The Wolves of Winter – Tyrell Jonhston

In bleak Yukon, Canada Lynn McBride is surviving after society has collapsed, thanks to a nuclear war and the onset of disease. She is not alone though, her mother, brother, uncle and a couple of others live in a small settlement and rely on their hunting skills to survive.

Whilst out hunting one day she comes across Jax, a young man and his dog, Wolf. Jax seems to be different from anyone else she has met since being in Yukon. He is an enigmatic figure, who sets off a chain of events that forces Lynn to fulfil a destiny she could never imagine.

As soon as I heard about this book, I was intrigued to give it a read. A postapocalyptic book, with a tale of survival. I love books set in a postapocalyptic world but very rarely find any that take my attention. This one grabbed my attention immediately and it was certainly for a good reason.

This is the debut novel from Tyrell Johnson and what an incredible debut it is. I will certainly be picking up any books that Tyrell writes in the future. I am a big fan of his writing style and the world he managed to create for this book. I had a clear picture in my mind about where this book was set and what surrounded our main character within the first few chapters of the book. My only issue was with the villains Immunity, they are very stereotypical dystopian villains who are prepared to slaughter innocent people because they feel they are doing good in the long run. This didn’t stop me enjoying the book and being terrified of immunity though.

The main character Lynn is a well realised, resourceful, strong spirited and tough. She was trained by her father to be tough and she sees him as a role model. She will do anything to protect her family and her home. I enjoyed reading a dystopian novel in which the female main character has so many dimensions to her. Jax is more of an enigma of a character. We don’t get much information as he is introduced to the story, but this is done purposely. As you near the end of the book Jax is more of a fully formed character that I grew to like. The secondary characters in this book are all thought out well too. My favourite of these must be the dog Wolf. If you put an animal in a book, especially a dog I am likely to love every second that animal plays a part in the story.

This book feels as though it could one day become a reality with everything that is going on in our society at the minute. It was a quick, easy read for me. It is quick paced and packed full of twists and turns. It even made me cry a little at the end with just one sentence. Although this book is marketed as a young adult book it has the hints of a young adult novel. For that reason, I feel it would appeal to anyone who is a fan of young adult books and looking for another dystopian novel to read. The ending of this book is left quite open and I feel there could be a sequel if Tyrell Johnston would like to write one.

Overall, I was a big fan of this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a postapocalyptic dystopian novel that feels incredibly real. Tyrell Johnston has written an excellent debut novel and I cannot wait to see what he writes next!

Thank you to HQ Stories and Nina Douglas for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to the lovely people at HQ Stories and Nina Douglas I have a paperback copy of The Wolves of Winter to giveaway! This giveaway is going to be run over on my Twitter account @loisreadsbooks. All you have to do is retweet this tweet and follow me on Twitter (@loisreadsbooks) for an entry into the giveaway. For an extra entry into the giveaway just follow Loisreadsbooks here on WordPress either via email or using WordPress follow button! For another extra entry give my Instagram a follow @loisreadsbooks! This giveaway is only available for people in the UK (sorry to any international followers, I will be doing another giveaway soon). The giveaway will be ending on the 12th December at 8pm GMT so don’t miss your chance to win a paperback of this wonderful book!