When the Sky Falls by B.R. Spangler and narrated by Ina Marie Smith this is the first book in the new Dark Skies Apocalypse series and it was an excellent audiobook. It was a gripping post-apocalyptic survival thriller that just had me hooked. I don't usually read this genre, but the cover caught my eye, I am so glad it did.

I was lucky to get both the book and audiobook. Thank you.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture / Second Sky for my arc.

It just wasn’t my thing. I have read a few post apocalyptic books and liked them but this was rushed but at the same time it dragged if that’s possible.

The parts that needed a bit more details were rushed and the parts that were just background details were dragged out for no reason.

I didn’t love this book.

Sadly, I was not into it. The story didn't keep me interested and it was very slow at times, but I felt like some parts were rushed. The character development especially felt rushed. Not the post-apocalyptic story I was looking for.

Oh my gosh, wow! What a ride. As soon as I started reading this I was reminded of a fantastic Danish series I watched called The Rain (if its still availability on Netflix I'd recommend it)

This book had me gripped. I immediately loved Emily and her sweet bond with her little sister Sammie. The book follows them into adulthood as they navigate this strange new world, and eventually venture back outside.

I don't want to spoil anything else, but B.R Spangler has written a fantastic, exciting story with danger that kept me on the edge of my seat. Thankfully book 2, When The Dawn Breaks, is available already so I won't have to wait long to find out what happens next

“And she'd tell of the great accident, and how sisters fought and survived the day when the skies fell.”

An apocalyptic and dystopian novel about a machine that corrupts the world and the skies.

When poisonous clouds and corrosive fogs destroy the skies and consume the sun, Emily has to save herself and her little sister Sammi. After fifteen years, she has to face The Outsiders, an aggressive gang to which she lost her son to and Sammie had to flee with her love Declan. The big question will be trying to save the world and meet again.

The style in this novel is direct, dynamic and intellectual. If focuses on two sides: the external one, which deals with a world at its end for machinery and its pollution and the internal one, in which even feelings seem to die in such extreme conditions.

It’s been interesting to see how the plot is built: original and unexpected. Relationships are intense, the danger is perceived as real and the end is nowhere to be predicted.

I would highly recommend reading this if you love dystopian and apocalyptic novels with romance, plot twists and strong feelings.

Explosive Opener Leads To Survival Epic. One of the first things you need to know about this particular (now) duology of When The Sky Falls and When The Dawn Breaks is that this is now the third time this story has been revised and repackaged - thus, when it feels like the book suddenly switches gears and becomes seemingly an entirely different book at around the 2/3 mark or so... that's because in its original forms, it *was* a second book at that point.

But taking that into consideration and reading this duology back to back, effectively reading what was formerly a four book series all at once, feels a bit like reading a shorter version of Douglas Adams' epic five volume romp through space in The Hithhiker's Guide To the Galaxy... but in a far more grounded, survival scifi type story. As with The Complete Hitchhiker though, this story actually works quite well in this form.

Part I has the explosive opener reminiscent of the opener of Brett Battles' SICK, the opening salvo of his seven volume epic apocalyptic survival series PROJECT EDEN, and in some ways - the mall scenes in particular, but also some of the scenes between the opening and that point - really challenge Battles as to which is truly the more compelling story.

Part 2 of this text is set a bit "down the road" from the events of Part I. The Apocalypse has effectively happened, and the survivors have set up what civilization they can. Here, the story becomes more of an exploration-survival story, where we learn how the world has changed from the one we know... and how humanity, in many ways, never really changes much.

While Part I has its heart wrenching moments and makes the room a bit dusty at times in certain ways, Part 2 manages to twist these things a touch and do a bit of its own thing - which is why it can be jarring to read it in the same book as Part I - but also manages to up the stakes a bit in its own way, before finally leaving the reader almost literally begging for the continuation of the story - now to follow in When The Dawn Breaks, with both books being released together.

Very much recommended.

While this book had some interesting ideas, I felt the storytelling rather disjointed and in some areas, a lot of telling and not showing. The plot also either moved at a snail's pace or sped up too quickly. I think it would've been better if part 1 in the book was its own, and part 2 was another book, something to tie in the series. That way, we can see the behind-the-scenes of how the fog happened, how the love between the characters grew and even give some information about The Outsiders. We are told they are dangerous, but not shown. We were just fed information and had to run with it.
Sammi's perspective, especially the ending, would also be more impactful if we spent more time with her and the man she grew to love.
This book had good potential, but lacked execution.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC for my honest review.

When the Sky Falls is book 1 in a new gripping post-apocalyptic survival thriller by B.R. Spangler.
I love Spangler. His writing is always on point and engaging.
I’m never disappointed by his stories and this was another great read!
Full of action and adventure.
This was such a fun book.
The characters are very well written.
And the book in general was engaging.

Apocalypse books are one of my favourites genres especially when it moves on into the world after the end.
That's what I hoped with this book. Seeing a world after an end through the eyes of young, hopeful teens.
That is not what I got.

This is a book of 2 bits. The first taking up about 75% with unstructured, rushed bitty scenarios encased in a mall surrounded by fog.
Sammi and Emily are weak characters written into a rushed narrative. A quick high school romance and a Dad turning up to put a spanner in the works.
The back ground characters held hope Nolan and Isla, but no longevity.

And then boom add 15 years and a whole new set of characters, rules and story in the last 25%.
This last half had promise. A world after the end with hierarchy, rules, gadgets and bad guys we were just getting introduced to when it ended.
This needed more space in the book, not the mediocre intro that filled too much of the book

Yes there's a book 2, but not for me.
I wouldn't recommend grabbing this book, but if you do skip to the 2nd half and pick up the gist from there.

When The Sky Falls (Dark Skies Apocalypse book 1) by B.R.Spangler

Do you like post-apocalyptic survival fiction? Sure you do. Welcome to the Dark Skies duology. When The Sky Falls & sequel When The Dawn Breaks are released together on August 14th.
Thank you #Netgalley and @secondskybooks for the eARC of When The Sky Falls.

Somewhere in America Emily (a young adult) & her sister Sammi (3 years old) wake up in their family home with Mum & Dad. All appears normal but this is the day the world ends. Not with a bang but a poison fog. The sky has fallen, visibility obscured & then the screams start.
Emily's dad knows something has gone wrong with the machines. Wait, what machines?
He has worked on a secret project to save humanity with clean air but instead has doomed everyone.
If you're outside you're dead. Burned & poisoned inside & out.
If you're in your house you're soon going to follow the screams on the street as the fog is eating through wood & plaster & houses are disintegrating.

There's one chance. A family trip to the mall. The cars will withstand the fog for a little while & the mall is made of concrete thick enough to survive. That's the theory. But dad's not coming too. He's off to the machine as maybe he can fix the mistake.

The opening chapters are fast paced as Emily & a small group of survivors convene at the mall. The pace slows down until they realise how low the food supplies are & factions in the group may be gearing up to cause trouble.

Two thirds of the way through the book part 2 starts 15 years later. It's a bit disconcerting having been invested in the characters.
First there's a standalone chapter with the dad & the machine which is horrific & implies there's much more going on. We don't find out what. That's for book 2.

We're then into the life of Emily, Sammi & others & how they are surviving all these years later. The focus on this section is on new characters, particularly a young man called Declan. It's almost a linked separate story as too many favourites died in part 1. A death of a major character is signposted way in advance so it's not a shock, just upsetting. I think book 2 will help part 2 make more sense.

✨✨✨⚡3.5 stars

I wish this had been two books, the before/during and the after, together it felt almost rushed and lacked a lot of information that would’ve added to the overall story

The fog is lethal, for people, for buildings, for anything it touches and when Emily wakes up that morning her life as she knew it is over. Her father worked on the machines but something went wrong and now everyone and everything is in danger. Her father leaves to try and fix things before it can get any worse whilst her mother gets Emily and her sister sammi in the car to try and escape to the local mall, similar to what they do during a tornado warning. The fog is also thick, driving in it it’s dangerous and when they finally make it to the mall only Emily and Sammi are left alive. Once inside they find other survivors, trying to make sense of the situation and what the future will hold. So many survivors are already ill from the fog and no one is prepared for what their lives have become. When their father turns up both sisters are relieved, but he soon leaves as he’s recognised as someone who worked on the machines and he makes a desperate run to try again to stop them.

Jump forward and sammi is now a teen, despite the depressing odds she and her sister not only survived but built a community with the other survivors. The fog is still a danger but so are people, the outsiders are rumoured to kidnap children and eat other survivors, time outside the mall building is limited and those inside aren’t as safe as one would hope. Emily has lost her only son, changing her forever but each year she returns to the place the machines are in search of her father in hopes he can still fix the world. Sammi and her love Declan are in danger from them all, their love keeps them going against the dangers but a sudden fall could end it all

The action starts for When the Sky Falls on page one and doesn’t let up at all. Make sure to block a chunk of time in your calendar because you will not want to be interrupted as you read about Emily, Sammi and her parents fighting to survive a storm unlike any we’ve experienced in the real world ( thankfully). And that is just the beginning.

While the action is gripping and the details of some events not for the faint of heart, what I really enjoyed was the character development of Emily and Sammi. For me, this is what makes any novel a truly worthwhile read. And I’m so excited to continue to read this series and happy that the second is being published simultaneously!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Second Sky/Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Emily Stark flees her home with her younger sister, Sammi, and their mother, when a toxic cloud ravages their world. Their mother doesn’t make it, and Emily has to grow up fast when she finds herself responsible for her own survival as well as Sammi’s.

What sets Emily apart from the other survivors is that she knows who caused this disaster - her father.

This type of future seems more of a possibility since Covid; lockdowns are the kind of thing we used to go to the cinema and pay to watch movies about, but just four years ago, it became our reality, so could this happen?

The story is told in two parts; from when the disaster occurs, it's devastating impact and the survivors efforts to stay alive. In part two, the book focuses mostly on Sammi, 15 years later, as she tries to create a life for herself and Declan, the man she loves. As well as the community she grew up with, there are also The Outsiders, a brutal group who attack anyone they come across.

I really liked Emily and Sammi and was rooting for them all the way through this excellent book. It's a while since I read this genre and I really enjoyed it. Tense and terrifying, yet also filled with hope and the power of humanity. I can't wait for book two!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, B. R. Spangler and Second Sky for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first 2/3rds of this book. The pounding realization that outside is NOT safe and even homes and cars can be destroyed, gave the feeling of dread.
The mall being a safe haven was a little cliche, but the author made it work.

It started getting bad when the dad was left inside the machine and what he did to his neck. I was like ok, he is taking "cutting" to a whole new level and then the chapter ends and the readers are left with a hot mess.

Then the book jumps ahead 15 years and everything has changed. New characters are introduced, things have changed, and the fog isn't that bad. I was left confused and oftentimes left rereading entire pages because I had no clue what was going on.

Then a main character dies, and the end. WHAT?! Wait?! What just happened? seriously? I was not engaged enough to try to continue on with this series.

This book held promise and then ran off the rails.

I got to listen to the audiobook and read at the same time the advanced copy, and I must say that helped me understand better what was going on. The book/audiobook starts in a very high note, something different of the normal was taking place, our protagonist Emily was raised of her sleep during the night by her mother, her family got out of the house just in the nick of time and driving themselves until the shopping mall, while her father was supposed to go to the machine, and this is a piece of very mysterious centre of the story, what really are the machines, how do they work and how to reverse what they do…

While I did like the beginning of the story I have many questions, how did the population of the commune grow so much, why did they forgot what happened with the red neck family that was sent away from the mall, the outsiders are they all the red neck family? Are they really cannibals? The guards in the commune are inhumane jerks, and what did Declan mother find out? What really happened… I also felt that what happened 15 year later didn’t really belong in this book, I would much rather listen to the complete Emily story, and how she become a mother and how that changed all for her… going straight to 15 years after, without any explanations and changing the protagonist feels strange and disconnected, also felt a bit rushed for me…

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky Books for the free ARC, and this is my honest opinion.

This is not my usual genre, but the description had me requesting this book. I must say, it was an awesome read. The plot was both terrifying, and hopeful at the same time. I did like that the book was broken into two parts, one being the beginning, and the second being 15 years later. I did think the second part needed more depth and description, but I guess that is what Book 2 is about. Looking forward to reading it.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the premise and the plot. The setting was well-done and the tenseness well-conveyed. However, there was an important typo that kind of distracted me from the experience. And the narration being a third person pov, it was alright but I felt the style could have been better (I’m not a writer so I’m sure it must have been difficult already). It was more of a tell and not show, if you know what I mean.

✅ Overall, I liked the progression of events and the story. I would recommend 👍🏽

Couldn’t put this one down. Breaking the book into two parts was really smart and so well done. Part 1 told us how the world fell apart and part 2 told us how live was 15 years later. Told through the point of view of two sisters was awesome too!

I am a fan of this author and looked forward to reading this change in genre from her.
 
A very strong opening, what is this mysterious ‘killer cloud’?
 
Once Emily and Sammi reached the mall, I found that things stalled a little. We kept hearing about the cloud, kept hearing about buildings crumbling, but the plot didn’t move along at any great pace.
 
Around two thirds in, it moved forward in time, but felt a little hurried and I had fbecome a little disengaged by this time.
 
An interesting idea, I have downloaded the sequel and will start afresh with that.
 
Great to see two strong, female lead characters and I’m sure this series still has a lot to offer.
 Thanks to Netgalley and Second Sky for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing this book, with my honest review below.

When the Sky Falls had a fascinating premise, the end of the world for most people and the end of the world as they know it for a rare few, which I love to read about. Ultimately, however, this book didn’t come together for me.

The reader is in for a strong opening when young Emily is awoken in the middle of the night by her panicked parents trying to pack up and get out of her coastal home due to a suddenly destructive fog (corrosive in ever way). Right away it’s indicated her father may be at the heart of the fog with a mysterious machine he’s been working on. The book then goes into Emily, and her younger sister’s refuge at a mall where we park for some time. This is where the book starts to weaken, spending a bit too much time in that location/time and repeating itself in some parts unnecessarily. This is also where it becomes clear that some proofreading would be helpful (though I acknowledge this is an ARC so more of an eye to this may occur), and just before we jump to the future is where the plot devolves. The future felt rushed in how it was introduced and our time spent understanding adult Emily and the main characters in her life with the exception of her younger sister was minimal. We then spin into a super rushed plot about her sister and her lover which ended on a somewhat cliffhanger I just really wasn’t interested to find more about because I hadn’t been given time to understand or grow interested in these characters.

There’s a lot of promise in the ideas introduced in this story. I am intrigued by the machine and Emily’s dad and some whispers of a conspiracy afoot. It just didn’t strike me enough to get sucked in due to pacing and the overall structure of part two, with opportunities to gain some pages for that by shortening part one. I hope editing allows for that before release, because this could really be something special.