Nightwind's Shadow

by Cherime MacFarlane

"I loved this story, every word of it." Survival in the world after the fall is grim. One click this Apocalyptic adventure now!
To survive a world of mutant predators, people band together. Nightwind's and JoJo's people choose different paths. His family reclaimed an old cliff dwelling, hers herd cattle and migrate. Their rules and ideologies do not mix. While her people prosper, his must roam farther from the safety of the village to hunt. Nightwind's exposure to the ever-present danger of predators increases with every day he must travel.
JoJo's partner leaves her alone and defenseless, running for her life. The lone hunter who sees her must choose. He can bring her back to the small hidden shelter he shares with his dog, Mouse, or he can leave her to her fate. If Nightwind allows her to see his find, the woman can never go home. The rats are coming. JoJo must become his shadow… or die.

342 pages, Paperback

Published September 11, 2017

About the author

Although born in New Orleans, I am proud to call myself an Alaskan. I have lived here for 37 years, I have survived -40 degrees, hauled water, made bear bacon and live in a cabin. I used a fish wheel to catch salmon coming up the Copper River. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and only roadie. I cut firewood on shares, worked as a cocktail waitress, then as a paralegal for over 26 years. I hold the #80 press card as a reporter for the Copper Valley Views newspaper which ceased publication in the 1980s. I've been writing stories since junior high. Retired now, I can devote my time to what I love.
I came to Alaska by way of Arizona and California. I experienced the building of the pipeline up close. Then my second husband and I moved to Wasilla to get warm. It hardly ever drops past -25 in South Central Alaska. I never thought I would love it so much I never want to leave. The beauty of Alaska is a draw I cannot resist. I love the people and the history. I have been captured by a place I came to under duress. Life does play some interesting tricks on one. I lost my first husband to alcohol. My second husband, the love of my life died as a result of disease. We were not apart more than 24 hours for 20 plus years . I never wanted to be anywhere but with him. He was a man to run the river with.

Reviews

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this post-apocalyptic world, we see that humanity is split into tiny tribes of survivors. A lone Hunter named Nightwind prefers to spend his time alone. That is until he rescues Jo Jo from predators and realizes that companionship isn’t so bad after all.

This was a very different, thought-provoking take on the end of the world. These two very different people must learn to get along in a world destined to destroy them. But more than that, they also grasp with the idea of love, pondering if such a thing is still possible for the lives they live.

While I’ve read other works by this author, most of which are in the romance genre, I’ve come to learn that she has a very unique way of looking at all parts of the world. This dystopia twist on her writing is inspirational.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I found MacFarlane’s tale to be a very primal one about survival and living in a harsh and savage land. I can’t help but think that the author’s home in Alaska affects the kind of tale she chooses to tell, but whether or not that’s true, I found this element of the story handled quite well.

I found the dialogue to be stilted, but it seemed to suit the primitive people and the primitive land in which the story unfolds.

It took me a while to tell where this story was headed, so the reader may need to have patience or risk putting the book down prematurely.

Recommended for fans of wilderness adventures involving primitive peoples and primitive times. And for fans who enjoy animal companions in their stories.

[Anita Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance in a primitive, post-apocalyptic world

In a world where survival is the highest priority, love can still thrive. In spite of being one of his tribe’s best providers, Nightwind feels alienated from his own people. When his travels take him beyond the usual limited hunting range, he encounters JoJo. She is from a different band of people whose ways are unlike those of Nightwind’s tribe. Although perhaps more well-fed, JoJo’s people are starved of knowledge. As she learns more of the man who saved her life, she also learns what it is to love. Danger and tenderness blend beautifully in this sensitive yet raw tale.

[Christy Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I love the name Nightwind. So evocative and reminiscent of shamanistic ways. Second, I love the world MacFarlane has created. The dangers are intense, the survival methods are well-crafted and believable, and the characters within the story have true growth and arcs. There is a lovely balance between the tender and the visceral in their relationship. I think those that liked Clan of the Cave Bear would enjoy these tales, or the People of the Wolf tales.

[Brenda P Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual love story

This is not my usual genre but the storyline kept me interested.. It began slowly but but held my interest. The setting was futuristic but with an utopian native American type of family..