The Risen

The Survivor Chronicles #4

by Erica Stevens

*****This book is the final compilation and the conclusion to an ongoing serial story. This series must be read in order.*****

With new challenges and threats arising every day, the survivors struggle to reach their destination in the hopes of finding somewhere safe to stay. Along the way allies will become enemies and startling answers will be uncovered that will rock the very foundations of who they are. As the world continues to change around them, they begin to realize that it is not who they were, but what they will become that matters the most in their frightening new world. Find out who will survive in the exciting conclusion to The Survivor Chronicles.

***Due to language and graphic content this book is recommended for readers 17 and older.***

Edited by Leslie Mitchell at G2 Freelance Editing.
Cover art by EbookLaunch

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Apocalyptic, Zombies, Horror, Science Fiction, Fiction

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 13, 2015

About the author

Erica Stevens is the author of the Captive Series, Coven Series, Kindred Series, Fire & Ice Series, Ravening Series, and the Survivor Chronicles. She enjoys writing young adult, new adult, romance, horror, and science fiction. She also writes adult paranormal romance and historical romance under the pen name, Brenda K. Davies. When not out with friends and family, she is at home with her husband, son, dogs, cat, and horse.

She loves to speak with readers and can be found:

Erica Stevens/Brenda K. Davies Mailing List: http://bit.ly/ESBKDNews

Reviews

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4.25 Nutter Stars***

Well, it has finally come to the end and I'm sad to see this series go...through the 4 books, I feel like I have grown so close to Mary Ellen, Carl, Xander, Riley, Al and John. But I guess as any other good thing - it must end.

Why not 5 Stars?
I think it was because of the "special light" ---- I get the reason why everything happened but I think that was a bit OTT. That's just my opinion.

And please, don't get me wrong ---- I loved this series and I loved how things were explained and how knowledge was found (not just to have a genius with them).

Another plus about this series is the age difference of our narrators - we range from 17 years old to 70 years old! What a great way to get everyone's perspective of the apocalypse!!

[Val. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I decided to continue with this series. This has been one hell of a ride! I don't think I have ever felt fear as I felt it in this book! You never knew who was going to make it and who wasn't. A couple people came close and I thought I was going to lose it! Such an amazing story, plot twist and characters! It was sooooooooooo good! I loved everything about this even though I really thought I was going to have a couple heart attacks! The world that is created is so believable and so are the characters, I could relate to them because they were so real and that is why I am so attached to them! Carl, John and Al hands down my favorite! Love them!

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 1st book in the series, The Upheaval, was pretty good. It left me wanting to know more about the characters and their struggles to survive. However, I personally felt the story-line fell apart after that. If I had known I was about to meet up with zombies for the next 3 books, I would have stopped reading regardless of the questions left unanswered. I do enjoy a good end-of-the-world-as-you-know-it story; however, I was very disappointed to find not only flesh-eating zombies but I was left unfulfilled by the lack of scientific explanation for the author's world-changing/world-ending scenario. Wanting to know what happened to the characters is what compelled me to finish reading the series. The science was too vague and the nod to a possible biblical reason for the End weren't enough for me to recommend the series to my friends.

[Erica Stevens]

Now available.

[James Crawford · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a very, very hard review to write without any spoilers. The same things happen as far as battles with the pseudo-zombies. The group does meet some other survivors. Not all the original group survives.

Answers are given to the cause of the tsunami, earthquakes and the arising of cannibalistic pseudo-zombies and therein lies my problem. I have a very severe difficulty with the actual answer given. I don't accept it, I don't agree with it and, for me at least, it spoils the entire series. The reason given for all the death and destruction is simply one I cannot accept.

[Patricia Grigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This last book of The Survivor Chronicles was just as compelling as the previous 3 books. I highly recommend the series. If you have never had to face life and death as part of staying alive in your own life, then reading this series will give an idea of how those that have face such things have had managed to survive. Each person deals with such things in their own way. It is how you deal with things that determine the sort of person you are, or will become. I hope none of you ever have to find out what you are made of in this manner.

My sincere thanks to the author for this series.

[Debi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying the series despite the default to what was carefully explained are Not zombies (yeah, ok), but the end? Ruined the whole thing for me.
I should have seen it coming, with people bringing up the 4 horsemen, but there will always be those who see events through a Christian lens so I didn't think much of it. The volcano theory explained everything, I thought.
But then..

BTW, we saw War.
Huh.We saw Death.
Wow.
So its THE apocalypse.
Guess so.
Well that explains absolutely everything.
Yep. Best get to burying these Not zombies we just killed.

And I mentally throw the book into the sea.

[Jamie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending to this truly fantastic series fits so very well. Erica Stevens writes a completely different story with each series, and this one is no different.

The cause behind the terrible events that brought these people together weren't the true focus of the story. So often, the cause isn't the most important thing - it's what we do to survive the circumstances we find ourselves in.

I didn't allow myself to read the chapters as she posted them on Facebook because I knew I would struggle not to finish the story at my own pace. It must be hard for Erica to say goodbye to such a wonderful group of characters, but I truly believe her timing was perfect ... the ending was perfect ... all of it just "clicked" so well.

I'm left with that melancholy feeling I always have when I finish a truly fantastic series, and although I will miss them, it all feels so right. Thank you, yet again Erica, for sharing a story that swept me up and connected to my heart. You truly have a gift!

[Nicole Storey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was entertaining enough to keep me reading, yet was too predictable. Am I glad I finished it? Yes. I loved many of the characters and couldn't help but become invested in their outcomes. Does the series need some editing work? Yes, but many books do, and the errors I found didn't take away from the story. All in all, this is a YA series I would recommend to others. Dystopian novels are meant to be read with a grain of salt and lots of popcorn and soda. They are meant to take our minds off of the reality we live in and remind us that things can always be worse. And that's exactly what it did for me.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great series well worth reading. It's a fast moving page turner if you like post apocalyptic reads. I love how the characters come together, bond, and become like family as they start a new. I like how this book ended. So much of the time in a series you are left hanging. The author did a good job of giving closure, as well as giving you hope their might be more later on down the road.

[Kathy Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last, the tale is done, but what 'the end' was about blew me away. As much as I'd love to, I won't reveal it because I couldn't believe it myself. Again, Erica mixes the happy, sad and sometimes terrifying post apocalyptic days so well you almost feel you're there with them. The "Survivor Chronicles" is one of those stories that you will remember for a lifetime.

[Brenda Davies]

Now available.

[Catherine Larkin · Rating 1 out of 5]

How disappointed am i

Seriously? This ending is crap. I would have preferred Aliens to the biblical apocalypse. What a let down. Utter drivel.

[Michele Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the entire series but I'm only going to leave my review on this one; however, my review is for all books in the series.

The first two books I rated five stars -they were very good and portrayed realistic survival stories of an apocalypse. The time spent getting to know each of the characters, their journeys separately, and once all the characters met each other & continued surviving was well written. By the third book however, I was skipping ahead to some quoted parts because the third and fourth book started to lose interest for me. It just seemed a lot of more of the same that was already written in the first two books. There was nothing major that happened that couldn't have been resolved in the first two books and it just seemed kind of drawn out. By the fourth book when the horsemen were introduced it just wasn't spectacular enough to be believable in any way. I have read many supernatural books that are written so well that you can actually envision the world that they are describing. This aspect of the storyline just didn't have enough meat on the bones I suppose and it just sounded very far-fetched.

I did like the main characters very much and I enjoyed learning about their pasts and their struggles during the apocalypse and from their lives before. I gave the last two books four stars simply because there was nothing added and usually by the last books of a series, I'm excited to read the next one & that just wasn't the case this time. I have read many of this author's other books and have enjoyed everyone as a five star book. I think she did a great job on the series. It could've just been shorter or more could've been thrown in the last two books to make them more exciting! I would've liked to see more relationships formed that were summarized in the last chapter.

Still happy I read it since I love all these 'end of days' type of books.

[Flora Viggiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survival action adventure and so much more

I don't know where I heard this but it fits"I hate to get to the end of a book. It is like losing a good friend.". I have to say I have enjoyed getting to know the characters in this series. They are well rounded and believable. The author expressed the emotions and fear that happens to you when all you ever known has been uprooted and distorted all around you. The storyline is bold and exciting. The scenes are so well explained, I could picture it all. I have been in the areas the group was fleeing through and the author did her homework. The love in this book is one of romance and friendship and a family bond. The characters range in age from 60 to 8 and each one is different and is coping with a dystopian world in very different ways which kept this reader wanting to see how they would handle the next threat. I was again reading until the wee hours of the morning, but I just couldn't put the book down. The action and suspense was keeping me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this series. I look forward to reading more stories by this talented author.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was on the fence about continuing this series as moving from a disaster with quakes etc to zombie-esque sick people was a bit far-fetching in my opinion. Since it seems wrong to not finish the series, I figured why not and am rather sorry I did. As with the prior volumes, there is a repetitive feel to the story. The group goes into buildings etc, fights mutants, get hurt or killed and flee to rinse and repeat. They never seem to get much better at avoiding the zombie/mutants. In between these do-overs, they reflect and agonize a lot. I did like that they helped little Victor, but that didn't really go anywhere. It killed it for me with the religious swerve at the end. I don't care for a lot of religious stuff in my fiction, but to have actual Horsemen of the Apocalypse that appear was way, way too much. Quite a disappointment. I only gave 2 stars because I did finish and the editing was not terrible. Still this is time in my life that I won't get back.

[barb vanduzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time writing a review so bear with me...please
This series was like riding the best roller coaster ever! I felt like I was part of every page. The happy, the sad, the horrific and the devastating. There were a few times I was so caught up that I had to put the book down and walk away. My heart was pounding or I was crying. The characters became so important to me that I was on holding my breath when they were holding theirs. Al, Mary Ellen, Carl, John, Riley and Xander were my favorites however Al was the person I wanted to meet. If I was in the book I would want to ride in his car. Erica Stevens brought each personality to life and played them off each other perfectly. She never changed them throughout all three books, she kept them true to themselves. I wish this was a mini series!

[Sheila Coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

What a roller coaster! The fear, anguish, heartbreak, joy and love these people went through, it’s enough to break a normal person. The amount of humanity each of these people had was what I hope for if anything happens to this world.

The reason for it all was a little of a surprise, and having to wait till the end…well I’ll just say that throughout the whole series I kept trying to come up with something that would make sense for everything that was happening.

In the past, I have missed the characters when I have finished a series. With this one, I will miss the people, for they became rather real to me. I wouldn’t want to go through what they did, but I would love to be part of such a family in the end.

[Lisa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters. Great story.

I enjoyed the whole 4 book series. I like these kind of stories, but can rarely find one without filthy language on every page. Thankfully this author knows how to write a good story without constantly using the F word.
I liked the variety of characters and how they all came together as a family. I loved that the fight was mostly against the zombies and not against other survivors. I liked that a bite from a zombie did not mean certain death, and that not every fight meant the loss of another good guy. I loved that the end of the series gave us a glimpse at the future and it looked bright.

[Tammy R. Blackwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The survivors in this series struggle to stay alive every day. You learn to know and like each of the characters. The whole series has unexpected surprises. In most books, I can pretty much nail down what the ending will be. This one I could never dream up how it ended. Not sure I liked the ending it was a little over the top and far-fetched. I started the series because it portrayed a survival story and it went ways that I never thought it would. Don't get me wrong I did really like the series.

I will say with the covers in all four books being so similar it was hard when I was purchasing them to know which was which.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I finished the first book, I actually put down the series for a few days before coming back to continue it. The disasters just seemed so OTT, that I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue it. Obviously, I came back to it, and finished reading the series. I wanted to find out what had caused everything, plus there was the promise of zombies (gotta love a good zombie, right?). Anyway, the series took a serious left turn from what I expected in the last book, without that much indication that it was coming in previous books. That part was definitely OTT. The ending was a little disappointing to me, given how it went, but decent enough.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of hope and faith in humanity.

Erica Stevens continuing story of Raily, Zander, Al, Carl, John and all the others that at survived the end of the world as they new it; it's fantastic. You come to love these characters. You cheer when they make it through a bad situation and cry with their loss of a loved one.
This story gives to hope that if thing do get bad that our humanity will keep us together. The survivor chronicles are a fantastic read one that I'm glad I stopped and read. These books are well worth there price and really worth the read.

[Studym · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was also a good read. But by the time I reached this book I was tired of the same old journey. More of the initial survivors are lost and more are rescued by our friends. This story however ended rather abruptly. The epilogue gave a good explanation but it was not enough for me. The author could have trimmed the unnecessary lines of the story and put more information about the good part where they do get to sette down finally and re-build their lives.

Overall this book was really nice.

[Dizey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this four-book series, although, as I said in a previous review, four was probably overkill and could easily have been condensed into 3. I felt part of the survivor family, and the book's theme did give one pause to reflect on life, humanity, and what we are doing to our planet. A really well-told story, albeit padded in places. I'm almost sorry my journey with them is over.

[Larry Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is precious.

I don't believe that I have ever read a series that I enjoyed more or that made me think more about the life we have. By the time I started the last book I actually felt that I was part of the story. I ached with the death of my friends, and I was happy with the few victories we had.
I'm sorry that the series is over, but these characters have somehow made me a bit better.

[Athena Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like the author really wanted to write a good story... the characters are okay, and the plot had its tense moments... but the ending of the book was just bad. I don't want to spoil it, but had I known before reading, I wouldn't have bothered.

Book #1 was the best of the series, but it just kept going downhill from there. The author's writing did improve with each book, but overall, the ending feels very unplanned and uninspired.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. It was hard to read as I had pains I was dealing with and the grittier parts of the tale were not the escape I wanted.

But I loved how it ended. With a minor character wrapping up the tale.

I even like how the religious or supernatural aspect is basically absent until the end. I had wanted that aspect the entire series, but in hindsight that would've resulted in a very different story.

This focused more on the humanity, and the lack thereof.

[Teresa Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Series !!!

I couldn't put this series down.I would finish one book and start on another one.I fell in love with the characters and all the hair raising scary thing that happened to the Survivors.You just wanted them all to get to a good place and have peace. Loved the Epilogue great ending.Get this series you will not be sorry.

[Robin Perryman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survivors

I enjoyed this part. It ended well for them. I didn't see it happening with all they went through along the way. Too bad some of the characters didn't make it after finally reaching their destination. Just when you think you know what's going on, you really don't. I was really wondering how this would end. This was a good series and my first books by this author.

[Violet H Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Ending

I was a little disappointed in some of the ending. I think I would rather not have a reason for why their world ended than the one given. But mostly it was about how the characters fared. I liked them very much. They survived so many hardships and deserved an ending that reflected the struggles they lived through. All together I very much enjoyed the series.