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Silo 49 #3
Dark Till Dawn
Silo 49 has endured. In Going Dark they freed themselves from the control of Silo 1. In Deep Dark they discovered their forgotten past. In the final installment of the Silo 49 Trilogy, all they have worked for, over generations of time, comes to fruition.
Lillian and Leo, cousins and best friends, enter the lists for the 89th Race in Silo 49. The singular honor of running outside, with no walls and no boundaries, is the prize they seek. But the run is much more than a simple, but risky, trip outside to map their surroundings. The silo is falling apart, age and wear showing in every crack and seam. If the Others will not die out and let the world be reborn, then they must seek a way around the Others and find the blue skies for themselves.
Lillian and Leo, cousins and best friends, enter the lists for the 89th Race in Silo 49. The singular honor of running outside, with no walls and no boundaries, is the prize they seek. But the run is much more than a simple, but risky, trip outside to map their surroundings. The silo is falling apart, age and wear showing in every crack and seam. If the Others will not die out and let the world be reborn, then they must seek a way around the Others and find the blue skies for themselves.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2013
323 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
About the author
Ann Christy
34 books328 followersAnn lives by the sea under the benevolent rule of her canine overlord and an incredibly foul-mouthed cat. A scientist and Navy officer by profession, the writing bug somehow got inside her during her travels. She's now stuck with it and can't stop writing.
She writes fully immersive works of science fiction and apocalyptic fiction. Ann is also a voracious reader, and adores a well-done audiobook. If she's not writing, then she's reading or listening.
She writes fully immersive works of science fiction and apocalyptic fiction. Ann is also a voracious reader, and adores a well-done audiobook. If she's not writing, then she's reading or listening.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 14, 2016
Very uplifting. I don't want to give any spoilers, but if you enjoyed Hugh Howey's Wool series, this is a great spin off addition to the story. The potential for Silo stories is great, and I'm sure there are many lives in various Silos to be explored. This one was about well trained athletes who, with the assistance of their Trainers, IT and technicians, compete to venture outside in a bid to bring back knowledge to the Silo. Basically, over the years they have been mapping the local terrain outside and the toxic boundaries. However it's not without severe risks. I wasn't sure how it would go and because of the way the characters were portrayed, and how I was drawn into their family lives, I was a bit fearful for their safety. It demonstrated that despite the envionment, human nature will feel the need for exploration further. As with the other Silo stories from Ann Christy I liked the innocence and optimism of the people living in Silo 49 and I want a happy ending for them all.
March 20, 2014
First part was quite good, the second one decent, but quite boring. The last part, "Dark Till Dawn" was amazing, I really, really enjoyed it.
April 26, 2014
Ok, well here I am on book three of Ann Christy's phenomenal Silo 49 series and what an enjoyable journey it has been.
I have seen Silo 49 brought back from the brink of destruction at the hands of Silo 1 and the inhabitants of the silo claiming it back for themselves and learning more about how they came to be there in the first place.
Following on from Deep Dark, the inhabitants are now exploring the outside of the silo, mapping the area around them but they just don't send anybody, there is a race to discover who is the fittest, who can go the extra mile.
Lillian and Leo are cousins and are the fittest in the silo, Dark Till Dawn follows them as they go from fledgling trainees to fully blown racers.
I wont tell you who wins the race as that's a spoiler!
But I will say that we see a lot more of the outside in this story and I really appreciated Ann describing that, after the inhabitants being in the silo for so long I wondered how the outside world would have changed.
Another thing I liked about the book was the description of the animals in the silo, it still puzzles me how when they were building the silo's did people not notice all these goats being led down to the farms!
Anyway I really enjoyed this book, the character of Lillian stood out, she was really strong and despite her young years not afraid to go the extra mile.
I have been really impressed with the world building that Ann has done, I loved the original Hugh Howey books and the Silo 49 series is just as good.
Silo 49: Dark Till Dawn I award 5 out of 5
I have seen Silo 49 brought back from the brink of destruction at the hands of Silo 1 and the inhabitants of the silo claiming it back for themselves and learning more about how they came to be there in the first place.
Following on from Deep Dark, the inhabitants are now exploring the outside of the silo, mapping the area around them but they just don't send anybody, there is a race to discover who is the fittest, who can go the extra mile.
Lillian and Leo are cousins and are the fittest in the silo, Dark Till Dawn follows them as they go from fledgling trainees to fully blown racers.
I wont tell you who wins the race as that's a spoiler!
But I will say that we see a lot more of the outside in this story and I really appreciated Ann describing that, after the inhabitants being in the silo for so long I wondered how the outside world would have changed.
Another thing I liked about the book was the description of the animals in the silo, it still puzzles me how when they were building the silo's did people not notice all these goats being led down to the farms!
Anyway I really enjoyed this book, the character of Lillian stood out, she was really strong and despite her young years not afraid to go the extra mile.
I have been really impressed with the world building that Ann has done, I loved the original Hugh Howey books and the Silo 49 series is just as good.
Silo 49: Dark Till Dawn I award 5 out of 5
March 21, 2014
Over a century after going dark, Silo 49 soldiers on. In that time they've turned their attention toward mapping out as much of the landscape surrounding them as possible. To accomplish this, runners train and compete on a yearly basis for the privilege of donning one of the suits originally meant for cleaning and making their run. It's a dangerous, laborious process, one that sees them rewarded and revered as heroes of the Silo for the rest of their days and beyond. Enter Lillian and Leo, two cousins who present more as twins and want nothing more than for one of them to be Race Year 89's runner. The training is meticulously detailed, and the element of sport it infuses into the Silo as people gather to cheer for their favorite runners is refreshing and original. Some have said they felt this slowed down the narrative, but I found it a fascinating part of the story. Besides, the wait is worth it, as Ann really opens up the throttle in the last quarter of the book. And the ending! Wow! Obviously I won't spoil it for you because that would make me the worst reviewer ever, but suffice it to say it's good. Damn good. I can't wait to read Ann's next book, but until then I wouldn't be surprised to find myself revisiting Silo 49 again.
March 9, 2014
At first I thought I would be getting more of Marina, but I was left wanting more. That is the only reason it did not get 5 stars. That said ,the introduction of Lillian gave this book a whole different feel. She is young and fearless. Christy has infused this book with more passion and youth than the previous one. There is non-stop suspense, and the ending is what I hoped it would be. Not to say I don't want more, I do, and the author has left herself a lot of room for this series to continue. I would really like to find out more about that dead line.
I also would not be averse to more of Marina. She is my favorite protagonist so far. Perhaps since I am on the upside of 60, I could relate more to Marina's life. Then again, maybe you'll take Lillian farther. I will wait patiently to snap up the next book and find out.
I also would not be averse to more of Marina. She is my favorite protagonist so far. Perhaps since I am on the upside of 60, I could relate more to Marina's life. Then again, maybe you'll take Lillian farther. I will wait patiently to snap up the next book and find out.
January 31, 2014
This was my favorite one of the Silo 49 series. I really liked the characters and the story line. It was a little different story than the previous two silos 49 books but I enjoyed it, especially the view onto what life might have been like in the silos on an everyday basis. I think if you liked the later Wool series books you will like Dark Till Dawn
April 16, 2014
This book was wonderful as were the first two. I love the characters and how the story turned out. Also love how this story weaves elements of Dust into it. Can't wait to read more about Lillian and Greg.
September 23, 2014
Good read. Liked the ending. It was one I was waiting for at the end of the Wool series. The author hints that she may do other silos. I would buy them since she was very creative with adding to the saga with these three books.
May 30, 2014
Third & best book of this truely amazing Silo World series!
June 6, 2014
FANTASTIC
this was the third book of the series. all three were fantastic, really well written. Great story line and kept me got a totaly engrossed,could not put it down. GreAt job
this was the third book of the series. all three were fantastic, really well written. Great story line and kept me got a totaly engrossed,could not put it down. GreAt job
March 5, 2014
This is the third and final installment of the Silo 49 series fan-fiction written in Hugh Howey's WOOL world.
This story starts quite some time after the last books in the series and marina's discovering of the truth. You see Marina for a moment in the very beginning of the story and she helps to set the picture for the continuing story line. The silo is falling apart and something needs to be done - the people need to get above ground. All this happens because someone saw a little patch of blue once - and they have been pursuing that patch of blue ever since.
In this story, Lilian and Leo are cousins competing to run the 89th Race. They have been training together and truly feel they have a good chance to be in the top three competitors. What do they win? A chance to run outside - free from the constriction of walls and stairs and people milling about. The best runners are trained and the best of the best gets the honor of being outside. They are outside in a special suit and harness complete with many bits and bobs they have to use to collect information while outside for the scientists along with placing a marker to show where they have gone and how far.
This story starts quite some time after the last books in the series and marina's discovering of the truth. You see Marina for a moment in the very beginning of the story and she helps to set the picture for the continuing story line. The silo is falling apart and something needs to be done - the people need to get above ground. All this happens because someone saw a little patch of blue once - and they have been pursuing that patch of blue ever since.
In this story, Lilian and Leo are cousins competing to run the 89th Race. They have been training together and truly feel they have a good chance to be in the top three competitors. What do they win? A chance to run outside - free from the constriction of walls and stairs and people milling about. The best runners are trained and the best of the best gets the honor of being outside. They are outside in a special suit and harness complete with many bits and bobs they have to use to collect information while outside for the scientists along with placing a marker to show where they have gone and how far.
May 16, 2014
Excellent. Well, the first part, not so good, as the present tense had a lot of past tense mixed up, but it was blessedly short. The second part was pretty long, but interested. Parts 3 and 4 were awesome! I was sad to see it end, I want to read more!
August 21, 2014
This was my favorite yet. LOVED the idea of runners, as soon as I finished the little teaser at the end of Book #2, I jumped on and bought #3 because I couldn't waste another second not knowing where it was going.
March 3, 2016
The lore behind the runners is pretty darn cool.
However, after the 1st chapter I was sick of reading how close Lillian and Leo are.
Like yeah, they're close.
We get it.
I haven't forgotten.
No need to tell me again.
OK! ENOUGH ALREADY!
However, after the 1st chapter I was sick of reading how close Lillian and Leo are.
Like yeah, they're close.
We get it.
I haven't forgotten.
No need to tell me again.
OK! ENOUGH ALREADY!
September 6, 2017
Finished. Loved them. All three Silo 49 entries are amazing; and I wish there were more!!
The author has literally picked-up the pen that Mr Hugh put down, and added more to this wonderful story.
All three are linear in time. Although separate stories on their own, each builds upon the other using characters already known, referencing one another so as to cleanly and seamlessly continue the storyline from one to the next.
I couldn't put my nook down.
I will admit, I do not intend to read Greg's story... due to my preference of keeping things in order. Had I understood/known about this beforehand, I would've gladly read it prior-to reading Dark till Dawn. As it stands now, I'm happy with the conclusion I've just read and would prefer not to backtrack.
Grateful to Ms. Christy
The author has literally picked-up the pen that Mr Hugh put down, and added more to this wonderful story.
All three are linear in time. Although separate stories on their own, each builds upon the other using characters already known, referencing one another so as to cleanly and seamlessly continue the storyline from one to the next.
I couldn't put my nook down.
I will admit, I do not intend to read Greg's story... due to my preference of keeping things in order. Had I understood/known about this beforehand, I would've gladly read it prior-to reading Dark till Dawn. As it stands now, I'm happy with the conclusion I've just read and would prefer not to backtrack.
Grateful to Ms. Christy
August 8, 2015
Well done! Christy did a great job of tying this storyline to the last then jumping ahead in the timeline with a new twist and direction. There was a similar missed opportunity in this story as in the last. This time it was Toby that was an underdeveloped side character that could and should have played a bigger role. He was sort of a counter attitude and counter perspective and had a sense of being defeated and tired with the status quo, but without the determination to strive for something bigger and take a leap of faith. Instead this guy fell flat. But overall for a fan the Silo Series by Hugh Howey this is a great spin off. Cheers!
December 10, 2016
DARK TILL DAWN picked up steam, accelerated, and was flying to the finish line toward the end. Ann Christy's concluding installment in the Silo 49 series has memorable characters (Lillian and Leo -- what a pair of goofs!), a fine story, and a satisfying and hopeful ending. And humor, viz the ongoing "excerpts" from the book "Silo Ecology for Students." Highly recommended dystopian reading! (And don't forget -- there's more of Silo 49 to come in "Flying Season for the Mis-Recorded," the story of the tragic Lizbet back in Race Year 71.) Another fine effort by an up-and-coming author.
January 26, 2017
Final book in the trilogy. This volume took a surprising and not entirely welcome lurch sideways into the hated YA genre, which up until now the Silo universe has managed to avoid.
However, it is as well written as Christy's previous books and was an enjoyable enough read, even though the plot is rather tediously predictable for anyone who has read any previous teenage dystopian tales, so I think I can stretch to four stars. Would have been 3.5 if the system supported half marks, I think.
However, it is as well written as Christy's previous books and was an enjoyable enough read, even though the plot is rather tediously predictable for anyone who has read any previous teenage dystopian tales, so I think I can stretch to four stars. Would have been 3.5 if the system supported half marks, I think.
May 1, 2017
The run away from the silo near the end of this book is terrific. Up to that point, it felt like the author was adding fluff to make the book longer. There were all kinds of needless family get-togethers, a red herring involving a third racer that did not contribute to the plot, too much time on hiking up and down the stairs, and so forth. This would have been a much more energetic story with 30 or so pages stripped out.
June 29, 2016
Great Silo Series
The best and most captivating part of this volume was the last several chapters. The middles sections were very slow and I sometimes struggled to keep going. However, it was well worth it! Another Silo breaks free. The idea of an annual outside run for exploration is excellent.
The best and most captivating part of this volume was the last several chapters. The middles sections were very slow and I sometimes struggled to keep going. However, it was well worth it! Another Silo breaks free. The idea of an annual outside run for exploration is excellent.
July 16, 2016
Life in Silo 49 continues in this third book but has progressed 100+ years on. I love the characters and the storyline is very exciting (and tense!). Ann Christy always finds a new aspect to life in the Silo to write about and adds more detail to keep it fresh. Just book #4 left in this wonderful saga.
July 14, 2016
Not Put Down-able.
I am thrilled Ann Christy is continuing the Silo series. Each book has new and different characters, and all are well developed. That is very important to me. It's not put down-able. Thanks again, Ms. Christy.
I am thrilled Ann Christy is continuing the Silo series. Each book has new and different characters, and all are well developed. That is very important to me. It's not put down-able. Thanks again, Ms. Christy.
May 3, 2015
These books don't match the quality of the original Silo saga but they are nonetheless enjoyable and recommended to those wanting a bit more in that world.
January 23, 2016
Love it
I love this series as much as the original wool series. Brilliant read looking forward to the next one !
I love this series as much as the original wool series. Brilliant read looking forward to the next one !
March 22, 2016
This is a very good series set in the WOOL universe. I recommend it highly.
April 13, 2017
Another great silo story
This was a great book. I look forward to reading some of her other works. Can't wait to read the story of Greg and the last republicans
This was a great book. I look forward to reading some of her other works. Can't wait to read the story of Greg and the last republicans
March 11, 2018
A satisfying conclusion to the tale of Silo 49 that will be much enjoyed by fans of the Silo universe.
August 29, 2018
Great story
I've read some other reviews and am surprised that some readers don't realize that the U.S. attempt to sterilize the planet, is the central premise. It's written into the story "Wool" and the writer mentions it in the afterword. I hope I cleared up some of the strange confusion (denial?) around the genesis of the Silo system. Stars and Stripes forever, baby.
She's written her usual awesomely described environment and fully fleshed out characters. This is a dark universe and she writes about it really well.
This volume made me focus on the Others, from swearing to explaining criminality in the silo. The U.S. attempted the greatest genocide ever (exterminating the human race) and racial purity has to come into play when selecting the designated survivors for the silos. DNA requirements limiting non-Northern European, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon heritage are first tier screen. Wealth would have to be the second screen (top one hundredth of the top 1%). Silo maintenance and operation skills would be the third. All the selected would have to be OK with a mass racial cleansing and still the selected need to be drugged to eliminate critical thinking and challenges to the provided creation myths.
Despite all the above, Silo one still needs to be designed with the mandate and the means to destroy any errant Silo (and Its supposed 2% of remaining humanity). This is done with no warning, secretly , so that individual silo leadership isn't given the opportunity to comply and it doesn't even serve as an object lesson to other silos (it's done secretly!).
The Other is used to provide swear words, explain extreme criminality (murder, challenging authority, etc.), maintain fear of the outside (as is the poison created by the silos and piped into the depressions that separate each silo), justify the command and control function of silo one (which doesn't have any means to provide help and serves no other function).
The U.S. media (like any other) has always supported the current myth whether it's the happy slave, the woman who expects to be beaten once or twice a week by a real man, women are too stupid to do science, the Mexican is too lazy to work at anything other than his or her back breaking agricultural job, the black man is too cowardly to be a soldier (until highly motivated bodies are needed for the Civil War's assault on the fortresses at New Orleans, the Second World War assault on the fortress of Metz or the Pacific theater's aftermath of the Guadalcanal campaign), black teenagers and preteens - both girls and boys apparently scare the average policemen to death on a regular basis, it's OK to rent out convicts for as little as 4 cents an hour to government agencies and private industry for tasks including firefighting (The UN might call that slavery), etc.
The U.S. citizen apparently agrees that these are truths, and are willing to kill or at least protect those who do the killing of those who question them. (example, the testimony by a white female supporting the story of the police killer of Michael Brown at a grand jury, presented by the DA who was aware that she wasn't in the same area at the time and DA's never!!!! present defense witnesses, unless a police person kills a minority individual) and the cop who murdered the teenager received more than a million dollars in donations (for the inconvenience of bad press, a job well done, or what??). Don't we live in the world's 50 best/only silos.
American science fiction writers for the most part can't imagine or are too afraid to write about a future that doesn't feature an Earth that isn't totally populated by U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens are always English descended? with one surviving black person maybe, sometimes a single American of Asian descent (is he/she really American -wink) or a single Latino at some low level. Never do they explain the absence of about 50% of the current U.S. population which is non-white and the disappearance of the Polish, Italian, Armenian or Hungarian whites. There is no explanation for the disappearance of the rest of the world's populations and cultures (50% of the world's population is Chinese or Indian). Some readers are so invested in (why???) this weird compact and offended if it is challenged that rather than ignore the unpleasant truthsayer, will attack the critic. While doing so, they will maintain their lack of political bias. Don't we live in the world's best silos.
There have been others in the past but Howey has written the ultimate cautionary tale and Ann Christy has done it justice. My last thought was what the survivors will do in a world of others and how soon they begin thinking about ways to carry out the next cleansing. They still carry the same belief systems, the same need to exterminate the other, the same intolerance of even different ways of thinking. What will they feel compelled to do if they run into a black or Asian person other than try to kill them.
The silo dwellers are a splendid example of the sins of the father being passed onto the son (despite the gender specific nouns, this is meant in a totally gender neutral fashion). Hopefully it will take the silo survivors a long time to redevelop nuclear weapons.
I've read some other reviews and am surprised that some readers don't realize that the U.S. attempt to sterilize the planet, is the central premise. It's written into the story "Wool" and the writer mentions it in the afterword. I hope I cleared up some of the strange confusion (denial?) around the genesis of the Silo system. Stars and Stripes forever, baby.
She's written her usual awesomely described environment and fully fleshed out characters. This is a dark universe and she writes about it really well.
This volume made me focus on the Others, from swearing to explaining criminality in the silo. The U.S. attempted the greatest genocide ever (exterminating the human race) and racial purity has to come into play when selecting the designated survivors for the silos. DNA requirements limiting non-Northern European, Germanic and Anglo-Saxon heritage are first tier screen. Wealth would have to be the second screen (top one hundredth of the top 1%). Silo maintenance and operation skills would be the third. All the selected would have to be OK with a mass racial cleansing and still the selected need to be drugged to eliminate critical thinking and challenges to the provided creation myths.
Despite all the above, Silo one still needs to be designed with the mandate and the means to destroy any errant Silo (and Its supposed 2% of remaining humanity). This is done with no warning, secretly , so that individual silo leadership isn't given the opportunity to comply and it doesn't even serve as an object lesson to other silos (it's done secretly!).
The Other is used to provide swear words, explain extreme criminality (murder, challenging authority, etc.), maintain fear of the outside (as is the poison created by the silos and piped into the depressions that separate each silo), justify the command and control function of silo one (which doesn't have any means to provide help and serves no other function).
The U.S. media (like any other) has always supported the current myth whether it's the happy slave, the woman who expects to be beaten once or twice a week by a real man, women are too stupid to do science, the Mexican is too lazy to work at anything other than his or her back breaking agricultural job, the black man is too cowardly to be a soldier (until highly motivated bodies are needed for the Civil War's assault on the fortresses at New Orleans, the Second World War assault on the fortress of Metz or the Pacific theater's aftermath of the Guadalcanal campaign), black teenagers and preteens - both girls and boys apparently scare the average policemen to death on a regular basis, it's OK to rent out convicts for as little as 4 cents an hour to government agencies and private industry for tasks including firefighting (The UN might call that slavery), etc.
The U.S. citizen apparently agrees that these are truths, and are willing to kill or at least protect those who do the killing of those who question them. (example, the testimony by a white female supporting the story of the police killer of Michael Brown at a grand jury, presented by the DA who was aware that she wasn't in the same area at the time and DA's never!!!! present defense witnesses, unless a police person kills a minority individual) and the cop who murdered the teenager received more than a million dollars in donations (for the inconvenience of bad press, a job well done, or what??). Don't we live in the world's 50 best/only silos.
American science fiction writers for the most part can't imagine or are too afraid to write about a future that doesn't feature an Earth that isn't totally populated by U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens are always English descended? with one surviving black person maybe, sometimes a single American of Asian descent (is he/she really American -wink) or a single Latino at some low level. Never do they explain the absence of about 50% of the current U.S. population which is non-white and the disappearance of the Polish, Italian, Armenian or Hungarian whites. There is no explanation for the disappearance of the rest of the world's populations and cultures (50% of the world's population is Chinese or Indian). Some readers are so invested in (why???) this weird compact and offended if it is challenged that rather than ignore the unpleasant truthsayer, will attack the critic. While doing so, they will maintain their lack of political bias. Don't we live in the world's best silos.
There have been others in the past but Howey has written the ultimate cautionary tale and Ann Christy has done it justice. My last thought was what the survivors will do in a world of others and how soon they begin thinking about ways to carry out the next cleansing. They still carry the same belief systems, the same need to exterminate the other, the same intolerance of even different ways of thinking. What will they feel compelled to do if they run into a black or Asian person other than try to kill them.
The silo dwellers are a splendid example of the sins of the father being passed onto the son (despite the gender specific nouns, this is meant in a totally gender neutral fashion). Hopefully it will take the silo survivors a long time to redevelop nuclear weapons.
January 7, 2021
Awesome story about those in Silo 49 hoping to find a way out.
I loved Lillian and Leo's story. They have a wonderful relationship that most people can only dream about. Their closeness and shared goal of being the one to run outside makes for fierce competition through their training and practices.
The author is wonderful at describing things that are familiar to us as someone in an alien world would.
The race was intense, once that door opened and it began, I was not able to put the book down until I got to the end of it. The story was fascinating and had an ending I was happy with. Off to read book fourth and final book in the series now.
I loved Lillian and Leo's story. They have a wonderful relationship that most people can only dream about. Their closeness and shared goal of being the one to run outside makes for fierce competition through their training and practices.
The author is wonderful at describing things that are familiar to us as someone in an alien world would.
The race was intense, once that door opened and it began, I was not able to put the book down until I got to the end of it. The story was fascinating and had an ending I was happy with. Off to read book fourth and final book in the series now.
September 17, 2020
Having read the Wool series, and now the Silo 49 books, I must say that this world just continues to get more and more interesting with each book! Ann Christy has done a superb job of keeping the Wool cannon intact but creating a whole new set of circumstances and characters to keep me wanting more. If you enjoyed any of the books I would highly recommend reading this one as well. A well thought out story that keeps you engaged and wanting more!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews