IF THE SUN SPARES US by Brenda Marie Smith
GENRE: Post-apocalyptic thriller
MY REVIEW
We begin If The Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith where If The Light Escapes Us left off. The books are best read in order, letting the characters seep into your heart, the danger get your pulse pounding, and your hopes for them come to fruition.
Oh man, I never saw Bobby doing what he did. Was it the right thing to do? Who knows in the crazy world they are living in.
It’s a year later and they have settled into their new home. They still have their highs and lows and are meeting and trading with others, taking in those who want a place in their community. Perhaps there is hope for humanity yet.
Life goes on and mistakes will be made. Rebuilding the world will not be easy, but taking one step at a time and letting bygones be bygones allows them to work together to create their new world one step at a time.
Braving The Light Series by Brenda Marie Smith has been a tragic, gut wrenching adventure filled with despair and hope and love.
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
I’m half-starved, about to drop in my tracks, and emotional pain is clawing me up inside. Living through this apocalypse, I don’t know if it’s the deprivation or the heartache that will kill me first.
I think I’ve been scouting South Central Austin for a place to move my family and neighbors for about two weeks, but I’ve lost track of time, and I’m not finding a freaking thing. We have to move; we just have to. I was hoping to find a place with walls and water, but no such luck.
It’s dusk when I come upon a row of warehouses, looking for a spot to sleep. Most warehouse doors are bent, with the jambs and locks broken. All looted inside, messes that don’t look like they have anything worth scavenging. One door has a big hasp and a bigger lock intact. Maybe I’ll break it in the morning to see if I can find some food.
A few doors down, there’s a stairwell leading to a basement door. A good place to hide where I have an escape route. I duck down into it.
“We’re so screwed,” I grumble to myself as I lean my rifle on the stairwell and slide off my backpack.
“You got that right.”
F***. Who said that? I whip my face around, my hand on the pistol behind my back.
“I wouldn’t fire that if I were you.”
A face looms above me… behind a crossbow that’s aimed at my head. I throw up my hands.
“Don’t shoot!”
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/461geyL
- 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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Thank you for sharing your review of If the Sun Spares Us, this is a must read book and series for me and I can’t wait to meet all of the characters
Thank you, Bea. Very kind of you to say!
Thank you so much for reviewing this book today.
Thanks so much for this review and for reviewing all three books. I am very appreciative, and I wish you all the best.
And happy holidays to you and your readers!
Thanks for the comments…and thanks, Brenda, for the opportunity to read all the books in the series. It was amazing and I now have you on my favorite authors list. Happy Holidays.
Oh wow. I couldn’t ask for better than that. Really boosts my spirits, and I can’t thank you enough!
The cover is so haunting! Looks like a good book.
Thank you, Denise. Olivia Hammerman is the cover artist and I’ve been lucky to have her for all the books in the series.
The book details sound interesting.
Thank you, Sherry.
This sounds like a good read—I will be adding this to my list. Thank you for the giveaway!
Thank you, Donna. I hope you enjoy the book(s). And you are welcome for the giveaway. Best of luck!
Beautiful cover!
Thank you, Jolanda.
Wow. I’m really curious after reading your review, Sherry.
I do hope you will read the book. Thanks for your interest!