| Title | : | Edge of Collapse (Edge of Collapse, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1945410469 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781945410468 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 318 |
| Publication | : | First published January 31, 2020 |
No electricity. No cars or phones. The country is plunged into instant chaos.
But for Hannah Sheridan, it's the best day of her life. For the last five years, she's been the captive of a sadistic psychopath--until the EMP releases the lock of her prison.
Battered but not broken, she emerges from her underground cell into a hostile winter wilderness with nothing but her determination to survive.
Reclusive ex-soldier Liam Coleman is headed nowhere fast. He believed he was prepared for any disaster, until the EMP took everything he'd ever cared about in a matter of seconds.
Two hundred frozen, perilous miles stand between them and their destination in rural Michigan. But the killing cold isn't the only threat, for Hannah's captor isn't about to let her go...
When the country goes dark, ordinary people find themselves facing the end of the world as they know it. With society collapsing before their eyes, they'll have to risk everything to protect their home and the people they love.
From USA Today Bestselling Author Kyla Stone comes the Edge of Collapse series, a gripping EMP apocalypse story featuring flawed, complex characters and high-octane action adventure. A survival thriller perfect for fans of Ryan Schow, Boyd Craven, and Jack Hunt.
*This is the first book in a series. Rated PG-13 for mild language and moderate violence*
Edge of Collapse (Edge of Collapse, #1) Reviews
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You might wonder how one can take a plot involving an EMP apocalypse, winter survival, a psycho sadist, and more and make it boring. But it is possible. All you need is truly terrible writing.
The characters here have each one characteristic, repeated ad nauseam, in lieu of a personality. There is no showing here, only telling. In fact, there is no space for showing, because all chapters are about 1.5 page long, so there is no time to set a scene, allow the reader to become immersed in the action, familiarise themselves with the characters. It's all just stiff descriptions, endless repetitions, and really cringe-worthy cliches (Hannah's heart was 'hammering', or alternatively 'jackhammering' every other page). She was gasping, breathing hard, and her pulse roared in her ears. All the time. So much, the reader (this reader) didn't care anymore, even if she got a heart attack from all this jackhammering.
Such a fantastic premise, such a poor execution.
I know I promised myself I would steer clear of self-published books but I just keep falling in their traps. Their covers now look very professional, too bad the writing inside doesn't match. -
Introducing Hannah and Ghost:
Hannah is a new character in the series and Ghost becomes her dog. She rescues him from his imprisonment.Hannah herself has been kidnapped and held for five years. Her and eventually Liam with her trying to survive after the EMP attack.
Hannah's story ,along with Liam's story (in book 0.5) could be stand alone stories. Instead they are woven into this post EMP attack world of chaos and madness……I'm loving this series!
Trigger warnings: Torture, kidnapping, violence against women and animal cruelty. -
You know how sometimes you just want a solid, gripping end of the world scenario with characters you can root for and character you can hate?
Look no further. Kyla Stone is great a creating tense, fast-paced plots with likeable characters the reader will inevitably root for. Especially Hannah is a wonderful character, broken yet strong and willing to fight.
And then there’s the villain. I wanted to strangle him.
This is a quick read that I couldn’t put down, and I’m looking forward to the sequel. I enjoy Stone’s prose, and her pacing is on point.
A gripping post-apocalyptic read, recommended to all fans of the apocalypse. -
I’m so happy I came across this book.
A psycho kidnaps a woman and locks her up in his basement, in a hunting cabin somewhere in the woods. He does horrible things to her. He only visits her for short periods and then goes back to his routine life. He has highly secured the cabin so she can never escape.
Five years later, she is still stuck in the basement now pregnant with his kid. Suddenly the power goes out and it affects the security system and the door of the basement opens.
And then starts the survival for her freedom. On the way she meets Liam, who helps her in escaping, the psycho on there trail.
This was a great read. It has everything I expect from a book – the darkness, the suspense, the emotional moments ..
It ends in a cliffhanger and I’m surely going to read the next book. -
This was not at all what I expected, in a good way. I was under the impression this would be a post-apocalyptic survival drama - and it is, but with fresh new elements incorporated. If the other books continue to hold my interest like this, I'll consider this Kindle Unlimited series a little-known gem.
The book opens with a young woman named Hannah in a dark 15x20 locked cell. The barred door has a slot on the floor through which a plate of food and bottle of water can be slid. There's a cot, a commode, a sink and a small window by the ceiling. She's in isolation, but sometimes she hears a dog barking in the distance. If you're wondering what she did to get herself imprisoned, it was being kidnapped by a psychopath five years before.
One freezing cold morning, the single light bulb in her ceiling blinks out, and even the background hum of electricity goes absent. Afraid to hope, she tests the electronic door to her cell. What Hannah can't know is that an electromagnetic pulse just destroyed the US power grid and all modern electronics with a chip: cars, phones, etc. When the door opens with just a push, she seizes her chance to escape the man who tortured her and nearly broke her spirit.
There is one additional reveal involving Hannah that I'll save for you. I thought this story was well written, actiony and intriguing, and I really look forward to continuing this series soon. -
Wow. An apocalyptic story that not only stands alone, but involves a kidnapping of a young woman (Hannah) held captive for five years in a isolated cabin in the woods. Her tormentor, Pike, is demented and evil.
Enter into the picture a lone male, escaping from the apocalypse that shut down all power. He is post military and has internal and external scars. He is trying to get away from all the madness to his own isolated place in the woods. When he comes across Hannah...
No more to be said Other than I felt their fear and terror coming through the pages of the book. Oh my. I’ve got to read the rest in this series as well as Liam’s prestory.
This was very scary read as Hannah And Liam and dog run for the lives, not only being pursued by Pike, but being pursued by all the crazies who are out stealing food, gas, snowmobiles, medicine, etc as a result of the power grid shutdown. -
533 Amazon reviews 88% 5 and 4 stars
1,200 Goodreads reviews Avg 4.3
So people liked this book.
It is an EMP post-apocalyptic thriller.
What I liked:
-It takes place in a snowy cold and remote location in upper Michigan.
-I liked the characters.
-I loved the action when the hero, ex-soldier Liam Coleman, enters the story.
-There are some interesting details, one I will never forget dealing with the heroine's, Avery Sheridan, hand.
-CiCi was also a great character.
-Loved the action in the small town that the bad guys descend on.
-I liked the dog.
What I didn't like:
-From 5% to about 25% it was a little slow for me. The whole story changed and picked up when the hero arrived.
-The ending SUCKED! I was expecting much more, some resolution to some story lies, I flipped to the next page-It's over. I am very surprised more people didn't ding it for that.
-She had no military experience, but in the acknowledgments, she says that she got some advice from someone, but it wasn't solid. It was wrong in many areas, but small stuff, and it may be I am just too ticky tacky. Like he double-tapped everything. That is a discussion in itself, but if you have limited ammo, you do not shoot two shots when one could do the job.
-I felt some of the decisions made were not logical. I feel when they left CiCi, knowing a serial killer was out there was a death sentence for her, I felt when the bad guy rode up in the middle of a bunch of "Mad Max types" and waved his badge, that was crazy. And a couple of other things, but just an opinion, they may have done it.
I recommend the book:
With all of my complaining, I still like the book. -
Preppers Paradise: The Book
At first, I had hoped the writing in this book would be equal to its admittedly fairly interesting premise. I thought the story of what happens after a society-collapsing event occurs would be a more grounded “The Stand” set in present day. The premise of a technology-dependent humanity suddenly forced to deal with the harsh realities of circumstance seemed full of interesting questions to explore. I’d expected at least a little subtle commentary about our inherently wild and brutal natures once the veneer of convenience and community is stripped away. Not in this book though. Instead, the reader is bashed over the head by the repeated moral of the story: Doomsday preppers were right, and are our salvation.
There were a couple of useful facts that seemed pulled from a “How to Survive in the Woods” guide, like which tree branches make the best insulation and that Doritos can be used as firestarters. From the great attention to detail used when describing the assortment of featured shooting and stabbing weapons, it’s clear that gun enthusiasts and survivalists will love this book.
I just wish more time was spent developing realistic characters. Everyone is a broadly drawn caricature of an actual human being, which is surprising considering there’s literally three characters in the book aside from a couple other dead meat backgrounders.
There’s the main character, Hannah, a pregnant damsel escaping confinement by her sadistic jailer. Coincidentally, the armed-to-the-teeth villain is a former prison guard, whose most defining characteristic is smoking clove cigarettes. The hero, a former special forces person turned doomsday prepper, doesn’t smoke or torture people for his own enjoyment, but otherwise seems strikingly similar to the bad guy. I feel like the hero would also think of himself as a “careful and cunning wolf among dumb, dull sheep.” Speaking of which, sadly, the dog in this story has a more compelling arc than any of the leads.
If I’m forced to say something nice about this book, at least it’s a quick read. By the time the damsel escapes, finds her hero, and they stumble upon a town that sets the stage for the final act, almost 70% of the book is over. There’s a fight at the end, with no surprises about how that turns out. -
ONE UNPREDICTABLE WHIRLWIND!!!
Mercurial! Kyla blew me away with this refreshingly impressive spin, presenting this harrowing storyline and horrific plot, kicking ass and taking names, bursting this bad boy wide open. Satisfaction is an understatement, it doesn't get any better than this. Anarchy, escapades and havoc run amuck, riding roughshod and fusing this baby together smoothly. Unveiling a foray of drama, intrigue, turmoil, abduction, torture, terrifying situations and mounting suspense, along with a boatload of danger, while dodging calamity, you have one mind-blowing adventure. Exhibiting thrilling scenario's, ramping up the exuberance and adrenaline with such intensity and precision, blowing this gem into a tailspin with a life altering, mind-blowing culmination. Struggling through the trials and tribulations, along with shocking twists, stunning corners and tricky lines, testing our characters in ways they could have never anticipated. The characters are authentic and original with qualities and traits that transforms into amazing personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and descriptions, as to give you a full understanding and realism that flows smoothly. Remarkable job Kyla, thanks for sharing this little guy with us. -
This story was completely outside my comfort zone. I picked it up thinking it was an apocalypse survival story. It was not!
It is an unspeakably brutal, horrifying tale of a psychopath and his pregnant captive.She was traveling with a strange man she distrusted, a killer hot on her heels. In the middle of a crisis the likes of which this country had never seen.
The apocalypse is the backdrop of the story but the plot is a deranged killer in pursuit of his escaped captive. I thought a few of the plot twists were ultra convenient but they didn't stop me from being horrified by the story.
😖😱🥺 -
More disturbing than I anticipated. This was on my tbr , so picked it up without rereading the synopsis . 😶 Which turned out to be a mistake .
Trigger warning torture and rape ;
The protagonist was kidnapped , and for the last five years brutally tortured.
Needless to say I didn't realize the MC was raped , and is carrying her captors child . Not to mention the fact that he broke every bone in her body repeatedly. That alone was sickening , I almost quite after I read that torture bit . I decided to just skip the description and fast forward past those bits. Unfortunately we are also treated to the Kidnappers POV. I skipped most of that as well .
When refers to the baby she is carrying in disgust as " that parasite sucking all of my strength " and thinks " I can't wait to get this thing out of me " I had to stop . I was terrified that she was going to have the baby and then discard it in the snow like a piece of trash . I completely understand that it must be horrific to go through what she did ,but I was also terrified for the defenseless child . Any pro abortion comments below will be discarded. -
What a thriller! I find it hard to review any of this without spoiling the surprise. Suffice it to say that you should not read this before bed, If you are prone to nightmares or if you have anxiety. LoL!
Kayla Stone weaves you into a web of horror, post-apocalyptic landscapes and the worst and best of human behavior. I can't wait for the next book in the series. -
I was engaged in this one from the start, but ended up feeling cheated and manipulated. The plot was unique (EMP paired with a woman escaping her psychopathic jailer) and there was a lot of action, but there's absolutely NO resolution at the end. What the heck? No way am I going to read the next book - I'm guessing the author leaves you hanging at the end of that one, too. Could there be a reason other than to sell more books? I doubt it.
Since I'm ranting, I'll add that there are too many passages about Hannah's distrust and angst - very repetitive and resulted in my skimming pages. Not to be nasty, but maybe there was a contractual word count the author had to meet.
Warning: there's torture and abuse - of animals and people. Not for the faint-hearted OR those who dislike being manipulated. ;-) -
This is the first full length book in the Edge of Collapse series and continues following Liam Coleman as he tries to make his way home after the events in Chicago, as per the prequel story. The true main character of this book is a young woman called Hannah Sheridan who has almost given up hope. She has been kept prisoner in a basement, by someone she recognized, for nearly five years. The man is a pure sadist and psychopath, who takes great pleasure in making life difficult for Hannah and punishing her physically and mentally for any indiscretion she makes against his strict rules.
She has been beaten down over the years and threats against her son and husband, finally stopped her escape attempts, but she hasn’t given up on finally being found. But, the last few months have seen her losing her focus and her strength of will is waning! In the midst of this current winter, an EMP strike has hit, but she doesn’t know anything about this until the lights in her cell suddenly go off. They have been on constantly for 24 hours, every day of every week, month and year she has been held there. There are no sounds of cars. But the only one she ever used to hear, was when her captor came each week or fortnight.
She is so close to broke, that she can’t try the door to start with, convincing herself that is will still be locked. She knows it has an electronic lock, having seen her captor using it ever time he visits. Eventually she tries the door and is shocked to find it opens. She thinks it might be a trick and cautiously goes up the steps and checks out the home she has been kept under. She is alone, but there is no way she will survive in the vicious weather outside in just her long johns, a t-shirt and a sweater. She has to search for what she may need and do it quickly, before her captor may turn up.
She makes a run for it with the supplies she finds in the house, but she isn’t quite as fit as she had tried to remain during her captivity, her condition making matters much harder than she expected! She has over two hundred miles to travel to get home to her family, over perilous and frozen ground in the worst snow storms the region has ever seen. It will be a struggle and may even be more than she can handle, but at least she will be free. Or so she hopes, because one thing she knows, is that her captor will not willingly let her go. He will be coming after her as soon as he finds out she is gone!
Liam is on his way through the forests, making his way back home, avoiding any major towns or cities on his route, knowing that they will be dangerous. He comes across a terrified Hannah, but is pushed away from her fear, as she can’t or won’t trust another man after what has happened to her. She is on her last legs and is nearly frozen and at the last of his strength. Liam continues, but has the voice of his sister-in-law poking at his conscience, telling him to stop and help her, something he has promised himself he won’t do. He has a choice to make and Hannah’s very survival may depend on it.
A determined psychopath is on Hannah’s tracks. He knows where she wants to go and even if he doesn’t know about Liam’s presence, nothing is going to stop him getting back what he considers is his! He has years of experience out in the wilds and the cold is nothing new to him. He has the gear and the weaponry to take her down, either from a distance or from close up. He will make her suffer for escaping, before he finally does what he should have done years ago, which is to put an end to her and her link to him. It is far too dangerous to let her go. All of their journeys will take them close to civilization and others who realise there is no law and order and are out to take advantage of it for themselves.
The old adage of power hungry people who are desperate enough to do what they want, as they have weapons of a sort and the numbers to overpower those weaker or more timid than themselves. Society is rapidly falling into disarray and life is now dangerous everywhere. Nowhere and no-one is safe anymore. A great start to the series, but the prequel, Chaos Rising, is definitely preferred reading, before starting the series. It tells you so much about Liam and the reasons he behaves as he does. A great character and Hannah is no slouch, she has such determination to survive, what would have killed many others years before! I can’t wait to see what comes in the next books in the series, Edge of Madness and Edge of Darkness. I received an ARC copy of this book from the author and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above. -
I bought this for my daughter, who's a fan of this author, and I decided to read it too. It's a short book, with short chapters, but it's also short on character development. I'm seeing five books in this series, and if they're all this short it should really be 2-3.
Hannah and Liam spend much of the book brooding. Understandable given their recent events, but it bordered on tedious at times. Both POV are featured, and there are also a few chapters from the POV of the guy who kidnapped Hannah.
When we get out of the characters heads and their circling thoughts, the story was improved. I'm always interested in how people would react to a cataclysmic event like this. Not much gets resolved in the end, but I was expecting a cliffhanger going in. -
This book is about brutality. An abused woman breaks free after five years a prisoner of a sick and twisted demon only to have him hunt her down in the worst climate imaginable. If you like brutality and cruelty, then this book is for you. Otherwise, purchase at your own risk.
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Love this Series so far! will be excitedly waiting for the new Audiobook versions of later books to become available, hopefully soon (fingers crossed!).
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Not a perfect novel. There were definitely some illogical plot points—ex. when the bad guy told a group of outlaws that he was a police officer. Surely, in an apocalypse they wouldn’t have cared, and probably would have even killed him for it. And I can’t say the writing was my favorite or that it had a strong ending. But still, despite its flaws, I couldn’t put the book down. It held my attention from page one and gripped me the whole way through. And I’m VERY eager to keep reading the series. I’ve been in a terrible reading slump and this was just the ticket to pull me through.
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Hannah is incredibly strong everything that she has endured up until now makes her superwoman. The fact that she is still a fighter and can’t stop fighting even very last cognitive function giving up is not in her nature.
We met Liam in the prequel and I didn’t think we would see him again if I’m being honest and the fact that we do makes me extremely happy. Because I really enjoyed his character and I felt his inner strength even though I don’t believe he believes he is strong he’s just going day by day until he’s alone again. But I think Hannah and her strength is seeping into him. I know that sounds odd but as the story kept going I kept thinking she’s giving him some of her strength and he needs it because he’s buried down all of that hurt that happened at the very beginning for him. He doesn’t talk about it but it’s in his soul that anguish and grief.
I have to say fucking animals are incredible they can be physically and mentally abused but they know who is there to help and who is there to hurt and Ghost is an amazing dog. His spirit might have been broken but his heart is resilient and we see that throughout the whole book. I can’t wait to keep going.
The narration for this audiobook is fantastic very glad that I picked it up thanks for a wonderful recommendation from my book Bestie. -
Do I have to?
2.5
A friend of mine asked me what I was currently reading. I showed him this book and followed that with "its not good". Its just not.
I found it to be extremely repetitive. The first two chapters consist on Hanna saying the same shit but in a different order. I struggled to continue just after that. For a character that comes off as survival wise, strong willed and smart....she sure is fucking dumb and weak.
Hanna literally mentioned that the house she's held captive in, everything is run off a generator.
Hanna: hmm, the generator is out. The power is off..
Hanna: how is it the power is off? I don't understand.
This little self talk about the power and electric lock happens what feel a like a dozen more times.
.....and that's only the first quarter of the book. ...
I'm choosing not to continue Hannah journey of survival.
The dog should have had a much stronger name. -
I love the concept. There's just so much going on, and it reminds me of the opening to Walking Dead. This novel sucked me in and I will definitely read the next one. I will say that it's a little wordy sometimes and I don't think she's seen real combat, but the story was very gripping.
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The old bait and switch trick.
This was a ripoff! There's a EMP which wipes out all communication and transport. Great! That's what piqued my interest - only the EMP hardly rates a mention. This is about Hannah, a poor woman kept prisoner in some bloke's basement of his country cabin.
That's not why I could only give this one star. That rating is because the author does a good job of ramping up the tension, right until the last chapter and then the book ends! Wait! What? Yep, no ending, and more dangling bits than an old folks nudist colony. You have to (buy) read six more instalments to find out what happens - possibly.
Not this little black duck. I'll not be reading any more from this author. -
Holy. Moly. After finishing a rather exhausting book recently, I turned to Kyla Stone's first installment of a EMP post apocalyptic thriller to jolt me from boredom. It did not disappoint in the slightest. I finished the entire book in one afternoon. Couldn't even put it down for 5 minutes even if I tried. The chapters are very short and written in the perspective of each of the main characters as they navigate their way through the harsh Michigan winter in order to survive and reach their final destinations/goal.
The first chapter immediately hooks you. The main female protagonist, Hannah, has been kept imprisoned by a sadistic psychopath only to be released from her dark, dank chamber due to the EMP. The book doesn't necessarily focus on the cause or source of the EMP, but rather uses it as a catalyst for the events that unfold for Hannah and Liam, the other protagonist that Hannah stumbles across in her attempt to escape her captor.
I have mad love for both Hannah and Liam, and I think the author really took the time to make them believable characters that you truly want to root for and to see growth. For Hannah, this was especially the case for me as I plowed through the first half of the book. She has been through years of unimaginable horror and torture, only to narrowly escape her captor by sheer luck and happenstance. I cannot wait to see her stand up for herself and conquer her deep-seated fears. It's a classic character development, but one that Kyla skillfully packaged in a refreshing and non-cliche way. Liam is also extremely relatable at his core and you can't help but root for him to conquer his demons. Not much is revealed about his past other than the fact that he was ex-military special forces, highly skilled at survival in extreme weather and using weapons, and has a dark past filled with guilt and regret. His character is still a mystery at the end of this first book. It leaves much to be desired and I hope that the next books will delve into his backstory in detail.
I had zero issues with pacing, clearly evident by the fact that I neither ate or drank anything in the hours I sat glued to this book. At one time my cat perched on my shoulder and licked my ear thinking I turned into a stone statue. I almost wished the book was longer. But knowing that the series continues puts my mind at ease. I will definitely be grabbing the rest of the series as soon as I can. I even thought about buying a Kindle just so I can read the rest through their limited time 3 month kindle unlimited trial!
In summary. READ THIS BOOK. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. -
This is a unique take on a apocalyptic book. More of a thriller, full of suspense, than the typical EMP book.
Hannah Sheridan has been held captive for years by a sadistic man, being tortured whenever she tries to fight back. One day, she discovers that the door that has kept her inside her cold, dark cage is unlocked. Scared to leave but more scared to stay, Hannah ventures out in the coldest winter in Michigan history. Before leaving, she gathers what she can and then releases a Great Pyrenees dog who has also been chained and tortured.
As Hannah tries to find her way through the woods, a blizzard almost kills her. Another traveler, Liam Coleman, discovers her hypothermic body and just wants to keep walking toward his hideaway. However, the voice of his dead sister-in-law won't let him leave Hannah, especially after Liam sees that she is pregnant.
There is plenty of action in this book and the writing and the story kept me on the edge of my chair. There are some references to the EMP, but mostly this is a book of survival as Hannah tries to get away from her captor and Liam and the dog, Ghost, try to help her.
I would recommend that anyone who has suffered domestic abuse or something similar steer clear of this book. But, if you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, full of great characters and an awesome canine, give this series a chance. The writing is wonderful, the story well-developed and you will find yourself caught up in this cold, cruel world.
The narrator, Stacey Glemboski, is perfect for this book. Her timing and inflections are spot-on and she added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. -
I was a bit lost as this one started out. I figured we would be following Liam again, instead we were with a woman, Hannah, and I wasn't really sure what was going on. Slowly as I realized what the situation was for Hannah I was horrified and rooting for her to go, go, go. I was happy when Liam ran across Hannah because I knew Liam is a good guy with skills needed in the crazy world both found themselves in and Hannah needed a good guy.
Their run was crazy, more so when Liam realized they were followed and Hannah had to fess up to what she was running from. But again, if you are in a situation like this Liam is the guy you want on your side. I loved the one nice person they found, wish there were more like that, instead of the town that was taken over by bullies and Hannah and Liam in the middle of things. I'm happy that they got away and there is distance from Hannah's past, but that bastard isn't going to stop until Liam kills him, which I hope is in the most painful way possible! -
An edit to my previous review-
Having finished the seven book series, I think Edge of Collapse is well worth reading as an apocalyptic thriller. Writing is solid, action is heavy.
I wish the first book was a little stronger (for the reasons listed below), but if you feel like me, don't let it deter you.
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This started out promising, more of a thriller than the survival novel I expected.
There's just far too much repetition. How many times do we need to be reminded of the trauma Liam and Hannah have endured, how much of a survivor Hannah is, how protective Liam is. Really started to grate on me by the end of the book. -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Kindle Book (End of Days Thriller. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was good. Triggers: Torture, Kidnapping, and Animal Cruelty)