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Charon Docks at Daylight
It's six years after an infection turned a majority of the population into ferocious, zombie-like creatures that hunt during the day, forcing the living into a nocturnal state of existence. Survival is a continuous struggle when it's hide or fight, and the creatures aren't the only threat in a wasted America. Sometimes fighting is the only answer.
1054 pages, ebook
First published January 24, 2013
245 people are currently reading
9070 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 450 reviews
August 8, 2022
This was fantastic! One of the best books I’ve read this year. Just a reminder this book is FREE! (Thank you Zoe Reed) If you are interested the links to get the book is in the blurb on the books page. This book is huge, but I actually got it read faster than I expected since for some reason my Kindle was saying 1350 pages but it’s actually only 1110. Anyway, it’s still the longest book I read all year but I wish there was more. I’m going to have a wicked book hangover from this; I was so invested into the characters that I’m sad to let them go. I’m actually surprised Reed kept this book free and didn’t chop it in thirds to make a series. I almost feel bad reading a book this damn good knowing the author isn’t getting any money from it.
This is a zombie apocalypse book. It reminded me a bit of when The Walking Dead used to be fun to watch. But I want to make clear this isn’t just a copy. Reed put his twist on the infected, and this book overall was extremely well imagined. There is a ton of action around every corner to keep the pages turning, but as much as I love action, the romance was one of my favorite parts.
This truly is an enemy to lovers’ story. This is a type of lesfic that is not uncommon but this may be the best enemy to lover story I have ever read. Because the book was so long, Reed could really play that fact up. This is a slow burn romance but it makes that enemy to lovers so believable, emotional, and real. And I loved every damn second of it.
I would recommend this to any lesfic fan, it’s free what do you have to lose to try it?! While I believe zombie fans will get a kick out of this, the characters and relationships are so good that I don’t believe you have to love zombies to love this. It is a long read, it took all weekend, but it was so worth it.
(Thanks to Paradise, Bethany and Farah who made sure I got my butt in great to finally read this. You all were right! :)
This is a zombie apocalypse book. It reminded me a bit of when The Walking Dead used to be fun to watch. But I want to make clear this isn’t just a copy. Reed put his twist on the infected, and this book overall was extremely well imagined. There is a ton of action around every corner to keep the pages turning, but as much as I love action, the romance was one of my favorite parts.
This truly is an enemy to lovers’ story. This is a type of lesfic that is not uncommon but this may be the best enemy to lover story I have ever read. Because the book was so long, Reed could really play that fact up. This is a slow burn romance but it makes that enemy to lovers so believable, emotional, and real. And I loved every damn second of it.
I would recommend this to any lesfic fan, it’s free what do you have to lose to try it?! While I believe zombie fans will get a kick out of this, the characters and relationships are so good that I don’t believe you have to love zombies to love this. It is a long read, it took all weekend, but it was so worth it.
(Thanks to Paradise, Bethany and Farah who made sure I got my butt in great to finally read this. You all were right! :)
August 28, 2020
This is basically 'The Walking Dead' if TWD were gayer and hadn't gone down the hill.
Plus this book has the most swoon-worthy enemies to lovers EVER. In fact, they are childhood-friends-to-crush-to-enemies-to-angry-sex-buddies-to-lovers and I am obsessed with them!
Plus this book has the most swoon-worthy enemies to lovers EVER. In fact, they are childhood-friends-to-crush-to-enemies-to-angry-sex-buddies-to-lovers and I am obsessed with them!
January 30, 2019
Zoe Reed hypnotize me with Breaking Legacies, it is a really good book, stirs up all sorts of emotions and caused a serious book hangover after. Paradise Lost recommended CDAD and went the extra mile by sending a copy of the book (thank you so much, Paradise.. Please expect some pictures of elephants soon, or let me know if you prefer the live version)
Charon Docks At Daylight should be read -
If you're a fan of World War Z, I Am Legend, Resident Evil: Extinction(my most favorite of the series)
+
Have cast iron eyes = eyes of a person who can read almost anything without getting sick. The story is quite violent, Zoe Reed puts the leads into a front loader washer, add in some harmful objects and sets it to spin for about a thousand pages long.
The end of civilization causes numerous devastations and sadness. The emerging of a deadly species takes away normality, keeping the loved ones safe becomes a priority but ending their lives for protection are possible too and there is a bigger threat than the zombies.
The twists and turns are cleverly written, making this story scarier than a visit to the haunted house created by Stephen King in Salem's Lot. CDAD keeps vetoing my predictions/expectations and makes me appreciate/love its originality(sorry for the curses, Zoe. They are really praises) FEAR, amazement, happiness and sadness accompany me throughout the book.
Please be patient with Genevieve and Echo... Can't give you more details except that they are a couple of kick-ass, strong, dedicated and pigheaded(within reasons) heroines, I treasure every moment spent with them.
Nothing but pure love for this book, hope that you'll fall as hard.
Charon Docks At Daylight should be read -
If you're a fan of World War Z, I Am Legend, Resident Evil: Extinction(my most favorite of the series)
+
Have cast iron eyes = eyes of a person who can read almost anything without getting sick. The story is quite violent, Zoe Reed puts the leads into a front loader washer, add in some harmful objects and sets it to spin for about a thousand pages long.
The end of civilization causes numerous devastations and sadness. The emerging of a deadly species takes away normality, keeping the loved ones safe becomes a priority but ending their lives for protection are possible too and there is a bigger threat than the zombies.
The twists and turns are cleverly written, making this story scarier than a visit to the haunted house created by Stephen King in Salem's Lot. CDAD keeps vetoing my predictions/expectations and makes me appreciate/love its originality(sorry for the curses, Zoe. They are really praises) FEAR, amazement, happiness and sadness accompany me throughout the book.
Please be patient with Genevieve and Echo... Can't give you more details except that they are a couple of kick-ass, strong, dedicated and pigheaded(within reasons) heroines, I treasure every moment spent with them.
Nothing but pure love for this book, hope that you'll fall as hard.
September 2, 2019
This is hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read. One of the longest, too.
Last time they saw each other, Genevieve and Echo (not her name at the time) were fifteen and unlikely high school friends. One was a jock, the other a nerd. When they meet six years later, they’re on opposite sides. Genevieve is a soldier, Echo is a raider and partly responsible for the death of Genevieve’s family. An infection has turned a major part of the population into Ferals, soulless creatures who bite, eat and kill any living being they find, and everyone else is trying to survive and not get caught.
The story is mostly told from the POV of three characters: Genevieve; Echo; and Dugan, a man surviving on his own. All three have lost everything after the outbreak, their family but also who they were. As I’ve mentioned above, Genevieve was a high school student and a soccer player. Echo was also a high school girl, a very shy and very smart one. Dugan was a businessman, a husband and a father. Who do you become when your world ends? How far are you willing to go to survive? What makes you want to live when everyone you love is dead?
Most stories are about finding one’s true self, in some way or another. It’s never more true than it is here, especially for Genevieve and Echo. They went from being teenagers with rather normal lives to having to fend for themselves in a crazy world. They didn’t get a chance to grow into themselves. Some might find Genevieve’s shilly-shallying over her feelings about Echo annoying but often I had to remind myself that despite all they both have been through, they are really quite young. It would be easy to say that Genevieve chose one path and became one of the good guys while Echo chose another, living with the bad guys, but I don’t think either had much of a choice. The only one who did is Dugan, who decided not to trust anyone and to make his way on his own, until he met Kara, a very badass teenager.
There’s a lot to love in this book, from the atmosphere to all the characters. One of the most impressive things is that despite being a zillion pages long, it is never repetitive. The enemies to lovers romance is wonderfully slow and exciting and totally worth the wait. The author took full advantage of the length of the story and every little change is meaningful and organic. Charon Docks at Daylight is also free, which is all sorts of amazing.
The chapters are titled after songs, and of course there’s a playlist on YouTube.
Now seems like a good time to thank the Goodreads reviewers I’ve been following for a little while now, thanks to whom I found out about this fantastic book, and numerous other great reads. Some of you have also been quite helpful when I’ve had questions about some books or publishers. You’ve all come to mean a lot more to me than I expected. I get plenty of interesting book recommendations through Facebook groups but I always read your reviews before deciding whether to read a book or not. I trust your judgment even when I disagree with you. So thank you all for being there.
Last time they saw each other, Genevieve and Echo (not her name at the time) were fifteen and unlikely high school friends. One was a jock, the other a nerd. When they meet six years later, they’re on opposite sides. Genevieve is a soldier, Echo is a raider and partly responsible for the death of Genevieve’s family. An infection has turned a major part of the population into Ferals, soulless creatures who bite, eat and kill any living being they find, and everyone else is trying to survive and not get caught.
The story is mostly told from the POV of three characters: Genevieve; Echo; and Dugan, a man surviving on his own. All three have lost everything after the outbreak, their family but also who they were. As I’ve mentioned above, Genevieve was a high school student and a soccer player. Echo was also a high school girl, a very shy and very smart one. Dugan was a businessman, a husband and a father. Who do you become when your world ends? How far are you willing to go to survive? What makes you want to live when everyone you love is dead?
Most stories are about finding one’s true self, in some way or another. It’s never more true than it is here, especially for Genevieve and Echo. They went from being teenagers with rather normal lives to having to fend for themselves in a crazy world. They didn’t get a chance to grow into themselves. Some might find Genevieve’s shilly-shallying over her feelings about Echo annoying but often I had to remind myself that despite all they both have been through, they are really quite young. It would be easy to say that Genevieve chose one path and became one of the good guys while Echo chose another, living with the bad guys, but I don’t think either had much of a choice. The only one who did is Dugan, who decided not to trust anyone and to make his way on his own, until he met Kara, a very badass teenager.
There’s a lot to love in this book, from the atmosphere to all the characters. One of the most impressive things is that despite being a zillion pages long, it is never repetitive. The enemies to lovers romance is wonderfully slow and exciting and totally worth the wait. The author took full advantage of the length of the story and every little change is meaningful and organic. Charon Docks at Daylight is also free, which is all sorts of amazing.
The chapters are titled after songs, and of course there’s a playlist on YouTube.
Now seems like a good time to thank the Goodreads reviewers I’ve been following for a little while now, thanks to whom I found out about this fantastic book, and numerous other great reads. Some of you have also been quite helpful when I’ve had questions about some books or publishers. You’ve all come to mean a lot more to me than I expected. I get plenty of interesting book recommendations through Facebook groups but I always read your reviews before deciding whether to read a book or not. I trust your judgment even when I disagree with you. So thank you all for being there.
June 10, 2021
Review of Charon Docks at Daylight by Zoe Reed, Audiobook narrated by Jessie Roynon
Wow, this audiobook rendered me completely speechless. I’ve wanted to read this novel for a few years now after the high praise from my co-reviewer Lex Kent. But with a length of 1054 pages, I just couldn’t gather the courage to tackle it (I’m a slow reader). But when the audiobook was released earlier this year, I decided to give it a go. And 48 and a half hours of length couldn’t deter me.
The world has been attacked by an infection that turned most of the population into ferocious creatures that hunt humans during daylight. The few non-infected people are forced to hide to survive. Facing violence, starvation and chaos, sometimes their worst enemies are the other humans.
This book is a fantastic tour de force. On the surface, this novel is about survival, which is true, but there’s so much more. It’s a long reflection on redemption, impossible choices, moral principles, and the best and worst of humanity. It’s also a character study in which the leads, women in their early twenties, are forced to face extreme situations while at the same time learn to forgive each other and themselves. It’s a fast-paced book with amazing action-packed scenes and an incredible level of detail. But beyond the action, the struggle, and the survival, it’s a book about love conquering all. I would have never thought that a dystopian apocalyptic book could have a romance that prominent, with such strong chemistry and a profound love message.
As it’s typical of fanfiction, this book is long. Extremely long. Even though many scenes could have been deleted, everything is so well written that I’m glad the author kept it all. The level of detail in the descriptions makes it almost a cinematographic experience. Entertaining, heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat experience.
If you dare to listen to the audiobook, it’s a daunting 48.5 hours. However, it’s worth every single second. I listened to this audiobook on YouTube (here’s the link) which has the advantage of featuring the book fan art created by Lesly O. (check her work here) and Maili Taniguchi (check her work here). Both websites are worth browsing. If you’d rather not listen to it on YouTube, you can get the audio (the entire audio is divided into smaller files to make it easier to download) following this link.
Jessie Roynon states that she isn’t a professional voice narrator but she could have fooled me. Her voices are distinct, and her male voices, which is sometimes a weak point in female narrators, sound authentic. Her performance of the varied range of emotions in this book is absolutely fantastic. And the best part is that this audiobook/video is completely free. If you want to support the creators, here is the link to the author’s Patreon.
Or support the narrator’s music band here.
My rating: 5+ stars
Audio and Video available to download here:
https://invidious.fdn.fr/watch?v=bJJN...
Watch on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk...
Length: 48 hours, 30 minutes
Wow, this audiobook rendered me completely speechless. I’ve wanted to read this novel for a few years now after the high praise from my co-reviewer Lex Kent. But with a length of 1054 pages, I just couldn’t gather the courage to tackle it (I’m a slow reader). But when the audiobook was released earlier this year, I decided to give it a go. And 48 and a half hours of length couldn’t deter me.
The world has been attacked by an infection that turned most of the population into ferocious creatures that hunt humans during daylight. The few non-infected people are forced to hide to survive. Facing violence, starvation and chaos, sometimes their worst enemies are the other humans.
This book is a fantastic tour de force. On the surface, this novel is about survival, which is true, but there’s so much more. It’s a long reflection on redemption, impossible choices, moral principles, and the best and worst of humanity. It’s also a character study in which the leads, women in their early twenties, are forced to face extreme situations while at the same time learn to forgive each other and themselves. It’s a fast-paced book with amazing action-packed scenes and an incredible level of detail. But beyond the action, the struggle, and the survival, it’s a book about love conquering all. I would have never thought that a dystopian apocalyptic book could have a romance that prominent, with such strong chemistry and a profound love message.
As it’s typical of fanfiction, this book is long. Extremely long. Even though many scenes could have been deleted, everything is so well written that I’m glad the author kept it all. The level of detail in the descriptions makes it almost a cinematographic experience. Entertaining, heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat experience.
If you dare to listen to the audiobook, it’s a daunting 48.5 hours. However, it’s worth every single second. I listened to this audiobook on YouTube (here’s the link) which has the advantage of featuring the book fan art created by Lesly O. (check her work here) and Maili Taniguchi (check her work here). Both websites are worth browsing. If you’d rather not listen to it on YouTube, you can get the audio (the entire audio is divided into smaller files to make it easier to download) following this link.
Jessie Roynon states that she isn’t a professional voice narrator but she could have fooled me. Her voices are distinct, and her male voices, which is sometimes a weak point in female narrators, sound authentic. Her performance of the varied range of emotions in this book is absolutely fantastic. And the best part is that this audiobook/video is completely free. If you want to support the creators, here is the link to the author’s Patreon.
Or support the narrator’s music band here.
My rating: 5+ stars
Audio and Video available to download here:
https://invidious.fdn.fr/watch?v=bJJN...
Watch on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk...
Length: 48 hours, 30 minutes
June 23, 2020
I was thinking about all the different songs that serve as intros to each chapter. Some songs I listened to, others I did not. But when I was writing this review, I played old school r&b because that’s what Charon sounded like to me. The soulfulness of enduring what should break you but also the joy you create despite tragedy.
Yes, yes I know, this story is actually about how three people navigate their way through a pandemic, the world as they know it destroyed by crazed humans infected by parasites. Everything’s gone to shyte, food is scarce, the kill or be killed mentality prevalent. Action and nail biting suspense are practically on every page. There’s also a love affair that resonates deeply.
Genevieve, Echo, and Dugan are all battle worn. More importantly, each has crossed lines that most don’t come back from. Redemption is one of my favorite themes in a story and on some level, all three characters seek a settling of spiritual accounts.
It’s super, super long and some parts feel repetitive but who cares. This is storytelling at its most epic and rawest form. This is why we go to work or to school on 2 hours of sleep with no regrets. If anybody’s wondering, I was playing Al Green’s How Can You Mend a Broken Heart because that’s exactly what Charon sounded like to me.
Yes, yes I know, this story is actually about how three people navigate their way through a pandemic, the world as they know it destroyed by crazed humans infected by parasites. Everything’s gone to shyte, food is scarce, the kill or be killed mentality prevalent. Action and nail biting suspense are practically on every page. There’s also a love affair that resonates deeply.
Genevieve, Echo, and Dugan are all battle worn. More importantly, each has crossed lines that most don’t come back from. Redemption is one of my favorite themes in a story and on some level, all three characters seek a settling of spiritual accounts.
It’s super, super long and some parts feel repetitive but who cares. This is storytelling at its most epic and rawest form. This is why we go to work or to school on 2 hours of sleep with no regrets. If anybody’s wondering, I was playing Al Green’s How Can You Mend a Broken Heart because that’s exactly what Charon sounded like to me.
September 2, 2019
Ouch, this one hurt.
There are a lot of pages here. Three books worth, probably. But I consumed it as fast I could even though I was hindered by starting a new job. Life!
This is not a published book and I'm not entirely certain of the origin, but you can read it on Fiction Press.
Through three different POVs (Dugan, Genevieve, and Echo), we are taken on an apocalyptic journey of surviving in a world infested with ferals (people who have been infected by a parasite). Zombies. Dugan is a middle aged man who has lost wife and daughter. Genevieve is the head of a military-like unit that protects a large group of survivors. Echo does despicable things as a raider in order to stay alive.
For as long as this story was, I was surprised at the amount of action. There was always danger lurking. Ferals to fight. Raiders to worry about. People to be suspicious of. There is nothing to ever be bored with. All of these scenes were written very well as I was sincerely anxious while reading them.
What I enjoyed most about this story was the way Genevieve and Echo were connected, how life had changed them, and the growth that springs from hope. I will say I am confused why Echo didn't easily recall Genevieve's name during their first encounter after we later learn how affected she was by her. In the beginning, the two young woman are at odds. Complete enemies. There is a solid reason for that and it takes the majority of the entire story for things to fully unravel. The tension is high. The quarreling is plenty (both physical and verbal). It was hard for me to understand how Genevieve could ever overcome her disdain. But we witness her walls slowly crumble. It was both hard and sweet to go through with her.
There were so many twists and turns. Things that were unapologetic and brutal.
At the 95% mark I ugly cried and it didn't stop until the end. Actually, there is still a bit of a lump in my throat and my eyes are tired after I finished reading this morning! My heart was broken so badly. After investing so much time in this massively huge story, it was inevitable that whatever was to happen would impact me a great deal. I'm angry with the author for creating a permanent defect in my heart. But isn't that what we read for? To get so involved and attached to the characters that we physically ache when they do?
Don't get discouraged by any of what I've written. I feel like this is a must read. Best enemies to lovers trope I've ever read. Dialogue was so good. Angst GALORE for my ache-loving heart!
I didn't really care for Dugan's POV so much. I think it was a much needed break from the intensity of what was happening between Genevieve and Echo's POV. And I didn't hate any of his story or companions. I just couldn't find myself really caring about him. He seemed like a sissy throughout the whole story. I didn't recognize the same type of growth in him that I did in the others.
I recommend this to everyone. So good.
There are a lot of pages here. Three books worth, probably. But I consumed it as fast I could even though I was hindered by starting a new job. Life!
This is not a published book and I'm not entirely certain of the origin, but you can read it on Fiction Press.
Through three different POVs (Dugan, Genevieve, and Echo), we are taken on an apocalyptic journey of surviving in a world infested with ferals (people who have been infected by a parasite). Zombies. Dugan is a middle aged man who has lost wife and daughter. Genevieve is the head of a military-like unit that protects a large group of survivors. Echo does despicable things as a raider in order to stay alive.
For as long as this story was, I was surprised at the amount of action. There was always danger lurking. Ferals to fight. Raiders to worry about. People to be suspicious of. There is nothing to ever be bored with. All of these scenes were written very well as I was sincerely anxious while reading them.
What I enjoyed most about this story was the way Genevieve and Echo were connected, how life had changed them, and the growth that springs from hope. I will say I am confused why Echo didn't easily recall Genevieve's name during their first encounter after we later learn how affected she was by her. In the beginning, the two young woman are at odds. Complete enemies. There is a solid reason for that and it takes the majority of the entire story for things to fully unravel. The tension is high. The quarreling is plenty (both physical and verbal). It was hard for me to understand how Genevieve could ever overcome her disdain. But we witness her walls slowly crumble. It was both hard and sweet to go through with her.
There were so many twists and turns. Things that were unapologetic and brutal.
At the 95% mark I ugly cried and it didn't stop until the end. Actually, there is still a bit of a lump in my throat and my eyes are tired after I finished reading this morning! My heart was broken so badly. After investing so much time in this massively huge story, it was inevitable that whatever was to happen would impact me a great deal. I'm angry with the author for creating a permanent defect in my heart. But isn't that what we read for? To get so involved and attached to the characters that we physically ache when they do?
Don't get discouraged by any of what I've written. I feel like this is a must read. Best enemies to lovers trope I've ever read. Dialogue was so good. Angst GALORE for my ache-loving heart!
I didn't really care for Dugan's POV so much. I think it was a much needed break from the intensity of what was happening between Genevieve and Echo's POV. And I didn't hate any of his story or companions. I just couldn't find myself really caring about him. He seemed like a sissy throughout the whole story. I didn't recognize the same type of growth in him that I did in the others.
I recommend this to everyone. So good.
December 21, 2024
Masterpiece! 10 stars! I am blown away!
November 11, 2020
Book 7 in my Zombie-a-thon!
3.5 Stars
CW: gore, sexual content, assault
Well there were so many things I loved about this book.
Firstly, the zombies were brilliant and I loved the author's innovative twists to make them stand out from the more traditional zombies. They made for some nervous reading.
I love the enemies to lovers trope and this was an intense and addicting example.
The issues that really affected my enjoyment were: the length of the novel (its really long), and the slightly repetitive nature of the back and forth relationship between Echo and Gen.
I know this is going to sound weird but hear me out. I actually wanted it to be longer because in my opinion this should be a duology, so each novel is shorter and more action packed but we get to experience the world and people for longer. More but less if that makes sense. There actually could have been a lot more zombie action added in and maybe some location changes, or bigger threats from other humans etc. More but less. Its so late and I'm on my phone so I'm probably gonna read this tomorrow and be like, what was I trying to say! More but less! I also felt that the relationship stuff dominated the book, so adding more interesting action sequences between would have given us a breather from the intensity that was Echo and Gen. I can't believe I am saying add in more 'zombie eating people' scenes to give us some lighter moments in the book! OK. I think I should stop now.
Dear Zoe, please write more but less. Cheers. Claude.
3.5 Stars
CW: gore, sexual content, assault
Well there were so many things I loved about this book.
Firstly, the zombies were brilliant and I loved the author's innovative twists to make them stand out from the more traditional zombies. They made for some nervous reading.
I love the enemies to lovers trope and this was an intense and addicting example.
The issues that really affected my enjoyment were: the length of the novel (its really long), and the slightly repetitive nature of the back and forth relationship between Echo and Gen.
I know this is going to sound weird but hear me out. I actually wanted it to be longer because in my opinion this should be a duology, so each novel is shorter and more action packed but we get to experience the world and people for longer. More but less if that makes sense. There actually could have been a lot more zombie action added in and maybe some location changes, or bigger threats from other humans etc. More but less. Its so late and I'm on my phone so I'm probably gonna read this tomorrow and be like, what was I trying to say! More but less! I also felt that the relationship stuff dominated the book, so adding more interesting action sequences between would have given us a breather from the intensity that was Echo and Gen. I can't believe I am saying add in more 'zombie eating people' scenes to give us some lighter moments in the book! OK. I think I should stop now.
Dear Zoe, please write more but less. Cheers. Claude.
August 24, 2019
This is simply one of the best books ever. Just ever. That's it. Review written.
May 5, 2021
Omg is it morning? Can someone get me a coffee? Because I stayed up all night finishing ‘Charon Docks at Daylight’ by Zoe Reed and it was outstanding.
Thank you Jude & Laura for your suggestion then extra thanks to Laura for staying up late with me to navigate the Dugan sections.
This book is long (like three books worth), jam packed with angst, the romance is off the chart and it is absolutely free and will be forever.
But it absolutely wrecked me. Completely. In the best way. So many tears. So many!!!!
If you want grab a free copy it’s in Jude’s review which I’ll repost the link to below!
https://judeinthestars.wordpress.com/...
Thank you Jude & Laura for your suggestion then extra thanks to Laura for staying up late with me to navigate the Dugan sections.
This book is long (like three books worth), jam packed with angst, the romance is off the chart and it is absolutely free and will be forever.
But it absolutely wrecked me. Completely. In the best way. So many tears. So many!!!!
If you want grab a free copy it’s in Jude’s review which I’ll repost the link to below!
https://judeinthestars.wordpress.com/...
March 22, 2025
Full disclosure: I only read Genevieve and Echo’s chapters because I was really only interested in the romance. So, this review is based solely on their storyline (though from what I’ve seen in other reviews, Dugan is a brilliant character).
There were definitely elements I loved in this book. The world-building was detailed, and the characters felt fully developed, likely because of the story's extreme length. Plus, there was no shortage of drama and plot twists to keep things interesting throughout.
That said, I struggled with the romance between Echo and Genevieve for most of the book. They were constantly at each other’s throats (literally!) - Echo always felt like she had to prove herself, while Genevieve was hell-bent on getting revenge for something Echo did in the past. While their relationship did evolve and their feelings began to change, it was incredibly abusive (emotionally and physically) for the majority of the story - especially for Echo, who was really put through it. Their last few chapters did redeem things a bit, but it still felt like their relationship was 95% suffering and 5% happiness.
There were definitely elements I loved in this book. The world-building was detailed, and the characters felt fully developed, likely because of the story's extreme length. Plus, there was no shortage of drama and plot twists to keep things interesting throughout.
That said, I struggled with the romance between Echo and Genevieve for most of the book. They were constantly at each other’s throats (literally!) - Echo always felt like she had to prove herself, while Genevieve was hell-bent on getting revenge for something Echo did in the past. While their relationship did evolve and their feelings began to change, it was incredibly abusive (emotionally and physically) for the majority of the story - especially for Echo, who was really put through it. Their last few chapters did redeem things a bit, but it still felt like their relationship was 95% suffering and 5% happiness.
December 21, 2020
I downloaded Charon Docks at Daylight to read while visiting my partner's family for a week thinking the length will give me something to do in the downtime. Nope. I downed this book every free second I had because I had to know more. A lot of reviews of this book say this is one of the best books they ever read, and not to be cliche but they are absolutely right in applying that label.
This book is absolutely fantastic and I'm shocked it was just free online. I love the enemies to lovers trope and this is the best example I've probably ever seen. The drama and emotions in the entire story are intense and believable. You can truly feel the intensity of all the emotions demonstrated.
After finishing this book I feel like I'm in a hangover as it was such an intense experience. It might be a little while before I revisit this one, but I definitely will again. 6/5. This is fantastic.
This book is absolutely fantastic and I'm shocked it was just free online. I love the enemies to lovers trope and this is the best example I've probably ever seen. The drama and emotions in the entire story are intense and believable. You can truly feel the intensity of all the emotions demonstrated.
After finishing this book I feel like I'm in a hangover as it was such an intense experience. It might be a little while before I revisit this one, but I definitely will again. 6/5. This is fantastic.
October 10, 2019
Wow this book was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!! This is the BEST book I have read this year. I actually read it twice before reviewing it now. I just could not part with the characters yet....
I loved everything about Genevieve and Echo, every interaction, every fight and every stage in their love.... This book made me feel so much (I absolutely adore books that make me feel a lot of emotions).
I honestly love long books because the minute I saw how long it was, I was super excited.
This book was everything I could ever hope for in a book. I know am still gonna re-read this book a lot.....
5 GOLD beautiful stars for this one.
I loved everything about Genevieve and Echo, every interaction, every fight and every stage in their love.... This book made me feel so much (I absolutely adore books that make me feel a lot of emotions).
I honestly love long books because the minute I saw how long it was, I was super excited.
This book was everything I could ever hope for in a book. I know am still gonna re-read this book a lot.....
5 GOLD beautiful stars for this one.
April 2, 2025
No matter how many times I read this book, it pulls my heart out and shoves it back in. This will forever be my #1 favorite. I love Genevieve and I love Echo. I love the friends to enemies to lovers. I love the side characters. I love the fighting. I literally love EVERYTHING about this book. All 1600+ pages of it. It become a tradition to read this every few years, and every time I love it a little more. This book will always have a special place in my heart and I wish I could read it again for the first time.
March 11, 2020
Wow what a rollercoaster, I absolutely loved this book. Dystopian fiction is one of my favorites so I might be a bit prejudiced here, but this was such a good book! It’s a thick book (~1000 pages on my e-reader) and it took me about a week of evening reads, but I never got bored and looked forward to continue reading each evening. I even had difficulties starting a new book after finishing this one as I was so invested in the characters and just didn't want to let it go.
The storyline is interesting with plenty of action, but the romance between Genevieve and Echo is the best part, they have so much chemistry. As an enemies to lovers story there was a lot of push and pull and quite a bit of anxiety, but I think that added to the believability of the characters that had been through so much during their 6 years after the outbreak. I think I’ve never actually read a book where there was so much hate towards one another and you’re still able to like both characters and root for them in the end. Even though it’s a romantic book it is also quite harsh at times and not for the faint of mind.
If I have to make a comment, it would be that around the 75% mark of the book the push and pull between Echo and Genevieve became a little repetitive, but since there is so much going on it didn’t really bother me. There were also quite some typo’s, but hey it’s free for download so I’m not complaining about it.
So, if you want to read an end of the world, action packed book with an incredible romance full of hate, anxiety, love and affection, this is the one to read. I’m pretty sure I’ll give it a re-read sometime in the future.
The storyline is interesting with plenty of action, but the romance between Genevieve and Echo is the best part, they have so much chemistry. As an enemies to lovers story there was a lot of push and pull and quite a bit of anxiety, but I think that added to the believability of the characters that had been through so much during their 6 years after the outbreak. I think I’ve never actually read a book where there was so much hate towards one another and you’re still able to like both characters and root for them in the end. Even though it’s a romantic book it is also quite harsh at times and not for the faint of mind.
If I have to make a comment, it would be that around the 75% mark of the book the push and pull between Echo and Genevieve became a little repetitive, but since there is so much going on it didn’t really bother me. There were also quite some typo’s, but hey it’s free for download so I’m not complaining about it.
So, if you want to read an end of the world, action packed book with an incredible romance full of hate, anxiety, love and affection, this is the one to read. I’m pretty sure I’ll give it a re-read sometime in the future.
June 27, 2022
Fantastic book and now one of my favorites ever. It‘s really long but I loved every single minute of it. The story takes the enemies-to lovers theme to an extreme but in a very unique way. Made me cry at the end. There were so many emotions. 5 stars are not enough for this book. Thank you very much Zoe Reed for creating this unique world.
I‘ll definitively listen to the audiobook later on.
I‘ll definitively listen to the audiobook later on.
April 10, 2023
holy shit
im crying
wth do i read now?!
im crying
wth do i read now?!
August 2, 2019
Whew. Reading this book was like reading 3 to 4 full-length novels. I read it in a single week, and it cost me some shut-eye in the first few days! I couldn't put it down at first. The writing was great.
I was almost certain this would go to my 5-star shelf until I reached the last quarter of the book. That's when the gripes I had about it slowly presented itself.
For the most part, I didn't feel attached to Dugan's narrative. I found myself wanting to skip or skim his side of the story. It didn't help that, to me, he only made a single right decision and the rest were so stupid that it brought his companions to more trouble than safety.
I was really hooked by the romance at first. But after a series of repetitive push-pull between Genevieve and Echo, I grew tired of their romance. It happened so much that when I read up their intimate scenes, I couldn't enjoy the pull anymore because I was already expecting the push not far ahead. The push only stopped so far down the story that the romance lost its magic already. Not to mention that when the final pull happened, the execution wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be. It wasn't able to take advantage of the intimacy and deep emotions that were supposed to tug at our heartstrings when looking back at what Gen and Echo went through.
I also found that the number of challenges the characters had to face were too much. It's like they couldn't catch a break.
I was surprised that coming from a position of considering this book a page-turner, I almost didn't wanna finish it close to the end. When I reached the part of the characters' final problem, that's when everything went downhill. If I were reading this from a physical copy, then I'm positive I would have thrown the book at some point because of my frustrations. One thing I hate about stories like this is when characters are made to choose stupid decisions when the other option is obviously the safer pick. I really find this unforgivable.
I feel so sad that the book turned out disappointing towards the end. I honestly didn't mind the book's length, but after reaching the last quarter? It felt like the long read wasn't worth it.
I was almost certain this would go to my 5-star shelf until I reached the last quarter of the book. That's when the gripes I had about it slowly presented itself.
For the most part, I didn't feel attached to Dugan's narrative. I found myself wanting to skip or skim his side of the story. It didn't help that, to me, he only made a single right decision and the rest were so stupid that it brought his companions to more trouble than safety.
I was really hooked by the romance at first. But after a series of repetitive push-pull between Genevieve and Echo, I grew tired of their romance. It happened so much that when I read up their intimate scenes, I couldn't enjoy the pull anymore because I was already expecting the push not far ahead. The push only stopped so far down the story that the romance lost its magic already. Not to mention that when the final pull happened, the execution wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be. It wasn't able to take advantage of the intimacy and deep emotions that were supposed to tug at our heartstrings when looking back at what Gen and Echo went through.
I also found that the number of challenges the characters had to face were too much. It's like they couldn't catch a break.
I was surprised that coming from a position of considering this book a page-turner, I almost didn't wanna finish it close to the end. When I reached the part of the characters' final problem, that's when everything went downhill. If I were reading this from a physical copy, then I'm positive I would have thrown the book at some point because of my frustrations. One thing I hate about stories like this is when characters are made to choose stupid decisions when the other option is obviously the safer pick. I really find this unforgivable.
I feel so sad that the book turned out disappointing towards the end. I honestly didn't mind the book's length, but after reaching the last quarter? It felt like the long read wasn't worth it.
March 11, 2019
Wow. I want to marry Zoe Reed. Or be best friends, or something...i just feel so lucky to have read this. It's brilliant. I have been so absorbed in this book the last three days that when I wasn't able to read it I was constantly thinking about it. It was so easy to immerse myself in this roller coaster of a story. Zoe Reed skillfully crafted such a wild tale full of emotionally honest characters and easy dialogue and unpredicatable twists and turns, it's no wonder this will be going on my all time favs shelf.
September 4, 2019
Absolutely loved the first 2000 or pages of this. Then the MCs began to annoy me a bit.
In the end, I don’t think the quality carried through to the end. No spoilers, so no details. But science and evolution don’t work like this....
Still, it’s a great study of human interaction. And at points quite scary. Being on holiday in a lonely cabin by a lake probably doesn’t help with not getting a bit scared at times ;-)
In the end, I don’t think the quality carried through to the end. No spoilers, so no details. But science and evolution don’t work like this....
Still, it’s a great study of human interaction. And at points quite scary. Being on holiday in a lonely cabin by a lake probably doesn’t help with not getting a bit scared at times ;-)
dnf
March 8, 2023DNF at 33% at page 348
“Hate fucking,” as the book calls it, is not my thing. It literally felt like reading a rape scene.
Person 1 is mad at person 2 for murdering said family. Person 2 will do anything to make it up to P1. So when P1 starts to grope P2, P2 lets it happen.
I am so uncomfortable with this romanticization of power abuse.
15/01/22 — 2/02/22
“Hate fucking,” as the book calls it, is not my thing. It literally felt like reading a rape scene.
Person 1 is mad at person 2 for murdering said family. Person 2 will do anything to make it up to P1. So when P1 starts to grope P2, P2 lets it happen.
I am so uncomfortable with this romanticization of power abuse.
15/01/22 — 2/02/22
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2023
Excellent action adventure horror post- apocalypse story with a sapphic twist.
I thought the story was excellent. The characters are really interesting with their own good and bad points. I thought the flashbacks were really well done to flesh out each character’s backstory and motivations. Absolutely if you are a fan of The Walking Dead, you will probably enjoy the story .
As a fan of post apocalypse, survival tales I did find some of the survival aspects of the book lacking which bugged me more than it probably should have. Such as surviving winter in the Adirondacks in tents without heat, and without describing any special winter equipment, other than gloves and jackets. There were never any storms to contend with. They had a camp of over 200 people but they didn’t build a wall of any kind, even though they were there for several years. No latrines, no set up for washing dishes or clothes. No extra supplies like clothing, jackets, beds, cots, gloves, hats. I know it might seem stupid but all of that really really bugged me.
Even with all that said, I think the author has an awesome story here. I could 100% see this turned into a TV show or a movie. The book is very long, and I agree with some reviewers who said it probably should’ve been turned into a duology. I think there are some scenes towards the climax of the story that could have even greater emotional impact if the push-pull between the two main characters ended at the end of book one, and their relationship could grow stronger and more intense throughout the second book so that the ending would really have an amazing punch. Even more so than it does now.
Anyway, really enjoyed reading this! Thank you Cherie for the recommendation!
I thought the story was excellent. The characters are really interesting with their own good and bad points. I thought the flashbacks were really well done to flesh out each character’s backstory and motivations. Absolutely if you are a fan of The Walking Dead, you will probably enjoy the story .
As a fan of post apocalypse, survival tales I did find some of the survival aspects of the book lacking which bugged me more than it probably should have. Such as surviving winter in the Adirondacks in tents without heat, and without describing any special winter equipment, other than gloves and jackets. There were never any storms to contend with. They had a camp of over 200 people but they didn’t build a wall of any kind, even though they were there for several years. No latrines, no set up for washing dishes or clothes. No extra supplies like clothing, jackets, beds, cots, gloves, hats. I know it might seem stupid but all of that really really bugged me.
Even with all that said, I think the author has an awesome story here. I could 100% see this turned into a TV show or a movie. The book is very long, and I agree with some reviewers who said it probably should’ve been turned into a duology. I think there are some scenes towards the climax of the story that could have even greater emotional impact if the push-pull between the two main characters ended at the end of book one, and their relationship could grow stronger and more intense throughout the second book so that the ending would really have an amazing punch. Even more so than it does now.
Anyway, really enjoyed reading this! Thank you Cherie for the recommendation!
July 21, 2021
2021 Re-read:
Adjusting my personal rating for this based on the fact that evidently I'm much less tolerant of this type of MC behavior than I was almost 5 years ago. The rage sex in this fell too close to non-con/rape and the enemies to more trope went on for nearly 80% which is boring as hell to me. One MC intentionally tries to hurt the other over and over in the course of the book. To me, that's squicky and uncool. I get it for a small portion of the beginning but this dragged on for the majority of the text. I would have downgraded it to 2 but I left it at 3 cause the author is one of my fav's.
---------------------2017 review-----------------
That has got to be the biggest book I've *ever* read in my life. 420,000 words I think works out to be a little over 1,600 pages long. It was a bit tricky getting this online only bit onto my kindle but a buddy of mine worked her magic and pulled it off. I had to read this because I've read and loved pretty much everything Zoe has written. I think she worked on this for years as her chapter notes hinted at it. I knocked a star off just because the vast majority of the book had a super ton of bad feels. Other than that, it's really well done. In essence its a lesfic walking dead.
Adjusting my personal rating for this based on the fact that evidently I'm much less tolerant of this type of MC behavior than I was almost 5 years ago. The rage sex in this fell too close to non-con/rape and the enemies to more trope went on for nearly 80% which is boring as hell to me. One MC intentionally tries to hurt the other over and over in the course of the book. To me, that's squicky and uncool. I get it for a small portion of the beginning but this dragged on for the majority of the text. I would have downgraded it to 2 but I left it at 3 cause the author is one of my fav's.
---------------------2017 review-----------------
That has got to be the biggest book I've *ever* read in my life. 420,000 words I think works out to be a little over 1,600 pages long. It was a bit tricky getting this online only bit onto my kindle but a buddy of mine worked her magic and pulled it off. I had to read this because I've read and loved pretty much everything Zoe has written. I think she worked on this for years as her chapter notes hinted at it. I knocked a star off just because the vast majority of the book had a super ton of bad feels. Other than that, it's really well done. In essence its a lesfic walking dead.
August 8, 2024
This might be the longest book I’ve read, at least in a very long while.
It has some vaults, sometimes the editing got me a bit distracted, but the most important thing always shone through. That’s the story, the story is the most important and it shines.
This is a free book and I can highly recommend
It has some vaults, sometimes the editing got me a bit distracted, but the most important thing always shone through. That’s the story, the story is the most important and it shines.
This is a free book and I can highly recommend
October 27, 2019
This felt like watching a complete and long post-apocalyptic series. And boy, it was the greatest. Walking dead who? Z nation who? Reed put together the words perfectly in easy flow that the scenes just played smoothly and vividly like a movie in my head. This will top whatever zombie books and TV series out there. (And it's FREE, what are you waiting for! Dear author, this deserves to be published.)
Just read CDAD and you'll be on a whole ride of full-packed thrilling action, I'm on the edge of my bed the whole time, and also most of time scared as shit for the characters' lives. It was not repetitive and there were no boring parts. The scenes were detailed smart and well-thought of. I learned MANY things in this book alone. (I can only imagine the hard work of the author in here, how do you know so much and thank you so much 😭)
The drama was so spot on and realistic that it was heartbreakingly beautiful. You can't help but cry and just feel the pain of the characters on what they've been through (and they've been through A LOT 😭 ). Reed put it in a way that you will understand why the characters are just how they are.
The romance portrayed by the leads was not rushed and forced. It was utterly frustrating sometimes but it was so worth it that you will swoon over the moon! You would wish a love could save you like that.
You would wish your girlfriend is that hot, intelligent, strong; speaking of both of them -
Genevieve and Echo were great, strong, powerful, women leads. They had the most beautiful, perfectly contrasting personalities that make them fit for each other - you would wish they are real. I love them so much and I will remember them forever.
Second leads - Dugan and Kara (father-daughter-like duo) were just as strong and interesting.
Zoe Reed ventures us in a world where everything has fallen apart, yet hope can still be found in the little of things, inspirational kindness, and most of all, a love that will always win.
Thank you for writing this wonderful book.
PS. The chapter titles are songs and they are an ultimate bonus.
Just read CDAD and you'll be on a whole ride of full-packed thrilling action, I'm on the edge of my bed the whole time, and also most of time scared as shit for the characters' lives. It was not repetitive and there were no boring parts. The scenes were detailed smart and well-thought of. I learned MANY things in this book alone. (I can only imagine the hard work of the author in here, how do you know so much and thank you so much 😭)
The drama was so spot on and realistic that it was heartbreakingly beautiful. You can't help but cry and just feel the pain of the characters on what they've been through (and they've been through A LOT 😭 ). Reed put it in a way that you will understand why the characters are just how they are.
The romance portrayed by the leads was not rushed and forced. It was utterly frustrating sometimes but it was so worth it that you will swoon over the moon! You would wish a love could save you like that.
You would wish your girlfriend is that hot, intelligent, strong; speaking of both of them -
Genevieve and Echo were great, strong, powerful, women leads. They had the most beautiful, perfectly contrasting personalities that make them fit for each other - you would wish they are real. I love them so much and I will remember them forever.
Second leads - Dugan and Kara (father-daughter-like duo) were just as strong and interesting.
Zoe Reed ventures us in a world where everything has fallen apart, yet hope can still be found in the little of things, inspirational kindness, and most of all, a love that will always win.
Thank you for writing this wonderful book.
PS. The chapter titles are songs and they are an ultimate bonus.
November 6, 2019
So......Was I the only one that scouted out grocery stores in great detail while reading this book? "Where are the canned goods with the most protein and fat, heave-ho to the protein bars, they are easier to pack, and goddamned it find the Spaghetti-O's!! MINE!"
In fact, almost all aspects of my life were somewhat altered in the week it took me to read this 900+page monster. The "what ifs" were abundant and I all of a sudden was looking at parts of my house wondering how safe it would be to stay there rather than wander. I decided which backpack would be the most sturdy and comfortable to haul my goods. I looked at streets differently and took note of the faded away tiny convenience stores (you know the ones I'm talkin' about) that have been there since the beginning of time but no one knows how in the world they have stayed open, mapping out those to raid first. I did watch a few seasons of The Walking Dead and saw some definite similarities to this story, as well as to the video game "The last of us," and am unsure if it's supposed to be fan-fiction. No matter. Let me be clear that this is not the usual content that draws me to a book, I don't much care about zombies and shit, but this was recommended again and again so how could I not give it a try. And safe to say I was more than hooked. It was an excellent story.
I did find the drawing out of angst and uncertainty between the two MCs Echo and Genevieve to be a bit much by the last 20% or so of the book. Keeping in mind they were only about 21 y/o and had huge, and I mean, massive amounts of responsibility and damage done to them (can't state this enough, this is not an easy read regarding violence and aggression, if that's any trigger for you). For the first part of the book I LOVED this dynamic, especially when we find out where this deep hate comes from on Gen's part. But the back and forth of "are you mad at me? what did I do? Can we be girlfriends? Kiss me..." got somewhat exasperating. Gen also really lost it as a "leader" as well, spending more time sneaking away to further confuse Echo than actually doing, you know, leading. I almost tossed the book in my cat's litter box at her green light to Way to go Gen. Gaaahhhh......
It also wasn't all from Echo and Genevieve's perspective, but also Dugan and Kara, who accidentally meet up in Arizona and make their way to Pennsylvania. Dugan becomes a protector father figure to 15 y/o Kara and I found this addition very heartwarming. God do they witness some atrocities, it can be very hard to stomach.
HOWEVER, so many surprises happen! While I was annoyed at the above stuff, Reed threw me into an indescribable tailspin as he unleashed surprise after surprise throughout the book. I can see why the author capitalized on some of the immaturity to give us some zingers, and it ended up working. Ho-lee shitballz.
What is undeniable is that I know exactly what drew me into this post-apocalyptic novel: the study of human psyche. Just how far would you go to survive? And what will the emotional consequences be? Reed did a remarkable job of layering this story with a humongous amount of emotion and drama. I felt like my pores oozed sympathy for all of the MCs and their journeys to survive. I had all the feels, and had a fucking big ass cry as the last pages were read.
In fact, almost all aspects of my life were somewhat altered in the week it took me to read this 900+page monster. The "what ifs" were abundant and I all of a sudden was looking at parts of my house wondering how safe it would be to stay there rather than wander. I decided which backpack would be the most sturdy and comfortable to haul my goods. I looked at streets differently and took note of the faded away tiny convenience stores (you know the ones I'm talkin' about) that have been there since the beginning of time but no one knows how in the world they have stayed open, mapping out those to raid first. I did watch a few seasons of The Walking Dead and saw some definite similarities to this story, as well as to the video game "The last of us," and am unsure if it's supposed to be fan-fiction. No matter. Let me be clear that this is not the usual content that draws me to a book, I don't much care about zombies and shit, but this was recommended again and again so how could I not give it a try. And safe to say I was more than hooked. It was an excellent story.
I did find the drawing out of angst and uncertainty between the two MCs Echo and Genevieve to be a bit much by the last 20% or so of the book. Keeping in mind they were only about 21 y/o and had huge, and I mean, massive amounts of responsibility and damage done to them (can't state this enough, this is not an easy read regarding violence and aggression, if that's any trigger for you). For the first part of the book I LOVED this dynamic, especially when we find out where this deep hate comes from on Gen's part. But the back and forth of "are you mad at me? what did I do? Can we be girlfriends? Kiss me..." got somewhat exasperating. Gen also really lost it as a "leader" as well, spending more time sneaking away to further confuse Echo than actually doing, you know, leading. I almost tossed the book in my cat's litter box at her green light to Way to go Gen. Gaaahhhh......
It also wasn't all from Echo and Genevieve's perspective, but also Dugan and Kara, who accidentally meet up in Arizona and make their way to Pennsylvania. Dugan becomes a protector father figure to 15 y/o Kara and I found this addition very heartwarming. God do they witness some atrocities, it can be very hard to stomach.
HOWEVER, so many surprises happen! While I was annoyed at the above stuff, Reed threw me into an indescribable tailspin as he unleashed surprise after surprise throughout the book. I can see why the author capitalized on some of the immaturity to give us some zingers, and it ended up working. Ho-lee shitballz.
What is undeniable is that I know exactly what drew me into this post-apocalyptic novel: the study of human psyche. Just how far would you go to survive? And what will the emotional consequences be? Reed did a remarkable job of layering this story with a humongous amount of emotion and drama. I felt like my pores oozed sympathy for all of the MCs and their journeys to survive. I had all the feels, and had a fucking big ass cry as the last pages were read.
July 13, 2022
"You can play with my emotions, you can get mad and be mean, but don't discredit the things I'd sacrifice for you... sacrifice is the only valuable thing I have left to give." -Echo to Genevieve
This book has me so emotionally wrecked, but I don't have the vocabulary to express my profound appreciation for it without being melodramatic so please excuse me while I wax poetic. Frankly, it feels illegal to be able to read this for free.
Charon Docks at Daylight is set 6 years post-outbreak of a viral infection that turns humans into feral creatures, and renders the world a lawless, morally depraved wasteland. We follow 3 separate POVs: Echo—a raider/criminal who has survived through robbery and scavenging, Genevieve—a lieutenant of a military-like sanctuary group in the forest, and Dugan— a man who has lost both his daughter and his wife, and finds himself caring for a young girl named Kara.
I fell headfirst into this universe and for 1000 pages the story had me in a chokehold. Reed does show don't tell so well, and this is exactly how I would want to write if I ever wrote a SFF story jesus h. christ. Though this book was set in an apocalypse, the characters rather than the plot was the lifeline. The emotions that drove their actions were so believable they felt like warm flesh and blood next to me. For those out there like me, who don't read as much sci-fi- fear not: the romance was at the heart of the story.
When it comes to the romance, I was incredibly invested but also impressed. Without spoiling anything, Echo did something to Genevieve that was so horrible you could totally understand Genevieve never forgiving Echo for it. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know how the author would reconcile this canyon in their relationship. With enemies to lovers, there are times when the reason for their hatred isn't all that compelling and it thaws real fast. Not this. This was a raw fury that manifested itself into an initially twisted relationship between the two FMC's who get into actual fist fights, screaming matches and yes, passionate hate sex. Their arc was done so well, paced just right, I had no trouble believing in them endgame.
Frankly, I don’t know if I was ever as invested in Dugan and Kara’s story because I didn’t like missing out on Echo and Gen’s for even a second. He was a complex character, sure, and I did sympathize with him...but I also could’ve done without him. Towards the end of the book where the climax of the action was happening I felt myself covering my eyes and reading through my fingers because I was so deep into the action- I don’t think I’ve ever fallen this deep into a story before. The way I was close to tears. At the same time I was noticing the number of pages dwindling with a heavy heart, I could use an entire sequel with these characters!
There was so much character growth by the end of the story. We don't have all the answers in the end, but Reed gives us enough to speculate on a future for this world and the characters-it didn't feel abrupt. This book made me feel so deeply and there is also a lot to chew on if I choose to think deeper. Would I be able to have a moral compass in a situation like this? How much could I forgive if I love someone? Grief, sin, forgiveness, and redemption were all major themes. Beyond the apocalypse action and the romance between Echo and Gen, I do want to mention that this was a found family story through and through. I know a 5 star book when I read one.
TL;DR- Heart wrenching love and found family, set in a world that is falling apart. I am positively wrecked. 5/5 stars.
ALSO FANART! LOOK! AT! THEM!
(Credit to @lesly_oh on twitter)
May 10, 2017
I'm a little late with reading this book but I'm so glad that I happened to stumble upon it. It was absolutely an amazing read. I honestly thought that after reading Breaking Legacies that nothing could top it but this book certainly does. Zoe Reed is easily becoming my favorite author.
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