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Wilderness: The Survival Trilogy Book 1
A plague has devastated the land.Bloodthirsty creatures stalk the night.A loose band of survivors fight for their lives.Can they make it through?And what will become of them if they do?
- GenresDystopia
117 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 24, 2020
3 people want to read
About the author
James Brown
671 books120 followersJames Brown is the author of several novels, and the memoirs, The Los Angeles Diaries, This River, and Apology to the Young Addict (to-be-published March 2020). He is the recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship in Fiction Writing and the Nelson Algren Award in Short Fiction. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, GQ, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, Ploughshares, and The New England Review.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 22, 2024
Wilderness: The Survival Trilogy Book 1
by James Brown
I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Wilderness by James Brown is a gripping start to a dystopian adventure that had me hooked from the first page! Set in a world where society has collapsed and supernatural creatures—vampires known as 'Leeches' and werewolves called 'Woolies'—now reign, this novel takes readers on a wild, adrenaline-pumping ride through a crumbling landscape.
The story centres on a group of teenagers, each with their own unique and distinct personalities, who find refuge in an abandoned school that has become a beacon of hope and survival. Brown does an excellent job developing these characters, making you feel deeply invested in their journeys. Their differences add depth to the group dynamic, and it’s fascinating to see how they evolve under the pressure of their brutal world.
What really stands out is how Brown builds tension throughout the novel. The Leeches and Woolies aren’t just stock supernatural villains—they’re terrifying, predatory, and always a looming threat. The scenes with them are pulse-pounding and filled with suspense. Yet, the real power of this story lies in the emotional bonds the teens form, and how their friendships, betrayals, and decisions impact their survival. The mixture of action and heart makes for a balanced and riveting read.
The audiobook is narrated by Kerr Lordygan who brings the characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’re right there with them, experiencing every moment of terror, hope, and camaraderie. Lordygan captures the unique voice of each teen, from the confident leader to the quiet, introspective one, and even nails the pacing during the most intense, heart-pounding scenes. His narration really enhances the tension when the Leeches and Woolies are on the hunt, and he has a way of delivering dialogue that feels authentic and full of emotion.
Wilderness seamlessly blends dystopian elements with horror, creating a fresh take on the genre. The world-building is vivid and immersive, and by the end, I was both satisfied with how much ground the book covered and desperate to see where the trilogy goes next.
If you’re a fan of dystopian worlds, supernatural threats, and characters you’ll root for (and sometimes want to throttle), Wilderness is a must-read. James Brown has crafted a rich and thrilling narrative, and I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series!
by James Brown
I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Wilderness by James Brown is a gripping start to a dystopian adventure that had me hooked from the first page! Set in a world where society has collapsed and supernatural creatures—vampires known as 'Leeches' and werewolves called 'Woolies'—now reign, this novel takes readers on a wild, adrenaline-pumping ride through a crumbling landscape.
The story centres on a group of teenagers, each with their own unique and distinct personalities, who find refuge in an abandoned school that has become a beacon of hope and survival. Brown does an excellent job developing these characters, making you feel deeply invested in their journeys. Their differences add depth to the group dynamic, and it’s fascinating to see how they evolve under the pressure of their brutal world.
What really stands out is how Brown builds tension throughout the novel. The Leeches and Woolies aren’t just stock supernatural villains—they’re terrifying, predatory, and always a looming threat. The scenes with them are pulse-pounding and filled with suspense. Yet, the real power of this story lies in the emotional bonds the teens form, and how their friendships, betrayals, and decisions impact their survival. The mixture of action and heart makes for a balanced and riveting read.
The audiobook is narrated by Kerr Lordygan who brings the characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’re right there with them, experiencing every moment of terror, hope, and camaraderie. Lordygan captures the unique voice of each teen, from the confident leader to the quiet, introspective one, and even nails the pacing during the most intense, heart-pounding scenes. His narration really enhances the tension when the Leeches and Woolies are on the hunt, and he has a way of delivering dialogue that feels authentic and full of emotion.
Wilderness seamlessly blends dystopian elements with horror, creating a fresh take on the genre. The world-building is vivid and immersive, and by the end, I was both satisfied with how much ground the book covered and desperate to see where the trilogy goes next.
If you’re a fan of dystopian worlds, supernatural threats, and characters you’ll root for (and sometimes want to throttle), Wilderness is a must-read. James Brown has crafted a rich and thrilling narrative, and I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series!
May 5, 2022
I received a free audiobook code in exchange for an honest review.
I guess as of right now, I'll be the oddball who wasn't the biggest fan of this story. On that note, I had a hard time getting into this story. I kept going back to relisten to parts. Why? Because of the fifty (not really) POVs constantly switching back and forth, one character to the next, resulting in all these "he said, she said" dialogue tags. The majority of the time, I wasn't even sure whose perspective I was following. Had I known there were so many POVs, I wouldn't have asked for a code. I guess I have a harder time following what's going on when this occurs. Although, if the POV changes in a scene break or chapter, then I don't have problems, unlike when it's just a constant throughout the chapter. So I don't know. But I couldn't even tell you what any of the characters looked like.
I also felt the author overused adverbs. But, on a positive note, I can appreciate that he took something common like vampires and werewolves and not only created new names for them but also added an interesting twist regarding their appearances to make them seem almost like totally new creatures.
The narrator, on the other hand, did a great job. I'd listen to him again. He added a lot of oomph to the narration.
I guess as of right now, I'll be the oddball who wasn't the biggest fan of this story. On that note, I had a hard time getting into this story. I kept going back to relisten to parts. Why? Because of the fifty (not really) POVs constantly switching back and forth, one character to the next, resulting in all these "he said, she said" dialogue tags. The majority of the time, I wasn't even sure whose perspective I was following. Had I known there were so many POVs, I wouldn't have asked for a code. I guess I have a harder time following what's going on when this occurs. Although, if the POV changes in a scene break or chapter, then I don't have problems, unlike when it's just a constant throughout the chapter. So I don't know. But I couldn't even tell you what any of the characters looked like.
I also felt the author overused adverbs. But, on a positive note, I can appreciate that he took something common like vampires and werewolves and not only created new names for them but also added an interesting twist regarding their appearances to make them seem almost like totally new creatures.
The narrator, on the other hand, did a great job. I'd listen to him again. He added a lot of oomph to the narration.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2022
I am a longtime reader of vampire books, so I am always looking for something different. In this book, we are introduced to leeches and woolies (I love those names!!). Something has caused ordinary people to turn into werewolves and vampires and very few have survived the plague. A ragtag group of teenagers are just trying to survive by holing up in a school and taking turns patrolling each night in order to kill any leeches or woolies they encounter.
This is a short book, but the author has done a great job of introducing the characters and giving the reader plenty to think about. The cast is made up of a traumatized young child, a hero, a psychopath, a dreamer and a young couple falling in love. The descriptions of the encounters with the leeches is especially chilling and the group soon begins to wonder if it is possible to survive.
The narrator does a great job and adds to the tension in the story with his great performance. It does end on a definite cliffhanger, but that is expected since it is labeled as Book 1 of a trilogy. I look forward to following the further trials of this group in the next book!
This is a short book, but the author has done a great job of introducing the characters and giving the reader plenty to think about. The cast is made up of a traumatized young child, a hero, a psychopath, a dreamer and a young couple falling in love. The descriptions of the encounters with the leeches is especially chilling and the group soon begins to wonder if it is possible to survive.
The narrator does a great job and adds to the tension in the story with his great performance. It does end on a definite cliffhanger, but that is expected since it is labeled as Book 1 of a trilogy. I look forward to following the further trials of this group in the next book!
April 4, 2022
I really liked this book. A small number of teenagers sheltering in an abandoned school after some for of dystopian event get to survive against Vampires and werewolves. James Brown has produced an excellent story with super strong characters. The hero, the leader, the psychopath, the obsessive compulsive and the traumatised child, the characters all work together to.make a compelling story. It is the first of a trilogy so ends on a cliffhanger which in this case works well. The narration is great Kerr Lordygan does a superb job bringing the the story to life and each character even the creatures there own personality. Love the Bad moon rising lyrics. I received a complimentary copy from the Author and am leaving a honest voluntary review.
April 30, 2022
A dystopian novel of 7 teenagers and a child trying to live on their own in an abandoned school all while trying to fight off the leeches and woolies at night. It's book I couldn't put down and ended up reading in just a few hours. This was a quick read of a very detailed story.
The author did a great job describing the characters through their actions and thoughts. I found the writing to be beautiful, even for such a morbid story. I could see exactly what was happening.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
The author did a great job describing the characters through their actions and thoughts. I found the writing to be beautiful, even for such a morbid story. I could see exactly what was happening.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2.
October 22, 2022
What a fun read! It was a pretty quick read but really exciting. The author did a fantastic job of putting a unique spin on the apocalyptic undead thriller/suspense genre. The characters were really starting to develop at the end and I am definitely going to read the next book as soon as possible. I’ve always enjoyed apocalypse/zombie storylines and this book really brought something new. I highly recommend this book to fellow end of the world fans and anyone who likes books full of intense and suspenseful situations.
I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only.
I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only.
November 16, 2022
audible:This was an excellent horror story. Something happens and people are turned into 'Leeches' or 'Woolies',if they don't escape and stay human. A pocket of survivors are hold up in a school. The Leeches come out at night, they drink blood.The Woolies eat people. One among the group of survivors is not as nice as he seems to be. Narration by Kerr Lordygan was really good. His voices were terrific. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
February 21, 2022
Wilderness is a book that tells the story of survival against creatures that hunted at night. I liked this book and its ragtag group of characters and all their quirks and underhanded thoughts and dealings. If you love books about survival and the living dead this book is for you. This is my honest unbiased review that I am voluntarily leaving of my own volition. I received a free copy of this book at my own request.
April 13, 2022
Fantastic read.
The author spends the majority of the storyline developing the characters and plot for this series. There is just enough romance and malice to add depth without leaving the YA genre.
The narrator did well. Struggled a bit with female characters but his reading of the story more than makes up for it and you soon settle into his storytelling.
This is definitely a series opener, and I am looking forward to book 2,
The author spends the majority of the storyline developing the characters and plot for this series. There is just enough romance and malice to add depth without leaving the YA genre.
The narrator did well. Struggled a bit with female characters but his reading of the story more than makes up for it and you soon settle into his storytelling.
This is definitely a series opener, and I am looking forward to book 2,
October 9, 2022
Really enjoyed this story
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews