Gregory ended the world. Can he save it?
It’s been five years since the Reapers ripped Gregory’s family apart and invaded Earth, leaving behind a wake of decimation. Gregory and a small group of survivors now scavenge the wastelands, living in constant fear of discovery.
Weighed down by relentless blame for the planet’s destruction, Gregory seeks to make up for his past mistakes. He gets that chance when a surprise attack forces him through a Reaper door. Gregory finds himself in a bizarre place with no way back, a place that may provide answers to the Reapers’ past and where they came from.
Can Gregory find a way to destroy the Reapers and restore order to his broken world, or is the human race doomed to lose the war against these ruthless monsters?
The first book in this series was a novella that reinforced the often ignored rule about basements being bad news in the horror genre. The fates of those characters were left undetermined, so I was ectastatic when I learned the author had expanded the story.
The past five years haven’t been kind to these characters. Humans are still in hiding, struggling to survive every day as they fight the Reapers. Looking for someone to blame for their plight, most of Gregory’s group make him the scapegoat since he initially opened the door and let the Reapers in. He blames himself not only for that, but also the loss of his little sister Imogene since she was taken by the Reapers.
During a battle, the story takes a turn that blindsided me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first, but it really makes sense within this world. Without giving away spoilers, Gregory finds himself in unfamiliar territory and must find a way to get back to his family. He makes some strong allies, but getting back home isn’t an easy journey, and he faces many battles first.
Gregory undergoes tremendous growth over the story and has a wonderful character arc. I enjoyed watching him progress from an immature teenager to a responsible, clever young man. I had to suspend my disbelief a bit with the maturity of another character, but gave them them the benefit of the doubt taking into account what they’d experienced over the past five years.
As a devout sci-fi and horror fan, I enjoyed the blending of genres and also appreciated the nail-biting action scenes. There’s even a sweet romance tossed in the mix. I’m excited to see what this author does next.
Books and Such 
Thanks for sharing, Teri. It sounds like a good one.
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It sure was, John. An exciting blend of sci-fi and horror.
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I remember when you reviewed the first book. It sounds like the second one really delivers, and the mesh of genres is a nice extra.
Great review, Teri!
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I loved the novella and really wanted to know what happened to these characters. My wish was granted!
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Ooh, this sounds like a good read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Teri 💕🙂
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Tense moments, lots of action, a splash of romance – it packs a lot into the pages, Harmony.
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Romance, scifi, horror, character growth…it seems that that book has a lot of good things indeed!
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It’s like he put it through the blender, Sophie, lol. An exciting read.
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Reapers intrigue me for some reason – from books to tv, they always spur my imagination. I like the mix of SciFy and horror too – much better than straight horror. Excellent review!
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Same here, Tessa, but they’re not traditional soul reapers like you may be thinking. They’re more about taking over worlds. Pretty scary creatures!
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This sounds interesting with well-written world and characters. Amazing review, Teri!
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Yes to both – he did a fantastic job. Thanks, Yesha!
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one, Teri. It sounds like a great story!
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Unpredictable with wonderful characters – two of my favorite things in a novel. Hope you’re staying warm, Jan!
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This sounds interesting, Teri. I also ignored the rule about basements in Through the Nethergate. The one I featured is a real cellar and really does share a wall with Bungay Castle.
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Basements and cellars go hand in hand in my opinion, Robbie. The perfect setting for horror/supernatural stories. You’d think those kids would learn sometime, lol.
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You learn from experience.
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Good review, Teri! I’ve read this one too. It was fun, and I really enjoyed the imaginative world building!
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I agree – Jonny’s got some creative ideas rolling around in that head. Thanks, Priscilla!
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Sounds like Jonny has a good thing going here, Teri. Thanks for the non-spoiler review… sometimes those are hard to write. I love a strong character arc. Congrats to Jonny. 🙂
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I’m also big on character arcs, Diana, and I’m always looking for a strong one. You’re right about not giving away spoilers. I just wrote a spoiler-free review for another book, but when I posted it on Goodreads noticed plenty of other reviewers had given it away. So disappointing.
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I try really hard not to spoil a book too. Thanks for making the effort!
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