Last Light

by Kelly Schweiger

Survival, family, resilience. When the world goes dark, one family's self-sufficient lifestyle becomes its greatest strength.

In a remote mountain lodge, the Callahan family has spent decades perfecting the art of self sufficient living. Gus and Jo have created a haven where their children and grandchildren can thrive, teaching them the skills needed to survive anything. Their carefully constructed world is thrown into chaos when a mysterious power outage isolates them from civilization.

This gripping family drama is an adventure in survival fiction that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you love heart-pounding suspense, fierce family bonds, and wilderness survival, you'll be captivated by this raw and powerful story of resilience against all odds.
Will their years of preparation and off-grid living be enough to bring their family back together and survive in a world that's suddenly gone dark?

Grab your copy of this Post-apocalyptic action adventure and step into the Callahans' world of survival and strength.

For fans of SHTF prepper or survival novels, such

The Borrowed World by Franklin Horton
One Second After by William R. Forstchen
The Complete Series by Tara Ellis & Mike Kraus
Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone
Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2025

About the author

Kelly Schweiger has published several books in the past. Her latest venture is as a novelist. She is a storyteller who combines her passion for self-sufficiency and family-centered resilience into gripping, emotionally rich fiction.

Book One - Last Light is out now on Amazon and B&N

Follow her on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for behind-the-scenes content and updates.

Reviews

[Terri Stoel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging story with lots of action

This is a very good story. You become engaged with the characters quickly and eagerly await the next action. The end of the book caught me by surprise and can't wait for the next one!

[Ava Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something about Gus and Jo that just gets you from the very first pages. You can feel the decades of intention behind everything they've built the lodge, the routines, the values they passed down to their kids and grandkids. It's not just a homestead, it's a whole philosophy of life. And Schweiger makes you fall in love with that world before she starts tearing it apart.

When the power goes out and the isolation sets in, the tension doesn't come from outside threats alone - it comes from *within* the family itself. That's what makes this different from every other survival book I've picked up. The Callahans are prepared for the wilderness. They're not always prepared for each other. Old wounds, different personalities, the pressure of fear and uncertainty all of that surfaces when civilization disappears and there's nowhere to hide from the people you love most.

The survival elements are woven in so naturally. The off-grid skills, the food preservation, the way they think through problems - it never feels like a manual. It feels like *living*. You find yourself learning things without realizing you're being taught, because the characters carry that knowledge so organically.

The pacing is relentless in the best way. Just when you think the family gets a moment to breathe, something shifts. The wilderness around the lodge stops feeling like a sanctuary and starts feeling like something that's closing in. And through all of it, the emotional core never gets lost. Every survival decision is also a family decision. Every risk someone takes carries the weight of everyone they love.

The middle section genuinely wrecked me. I had to put the book down and just sit quietly for a few minutes. That's the mark of a story that has truly gotten under your skin.

If you've been avoiding post-apocalyptic fiction because you assume it's all hard men with guns and zero emotional depth *Last Light* is your sign to try again. This is quiet dread and fierce love. This is a grandmother still holding her family together with sheer will. This is what survival fiction looks like when it actually respects the reader's heart.

Kelly Schweiger, I will be reading everything you write. That is a promise.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hits you right in the heart a survival story that’s also about love and legacy.
This wasn’t just about prepping or off grid living it was about a family who chose each other, over and over again, when the world fell apart. Gus and Jo feel like real people you can sense the years of hard earned wisdom in their decisions, their fears for their kids, and the strength in their calm. The emotional core of the story caught me off guard. Yes, there’s action and tension, but it’s the family dynamic that stayed with me. It made me think about what we’d do if everything stopped working tomorrow. Would we be strong enough? Would we be together?

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic survival, raw emotions, and strong characters.
What I appreciated most was how grounded this story felt. The survival tactics weren’t flashy they were believable. The pacing lagged slightly in the middle, but the tension never truly let up. The grandchildren were a standout for me watching how the younger generation responded to crisis added another layer of realism. It felt like reading something that could actually happen, and that’s the scariest part.

[Khalifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best modern survival stories I’ve read.
This book gets the human side of collapse right. The fear, the doubt, the love it’s all here. It wasn’t about explosions or zombies; it was about people, and what they do when they lose the world but still have each other. The Callahans reminded me of my own family in ways that surprised me. A quiet, powerful read that stays with you long after you close the last page.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but needed more urgency.
I loved the idea and the setup. The family, the lodge, the mystery of the outage it had all the ingredients. But parts of the story felt like it dragged, and the stakes didn’t always feel as high as they could have been. Still, the themes of family and resilience are powerful, and fans of slower paced survival fiction will find a lot to appreciate here.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than survival it’s about what matters most when nothing else is left.
This story made me tear up more than once. Not because it was tragic although some parts were but because it was so real. The grandparents trying to keep everyone calm, the younger ones dealing with isolation and fear, the moments of doubt... it all hit home. It reminded me that survival isn’t just about food and water it’s about keeping your soul intact when the lights go out.

[Vicitoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of true to life collapse stories this one delivers.
I’ve read The Borrowed World and One Second After, and this sits comfortably next to those on my shelf. It’s quieter, more character driven, but no less intense. The isolation of the mountain lodge setting added a claustrophobic tension that worked really well. A few secondary characters could’ve been fleshed out more, but overall, this was compelling and emotionally rich.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid story, especially for fans of the genre.
It checked all the right boxes prepper lifestyle, remote setting, family bonds, and a slow building mystery. I just wanted a bit more danger or conflict earlier on. Some scenes were deeply touching though, especially the quiet moments between the grandparents and the kids. You feel the weight of generations trying to pass something on not just skills, but hope.

[Jen Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a refreshing, different look for the dystopian genre. These folks were READY! Although it was a little hard to believe that each and every family member were great at all things survival. They always seem to come out on top- also hard to believe. Kudos to the author for having a bunch of animals without killing any though! This was a very PG rated/ borderline Christian fiction book. I enjoyed it! Book 2- winter is coming!

[Aurelia Hulls · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t just a survival thriller, it’s a beautifully layered family story. The Callahan's are well-developed, and their emotional bonds make the stakes even higher. Schweiger builds tension not only with the blackout but also through intergenerational dynamics that feel genuine. I loved how survival wasn’t just physical, it was emotional too

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the first page. The Callahan family's deep connection and preparedness felt authentic, and the tension of the blackout scenario was incredibly realistic. I loved how the story balanced survival action with emotional depth. If you're into off grid living or just enjoy a good family driven post apocalyptic read, this one's a must!

[Stellar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow burn that rewards you with emotional payoff.
It starts quietly a little too quietly maybe but as the world darkens, so does the tone, and you really feel the walls closing in. What I loved was the intimacy of it. You’re right there with the Callahans, trying to hold on to routines and sanity while the outside world vanishes. Jo’s character especially stood out such grace under pressure.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant, suspenseful, and deeply human.
I didn’t expect to connect so deeply with a story about survival, but this book surprised me. There were no cheap thrills just people trying to protect each other when everything else is stripped away. I felt like I knew the Callahans by the end. Their world might be fictional, but the love and grit they showed? That felt real.

[linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional gut punch in the best way.
This book made me sit with some tough questions: Are we really ready for the unexpected? What happens when the world we rely on disappears? The Callahan family’s journey is part survival guide, part emotional reckoning. And it’s so well written. It pulled me in slowly, then gripped me all the way to the end. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

[Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such A Dream

The author did a good job at with the characters but it got frustrating when one paragraph would swiap to a different character without a page break. Head hoping is something I really dislike when reading, it took me ages to read and listen to the audio along with the book.
Still, I am off to find more books about this family.

[Jill Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can be done when you work together

There is much that can be gleaned from the story as you prepare your own household. A very good read…actually, I think the story was refreshing in that violence was not a main character or storyline. Looking forward to book two.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding story

Loved this book. It reminds me of Millie Cooper books because the family members come to life before your eyes. She writes about how the family preserves food, smokes meat, and how everything in nature is used. There is drama, survival, and love. Must read!

[kathy conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can an end of times book be so fufilling? All the excitement, all the scares, and best of all al

Best emo book ever! She felt with the many horrors of such a situation, buy the amazing strength resilience and love that this family has is nothing less than hope and promise.

[Hazel Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family union

This book,this story is one of the best post-apocalyptic stories I have ever read,it's filled with action,and above all,practical survivability snippets.

[Tiffany Weidendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

Lots of interesting characters. Shows how a family working together can survive and rebuild. Shows kindness can build an amazing family.

[James David Warfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

refreshing

Pop books have a water. This one has a lot of positive thinking and doesn’t rely on a lot of graphic really liked almost like chicken soup for during lytic encounter.

[Earlleen Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read could not put it down

Good story line. Fun and believable. Really enjoyed the interplay of characters. Could not put it down. Looking forward to book 2.