In the After (In the After #1) by Demitria Lunetta

In the After by Demitria Lunetta

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

~~~~~



Totally enjoyed this read recommended by my 14 year old daughter. Wonderful post apocalyptic story that was just right for both teens and adults. Amy is a wonderful main character, the story line is intriguing and I can not wait to read the sequel!



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Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse (Wastelands #1)

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse by John Joseph Adams

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Famine, Death, War, and Pestilence: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the harbingers of Armageddon — these are our guides through the Wastelands...

From the Book of Revelation to The Road Warrior; from A Canticle for Leibowitz to The Road, storytellers have long imagined the end of the world, weaving eschatological tales of catastrophe, chaos, and calamity. In doing so, these visionary authors have addressed one of the most challenging and enduring themes of imaginative fiction: the nature of life in the aftermath of total societal collapse.

Gathering together the best post-apocalyptic literature of the last two decades from many of today’s most renowned authors of speculative fiction — including George R.R. Martin, Gene Wolfe, Orson Scott Card, Carol Emshwiller, Jonathan Lethem, Octavia E. Butler, and Stephen King — Wastelands explores the scientific, psychological, and philosophical questions of what it means to remain human in the wake of Armageddon. Whether the end of the world comes through nuclear war, ecological disaster, or cosmological cataclysm, these are tales of survivors, in some cases struggling to rebuild the society that was, in others, merely surviving, scrounging for food in depopulated ruins and defending themselves against monsters, mutants, and marauders.

Complete with introductions and an indispensable appendix of recommendations for further reading, Wastelands delves into this bleak landscape, uncovering the raw human emotion and heart-pounding thrills at the genre’s core.

Contains the following stories:

Introduction by John Joseph Adams
The End of the Whole Mess by Stephen King
Salvage by Orson Scott Card
The People of Sand and Slag by Paolo Bacigalupi
Bread and Bombs by M. Rickert
How We Got In Town and Out Again by Jonathan Lethem
Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels by George R. R. Martin
Waiting for the Zephyr by Tobias S. Buckell
Never Despair by Jack McDevitt
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth by Cory Doctorow
The Last of the O-Forms by James Van Pelt
Still Life With Apocalypse by Richard Kadrey
Artie’s Angels by Catherine Wells
Judgment Passed by Jerry Oltion
Mute by Gene Wolfe
Inertia by Nancy Kress
And the Deep Blue Sea by Elizabeth Bear
Speech Sounds by Octavia E. Butler
Killers by Carol Emshwiller
Ginny Sweethips’ Flying Circus by Neal Barrett, Jr.
The End of the World as We Know It by Dale Bailey
A Song Before Sunset by David Grigg
Episode Seven... by John Langan
Appendix: For Further Reading

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Like all anthologies this one has some good stories and some not so good. I enjoyed the different ideas on how society could end. Especially found interesting the couple of stories that have a 'dumbing down' apocalypse.

Some of the more memorable reads for me were --

The End of the Whole Mess -- Stephen King
The People of Sand and Slag -- Paolo Bacigalupi
Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels -- George R. R. Martin
Judgement Passed - Jerry Oltion
Inertia -- Nancy Kress
Speech Sounds -- Octavia Butler




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NightDrake by Lara Adrian

NightDrake by Lara Adrian

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Extended description:
In this FREE post-apocalyptic romantic short story by New York Times #1 internationally best-selling author Lara Adrian, a tough mercenary known as Nisha the Heartless is hired to transport mysterious cargo from exotic New Asia to a well-paying client.

But things are never what they seem in a dark new world now populated by humans and the Strange: shapeshifters and telepaths, nymphs and hobgoblins. It is a lesson Nisha learns all too soon--one that puts her on a journey with a dangerously sexy, enigmatic man who will force her to confront the nightmares of her past, and risk her heart for a future she never dreamed could be hers....

(Originally published in the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2; Constable & Robinson, 2010.)

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This was kind of like getting to take one bite of a delicious dessert.
It was fast paced, as short stories tend to be, but the glimpse of the world was tantalizing and the characters were interesting. Loved the twist at the end of the story and the glimpse at the future of the characters. Overall a nice way to start a new year of reading.



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***Kindle Edition

12|21|12 by Larry Enright

12|21|12 by Larry Enright

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The world ends for someone every day. One day it will end for everyone.



I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic books so relished the idea of reading this one. Overall I was drawn into the book. I enjoyed the fact that the author introduced us to the survivors one at a time as they came together. I was intrigued as the Survivors attempted to figure out what was happening. I was interested in the theories that Loeb was putting together, and then the end came along and I was left feeling shell struck and wondering, "What just happened?". I understand what the author was doing, but I was left a little disappointed that so many things were being left to my imagination. I almost felt like I was left to write the ending myself and decide what had happened and I am not sure that I like that. Overall a good read and I would recommend it as a quick, somewhat thought provoking read.



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**Kindle Edition

The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy #3) by Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It’s been two years since the vampiric virus was unleashed in The Strain and the entire world now lies on the brink of annihilation. There has been a mass extermination of humans orchestrated by the Master—an ancient vampire possessed of unparalleled powers. The future of humankind lies in the hands of a ragtag band of freedom fighters—Dr. Eph Goodweather, Dr. Nora Martinez, Vasiliy Fet, and Mr. Quinlan, the half-breed offspring of the Master who is bent on revenge. It’s their job to overturn this devastating new world order. But good and evil are malleable terms now, and the Master is most skilled at preying on the weaknesses of humans.

Now, at this critical hour, there is evidence of a traitor in their midst. . . And only one man holds the answer to the Master’s demise, but is he one who can be trusted with the fate of the world? And who among them will pay the ultimate sacrifice—so that others may be saved?

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A good ending to a great trilogy. I found it an interesting take on the origin of vampires and the struggle of the 'resistance' was a good story line. Probably would have been good to read the 3 books back to back but not absolutely necessary.







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The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene

The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene


One day the rain just didn’t stop. As the flood waters slowly rose and coastal cities and towns disappeared, some people believed it was the end of the world. Maybe they were right. But the water wasn’t the worst part. Even more terrifying was what the soaking rains drove up from beneath the earth -- unimaginable creatures, writhing, burrowing...and devouring all in their path. What hope does an already-devastated mankind have against...the Conqueror Worms?



My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. When I first got the book and saw the cheesy cover with the giant earthworms I thought "Give me a break." But I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I have always loved Post Apocalyptic books so that probably helped. I loved the main character. I enjoyed how the story changed in the middle and we go to see another point of view and I even liked the way that the book ended, although normally I would be upset that we are left wondering.

All in all a good read. I am looking forward to more of Brian Keene's books in the future.

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Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling

Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling


The Change occurred when an electrical storm centered over the island of Nantucket produced a blinding white flash that rendered all electronic devices and fuels inoperable. What follows is the most terrible global catastrophe in the history of the human race-and a Dark Age more universal and complete than could possibly be imagined.

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have always enjoyed Post Apocalyptic books and for the most part this was a good one. When the Change happens and makes anything powered obsolete people have to figure out how to survive in a world suddenly thrown back in time several centuries.

We follow two separate groups of survivors lead by Mike Havel, an ex-soldier, outdoors man and Juniper Mackenzie a Wiccan High Priestess and single mom. Mike leads his ever growing group out of the Idaho woods after the bush plane his was flying crash lands. With him is a wealthy family who he feels responsible for. Meanwhile Juniper leads a band of survivors from the town that she was in when the Change happened to her cabin in the woods, where they begin to create a Clan of survivors.

Most of the book is quite good although there are quite a few fight scenes and war strategy sessions that get a bit boring. The two leaders eventually meet and become allies against some truly evil men who want to take over the farmlands and rule by fear and force.

The characters were well defined although there get to be a lot of them and a little difficult to keep straight at times.

I do look forward to the next book in this set as well as other books by this author.

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