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End of Times #1
Impact
It really is the four horsemen of the apocalypse, Death, Famine, War, and Conquest. Things a seventeen-year-old boy shouldn’t have to deal with.
In those most infamous words, mistakes were made. It wasn’t supposed to happen. The asteroid was supposed to miss. Running for their lives, Ryan Conrad and Kelsey Morgan, race to escape the impact of a super asteroid and the apocalyptic world it left behind. Fighting to survive the aftershocks. The earthquake to end all earthquakes, the largest tsunami in human history, and worst of all, the EMP and loss of civilization.
Ryan must lead a ragtag group of people from Seattle to the safety of his grandfather’s farm in northern Idaho. Unfortunately, it seems as if fate is aligned against them. Constantly putting every obstacle in their path. Laying every trap, as if this new dystopian world was designed to kill them.
To top it off. He’s stuck with young kids depending upon him, a girl out of his league, and knowledge that one mistake and they all die.
Two people fighting to survive the Impact. Fighting through the End of Times.
In those most infamous words, mistakes were made. It wasn’t supposed to happen. The asteroid was supposed to miss. Running for their lives, Ryan Conrad and Kelsey Morgan, race to escape the impact of a super asteroid and the apocalyptic world it left behind. Fighting to survive the aftershocks. The earthquake to end all earthquakes, the largest tsunami in human history, and worst of all, the EMP and loss of civilization.
Ryan must lead a ragtag group of people from Seattle to the safety of his grandfather’s farm in northern Idaho. Unfortunately, it seems as if fate is aligned against them. Constantly putting every obstacle in their path. Laying every trap, as if this new dystopian world was designed to kill them.
To top it off. He’s stuck with young kids depending upon him, a girl out of his league, and knowledge that one mistake and they all die.
Two people fighting to survive the Impact. Fighting through the End of Times.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 19, 2023
741 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
September 8, 2024
You should read this book.
Despite it’s 1 star rating, you should read this book and suffer through it to the last page, like I did. Reason? Because it will make you appreciate:
Good editing.
Simple fact checking.
Spell checking.
Rereading a chapter after you have typed it.
Learning English grammar at school.
Reduction of teenage angst.
Coming up with a plot that hasn’t been done to death.
This book has none of these.
And a two-mile wide, all-iron asteroid hitting Earth WOULD NOT cause an EMP but it WOULD cause a light-blocking dust cloud that would circle the Earth and cause loss of daylight. Those two things alone, negate this whole story. 💩
Despite it’s 1 star rating, you should read this book and suffer through it to the last page, like I did. Reason? Because it will make you appreciate:
Good editing.
Simple fact checking.
Spell checking.
Rereading a chapter after you have typed it.
Learning English grammar at school.
Reduction of teenage angst.
Coming up with a plot that hasn’t been done to death.
This book has none of these.
And a two-mile wide, all-iron asteroid hitting Earth WOULD NOT cause an EMP but it WOULD cause a light-blocking dust cloud that would circle the Earth and cause loss of daylight. Those two things alone, negate this whole story. 💩
July 16, 2024
Spelling and grammar matter
The spelling and grammar were so terrible that I couldn’t even make it to the meteor hitting. Every single word processing program has spelling and grammar check. I use them all the time, and unlike this author, I actually know the difference between brakes and breaks. I can also spell Beretta. And… well, anyway, I recommend the author start using spelling and grammar checks. I don’t recommend this book.
The spelling and grammar were so terrible that I couldn’t even make it to the meteor hitting. Every single word processing program has spelling and grammar check. I use them all the time, and unlike this author, I actually know the difference between brakes and breaks. I can also spell Beretta. And… well, anyway, I recommend the author start using spelling and grammar checks. I don’t recommend this book.
June 17, 2024
Overall, this not a bad story, though I had some issues with it. I tried to find info on whether a meteor hitting the atmosphere could cause an EMP; it appears the chances of this are miniscule and any ionization would be very small, certainly not able to disable electronics on a widespread basis. Ryan is a decent good guy with a lot of survival skills, but the overall tone is very YA, esp the attraction between him and Kelsey. That attraction would definitely occur in such a situation, but seems to consume a large part of the story. I was a bit surprised that a princess cheerleader type would not be more concerned about lack of hygiene than possibly drooling in her sleep. Some parts of the story seemed predictable but reasonable and it ends on an interesting cliffhanger. The editing, however, really brought the story down. There were missing words, malformed sentences and many instances of misspelling, including that of characters' names. I spent some time trying to figure out what a guy with goutte was. Since goutte is a heraldic word, I thought maybe the fella had a case of gout, but finally think it was meant to be goatee. I am one that is kind of bothered by poor editing, so am not sure if I will continue, though I am slightly interested in the outcome of the cliffhanger.
April 8, 2025
I wish I would have not finished this book. Not only was it full of spelling errors, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, factual errors, and sentence structure errors, it also wasn’t even a good storyline.
Don’t waste your time. There are much better apocalyptic survival stories available.
Don’t waste your time. There are much better apocalyptic survival stories available.
March 21, 2025
Seriously...
Was this an apocalypse book or a bad romance. All they did was think about how much they liked each other. Also seriously gag on the overused troupe
Spoiler.... she gets pregnant after they have sex TWO times while starving to death. I will not be reading the rest of the series. It started off okay, but it just got worse and worse as the book went on.
Was this an apocalypse book or a bad romance. All they did was think about how much they liked each other. Also seriously gag on the overused troupe
Spoiler.... she gets pregnant after they have sex TWO times while starving to death. I will not be reading the rest of the series. It started off okay, but it just got worse and worse as the book went on.
June 22, 2024
Engaging
Well written and interesting. I enjoyed the characters and the story was well told. There was nothing fancy or elaborate but it was a good solid story line. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Well written and interesting. I enjoyed the characters and the story was well told. There was nothing fancy or elaborate but it was a good solid story line. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
November 17, 2024
This had to be one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I hate saying things like this because I always try to be supportive of authors hoping to catch their big break but there were too many errors in this novel for me to let go. Grammatical errors abound, there was no clear idea whether this author understood the difference between the word where and were on several occasions. If anyone had taken a single read through on this novel, the grammatical errors would’ve been apparent and it made the writing seem sloppy.
More than grammatical errors, the plot moved too quickly and scenes that are normal for post-apocalyptic novels were rushed. There was no depth in the scenes where a potential fight for the characters lives were at stake and it felt, dare I say, safe? The only person in immediate danger was Ryan in one of the final scenes of the book, fighting off the intruders for his grandfathers farm. The character development in some areas made no sense with Ryan wanting payback for his grandfathers death but suddenly switching gears at the end allowing the third man to live? Ryan had been totally and completely ready to exact revenge on the men for killing his grandfather and suddenly shows restraint with no explanation?
The BIGGEST issue I had with this novel was the development of the relationship between Ryan and Kelsey. Normally in YA novels, even post apocalyptic ones, the development of a relationship occurs over the span of three novels or over an extended period of time. Instead, this author decided that within two weeks, these two would fall for each other, confess their undying love, and then Kelsey reveals she’s pregnant at the end? I’m not sure why there was such a rush to pull these two together?
I 100% do not recommend reading this if you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic novels. Do yourself a favor and pick up something else worthwhile.
More than grammatical errors, the plot moved too quickly and scenes that are normal for post-apocalyptic novels were rushed. There was no depth in the scenes where a potential fight for the characters lives were at stake and it felt, dare I say, safe? The only person in immediate danger was Ryan in one of the final scenes of the book, fighting off the intruders for his grandfathers farm. The character development in some areas made no sense with Ryan wanting payback for his grandfathers death but suddenly switching gears at the end allowing the third man to live? Ryan had been totally and completely ready to exact revenge on the men for killing his grandfather and suddenly shows restraint with no explanation?
The BIGGEST issue I had with this novel was the development of the relationship between Ryan and Kelsey. Normally in YA novels, even post apocalyptic ones, the development of a relationship occurs over the span of three novels or over an extended period of time. Instead, this author decided that within two weeks, these two would fall for each other, confess their undying love, and then Kelsey reveals she’s pregnant at the end? I’m not sure why there was such a rush to pull these two together?
I 100% do not recommend reading this if you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic novels. Do yourself a favor and pick up something else worthwhile.
August 17, 2024
excellent read
Impact (The End of Times Book 1) by Nate Johnson is a well-written, excellent read! This dystopian thrill ride brings the apocalypse to life as Ryan Conrad faces Death, Famine, War, and Conquest. With high stakes and relentless tension, it’s a gripping tale of survival and leadership. A must-read!
Impact (The End of Times Book 1) by Nate Johnson is a well-written, excellent read! This dystopian thrill ride brings the apocalypse to life as Ryan Conrad faces Death, Famine, War, and Conquest. With high stakes and relentless tension, it’s a gripping tale of survival and leadership. A must-read!
December 27, 2023
Read this book if you enjoyed Claire Kents "Last Light" and "Haven" or Elle Caseys "Apocalypsis". I have a weakness for apocalypse books and this author is one of my favorites as he builds solid storylines and creates such multifaceted characters.
I have also read this author's other series "The End of Everything" and it's amazing. I love how the author added more romance to this series. There are some needs for edits however the author is gifted in writing a fast-paced story that gets the readers immersed. I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next.
I can't believe I am the first one to post a review! This author deserves more recognition.
I have also read this author's other series "The End of Everything" and it's amazing. I love how the author added more romance to this series. There are some needs for edits however the author is gifted in writing a fast-paced story that gets the readers immersed. I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next.
I can't believe I am the first one to post a review! This author deserves more recognition.
November 1, 2024
Couldn’t get past the first chapter
‘Baretta’ instead of ‘Beretta’ and ‘bullion cubes’ instead of ‘bouillon cubes’ in the first few pages gave me no confidence to proceed with this book. I’d just be irritated the whole time.
‘Baretta’ instead of ‘Beretta’ and ‘bullion cubes’ instead of ‘bouillon cubes’ in the first few pages gave me no confidence to proceed with this book. I’d just be irritated the whole time.
January 17, 2024
A gripping read.
Extremely enjoyable. It was a great beginning and the story moved on at a good pace. It's a good start to a new series.
Extremely enjoyable. It was a great beginning and the story moved on at a good pace. It's a good start to a new series.
January 11, 2026
Nate Johnson missed the mark entirely here. When you have a literal planetary extinction event as your setting, you have a duty to make the stakes feel massive. Instead, this felt like a high school hallway drama that just happened to have a space rock in the background. Your point about the government is the most stinging: a "visionary" thriller needs to actually envision how systems would react, not just shrug and say Everyone dies. It is an act of narrative laziness that ruins the immersion.
The Vibe: Low-effort disaster fiction.
The Hook: A massive asteroid threat serves as the backdrop for human drama and government inaction.
The Tropes: Lazy. Inserting a jealousy plot between two girls while an asteroid is hurtling toward Earth is bottom-of-the-barrel writing. It is a cliché that adds nothing to the tension.
The Logic Gap: Get Real. The idea that the government would just sit back and let everyone die is a massive failure in world-building. It lacks any grounding in how political power or self-preservation actually works.
The Writing: Shallow. Instead of focusing on the immense logistical and psychological impact of a global threat, the narrative settles for petty, manufactured conflict.
The Verdict: An insulting read that ignores the scale of its own premise in favour of uninspired character dynamics.
The Vibe: Low-effort disaster fiction.
The Hook: A massive asteroid threat serves as the backdrop for human drama and government inaction.
The Tropes: Lazy. Inserting a jealousy plot between two girls while an asteroid is hurtling toward Earth is bottom-of-the-barrel writing. It is a cliché that adds nothing to the tension.
The Logic Gap: Get Real. The idea that the government would just sit back and let everyone die is a massive failure in world-building. It lacks any grounding in how political power or self-preservation actually works.
The Writing: Shallow. Instead of focusing on the immense logistical and psychological impact of a global threat, the narrative settles for petty, manufactured conflict.
The Verdict: An insulting read that ignores the scale of its own premise in favour of uninspired character dynamics.
June 2, 2024
An excellent find
Play must admit The title started to put me off. Don't get me wrong, I am religious in my own way,, Bye it is a deeply personal matter. I digress. This story is an excellent example of how our young people can be challenged by a life changing event. Believe me a 2 mile wide hunk of nickel iron rock hitting our planet will be a near extinction event. One item the story understates is the lack of preparation the general population has. They have become over dependent upon the government to take care of them. In such a situation, I wish I had their trust. What I got from this story is the agency I can depend on has only one person on staff. I see him every day in the mirror---he has my best interests at heart. I am not into "prepping" to most people the brings to mind some cretinious individual who measures their worth in how many or not big their guns are. Instead, I prefer to embrace the concept of "prudent precautions" which should a catastrophic event occur, it will give me my most valuable assets time to think. Enough editorializtion (if that is a word??????) Good story,well written and yeah the hero gets a kiss. Love it. More please???
Bill Hodges
Play must admit The title started to put me off. Don't get me wrong, I am religious in my own way,, Bye it is a deeply personal matter. I digress. This story is an excellent example of how our young people can be challenged by a life changing event. Believe me a 2 mile wide hunk of nickel iron rock hitting our planet will be a near extinction event. One item the story understates is the lack of preparation the general population has. They have become over dependent upon the government to take care of them. In such a situation, I wish I had their trust. What I got from this story is the agency I can depend on has only one person on staff. I see him every day in the mirror---he has my best interests at heart. I am not into "prepping" to most people the brings to mind some cretinious individual who measures their worth in how many or not big their guns are. Instead, I prefer to embrace the concept of "prudent precautions" which should a catastrophic event occur, it will give me my most valuable assets time to think. Enough editorializtion (if that is a word??????) Good story,well written and yeah the hero gets a kiss. Love it. More please???
Bill Hodges
July 22, 2025
A nice story about an apocalypse that reads very fast; I read this in less than a day. The author seems to have a lot of knowledge about survival skills, and I appreciate that.
Even though I liked the concept (I like apocalypse stories), I can't help but feel like this was a draft that needed a bit more editing. There's a lot of spelling errors, and stomachs & hearts seem to fall a tiny bit too often. The monologues of Kelsey also felt a bit shallow sometimes.
Moreover, more often than I liked, the focus seemed to be on the relationship between the main characters than on other things. I guess it's more of a romance genre than I expected.
Overall, it read like a pageturner. I kept wanting to know what would happen next. I saw that the next books in the series cover the other Conrads, but I really hope they also continue the story of Ryan Conrad. I just want to know what happens next...
(Marked as 3 stars, but probably valued more towards a 3.5 or higher)
Even though I liked the concept (I like apocalypse stories), I can't help but feel like this was a draft that needed a bit more editing. There's a lot of spelling errors, and stomachs & hearts seem to fall a tiny bit too often. The monologues of Kelsey also felt a bit shallow sometimes.
Moreover, more often than I liked, the focus seemed to be on the relationship between the main characters than on other things. I guess it's more of a romance genre than I expected.
Overall, it read like a pageturner. I kept wanting to know what would happen next. I saw that the next books in the series cover the other Conrads, but I really hope they also continue the story of Ryan Conrad. I just want to know what happens next...
(Marked as 3 stars, but probably valued more towards a 3.5 or higher)
November 10, 2024
Ryan and Kelsey: Seattle to Spokane to Idaho!
I loved this end of times saga! I’ve read lots of them but this one kept things fresh and alive! Ryan, the Boy Scout nerd, kept his tribe alive as they navigated the aftermath of an asteroid that hit on the West coast. Not only did they manage to get out of Seattle during earthquakes and a tsunami that wiped out the west coast, they walked across the state surviving all kinds of perils! As people realized their lives as they had known were forever changed and food became scarce human nature took over. Yet Ryan kept his sanity and protected his people while trying to get to his Papa’s farm. I can’t wait to start the next book!!!
I loved this end of times saga! I’ve read lots of them but this one kept things fresh and alive! Ryan, the Boy Scout nerd, kept his tribe alive as they navigated the aftermath of an asteroid that hit on the West coast. Not only did they manage to get out of Seattle during earthquakes and a tsunami that wiped out the west coast, they walked across the state surviving all kinds of perils! As people realized their lives as they had known were forever changed and food became scarce human nature took over. Yet Ryan kept his sanity and protected his people while trying to get to his Papa’s farm. I can’t wait to start the next book!!!
February 24, 2025
This is the first book in a series about a disaster that killed a billion people on just the first day, a disaster that involved a major EMP with all its negative results.
This is a scattered family that, somehow, how to make its way to a farm in Idaho where they might have a chance to survive. The first book has Ryan and his dog, Jake. There's his neighbor, Kelsey, who was popular at school and ran with a different crowd that Ryan.
All they have to deal with is earthquakes, major rain storms, thugs, lack of food and a few other things. It all amounts to a very tense and very well written book about surviving when the odds are not in their favor.
This is a scattered family that, somehow, how to make its way to a farm in Idaho where they might have a chance to survive. The first book has Ryan and his dog, Jake. There's his neighbor, Kelsey, who was popular at school and ran with a different crowd that Ryan.
All they have to deal with is earthquakes, major rain storms, thugs, lack of food and a few other things. It all amounts to a very tense and very well written book about surviving when the odds are not in their favor.
June 9, 2024
I love a book that takes place in the PNW.
For me this book was...OK. I don't feel I wasted my time reading it, but also wouldn't really recommend it. The author did a good job with the two main characters, but seemed to make the rest sort of whimpy. I feel like there were a lot of spelling and grammer errors. Example, it's a "goatee" NOT "goutte". I guess I was expecting more from their run-ins. I didn't get a huge sense of fear or anxiety from them. Pretty tame. That said, I AM interested in what happens next. I will most likely read the next book.
For me this book was...OK. I don't feel I wasted my time reading it, but also wouldn't really recommend it. The author did a good job with the two main characters, but seemed to make the rest sort of whimpy. I feel like there were a lot of spelling and grammer errors. Example, it's a "goatee" NOT "goutte". I guess I was expecting more from their run-ins. I didn't get a huge sense of fear or anxiety from them. Pretty tame. That said, I AM interested in what happens next. I will most likely read the next book.
June 23, 2024
Nice story, dramatic beginning…
…good main characters most of the time — certainly for a good 50% of the story. That is until the two main characters fall in love and then it becomes a teenage romance around a global disaster and struggles with starvation.
Still, it is written well, and there are few typos, and you can skim over the teenage angst that butts up against the “I’m going to love this boy for the rest of my life” declarations.
I’m going to give Volume 2 a try…
Sincerely,
…good main characters most of the time — certainly for a good 50% of the story. That is until the two main characters fall in love and then it becomes a teenage romance around a global disaster and struggles with starvation.
Still, it is written well, and there are few typos, and you can skim over the teenage angst that butts up against the “I’m going to love this boy for the rest of my life” declarations.
I’m going to give Volume 2 a try…
Sincerely,
August 18, 2024
Great potential but very simplistic writing. Too many spelling and grammatical errors. In spite of the heavy subject, it read like a poorly written teenage romance. The two main characters lacked personality and while I’d say the author is yet another who can’t write women or girls well, the male lead was also pretty 2 dimensional. I love a bit of romance thrown in to the post apocalyptic world but it was exhausting reading their childish thoughts about their love interest.. probably won’t read any more in this series.
August 18, 2024
I had previously read this book and enjoyed it so much that when I found out books 2 & 3 were out, I bought them. I reread the first and it was just as great the second time as the first. I'm not sure if the book is geared towards the teenage crowd or not, but I enjoyed it immensely. Written well, with believable characters, enough action and drama to satisfy me. I also enjoyed the fact that sex was not handled with inappropriate language and description, which made it a better read for me. I'm on book two now, and it's as enjoyable as the Impact.
October 5, 2024
I've never written a review before, but I just have to for this book. I think this book had real potential, but the amount of spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes was so hard to wrap my head around. I read this on my Kindle, and on the same page, Kelsey calls Ryan a "Loaner" and a paragraph later a "Loner." The fact it was the same word written twice on a page, but both different spellings just told me this was never edited.
I think this story would have been so much better if it were properly edited, but I just couldn't get into it with the number of mistakes there were.
I think this story would have been so much better if it were properly edited, but I just couldn't get into it with the number of mistakes there were.
February 1, 2025
I'd give this 3.5 stars rounded up. The premise was intriguing, and especially with this first book, the situations and characters were interesting. I found aspects of it unrealistic (the characterizations), and I thought it was amusing that within minutes/hours after the 'impact,' men were already looking for women. But all in all, it was interesting enough that I sped through it and grabbed the second one.
June 10, 2024
great story, holes in the plot, needs better editing
Kept my interest but really for younger folks. Terrible spelling. Many other consequences of life in the rough were not mentioned - scurvy? Weaker ones would die. No one got sick. Ryan was an unrealistic hero.
So, this version was cleaned up. An entertaining read.
Kept my interest but really for younger folks. Terrible spelling. Many other consequences of life in the rough were not mentioned - scurvy? Weaker ones would die. No one got sick. Ryan was an unrealistic hero.
So, this version was cleaned up. An entertaining read.
June 16, 2024
new take on disaster
I really did enjoy this book. Written from different perspectives as main 2 characters are teenagers. Ryan had a great upbringing and you can tell by his actions in the book. I like that there were NOT in-depth descriptions of the violence. I am ready for the next book. As everyone else the typos, usually can skip over but few words also used wrong.
I really did enjoy this book. Written from different perspectives as main 2 characters are teenagers. Ryan had a great upbringing and you can tell by his actions in the book. I like that there were NOT in-depth descriptions of the violence. I am ready for the next book. As everyone else the typos, usually can skip over but few words also used wrong.
July 25, 2024
This book has SO many spelling and grammar errors, it's painful. Misspelling characters' names (i.e., Kelsey as Kelsy or Kelesy), random punctuation (i.e., finishing a sentence with ".,"), etc. The general plot was fine but the editing was trash and is what will stop me reading the rest of the series or anything by the author. Yikes.
October 3, 2024
Pretty good
I almost never give a 5, so 4 is a good rating from me.... ...
I did hesitate giving 3 instead of 4 because of all the wrong/misspelled words..... such as there for their.......then for than and vice versa plus numerous others.
A good proofreader would correct those errors.....
But otherwise it's a good story and I look forward to the next book I the series.
I almost never give a 5, so 4 is a good rating from me.... ...
I did hesitate giving 3 instead of 4 because of all the wrong/misspelled words..... such as there for their.......then for than and vice versa plus numerous others.
A good proofreader would correct those errors.....
But otherwise it's a good story and I look forward to the next book I the series.
November 24, 2024
Quick read, finished it under 24 hours.
It wasn't as suspenseful as I would've liked it to be. The two main characters were great. The rest of them seemed annoying and wimpy.
The grammar mistakes were driving me crazy though.
Quote: Would they really shoot us? Why? I mean we were women and kids mostly. It felt impossible. This was America. We didn’t do stuff like that.
It wasn't as suspenseful as I would've liked it to be. The two main characters were great. The rest of them seemed annoying and wimpy.
The grammar mistakes were driving me crazy though.
Quote: Would they really shoot us? Why? I mean we were women and kids mostly. It felt impossible. This was America. We didn’t do stuff like that.
December 29, 2024
Impact
This was a really good book. I read it in a day and a half, in spite of the overwhelming amount of typos, sentence fragments, and misuse of words like peek and peak. These things drive a grammar nerd such as myself crazy. Fortunately the story line was compelling enough that I was able to overlook them and keep reading. Nate Johnson, if you need an editor, hunt me up! 😀
This was a really good book. I read it in a day and a half, in spite of the overwhelming amount of typos, sentence fragments, and misuse of words like peek and peak. These things drive a grammar nerd such as myself crazy. Fortunately the story line was compelling enough that I was able to overlook them and keep reading. Nate Johnson, if you need an editor, hunt me up! 😀
February 14, 2025
I really enjoyed the first halfish of this book. It made me feel like I was reading a dystopian ya book for the mid 2000s. Aka the main books that got me into reading. Then the main characters fell in love and it was awful. It was insta love to the max. It was cringey. I just hated it. I may pick up the other books in this series, but the odds are pretty low.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews