Sunrise (Ashfall)

I really enjoyed the two previous books and this one was a very good conclusion to the story arc. It is so refreshing to read a good post-apocalyptic novel that isn't just thinly cloaked racist crap or simplistic gun fan fiction. These books have none of that, just a realistic scenario, strong characters, fast paced action and clever adventure.

I highly recommend this series.

FANTASTIC!!!! "Sunrise" was the perfect ending to the series. Like the first two books, it kept me up late reading; it's wonderfully complex, detailed, engrossing, and tightly written. There isn't anything I'd change about it.

This book takes place over several years and Alex grows up quite a bit. He can still be impulsive but he's become mature, accepting responsibility, leading an ever-growing group of survivors and dealing with family issues. He's not perfect, he has flaws, but he tries. He's gotten quite good at thinking long-range and strategizing and making use, but not using, the smarts and talents of people around him. And of course, Darla is there to smack him when she thinks he needs it. :P

Alex and Darla, along with Alex's mother and sister, are at his uncle Paul's farm when the book opens. They're preparing to help the residents of nearby Warren reclaim their town from invaders. That's a recurring theme throughout the book - defending oneself and protecting your home. We see different reactions and opinions; some people stick their heads in the sand and hope for the best, some plan proactively and some are aggressive about taking what they want. "Might makes right" occurs again and again and Alex is not a fan of that philosophy. Mullin is unflinching in showing us the consequences of a disaster and people's responses, and how quickly culture devolves. There were scenes where I had to skim and jump ahead because I couldn't bear to read the actual details (I also cover my eyes at scenes in movies and tv shows.

I loved that this book took place over several years so we spent more time with the people and there are lot of new people in this story. Additionally, the focus has changed from short-term survival to long-term. Alex and company make plans for long-term living and become the nuclei for others trying to survive. All are welcome, as long as they are willing to work and abide by the rules. Alex negotiates the challenges that brings while dealing with his mother who is at odds with him on several vital topics. Alex and Darla aren't perfect, they make mistakes, but they learn and grow and admit when they're wrong. Despite the pressures in their lives, they are committed to each other and their relationship is wonderful.

Once again, the book is well-researched and it shows without getting too wordy or taking over the story. If we have a large-scale disaster or apocalypse, I'm making my way to Mike's house and joining his group. My odds will be so much better. :D The details of making greenhouses, using wind turbines to make electricity, growing food, establishing laws and a government, etc. were interesting and added a level of realism that I appreciated. I also appreciated that there are no magical solutions nor are all questions answered, though I would have liked to know what what happened with Emily, a new character. The story ends on a hopeful note and I feel that Alex and Darla, and the others, will make it.

Gah, I can't adequately express how much I enjoyed this book. The story, the pacing, the plausibility, the characterization, the details, everything was perfect, even the violence. There's nothing gratuitous or unnecessary, it's all there for a reason. If you appreciate a smart, well-written, engrossing story regardless of genre, read this series.

I was gifted a copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a YA librarian and like to keep up with the new and promising series so I can make honest recommendations for my patrons.
When "Ashfall" came out, I picked up and copy and absolutely devoured it! The story was heartbreakingly beautiful. The characters were well developed and the simple writing style was brutally honest.
I LOVED the first book.
The second book was very exciting and auctioned-packed, but a bit over the top when it came to suspending my disbelief that the hero could accomplish all these things... But I still enjoyed it and looked eagerly forward to the final installment in the trilogy.
And while "Sunrise" started off promising, it quickly took a turn for the fantasy realm.
The plot was all over the place and painfully predictable. By the end, the whole story seemed like some teenage boy's wet dream- he was the hero, he got the girl, everything was perfect...
Considering how powerful the series started, it ended with a whimper.

I think that people who enjoyed the first and second books in this series will enjoy this one as well. If, however, like I did, you enjoyed the first book and thought the second book was too long, you might also find this book to be a bit long. This book covers about a two or three year time period during which Alex emerges as a leader and Darla's mechanical skills come in very useful. There is a lot of fighting, towns raiding one another, and graphic violence and cannibalism along with some people going insane as they try to survive in this ashen winter/mini ice age that has been brought on by the massive volcanic eruption. The book is brutal and gory and long. It is probably rather realistic and preppers and survivalists may enjoy it a lot. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

I found this final novel in the Ashfall trilogy just as absorbing and difficult to put down as its predecessors. Alex and Darla still have a strong bond as they fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Darla’s gift for engineering and Alex’s leadership ability help their group of survivors battle starvation and enemies, but not without taking a toll physically and emotionally. Every decision has its consequences, and they must decide what they are willing to risk and who they can trust. Although there are times of peace, potential catastrophe always looms, and heart-pounding scenes include violence, torture, and cannibalism.

Taking place over a period of three years as the community rebuilds, “Sunrise” is a novel about hope. I recommend the trilogy to adults as well as mature teens who like coming-of-age survival stories.

I loved the prompt 2-day delivery, but the front cover was torn (package was not crushed). I am keeping the book because I really want to read it right now.

Alex and Darla are survivors in every way possible, but in a world that is dangerous in every way possible, it is hard to maintain hope of one day returning to living, not surviving. In Mike Mullin's Ashfall series finale, Sunrise, he brings the incredible story home in a way that couldn't be more perfect.

After setting off to find his parents, losing Darla to flensers (cannibals), being a prisoner in a FEMA camp, finding his parents, finding Darla, and losing his father in the battle to save her, Alex knows all to well how ugly this world can be. He has returned to his uncle's farm outside Warren with his damaged mother, Darla, and a few others in tow. What he returns to is just as grim as his travels. The neighboring town, Stockton, is being run by a ruthless maniac named Red. Red might be insane, but he smart. That level of intelligence combined with such insanity is a dangerous combination. When Stockton takes all Warren's food stock including enough pork to last the town for the foreseeable future, Alex knows he must get it back. Unfortunately, the mayor of Warren is more concerned with his own ego than a smart strategy, and he leads his people into an ambush. When Alex takes charge and manages to recover most of the pork, he has not only made an enemy in Red, but also in the mayor.

Alex understands his uncle's farm is too isolated, unprotected, and dangerous, but so is Warren. He tries to convince the town to protect itself, but he meets nothing but opposition. While he wants to protect everyone he can, he realizes he isn't going to risk his own life or the lives of those he loves trying to reason with people who don't want to listen. Alex is determined to find a way to increase his food production, create a surplus even, and find a way where they can survive without having to fear for their lives each and every day. What he doesn't expect is that in this new world, it doesn't matter how old you are. People look up to you, respect you, and put their lives in your hands if they believe in you. And it is hard not to believe in a young man like Alex.

When I first read Ashfall, I was blown away. Knocked on my literary behind! This story was absolutely phenomenal; in a genre full of stories just like it, it was a shining star. Ashen Winter was just as striking. And now Sunrise has left me devastated. It's over! Sunrise was such an impossibly perfect ending to this series that I am sobbing in my cocoa about the fact that we will never have another Ashfall story again! It is like Mullin knew exactly what I wanted from this story and delivered it like a true master. I mean, I knew this man was a heavyweight in the genre, but he just elevated himself to a class unto his own with this finale!

The progression of the story through the three books starts with Ashfall as the catastrophe novel. Then Ashen Winter is the survivor's novel. And finally, Sunrise is the novel of hope, healing, and moving on. That isn't to say there isn't a graphic and violent portrayal of life in this post-apocalyptic world, because this book is just as shocking and horrific as the first two, but it has a different message. This book brings the series full circle into a place where you wanted and needed it to go. It also allows the children of this new world to grow into their shoes the way they were meant to. Alex was just a bratty kid when the volcano blew. By the end, he is a man to be proud to stand beside. It was an amazing transition, and I feel honored to have witnessed it in this character, among others. But alongside Alex and Darla and the others you come to love and hold your breath when they find themselves in precarious situations, you are also confronted with the absolute worst examples of society. It is disturbing to see people act like these do, but you know as well as I do that they would be there, most likely profiting, in a post-apocalyptic world.

Mullin's prowess as a storyteller, however, is that despite the dark and ugly side of humanity, you still find hope and humanity around every corner. Sure people are skeptical, but they can still turn out to be good people, great even, when given the opportunity. As dark as this series can get, there is always that restored faith in humanity that brings you back for more. When I got my hands on this book, I was so excited I abandoned a book I was 2/3 finished with. This series has made such an impact on me that I refused to wait even a day before starting it. I waited long enough between the last book and this one, that I couldn't wait another minute! So, thank you, Mr. Mullin. You brought to our shelves a story that is sure to cause irreparable damage because nothing will ever be able to live up to its greatness!

There are few YA series I've enjoyed as much as the ASHFALL SERIES, concluding with the satisfying story in SUNRISE. Both Alex and Darla have taken an incredible journey from the beginning in ASHFALL where the Yellowstone Super Volcano erupts, disrupting the lives of nearly everyone in America, depending on their proximity to the epicenter of the volcano. Sections of the country are cordoned off by color, isolating any survivors, and making travel difficult. In ASHFALL, both Alex and Darla travel far from home and discover themselves and what they are made of in overcoming the very real threat of survival through all the dangers and trials the eruption brings into their lives. Together, they overcome weather related risks (the cold, hypothermia) and human ones (the camp, people willing to kill or be killed), and face the struggle to survive (lack of food, the effects of the eruption) among others.

In ASHEN WINTER, the cold temperatures continue, and Alex and Darla set out in search of Alex's parents in order to reunite his family so he can make an uncertain future more certain with his family together again. ASHEN WINTER further develops the need to survive and overcome every trial, as the human condition devolves into cannibalism, human trafficking, and martial law. Food is even more scarce, and finding ways to cultivate essential resources (especially those high in Vitamin C) become even more challenging for Alex and Darla. Not only that, but through various circumstances (as alluded to in the covers) Alex and Darla become separated and Alex is further challenged to find a way to rescue Darla and his parents. In fact, he's often torn between these, at times, disparate choices.

In SUNRISE, I was impressed by the new levels of change, challenge, and survival explored through Alex and Darla as well as the many continuing and returning characters comprising the details this series is known for. I love reading about the mechanics of farming and machinery, the proper use and safety of weapons and military battle tactics, the growing and managing of crops, resources, and food from surprising places. I enjoyed seeing the long-term survivors realize the need for order, community, safety and government at its most basic level.

The dangers faced in ASHEN WINTER continue to plague the lives of Alex and Darla and those who decide to place their loyalty in Alex's young, but capable hands. Alex's leadership, although a tenderfoot at the end of ASHEN WINTER, and the beginning of SUNRISE, further develops in extraordinary ways. This does not come without a cost, and what a cost both Alex and Darla must pay in order to establish a community that can sustain long-term life for a growing population, depending on their skills and expertise to continue.

A new and deadly force is discovered among those who have degraded humanity among the Flensers (cannibals), Dirty White Boys (gangs who traffick others), and in Red, the Stockton leader who has reverted to the "old ways" and a wicked array of knives and blades. Red lives by an "eye for an eye" and has several run ins with Alex as the need for food causes surviving communities to attack one another for survival.

When Alex's own family begins to unravel and fall apart, Alex struggles to find a way to hone his political skills to not only lead his people, but find a way to sustain a future with Darla, a future where marriage and children are possible in a world seemingly devoid of hope and decency.

SUNRISE is a remarkable tale. I was literally moved to tears (in the early part of the story), when the stark reality of choices made for survival and the good of others becomes the will with which Alex and Darla find new meaning to the essence of survival. Without the help and support of others, and the indomitable belief in Alex and Darla's ability to lead the community of survivors, they would not be able to face the many dangers set before them.

Later on in the story, I was enthralled by the many new discoveries and creative ideas used to grow from a few dozen, to a much larger community of survivors, filled with the hope of tomorrow and the promise of new life in a world that still resembles the one reflected as our own. I identified strongly with Alex and Darla and enjoyed the entire series as it concluded in SUNRISE. Mike Mullin is a masterful storyteller, and I appreciated the way Alex's choices lead to changes in the characters who cross his path, and how this comes back into play when it comes to Alex and those he cares about surviving another day.

I appreciated the message given: survival does not need to come at the cost of losing one's humanity, morals, and convictions to overcome the dangers and risks present in the ASHFALL world. While a part of me is saddened this series has come to an end, I believe this is one that would be enjoyable to read again, and for that, I am grateful.

I look forward to future stories yet untold by Mike Mullins. I highly recommend this series to others. I know myself, my wife, and oldest son have enjoyed this series. It has sparked many a conversation in my house. It makes you think about the amount of time life can be focused on technology and how easily things can be taken for granted. It also shows how love and devotion can lead a determined group of survivors to find a way to overcome any obstacle put before them, even if that obstacle is nature itself.

In my opinion it's the best of the three the first two are good and all just add up to making this the best one

Can't go wrong it's fantastic

I am going to miss this chaotic world.