The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).
This is a collection of freebies I have read which are in the dystopian genre. I am starting with books by Grace Hamilton. I’m appreciating the survivalist and prepper skills. There are mostly first books in series and they have some similarities in style. The worlds in the series don’t appear to be related as far as I can tell.
Kindle freebie on March 7, 2019 (currently 99¢ at Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited as of writing this post)
Overall rating 4.11 with 1,511 ratings and 132 reviews
Dark Retreat by Grace Hamilton Series: EMP Lodge #1
Published by Self-Published on February 7, 2017
Genres: Dystopia
Pages: 304
Length: 1 hour, 1 minute
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
After an EMP attack shuts down the world, Megan Wolford has one goal: protect her daughter, Caitlin, at any cost. When a mysterious illness infects Caitlin, Megan must forage for medical supplies at a remote lodge. The last thing she wants is help from her fellow survivors when so many have let her down—but she’s running out of time.
Meanwhile, former Navy SEAL Wyatt Morris is doing everything he can to keep his family together after the tragic death of his father. When Megan trespasses on Wyatt’s land, he doesn’t trust her. But he can’t turn away a sick child, no matter how dangerous the world has become. Then the arrival of another stranger, Kyle, gives them all a new reason to be suspicious.
When Megan and Wyatt discover her daughter’s illness may be linked to this mysterious stranger, it sets them on a race to discover the truth, before it’s too late to save Caitlin—and the rest of the Morris clan. In this deadly new world, trust doesn’t come easy.
3.5 hearts
I really enjoyed this one with a single mom, Megan with a sick daughter. She stumbles upon a cabin after leaving the city and when they arrive home they help her. The matriach is good with herbs and natural remedies. The son, Wyatt was a Navy Seal and works with the others on protective measures. The world is rather wild west after the EMP collapse. Bands of thieves and marauders travel around stealing and often killing.
Wyatt seems a bit insta-love but Megan has some skills with trapping / hunting and is attractive. Her daughter is of an age with his nephew and would provide a friend / school mate for him. Wyatt doesn’t push but makes his feelings clear that he would like to get to know Megan better.
I love the prepper and survivalist themes here. The plans and methods are very comforting to hear about in these horrible times. I do find I have some of the old arts with growing food and things like cooking, sewing, knitting and other home project skills that would find a place in this type of world. It’s probably being raised by parents who grew up during the Depression and being in 4-H in a rural community for my own childhood.
I’m not sure I want to read the next one with the bad guy’s brother coming back to attack them or not.
Kindle freebie on December 20, 2022 (currently FREE at Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited as of writing this post)
Overall rating 4.25 with 610 ratings and 52 reviews
Survive the Fall by Grace Hamilton Series: EMP: Return of the Wild West #1
Published by Self-Published on December 9, 2020
Genres: Dystopia
Pages: 350
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
Greg Healy isn’t fooled. The hunting trip is merely a ploy contrived by his wife and mother to force Greg and his father to end their estrangement. Not even Greg’s teenage daughter or his father’s hunting buddies along for the ride will be enough of a buffer to heal the rift of long-standing resentments. But the helicopter has barely dropped them in the remote Canadian wilderness when they discover their new equipment is dead with no explanation. Now they’ll have to rely on each other and resort to Old West ingenuity to find their way home—before the hunter becomes the hunted.
For seventeen-year-old Darryl Healy, things aren’t much easier on his grandparents’ cattle ranch. Not when his highly intelligent and successful mother keeps hounding him about college applications. But college quickly loses its allure when the lights go out after a cyberattack. Frightening responsibilities fall squarely on Darryl’s unproven shoulders as a power-hungry politician is determined to confiscate the ranch’s resources—by any means necessary.
Danger and death await the Healy family as each group attempts to navigate this terrifying new post-apocalyptic world while the vast wilderness separates them. When deceit arises from within their ranks, they’ll face threats as lethal as the grizzly bears and mountain lions lurking in the shadows.
Survive the Fall starts a new series about what happens after an EMP Event. There are two storylines here. One is the father, daughter and grandfather off to a wilderness hunting trip. The other is the grandmother, daughter, grandson at home.
The EMP event happens right after the hunting party is dropped off, and the helicopter crashes when it tries to leave. At first, the rest seems ordinary but Greg’s (father) satellite phone doesn’t work. He worries about calling home to let them know they are ok. Grandfather Tuck, his friend Tommy, and Tommy’s friend Eustace, are the experienced wildlife hunters.
Greg is a lawyer looking for evidence of pollution by the pipeline. His daughter has studied up on hunting, wildlife, first aid and many things needed for wilderness trips. Eustace is the owner of the pipeline company. The group quickly determines things are wrong and starts walking back to civilization following the route of the pipeline. They face bears, rattlesnakes, and a greedy vindictive Eustace on their way.
At home, the team is doing well. Darryl (grandson) has really stepped up with farm work, building a fence, repairing a root cellar, and more. They end up in a major fight with the mayor and police force in town, who are killing people to take all their resources. It seems pretty wild that the mayor and police would all go so bad so fast (a couple weeks) but that kind of thing has happened to Joe Pickett too.
By the end, the survivors are all at home and managing with their friends and neighbors to survive and care for each other. I have the next two books because the trilogy was also a freebie, but again I don’t know if I want to go on and watch Eustace pull together remaining police and new thieves to attack the farm. While the new attacks are likely realistic, they are disheartening.
Kindle freebie on January 25, 2025 (currently $3.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as of writing this post)
Overall rating 4.25 with 651 ratings and 55 reviews
Erupting Trouble by Grace Hamilton Series: EMP Catastrophe #1
Published by Self-Published on January 25, 2025
Genres: Dystopia
Pages: 344
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple
A father with a heart problem and a son determined to get him home…
Matthew Riley wants to believe that people will come together in times of great struggle, but as panic and chaos set in after a massive EMP event, he has to face the fact that the only people he can trust are his family. His ailing father, David, an Army vet, has the skills the Riley family needs to survive in the dark new world, but with no medication for his heart condition on hand, keeping him alive may be an impossible task as they journey home from what was supposed to be a simple day trip.
She’ll keep her daughter safe and reunite her family…
Kathleen doesn’t share her husband’s optimistic view of humanity. When the power goes out during a visit to her brother in prison, she and her teenage daughter will need to find their way out and start the long journey back to Galena, IL, in the hope they can reunite with the rest of their family.
They’ll defend their home…
With the rest of the Riley family gone, it’s up to Ruth and her grandson, Patton, to keep their newly renovated hotel safe for the family they know is coming their way. But food is running low and some see an elderly woman and a pre-teen boy as easy pickings.
Erupting Trouble is the start of another series and shows an extended family doing their normal work when the EMP strikes. The grandfather David, and his son, Matthew are in Madison Wisconsin at a thrift store finding some furniture pieces for their new hotel. The daughter-in-law, Kathleen, and granddaughter, Allison are at a prison in Chicago visiting her brother who had been a drug dealer. The grandmother, Ruth, and grandson, Patton, are at home in Galena Illinois at the hotel, cleaning and organizing for when they would open.
David forgot his medicine so that is a worry as they end up walking home. They luck out being able to purchase hiking boots, water bottles, energy bars and small backpacks before the length or extent of the disaster is known. There are also problems with other thieves. David ends up getting shot in addition to his heart problems.
Kathleen and Allison are in the prison when the power goes out. The prison immediately locks down which is scary but eventually they get all the visitors to leave. When their car won’t start, they walk to a store where they buy bikes and a few supplies. They have a tough time, but are able to visit an old friend of Kathleen’s from college who is a prepper. They get good advice there. They face several men who want their bikes or to hurt them.
At home, Patton works well with his grandmother on the chores. They have some food but had been expecting a delivery. They walk to town and Ruth manages to shield him from the violence she discovers. Unfortunately, some of it follows them home.
Alternating between these three scenes, we watch the family deal with problems and potential violence. They learn much about what they will do to survive and who they might trust. They are all fortunate to start out with excellent supplies but violence is everywhere.
I was unhappy about how abruptly the story ends, before they all get home. There’s an additional scene of the Kathleen’s brother in prison, so I’m guessing that will have an impact in a future book. Otherwise, it will be interesting to see how they deal with things once their initial supplies are finished. I would like to read the next book since this one ends suddenly.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-COYER
Glad you’re interested in continuing the series, Anne💜 Nice to have starting freebies.
yes it helps me decide if it’s an author / series I might enjoy. And I have collected many first in series freebies.
I’m intrigued to see just how many series this author has written to deal with this single event. Thank you for sharing, Anne:)).
I’m uncertain they are all in the same world but they all have the same type of major EMP event.
I guess the author really was in the mood to explore EMP catastrophes and how people would respond. I don’t blame you for needed a break from this sort of story for something else for a bit.
Well I could only read so many in a row. The author seems to be a prepper in real life.
I love a good dystopian and recently listen to a series similar to the first story. Great reviews!
I really love dystopian, it’s a favorite. I enjoyed these so I was glad I had them to read.
It is scary to think about an EMP attack, because it would be devastating. Like these stories, thugs and thieves would try and take advantage. A sad truth.
yes. I’m uncertain as to how likely it is and what sort of prepping could be done to prepare for that type of situation.
Love a good freebie but they are hit-or-miss.
yes I mostly liked these.
I do like the stories with the EMP aspect. Sounds like these were okay. But not great? Hope you do like the others if you go on in the series.
yes I enjoyed them but I didn’t LOVE them.