post-apocalyptic

Torchfire

The Torch Trilogy #2

by Moira Buffini

coming October 28, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books, Storytide, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Torchfire! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Torchfire continues the story from Songlight and is the 2nd book in a trilogy, so you’ll definitely want to read the first book before this one. I really enjoyed this book! It packs in the drama and felt very immersive. Sometimes things moved in unexpected directions or caught me by surprise. I was very invested in the story. We’re following six different points of view, which sounds like a lot but actually works really well. It’s interesting to view this world from different angles and see how it all intertwines. Sometimes it’s a while before we come back to a character, but I think it allows us to see what’s going on without feeling redundant or drawn out. The character relationships are complicated, and I like seeing how different characters react to their circumstances even if their choices are frustrating at times. This story is very much not over, leaving us at some cliffhangers when the book ends. I’ll be watching for the next book, because I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Songlight

The Torch Trilogy #1

by Moira Buffini

(5 / 5)

Songlight tells the story of a futuristic dystopia in a post-apocalyptic world where society as we know it today has collapsed. It reminded me a lot of The Handmaid’s Tale but still felt different, especially with multiple characters having songlight, which is essentially a type of telepathy.

I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. The characters were in such desperate situations that I could really feel. There’s a lot of characters, including 5 different protagonists, but I was able to keep things straight well enough. I especially enjoyed seeing how our different protagonists’ stories were intertwined yet gave us very different perspectives on this world. The story really packs in the drama too. I can’t wait to read the next book!

October 17, 2025 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Last Creation

The Last She #3

By H. J. Nelson

Coming December 3, 2024

(4 / 5)

The Last Creation is the 3rd (and presumably final) book in the The Last She series. I really enjoyed the whole series, though I think I liked the first two books a little more than this one. I thought it was interesting to follow the perspectives of 4 different characters (Ara, Kaden, Sam, and Sevyn), and Sevyn gave some interesting insight into the Creation, who are basically the villains of this story. The book starts with many of the characters separated (again) and converging in Boise, though this part took longer than I was expecting. There’s definitely an ominous tone to the story with the impending doom of the Creation coming. Many of the characters are faced with very difficult choices to make, and it was interesting to see how these characters have grown and changed over the course of the 3 books. Some parts were downright heartbreaking, while others gave a sense of hope. The book ended with a couple things that felt a bit unresolved, leaving me a bit disappointed, though admittedly it kept me thinking for a while after reading it. If another book eventually comes out for this series, I’ll definitely want to read it.

Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Last Creation! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

November 4, 2024 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Last Murder at the End of the World

By Stuart Turton

Narrated by James Cameron Stewart

Released today!

(4 / 5)

90 years ago, the Earth was covered in a deadly fog. The last of civilization, 122 villagers and 3 scientists, exists on a Greek island that’s surrounded by a protective barrier from the fog. On the surface, it seems like an ideal society. But then one of the scientists is murdered, triggering the lowering of the only thing separating them from the fog.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of The Last Murder at the End of the World. The narrator is British and was understandable. He used different voices to represent different characters, and while I didn’t necessarily love all of voices, it did help differentiate who was speaking in the story.

This book was an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic dystopian world. At first, I was a little overwhelmed by the number of characters who were introduced, but I quickly was able to get familiar with the key players. The narrator of the story is ABI, an artificial intelligence that is connected to everyone’s thoughts and can communicate with them, almost as a second conscience. The first quarter of the book concentrates mostly on world building and getting to know the characters, so it takes a while to really dive into the more exciting parts of the story, but I did like how descriptive it was. We end up in a murder mystery, but it all turns out to be far more complicated than expected. The book really took some turns that I was not expecting at all, and it kept me guessing about what really happened and who was involved. At times it could be a little confusing, trying to keep everything straight amidst the constant turns the story took, but eventually everything is fully explained. The story kept me interested and was hard to put down until I reached the end.

Thank you to Tantor Audio, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the audiobook free review copy of The Last Murder at the End of the World! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

May 21, 2024 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fiction Mystery Sci-Fi 0

The Last Murder at the End of the World

By Stuart Turton

Releasing May 21, 2024

First Impression: (4 / 5)

I’m a big fan of dystopian books, so this book seems intriguing. From the first few chapters, I can definitely feel a sense of mystery and uneasiness about this dystopian world and would love to learn more about it. Since many of the dystopian books I’ve read are young adult, I like that this book is more “grown up” and has a different feel to it. Emory especially seems like an interesting character I’d like to get to know better.

October 31, 2023 by danimae1981 eBook Fiction First Impression Thriller 0

A Multitude of Dreams

By Mara Rutherford

Coming soon on August 29, 2023

(4 / 5)

A Multitude of Dreams was an interesting blend of genres. It’s a young adult book with a post-apocalyptic dystopia feel mixed with fantasy, action and a dash of romance along the way.

The story follows the points-of-view of 2 characters, Seraphina and Nico. In the aftermath of a terrible disease, both characters are living very different lives from what they were before. Seraphina is Jewish, and lived in an area where Jewish people were separated from the rest of the population – this book actually dives into the persecution of Jews, much like what happened in real history. When the king’s favorite daughter, Imogen, dies from the disease, the other princesses take Seraphina to live as the princess since she looks remarkably similar. For 4 years she has been stuck in the castle as the king will not allow anyone to leave. Meanwhile, Nico lived a life with some status though his mother. But with his entire family dead from the sickness, he now works as a servant for a nobleman named Crane. On the surface Crane seems like a good enough man, but soon Nico starts to suspect that things are not quite what they seem.

Several chapters in, the book takes a turn into a more paranormal/fantasy feel, which I didn’t necessarily see coming, but it adds an interesting twist to the story that gives it a sinister feel. It also leads to a lot of thrills and action.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read that kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I liked both of the main characters and felt they were well-developed and learn a lot about themselves over the course of the story. The world created in the book was interesting and immersive.

Thank you to Inkyard Press for the free copy of this book, which I won through a BookishFirst raffle. All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

August 16, 2023 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Hardcover Young Adult 0

Sneak Peek: A Multitude of Dreams

By Mara Rutherford

Coming soon on August 29, 2023

First Impression: (4 / 5)

I had the chance to read the first three chapters of A Multitude of Dreams, which releases next month. This young adult fantasy has a post-apocalyptic feel since it takes place a few years after a deadly disease broke out.

So far I have found the two main characters likable. I especially like that, even though written in 3rd person, there is a different feel in the writing between the chapters for each character. I’ll admit to feeling a little overwhelmed at all the characters we meet in just the first two chapters, but I think I’ll be able to keep it all straight. I really like the premise behind this book and think I would enjoy reading it.

July 12, 2023 by danimae1981 eBook Fantasy Fiction First Impression Young Adult 0

Freezing Reign

By L.A. Goff

(4 / 5)

Freezing Reign is a young adult dystopia book with elements of romance, sci-fi and thriller. The book is divided into 3 parts, the first taking place during an apocalyptic disease, and the next 2 parts taking place 12 years later.

The story follows the perspective of 18-year-old Mirari. She’s a relatable character that I enjoyed following over the course of the book. The book is well written, and the action throughout kept my attention. I thought the concept was interesting, and I enjoyed that I was able to experience the actual apocalyptic event in the first part of the book. The resulting world was also very interesting, and experiencing from Mirari’s perspective worked well. Some of the parts felt a little too hard to believe, but given the nature of this type of book, I guess I can’t expect everything to be completely realistic.

The book is the first in a series but does not end in a cliffhanger. However, it does have an epilogue that hints at what the next book will be about. Overall, I enjoyed this book and am interested in where things go next in the series.

I received a free review copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books, but my review is voluntary and contains my own opinions.

May 20, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Sci-Fi Thriller Young Adult 0

The Last City

By H. J. Nelson

(5 / 5)

The Last City is the second book in The Last She series and should be read after the first book. It picks up a few months after the previous book ended and follows the point-of-views of Ara, Kaden, and Sam. I really enjoyed learning more about Sam in this book, who has been living on his own in Boise since recovering from his accident. Meanwhile, Ara and Kaden travel to The Last City, which really brings a dystopian element to the series. Like the first book, The Last City pulled me in from the beginning and kept my attention until the end. I enjoyed continuing the stories of Ara, Kaden and Sam while also meeting some interesting new characters along the way too. We are able to learn more about the mysteries from the first book, while continuing to have action, adventure and romance. Apparently, there’s a 3rd book in the works, so I’m really excited to see where the story goes next!

I received a free review copy of this book through NetGalley, but all opinions expressed here are my own.

March 4, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Sci-Fi Young Adult 0

The Last She

By H. J. Nelson

(5 / 5)

Post-apocalyptic fiction is one of my favorite genres of books, and The Last She did not disappoint. The book follows the perspectives of Ara (19) and Kaden (21) in a world that was decimated by a disease 3 years prior. I found myself drawn into the story quickly, and it kept my interest through the end. It’s packed with action and adventure, along with romance and an air of mystery. While it doesn’t necessarily end on a cliffhanger, there’s definitely setup for the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

February 23, 2023 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0