Darkness: SFV-1 Series - BOOK TWO

by Terry Tyler

'This isn't all our lives are going to be. It's the darkness before the dawn, that's all.'

The SFV-1 virus leaves its victims with no instinct other than the need to kill - and eat.

Nine months after this strange new disease scorched a path across the world, Norah and her friends are doing their best to survive in rural Cumbria - but another, larger group is on a mission to 'redistribute the wealth' by whatever means they deem necessary.

Meanwhile, new arrivals on the Scottish island of John's Drift seem friendly enough, but Cat's group hears warning bells from the start...

'People react to fear in all sorts of ways; a weak individual falls in with the wrong people, and hey basic human decency loses the battle against that dark side you never knew was hiding inside your head.'

Darkness is the second book in the SFV-1 series. The next installment, Reset, will be available soon.

219 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2023

About the author

I am self-published with thirty books on Amazon. Most recently I've published the first two books in my Revenge series, Served Cold and So Shall Ye Reap. More to come!

Other recent releases include Safe Zone, a dystopian/post-apocalyptic thriller. It follows on from the SFV-1 series (Infected, Darkness and Reset), but is completely stand-alone, so can be read as a story within itself.

I love watching and reading anything to do with history, post apocalypse, dystopian scenarios, anthropology, mountaineering and polar exploration. Big Walking Dead fan.

Favourite writers: Gemma Lawrence, Kate Mary, Blake Crouch, Deborah Swift, Carol Hedges, Douglas Kennedy, John Boyne, Deborah Moggach, Judith Arnopp, Jon Krakauer, Phillipa Gregory, John Privilege, Zeb Haradon, Dylan Morgan, Kate Atkinson, Norah Lofts, Dorothy Parker, Bill Bryson, PJ O'Rourke, Ann Swinfen, Keith Blackmore, Frank Tayell.

Reviews

[Sally Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Infected, the first book in this new series, I was keen to read the second.The author has created such a visual and compelling world, it is difficult not to be drawn into this horrific, but all too plausible outcome of a rampant and indiscriminate virus that destroys the parts of the brain controlling our innate humanity.

As well as catching up with the previous characters, we are introduced to new survivors around the country and islands as they struggle to find food, water and other essentials needed for any reasonable expectation of life. We also discover how those determined to take any opportunity that presents itself to take from others, using any means necessary, are succeeding in their efforts.

Those still trying to survive in smaller groups are coerced or charmed into joining larger more established and fortified communities, not always with the outcomes they expected. More young people are left to fend for themselves and without the guidance of parents and other close relatives, align themselves with those who show the most strength rather than humanity. The rules have changed, and abiding by the socially acceptable behaviours of before the outbreak, will not be enough to save your life.

It is as if humans have devolved thousands of years in the space of a few months and anyone clinging to their humanity get swept away by violence and depravity.

In the background remnants of government are forming plans for the future, but with those who crave power front and centre in the reorganisation, recovery for those unwilling to toe the line is in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, smaller and more inclusive groups begin to come together, with not just survival, but a return to civilisation at the heart of their communities. All they can do is face the future together however uncertain that might be.

I am looking forward to finding out how these characters will develop in the final book in this series, and know from past experience with this author’s work, there will be more surprises. Recommended.

[Catherine McCarthy]

Darkness is book 2 in the post-apocalyptic SFV series about a catastrophic virus and its resulting impact on society.
Having read the first in the series I went in confidently, because Terry Tyler is the kind of writer who never disappoints. You can pick up her work and be assured of a quality read, even if the theme isn't the kind of thing you would naturally lean towards, as was the case for me with this series. (A deadly virus? Really? After all we've been through in recent times? Trust me, she pulls it off.)
I've also enjoyed her other dystopian/post-apocalyptic work very much (think TWD, heavily laced with with government conspiracy, which for me makes it more scary).
The premise of this series is terrifying, but the most frightening aspect of all (and Tyler does this so well in all of her books) is how society and its people turn against each other during a crisis. Dog eat dog and all that, IMO Tyler is such an insightful writer, and this is what I love most about her story-telling. She's provocative, in that she makes her readers think, and that, to me, is a good thing. That is what I want when I read...something that challenges my thinking, and she certainly delivers.
I'll end by saying if you choose to read anything by Terry Tyler be prepared to have your complacency shaken and stirred.

[Olga Miret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Terry Tyler’s writing career and her novels for a while. Although she writes in a variety of genres, she has written several dystopian series (and started well ahead of the COVID pandemic, so that tells you something about the way her mind works), and she has managed to win me over to a genre I had read very little of beforehand.
She sets her novels mostly in the UK, and anybody who has lived there will appreciate how accurate her depiction of the attitudes and the settings are. Although the plots are the fruit of her imagination, the characters, their interactions, and the locations make it all worryingly believable.
As I mentioned in my review of the first short novel in the SFV-1 series, readers should try to read the stories in the right order, to get the most ‘enjoyment’ (that being a relative term in this genre) of the stories, as the three short novels were conceived as a trio, and the overall story is developed over the three. But, fear not if you’ve left a bit of a gap between reading the first novel and this one, as the author shares a recap and summary of what happened in Infected that should help refresh readers’ memories. And once you start reading, the story grabs you and you’re all in.
Although some time has passed since the first novel, it is quick and easy to catch up with what has been happening, and I was happy to see how the characters I got to know in the first novel were doing and also to get to know some new characters. We also learn things we might have suspected about some of the characters we became familiar with in the first novel (I’m talking about you, Lion), and some of the intrigue and questions we were left wondering about in the first book are answered, at least to a point, in this one. Of course, as it couldn’t be otherwise, we end up with more questions, but that is as it should be.
I don’t want to go into the details of the plot too much, as I don’t want to spoil this story (and the previous one) for people, but let’s say that some of the characters we knew manage to create a life of sorts for themselves in the desolate and dangerous new order of things, at least for a while, there are some nasty surprises for some, and it seems as if every group of survivors have decided on a different strategy to keep going. Unfortunately, many of those seem to rely on using force and threats to overpower others, rather than joining efforts and working hard together. If you had imagined that there must be a master plan going on somewhere, behind the scenes, you will get your answer here, although one wonders about best-laid plans and all that.
As was the case with the previous novel, each chapter is told from a different point of view, but this is clearly marked, so readers need not worry about getting confused, especially because the characters’ outlooks and voices are very different. Most of the chapters, at least those that are dedicated to “normal” people rather than those who are in positions of power or influence, are in the first-person, and that might not suit all readers, but I liked the distinction, as that makes readers feel closer to those characters who are more like themselves, and to be able to observe the others from a certain distance. Not that the next-door type of folks always behave in a way that would make us feel proud or reassured, but, as I have said, the author is good at creating realistic and believable characters, and even those who are not always sympathetic tend to be understandable, as it is not that difficult to put ourselves on their shoes. After all, surviving in a post-apocalyptic world where nothing can be taken for granted, you have to hunt and fight for the bare necessities, and you might be killed at any moment by a zombie is no picnic.
My warnings would be the same as I had mentioned for part 1. There is violence, threats, and this is not a series where you should expect happy endings, so there might be heartache for readers, especially for those who get very attached to characters, but I do not hesitate to recommend part 2 of the series to anybody who enjoys dystopian novels, those who have read part 1, fans of the author, in general, and anybody who enjoys a dynamic, fast-moving, and well-written story with strong characters. And I am happy I can move on to part 3 right away.

[D.G. Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This post-apocalyptic series is addictive reading! In this book 2, Darkness, it picks up with the main characters all in their respective hiding places as the mutating SFV-I virus is sweeping the U.K.- except, the action begins at some friends of Norah’s hideaway house when it’s attacked by rogue looters in search of food and life sustaining supplies. Erin and Martin are grilled as to where they are getting their supplies from, and with their lives threatened to tell all, the rogues devised a plan to transport them to Norah’s house where the looters have it on good authority the house is a fully stocked arsenal of food and weapons.

In Book 1, Infected, the people feared being bitten by those who were already bitten and looking for human blood. In this book, the fear remains real, the country is in darkness with no communication within or with the outside world, bitten humans are a threat to all exisiting humans, and with the added fear of the organized looters who are out to steal whatever they can to survive, there is nowhere safe for anyone, and trust has become a rare commodity. Book 1 brings on the killer virus, Book 2 is all about the fallout and survival, human instincts, all since nine months into the dystopian world of Darkness.

Ratt is the one looter gang leader who has secured a hotel hideout where he permits his looting recruits to stay – if they behave and take his orders on their looting jaunts under Ratt’s command. In their looting attacks, they look for people hiding out from the dreaded killer zombies, and demand they share their wealth of whatever they have for survival. They have no choice as it is sheer robbery and if they don’t give up the goods they will be killed.

Meanwhile it’s danger for anyone who goes out, especially to loot for survival, as the zombies are plentiful and one never knows where one may be hiding. One bite from an infected and your fate is sealed. After being bitten, the virus sets in making a person mad with hunger for human flesh, sending them in search of any human. There is no remedy for a bite, for once you’ve been bitten, there is only guarantee zombiedom, and ultimately, death.

Although the author recaps Infected, the first book in this series, I highly urge readers to read the trilogy in order. Book 1 sets the story and characters, which makes the whole series an addictive ride. Anything I’ve read by Tyler makes it a difficult book to put down. I look forward to reading Reset, the final book in this trilogy, in anticipation of how the author finds the way to the end of this apocalyptic nightmare .

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkness, with this ominous cover, brings us up to date with Juno, Lion, Nora, Cat, and the rest of the group we met in Infected, and how the collapse of society has impacted on them. They have formed a small community in rural Cumbria which, under the circumstances, is working quite well despite the threat of attack by the infected. That is, until the representatives from a much larger group who had decided it was time to ‘redistribute the wealth’ arrived on their rounds of as many communities as they could reach.

Cat is still on the Scottish island of John’s Drift where she was taking part in a reality TV show which necessitated her living and surviving by herself on a remote island for a year, knowing nothing of what was going on in the wider world.

'As I walked towards Mum, I could see that she knew whatever had happened was very, very bad. Straight away. I knew she would. Otherwise, why would I be here without Dad and Violet?'

This series definitely makes you think. It’s impossible to imagine how you might behave in a never before known crisis. Those affected and driven by the virus are no longer human in the real sense of the word, and are incapable of rationality. The survivors are doing their best to stay safe in pockets of the country where they forage and grow their own food. But things are set to change with those behind the scenes, ostensibly working for the good of all but the power hungry have their own agenda. Basic decency becomes a thing of the past. Danger and deception are the order of the day.

[Jenny Reeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling and jaw dropping.

After reading Infected, the exciting first book in this series, I could not wait to get stuck into Darkness, part two! I am far from disappointed. What a thriller this read was.

The infected are tortured souls that I felt sorry for, but at the same time they had to be dealt with, quickly and effectively. Knife into the skull is the best way. Fast, no messing!

The story considers and unravels each character carefully and the reader can get right inside their minds. I could feel their pain and frustration. I could see what they could see and I could understand the turmoil and strength within all of them.

As each chapter reached its exciting end, I found my self wondering if I would be strong enough to handle such nightmare situations. I would like to think I would be capable. The dangers, the murders, the heartbreak, the blood, the bad boys and the adrenaline!

Could you handle it? Read the book and decide for yourself.

Now, I am off to start part three!

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ms Tyler names a book Darkness, you know you're in trouble, and this book, indeed, was darker than dark. Following on from the first book, Infected, Darkness takes up the story without pause and leads the reader further and deeper into a new world where survivors must do battle with the rage-virus zombies, and with each other.

I read much of this book feeling as if I needed a cushion to hide behind, which often protects me from monsters in horror films. But in reading this book, I come to wonder whether the rage virus brings out the worst in the dead or in the living? The dead are consumed by fury and violence, monsters driven by the need to survive, and yet many of the living are also consumed by this need to survive, at any cost. Who are the monsters? The living or the dead? At least the rage-zombies are only going to eat you. The humans will destroy you, body and soul.

Highly recommended.

[Patricia Furstenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terry Tyler's Dark is an impacting story set in a post-apocalyptic world.
The author's ability to build a vivid and all-too-real setting draws readers in, immersing them in the horror of a world where a virus obliterated the very essence of mankind. We see the struggle of survivors scattered around the country negotiating the perilous new reality through well-crafted text.
The author investigates how desperation and the drive for power distort the moral compass, leading some down a darker path. As survivors deal with their dwindling humanity, the concept of devolution is masterfully depicted.
This is a compelling story that will have readers eagerly awaiting the conclusion.

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent sequel and a highly recommended read.