Wildfire

The Hurst Chronicles #3

by Robin Crumby

In the aftermath of a devastating flu pandemic, a military-led relief effort is evacuating UK survivors to a mass quarantine zone on the Isle of Wight. In the political and moral vacuum that follows, refugees trade their freedom for food and a fresh start.

Riley and the others from Hurst Castle have relocated to a hotel on the clifftops of Freshwater Bay. To keep her promise she must leave the relative safety of their new home in search of Zed's daughter on the other side of the island, witnessing first-hand the at-times brutal repression of the civilian population.

Colonel Abrahams' investigation into the causes of the pandemic leads Zed back to the bio-weapons research facility at Porton Down to interview Ephesus, the archivist with detailed knowledge of Porton's century-long experiments with chemical and biological agents.

After her kidnap from Osborne House, Terra remains embedded with Briggs and the rebel group, helpless to stop their attempts to disrupt Allied reconstruction efforts. As more locals rally to the rebel cause, the prospect of civil war seems unavoidable.

Genres: Dystopia

460 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2018

About the author

Robin Crumby is the British author of The Hurst Chronicles, a post-apocalyptic series set on the south coast of England in the aftermath of a deadly flu pandemic. Since reading John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids as a child, Robin became fascinated by end of the world dystopian literature and was inspired to start writing by Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven. Why? Because post-apocalyptic fiction fires the imagination like nothing else. Pondering what comes next, who would survive, what would life look like? Much of the best fiction in this popular genre focuses on brain-eating zombies or events unfolding in the USA, so Robin determined to write a story set in the UK. His Eureka moment came wandering the shingle beach at Milford-on-sea, inspired by the beauty and rich history of the Solent. Where better to survive the end of the world than a medieval castle surrounded by water? Robin spent much of his childhood messing about in boats, exploring the many waterways, harbours and military forts of the Isle of Wight, where The Hurst Chronicles series is set.

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

If, like me, you have enjoyed the first two books in the Hurst Chronicles you will welcome Wildfire which continues the story in very much the same manner as before. Once again we are following the same group of characters including Riley, Zed and Terra with the perspective moving between them as they play their various roles in the development of the Isle of Wight as a virus free zone.

Alongside the story of this “brave new world” we have Zed’s involvement in the trip back to Porton Down which gave an insight into such viruses, how they mutate and how their spread can or cannot be avoided. This was made all the more poignant for me because as I read Wildfire, the new Coronavirus strain reached the UK. I hope that by the time you read this, Covid-19 will have shown itself to be nothing worse than a strong influenza virus and nothing to compare with Robin Crumby’s Millennial Virus.

If you are new to this series you may find it easier to read book one, Hurst and book two, Sentinel beforehand because I am not sure that Wildfire stands alone.

I read books on a black and white Kindle so I rarely notice the covers but Wildfire’s cover is a stark image of how life could be in a post-apocalyptic UK.

There were a few items of interest along the way. The name Influenza is derived from the Italian term influenza di freddo meaning influence of the cold. Also, was I confused or did Gill Forrester become Gill Stephens?

I am sure this is not the end of the Hurst Chronicles series. Wildfire ends with more loose ends than one more volume could handle but as we are potentially reading about the future of life as we know it, the storylines are, we hope, limitless. I have awarded Wildfire four stars.

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have always been secrets at Portland Down, but the more Zed learns, the more he fears that this epidemic that ravished the United Kingdom, was no freak act of nature.

Safety comes at a cost, and human life is very cheap. The Allies will do anything and everything to keep the Isle of Wight virus free, even if that means doing things that one would never do under normal circumstances.

It isn’t very often when a book challenges you to open your mind and think about the big pharmaceutical companies and the secret military laboratories. Wildfire (The Hurst Chronicles #3) by Robin Crumby is such a book. This series has had me gripped from the very first novel, and Book 3 did not disappoint. Wildfire is one of those books where you just can’t read one more page. Oh, no. You want to read the entire book! I did not want to put this book down, so engrossed was I with the plot that the time flew by without me noticing.

What I really liked about this book, despite the fabulous plot and unforgettable characters, was how Mr Crumby approached the science behind his dystopian world. Sometimes in such books, the scientific explanations can come across as quite dry. However, Mr Crumby has such a way with words that not only are the explanation incredibly fascinating, they are written in such a way that makes it very easy to understand.

While I was reading this book, I could not help but compare it to Dan Brown’s, The Da Vinci Code — I felt like I was on a very complicated treasure hunt with The Hurst Chronicles, and while Zed and everyone else was trying to discover where the fictional Millennial Virus came from, so was I!

The dystopian world that Mr Crumby has created is frighteningly real in the telling. This is a series that really makes you stop and think. Wildfire was a wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Adrienne Bamford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better.

I don't want to give away any spoilers but if you enjoyed the first 2 books you will LOVE THIS ONE I cannot wait for the next one to come out.

The author seems to have matured with his writing - well researched and likeable characters - as well as a villan or 2 makes for page turning reading.

If you haven't read the first 2 books you could still read this one on its own as there is a good enough recap but I think you would be missing out as the scene of the post pandemic world is set in the previous 2 books and the intrigue to find out if any people are really bad is set.

[BarbaraH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent apoplectic story where a virus has killed most of the people and those that survived are placed on a island in . Hope to stay safe,but there are others planning to overtake them. A must read!

[Joan Barstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great post-apocalyptic series. The world has almost ended from a pandemic , and the military has taken over.

But, who are the good guys and who are the bad? Hard to tell, and it keeps you wanting more. I hope the series never ends.

[Steen Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The saga continues - Crumby continues where he left and the struggle goes on... who is the good guys ? the leftover army or ?

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Wildfire is more suspenseful than the first two books and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I just hope there will be more to the story. The series was very well-researched and it got a little too technical for me at times, but I really enjoyed it and hopefully there'll be another book. I won this copy in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Timothy Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building from the last series it went on to build a realistic view of a plague blighted world, with real places and robust characters, loved it !

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Wildfire, third in The Hurst Chronicles, and discovering what the characters that I know and love (or love to hate) have been up to recently. I still have unanswered questions but know that they will be answered in book 4, to which I very much look forward. There is a great deal of excitement and danger as well as a few surprises included. If you haven't begun the series, I recommend you do start with book 1. Wildfire is not a stand-alone novel as there is a great deal of background in the first two books that makes book three more understandable and enjoyable. There is bit more technical language and explanations than I prefer but most of it is necessary for the story to evolve. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this ebook and this is my honest and freely given review.

[Melinda M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wildfire by Robin Crumby is book 3 of The Hurst Chronicles. The Hurst Chronicles is a post-apocalyptic series. The main ide a of the series is a virus has killed most of the people and those that survived are placed on a island. The book seems to focus ono the dark underbelly of the Allies efforts to save civilization on the Isle of Wight. Who are friends and who are enemies? This book does ok as a stand alone because Robin Crumby does a good overview. You will get a better understanding if you read the series from the beginning, you will understand things and not miss some details. It is an interesting concept and a good series that I look forward to the next book.

I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not realise when I started this book, that it was part of a series. So for a while I felt like I had joined a party and knew no one.

This book took me quite a while to finish because it was not my usual read however this is not a reflection on the quality of the storyline or the author’s style~simply not my cup of tea.

The book itself was very well written, not plagued by typos. Terminology was spot on. The storyline flowed very well. If you have not read the rest of the series, I do suggest that you do before starting on this book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had done that myself (hence the 4 stars).

[Elma Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad to have read such an exciting book, this is what it might be like if we lost everything. Being forced by circumstances to come together for the greater good, not all friends are true friends and not all enemies are bad people, just misunderstood(not bright). Lets hope we never have to face this situation. Great read, starts out slow but picks up quickly.

[Mr Richard Busk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Great story telling, atmospheric and it has an authentic feel that is evoked from the real life setting and research into bio weapons. Cannot wait for the next book.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series

I need to know what happens next. I've loved reading these books a lot. I found out about them from a post on Reddit and haven't regretted any of the time I've spent reading them.

[Beverly329 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!

This series was a really good post apocalyptic read. Each book left you waiting to see what happens next. Can hardly wait for the next one!