ARC Review: Til the World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, and Karen Duvall

Til the World Ends
Author(s): Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, Karen Duvall
Publication: Harlequin Luna; Original edition (January 29, 2013)

Description: New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed authors Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre and Karen Duvall imagine what it takes to survive in a world where everything you know—and love—is about to disappear…forever.

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Before The Immortal Rules, there was Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden—as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems….

Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre

After a catastrophic spill turns the country into a vast chemical wasteland, those who could afford it retreated to fortresses, self-contained communities run by powerful corporations. But for Mari Thistle, life on the outside—in the Red Zone—is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with the mysterious Thorne Goodman. Together, they'll face an evil plot in both the underworld of the Red Zone and the society inside the fortresses that could destroy those on the outside…for good.

Sun Storm by Karen Duvall

Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms—in the cosmos and beyond. And she's not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She'll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.

My Thoughts:

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa—Having read Blood of Eden I was curious about how the world in that story came about. This story about The end of human dominance, the Red Lung virus, and the rise of the Rabid was as much a love story as a survival story. Kylie is working one of the few remaining medical clinics outside Washington DC when Ben Archer shows up with his injured friend Nathan. Nathan dies and turns rabid but, even worse, so do the other dying patients in the clinic. Kylie and Ben decide to flee to his family who lives in an isolated area. Ben had had a fight with his father and left home four years earlier never intending to go back. They fight various Rabids along the way and are even rescued by a vampire who plays a larger role in Blood of Eden. They reach Ben's farm and set out to make a life there.

Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre—Mari Thorne is a thief in a world where the rich live in guarded compounds that protect them from the ruined wastelands outside. Mari is forced by the boss of her area to break into one of the compounds to steal an object he wants. However, she was given bad information and fails. She is helped to escape from the compound and finds herself in the company of one of the boss's soldiers who wants to overthrow him for reasons of his own. Since the boss wants to kill Mari for her failure, she teams up with Thorne even though she can't trust him. He is the best of bad options and might provide a way for her to survive and take care of her family. The story ends without being completely resolved. I wonder what Thorne will do as boss of the area. I wonder what will happen to Mari and her younger brother and sister. 

Sun Storm by Karen Duvall—Solar flares have almost destroyed the Earth. No one can be out in the daylight and most technology is down. Some few people don't die from the sun fever but develop special powers. Sarah can foresee when the solar flares are coming and where the storm will be worst. Ian can control the weather. Their powers make them attractive to the unscrupulous and needed by the government who has a plan to stop the solar flares. But they need Sarah and Ian to make their plan succeed. 

Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of novellas. Most of them leave me aching for more and feel unfinished to me. Kagawa's story did fill in some background for me since I have already read The Immortal Rules and the main characters were left in a situation that was dangerous but had a future. Aguirre's story was the one that left me wanting the most. I do not know if she has written more stories in this world but I know I need more. While the immediate problem was solved, the fates of the two main characters were left hanging. The final story was also came to enough resolution for me. The main problem was solved and the future was filled with possibilities for the main characters. 

All of the stories were well-written and had engaging characters. Fans of novellas and fans of the authors will enjoy these. 

Favorite Quote:

Dammit. I didn't have the freedom to be fascinated by someone who might double-cross me or kill me. Or both. On a bad day, it was definitely both...and today qualified.                                               —Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre

I got this ARC through the Amazon Vine program. You can buy your copy here.