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When the lights go dark, two friends must stick together to survive…
Nessa never thought a cabin could save her life. But after a solar flare knocks out Manitoba’s power grid, the rumors run rampant: Canada and the rest of the world may have gone dark for good. As chaos threatens to engulf the small city, Nessa packs her bags and leaves for her secluded cabin on foot…
Matt would rather take his chances in the northern wild than in the pandemonium of the city. When his band of travelers crosses paths with Nessa, he’s eager to add her to their numbers. But the two are about to discover they have more in common than a shared destination…
After encounters with local wildlife and deadly scavengers, Matt and Nessa’s group whittles down to two. Discovering if there’s something more between them may never happen if they can’t reach the cabin alive…
Run is the first book in the Manitoba Lost saga, a series of post-apocalyptic adventures.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 19, 2017
3 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Rock
11 books7 followersI have always loved post apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, since I was a kid and reading Monica Hughes’ Devil on my Back and Beyond the Dark River.
The idea of having to survive - in a world either devoid of civilization or in a civilization gone wrong - captured my imagination. And I have had various post apocalyptic and dystopian plot ideas floating around in my brain for years.
The first series I wrote was a dystopian romance - The Forbidden Minds series.
Then I took my favourite characters of all time - Chad and Yumi - from the Forbidden Minds series and gave them malfunctioning time travel devices. I had them land in post apocalyptic Canada just to see what they would do. The Drastic Times series was the result. I hope you enjoy reading the books as much as I enjoyed writing them!
The idea of having to survive - in a world either devoid of civilization or in a civilization gone wrong - captured my imagination. And I have had various post apocalyptic and dystopian plot ideas floating around in my brain for years.
The first series I wrote was a dystopian romance - The Forbidden Minds series.
Then I took my favourite characters of all time - Chad and Yumi - from the Forbidden Minds series and gave them malfunctioning time travel devices. I had them land in post apocalyptic Canada just to see what they would do. The Drastic Times series was the result. I hope you enjoy reading the books as much as I enjoyed writing them!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 9, 2017
“Run” is a post-apocalyptic story set in modern-day Canada, but in an area so far north and remote that it’s a ten-hour drive to the U.S.-Canadian border. Civilization’s undoing in this book is a coronal mass ejection (CME) which affected it least large swaths of North America, and quite possibly the entire world, though news is correctly sparse under the circumstances.
A few items make this book rather unique, at least from a post-apocalyptic fiction perspective.
First, as already mentioned, it is set in rural Canada, and in in her Author’s Notes, the author intends this series to be “unapologetically Canadian.” Perhaps with tongue-in-check, she almost immediately mentions that the series will consequently include “a lot of apologizing.”
Second, the story alternates between two first-person perspectives, those of Matt and Nessa. Several scenes are first told from Nessa’s perspective, and then Matt’s, or vice versa. The two have set off from a small town and through the wilderness in hopes of reaching the perceived safety of a remote cabin, where Matt’s mother lives.
Third, there’s a romantic theme, with Matt and Nessa being drawn together emotionally even as the world falls apart and they fight off external threats. It is obviously not the best environment to develop a relationship in but biology is stubborn that way.
Though I’m American, I wasn’t too focused on the Canadian setting, really. It was an interesting angle, and was very well done, but it was a minor aspect of what would be a great story for any reader from any country. When civilization begins to crumble, and it’s you, your friends, and your family, vs. the world, I think we’d all do pretty much the same thing, driven by our own moral compasses and need to survive. Mother Nature doesn’t recognize national boundaries.
Some readers might suggest that the romance element is improbable, or even out of place. It’s not something you would commonly find in EOTW fiction, or at least not in this detail. I’d counter that EOTW scenarios would, in fact, lead to exactly this kind of behavior. Our need for human companionship would be greatly heightened if the world was falling apart around us. Being alone at a time like that would be one of the worst things imaginable for most people. Love would be right up there with food, ammunition, and shelter on every survivor’s list of needs.
A great book. Looking forward to the next one.
A few items make this book rather unique, at least from a post-apocalyptic fiction perspective.
First, as already mentioned, it is set in rural Canada, and in in her Author’s Notes, the author intends this series to be “unapologetically Canadian.” Perhaps with tongue-in-check, she almost immediately mentions that the series will consequently include “a lot of apologizing.”
Second, the story alternates between two first-person perspectives, those of Matt and Nessa. Several scenes are first told from Nessa’s perspective, and then Matt’s, or vice versa. The two have set off from a small town and through the wilderness in hopes of reaching the perceived safety of a remote cabin, where Matt’s mother lives.
Third, there’s a romantic theme, with Matt and Nessa being drawn together emotionally even as the world falls apart and they fight off external threats. It is obviously not the best environment to develop a relationship in but biology is stubborn that way.
Though I’m American, I wasn’t too focused on the Canadian setting, really. It was an interesting angle, and was very well done, but it was a minor aspect of what would be a great story for any reader from any country. When civilization begins to crumble, and it’s you, your friends, and your family, vs. the world, I think we’d all do pretty much the same thing, driven by our own moral compasses and need to survive. Mother Nature doesn’t recognize national boundaries.
Some readers might suggest that the romance element is improbable, or even out of place. It’s not something you would commonly find in EOTW fiction, or at least not in this detail. I’d counter that EOTW scenarios would, in fact, lead to exactly this kind of behavior. Our need for human companionship would be greatly heightened if the world was falling apart around us. Being alone at a time like that would be one of the worst things imaginable for most people. Love would be right up there with food, ammunition, and shelter on every survivor’s list of needs.
A great book. Looking forward to the next one.
June 25, 2018
I rolled my eyes when the book opened with Nessa reading a post-apocalyptic novel, and I should have just taken that as a sign to not bother finishing.
This was tedious to get through; partially from the writing style, partially because of the romance bits and partially because I'm tired of reading post-apocalyptic novels where the main characters have the skills and foresight to survive.
Nessa & Matt sounded like teenagers, whining and thinking about a romance that never happened years and years ago, not almost thirty year olds. I guess the author was trying to convey that they both were still holding a torch for each other and what could have been, but it felt flat and forced.
Speaking of 'flat and forced' that's exactly what the bad guys of the novel were. Zoe herself was especially laid on thick.
Over all, it was well -tedious, boring, and unbelievable and I won't be continuing the rest of the series.
This was tedious to get through; partially from the writing style, partially because of the romance bits and partially because I'm tired of reading post-apocalyptic novels where the main characters have the skills and foresight to survive.
Nessa & Matt sounded like teenagers, whining and thinking about a romance that never happened years and years ago, not almost thirty year olds. I guess the author was trying to convey that they both were still holding a torch for each other and what could have been, but it felt flat and forced.
Speaking of 'flat and forced' that's exactly what the bad guys of the novel were. Zoe herself was especially laid on thick.
Over all, it was well -tedious, boring, and unbelievable and I won't be continuing the rest of the series.
November 18, 2017
Great story
Page turning with a hint of romance throughout! While the story is about Matt and Nessa surviving an EMP and slowly falling in love, I think it is more of a survival story. Except for maybe some mild language and violence, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and up.
Page turning with a hint of romance throughout! While the story is about Matt and Nessa surviving an EMP and slowly falling in love, I think it is more of a survival story. Except for maybe some mild language and violence, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and up.
April 15, 2020
Awesome book! I enjoyed the plot and characters and the book was very well written. I am hoping there is a book 2 in the future.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews