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The Faithful #2
Impact Winter
The Explosive Sequel to the International Bestseller, THE FAITHFUL.
For decades, I Fidele’s soulless leaders kidnapped psychic children and sharpened their gifts into weapons used to reshape humanity. Ryanne Jervis was one such child, but she learned the truth too late to stop I Fidele from implementing the first part of their plan: Global destruction and the incineration of millions of innocent lives.
Now the impact winter has come, cloaking the earth in smoke, cold—and silence. Isolated on a compound in the mountains of Colorado, Ryanne is haunted by visions of the second phase of I Fidele’s new world order: The round-up and brutal internment of all survivors. Seeking absolution for their part in the fall of humanity, and determined to save those who remain, Ryanne’s small group of Blasphemare must turn I Fidele’s most prized weapon—their own children—against them.
For decades, I Fidele’s soulless leaders kidnapped psychic children and sharpened their gifts into weapons used to reshape humanity. Ryanne Jervis was one such child, but she learned the truth too late to stop I Fidele from implementing the first part of their plan: Global destruction and the incineration of millions of innocent lives.
Now the impact winter has come, cloaking the earth in smoke, cold—and silence. Isolated on a compound in the mountains of Colorado, Ryanne is haunted by visions of the second phase of I Fidele’s new world order: The round-up and brutal internment of all survivors. Seeking absolution for their part in the fall of humanity, and determined to save those who remain, Ryanne’s small group of Blasphemare must turn I Fidele’s most prized weapon—their own children—against them.
- GenresScience FictionAudiobook
Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2016
115 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
S.M. Freedman
5 books101 followersS.M. Freedman studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and spent years as a private investigator on the not-so-mean streets of Vancouver, before returning to her first love: writing.
Her debut novel, The Faithful, is published by Thomas & Mercer. It's an International Amazon Bestseller, reached the Quarter Finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and was selected by Suspense Magazine as a "Best Debut of 2015.” The sequel, Impact Winter, was published in 2016, and she is currently working on the third and final instalment in the series. Her standalone psychological suspense novel, The Day She Died, about a woman who is hit by a car and wakes with a brain injury that leaves her doubting the spotty memories of her dark past, will be published by Dundurn in April 2021 (the audiobook will be published by Tantor Media) .
She is represented by Kim Lionetti of BookEnds Literary and lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children. She’s a proud member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.
Her debut novel, The Faithful, is published by Thomas & Mercer. It's an International Amazon Bestseller, reached the Quarter Finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and was selected by Suspense Magazine as a "Best Debut of 2015.” The sequel, Impact Winter, was published in 2016, and she is currently working on the third and final instalment in the series. Her standalone psychological suspense novel, The Day She Died, about a woman who is hit by a car and wakes with a brain injury that leaves her doubting the spotty memories of her dark past, will be published by Dundurn in April 2021 (the audiobook will be published by Tantor Media) .
She is represented by Kim Lionetti of BookEnds Literary and lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children. She’s a proud member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 10, 2016
I just loved this. The characters are three dimensional and real, even with extraordinary abilities. Many of the scenes played vividly in my imagination, sort of movie-like. It has me hungering for another book in the series.
January 11, 2018
I didn't like this as much as the first but if I'd not read it I'd always have wondered what happened. If there is ever another installment though, I feel like I've gone as far as I care to with these characters. For me there wasn't enough about how the world had changed or description of the devastation left after the events of the first book, and too much focus on the two 'love triangle' situations. The whole marriage and honeymoon thing was tedious and cringey to read and took the focus away from the plot too much.
July 3, 2018
I liked the first in the series a little better but this one was a decent followup. It was definitely left open-ended enough that there could be a third in the series, too. I'm not a fan of the narrator, although I can't really pinpoint anything she's actually doing wrong. Maybe just a personal preference, since she gets good reviews on Audible.
October 21, 2016
This is a good follow-up novel to The Faithful. There is a really cool little group of characters and a lot of action. Now that the whole mystery of the stolen children is pretty much resolved the story has gone up a notch to the gang trying to survive the aftermath of disaster and also try to take down the enemy who still won't leave them alone, even in their dreams...
March 5, 2018
book 2 was phenomenal! I had several months between reading book 1 (which I also loved) and book 2 and generally I find myself lost when I try to pick back up, but this was easy! I love the story and I found myself really disappointed that the book was over! I cannot wait for book 3!
July 14, 2017
S.M. Freedman's "Impact Winter" is a fascinating novel about surviving in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world while being a mother. Though all of the characters in the novel are not mothers, most are parents grappling to rear their children in circumstances in which the societal support has been ripped from underneath them.
"Impact Winter" picks up where S.M. Freedman's first book, "The Faithful" left off. The clandestine religious organization, I Fidele, has forced destruction on the entire world and begun the next phase of their plan, the extermination of humans who do not have psychic powers. All the characters from "The Faithful" appear in "Impact Winter". Ryanne, Josh and Sumner plot against I Fidele in what often seems like a futile effort to save humanity. My favorite character is Neema, who is new to the story. She is the mother of three children, two of whom have psychic abilities. Thus, Neema must fight not only for survival, but also to protect her children from I Fidele.
S.M. Freedman's writing is smooth and strong, delivering a darkly disturbing dystopian tale. I appreciated that the author included well-timed humor and a hopeful, uplifting conclusion. I highly recommend "Impact Winter" as well as the first book of this series, "The Faithful".
"Impact Winter" picks up where S.M. Freedman's first book, "The Faithful" left off. The clandestine religious organization, I Fidele, has forced destruction on the entire world and begun the next phase of their plan, the extermination of humans who do not have psychic powers. All the characters from "The Faithful" appear in "Impact Winter". Ryanne, Josh and Sumner plot against I Fidele in what often seems like a futile effort to save humanity. My favorite character is Neema, who is new to the story. She is the mother of three children, two of whom have psychic abilities. Thus, Neema must fight not only for survival, but also to protect her children from I Fidele.
S.M. Freedman's writing is smooth and strong, delivering a darkly disturbing dystopian tale. I appreciated that the author included well-timed humor and a hopeful, uplifting conclusion. I highly recommend "Impact Winter" as well as the first book of this series, "The Faithful".
January 23, 2018
Moving on When There's no Light at the End of the Tunnel
This novel reinforces the drive and resilience of humanity. Surviving mass destruction from an evil entity and still moving on against all odds and sacrificing for those you love. It's all there for us to reflect on and savor. Thank you S.M. Freedman.
This novel reinforces the drive and resilience of humanity. Surviving mass destruction from an evil entity and still moving on against all odds and sacrificing for those you love. It's all there for us to reflect on and savor. Thank you S.M. Freedman.
August 17, 2019
It took me a while to remember who was who and what was going on with each character but, when I did, I started enjoying it more. The addition of a little kid was a little jarring, especially because I listened to the audiobook and having a whiny boy yelling "Mommy" every 5 minutes put my teeth on edge. The rest is entertaining and suspenseful, even if I did see one of the twists coming.
August 26, 2022
This is a stong 3.5 stars, so it's getting upgraded to 4.
I really want the next book, but can't find anything to tell me when the next one is coming, although there's something on her blog from a couple of years ago that says she was writing it...
Some of these characters are great! The author really makes you care about them, and gives you just enough internal perspective to feel like you know them, although I wouldn't mind having more of this. Both from the characters we get and from the ancillary characters that we're supposed to care about.
There is a twist or two, although I wasn't shocked by the time they came about. The misdirection did work for awhile, except that there were some giveaways and I had figured it out by the time they rolled around.
There is enough tragedy here to make you both respect the 'reality' of the situation and hate the author for letting such terrible things happen. This is actually a good thing, because it kept me from taking too much for granted.
This book, in particular, had a couple of weaknesses. One is the fact that not enough actually happens in this book. It's literally just a vehicle between books 1 and 3, there's no real story to make you want to read this book for itself. I'm wishing I had waited until 3 was done so I could just read them together. Some series are written so that each book has enough of a story to get some satisfaction out of each one alone. I felt that for book 1. Not for book 2.
Some words are used SO REPETITIOUSLY that I wanted to scream. "Honeypot" for outhouse being the real problem. For one, that's just a terrible thing to liken it to constantly. Secondly, since I'm listening on Audible, it really stands out.
Overall, I really am enjoying this series, and I care about these characters. I would definitely suggest it, but I'd wait for the next book to come out.
I really want the next book, but can't find anything to tell me when the next one is coming, although there's something on her blog from a couple of years ago that says she was writing it...
Some of these characters are great! The author really makes you care about them, and gives you just enough internal perspective to feel like you know them, although I wouldn't mind having more of this. Both from the characters we get and from the ancillary characters that we're supposed to care about.
There is a twist or two, although I wasn't shocked by the time they came about. The misdirection did work for awhile, except that there were some giveaways and I had figured it out by the time they rolled around.
There is enough tragedy here to make you both respect the 'reality' of the situation and hate the author for letting such terrible things happen. This is actually a good thing, because it kept me from taking too much for granted.
This book, in particular, had a couple of weaknesses. One is the fact that not enough actually happens in this book. It's literally just a vehicle between books 1 and 3, there's no real story to make you want to read this book for itself. I'm wishing I had waited until 3 was done so I could just read them together. Some series are written so that each book has enough of a story to get some satisfaction out of each one alone. I felt that for book 1. Not for book 2.
Some words are used SO REPETITIOUSLY that I wanted to scream. "Honeypot" for outhouse being the real problem. For one, that's just a terrible thing to liken it to constantly. Secondly, since I'm listening on Audible, it really stands out.
Overall, I really am enjoying this series, and I care about these characters. I would definitely suggest it, but I'd wait for the next book to come out.
May 14, 2018
SPOILERS
Impact Winter was a great second book. Great story line and characters. My only problem was this: gay people can't just go from one sex to the other at will. Ora (sorry, not sure if I'm spelling that right as I listened to the audio) is a lesbian, not bisexual.
Impact Winter was a great second book. Great story line and characters. My only problem was this: gay people can't just go from one sex to the other at will. Ora (sorry, not sure if I'm spelling that right as I listened to the audio) is a lesbian, not bisexual.
August 11, 2018
This is definitely a good sequel but this story just does not feel completed . Is there going to be a book 3 ? I am invested in these characters and want to know what happens next . For me this was not quite as compelling as The Faithful but still a great read .
May 1, 2022
Really? Part 2 of more than 2!
Kindle advertises that this is Part 2 of 2, which is certainly not! More to wait an undetermined length of time for Part 3 (and hopefully the last part) to be written and published! Great story though!!
Kindle advertises that this is Part 2 of 2, which is certainly not! More to wait an undetermined length of time for Part 3 (and hopefully the last part) to be written and published! Great story though!!
June 2, 2022
Was not to bad. Some parts where a little frustrating and some of the outcomes avoidable with a little common sense. I remained engaged. I am concerned I am not finding the 3rd book in the series. Hopefully I’m just not looking good because there is no way the book can end here!
July 21, 2023
I enjoyed this but not as much as the first book. I felt the storyline dragged a bit. The narration was excellent and the music added so much to the story. The ending...WOW wasn't really expecting that!
July 29, 2023
It’s good. The ending left it open for a third installment. Soooo. I’ll be waiting for that. I’m not sure what to think about the production. It’s dramatized. I’m just sort of in the middle. I’m sure this review is awful but I can’t think of how I feel about the story. 🤷🏻♀️
July 21, 2024
Love the Impact Winter series! But series 3 was my least favorite. Darcy the human turned Vampire has a sister Hope.. still human
Series 3 dives deeper into Hope still much about Darcy Vamp Queen.. but I find Hope spoiled stupid girl. Frustrating and annoying 😏
Can’t wait for Series 4 😎!!!!
Series 3 dives deeper into Hope still much about Darcy Vamp Queen.. but I find Hope spoiled stupid girl. Frustrating and annoying 😏
Can’t wait for Series 4 😎!!!!
December 18, 2017
Great addition to the series
A great mix of fantasy and heartwrenching reality...I just hope we never live in a world like that of Ryanne, Josh and the gang
A great mix of fantasy and heartwrenching reality...I just hope we never live in a world like that of Ryanne, Josh and the gang
January 12, 2018
loved them hoping for a third to find out what happens next.. won't give anything away but really loved them you just never know what twist will be next.
couldn't stop reading it..
couldn't stop reading it..
Read
October 10, 2018This one didnt work for me. I read to the half point and could not finish. There is just to much baby talk from kiddos that aren't central to the story.
September 15, 2018
Love this series
Can’t wait for the next one to publish! Such a heartfelt entertaining story between good and evil; such great characters.
Can’t wait for the next one to publish! Such a heartfelt entertaining story between good and evil; such great characters.
February 19, 2019
Fantastic but I need book 3 in a sell a kidney kind of way and there’s no release date! Aaagggghhhh!
March 2, 2019
Whoa!
What an emotional thrill ride! Book 1 was good, book two is great, how can I wait for book 3?
What an emotional thrill ride! Book 1 was good, book two is great, how can I wait for book 3?
May 5, 2019
Devilish
The unexpected, abrupt ending shocked me! I was so engrossed in the novel, I didn't realize I was at the end. I want more!
The unexpected, abrupt ending shocked me! I was so engrossed in the novel, I didn't realize I was at the end. I want more!
August 17, 2019
2nd book of a series - can't wait for book 3
December 31, 2019
Love
This book left me in love with her words. I loved the journey I was taken on. What a great story!
This book left me in love with her words. I loved the journey I was taken on. What a great story!
July 17, 2020
I enjoyed this series. A bit of a hodgepodge of genres, but good.
July 10, 2022
Very engaging, but ending left many questions unanswered. Hoping for a book 3
October 27, 2022
This was a pretty good book. I didn't realize it was book 2 in a series, but I didn't have much trouble understanding it.
August 27, 2023
I loved this series. Great characters, strong storytelling and lots of action. Hopefully there will be a 3rd book!
August 30, 2023
An enjoyable read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews