The Virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began.
A group of orphaned misfits. The wild lands of the last frontier. Superhuman abilities, harrowing adventures, and heartbreaking secrets.
Elle - Haunting shadows are nothing new to Elle St. James, she’s been running from them all her life. But since the outbreak spread from the lower forty-eight, new monsters lurk in the darkness. After Elle wakes from The Fever, capable of horrific deeds, she fears she’s one of them. When she stumbles upon four orphans, Elle’s forced to discover what happens when her greatest fear becomes her darkest secret and her only hope of surviving.
Jackson - After the world goes mad and takes his family with it, Jackson decides a bottle of bourbon and the depths of despair are preferable to any semblance of living. But when Jackson wakes from the black hole of oblivion with a gun in his face, he must choose whether he wants to die or fight to find something worth living for.
Brought together under the worst possible circumstances, Elle and Jackson must face the inexplicable realities of the new world. Their past lives are over, and the arctic isn’t all that’s savage anymore.
“[Lindsey] mastered what it is to be human, and the connections we build with one another.” - Goodreads Reviewer
Lindsey Pogue is a genre-bending survival romance author, best known for her soul-stirring Savage North Chronicles. With a master’s in history and her passion for apocalyptic landscapes, Lindsey weaves epic adventures where humanity shines brightest in the darkest of times. Her weather-ravaged worlds defy genre boundaries, inviting readers to escape the ordinary and discover the boundless strength of the human spirit.
When Lindsey's not plotting her next storyline or dreaming up new, brooding characters, she's wrapped in blankets, watching action flicks with her own leading man. She and her husband live in Northern California with their rescue cats, Beast and Blue.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “[Lindsey] mastered what it is to be human, and the connections we build with one another.” - Amazon (Author Unpublished)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Lindsey Pogue is a master storyteller!" -Tome Tender Book Reviews
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Lindsey Pogue does it again!! I absolutely love her writing style."
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The Darkest Winter: An Ending World Novel, is book one in the Savage North Chronicles by Lindsey Pogue. This is a spin off series from Lindsey’s previous The Ending Series. You do NOT have to have read The Ending series to enjoy this book. Not in the least. But I have read it. I was obsessively in love with it while I was reading it so it made me that much more excited about this book and going back to that world. And wow, was it worth the wait. Every single page of it!
Eleanor (Elle) St. James lives a solitary and somewhat transient life working aboard a cruise ship, only returning to Alaska between cruises. She has a twin sister who lives a few towns away in Alaska. Elle has gotten word that her step father has died and she was named in the will. Her presence is needed to take care of matters.
Jackson Mitchell is a cop in Alaska. His wife is eight months pregnant. Both Jackson and Elle have a darkness in their pasts that haunts them in different ways. They have not yet met, but both of their lives are about to change in a way that will test both of them in every way possible.
A virus has been sweeping the nation and has now found its way up to Alaska. It initially was thought to be a flu virus of some sort but it’s soon evident that this is not the flu. Everyone is dying. Only a few seem to survive. And of those few, some come out the other side insane. Of those few that managed to survive with their minds intact, they soon realize that they possess an ability, a power, different for everyone.
Both Jackson and Elle have lost their families. When Elle travels to try to find her twin sister, what she finds instead are a group of orphaned children, two siblings, Beau, nine, and Thea, six. Also, seventeen year old Alex and eighteen year old Sophie. At this point, none of them understand what is happening. Only that they are alive, alone and scared. Elle takes them with her as they try to find somewhere safe to go while they figure things out.
Jackson happens upon the group when they need him most and agrees to accompany them until their paths separate. Jackson is dealing with his grief in his own way but a funny thing happens over time when you put this group of people together in such desperate times. They begin to care for one another. They begin to form a bond, and become a family of sorts.
This group of six is in constant danger from both the elements of an Alaskan winter and from the crazies in this post apocalyptic world. At the same time, they are each discovering that they are capable of something they don’t understand. Is it a gift or a curse? Why are they suddenly able to do these things?
Wow, what a crazy wild ride. I loved every page of this. This is not a cliff hanger, mostly. This is told alternating in both Elle and Jackson’s point of views. This summer, a novella, The Longest Night, will be released which will be the origin stories of Alex and Sophie. Then this Fall, Midnight Sun will be released which will be Alex and Sophie’s story in the present as they and the rest of the group fight for survival and answers.
I love everything about these characters and this world. I would classify this as YA/NA. There isn’t any romance in this book until close to the end. Coming from me, a romance junkie, it’s pretty shocking that I loved it so much since I normally don’t even pay attention to a book unless it is romance. But believe me when I say you won’t even have time to think about it. Plus the fact that the connection between Elle and Jackson was enough to keep me hooked. If this is a trope you enjoy, I hope I have convinced you to give this a try. And that you love it as much as I did.
As if the savage and often harsh beauty of Alaska isn’t enough to test one’s fortitude, the Virus came and the world as we know it ends with billions dying. Now there are few left of humanity and they are uniquely changed with superhuman abilities. Are those abilities a gift or a curse?
Welcome to Lindsey Pogue’s latest test for survival, THE DARKEST WINTER. Get ready for frigid weather and both the best and worst that humanity has to offer as one woman discovers there is more to fear than the ghosts of her past, one man finds a reason to live and life for four young orphans will never be the same again. Together this ragtag family will fight to survive in a world now peppered with superhuman abilities and death and darkness around every corner. Who can be trusted? What secrets must be kept which should be shared?
Lindsey Pogue knows how to create a world with a believable atmosphere of desperation and doom all while balancing it precariously on a ledge of hope. Post-apocalyptic tales test both the strength of survivors and the author’s ability to bring us into a world that may or may not ever happen, but we feel every emotion, see every event and become part of the world we have entered. Her writing is filled with well-thought action, scenes that can be chilling and terrifying and characters that will wither steal one’s heart and loyalty or make one rage with contempt, all while making each page disappear in a non-stop need for more!
In a world filled with end of times reading, THE DARKEST WINTER is a cut above the rest and a brilliant foundation for a new series that can only get even better!
I received a complimentary copy from Lindsey Pogue!
Series: Savage North Chronicles - Book 1 Publication Date: May 9, 2019 Publisher: Lindsey Pogue Genre: Post-Apocalyptic | Science Fiction Print Length: 501 pages Available from: Amazon For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Started at the end of August, finished at the end of October.
It's not bad but I never felt like I just had to read it. I'd walk away for a few days, return and read a few chapters, or even just a few pages, then put it down again.
I don't mean to damn it with faint praise, I actually loved the characters and I think there is a 5 Star story in this book with about 200 pages that a good editor would have nixed.
It's kind of X-Men in Alaska with bandits and bad guys.
“Absolutely stunning!” The Stand meets Firestarter in this post-apocalyptic, superhuman story about six strangers who wake from the Fever to a world gone mad and capable of impossible things. Together, they must escape the collapsing city and survive in the wildlands of Alaska. The north isn’t all that is savage anymore.
Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Nora Roberts The One, and Kristin Hannha’s The Great Alone.
Tropes include: ➡ Found Family ➡ Second Chances ➡ Forced Proximity ➡ Superhuman Abilities ➡ Genetic Engineering ➡ Post-apocalyptic Survival
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "I’m in love! BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ EVER! I 1000% recommend this book!" - Apple Reviewer
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Holy Disasters! This is fabulous!”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "I was obsessively in love!"
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “I would give this book more than five stars if I could.”
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Character development is brilliantly done. Her writing is magical."
The first book in the bestselling Savage North Chronicles series, part of The Ending World.
Support the author! You can buy signed paperbacks, ebooks, exclusive swag, and audiobooks in Lindsey’s bookshop! www.payhip.com/lindseypogue
3.5 rounded up An apocalypse from a respiratory virus (yeah I know tired of this due to a certain virus) wipes out most of the population, those who survive are changed some for good others not. This story takes place in Alaska, survivors band together to help each other survive. I like the characters, the makeshift family they reluctantly create and the setting of Alaska. The pace can get a bit slow at times then will speed up which kept my interest. This is a series, I will probably try the next but I have to say I do miss zombies.
Wow...when I first started reading this, I had no idea I already read this authors other series that coincide with this. And I kept thinking to myself...wow, this is kinda close to home with everything we are going through with the COVID-19...oh boy...I kept imagining what would we do today if there were the same results...then anxiety set in!
Well, this story is about Elle and Jackson separately at first until they meet up. Each with their skeletons from the past, they along with 4 kids Elle picked up on the way, learn about the reason for the virus, the abilities they picked up , how to deal with the crazies, and especially how to survive on the land in Alaska.
I actually enjoyed this apocalyptic story of plague survivors banding together quite a bit. I thought the idea was pretty well executed and I liked the characters and their back stories. However, I felt that the writer could have done a better job with revealing the characters’ secrets, as in many cases I had to make assumptions that were never made clear but from then on presumed. Also, editing is needed for punctuation and grammatical errors.
5 stars for pure entertainment and can't-put-this-down-ableness.
Every single minute of my free time went towards reading The Darkest Winter during the 2.5 days it took me to finish it. What a thrilling, spooky, and creative story!
Surprisingly, this book was published in 2019 (before the you-know-what in 2020), though it does feature a virus that takes the world by storm and destroys the population. I don't read too many apocalyptic fiction books, so I wasn't sure where the whole "virus kills 80% of people and the ones that survive are mostly insane or really weird" storyline was likely gonna go, but I sure hoped it WASN'T zombies cause I do know how popular that pipeline is. LUCKY ME, it was not zombies. 👀 (So please ignore the Goodreads genre tag by the description of the book that says "zombies" cause I politely disagree.)
What resulted was, to me, a really unique storyline. No spoilers here, so I'll just say I didn't see it coming and actually really enjoyed the slight magical realism vibe we had going on? Was it 100% believable? Not at all. Same as how the moon getting pushed closer in orbit to the earth in Life As We Knew It wasn't realistic. What's "fun" in these types of books is exploring the idea, "If something really wild and impossible happened, how would it affect humanity and how would humanity deal with it?" So, if you're looking for that, The Darkest Winter 100% delivers.
And the emotional ride! My gosh. Do not start this book if you cannot handle the hard stuff, because the first 20% of the book will wipe you out. Our main characters have suffered a lot in their lives, and they go through some rough stuff right before the world implodes.
On that note, Lindsey Pogue did an amazing job channeling emotions through her writing. For an action book that has a lot of go-go-go and thrilling moments, I felt connected to both Elle and Jackson (our narrators) and some of the other prominent characters. Most of the time, any emotional connection is lost in action/thrilling/apocalyptic books (understandably), or you're just completely in the character's head and the action is minimal. I liked the balance here!
Another unique aspect of this book was the northern setting, in Alaska/Canada. Due to the rural area that our characters are from, they already have some knowledge of survival skills, and awareness of how dangerous nature itself can be. Additionally, I enjoyed the native knowledge that comes into play in various parts of the story. I don't know much about traditional native culture in this part of the world, so I appreciated even the small snippets we got
A couple of the things that did bother me (but I'm choosing not to let impact my gut-reaction, pure enjoyment style 5 star rating): the grammar was off at times. Lots of commas where there should have been semicolons or even periods. Some words were written as spoken and not as they are used in writing; ie, "Ice tea," instead of "iced tea." (This was definitely a very minor qualm on my end, though.) Some of the dialogue was generic, and there were noticeable repeats of certain speaking tags - "chirped" was very common.
The biggest qualm I had is a major spoiler, so I'll just vaguely say that certain revelations near the ending were not completely satisfactory to me. There was an insane amount of trust and belief happening in a situation where I would expect more than a normal amount of hesitancy. I don't have a problem with the plot point itself, more just how it played out.
Basically, this book was exactly what I needed for my current reading mood. Fast, heart-pounding, easy to read, emotional, and interesting enough to make me immediately purchase the rest of the series! . . . . **content notes: HEAVY stuff here that may also constitute spoilers: death of a pregnant woman & her child, violence, gun violence, implied cannibalism, allusions to child sexual assault (repeated) by a family member, alcoholism, mentions of suicide, intentions of child murder (in a flashback), dead bodies shown on screen (not graphic), animal death, medical procedures & blood, insanity, danger, etc. . . My Reviews - Savage North Chronicles: #1 The Darkest Winter: 5/5 ⭐ #2 The Longest Night: 5/5 ⭐ (novella) #3 Midnight Sun: 4/5 ⭐ #4 Fading Shadows: 4/5 ⭐(novella) #5 Untamed: 4/5 ⭐ #6 Unbroken: 4/5 ⭐ #0.5 Day Zero: Beginnings: 4/5 ⭐ (prequel novella)
After seeing all the accolades showered upon this book series, I dove into this first volume with high hopes... only to see them dashed fairly quickly. The story just drags on mercilessly and soon becomes worse than watching paint dry. The character's daily lives are detailed in the most boring and slowly evolving fashion imaginable and the love story to be with the two leading characters slowly begins to rear its ugly head and establish itself in mind-numbingly boring fashion. It seems to me that these authors and their books who have heaping helpings of such amazing accolades for being so wonderful are becoming increasingly suspect to me. I cannot in good conscience fathom where they actually come from and often suspect they are a figment of the author's imagination in a dastardly attempt to secure more book sales. This is a poorly written book with a storyline that goes nowhere fast. Maybe I should invent awards for horrible books.
You Guys! I have so much to say about this book. Let me start with how I discovered the author. I follow another author who I’ve discovered this year on Instagram, Kandi, who allowed Lindsey to do a Instagram takeover, which I loved! Community and boss babe friendships is something I LOVE and strive for in my own life so I was drawn to Lindsey because of this.
Because I followed her, I had entered myself into a giveaway where I earned a free copy of either this book or one called “Nothing But Trouble.” And because I’m a romance junkie, I went with the second option. And loves every second of it! I discovered how amazing Lindsey is at setting the story off with a bang, paying attention to all the details, and creating characters who are easy to fall in love it.
After finishing Nothing But Trouble I knew I had to read another one of her books and she had spoke so highly of her Savage North series and how much hard work she put into building the books. So I was excited to adventure from my norm of romance and dive into a post-apocalyptic world.
I have to admit, it took me several chapters to get hooked into the story and it had nothing to do with Lindsey’s writing and everything to do with me and fighting against the urge to pick up a romance novel. I’ve been so used to reading them that reading something so different was harder to enjoy than I expected.
But I pushed through and boy, am I glad that I did. This book is crammed with action, with enjoyable characters, and wow what an amazing story line. After I got about 10 chapters deep, I was swept away and forgot all about romance lol.
The story follows two main characters; Ellie and Jackson. It begins in the very beginning of the virus attack. Everything seemed as normal as it could be until one day the whole world took a huge hit. People started getting sick, some were going crazy, and others began to die. Ellie and Jackson both lost those who were closest to them and right when they both felt like they were going to completely break down, they found each other and restores purpose and hope into their lives.
But the story doesn’t just follow Ellie and Jackson. There is also Sophie & Alex, the teens, and Thea and Beau, age 6 & 10 who are brother and sister. Together they worked together to survive daily and along the ride, you can’t help but just fall for this founded family.
The virus wasn’t all they had to worry about. Ever since the virus, they each have noticed a change within themselves and began to notice through out the book. They could do remarkable things that they later called their “Powers”. But they weren’t the only ones in the world with these powers. There were crazies out there, lurking & hunting.
Towards the end there was a little bit of romance which set my heart on fire. It was so worth the wait! And I love that this story didn’t just focus on the romance or even the survival. It focused on the importance of family and being there for one another. I just loved that so much! And I’ll say it again, I fell in love with all of these characters.
That is all I will share for now. I urge you to pick up this book! It is so good and has easily became one of my top favorites. Lindsey is an incredible writer and I look forward to reading the next book of this series.
4++ stars. What an absolute delight that kept me reading far too late into the night as I tried foolishly (?) to get through this truly exciting read in one sitting!
"The Darkest Winter" was such an unexpectedly beautiful read, with both locations and characters crafted in such a fantastic way. I know that having a plague strike that kills off 90%+ of civilization is not exactly a place to find, well, inspiration but the book left me feeling more hopeful than not. True, it takes a while for some real hard-core action to get started - yes, some bits happen before but its mostly in fitful blasts of violence that are not forced at all - but I can't think that of any other way to have handled creating this world. Oh and may I just say I'm glad that there are **SPOILERS** no zombies. Crazy folks are fine, goodness knows there are enough of those out there to understand their presence but I'm glad we avoided the Z's ... or at least so far...
If I had to compare this first book in the series (I can't tell yet how long the series runs but I do know I'm keeping this review brief so I can start book 2 immediately after) I would put it in the same general category of Alice Sabo's wonderful "A Changed World" series - that is very much similarly character driven and focused on the survival aspects of those remaining even as conflict continues to pop up at every turn - and Kathy Miner's INCREDIBLE "Colorado Chapters" books which featured a similar approach in that some folks gained powers of a sort after surviving the outbreak. The latter though is much harsher in that we see the darkest side of those that survive, something I'm waiting to see how Pogue handles in upcoming chapters in terms of just how ugly things get. There are, after all, children present even if I suspect they'll be able to hold their own!
All I can say is that if you want a break from the more military driven apocalyptic tales - which also fill more than their fair share of my bookshelves - and want some fantastic writing to help you along the way, this book (and these books hopefully) are for you! Enjoy! Now go away so I can keep reading!
I have read the entire Ending Series that takes place in another part of the country but resulted from the same flu epidemic so I love this post-apocalyptic world. We are introduced to Alex, Sophie and the two kids in the prequel, The Longest Night, and now Elle and Jackson.
Elle is just trying to survive after discovering her twin didn't make it through the flu and takes on a maternal role for the four orphans she encountered when trying to get to her sister. As they are making their way to what they hope is a safe place, they come across Jackson who unwillingly takes on a paternal role with a definite time limit in his mind. He's a cop who has suffered unimaginable loss and just wants to escape into a bottle to blunt his pain in this new world. He certainly hadn't planned on caring for this group that has become his family.
There isn’t any romance in this book until close to the end. It's all about survival and reaching a safe place they hope they can finally start building a new life. Plus most of them are slowly realizing they have new abilities as the story unfolds and trying to manage them and understand what it means to their futures.
I'm really looking forward to the next story in this world, Midnight Sun.
I chose The Darkest Winter on a whim, because the synopsis sounded interesting. But overall, I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I'm a little hesitant to read things that involve pandemics right now, because it hits close to home (obviously), but this book was just so good. I loved getting to know all the characters and watching them come into their own in this new, harsh world, but one of the most refreshing parts of this book was how clear it was that the author knew what she was talking about. She clearly did extensive research on Alaska and its people. The story, the setting, all of it feels real. I can't wait to read book 2.
I was really disappointed with the way this ended. The progression of the virus was…uninteresting. I’m not even really sure what I was expecting from this post apocalyptic type story, but that wasn’t it. I was debating leaving a 2 star because I was interested in the first part of the book, but I was so bored by the end of it. I didn’t feel the high stakes that should come out of a pandemic-esque story nor did I care for the characters or their motivations. I didn’t get invested into the story so I won’t be continuing in this series. Not for me.
I’m giving this 5 stars Bc i couldnt put it down. The characters acted believable, and i grew to love them quickly. If your on the fence about this book, i say give it a shot. I deff and going to continue on with the series!
One day Elle’s worst nightmares were from her past, the next she was living them. A simple virus signaled the end of the world. One minute she is all alone in the world estranged from her identical twin, the next she’s a pseudo mother/big sister to four orphans and accompanied by Jackson, a broken-hearted, drunken man. Brought together at the end in the worst possible circumstances, these six discover that it’s just the beginning. They must brave the harsh Alaskan world, face the cruelty and insanity of other survivors, and deal with the changes to their bodies after surviving the virus. The past is forever gone in the broken aftermath of the virus. The future is uncertain. To survive they must work together, to thrive they must become family. I am a huge post-apocalyptic fan and one of my favorite series is The Ending. It is so well written, so creative, and so character driven. Obviously, I was thrilled that the original series was continuing with a spin-off of sorts with a new set of characters. The Alaska setting adds yet another dimension. You do not need to read the original series before this one but you should. It’s awesome. The original will also provide additional background for the virus that make parts of this story scarier. I am amazed with the ingenuity of this story weaving itself in with the other in such an original way. When I opened page one and discovered that the ending began on my birthday I was thrilled. While I may not admit it and there may or may not have been witnesses, I might have squealed. You can have your normal presents on your birthday; I will take the apocalypse! This book is outstanding! It is such a perfect essay of how much we stand to lose after we’ve lost everything. Life at the end is deadly, harsh, and unforgiving but there is beauty still. And family. And love. The characters are all so normal. They could be your neighbors, your co-workers or mates. They each had a set of baggage prior to the end and each had to find a way to move on in this new world. The dynamic of strangers of different ages with different backgrounds and life experience created a dynamic that was so realistic amid their new reality. I was captivated from the first page and had difficulty putting the book aside until I was finished. In times of great change and trauma people show their best or their worst. They discover previously hidden strengths or they perish. The chance encounters in this book must have been fated. These six strangers became the family they never expected to have. Their emotions became my emotions, their daily ups and downs, their small victories and defeats, and their milestones and events became my own. I celebrated and mourned with them, feared with them and for them. I became their seventh family member. This is a large book. It’s absorbing and satisfying. It’s not enough. I am now invested in Elle, Jackson, Sophie, Alex, Beau, and little Thea. I can’t wait to see how they learn to manage their powers, where they decide to settle, and what the next part of their lives will be like!
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚 ❄️🔥❄️ Darkest Winter is a an excellent end-of-the-world tale that kept me riveted and warmed my heart. It’s a story of the best and worst mankind has to offer. It’s a story of adventure and suspense. Most of all, it’s a story of hope and the meaning of family. 🔥❄️🔥 An apocalyptic virus annihilates most of humanity and our heroine, Elle, finds herself taking care of four orphaned children. Elle is strong, kind, and so relatable. I absolutely loved her character! Jackson enters the story and they all bond while negotiating this new world and working to survive the “savage north.” ❄️🔥❄️ This story is well-written with great character development and the author does a particular good job of keeping the tension ramped up throughout the story. I found myself tensing up as I turned the pages! There’s not much romance but I didn’t find it lacking because there’s so much connection between the characters. 🔥❄️🔥 This is the first book of the Savage North Chronicles, which is a spin-off of The Ending series. You do not need to have read The Ending, but I bet you will after you read this one. 😁 It’s not a cliffhanger, as the plot resolves with satisfaction, but you know there’s more story to be told! The Longest Night, a novella, will be released this summer. 🙌🏽 ❄️🔥❄️ #bookstagram #booklove #bookreview #igreads #whattoreadnext #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #amreading #bookquotes #lazygirlreads #apocalypticfiction #survivalfiction #dystopian #theendingseries #savagenorthchronicles #darkestwinter #lindseypogue
The Darkest Winter (Savage North Chronicles Book 1) - a review by Rosemary Kenny
*slight spoilers*A solidly-written, totally engaging, apocalyptic what if...? near future story, The Darkest Winter is Book 1 in Lindsey Pogue's epic new spin-off from the Ending World Novel /Savage North Chronicles series that will keep you gripped for many hours with its dramatic scenes. MC Elle is separated from her twin sister after a stupid falling out, only to risk her safety when a deadly virus kills 90% of the World's population and leaves her to make a desperate bid for survival in Alaska's far North. A vivid picture is painted in a two-person narrative by MCs Elle and Jackson, of the way civilization could destroy itself even more quickly than global warming, due to man's reckless and dangerous mistreatment of his environment. Compare this present reality,with the deadly virus that strikes silently and contrast the way humanity is being thrown back to the previous century. This includes the total loss of utilities and basics like food and health care. As she travels north towards Alaska and hoped-for safety, Elle encounters four orphaned youngsters, ranging in age between 6 and 18, taking on the additional stresses of becoming an instant 'surrogate Mom'. Will she be able to cope against not only the savage elemental weather changes, but also predators, both animal and human, who stalk or attack along the way?A chance meeting with ex-cop Jackson Mitchell, (a drunk who's grieving the loss of his wife in late pregnancy),helps the unlikely duo to start to work together, meld their enhanced abilities, (which seem to be a side-effect of being immune to the virus) together with those of their charges, to battle for survival against the odds and become a family, with a safe haven. How will the epic journey in The Darkest Winter by Lindsey Pogue end? Can Elle and Jackson find solace and comfort each other after their losses? What will their orphan charges think of the frozen homeland their new 'parents' have brought them to? Will the six refugees survive the predators who hunt them? Only buying a copy of The Darkest Winter will give you the answers -plus the satisfaction of knowing that more books in the series are not too far off - go for it!
The end of the world is here will you survive the virus? The Darkest Winter is set in the same world as Lindsey Pogue and Lindsey Fairleigh's After The Ending series but does not need to be read after these books, it can be read as a standalone.
Adults Elle and Jackson, teenagers Sophie and Alex, and young siblings Beau and Thea are all strangers to each other but become a family after surviving a virus that virtually wipes out 90 percent of the human population leaving civilization in shambles. The survivors struggle to live in the extremely cold and inhospitable environment of winter in Alaska as the old world has died violently... and the new world that replaced it is incredibly dangerous with animal predators and human predators; those who have gone insane from the virus and are hunting survivors!
The book was hard to get into, in the beginning, because of the gut wrenching pain the characters went through. Especially Jackson’s pain, so raw & gritty. The title is definitely appropriate.
Loved the characters, especially when Sophie’s POV came in later. Heading over to read the next book in the series now.
I absolutely love this story! If you like dystopian stories this book is for you! Surviving the virus should have been a relief. But having to deal with most of the population being gone and the rest being changed or dangerous.. Elle finds herself with a group of people who she survives with. Not only do they have to survive the outbreak but the frigid temperatures of an Alaskan winter.
If you’ve read The Ending series this story shows a new take with a new group of people who you will be rooting for to thrive! It’s not necessary to read before this one but if you want to read more from this world I would suggest it!
Absolutely amazing book! Like the ending series i couldn't put this down. The character in the book were so relatable . Elle although young herself after the sickness spreads find herself responsible for four children and Jackson who never would have imagined himself with another family steps up to help. They find themselves on a long journey to find someplace to make home in the destroyed world. Can't wait for the next book.
This first book in the Savage North Chronicles was enjoyable. Characters were interesting and the premise believable enough to keep me reading. I started the 3rd book ( the 2nd is a prequel) and wasn't as entranced, so gave up on it.
I really enjoyed this end of the world drama the characters are so likeable And it was refreshing not having zombies instead we got the crazies can't wait to carry on this journey