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MY REVIEW

I zipped through all three books in the series within 24 hours. I read until the wee hours of the morning, unable to stop. The problem now is the review. It’s hard to separate one book from the others because I read all three without taking a breath (you know what I mean).

Bea had prepared for an event, stashing weapons, tools and seeds. She had planned to be there for her four granchildren, but that was not to be. I love that we follow Bea through all three books. Is she a ghost? A metaphysical manifestation of energy? Because of her planning, the group has a place to start. It’s not long before Keno realizes they will have to leave their haven if they want to survive.

Keno had dreamt of his Nana, Bea, telling him he will know what to do as he sets out to scavenge. He meets Richie, who he quickly realizes could be a font of information.

Keno is haunted by his nightmares and does not want to be the leader he has become, but someone has to take charge. Danger is encroaching on them.

There are numerous characters that rise to the front. One of my favorite is Mazie. She is an adorable eight year old girl, who I quickly grew to love her.

In this first book of the Braving The Light Series, If Darkness Takes Us by Brenda Marie Smith, she quickly lures me into their lives. Circumstances steal the children’s childhood, making them grow up fast, facing danger and learning to take care of themselves, having to working together to survive.

We don’t have any zombies, but we do have The Walking Dead Vibe. The scavenging, the scarcity of food, and all the other complexities of an apocalyptic life, just not as intense. You never really know someone until an apocalypse happens, and is there anything worse than teenage testosterone?

As I delve into book two, If The Light Escapes, the pace picks up, the suspense rises, and conflicts arise amongst the group.

GOODREADS BLURB

2018 SOUTHERN FRIED KARMA NOVEL CONTEST WINNER

IN SUBURBAN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BEA CRENSHAW SECRETLY PREPARES FOR THE APOCALYPSE. But when a solar pulse destroys modern life, she’s left alone with four grandkids whose parents do not return home. She must teach these kids to survive without power, cars, phones, running water, or doctors in a world fraught with increasing danger.

If Darkness Takes Us is realistic post-apocalyptic fiction with a focus on a family in peril, led by a no-nonsense grandmother who is at once funny, controlling, and heroic in her struggle to hold her family together with civility and heart.

• Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Science Fiction
• 382 pages, Paperback
• First published October 15, 2019 by SFK Press
• Setting: Austin, Texas (United States)
• Series: Braving The Light

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:

• Website: https://brendamariesmith.com
• Blog: https://brendamariesmith.tumblr.com
• Twitter: @bsmithnovelist
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlLSnORIyoaygvZ1j49ZKw

Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series:

• IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One): https://amzn.to/3Q6TvKU
• For IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two): https://amzn.to/464zPOD
• IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three): https://amzn.to/3LzIpwA

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