Sci-Fi & Scary

A strong follow-up to The Faithful, S.M. Freedman's Impact Winter immediately plunges us back into the chaos of the I Fidele destroyed world. The good guys (Ryanne, Josh and crew) are bruised at best, broken at worst. They've done everything they can, and now, they realize, it might still not be enough. So many of them are driven by the need to make up for the wrongs in their past that they push farther and harder than they should.

As for the I Fidele, their evil is displayed in a mix of actions that are both disgusting and terrifying. For the fact that the leaders of I Fidele are gifted, almost non-human, their evil is very, very human.

The author did a great job of keeping one particular mystery from being revealed until the perfect time. Every time I thought I knew who it was, one character or the other would say something to throw me off the trail. She gave us characters we couldn't help but love (or hate), and gut-clenching tension that seemed to never let up. I wanted to throw the book a few times. I may have had to force myself to take deep breaths a few times in order not to. S.M. Freedman proved her talent isn't of the One-hit Wonder variety in Impact Winter. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Favorite Lines:

"Like some implausible made-for-TV movie starring Lindsay Lohan - and never mind that she was white and Neema black, it would appeal to more viewers."

"Let your child be the one to end the hug, so they always get as much love as they need."

A fantastic job by a talented writer, The Faithful series is earning its place on my "Must Reads" shelf. Non-stop twists and turns, hope and despair commingled, good and evil ever at war. Impact Winter will leave you all sorts of mixed up, messed up, and needing to find out how it all ends.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.