnacious polar bears, devious demons, panicked penguins… you get the point. Researchers on Ellesmere Island become temporarily blinded and scattered from one another. Once they regain sight, they realize that their GPS equipment and compasses have gone completely haywire and say that North is South. All communication with the outside world has been lost, except for a woman named Helga who continues to reiterate “The end game is coming. All heroes must ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 Aly Abell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1_reviewed

Though set in the same post-apocalyptic universe as The Red King and Texocalypse Now, Reversal has a very different feel. Set during the first days following the Apocalypse, the events mostly take place in and near the International Polar Research Station. Main character Sasha is assisting with a research project in what is supposed to be a six-month job. Several research teams are investigating unusual phenomena. The magnetic North Pole has been shifting more quickly than usual, and auroras are Though set in the same post-apocalyptic universe as The Red King and Texocalypse Now, Reversal has a very different feel. Set during the first days following the Apocalypse, the events mostly take place in and near the International Polar Research Station. Main character Sasha is assisting with a research project in what is supposed to be a six-month job. Several research teams are investigating unusual phenomena. The magnetic North Pole has been shifting more quickly than usual, and auroras are becoming more intense. There are unusual weather changes, and polar bears are becoming more crafty and aggressive. When the apocalypse hits, the residents of the Polar Research Station don’t immediately realize it, but it soon becomes apparent to Sasha that life as she once knew it is now over. Jets drop from the sky and craters open up in the polar landscape. And most surprising of all, there are mists that transport people literally from one side of the word to the other – in this case, back and forth between the North Pole and the South Pole. In fact, the North and South Poles have apparently reversed polarity. We also learn of the existence of places with a history different from that of our own world. We briefly meet a person who identifies himself as a mist traveler. Is there an extensive network of mists that can take people from place to place, or even from one alternate universe to another?

Reversal has a heavier dose of both science and fantasy, in comparison to The Red King and Texocalypse Now. Most of the characters are professional scientists, and we learn something about the science behind all the changes. But supernatural forces also make a more overt appearance than in the other books. There is also some evidence that government-sponsored activities run awry may be at least in part responsible for the apocalypse.

As if apocalypse were not enough, there is also a murder mystery. There are even hints of romance though that is definitely not the main focus of the tale.

The action in Reversal is fast-paced and addicting, and I found it very hard to put the book down. I loved the polar setting – and the dogs! The ending also left me wanting to know more about what happens next; I cannot wait for the sequel.

I received an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for my honest review. ...more

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Feb 20, 2015 Jemima Pett rated it it was amazing

Shelves: environmental, scifi, thriller

There’s an apocalypse, it’s seriously weird, not to say bizarre, and there’s a reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field causing serious disruption, not to say chaos, to civilisation as we know it. An Apocalypse Weird entitled Reversal, then. It’s part of a series on the theme of apocalypse in the genre Weird, which I’m starting to realise I like.

In Jennifer Ellis’s novel, Sasha and her colleagues, led by Arctic expert Soren, are engaged in various aspects of polar research; polar bear behaviour, ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 Wojik Romanovicz rated it it was amazing

Great addition to the Apocalypse Weird world. Not your average run of the mill apocalyptic thriller, and I don't say that disparagingly.

This weird apocalypse takes place in in the Arctic, not the typical setting. Blindness, crazed polar bears, disappearances, methane filled craters/portals, demons, and overall mayhem galore. Add in the frozen blizzard conditions and we've got ourselves a non-traditional apocalyptic delight.

Jennifer Ellis has created some rich character relationships which are m ...more

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Apr 23, 2015 AnneHope rated it it was amazing

Who doesn't love polar bears, portals through space, lots of snow and the end of the world? Jennifer Ellis joins the rest of the AW brilliant author group with a great voice and a robust story-line. Plus, I love dogs and love stories so I am in! This is a fun, action packed tale of time and space, villains and heroes riding on the edge of chaos and being chased by the new horsemen of the apocalpyse. Jennifer has a natural gift and brings a completely unique setting to the AW world. Get your hot ...more

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Feb 20, 2015 Cmoore rated it it was amazing

I loved this book! The whole Apocalypse Weird thing is well umm... Weird!!!

Jennifer Ellis addition to this series is awesome. With hungry Polar bears that may or may not be able to open doors. Demons, Ice and another who calls himself Paul for short. North and South mixed up, guys in a helicopter, and an alternate timeline. Oh and did I mention hungry, hungry Polar Bears.

Does it seem confusing, well just get the book and let Jennifer tell you a story.

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Feb 20, 2015 Seamus rated it it was amazing

Totally original corner added to the wonderful Apocalypse Weird world! I knew it was gonna be another great book from Jennifer, but this really blew me away.

Environmental disaster, mixed up with huskies, murder, madness, demons, volcanoes, military, blindness, short-cuts through space & time?, sexual frustration & penguins......... (Ps , the last two aren't related!) ...more

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Jun 30, 2015 Kristene Perron rated it it was amazing

Review coming soon.

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Feb 23, 2015 Jon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Have you ever had one of those days where things go wrong, and then instead of straightening out, they just go wronger and wronger until everything you know is just completely screwed up? Sasha has one of those. She’s the heroine in Reversal, Jennifer Ellis’s contribution to the Apocalypse Weird universe. And boy, does she have problems.

Sasha Wood, a twenty-something meteorologist, has just landed her dream job as a research assistant at the International Polar Research Station. There are the us Have you ever had one of those days where things go wrong, and then instead of straightening out, they just go wronger and wronger until everything you know is just completely screwed up? Sasha has one of those. She’s the heroine in Reversal, Jennifer Ellis’s contribution to the Apocalypse Weird universe. And boy, does she have problems.

Sasha Wood, a twenty-something meteorologist, has just landed her dream job as a research assistant at the International Polar Research Station. There are the usual pitfalls of dealing with new situations: co-workers who run the gamut from friendly to hostile, the painful isolation of living at the top of the world, and the weird fact that climate change seems to be, well, reversing itself. Her workplace crush on Soren Anderson, the station’s caretaker and survival expert, does not help. But after six months of dealing with the hostile environment, she feels that she’s managed well enough.

Then the arctic literally explodes as meteors rain down, blasting open methane pockets in the permafrost. Planes streak overhead to crash into nearby mountains while an apparently worldwide episode of mass blindness causes panic all over the globe and wreaks havoc inside the research station. Sasha and her co-workers manage to cope in the face of ice storms, but at the loss of half her team to the elements. As if that’s not enough, there are strange fog banks rising up from the methane craters which twist time and space to create passageways between the arctic and antarctic circles. To add to the fun, the magnetic poles are wonky, all communications with the outside world are down, and the only voice Sasha can get on the radio is a crazy woman who chatters about the imminent arrival of The Dragon. We won’t even discuss the supposedly dead volcano that’s violently erupting in the south pole.

If all this sounds confusing, it’s because confusion is the name of the game in Reversal. Jennifer Ellis has created a scenario that manages to be both claustrophobic and agoraphobic simultaneously. As we follow Sasha through her attempts to make sense of what’s going on around her, Ellis gives us small pieces of a massive puzzle one by one and trusts her readers to put them together in their heads. Some of Sasha’s co-workers are Black Hands either by design or last minute recruitment, and allies and enemies appear from the wastelands and disappear right back into them. (The penguins are relatively benign but the polar bears are literally out for blood.) There is one fixed point in the narrative: when the member of the 88 who goes by the name “Paul” (short for “Pollution”) lets her know that the world is ending and she has a chance to work for him. She refuses and navigates Hell on Ice in an attempt to save her life and Soren’s. As Ellis describes it, think The Thing meets The Core.

There are times when the narrative bogs down between the snowmobile chases and the blind treks through ice blizzards, especially as we’re constantly trying to figure who is working for which side (and I would have liked more polar bears). There are a few details that never get resolved–is the Dragon real or not, and where the heck is he, was one of my personal nitpicks–but the final result is a thoroughly enjoyable romp through Ellis’s environmental nightmares. ...more

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Feb 23, 2015 Jason Anspach rated it it was amazing

When the entire world comes to an end, you would think that finding yourself hunkered down in a well stocked polar research station would would be like winning the apocalyptic jackpot. Sasha Woods is stationed in just such a place and quickly finds out - it ain't so.

Rogue Polar bears, manipulative demons, alternate realities, and the dark heart of man all conspire to see that Woods doesn't live to see another penguin.

This is my first time reading a book by Jennifer Ellis, and I'm thoroughly impr ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 Stefano rated it it was amazing

I love the Apocalypse Weird franchise and Jennifer Ellis is the author I know less of the core group, I read her short story "The River" in the Synchronic time travel anthology but nothing else.
After Reversal I understand why she is in the leading group. She set her apocalyptic story at the North Pole, dealing with quite believable science for a novel of this kind. The plot is engaging and the main characters are of the kind you care of.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and other stories ...more

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Feb 23, 2015 Eric Tozzi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I was afforded a chance to read an advanced copy of REVERSAL, one of the first books in the Apocalypse Weird universe, and it is intense. If you're a fan of The Thing, you're going to want to own this one. Author Jennifer Ellis is in fact an environmental engineer and infuses real world science seamlessly into her story which clips along at an great pace. Action is solid, dialogue authentic, the whole setting visceral and mysterious. The polar bears are terrifying. Reversal is an amazing chapter ...more

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Feb 23, 2015 Lois Langdon rated it it was amazing

This was the first WYRD book read and I was immediately hooked. It was reminiscent of LOST and the Twilight Zone with climate change thrown in for good measure. What happens when the whole world is blind, technology doesn't work, demons are fighting to en
d the world and all you are is a simple researcher? Try and survive the mist, the fact that north is no longer north, large craters lead you to other worlds and be very suspicious of your own team! ...more

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Feb 22, 2015 Dave rated it it was amazing

This is the third Apocalypse Weird book I have read as an advanced reader and I am loving this new world the authors have created. Characters that made me feel like I knew or had worked with some of them. Enough twists, turns and action to keep me worried for the characters I'm identifying with...
And, my number 1 criteria for a book, a gripping story that I did not want to put down. When is the next one coming from Jennifer? ...more

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Feb 22, 2015 Jenni rated it it was amazing

[Note: I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from the author for review.]

This was quite the wild ride with demons, pole reversal, mists that transport you to another place, killer polar bears, and more. Mystery, action, and adventure all packed into a neat polar package- a great addition to Apocalypse Weird!

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May 11, 2015 Frances rated it liked it

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, owned, novel, ebook, adventure

A bit stiff in places (awkward and distracting turns of phrase), and prone to "this thing that was never mentioned before is suddenly useful". But an ok adventure. I'm not sure if it's fair to comment on the details of the plot; I have NO idea where it lies on the line between publishing-house driven or author-driven. ...more

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Feb 23, 2015 Jack Biderman rated it it was amazing

From cute cuddly polar bears, NOT, to mysterious craters, paranoia run rampant, strange disappearances, all set in a frozen wasteland. A thrilling adventure at the beginning of the Apocalypse. Another wonderful addition to the WYRD universe.

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Feb 22, 2015 Brad rated it it was amazing

Twists and turns that won't be anticipated, top quality writing and great characters make this an exceptional read. ...more

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Nov 06, 2015 Colby rated it it was amazing

There is a lot more going on in this book than a lot of the other AW titles. I'm dying to see what happens next! ...more

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Feb 23, 2015 Ingrid Smythe rated it it was amazing

Not what I expected, even better!

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Cheryl rated it it was amazing
Mar 03, 2016

Rebask rated it it was amazing
Nov 17, 2015

Mike rated it it was ok
Mar 09, 2015

Carol rated it really liked it
Oct 17, 2016

Jeremy Wade rated it really liked it
Dec 28, 2016

Marion Buehring rated it it was amazing
Feb 14, 2016

Stefan Bolz rated it it was amazing
May 17, 2015

Brad rated it it was amazing
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About Jennifer Ellis

Jennifer Ellis

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Jennifer lives in the mountains of Canada where she can be found writing, hiking, skiing, borrowing dogs, and evading bears. She also works occasionally as an environmental researcher.

Jennifer writes science fiction, romance and dystopian fiction for children and adults, including Apocalypse Weird: Reversal in Wonderment Media's Apocalypse Weird world and A Pair of Docks, which was a bestseller in ...more