Sunrise has so much tension on the pages, but all you want to do is keep reading to see what happens to the poor characters! Alex and Darla go through so much, and I highly recommend this series if you're a dystopian lover.

I thought I had already sent this review, but apparently I did not.

I enjoyed Sunrise just as much as the other books in the Ashfall trilogy. It circulates well in my library despite its age, and I had to purchase additional copies because it is so well-loved.

Sunrise
By Mike Mullin
April 15, 2014


This was the third book in the Ashfall series by Mike Mullin. The survivors of the volcano eruption have to come together to make a new life for themselves. Alex and Darla must fight to carve a place in the unforgiving world to make a place for themselves and their family and friends.


Darla's character was brave and feisty. Alex was responsible. I enjoyed this book, the feeling of community coming together to build the world into something livable was convincing. I liked all the twists and turns. I’m excited about the fourth book coming out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tanglewood Press for the advanced readers edition in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved! This entire series is entirely underrated. I think I’ll have to do a reread and do a reading vlog to spread the word more.

Semi-concluding his Ashfall trilogy (Mullin hints that Alex and Darla’s stories are to be continued), Sunrise builds on Mullin’s first book two books, Ashfall and Ashen Winter, whose protagonists mature in their handling of multiple adversities after a Yellowstone super-volcano eruption. Darla, Alex, and their compatriots negotiate trade with other towns, make trial and error headways in post-apocalyptic public administration, sow the seeds of infrastructure, anticipate aggression from foes, and find allies -- dare I say, blessings – in unlikely places. Sunrise is about perseverance and hope that proceeds amid surprising reconciliations as well as intractable conflicts.

DNF

I lost steam with this series, and I ended up lacking investment to get into the third book. By this point, the dystopian/post-apocalyptic trend was over for me personally, if not in publishing.

The third, concluding book in the apocalyptic Ashfall series is Sunrise. The title is happier than either of the first two books, Ashfall and Ashen Winter. It alludes to hope, the theme of this book.

Mullin is a master at writing action scenes. There are plenty of those in this book, but also a lot of interaction between the characters we have grown to love in the trilogy. It's the perfect mesh.

In other post-apocalyptic books, we usually get a government gone wrong and people pushing back against them (ala Hunger Games). But I am always most interested in how people get that government. What are the choices that lead them that way?

Alex and Darla have experienced the government's hospitality after the Yellowstone super volcano blew, as well as that of the government's subcontractors. They realize that they are on their own- and they make steps toward being self-sufficient. Alex is able to lead while still being true to Darla and his own young self.

Sunrise is my favourite in this trilogy, which is saying a lot as I really enjoyed Ashfall. The only bad thing is saying goodbye to a trio of books I have enjoyed so much.

This is one of the best series out there. After every book I couldn't wait for the next.

Mike Mullin ended the series just right.

One of the best YA series around. Deep characters, brilliant plot, and a unique spin on the apocalyptic genre. Highly recommended.

I found this book a little dull, it felt forced and didn't flow from one scene to the next.
That being said, the protagonist was great.

Good, but it's a book you have to be in the mood for. I enjoyed the dystopian feel

*I received a copy of Sunrise from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I requested Sunrise by Mike Mullin after reading the description on Netgalley. I’m a fan of books that deal with the possibility of total societal collapse and this was right up my alley.
Sunrise takes place about a year after the explosion of a supervolcano in Yellowstone. Society has been reduced to its most basic, most horrific and wretched level (including cannibalistic gangs). Alex, along with his family and Darla, are forced to leave their home for a safer place. I will say, if I’m ever in a post-apocalyptic situation I hope to be lucky enough to end up with a group as handy as this one. I’m hoping for a Darla on my survival team.
I realized quite quickly that I hadn’t read the description very thoroughly as Sunrise is book #3 in the Ashfall series. Although Sunrise is interesting as a stand-alone novel, and it isn’t hard to follow even without having read the first two books, I realize I missed the richness that would have come from having followed from the beginning. The series is something I’ll have to revisit.

A great and important work that should be required reading from coast to coast.

I had no idea this was part of a series. I would definitely advise you to start at #1 and not this one - #3. I started this and had no idea what was going on. Googled it and said AH HA then started at #1. Worth it, good for YA, and really interesting!

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first two books in this series a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them. The reason in the delay for reading the third and final installment is that I basically didn't want the series to end.

This is a fantastic series and very well written. Mullin highlights a world that *could* occur following the aftermath of Yellowstone erupting and quite frankly it's rather terrifying. Cannibalism, violence, extreme winter conditions, starvation, slow death, marauders, to name but a few. It's basically an examination in the way humans can become bastards in the face of extreme adversity.

Sunrise follows on directly from Ashen Winter so took me a couple of chapters to remember how that ended and events that took place. Alex and Darla are even more badass in this book, and although some elements are rather stupid (the constant raiding and subsequent consequences to name but one), they make a really fun pair of characters to read about.

This book is basically non-stop action but doesn't really get 'samey' so no chance of getting bored whilst reading it.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who likes action and dystopian books. It's rather violent and graphic though, so possibly not a series for those who are a bit squeamish.

This last novel redeemed the previous book and made me love the series all over again. It was well-written, well-paced, and well thought out. It was just done so well! Everything that I consider as marks of a good book were in this novel: there was great character development, a good writing style, a perfect balance of adventure and romance and suspense, and just an overall strong plot. I loved how kickass Darla was, I loved that Alex became a strong leader and developed skills of his own, I loved the various characters that were introduced and developed in this story. Every conflict that was introduced was an interesting one that raised a powerful issue, and it was dealt with effectively by the characters. While this novel may not have been as action-packed as its predecessors, it was still interesting and riveting. All in all, this was a series well worth reading, and I'm glad that this last book did not disappoint! If you are looking for a unique dystopian novel, then definitely consider giving this one a shot!

I only read the first book in this series. While I did enjoy the story, I found it to be a little too dark for my taste and did not continue with this series.

My apologies; I'd love to review the book but hadn't realized it was 3rd in a series

Will not be providing a review for this novel, sorry for the inconvenience, but thank you to the publisher for the opportunity.

And here we are… the last leg of the trilogy. I was oddly reluctant to pick it up. Yes, yes, I knew things ended on an exciting, ominous note in book two, Ashen Winter, but still I hesitated. I didn’t want it to all end, but, since it was ending, I wanted it to end strong like the first two books. Obviously, I was having a reader gal moment.

As you can surmise since you’re reading my review, I got past that. And… wow, this one was for all the marbles. It was darker, grittier, and full of hope and triumph over all. The end of Alex, Darla, and the other survivors’ story closed in a way in keeping with what had come before and more than met expectation. I’m actually going to skip the summary because I’m pretty sure I couldn’t do one without spoilers.

Sunrise was a strong last leg to the trilogy as I pointed out earlier. The premise is a post-apocalyptic what-if scenario. What if the supervolcano under Yellowstone erupted? What would be the fall-out right away? Months? A Year? A few years? That is what this trilogy is about as it follows the individual lives of Alex and Darla.

Alex was a typical teenager living in suburban town Iowa when it happened. His folks and sister were away visiting his relations in Illinois and he was alone. He managed to survive and make his way to Illinois meeting the intrepid Darla along the way. Fortunately for Alex, Darla was studying to be a farmer so understood living off the land, machinery, and survival stuff. Now, in the final installment, both have come a long way and learned to grow up fast, make hard decisions, live with mistakes, and stay strong in the face of a world that has returned to a more primitive age. Resources are few and hoarded as well as fair game to those more ruthless. Some people descend into cannibalism, criminal gangs, and savagery. Others seek to dominate when they have little skill to lead.

Alex is a natural leader, but he is young and untried. Darla encourages him. They have a small band of survivors, but must find a way to protect their home, their meager assets, and also find a way to sustainable energy and food supplies. This leads to courage and daring and even turning away from family or friends who refuse to try to change with the new world they are in.

The author balances a strong story of people, their development and their exciting lives with drawing a believable and practical picture of what life after a mega disaster would be like. I was glad to see the meticulous work that added the layers beneath and did more with the truth of the descriptions making it so much more.

All in all, I am sad to let go of these books. I will be getting the prequel novella from Darla’s perspective because I’m not ready to say good-bye. I think these are powerful and any post-apocalyptic story lover worth their salt needs these books.