The Darkest Winter: An Ending World Novel

Savage North Chronicles, Book 1

By: Lindsey Pogue

Narrated by: Sarah Ruth Thomas, Luis Bermudez

Length: 15 hrs

Publisher's Summary

X-Men meets The Walking Dead in Lindsey Pogue’s superhuman survival story, fraught with Crazies (not Zombies), dynamic characters, and bursting with raw emotion you can feel deep in your bones.

The virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began.

A group of orphaned misfits.

The wildlands of the last frontier.

Superhuman abilities, harrowing adventures, and heartbreaking secrets.

Elle

Haunting shadows are nothing new to Elle St. James - she’s been running from them all her life. But since the outbreak spread from the lower 48, new monsters lurk in the darkness. After Elle wakes from the fever, capable of horrific deeds, she fears she’s one of them. When she stumbles upon four orphans, Elle’s forced to discover what happens when her greatest fear becomes her darkest secret and her only hope of surviving.

Jackson

After the world goes mad and takes his family with it, Jackson Mitchell tosses aside his badge and decides a bottle of bourbon and the depths of despair are preferable to any semblance of living. All of that changes, however, when a group of young survivors are in dire need of his help, and Jackson sacrifices his blissful oblivion in order to keep them safe.

As they trek further away from the collapsing cities, Jackson must rely on his knowledge of the backcountry and the traditions of his people, or succumb to the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness.

Brought together under the worst possible circumstances, Elle and Jackson must face the inexplicable realities of the new world. Their past lives are over, and the arctic isn’t all that’s savage anymore.

Rated R for violence and possible triggers.

The Darkest Winter is the first book in Savage North Chronicles.

©2019 Lindsey Pogue (P)2020 Lindsey Pogue

Maybe better than the original Ending series?

I had already read the book about 7months ago and loved it and was really excited about the audiobook release. This book is full of danger, tension and action, exactly what you expect to feel if the world had ended and you were part of the last 10%. Not mentioning the weirdness and fascination of realizing your organism was changed forever and abilities were the norm.

I might even like Elle and Jackson better than the characters in the original series, but we are still at might. Or I love them just the same!? They are well developed from the start and each has their fears and history to face and overcome. Not only do they have to trust strangers to get through the day, they have to cross miles together so as to find a safe haven. These characters pop out at you instantly and you eat up their story almost too quickly.

I cannot wait to hear book 2, even though I have read the whole series. It is a whole new experience on audible (and I get so much house chores done in the process haha)

The performance of the two narrators were also really good. Sarah seems to have a slight lilt in her narrator sections, but it is easily ignored and I think she got better and better throughout the book. Luis has a fabulous voice and matches perfectly to Jackson.

A plus book

Book was good but the female voice actress sold it! A plus! Want to hear the rest of them!

P. J.

I absolutely loved this audio book. I can't wait for the next one in the series!