by
Brenda Marie Smith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Post-apocalyptic thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized her starving, suburban neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.
In the post-apocalyptic pressure cooker of Austin, Texas, 19-year-old Keno and his younger cousins struggle to ensure their community’s survival even as they’re forced to relocate to safer grounds. Northern Lights that don’t belong this far south grow increasingly intense, making Keno fear what harm the sun will cause next.
Even
worse, a marauding militia called the Raiders is closing in, led by a deranged
woman who preys on teenage boys. Despite Keno’s debilitating flashbacks from a
firefight, he and his wife have a new baby to protect. Though Bea is dead, her
spirit desperately searches for ways to shield her grandkids. When Raiders
target two neighborhood members, the only hope lies in the community’s
strength, Keno’s ingenuity, and the family’s fierce love for one another.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
In the next second, thick neon bands of green light shoot into the sky like they’re spewing straight out of the earth at the horizon, the aurora pulsing and soaring hundreds of feet into the air toward the stratosphere. This is nothing like the tame Northern Lights we’ve had off and on over the past year, but crazy-bright and thick and enormous. None of it belongs in Texas. I stare at the lights, getting dizzy from their movement and intensity.
The guys out on the street whistle and shout… I close my eyes to get my bearings.
Residual streaks of light burn my eyeballs and flash across my eyelids, then mutate into the recurring, overly-vivid memories I can’t shake: flaming, screaming boys, falling fiery trees, bursting Molotov cocktails, strafing assault rifles—a hand slaps across my mouth and covers my nose, and Richie’s behind me, yanking me to the ground, hissing, “Shhh! Shhh! Don’t scream.”
“The End of Days is upon us, and we’ve got work to do!” shouts the woman from the street. “Head back north.” The feet start tramping around. “Jonesie, north’s the other way.”
Richie’s pressing so hard on my mouth and nose he’s gonna suffocate me. My tears run over his hand. Flaming bodies still flash before my eyes while green lights burn in the sky overhead…
I grab his hand to yank it off, but he presses harder. I panic. Dude’s gonna kill me.
Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series:
IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One):
IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two
IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday
characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived
off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by
midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op
housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her
husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they
can count.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: @bsmithnovelist
*****************************************
GIVEAWAY
4 stars
"If the Sun Spares Us" is a post-apocalyptic story that is compelling and inspirational,
reminding us that we can have hidden strengths that only arise when
circumstances force us to access them. The dynamics between various members of
the communities are a sobering comment on what happens when life is stripped
down to the challenges of survival and learning to work together. It would be
nice to have a little more depth to some of the secondary characters, and I
think that missing some of the backstory makes some of the interactions between
characters a bit more difficult to appreciate, but the story is intriguing
nonetheless. I like the mystical element of the grandmother’s connection with
young Mazie, and I’m rooting for the continued survival of this resourceful
family.
A copy of this title was provided for review
Thank you so much for featuring and reviewing this book.
ReplyDeleteI love this genre and this is a must read book and series for me. I have my copy of this book but still need the first two from the series. Will there be any more stories for this series or is it finished now?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bea, for your kind words. I'm calling the series finished for now, but who knows what might happen down the road, lol.
Deletecool
ReplyDelete