Did you ever go through a phase of reading all the zombie apocalypse books you could get your hands on? No? Just me? Okay then. But even if you didn’t, this is a series you’ll want to be on the lookout for. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Timberdark, but my review here is for the whole series, because I couldn’t review one without the other. So, let’s dive in!
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The islands of Lake Wranglestone are a safe haven in a world filled with the Restless Dead. But as the lake freezes over, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.
Peter’s has never really felt at home in a place where practicality and grit are valued above all else. He’s nothing like rancher, Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar. But when he’s is ordered to join him out on the mainland to help herd the Dead from their shores, they find more than just each other.
There they unearth a dark secret about Wranglestone’s past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.
With the tide turned against the Dead, Peter and the remaining community on Wranglestone prepare to leave for town, where the comforts of the world before await them. Could this be the home that finally brings both safety and unity for all?
Cooper isn’t so sure. He harbours feelings from that terrible night on the lake and worse, a secret… codename, Timberdark.
With Cooper’s new found connection to the Dead, Peter’s suspicions about what he might do next grow. Faced with losing the boy he loves, Peter must uncover the truth about the mysterious Timberdark before their future together and the world around them is placed in danger.
Wranglestone Duology
Darren R. Charlton
Rep: gay mc, gay li
Timberdark release: 1st September 2022
Five Reasons to Read This Book
One. This could just be me, but I read a lot of zombie apocalypse novels as a kid and they were, without fail, all of them straight. And there’s just something about reading those kinds of books, the ones you were obsessed with when you were young, but this time they reflect you a little better, that hits different, truly.
Two. Peter and Cooper have a very sweet romance across the two books. Their romance is very likely my favourite part of the duology. It’s got a certain oblivious pining nature to it, especially on Peter’s part, and because of that, you’re rooting for them from the very beginning. They don’t have a wholly smooth journey, though, which I think is very realistic. They’re teens! They’re in a zombie apocalypse! I’d be more surprised if they did.
Three. There’s just enough tension that you’re worried about what’ll happen, whether Peter and Cooper will get out, and just what is going on in Lake Wranglestone. Every little bit more you read raises further questions, until you’re unable to put it down. Once you finish Wranglestone, you’ll want to dive straight into Timberdark, so you can find out what exactly is going on.
Four. Speaking of what exactly is going on (although obliquely and without spoilers), this is a duology with a very solid twist ending. It’s one that I certainly didn’t see coming, but at the same time, if you know where to look, foreshadowing is scattered throughout. Well-plotted, and a series that, once you finish, makes you look back and think oh.
Five. This is a fast-paced and action-packed duology, albeit slowing down a little in book two (however it does ramp up the questions and tension so that offsets anything more ponderous about the book). As I said earlier, you get sucked into this one, turning page after page until you reach the end. But the fast pace of it doesn’t mean it skimps on worldbuilding, or spending time developing characters, and that roundedness is what makes this series a very good read.
So, have we convinced you that you want to read these books?
