"This book was an AMAZING READ! It hooked me right from the beginning and I still refuse to let go. It had everything I want in a book and it had all my emotions coming out of me which is an amazing thing. Grace Hamilton is a very TALENTED WRITER who can entrance you and make you feel as if you are the main character of her books.

In this second book we meet again Nathan's family in the new place they found and which they thought it would be safe. Is it? Lots of tensions there and nothing is like they are showing to the newcomers.Let's see the third book.
Thank you Netgalley and the author for this book.

Killing Frost is the second in a series. I have not read the first. I do think reading the first book would be better for background information. It's the story of a family with small children with special needs surviving perpetual winter. They go to a place they believe to be safe, but is it after all? Things may not be what they appear. Difficult decisions must be made and the tension is high. The story is engaging and suspenseful. The characters are complex and sympathetic. Overall a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of Science fiction and like post apocalypse novels. This particular book "killing Frost: did not touch me, even as I have found and read the first one to be able to see the character development better.
The language is very simplistic, very difficult to imagine the world, as not too many descriptions can be found in the book. The personalities of the main protagonists are somewhat underdeveloped, I personally would like to see more into their minds and thoughts.
There are a lot of actions in the book, but some are very questionable, may be more interesting to look in to the might and thoughts of the main characters to see why they act certain way.
The characters are black and white, good and bad and nothing in between.
I would think it is similar to the Tv scenario, where the action comes first and we do not see to o many descriptions, it is a separate item. I would like to see more description of the frozen world after the polar shift and to see wider picture, different countries dealing with this...
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

I requested this on a whim. Once I closely read the premise, I was so intrigued that I took a chance and purchased books 1 & 3. I read book 1 and was hooked. This installment was even better! More character development, more action, more hope and treachery. Now, I’m torn...I am anxious to read book 3, but I don’t really want this series to end. Fans of the sociological aspects of The Walking Dead (not zombie related) will enjoy the twists of bravery, human adaptability, and power struggles. Great depiction of how disaster brings out the dichotomy of human behavior: the best of us rising to the challenge against the cruelty man inflicts on his fellow man.

While I am enjoying the series and this is a good addition to it, it was a bit further out there than I expected and didn't flow as well as the first. The premise and writing are on target, the surprises are well surprising and sad and might get you angry and yelling at your poor kindle ;)

The second book in the After the Shift series is not even half as good as the first book. And the first book was only a strong three out of five stars.

I wanted to be invested in the success and survival of Nathan, Cyndi and the gang of friends they acquired on the way to Detroit. I hoped they would find some kind of stability and we would learn all of Cyndi's fabulous 'prepper' knowledge on coping with the apocalypse. I really liked the character of Nathan's best friend/employee and would have liked to see more of him. I enjoyed plucky teenager Syd, who was so much more savvy and worldly and intelligent than Nathan. I found Donie and Dave to be interesting additions to the group of travelers. Sadly, most of the attention was given to Nathan in this sequel, along with his childhood friend Stryker who convinced them to travel to Detroit and join him in paradise.


Oddly, I found Nathan, Stryker and Cyndi, the main characters, to be the most uninteresting and one dimensional. Not that we heard much from Cyndi in this installment; she's mostly treated as an afterthought until toward the end. The writing swung between capable and quick paced to boring long descriptions of the same thing over and over and over. It felt like the author was trying to fill up pages so the book would be longer. The plot goes from believably possible, to outrageously ridiculous, to dumbfoundingly unrealistic. A nasty leader of a survival group who has designs on Cyndi for her prepper skills (we are never told what those skills actually are), a Nazi plot involving secret injections and a military grade, fully fueled (where did they find a freaking pilot?) helicopter that finds our hero out in the middle of nowhere. Really?!

Another oddity was the difference in the way the characters were written. Our hero Nathan is a complete and utter doofus with very little common sense, zero street smarts and no intuition telling him when a situation is about to turn sour. Secondary character Syd was fascinating and deserves a book devoted to her alone, but she is given short shrift in this novel. Dave is mildly attention-holding and could have been developed into so much more, All the remaining people were broad caricatures: self-centered rich lady, angry Goth girl, over the top evil villains, adorable but bland child, plucky but boring loving wife. Then there is the Haitian lady running a separate camp of survivors, who, despite having a heavy accent and talking like a grade school graduate, we learn was a paramedic in the Armed Services.


By the time the book ended, I was rooting for the bad guys to wipe them out (especially that moron Nathan). But the way it ends it looks like you (not me) will have to put up with them again in another sequel.

REVIEW

Having read and thoroughly enjoying Freezing Point the first book in the After the Shift series I couldn’t wait to read more. It was not a case of if I should read this one it was more of a when can I squeeze it in! I initially downloaded this one thinking I would read it once completing another book I was reading but wow this one had a strong pull and I ended up putting down/pausing what was my current read on the kindle and diving straight into this one!



The cover fits the description in the book of the masonic building that Stryker has described as being a safe and thriving place to live. All is most certainly not how Stryker has described it. It turns out that Nathans friend has changed a lot since he last saw him and it isn’t for the better! The surroundings are stark and to be honest I think that Nathan, Cyndi and their travel companions they picked up on the way are worse off than they were to begin with! This book cover alone would make me want to pick it up from a book store shelf to learn more about it.



The genres I have seen listed for this book are Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi & Dystopian, which I agree with. I should point out once again there is some "violent" content meaning this book should (in my opinion) be categorised as General Fiction and an 18+ book, however I do think that most older teens/mature teens will probably have seen much more violence scenes on TV then there is described in the book. Killing Frost has more detailed injuries and more violent action and betrayal than Freezing Point had. I would also add Climate Fiction to the genre list as the book

Is set in a perpetual winter.



At the beginning of the book there’s a kind of summary or a look back at how far the characters have travelled and what they went through to get to where they are in Killing Frost. I always like books to have a bit of a recap at the beginning if they are part of a series. It doesn’t need to be in great detail just a little about the major events of the prior book to jog your memory, though I have to admit I had remembered all the necessary details about Freezing Point as I began reading Killing Frost.



As in Freezing Point Cyndi’s prepping skills are still well sought after and end up having to be used as a bargaining tool in Killing Frost. Cyndi has already given birth to her baby, Brandon and he is a few months old when this book starts. The main reason Cyndi & Nathan do not immediately leave Detroit is that there are medics and medical supplies available as Brandon is a sickly baby and Tony still battles with his asthma. Sadly these medical services and supplies are not as freely available as Stryker had described. Initially the travellers cannot understand why Stryker has so blatantly lied about life in Detroit. As always Cyndi, Nathan, etc literally keep their heads down and get on with the situation they are presented with. They are soon planning to move on from Detroit as soon as they can. They have ended up in an increasingly dangerous place to live in.



In Freezing Point Syd feels like she has avoided her past and the guy she never wants to see again. . . . .but soon realises that is not the case. Her past is Danny, the leader of a cruel gang who want females simply to breed with to continue humanity. Though Syd is still really reluctant to reveal exactly what Danny did to her, she finally opens up to Nathan.



If you thought Freezing Point was action packed then Killing Frost is even more so! I have noticed with other book series that the second book isn’t always as good as the first but wow this one is even better than first book. I’m seriously looking forward to more from this series.



There are new friendships, love, loss, betrayal and plenty of sacrifice in Killing Frost. I think that Nathan and some of the others in their travelling family have to quickly toughen up and use all the skills and treasured items to barter and deal with a lot more unscrupulous people in Detroit. Then just when all seems loss, help arrives in an unlikely form.



Killing Frost also see’s Nathan face impossible decisions and awkward, life and death situations. There are many times he could just give up but Nathan isn’t like that and always thinks back to what his father would say to him. “Family first” becomes his motto and mantra that he attempts to live by. However, when friends he and Cyndi have made along their travels become more like family and are in danger how can possibly choose who to save and who to let go?

.

I immediately took a dislike to Stryker in Freezing Point and I think you’ll agree once you have read the book, he sure deserves to be a hated character! I must admit I did get suckered in at one point and begin to feel sympathy for his character. . . but, ..well,… without spoilers I will say he turns out bad. . .really bad.



I grew to love Rose, the leader of Trash Town where almost anything can be bartered for what you want or need. I adored the easy, camaraderie and flirting that was never going to go anywhere between her and Nathan.



I still adored the characters of Nathan & Cyndi, always happy to trade skills and prepping information with anyone that wishes to do so. One character in particular hands over a very valuable item that will be in demand as the world tries to build itself back up again.



My immediate thoughts upon finishing Killing Frost were No! Oh no! How could you Grace? . . .Mmm a little cryptic of me I know but I think a lot of readers will be shocked.



After everything this group has been through already, I did not see that ending coming at all! The ultimate sacrifice. . .wow! But did the right one make the ultimate sacrifice? I suppose we will find out in book three in January 2019 in Black Ice. I hope we get to re-visit or catch up somehow with some of the characters that chose to stay in Detroit. The other final thought Killing Frost left me with was Is anywhere safe now?