Book Review: The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson

Happy publication day to Tyrell Johnson, The Wolves of Winter is out in ebook and hardback today!

Book Description:

Forget the old days. Forget summer. Forget warmth. Forget anything that doesn’t help you survive.

Lynn McBride has learned much since society collapsed in the face of nuclear war and the relentless spread of disease. As memories of her old life haunt her, she has been forced to forge ahead in the snow-covered Canadian Yukon, learning how to hunt and trap to survive.

But her fragile existence is about to be shattered. Shadows of the world before have found her tiny community—most prominently in the enigmatic figure of Jax, who sets in motion a chain of events that will force Lynn to fulfill a destiny she never imagined.

My Thoughts:

Looking for a fab dystopian read this month, then look no further than The Wolves of Winter.

I loved the descriptive detail in this novel, it really allows you to visualise the landscape and how Lynn and her family are living. I think it’s so important in dystopian settings to be able to create these visual images because they are the key to making the novel ‘come alive’ for the reader; I love being able to imagine how I would survive, could I survive, if it were me living in this post-apocalyptic world. I’ll admit, I did think the first half of this novel was a bit slow, but it was crucial in giving us an understanding of how life is now – how to hunt for food, how to keep warm in the layers of snow, and how to deal with your asshole neighbour!

Then Jax arrives and all hell breaks loose, the pace picks up, the intensity heightens, and the fight is really on! I love the action that took place in the second half of the novel, it had me gripped – what can I say, I love a bit of violence. I never like to go into too much detail about the events that happen in a novel because I always think it’s better to discover it for yourself but I will say, I love that there’s a cause for it all. It isn’t just nonsensical action and adventure, but it makes perfect sense; we come to understand how the world became what it is now and why Lynn and Jax are so important, and I found that really interesting.

I also really like the characters in this novel, they were so varied and distinct in their personalities; whether it’s Jax, Lynn, or even her mother or brother, I think everyone will find a character in this one they like just that little bit more than the others. For me, it was Jax, I really wanted him to survive, I liked the whole mysterious vibe he entered with and enjoyed learning more about his character; he has that calm and protective nature which I found really appealing.

Johnson knew what he was doing when he wrote this novel – the vivid imagery, the character creation, and a fierce determination to survive. With it’s fantastic ending, I would love to see a sequel, the ending is wrapped up, but I would love to see what’s in Lynn’s future. If you’re looking for a dystopian novel to excite then The Wolves of Winter is what you want to be reading.

This book is available to buy from: Amazon UK / Book Depository

*My thanks to the publisher (HQ) for granting me access to a digital copy of this title via Netgalley*