Evil awaits. After the devastating events on Prism Lake, Grady and the other survivors head south, hoping to find safety in one of the rumored "Cities of Light."But as they embark on their journey, they quickly discover the monsters aren't the only things out in the snow they must fear. They may not even be the worst things...
Flint Maxwell was born and raised in Northeast Ohio and still lives there today with his beautiful wife and daughter, and their four furry best friends.
He primarily writes horror fiction, but has been known to dabble in many different genres.
The Numbing is the third installment in the Whiteout series by Flint Maxwell. I wouldn't say the suspense isn’t as thick as it was in the first two installments but the story was just as good. on to the fourth.
Awesome book awesome book 3 of an apocolyptic winter
Book 1, The Snow was awesome Book 2, The Dark Winter was even better And this one Book 3 of the 4 book series was even better than that I'm going right into Book 4 The City of Light!!
It's been a while since I had read the second book in the series. I remember the background, but I had trouble remembering the characters. It didn't take long before that 1 brain cell in my head to start working and it all came back to me. It's still snowing and the monsters are still roaming around. I honestly don't know what would make me madder, the snow or the weird monsters. Right now with all the snow we have gotten here in New York, I'm going with all the snow. I hate snow, I hate the cold, and why I live where the boogers in my nose freeze every single time I go outside is a mystery to me, but I digress.
Grady and friends have a new companion, Mia, who is due to give birth with the next month. They are desperate to get her somewhere with medical care so they decide to try and find one of the rumored "cities of Light". Sadly. some of the monsters they run into take on a human form. Personally I think that's scarier than the other paranormal things they have run into.
Honestly not a whole lot goes on throughout the book until the last 1/4 and that's when things really get scary. I would love to have seen more action throughout the book, but it worked out and did keep up my interest.
So what.....this was the worst of the first 3 of 5, YES 5 books in this series that just became sillier and less scary with the continuance of the Whiteout books.
Will not be reading books 4 and 5. I really don't care anymore.
Book 3 continues this bloody awful dialogue but keeps the intrigue of the apocalypse snowballing forward.
As we rattle through our "End of the world trope" bingo cards it's very fair to say that these books are entertaining. In this installment we see the gang meet a new strange old man who it's obviously not as he appears. It's a well trodden road but the author keeps the tension and suspense rising for an impressive amount of time here. Really enjoyed this one.
This dialogue though, my guy. No one talks like this. The banter and lighthearted moments between characters just joshing around are unbearable at times. They sound like children's TV presenters laughing through their teeth whilst the cameras are on air. It's almost uncanny. 1000% the worst part of this series so far and I have to mention it in each review.
Anyway, overall. Pretty good. We march on to book 4.
Flint Maxwell has done it again. The Numbing is a relentless, heart-pounding addition to the Whiteout series that manages to raise the stakes even higher than the previous installments. If you thought the cold was the primary enemy, this book proves that the psychological toll of a frozen apocalypse is just as deadly.
Why This Book Earns 5 Stars: Atmospheric Perfection: Maxwell’s ability to describe the "Whiteout" world is unparalleled. You can practically feel the frostbite setting in and the claustrophobia of the endless snow. The atmosphere is thick, heavy, and beautifully bleak.
Character Evolution: In Book 3, we see the survivors pushed to their absolute limits. The character development feels earned; their trauma is palpable, and their choices—even the questionable ones—are deeply rooted in a desperate need to stay alive.
Pacing and Tension: The narrative momentum never flags. Maxwell masterfully balances quiet, tense moments of dread with explosive action sequences. I found myself holding my breath more than once as the "numbing" reality of their situation set in.
The Lore Deepens: Without giving away spoilers, this entry provides some incredibly satisfying layers to the overarching mystery of the storm. It answers enough to keep you satisfied while leaving you desperate for the next chapter.
Final Verdict The Numbing is a grim, beautiful, and terrifying exploration of human resilience. It’s rare for a series to maintain this level of intensity three books in, but Maxwell makes it look easy. If you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic horror or survival thrillers, this isn't just a recommendation—it’s a must-read.
Prepare to stay under the blankets for this one; it’ll leave you shivering.
Somehow this one was not as exciting for me as the previous two books. Most of the action seemed to be near the end and even that didn't seem to impress me that much. Maybe the characters are getting used to the situation or else I am? But the ordinary everyday stuff seems to be creeping in. I still read this one very quickly mind you - in about 3 hours. I guess I just wasn't impressed by the main "villain"?
Maybe the whole scenario is getting old already? Or is this " book" the middle of the larger story where it lags a bit?
Book 3 of the Whiteout Series. This edition continues the journey of the survivors from the first book. In this edition, they continue to move to find safety, warmth and food which is hard in a time of never ending blizzard in the middle of the summer. They take refuge in a hotel, and end up being saved by a local man who is still alive and managed to survive the creatures in the darkness. But is this man all he seems?
Another fast paced quick read, perfect for me right now as I am super busy with work. Easy going read.
My favourite of the series so far! Disturbing and horrifying and heartbreaking. I’m almost glad they’re short stories, I don’t think I could take a full length book 😆
This story is one of those that grips you by the imagination and keeps you guessing. I would love to know the secrets behind the origins of the snow and dark spirits, but, I will have to keep wondering.
Meeting up with another living human is scary. It gets even more frightful when you find out the you are in a home with something not quite dead and not crazy. Life is so unfair that when evil take a wonderful young men it bites harder. Keep on reading Do not stop you will miss the heart series.
I expected the story to slow down a bit with this being the third book but did not. There's plenty of action and surprises. The short length helps as well.
This was a dark, twisty and addictive read, that I found I did not want to put down! Maxwell keeps this third story in the Whiteout series fresh and original with complex and interesting characters that are realistic and identifiable. The suspense builds at just the right pace, keeping your goosebumps popping and your heart rate galloping.
If you like dark, twisted suspense and good, old-fashioned horror as much as I do, then this is the series for you!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
This series is crazy! WOW! Bob.... what a lesson in trust. Grady should have trusted his gut! Now there's Mia with the baby to consider, Mikey and his crush on Mia, Ellenore, Stone, the dog. All of it is sad/scary/unreal. I can't imagine how I would act in this situation, with the snowstorm, a pregnant woman, injured guy, and crazy Bob in "the perfect house." Grady's devastation is palpable. The way Ellenore wanted to take the pain for Mikey, and Mikey's anguish! What a sicko Bob is. I need resolution. Listening to these books is even more poignant than reading them. Too bad books 4-5 aren't audible too.
Maxwell is giving Koontz and King a run for the money with this creepfest. Ghoulies and ghosties and long leggity beasties are chasing a group of young adults through the snows of the apocalypse. Each book is pretty short, but packed with action and horror. Got to the end of this one and, gah! Another cliffhanger. Already preordered book 4, hate having to wait until July.
I have enjoyed this series...no zombies, just smoky eerie shadows. Dangerous shadows...unknown where they come from. They will prey on your most horrible fears... The storyline is good & the characters are nicely imaginable ... Have already pre ordered the next book...waiting to see what happens next...😄
Book 3 of the Whiteout series. More of the same: excessive foreshadowing, excessive digression - like, “someone was about to die, but bear with me while I fetishize Stephen King (rightly so).
The climax of this episode (again, no resolution) is obnoxiously foreshadowed but still manages some emotional punch The Numbing gets an extra half star for that. 3.5 stars.
I love reading books set in winter during winter, so I was stoked when I found Flint Maxwell's The Snow on Hoopla. I downloaded all three books that were available to me thinking it was the entire series. I was wrong.
I've now listened to the first 3 novellas of Flint Maxwell's Whiteout series: The Snow, The Dark Winter, and The Numbing. There are 2 more novellas in the series, and I have no way to read them without purchasing them. Even though these books were fine, I found them to also be a bit unremarkable and I have no desire to spend any money to finish the series. Oh well.
I'm going to write this as a general review for all 3 books because, as usual, I'm behind on reviews, and I want these to be over with as quickly as possible.
Tbh, the story here in Flint Maxwell's Whiteout series isn't terrible. However, I'm NOT a fan of these short, episodic horror novella series. None of these books felt like complete narratives. All of them end on cliffhangers with little resolution and there just isn't enough forward progression in any of them for me to really have a good time.
So these books are about a guy named Grady who is hanging out with his friends on the 4th of July when a devastating, apocalyptic blizzard shows up to ruin the world. Grady and his friends need to survive and, along the way, team up with some other people trying to do the same thing.
As far as apocalyptic fiction goes, there is nothing new here. And yes, this story is done well enough for me not to hate it, but it was so full of tropes that, even though they were also done well, I still steadily lost interest the more I continued to read.
I mean, Maxwell is obviously a huge Stephen King fan as he not only directly references King and his works throughout the part of this series that I read, but there is also a store named "Pennywisers" (a la Pennywise the Dancing Clown), a black guy with crutches (a la Susannah Dean), a pregnant lady (a la Frannie Goldsmith), and a dog (a la Oy). And while I fully support being a King superfan, the references and similarities to King's work here just felt a bit too much like fanfiction.
The most unique thing in these little novellas is that the apocalypse that comes is not one of fire and brimstone, but one of snow and ice. And honestly, the survival scenes where they are battling the problems that come along with snow are the best part of these books. But weather is not the only thing they have to fight with.
The monsters in these books are silly tropes. Also, not particularly scary or well explained. They are monsters we've seen a million times in horror: "wraiths" that kind of hypnotize people by manipulating them with their worst fears. I mean, the author already blatantly used the name Pennywise in this book, but to also make the monsters here weak, knock-off replicas of King's classic villain is a bit to... ON THE clown NOSE for my tastes.
But again, none of these books were bad they just weren't that special.
The 3rd entry into the series was where I really started to lose interest in the narrative. I mean, I wasn't particularly fond of the characters anyway and the tropes were really starting to annoy me. One that I haven't mentioned being a romance between Grady and the lead female protagonist that just irritated me because ALL romance irritates me, especially when it's telegraphed a thousand miles away and when it's in a horror book that doesn't need any damn romance.
When I started listening to The Numbing I made a prediction. Taking all the tropes and the Stephen King fanfiction nods into consideration, I predicted that one of the main characters would die. I just knew that was the next step in the formula. I then predicted who I thought would die and whether or not it would be at the hands of the monsters, the cold, or some humans they meet along the way because we all know in post-apocalyptic stories that humans are always the "real" monsters.
And I won't spoil it, but I GOT IT RIGHT. I predicted exactly who would die and who/what would do the deed. It was so formulaic! I'm not even happy about being right in this case. I wanted to be wrong because being wrong would mean that that this series was going to steer away from King and tropes and find its own path. But it didn't and I would bet $50 that the only path from here is downhill.
And that's why I'm not going to go out of my way to finish this series. If the other two books pop up on Hoopla, I will probably give them a listen. Like I said, these novellas weren't terrible... but they also weren't anything remarkable. They are short reads and I just HATE leaving things unfinished.
Here are my ratings for the novellas individually:
The Snow: 3.5 stars The Dark Winter: 3.25 stars The Numbing: 3 stars
You might like these books if you like: winter apocalypses, survival stories, and narratives that follow already-forged paths.
“The Numbing” by Flint Maxwell is an intriguing dystopian novel that explores a unique concept - what happens when emotions are numbed to prevent chaos. The premise is promising, and the world building is well-done, creating a haunting atmosphere that keeps you engaged throughout the book. The idea of emotional suppression as a means of control is fascinating, and Maxwell does a solid job of making you question the cost of such a world.
However, while the story has a lot of potential, it didn’t fully live up to my expectations. The pacing felt a bit slow in parts, especially in the middle where I found myself losing interest in the direction the story was taking. The character development was also lacking at times; the protagonist’s struggles didn’t always resonate with me, and some of the secondary characters feltone-dimensional.
That said, the climax was intense, and the final twists were effective in tying up the central conflicts. “The Numbing” offers a thought - provoking take on society, control, and personal autonomy, but it didn’t quite leave the lasting impact I had hoped for. It’s a solid read for fans of dystopian fiction, but it may not stand out as much as others in the genre.
Part 3 of this set of connected novellas continues after the group have met Mia and are still at the service station. They manage to siphon petrol out of the pumps - not explained and I know without power that isn't straightforward - and continue their journey in snowmobiles. They come across a small town where a painted message promises food and shelter - and medical care, needed for the heavily pregnant Mia - in the town centre, but due to the darkness pressing in, a darkness that brings the wraiths who have dogged them from the beginning, they take shelter in a grotty motel. And then a man outside calls for help.....
I won't say much more other than to say, after 'Twin Peaks', the characters should know not to trust anyone called Bob. I did expect another death as that is the formula - last episode ended with the demise of Helga, and the first book had plenty of friends and family killed by the wraiths and their minions - and I wasn't wrong, although I didn't predict the correct victim. A grim episode, even by the standards of this series, and I sense that things won't get better next time. I am rating this at 3 stars.
This is the 3d novel of the Whiteout series, and it begins exactly where the last novel ended, with the small group, now joined by an eight month pregnant woman, Mia, attempting to travel south to find a City of Light, where survivors have gathered. Now, in addition to "wraiths," Mia is attacked by pack of aggressive wolves, making the dangers from both alien life and worldly predators. Holed up in a service station, waiting out yet another storm, Mikey runs outside upon hearing calls for help and finds an elderly man, apparently injured, in an otherwise deserted town. Is he to be trusted? Yet again, this group rather haphazardly falls into danger and suffer a severe loss as a result. This story also stops mid-breath, presumably to start up in the next novel. This series could have been one long book, or maybe two books, as the break points seem rather arbitrary. And as of yet, there are no explanations for the snow fall, the cold and the presence of the wraiths that try to drive them insane and then eat them. I am sticking this out from pure curiosity.
Three books into the Whiteout series, and things were bound to start getting a bit "normalized". The characters are accustomed to the new winter apocalypse, and appear to just getting on with it. How do you fix that? You up the ante, The Numbing is the most visceral and miserable outing so far. In tone, I keep wanting to compare it to the Mountain Man series, and its pretty brutal this outing.
The best so far, and Maxwell has done well not to just keep repeating the same beats over and over. Due to the writing style, the main character telegraphs to the reader a lot of the time, what's coming next. Even with this in mind, I was still caught off guard, and actually a little shocked over what eventually happened.
This was an unexpected roller-coaster. I don't read a ton of horror and I'm picky about the ones I choose. I love being scared, watching scary movies, but the gruesome stuff is hard at times because I can't stand to see/hear/read about people being tortured. And with an audiobook, you can hear the screams and sometimes sound effects. I didn't do a ton of research on this series. Saw it was a weather related dystopian with some sort of supernatural "being" and hit play haha I have not been disappointed. This book rocked me to my core. So much tension and excitement, if I hadn't been driving at the time I probably would've skipped a head some, but there was some torture and even crying. I'm not used to being so character invested on a horror movie haha I had to immediately being the next book and I'm hoping to finish the series by tomorrow. The series gets better and better with each book!!
Grady & his group head south, searching for the rumored "Cities of Light." But the frozen wasteland holds more dangers than just the wraiths, testing their survival and sanity. As they push forward, they realize some threats are even worse than the cold. The eerie, snow-covered wasteland is just as unsettling as ever, and the constant tension kept me hooked. I really enjoyed the evolving group dynamics—trust is fragile, and survival isn’t just about avoiding wraiths. There were some intense, chilling and unsettling moments that really stood out, especially as we draw closer to the final 3rd of the book. The pacing is a little slower here than the previous books, however I feel this adds to the story & where the group finds themselves felt stronger than the last book. The ending left me eager for the next installment. A gripping, atmospheric continuation of the Whiteout series which left me waiting for the next book to arrive with anticipation.
Really enjoyed this series, I blitzed it whilst on holiday for a week. First I’ve read from this author and I quickly realized how well suited we were. I’m not one for complex reviews, I gave it 5 stars because it was everything I need and look for in a book. Easy effortless reading where the author’s style and vocab flows naturally for me, with characters I love, where I don’t want to put it down and when I’m finished with one book, I can’t wait for the next. when I’ve read the final book in the series, i’m gutted, I’m not quite sure how I’m going to cope without my time with the gang everyday, that I consider just starting them again from the beginning ☺️ will defo be reading more from Flint.