MY REVIEW
Series: Ashfall Bk 3
Author: Mike Mullin
Publisher: Tangledwood Press
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book
Release Date: 15th April 2014
BLURB from Goodreads
The Yellowstone supervolcano nearly wiped out the human race. Now, almost a year after the eruption, the survivors seem determined to finish the job. Communities wage war on each other, gangs of cannibals roam the countryside, and what little government survived the eruption has collapsed completely. The ham radio has gone silent. Sickness, cold, and starvation are the survivors' constant companions.
When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever — and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish.
This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Well I finally started reading this. I so want to read it but at the same time don't want this breath taking series to ever end, so it's mixed feelings approaching reading this.
MY REVIEW
So I'd been waiting somewhat impatiently for this one for sometime, I tried winning a copy but alas I am not meant to a own a signed copy. The original hardback copy I was sent of Ashfall was for a giveaway . . .I have serious book envy of that winner, I hope you love this series as much as I have come to do. So as soon as the e-arc-book was on Netgalley it was a (what would American characters say?) no-brainer. I requested and thankfully was immediately accepted. Then I put it on my kindle and went through the whole shall I read it now or save it! In the end I decided to save it a while and then I kind of felt it "calling to me" and had to give in and read it.
The cover fits in with the other two covers, which I love. Just imagine how they would look on a shelf . . .heavenly huh? So to ask my usual question would the cover make me pick this one up from a book store shelf? YES!
So I've started reading Sunrise and I'm right back into the action as always with these brilliant books but oh no! one of the much loved characters has just died . . definitely teared up as I read that part. I didn't need to re-read the other books because as soon as I began reading this book everything that happened in the others came flooding back.
As always Darla and Alex are fighting for survival alongside each other and the few remaining family members they have around them.
I don't want to get into telling you major parts of the story so I'll try to be as general as possible. Darla and Alex help the people of Warren regain possession of their homes. Then Farm becomes un-defendable so the group have to find some where else to live. It's whilst making this new home that Alex and Darla take some scary risks and end up in a rather gory scenario. It totally fits in with the characters in the scene and the plot of the book but I still couldn't help myself wrinkling my nose and going "Eeew a bit gory Mr Mike Mullin!" and then thinking where on earth do you get all this medical and technical information from? I have to tell readers that is something you will love about the book it's detailed how "things" are scavenged for and made, they don't just conveniently appear within the plot. this author Mike Mullin really does his research really well.
So I'm around half way through the book as I am writing this . . my new way of reviewing is to write my review as I go along so I don't miss anything important that I wanted to say. I really love the relationship between Darla and Alex, they are strong characters but on their own they seem invincible! The reason these two characters seem to survive everything thrown at them shows their strength, they want to live for each other and are always lloking to the future and trying to plan ahead. Alex and Darla have their ups and downs but are always "there" for each other as well as anyone that needs their help.
The fact Alex is voted as leader/Mayor of the eventually named Speranta, again shows how the people trust him and believe in him. I enjoyed the skirmish at the end of the book, where Darla has the final say with Red and I have to say I agreed 100% in what she did and how she did it!
I also liked the fact that Alex is principled, in that he creates a jury for Francine and then when he doesn't like the outcome he still follows it through as the majority of the people of Speranta voted for it.
Lots of books say they take you on a journey, or a roller coaster ride, but this series really does deliver on both of those statements and then some more action added too!
MY THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY ON FINISHING THE BOOK it's rare I add this etra section to my review but just had to with this brilliant series. . . .could there be more? . . . .a novella or two? . . .It could be about the expedition to hospital . . .or Darla becoming pregnant and having a baby? There's so much more!
So Did I enjoy the book? I totally loved this book. Would I recommend the book? I'd definitely recommend Sunrise. Would I recommend the series? I'd highly recommend this series as a must read series! Would I read another book in this series, (if one was available)? I sure would! Would I read other titles by Mike Mullin? I intend to look out for other titles by Mike, I have thoroughly enjoyed his well written, brilliantly researched detailed books.
THE REST OF THE ASHFALL SERIES
Title: Darla's Story Bk 0.5
Series: Ashfall
Author: Mike Mullin
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Formats Available: E-Book
Release Date: 5th October 2013
BLURB from Goodreads
Darla Edmunds has faced a lot of challenges in her seventeen years: Her dad died in a farming accident when she was fourteen. Her mother retreated into hyper-religiosity, leaving Darla to run the family farm almost single-handedly. But those struggles pale in comparison to the one she faces after the Yellowstone super volcano erupts, plummeting the world--and Darla's small corner of Iowa--into a cataclysmic natural disaster.
Title: Ashfall Bk 1
Series: Ashfall
Author: Mike Mullin
Publisher: Tangledwood Press
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book
Release Date: 16th October 2012
BLURB from Goodreads
Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.
For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.
For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.
Title: Ashen Winter Bk 2
Series: Ashfall
Author: Mike Mullin
Publisher: Tangledwood Press
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book
Release Date: 16th October 2013
BLURB from Goodreads
It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.
Title: Sunrise
Series: Ashfall Bk 3
Author: Mike Mullin
Publisher: Tangledwood Press
Formats Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-Book
Release Date: 15th April 2014
BLURB from Goodreads
The Yellowstone supervolcano nearly wiped out the human race. Now, almost a year after the eruption, the survivors seem determined to finish the job. Communities wage war on each other, gangs of cannibals roam the countryside, and what little government survived the eruption has collapsed completely. The ham radio has gone silent. Sickness, cold, and starvation are the survivors' constant companions.
When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever — and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish.
This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself.
When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever — and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish.
This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself.
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