Surviving Anarchy

Dark Nation, Book 3

By: Grace Hamilton

Narrated by: Andrew Tell

The world is broken. And it can’t be fixed....

Before an EMP blast shattered her world, Molly was a high school English teacher. Now, she’s responsible for keeping five teens, four adults, and a dog safe in a world where the bad guys are out to get them. It’s time to retreat, and they head out to her family’s cabin deep in the Maine woods where they can be safe. But when they arrive, it’s clear that someone has been there.

Fixing the cabin may be more than the group was prepared for. Winter is coming, and there’s food to gather, wood to chop; they need to find a reliable source of water, and the cabin needs to be winterized. Still, it’s their best chance for survival....

But Molly and her charges can't hide forever. Diego Cruz wants his daughter back no matter what, and there are stories that the woods around town are haunted by the bogeyman who is none other than Victor Fox, a former prison guard. Diego wants Jenna back, and Victor wants that fugitive Molly is harboring, and they’re both willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.

Molly knows that if they're going to survive, they need to choose their battles carefully. The old world is gone, and there’s no going back. But if they work together, a new world can rise from the chaos....

©2022 Relay Publishing (P)2024 Relay Publishing

Wrapping Up a Larger Story Arc

This wraps up the first trilogy within this larger series of books; at least the first three books feel like a trilogy to me, as I've stated in a prior review of the former books. This book opens by adding a new villain to the mix, a former prison guard who seeks his own form of vigilante justice, determined to round up and mete out his own justice to escaped prisoners who left the prison after the EMP. Those he believes to be the most dangerous he kills on the spot! The villain of the prior book, locked in his own bunker by his daughter when the last book ended, is not out of the picture. He is determined to find his daughter, at nearly any cost. She willingly went, choosing a family of her own making, with a kind-hearted teacher and some schoolmates. The teacher and crew get to her cabin way off grid, where she hopes she will be able to keep herself, her students, and a few others alive as they negotiate their new normal. Much of the book is about how this little band is trying to make what used to be an occasional vacation cabin into a working survival cabin. Nature, the state of the home, and the villains are certainly against them. This book surprised me in that it had a redemption of a character I didn't think could be redeemed. We'll see how it goes in the next book, but I like the way this person pivoted and changed when he better understood reality, and he had more depth than I originally thought he could possibly have. Don't worry. At least one villain gets his due! What new circumstances and people thwarting them will this hardy band of survivors need to confront next?

Choosing your own family

This book starts with several teenagers and a handful of adults trying to make their way to a new home. The various characters and their distinct personalities will have you wondering how this new family is ever going to work. I didn’t really care for Alex,his obsession with taking care of his wife without really taking her feelings into concern was not for me. Although I can understand it to a point
The clothes pin scene was hilarious-leave it to teenagers.
The story had love, mistakes, mystery and a few dangerous situations. I would recommend it. The narrator was awesome and made the story come to life.

Molly continues to grow

The old world is gone and in the new world Molly will have to use all her skills and talents and a lot of luck to keep her group not only alive but also safe. Winter is coming but danger is also closing in. Excellent story. I’m loving Molly more with each story in the series. She’s so much more than she thought she could be and her potential still hasn’t been tapped. Edge of the seat read.

The End

Sad to see the end of the series. Grace brings another wonderful tale as Molly and her charges get into yet another harrowing mess they have to get out of. Dramatic conclusion. Awaiting gher next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Loved it

This audio book was so good! I didn’t want to stop reading. The whole series is amazing!