Before The Dawn (The Ending Series, #4): A Post-Apocalyptic Romance

The Ending #4

by Lindsey Fairleigh, Lindsey Pogue

THE FOURTH AND FINAL BOOK IN THE ENDING SERIES.

A year ago, the Virus killed off most people in the world.

A year ago, strange things started happening to those who survived. Some of them transformed into something dark and sinister, while others evolved, becoming something more, something beyond human.

A year ago, Dani and Zoe were lost. They traversed the country to find one another, losing some of the people dearest to them along the way. They fought for their right to simply live, uncovered long-buried secrets, and discovered irreversible truths. And after everything Dani and Zoe have been through—even with the battle wounds that they bear—they’re still not safe.

It’s time for the struggling to end, for survivors to take back their lives, their families, their safety. It’s time to really begin to live, and to do that, they must wait for the first rays of dawn.

*This book contains some adult content and language*

THE ENDING SERIES
Book 1: After The Ending
Book 2: Into The Fire
Book 3: Out Of The Ashes
Book 4: Before The Dawn
The Ending Series: World After (TBR)

THE ENDING BEGINNINGS
Omnibus - all 6 prequel novellas in 1 volume
I: Carlos
II: Mandy
III: Vanessa
IV: Jake
V: Clara
VI: Jake & Clara

Genres: Dystopia, Romance, Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Fiction

502 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2015

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before the Dawn is book four in The Ending series by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue. This book was generously provided to me in exchange for an honest review by the author. I started this series with the six prequels and instantly fell in love. Then, when I began the actual series, my love turned to obsession. I have been waiting for a long time for the finale and this book was everything I wanted it to be, and more. I have been with the characters of this book as they evolved from kids to tough survivalists. They have experienced so much loss but have also found so much love.



Jake, Zoe, Jason, Dani, and the rest of their group have settled in to life on the farm in California. They have helped to start neighboring farms and the group of homesteads has come to be known as Hope Valley. They are near their childhood home town now known as New Bodega where they can go to trade. Each day they learn more of how to not only survive but to flourish on the farm without the everyday things we all take for granted in our lives.



Did they actually let their guard down or was it inevitable that danger would once again threaten them? It’s the end of November and as Jason and Dani are out on a foraging walk through the woods and enjoying some time together alone, the unthinkable happens and they are once again torn apart.



The rest of the group goes into rescue mode as they try to figure out what actually happened. In a world when super powers are the norm, this is not an easy task. But they are determined to bring back their missing family member whether alive or not.



The rescue team finds their own danger as they are ripped apart and forced to rescue one of their own. And once again, I am so glad I read the prequels first as an evil character from the past re-emerges on his own quest for power.



This book takes us from the farm to Sacramento and back to the Colony in Colorado Springs. Our group experiences love, loss and the addition of new members to their family. Through it all the bonds of love they have formed are strong and hold them together.



Will this group I have grown to love finally find the peace they have longed for on their farm. Is there hope for some semblance of a safe and happy life in this new world they are now in? Will they ever be out from under the danger from the General? There is so much they have been through. What must they still endure?



The book takes us from the end of November through New Year’s Eve as this family of sorts is forced to defend themselves against horrors that are now everyday events in this new life. But they also prove that love and laughter is still possible. And that if they never give up hope, that just maybe, each new dawn could bring them closer to a safe and happy life in this new reality they are forced to call their norm.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Virus. Most people were killed, but a few, became ‘more.’ Imbued with growing talents, they were the survivors, they became the hunted as others became evil personified and one crazed and power hungry man wanted them all under his control, as any cost. This is another episode in the fight to survive, to live and to re-build a world nearly drained of its very soul, the greatest battle is coming and one vision tells them it will be here, Before the Dawn. Prepare yourselves for the final showdown between good and evil, as Lindsey Pogue and Lindsey Fairleigh join creative forces once again in book four of The Ending Series, Before the Dawn.

Lindsey Pogue and Lindsey Fairleigh are a writing team that shares the same love for their work and it shows as they pull out all the stops in this gut-clenching tale! Sometimes, I wanted to cry, I feared the unknown along with the characters and I rejoiced at reunions that held powerful emotional strings. Follow along as this group becomes the David to the Goliath of evil steamrolling their way as they combine all of their powers to make what could be their last stand! Ms. Fairleigh and Ms. Pogue had me holding my breath a times, re-reading to relive the best parts and saddened to have to say good bye to some of the finest and most loyal “friends” I have ever made! These authors can write, they know how to give life to their pages and draw each reader in, fully and completely! If an author can have me re-thinking events as if they truly happened while sorting out my emotions, they have mastered their craft and done it well! And just revenge? They nailed that one perfectly!

Simply breathtaking! Start to finish, constant action, and constant turmoil haunt the survivors, their ragtag family and the world around them. Heroes will die as unlikely heroes rise up against the vile megalomaniac and his inhuman army on the march. Zoe and Dani will undergo their own metamorphoses into strong and powerful leaders in their own right as they live through more pain and doubt, more losses and more heartwarming gains. Love is renewed, families find joy in the middle of sorrow and the group becomes as one cohesive body. Will sins of the past be forgiven? Can new members of their “family” be trusted? Where there is hope, anything can happen in this uncharted new world!

I received an ARC edition from Lindsey Pogue in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Ending - Book 4
Publication Date: November 17, 2015
Publisher: L2 Books
ISBN-10: 0988715473
ISBN-13: 978-0988715479
Genre: Post -Apocalyptic fantasy
Print Length: 427 pages
Available from: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Anita Boakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

read all books waiting to start reading book4 awesome can't put books down,so well written,BEFORE THE DAWN is next just finished reading OUT OF THE ASHES, give them a go, I guarantee you will want to keep reading more.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before the Dawn by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue is the fourth and final full novel in The Ending series.

This entire series (and accompanying novellas) is something I stumbled across in January 2014 and have happily devoured. While the entire series is amazing I think this final book is just perfect. Without spoilers, this book has so much going on but manages to stay on a clear overall line and give you the best parts of each character that you've grown to love (or love to hate) throughout all of the prior books and manages to end the series in a way that wants you to know more but are content with how things have ended in the series.

I highly suggest anyone interested in dystopian, world-ending, or YA/New Adult novels look into this series:
The Ending Series:
Book 1 - After The Ending
Book 2 - Into The Fire
Book 3 - Out Of The Ashes
Book 4 - Before The Dawn
The Ending Beginnings:
I - Carlos
II - Mandy
III - Vanessa
IV - Jake
V - Clara
VI - Jake & Clara


I am utterly devastated that there won't be any more novels after this but I am 100% sure there will be more wonderful books by Lindsey & Lindsey that I'll be reading for many years to come!

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin? I don't want to write this review because it means that the Ending Series has come to an end. I have followed this series and have fallen in love with each and every character.

This was probably the best book in the series - hands down. We finally learn so much more and questions are answered.

I am beyond happy with how this book ended. Am I pissed it ended, hell yes! I wish it could go on forever. However, like all good things, it must come to an end.

I felt sad for the ones that were lost and beyond excited for the lives of the ones who are still around.

Dani kicked ass in her little spitfire way, while Zoe continued to be a strong, independent badass. I fell more in love with Jason and Jake.

We come full circle for a certain mother and finally learn the truth behind certain actions.

Okay, I'm rambling now because I haven't come to terms with the fact it's over.
I'll sum it up in a few words: READ. THIS. SERIES!!

[K.A. Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so sad that The Ending series has come to an end!
I read the first 3 novels in quick succession and eagerly awaited this fourth installment. It didn't disappoint!
Every book in this series had me gripped.
The authors are fantastic at pulling you in and not letting you go. There are so many emotions, conflicts and challenges but the 'family' are united. The characters are well written, so much so that I never could decide who I loved more (especially between Jake and Jason).
Buy them. Read them. And fall in love with the story.

[Cary Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book directly from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I can honestly say that I was somewhat surprised by this book. I’ll admit, the third book in the series was probably my least favorite, and reading the third and fourth book in the span of just a few days had me a little burned out. I went into the fourth book full of trepidation that it was going to be yet another long drag through a narrative where very little happened. Luckily, that wasn’t so.

Let me first say that the writing in Before The Dawn was pretty damn flawless. I didn’t notice any obvious typos, awkward sentences, or grammatical errors. Not a single one—which is pretty amazing. The narrative flowed smoothly at a nice pace throughout, and other than a few short moments at the beginning of the book (Anna’s sections of the book weren’t my favorite), I didn’t feel the need to skim.

The characters were unique and complex, and though I sometimes had difficulty throughout the series telling Dani/Zoe and their respective J-named boyfriends apart by tone, I enjoyed their company. Their world was rich, fraught with danger and uncertainty, and unlike the previous book, had some pretty great action oriented moments. This was probably one of my favorite books in the series thus far—it may even be my favorite. The story felt wrapped up by the end, and though it had it’s stab at an HEA ending, it wasn’t perfect—which kept it from falling into the familiar romance genre trope that often ends with everyone pregnant, married, and all the bad guys defeated. Okay, so maybe there’s a smidgen of trope involved, but it was pulled off really well.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I think it was a fantastic ending to the series. I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s been following the series thus far—including those who, like me, may not have enjoyed the third book quite as much.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Augh! Not a satisfying ending by any stretch of the imagination. This series begged for an epilogue of at least a year later. After spending four books with the characters, the reader needs some sort of idea that things are going to go well and the characters are going to have a good life now. Since every other time, something bad ends up coming along, this really was a necessity.

On to the story...

As it stands, with four books, they have done nothing but run around finding each other, having the main two female characters abducted multiple times, having characters abducted via being tricked by the same ability multiple times, and getting saved multiple times. Could the authors think of nothing else to drive the story besides the whole damsel in distress thing? There were other ways to drive the action, which would have made the story seem less repetitive and less ridiculous. It's like watching a horror film where the victim keeps falling while running away from the crazed killer. At some point, you just want the crazed killer to catch up and put the victim out of his/her misery.

Then, there are so many characters that you can't possibly really care about them, but you're supposed to. This is made more complicated by the fact that characters are picked up and focused on and then dropped almost entirely from book to book as well as referring to some characters by multiple names.

Finally, early on, the reader is told that only crazies and people with abilities are left. Fairly quickly, they stop running into the crazies at all, which begs the question of what happened to them. Also, they come across a bunch of people who don't appear to have any abilities. How is that possible if everyone has to have an ability or be crazy? Consistency and plot holes were a big issue over the series.

[Boxy Frown · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the full First Look,head over to Heroes and Heartbreakers!

Before the Dawn delivers with action, adventure, resolution, and drama in a huge way!

[Carly Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the series up until the very end of the book. Things just felt very rushed to be done and then bam, it was all over... It would have been nice to have an epilogue that gave a glimpse into everyone's lives some time down the road now that all the threats had been taken care of...

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

[Mylia Muse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful finale to a wonderful series. I'm going to miss them!

[John Cuthbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Underwhelming

There were a few points that got the emotions rising however I mostly continued reading to complete the series... to be honest, I’m disappointed.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I have finished this series I will say that I thought is was rather good. When I started and realized that it was about people surviving a virus, I thought such a consequence during 2020.
The survivors all have special abilities that are different to each individual. Some stronger that others and yet each has a specialty that when combined with others make them formidable.
I will admit there were a few places that were a bit slow but all in all a good read.

[Jennifer Ducharme · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love apocalyptic stories, I highly recommend this series. It can be a bit slow at some points (hence the 4 star rating) but overall it's an interesting read. Lots of characters but a good cast of main ones for you to identify with and root for. It's a different mix of action, love stories, dystopian scenery and science. Definitely recommend.

[Angie Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story

Couldn't wait to get to the next, and the next and the next and then the last. Wonderful story written from the perspective of each of the primary characters. I highly recommend even if you don't like apocalyptic stories. This series has a different twist and I was intrigued from the start.

[Jan Mcclung-short · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindsey hit a homerun with this series. I read the first book and was intrigued enough to read more. The second book really seizes your heart and captivates you to finish the book quickly. I couldn't have stopped reading if I wanted to. The women in this book are very strong characters. They enable the men to be more powerful with their "abilities." Abilities are skills that you were given with the end of the world. The world was destroyed by a virus that killed over three fourths of all people. There is no electricity, running water, cars, or cell phones. The highways are littered with the cars/trucks that run out of gas or the owner died trying to escape.

This series is about two girlfriends that survive and the "family" that they acquire while trying to get to meet up at the safe place they had decided to go to. What a four book series! I really hope their is more.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex characters (and a lot of them) that showed tremdous growth throughout the series turn a good story into something you don't want to put down. This series has the perfect combination of action, adventure, sci-fi and romance (even if the romance was bit too easy and obvious) that is age-appropriate for young adult on.

[Sherri McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before the Dawn

Wonderful heart warming , lots of adventure, and no zombies! I like reading about things that could happen and what people need to do for their lives. People still find love and friendships.

[T. Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.
Really great story. Loved the characters.
Fantastic Story. Could not put it down.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how this series ended.

Great read!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as much as the others -- in fact, I re-read ALL of them (the main three) before reading this finale so I could really enjoy it. Thank you for such an engaging and enjoyable series!

[Kristi Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ending. World building.

[Samantha Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was a very good find, and as a random find on Kindle Unlimited. This series had me hooked from the very beginning with "After the Ending." This series was a co-author series, between Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue. This series is written in a point of view method which definitely kept you from getting lost on what's going on. I love the way this book and this series was written. I love the layout of the details in the series. It played vividly in my mind, from the start of the virus until the very end, when it was all said and done. The character build ups were great to the point that you felt each emotion, that you felt like you were actually standing there next to the characters. You laughed with them, you cried with them.

Before the Dawn, is the final book of the series (Besides the side books). It was end all be all of the books. Just as the group was beginning to feel comfortable in their lives and getting their routines down. All hell breaks loose again, but this time all the events are going to lead to the end. It took me so long to get through this book, because life got in the way as usual. But I'm glad I finally finished it. I'm currently sad that it's over, sad of all that tragic events in this book and the series as a whole. But happy because it ended so great for this kind of book. It wasn't a happily ever after, but a sense of peace for the entire group to really start their lives in this new world.

[S.T. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable apocalypse series

Ok so I read all 4 books in this series in succession without break...I binged it. It's my favorite way to consume a series like this and I'm honestly very glad all the books were available by the time I found the series because if I had been forced to wait for the next installment it may have hindered my enjoyment. Not only because I am impatient, which admittedly is true, but also because I probably would have been more critical of some of the story and character flaws if I hadn't been so engrossed in the ever moving plot. That said because I read it the way I did my over arching opinion of this final novel is a bit skewed by my perception of the series as a whole. I don't think that's a bad thing. I really enjoyed this series. I think it was a unique take on the post apocalyptic genre with a fun paranormal/sci-fi twist. I like stories where everyday young women get to be heroes and this series delivered that times two. The found family and loveable side character aspects were all just icing on the cake. I would recommend this series to anyone that likes these kind of books. I will also most likely check out the spin off series. Good stuff, glad I read these books.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire series was well written with a great plot, well-developed characters, lots of twists and turns, and, to me anyway, best of all the main characters were two women. These female characters were so well written, and when reading, they really have two quite different voices. Well, I heard two distinct voices, and I'd guess that, since the authors are two women, each wrote one character. Two authors, two voices. And I imagine they sort of split up and/or collaborated on writing the myriad of other significant characters. The story is really character-driven, and that is what I look for in practically every work of fiction I read. Ms. Pogue and Ms. Fairleigh have created an exceptional fiction series here, and I look forward to reading more of their works, both together and separately.

[A Schaeffs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great wrap-up of the series, I will miss these characters.

The final book in the series is fantastic, with plenty of action, loss, gain and a satisfying ending, although possibly somewhat abrupt. I really liked the initial plot to this story, although it was somewhat obvious.

I was glad to see a few of the secondary characters making more prominent appearances in this book, as they kind of get thrown to the sidelines when their plot twist is used up. It is sometimes hard to remember all the different characters that appear in the story, but it was good to finally see some of those adjacent stories get some conclusion.

The books in this series are fun and have plenty of action. There were some original plots in the story which I really enjoyed. Definitely worth a read for all apocalypse fans.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the story for me, I know there’s more to read from the other characters perspectives but it’s not something I’m not that interested in. The group has found a place to be, a home and with their very large family. Something I loved reading about the books is seeing their strong connections, wishing I could have something like this. Zoe and Jake are very cute and different from the other couple Dani and Jason who have completely moved to another level. It’s understandable with their history and being different. But of course we couldn’t have happiness all around we also had some losses, which in my opinion wasn’t super necessary. Making it a bit realistic and showing us the audience what people you love are capable of doing for you. This series was something I use to be obsessed with years ago and I enjoyed reading it again.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before The Dawn is the conclusion to the After the Ending series. There were a lot of story-lines to wrap up and questions to answer but authors Lindsey Pogue and Lindsey Fairleigh did a phenomenal job of finishing off the series with a bang! There is a lot of excitement, character development, and personal growth in the story. We get more involved with our entire group of favorite (Zoe, Dani, Jason, Jake, Harper, Chris, Sanchez, and the rest of the gang). A lot of series falter when trying to conclude their series, but Before the Dawn was a great final book and left me satisfied with how everything turns out. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this book lives up to its expectations!

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing from the last book, the group is finally settled on a homestead in California near the town where they grew up. They are settling in and focusing less on day to day survival and more on making roots and flourishing but of course they have to keep their guard up since there is always something or someone looking to take it all away.

The group experiences love, loss and the addition of new members to their family. Through it all the bonds of love they have formed are strong and hold them together. The series ends in a way that you still want more but are content with how things have ended