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The Last Clone: A Post-Apocalyptic Medical Thriller
Civilization has collapsed in the wake of an engineered plague, leaving medicine and science in free fall. Dr. Avit Arceneaux and Sister Lazare seek refuge in Scorpion Hollow, a remote Appalachian town where survival depends on secrecy.
Their fragile peace unravels when a clone of Avit’s nemesis arrives with grim modified clones are dying, and the cause may be linked to the same rogue experiment that altered Avit and Lazare’s DNA.
Betrayal, suspicion, and a landscape poisoned by reckless bioengineering force Avit to confront the future of human survival. The stakes are nothing less than the fate of mankind—and the family he has sworn to protect.
The Last Clone is a dystopian medical thriller that Will humanity guide its own evolution—or guarantee its extinction?
The Last Clone is a post-apocalyptic medical thriller set in a future where stasis clones, once harvested for organ transplant, now walk among the living. As Avit and Lazare navigate the often erratic consequences of bioengineering, society questions what it truly means to be human.
Book Two in The Genethic Legacy Series. Best read after The Last Plague.
Their fragile peace unravels when a clone of Avit’s nemesis arrives with grim modified clones are dying, and the cause may be linked to the same rogue experiment that altered Avit and Lazare’s DNA.
Betrayal, suspicion, and a landscape poisoned by reckless bioengineering force Avit to confront the future of human survival. The stakes are nothing less than the fate of mankind—and the family he has sworn to protect.
The Last Clone is a dystopian medical thriller that Will humanity guide its own evolution—or guarantee its extinction?
The Last Clone is a post-apocalyptic medical thriller set in a future where stasis clones, once harvested for organ transplant, now walk among the living. As Avit and Lazare navigate the often erratic consequences of bioengineering, society questions what it truly means to be human.
Book Two in The Genethic Legacy Series. Best read after The Last Plague.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 31, 2025
3.5 stars for me.
Read as a free review copy from BookSirens.
Here is my take on this follow-up book by Dawn of which I have just completed reading a free review copy via BookSirens, to whom I am thankful and this review and the thoughts are entirely my own.
Just like in the first book which I had read prior to this, the premise is a grabber. In the uneasy quiet after a world ending sickness, two genetically engineered clones try to build a life in a remote North Georgia town while expecting what may be the first clone baby. The setup mixes medical what ifs with frontier style survival and a thread of faith and that's a heady cocktail which gives the opening chapters a strong pull. I was immediately curious about how biology, ethics and small town suspicion would collide.
Here the ideas are the star. Clones once created for harvesting organs (an old premise) now asking for ordinary lives. A pregnancy that could rewrite the rules of humanity. A doctor and a nun wrestling with science and conscience while danger presses in. When the story leans into those questions it shines, raising debate without stopping the narrative to lecture. The location backdrop adds texture and a sense of hush and threat that suits a story about people trying to hide in plain sight.
Where the book lost me a bit was in rhythm and focus. The middle stretch drifts between town intrigue and big picture revelations and a few turns arrive with more tell than show. I wanted deeper time inside the heads of Avit and Lazare, especially as their choices grow sharper and the stakes rise. The tension with periodic spikes kept me turning pages but also made some scenes feel like stepping stones rather than full moments.
The prose is clean and a handful of set pieces really land. A late sequence was heartfelt. The spiritual undertones are well handled. Readers like me who prefer more hard science are left wanting for more grounding on the lab side but my thriller side was content with the momentum and the sense that danger was never far away.
This is book two in a series and for me it reads best that way. As a standalone a reader would be able to follow the main arc but I felt that that character history and some world rules were established earlier which would not transmit perfectly for one who reads just this but would not in any way lessen the enjoyment of the journey.
So works fine as a standalone.
My final take - An Imaginative premise, engaging moral questions and a couple of excellent sequences carry it, while a choppy middle and thinner character depth kept it from fully soaring. I will likely continue with the series to see where the author takes this family and this fragile new world.
Dawn is an author to look out for.
Read as a free review copy from BookSirens.
Here is my take on this follow-up book by Dawn of which I have just completed reading a free review copy via BookSirens, to whom I am thankful and this review and the thoughts are entirely my own.
Just like in the first book which I had read prior to this, the premise is a grabber. In the uneasy quiet after a world ending sickness, two genetically engineered clones try to build a life in a remote North Georgia town while expecting what may be the first clone baby. The setup mixes medical what ifs with frontier style survival and a thread of faith and that's a heady cocktail which gives the opening chapters a strong pull. I was immediately curious about how biology, ethics and small town suspicion would collide.
Here the ideas are the star. Clones once created for harvesting organs (an old premise) now asking for ordinary lives. A pregnancy that could rewrite the rules of humanity. A doctor and a nun wrestling with science and conscience while danger presses in. When the story leans into those questions it shines, raising debate without stopping the narrative to lecture. The location backdrop adds texture and a sense of hush and threat that suits a story about people trying to hide in plain sight.
Where the book lost me a bit was in rhythm and focus. The middle stretch drifts between town intrigue and big picture revelations and a few turns arrive with more tell than show. I wanted deeper time inside the heads of Avit and Lazare, especially as their choices grow sharper and the stakes rise. The tension with periodic spikes kept me turning pages but also made some scenes feel like stepping stones rather than full moments.
The prose is clean and a handful of set pieces really land. A late sequence was heartfelt. The spiritual undertones are well handled. Readers like me who prefer more hard science are left wanting for more grounding on the lab side but my thriller side was content with the momentum and the sense that danger was never far away.
This is book two in a series and for me it reads best that way. As a standalone a reader would be able to follow the main arc but I felt that that character history and some world rules were established earlier which would not transmit perfectly for one who reads just this but would not in any way lessen the enjoyment of the journey.
So works fine as a standalone.
My final take - An Imaginative premise, engaging moral questions and a couple of excellent sequences carry it, while a choppy middle and thinner character depth kept it from fully soaring. I will likely continue with the series to see where the author takes this family and this fragile new world.
Dawn is an author to look out for.
May 28, 2025
I am in awe! A writer myself, I deal in contemporary situations and social problems. I could never, ever do what Dawn C. Crouch, in her book The Last Clone, has done. Crouch creates a future world, a world dominated by human clones. But her world doesn’t stop there, for she puts them, not only in a pandemic-destroyed Atlanta, but also in a community in the Appalachians, a place that also is destroyed by the pandemic but has found a way to carry on. Her protagonist Avit is a pathologist known for his autopsies on the casualties of this pandemic, specifically on the many, many clones who have perished. It is his job to determine the cause for this calamity. But, fearing for his life, he flees Atlanta, with his wife, to the mountain community where his assistant has left a cabin. Avit then becomes that community’s only doctor, assisted by a young woman who can’t seem to figure out if she likes this new “doctor” or not. Avit and his wife Lazare have special DNA, which makes them not only useful to society but a threat to those in power in Atlanta. And that’s enough of the plot you need to know. To tell more would spoil it all. But believe me, Crouch has filled the novel with tons of medical facts and speculations, a world that is exciting and dangerous, two main characters we come to love and appreciate, and a wealth of supporting players that interest, delight, and astonish. This is a world I could never create (and wish I could) and one that will fascinate readers. And to make it even more appealing, The Last Clone is a sequel to an earlier Crouch novel, and a third book in the series is due out in a few months. There is much to like about this post-apocalyptical world Dawn C. Crouch has created for our enlightenment and enjoyment.
July 9, 2025
A good adventure
What a great book! It has all the elements, adventure, science fiction, to make its reading an enjoyable experience.
The reader won’t want to stop until they find out what will happen to all the characters and the central story that surrounds them. The characters are so well described that it’s very easy to imagine them and understand their emotions and actions. Its main character is Avit, a pathologist who dedicated himself to autopsies during the pandemic, and because of that, he became famous.
The settings are not hard to picture, since most of the adventure takes place in Atlanta and the Appalachian Mountains, destroyed by the pandemic.
It’s 384 pages where the reader is immersed in a series of events that, thanks to an easy-to-understand narrative, make the reading enjoyable and provide a moment of distraction.
The Last Clone grabs attention from its cover, because with a seemingly simple illustration, it hints at what the book is about.
It’s definitely a good book that captivates the reader from beginning to end.
What a great book! It has all the elements, adventure, science fiction, to make its reading an enjoyable experience.
The reader won’t want to stop until they find out what will happen to all the characters and the central story that surrounds them. The characters are so well described that it’s very easy to imagine them and understand their emotions and actions. Its main character is Avit, a pathologist who dedicated himself to autopsies during the pandemic, and because of that, he became famous.
The settings are not hard to picture, since most of the adventure takes place in Atlanta and the Appalachian Mountains, destroyed by the pandemic.
It’s 384 pages where the reader is immersed in a series of events that, thanks to an easy-to-understand narrative, make the reading enjoyable and provide a moment of distraction.
The Last Clone grabs attention from its cover, because with a seemingly simple illustration, it hints at what the book is about.
It’s definitely a good book that captivates the reader from beginning to end.
July 10, 2025
The Last Clone is a gripping blend of post-apocalyptic fiction and medical thriller that grabs my attention from the first page and refuses to let me go. Set in a world still reeling from scientific overreach and global catastrophe, it explores powerful themes like identity, survival, ethics, and the true meaning of humanity.
Dr. Avit and Sister Lazare’s relationship adds emotional weight to an already intense plot, especially with the twist of the first clone pregnancy. Their love, fragile and fierce, is put to the test when science turns on them once again. The stakes are sky-high, and the arrival of Avit’s doppelgänger enemy injects chilling suspense.
This book offers a perfect mix of thought-provoking ideas and fast-paced action. Readers as me who enjoy bioethics, dystopia, and emotional complexity will find this an unforgettable ride. A thrilling and heartfelt continuation of the series!
Dr. Avit and Sister Lazare’s relationship adds emotional weight to an already intense plot, especially with the twist of the first clone pregnancy. Their love, fragile and fierce, is put to the test when science turns on them once again. The stakes are sky-high, and the arrival of Avit’s doppelgänger enemy injects chilling suspense.
This book offers a perfect mix of thought-provoking ideas and fast-paced action. Readers as me who enjoy bioethics, dystopia, and emotional complexity will find this an unforgettable ride. A thrilling and heartfelt continuation of the series!
July 10, 2025
Amazing
I love books where from the very first moment, you can feel the tension and know it will be a journey full of emotion, intrigue, action, and unexpected twists. One of the things that caught my attention the most was the setting of the story, which takes place during a pandemic, a situation we have all lived through. That makes it easier to reconnect with emotions we’ve already experienced. This allows the reader to become more engaged with the storyline and feel empathy toward certain characters. I found it incredible how the characters evolve and handle the difficult situations they face. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to dive into a thrilling, emotional, and even nostalgic adventure.
I love books where from the very first moment, you can feel the tension and know it will be a journey full of emotion, intrigue, action, and unexpected twists. One of the things that caught my attention the most was the setting of the story, which takes place during a pandemic, a situation we have all lived through. That makes it easier to reconnect with emotions we’ve already experienced. This allows the reader to become more engaged with the storyline and feel empathy toward certain characters. I found it incredible how the characters evolve and handle the difficult situations they face. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to dive into a thrilling, emotional, and even nostalgic adventure.
October 3, 2025
This is a dystopian medical thriller and the second in a series. A man-made plague has ravaged the globe. In its wake, both science and medicine cannot hope to advance. Sister Lazare and Dr. Avit Arceneaux, our protagonists, are hiding out in the Appalachian town of Scorpion Hollow. A clone of the doctor’s arch-rival appears and tells them that modified clones are dying. There seems to be a connection to the shady experiment that altered Lazare and Arceneaux’s DNA.
Now, this pair must figure out how to navigate a rapidly changing landscape where nobody’s motivations are clear and trust is a thing of the past. This novel is tense, gripping, and asks many pertinent questions, not least among them what it truly means to be human.
Now, this pair must figure out how to navigate a rapidly changing landscape where nobody’s motivations are clear and trust is a thing of the past. This novel is tense, gripping, and asks many pertinent questions, not least among them what it truly means to be human.
October 11, 2025
A compelling dystopian novel
What a great post- apocalyptic story! “The last clone” is part of the series called “The Genetic Legacy” written by Dawn Crouch. It’s an original plot and I dare say that it’s also alarming. This question of an engineering plague that affects the earth can be compared to the pandemic years. It was a moment of uncertainty, fear and medical investigations, similar to what happens in some of the story.
This is an engaging dystopian medical thriller that will leave readers at the edge of their seats without blinking. I liked the author’s writing style because it allows readers to feel immersed in that catastrophic place. I was amazed by the medical, technological and also personal issues that it touches. I definitely recommend it.
What a great post- apocalyptic story! “The last clone” is part of the series called “The Genetic Legacy” written by Dawn Crouch. It’s an original plot and I dare say that it’s also alarming. This question of an engineering plague that affects the earth can be compared to the pandemic years. It was a moment of uncertainty, fear and medical investigations, similar to what happens in some of the story.
This is an engaging dystopian medical thriller that will leave readers at the edge of their seats without blinking. I liked the author’s writing style because it allows readers to feel immersed in that catastrophic place. I was amazed by the medical, technological and also personal issues that it touches. I definitely recommend it.
July 11, 2025
The Last Clone is a riveting post-apocalyptic thriller which is strongly grounded in medical knowledge. The author, Dawn C Crouch has done a very good job of portraying characters that are in peril – they fear for their lives and that of their loved ones. Dr. Avit Arceneaux is responsible for figuring out the dangers that are looming over his wife, his child that is yet to be born and the ever-dwindling population. Although this is the second book in the series, I was able to read it as a standalone. However, it has made me curious to read the first book and I am looking forward to the third book.
October 10, 2025
If you’re like me and love a good post-apocalyptic thriller, then this is the next book you need to read! The Last Clone by Dawn Crouch is an intelligent dystopian novel in which so-called statis clones, who were once used for organ harvesting, now live among mankind. Thanks to nefarious bioengineering experiments, humanity also has to deal with a plague and modified DNA. Dr. Arceneaux and Sister Lazare were hoping to escape to a remote Appalachian town, but disaster follows them.
The novel deals with very topical issues including the dangers of a scientific and medical system out of control. The book is a page-turner and thought-provoking. This is an excellent read.
The novel deals with very topical issues including the dangers of a scientific and medical system out of control. The book is a page-turner and thought-provoking. This is an excellent read.
October 13, 2025
What an incredible book! Sometimes, I feel hard to believe that someone can create this kind of stories that are so interesting and entertaining, but also with a creativity that blows my mind. This book is a post apocalyptic thriller focused on a world where medicine has gone crazy and can mean the end of the world as we know it. I love to see a strong protagonist that would do anything to protect his family and the world he loves.
It is a book that deepens on the human spirit and how sometimes this could mean to create amazing things but also things that can be terrible and brutal. Read it now.
It is a book that deepens on the human spirit and how sometimes this could mean to create amazing things but also things that can be terrible and brutal. Read it now.
May 20, 2025
In The Last Clone, Crouch delivers a compelling continuation of her post-apocalyptic saga. The story follows characters navigating the fallout of unchecked science, blending personal stakes with larger questions about identity, survival, and what it means to be human.
Crouch writes with clarity and purpose, building a future that feels grounded yet unpredictable. Her characters face real consequences, and each choice carries weight.
Thank you for letting me read your book!
Crouch writes with clarity and purpose, building a future that feels grounded yet unpredictable. Her characters face real consequences, and each choice carries weight.
Thank you for letting me read your book!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews