With an ice storm approaching, Cassandra Drews is meeting up with he ex in a cafe when the lights go out. Shortly after, a car crashes through the front of the cafe and mayhem starts to unfold. It seems all electrical devices have stopped working and communications are down leaving everyone panicked over what might be happening. As Cass makes her way back to her apartment, it takes a terrifying turn for the worse when planes start dropping from the sky. As the populace that Cass is trying to get through, begins to riot in the aftermath, she has to make her way back to her apartment avoiding both looters as well as trying to help those who need it without getting into any further trouble. When she does make it back, she finds things have gone from bad to worse. Her room-mate has taken her winter gear and fled out of town with her boyfriend and neighbours, as well as leaving her dog behind. With the oncoming storm upon her, Cass has to make do with what she has and make a break for her parents taking the dog with her.

This is a prequel for a post-apocalyptic series caused by a world affecting EM pulse, which certainly makes a pleasant change from a virus or zombies. As a plot point, it actually works well given the current world reliance on electronic devices. Something that would disrupt them would certainly cause havoc and this is shown in a wide variety of ways through the short novel. The oncoming ice storm does add a neat oncoming disaster for extra tension, but it doesn’t play as much of a part in this as the initial action from the EM Pulse. I did appreciate that the action was told through the characters surprise and disbelief at what was happening instead of any exposition. Cass makes for an interesting protagonist, as the daughter of two preppers, she has an understanding of what to do, even if she never believed this kind of event would happen. Tough and resourceful, she is concerned enough to help others, but capable of both avoiding the trouble she can and fighting her way out of the trouble she can’t. The work is descriptive and helps to paint a world falling apart, while still leaving room for Cass’ thoughts and fears to give an idea of what is happening around her. Whether it is brutal or contemplative, it’s clear the danger that Cass is dealing with and the tension racks up as the stakes get higher and higher.

Looking at the book, the spelling and grammar are fine, I didn’t see anything wrong with it. The formatting of the story is clear and the chapters make sense. There are author’s notes at the front and the main story is referenced after the prequel ends if you want to read more. There is a also a link for a different prequel and the first part of the first in a new series by the same author. This is fine if you are looking for more work, but a little bit overkill considering the story is only about two-thirds of the book, with some of the details repeated.

Overall, this is a smart, enjoyable thriller which fans of the genre should enjoy and if you do, there are several more books by the author to follow Cass’ survival adventures.