Hard Winter: The Novel by Neil Davies is set in a fictional post apocalyptic future. Centered on the experiences of one very damaged human, the author takes the reader on a journey of hardship, loss and transformation. The story line is quite believable and the finale satisfying. It took a few chapters to connect but moved swiftly as the characters evolved and began to interact.

A fun read for a wintry weekend. ( )

The world is a cold and bleak skeleton of what it once was – an unforgiving land nearly devoid of people and resources. Harsh, daily blizzards provide no respite from this frozen land, which covers all of England and possibly the entire world. The main character, Norman Leonard, is on the run, staying barely ahead of feral and vicious “Norsemen,” gigantic “trolls,” an unrelenting glacier and his own personal demons.

Although the story is reminiscent of other dystopian, apocalyptic novels such as The Road and Earth Abides, Hard Winter differs as it is very much a story of redemption. Norman struggles with the elements, but much more difficult for him is to accept his fears, his need for survival at any cost, and his guilt at not being able to do more to save those around him. Norman needs to find hope when the world is clearly a hopeless place.

I enjoyed reading this book despite the improbability of some of the situations. The author has told a good story, with enough description to make me want to turn up the heat and wear a warm sweater. The story moves along at an even pace, with enough foreboding and action to keep the reader engaged. Hope intermingles with terror, and the author is skilled enough to make the reader feel a part of the story. I thought that the ending was a bit rushed and even a little anti-climatic, but this is really the only fault that I found aside from a few minor editorial errors. I give this book 4.5 stars.

I had the honor of being given a free copy of this book in exchange for agreeing to provide a fair and unbiased review. I have never met the author, nor do I know him/her personally. ( )

This book leaves me in a quandry. I enjoyed the author's writing style. I felt compassion for the characters. The story flowed well and kept my interest - to a point. I think the plot was certainly implausible. The ice age climate was a good backdrop for the story. However, I think it would have been more believable and enjoyable if the trolls were not a part of the story. There is so much that could have been done with the Norsemen rather than bring in the giant trolls. I would have much preferred a futuristic thriller with a historical rather than a mythylogical basis. I will read more by this author. ( )

A thriller that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the ice caps are melting and the world is in a deep freeze. The main character is a selfish, cynical coward who is now living in a world of ice. The world is freezing over and he as his wife embark on a journey south (England) hoping to find warmer weather. She dies early on in the book. And the story begins. He looses toes to frostbite and other horrors upon his body. It's his fight to survive, to believe in others and to learn how to accept the assistance of other people trying to go south too. Throw in monsters that shake the earth when they walk and are following him south - eating all (humans) along the way and Norsemen (Vikings??) with wolves as attack animals. And now the stage is set for a gruesome but page turning story. Well done. ( )

Hard Winter is an understatement! It was chilling, no pun intended. I can see it as a movie, but I wouldn't go. A lot of it was way too graphic for me, as I have an active imagination. I could see myself right there. It takes place way in the future, and I don't know if the scenario is plausible or not. Maybe not what with global warming, and all that. It was my first ebook, and I was able to read it on my computer. It was great! ( )