The world as we know it is in crisis - because massive solar flare has wiped out all modern technology. And the characters are showing as the needs grow and troubles speak.

It is a very strange feeling to read such a book in the times of COVID-19...it adds to the atmosphere, yet the realism of the possibility of the sudden turn in our lives is already difficult to live with :).
Yet, the wiping out of all of the modern technology might be even harsher that this health crisis (because at least we have the modern medicine working).

I like Vannetta Chapman's style, it somehow offers the peace and sweetness amidst all the chaos. But I must admit that I like her Amish books more than this dystopian novel, maybe she likes the context better? But this might be just my perception.
And I definitely like that Ms Chapman does not sugarcoat the threats of the world suddenly changed!

This was a very interesting story of life in Texas after a solar flare wipes out electricity and life as we know it. Shelby is the mother of a teenaged son who is diabetic. Max is her friend and former sweetheart. Shelby will do anything to get the medication her son needs to live, and Max will do anything to protect her. This new world in which they live is a treacherous one, so they have all they can do to stay alive.

Great story and am looking forward to the next installment.

Oh, how I would have loved to have given Deep Shadows a higher rating … and I most certainly would have if not for one thing; you have to purchase the next book in order to continue the story.

I am not sure when this became such a trend, but I have said it before and I will say it again; I absolutely detest getting to the end of a book only to realize that there is not going to be a conclusion, and that I will have to purchase more books in order to find out what happens. Even in a series, I believe each book should be a stand-alone novel, so that the reader doesn’t feel “cheated”, or as some readers have said, feel like they are being extorted in order to find satisfaction in something they have invested so many hours in. Who wants to read a 368-page novel only to feel disappointed in the end? *sigh*

Luckily for me, I already had book two, Raging Storm, on my Kindle due to a pre-release copy that was sent to me to review … but after discovering how the first one ended, I did some research and I now know that there are going to be 3 books in this series, with the last (Light of Dawn) not being released until July, 2017. If I had known then what I know now, I probably would have waited to read and review all three at once. So, so frustrating!

Now, with my personal beefs out of the way, I will say that Vanetta Chapman weaves a very good tale! So far, this series has not only kept my attention, but has kept me reading long into the night. I finished the first book in a little over a day, and am currently about a quarter of the way through the second book. (Hence the frustration of knowing I will now have to wait 6 months to find out how it all ends!)

Not only do these stories fill that love of suspense, but they also make you think about how you would react in such a situation, and how you would take care of your own family. There is a very real chance that we may experience something like this in our lifetime, so the question to be asked is, how prepared are you?

One interesting thing to note for me, is that while I connect with most of the characters in the book, I don’t care so much for the protagonist, Shelby. To me, she feels very wooden and hard, and I have a hard time finding sympathy for her. I love her best friend, her son, her childhood sweetheart, and her best male friend … but Shelby herself is something of an enigma to me. I am not sure if she was written that way on purpose and that she will soften in the coming books (which I dearly hope!), or if she is going to remain unchanged. I guess I will have to wait and see.

So … my final conclusions?

Great story!
Great writing!
Big, fat, hairy BOOO! on not being a stand-alone novel.