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Black Winter #4

by Darcy Coates

Čtvrtý, závěrečný díl napínavé bestsellerové série Černá zima.

Studený a drsný svět kolem Clare a Dorrana se stále mění. Každý další den ho stále více a více pokřivuje a posouvá ty, kteří přežili, blíže k vyhynutí. Tentokrát v něm však poprvé svitla naděje.

Clare a Dorran se rozhodli vrátit domů do Winterbourne Hall. Bude to náročná, ale životně důležitá cesta. Lidstvo potřebuje více bezpečných útočišť – oblastí, kde si jejich obyvatelé dokážou vypěstovat vlastní potraviny, aniž by na sebe přitahovali pozornost Vyzáblých – a staré rodinné sídlo uprostřed hlubokých lesů k tomu nabízí ideální příležitost.

Jejich bývalý domov už ale není oním útočištěm, k němž se upínali. Stala se z něj nebezpečná past, kterou někdo pečlivě nachystal právě jim, a nyní už jen číhá, až se do ní chytnou. Až si Clare a Dorran uvědomí, jak nebezpečným se Winterbourne stal, dávno už může být pozdě.

Boj o přežití pokračuje.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Dystopia, Audiobook, Paranormal

344 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2020

About the author

Darcy Coates is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen horror and suspense novels.

She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates

Reviews

[Jennelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

They got better as I went: strong>

This is the fourth and final book in Darcy Coates Black winter series. The books got better with every volume. This being the best by far. There were some things I personally would have left out. Them being kind of off the wall in my opinion. All and all it was a good story. I enjoyed it very much.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys, I just finished this series and am already going through withdrawal. It is so very good!! I have a new favorite author. I don’t know how she managed to keep me on the edge of my seat for 4 books, but she did!! I can’t recommend this series enough and I know I will be reading it again.

[Dana Halek Damato · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book in the Black Winter series. The genre is dystopian/horror/fiction. Even though I didn't read the first three books, it wasn't hard to follow the story and understand what was going on. Because this was so good, I would highly recommend reading the series from the start.
The world has become a harsh place and humanity is close to extinction, but hope is alive in a secret, well hidden research facility.
The Hollows are dangerous mutations of humans and must be destroyed so humanity may survive.
Clare and Dorran leave the safety of the facility to return to his home, Winterbourne, to set up a safe haven and vegetable gardens for survivors. It's a long journey, Hollows are everywhere and gas, food and shelter are scarce. They must overcome impossible odds to survive the trip and Winterbourne.
This is an action packed, page turning thrill of a story and it wraps up the series in a very satisfying way. I highly recommend it.

[BookMarkedByHeather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me while I finish crying my eyes out from how emotional the ending made me feel.

I have to say this over and over again but Darcy Coates is one of my FAVORITE writers and this series is why. Most of her books are about ghosts and book of the Black Winter started to seem the same but Darcy took a different spin and took similar monsters she writes about and makes it into an apocalypse.

I don't know which book is my favorite but all I can say is Book 4 was UHMAZING. (There are some spoilers ahead). It started off at the Evansdale research center and them leaving on their journey back to Winterbourne. I overall did not think this was a good plan because when they left in book 2, Dorrans mothers body was gone and anyone could have guessed she wasn't dead. Of course on the way home they hit some troubles such as a cult that wants to kill them and then a safe haven that was talked about in book 3 once. I am glad they had the went to the safe haven and met the people they did because they part where they go to get the gasoline was entertaining and on the edge of your seat thrilling!! There were twists and turns that I had no idea was going to happen.

Finally Dorran and Clare make it home and realize the home is under control of Dorrans mother but only have to wait a short amount of time before the research center is successful in curing the thanites. After all of that crazy stuff happens it comes to the end of the series and I was soooooo worried I wouldn't get a proper goodbye BUT I did and more!

I'm glad they didn't stay at Winterbourne but I am very happy they made the home into something special that they can always visit in the future. The place they are living sounds like a beautiful place perfect for Dorran and Clare and it makes me happy at one point he calls her "wife." They were the best characters I have read about because they never made me mad with their actions.

Overall this ENTIRE series is MUST. But I applaud this ending because it was everything I wanted and more!

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a long-time fan of Darcy Coates, having read literally every book she has published and enjoyed every single one of them thoroughly. Especially her earlier works, the haunted house trope being one of my all-time favorite types of horror. I eat that stuff up!
"The Black Winter" series is obviously a departure of the haunted house trope, and more on the lines of zombie apocalypse horror. In general, the 4-book series was pretty enthralling, and definitely kept my interest. There were a few moments throughout the series that I didn't respond to very well, but nothing so huge as to warrant a mention here. The first three books in this series were awarded four strong stars each from me. I loved the story.
However, Silence in the Shadows kind of really fell flat for me on multiple levels, although the ending of this book was somewhat of a saving grace for me. Honestly, I really think a lot of what happened in this fourth instalment of the "Black Winter" series could have been radically cut down and included in the third book "Whispers in the Mist". I feel that much of what occurred in this last book was unnecessary. The entire part with Mother Gum and what happened just kind of made me feel like it was added for pure word count, and in my opinion, did not do much (or anything) to advance the plot at all. Not to mention that some parts gave me a deus ex machina vibe. Specific instances include: Beth suddenly showing up out of nowhere when all hope seemed to be lost for Clare; Johann showing up precisely just after Dorran and Clare became fearful that they would be stranded in Winterbourne with no contact to the outside world, and a few other instances in which I would categorize into this plot device.
The dialogue fell short of convincing in this book as well. "Darling" became a word I grew tired of very quickly. The overprotectiveness Dorran displayed toward Clare was a bit tiring, and I found myself secretly longing for a big, nasty argument between the two of them just to convince me that these two were actually human characters capable of displaying other emotions other than over-doting goo-goo eyes giddy love for one another.
Side note: One of my biggest pet peeves is when a book cover and/or title (or both, in the case with this entire series) does not match the actual story. Aargh!!!! Who chose the covers for these?!? And were these titles forced on Darcy to use?!? This is absolutely the biggest thing I despise about books today. Call me old fashioned, but I grew up in the 80's, when a horror book cover, or fantasy book cover, actually depicts what is inside the book. When you picked up a horror novel, you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was a horror book. I very much dislike the vagueness of book covers today.
All in all, the entire series was well done. Having only rated this book three stars does not mean by any means that I will discontinue reading anything Darcy Coates writes, it just means that no author can consistently write five-star masterpieces. I will always gobble up anything she puts out. I am a huge fan of her work, but as a devoted reader of her work, I need to be a little critical at times. Looking back at the 31 other books I own and have read of hers, I have only rated three other books with three stars. All others were either four or five stars. Those are some great odds!!!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wholeheartedly endorse this entire series. From the very beginning, I was captivated. The final book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I enjoy a thrilling horror novel where the next twist is unpredictable, leaving you to envision the worst scenarios. Darcy's integration of various characters from earlier books was executed brilliantly and truly enhanced the narrative. The conclusion was merely an added treat, showcasing just how exceptional this series is.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein sehr gelungener Abschluss.

Kann die Reihe nur empfehlen!

[denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of the series! It took some turns I never expected and ended so well! Darcy Coates really does all her endings spectacularly 🙌🏻

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book,
Gah I’m sad it’s over but also it was time.
Clare made a few more side eyeing dumb decisions but I was super entertained for it.

♥️I was happy with how things ended and the glimpse and the new world and Dorian’s and Clare’s HEA.

Dorran - has my whole heart I love this man omg he is perfection.
I’m so Protective of him! I love him! No one better say shit to me about him. 😍He is so swoon. He will do anything to protect Clare.
♥️He saves her ♥️ protects her and takes cares for her. Like literally washes her hair and cooks her food.
His vulnerability for her is heartbreaking and so endearing at the same time.

Clare- she’s ok so far. I like her but also was side eying 👀 some of her choices. We will see how she develops but also in these situations how should someone act? 🤷🏼‍♀️but in this book I was like… GIRL 🤦🏼‍♀️

😅Suspense
🧌Horror
👻Creepy
❄️Apocalypse/ extreme winter weather
♥️Sweet Romance


😍My darling Clare😍 yes please I’ll take it all Dorran he’s so amazing.


No sex at all
No talks of their past
They are married and happy making a life in the new world
Definite HEA

[Mel Lenore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was sadly my least favorite of the series. It took a sharp turn from book 3 back to where book 1 was. I didn't like the direction the ending took.

See the full spoiler free review here: https://youtu.be/jAj5UIL9P4I

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not perfect, but a very satisfactory conclusion to a whammy of a series. I haven’t read any series in years that made me want to read the books back-to-back or didn’t leave me with a feeling that I needed take a breather between books.

Being back at Winterbourne brought back everything I loved about the first book and something about the dynamics of that setting creep me out more than any other scenarios the characters face. I was also pleasantly surprised that the two characters I was hoping to see a return of, do appear in the way I expected in the finale. I want to avoid spoilers but even knowing how the author might weave them back into the story, there were still elements to their inclusion I wasn’t expecting that didn’t make their appearance predictable. I was also surprised how long it took the characters to return to Winterbourne. At first, I was annoyed at delaying our return to my favorite setting, but the events prior to their return do add a lot to the overall story of the final book.

I had a few small negatives from this story or the overall series. While I thought the author was always practical and realistic with the solutions she created to get her characters out of sticky situations, sometimes these solutions felt too lucky. In a fiction book it works fine, but I feel like in Clare’s shoes if this happened in real life, I would be dead ten times over. I also wished Clare and Dorran had at least one intimate scene though I can respect the author’s choice of writing an innocent love story. As someone who really felt their chemistry, I was craving that union. In an apocalypse, even if they are busy surviving, I feel like human nature to be close with your days potentially being numbered would’ve thrown off any caution or modesty at some point in the four books. The fact that we also never heard about their marriage, or the ring Clare pocketed to never wear again in the books was disappointing as it seemed like a big deal at the time. It could have acted as a more vanilla substitute for a lack of an intimate scene in terms of binding them together. I also found it either unbelievable or incredibly idiotic about the initial trouble Clare and Dorran fall into in this book. At that point, throwing so much caution to the wind and being so trusting did not seem realistic no matter how many positive experiences they’d had in the end of days.

Though the ending was a little too clean and tidy, if not a bit rushed in tying up loose ends, I don’t begrudge the author her happy ending. This is the type of series that one could easily fall into a reading slump trying to find something nearly as thrilling or with characters as loved. On the other hand, I’m very interested to see how the author’s other books compare. The fact that she held her story for four books gives me hope that I have more good reads in my future from Darcy Coates.

[Ashley *Booksbrewsandbarks* · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounding up to 5. This finale of the series lived up to all my expectations, with a picture perfect ending that made me even sadder that I completed my journey these characters. Again, Coates shows immense talent with her world building ability as well as her talent to introduce and create characters that warm themselves to the reader in record time. While my least favorite aspect of the first novel, regarding Dorran and Clare going back and forth with what each can and can't do in their current state given their physical limitations, reared its ugly and a little annoying head, luckily the instances of this did not overwhelm the story as much and I could easily laugh it off.

The reader is provided with more new locations, each showing how the post-apocalyptic world has affected life in general. While the hollow ones may not be as realistic as some readers may like, the challenges the characters face in this new world are very easy to believe in and get behind. They force the characters into situations that move the story along while at the same time, fleshing out the ever changing new world.

As I noted above, the ending was just PERFECT. While there was a return of a character that wasn't necessarily needed, it didn't hurt the story by any means and the reader is left with an optimistic future for Dorran and Clare.

If you are interested in reading this book, I highly recommend having all 4 books on hand prior to starting the series. The speed with which the pacing moves along is beautiful and so much more fulfilling when you are able to glide into the next installment with ease. This will for sure be a highly recommended series from me for readers of horror and sci-fi alike. If you like apocalyptic world building AT ALL, you must give this series a try.

[NicholeReadsWithCats · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to get my physical copy in the mail!

Where to start without giving anything away? Silence in the Shadows is an excellent conclusion to the Black Winter series.

We return with Clare and Dorran and follow their struggle to return to what has become home amid the silence. Unfortunately for them all is not as it seems upon their arrival. Some parts of this I could totally see coming but it actually helped build the suspense as I wondered how they would respond to the approaching danger.

I have to say I absolutely adored Silence in the Shadows as much I did the first three in the Black Winter series. I was so nervous/excited to read the final culmination but it was well worth the wait!

I would recommend reading the series in order as I think you might get a little lost or lose interest to just jump in without the backstory. The character development throughout the series was an integral part of my interest. Silence in the Shadows comes out in October - if you start reading the series now you will be all ready to go! 😁😁 Many many thanks to Net Galley, Poisoned Pen Press and of course the amazingly talented Darcy Coates for my ARC to read and review.

"I look at the future and I see hope."

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a new favorite for me. It's packed with action, love, horror, resilience, and tension. I'm left feeling a void after finishing this final book, wishing I could experience them for the first time again. This will definitely be a series I re read in the future. This is the 4th and final book in the series, so make sure you read the other 3 before this one. Darcy Coates is a new favorite author for me. I adore her writing, her ability to give us fierce and satisfying endings to intense stories filled with so many different emotions. I have a feeling this month will just be filled with me devouring every work she's ever written. I want to add that I'm so extraordinarily happy that she wrote such a beautiful love story without any s*xual or sm*tty scenes! While I love a good s*x scene, they have their time and place and this series was so so so good without it and sometimes I just don't want that in books, especially books this damn good. It makes it to where I can recommend them to literally anyone without feeling uncomfortable. Thank you Darcy!

[Manda Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I typically love Dary Coates’ books, however, when I started the Black Winter series I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought it would be similar to her other haunted house stories full of ghosts and evil spirits but boy was I wrong. This dystopian series is incredibly strange, but it really sucks you in. You just keep reading because you have to discover what is going on. Silence in the Shadows wraps up the story of Clare and Dorran and their fight against the Hollow ones. In this novel, Clare and Dorran make a long journey back to Winterbourne in hopes of establishing a safe haven for people. This book, along with the rest of the books in the series, is incredibly strange yet deliciously creepy. Darcy Coates writes in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has brought me so much happiness. The characters that I came to love dearly through Darcy Coates' wonderful pen received the ending they deserved in this final book. I was very sorry to say goodbye to this story and will forever be searching for books that fulfill the extremely high standards set by it.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesy post alert 🧀
I realized I love zombie apocalypse stories so much because humanity always makes a comeback. There’s so much kindness and hope afterwards. I just finished the black winter series by Darcy coates and my heart is so warm. I wanna live in that community 😭😭😭

The characters are not impressive in this series but there’s something to be said for empathy. I just think their relationship is wildly toxic. The sisterly relationship is much better.

[Heather Grose · Rating 2 out of 5]

as I was listening to this book i thought to myself if I die right now this will be the last book I will ever listen to. The urge to live overwhelmed me.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfektní zakončení naprosto boží série. Na začátku jsem sice byla trochu skeptická, jestli Darcy Coates post apo žánr zvládne, a naprosto zbytečně. Jako vždy vybudovala skvělou atmosféru, napínavý příběh a nezapomenutelné postavy, jejichž vztahy a vývoj v průběhu série byl velice inspirativní.

[Annie ♥️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this book a 4.5/5 ⭐️. I loved this horror book series so much! I enjoyed every book! I love the romance in this series. It didn’t scare me at all, but it was such a fun read! I did feel like this book ended pretty quickly, but there still were many suspenseful moments! I still have some questions about some things in this book. I thought it ended cute!

[Elizabeth Lanaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: Silence in the Shadows by Darcy Coates

Rating: 🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️
Genre: Horror
Published: 10/6/20

Review: What a great ending to the series!! I can’t say enough how much I absolutely love this series and the characters in it!! I teared up the same way I did 3 years ago when I read the book for the first time. I could get lost in this story for years and not get sick of it! The horror, the love, the science, the fight for survival, all of it is just 😘! I’ve said it before and I will continue saying it. If you have not read this series you really need to! It is the best one out there by far!!

Summary: The stark world continues to change. Each passing day twists it further, pushing the surviving humans closer to the brink of extinction. But, for the first time, there is hope. Clare and Dorran have set their sights on returning home to Winterbourne Hall. It's a daunting journey, but vital. Humanity needs more refuges—safe areas where food can be grown without attracting the attention of the hollow ones—and the old gothic manor is their best bet. But their home is no longer a sanctuary. It’s become a trap: carefully crafted for them, lying in wait for their return. By the time they realize just how dangerous Winterbourne has become, it’s already too late. The fight for survival is far from over.

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[Kathryn Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant ending to a brilliant series. I love how every character is important to the story and is never just a filler. There is some great action scenes and truly terrifying situations. I like how the book displays the very best of human kind and the very worst as well. I think this series is a definite must for horror lovers. The author is great at suspence, horror, action, and conveying sheer desperation.
Clare once again shows how she has developed throughout the series, making her a very likable main protagonist. Dorin also does his own developing and it was great to watch him grow. I also love how the story ends, it was perfect.

[justonemorepage_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The absolute PERFECT ending to this series !

Like holy, I knew I was going to love this book but I just didn't expect it to wrap up that amazingly. There was sooo many intense moments that had me questioning whether Clare and Dorran were going to make it out alive. Their journey from Winterbourne was hard but it seems like their journey back may be much worse. They have alot and I mean A LOT of close calls with death but they're strong and they won't let anything stop them from getting back to winterbourne

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing end for the most part as Clare is still an utter moron. Seriously, the world goes to sh** and she still thinks strangers are inherently good. Dorran is a bit of an Edward Cullen type: Oh Clare as long as you are safe. I must protect you! Both of them put others at risk because they can't focus on the task at hand due to having to be all up in each other all the time.

[Nettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Darcy Coates can do no wrong in my eyes. Her writing is absorbing and creepy and this book is no different. The final installment of the Black Winter series is just as addictive as the rest. I couldnt put it down, but I hated reading it so fast because then I would finish it too soon.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect ending to the series. These characters have my heart

[Ami Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.

Words cannot express how glad I was that there was one more book to read in this series! I had thought it was a trilogy and when book 3 ended so abruptly, before the main characters even got back home, I felt so crushed. The series just couldn’t leave us hanging like that, right!?

Enter book # 4- Silence in the Shadows. This book picks up right from where we left off at in the last book. Dorran and Clare have a wild journey home, meet other humans along the wall, and find plenty of creepy monsters along the way. The author ties up every loose end, some going as far back as the very first book! So extremely satisfying!

The series ending was perfect. Not gonna lie, got a little choked up at the very end. Over all, this series is very bleak. However this book was filled with hope for the future. You get a small taste of it in book 3, but in Silence, we finally get to see humanity begin to rebuild and find away past this bizarre post apocalyptic series.

The majority of creepy tension comes from the last few hours of the book, when our main characters arrive back to their home. Crazy fast action the whole rest of the way. A lot is thrown at you all at once, and it leaves you a little confused at first. Don’t worry, every thing gets a proper explanation in the end.

A very fast 10 hours. This was an entertaining end to a lovely series. I was very happy not only with this book, but the whole series. If a gorgeous, modern gothic post apocalyptic story with some seriously nasty creatures sounds great to you, you need to check this series out stat.

[Amber Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silence in the Shadows by Darcy Coates is a gripping post-apocalyptic horror novel. It is Book 4 in the Black Winter Series.

Silence in the Shadows was a nice conclusion to the series. While I will miss Clare and Dorran, I think in many ways, Coates made a good call to end the series here. Our protagonists have been through a lot in the first three books, and Book 4 has plenty of battles for them as well. Seeing them going from one impossible situation to another was starting to get too emotionally exhausting for me. Coates lays on the horror in this volume, and if you’re invested in the characters as I was, it can take a lot out of you.

Coates knows how to keep things interesting. While some sequels can get lazy, this one felt fresh and new. There are more revelations about the hollows, the zombie-like monsters that have overrun the world, which I appreciated. The return to Winterborne is nothing like Clare’s stay there in Book 1. The changes to this familiar setting are unnerving and grotesque, and the Winterborne scenes in particular kept me on the edge of my seat. The resolution felt fitting; it was satisfying without being unrealistic (not that realism is necessarily this book’s strong suit).

Book 3 is still probably my favorite in the series, but Book 4 is a well-executed, solid story and will be earning five stars from me on Goodreads.

If you like post-apocalyptic horror and zombie-like creatures, I highly recommend the Black Winter series.

cw: physical violence, blood, mention of child abuse, body horror, death, killing "zombies"

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four and the final part of this awesome series. Clare and Dorran have said their goodbyes to newly made friends and are setting off back towards Winterbourne Hall. They decide that they could do with a few essential supplies to see them through their first few weeks until the crops are restored back to health.

The journey should be easier this time around but they will encounter more than their fair share of dangers on the road home from hollows and survivors alike. Every encounter is new and every monster unique, bigger, smarter and faster than I have read about before. What the author does is bring them to life with awesome details of their looks and the way they move. There hasn’t been two the same yet.

New and old characters are easily remembered because they all come with their unique stories of survival. Even the ones that haven’t been infected have had to evolve in order to survive. Every one of them has developed some sort of skill that has value within a group. Sometimes that is all they have to trade.

The conclusion of the story is heart-pounding stuff. I kept thinking, well that’s the end and it kept going it really is a mint series. A great round-up with no loose ends left undone. Brilliant. This is a series that I will read again and again over the years. It would make a perfect tv series.