Title: Final Days
Series: After The End
Author: Grace Hamilton
Genre: Post Apocalyptic, EMP
Release Date: 9th October 2024
BLURB
In the shadow of a fallen world, law and order are just memories. Only survival remains…
Shannon Grayson had made it through the brutal early days of the EMP apocalypse. Despite suffering a bullet wound in her shoulder, she’s managed to reunite with her daughter, Kim. And she’s found a safe haven at the Wander Motel.
But tensions are rising in her group of survivors. Kim struggles with the aftermath of Dennis’s death and the brutal trials she’s been forced to endure. She needs to be at her best to survive and lead in this harsh world, but her past haunts her every step.
Shannon, Kim, and their newfound community aren’t the only people fighting to survive in the post-EMP world. Andre, Shannon’s ruthless ex-husband, is out of prison. He’s rebuilding his motorcycle gang. And he’s coming for Shannon and Kim.
Both mother and daughter have paid a heavy price for survival. They need time to heal, physically and mentally. But with Andre closing in, the Wander Motel is no longer a refuge—it’s a trap.
REVIEW
The book cover fits well with the rest of the series so far. The cover for this book really fits a scene a devastation from within the book very well.
The book picks up right after bk2 Fractured Days left off. The main characters, Shannon/Sarah, her recently violently widowed Aunt Carol and recently reunited daughter Kim are all still reeling from the ambush, fire attack at the scrapyard and the way Andre killed Uncle Bruno. Though all three women are strong and stoic in their approach to their loss they are all feeling the loss deeply. However as is a theme that reoccurs throughout the book, losses happen, you have to take charge of the situation at hand and grieve those losses later when you have time. Bill has taken the Lee under his wing trying to protect the young man and protect him somewhat from the hostility of the Black Rats.
Andre is as devious as ever and has a new sidekick he can fully control called Austin. Andre knows he has struck the Black Rats deeply in killing their leader but he will not be happy until he has exacted his revenge on Shannon/Sarah and he will use anyone and everyone she cares about to get to her. Andre is building his own group or Black Rats gang made up of Black Rats disgruntled by Shannon/Sarahs return and some of the most violent, sadistic men he met whilst in prison. Shannon, Aunt Carol and the original Black Rats would perhaps stand a fair chance against their own like but how can they predict what violent escapee convicts will do?
The way Shannon’s birthday is celebrated in the book is really poignant as it seems to mark a point where the Black Rats fully accept her back in the gang. It also shows the rekindled closeness and mother/daughter relationship between Shannon/Kim, the fact Kim has taken the time and trouble to source ingredients for a cake of sorts and they throw a party for the whole gang to enjoy.
After a lot of discussion with not many viable options Aunt Carol decides the remainder of her faction of the Black Rats should head to the nearest Black Rats group in Tupelo, sure that their leader Toad will give them shelter and help against Andre.
After the horrors awaiting them in Tupelo, Aunt Carol, only just escape with their lives, with the help of some crazy truck driving on Shannon’s part. Lee, though still somewhat of an outcast other than to Bill, Kim & Shannon/Sarah & still regretting his earlier actions proves himself as being worthy of being a “Black Rat” by saving Aunt Carol, Lee is accepted as a prospect in the Black Rats gang, he will however have to do grunt work and continue to earn his spot. The group see mindless destruction and devastation everywhere they look and have no real idea where they are heading until they come across Rebecca Holden, her car has broken down whilst she was searching for heart medication for her father Rufus. They offer Rebecca a lift back to Watchdog a settlement of people that have been run out of New Wren by men on the way to joining Andre and his group. The people in Watchdog are in need of help and the Black Rats follow the lead of Aunt Carol, Shannon, Bill and Kim in trading skills. The community at Watchdog accept the group with the exception of the Reverend who spouts bible verses and warns they are the enemy. Shannon, Kim etc decide to tell the residents of Watchdog the whole truth about who they are and who is chasing them. There is a vote and the vast majority of Watchdog vote to make a stand with Shannon as Andre and his gang are coming and will wreck anything in their path anyway so they decide to go down fighting. Andre is prepared to fight dirty and captures a beloved member of the group, whom Shannon, Kim etc are close to. Andre chooses to send back a tortured dead body with a message he wants to speak to Shannon, only she can end all this killing. Those in Watchdog make plans, they are betrayed by a Watchdog resident but luckily on a hunch from Kim realise in time to adapt their plans and create back ups to them. Though its still a risky move when Shannon decides to use herself as bait to draw Andre out and end this war he has created once and for all. One way or another it will end, either Andre will die or she will!!!
I loved the existing characters, the growing friendship between Kim and Lee and their ending…..or could it be their beginning? I’ll be interested to find out! I found the scene where they snuck off to their bunks to collect their back packs to sneak off really moving, the fact someone, maybe Aunt Carol had pre-empted them sneaking off and had left items for them including bike keys and a Black Rats jacket for Lee! Finally, a fully accepted part of the gang. Then the specially made seat contraption for the bike so that mutt could also ride along! I loved it!
It was a shame to lose much loved characters old and new but that is the nature of the world we live in and certainly the world these characters are trying to form an existence in! I would still love more from the characters that survived even if the future books end up more centred on Kim and Lee. I adored the poignancy of them stopping to help someone stranded and it being a character we already knew from the very first book. Maybe they could be the central characters of more books in this series or a spin off.
Even though Austin was, shall we say “on the wrong side” and riding with Andre I did feel kind of sorry for him, he didn’t have the best start in life, and once he felt a little power and prestige decided he would do anything to hold onto it. Then when he came to his senses and didn’t want to do what was asked of him, he was in too deep to get out. In different circumstances I think perhaps Austin and Lee could have been friends. If only Austin had followed Aunt Carol and the original Black Rats rather than falling for the promises of Andre and the free booze, drug and women.
So characters I loved were, Shannon, Kim, Aunt Carol, Bill, Lee and Dennis even though Dennis is not physically in this book, the things he taught Kim and love he showed both Kim and Shannon shine through in their actions. I adored the references to Kim’s “Dennis radar” the way things he had taught her saved her on many occasions.
Initially suspicious of Rebecca Holden and her father Rufus, they grew on me.
Characters I thoroughly enjoyed strongly disliking/hating were Andre, his convict followers, and the Reverend.
I really enjoyed the whole book, it started off slowly with the both groups planning what to do and where to go phase but then the pace picked up and really kept you hooked reading to the very end. The final confrontation between Andre and Shannon was very edge of your seat stuff! I liked how well set out the book was with chapters the different points of view of Kim, Shannon/Sarah, Austin, Andre and Austin & Andre. Definitely a book/series I recommend reading!
