#BlogTour: When The Sky Falls *AND* When The Dawn Breaks by B.R. Spangler

For this blog tour we’re doing something I don’t think we’ve ever done in the history of this blog – we’re looking at *two* books at once! For this blog tour, we’re looking at the Dark Skies Apocalypse series, When The Sky Falls and When The Dawn Breaks by B.R. Spangler.

First, the review for When The Sky Falls I posted to the book sites (Hardcover.app / BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com):

Explosive Opener Leads To Survival Epic. One of the first things you need to know about this particular (now) duology of When The Sky Falls and When The Dawn Breaks is that this is now the third time this story has been revised and repackaged – thus, when it feels like the book suddenly switches gears and becomes seemingly an entirely different book at around the 2/3 mark or so… that’s because in its original forms, it *was* a second book at that point.

But taking that into consideration and reading this duology back to back, effectively reading what was formerly a four book series all at once, feels a bit like reading a shorter version of Douglas Adams’ epic five volume romp through space in The Hithhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy… but in a far more grounded, survival scifi type story. As with The Complete Hitchhiker though, this story actually works quite well in this form.

Part I has the explosive opener reminiscent of the opener of Brett Battles’ SICK, the opening salvo of his seven volume epic apocalyptic survival series PROJECT EDEN, and in some ways – the mall scenes in particular, but also some of the scenes between the opening and that point – really challenge Battles as to which is truly the more compelling story.

Part 2 of this text is set a bit “down the road” from the events of Part I. The Apocalypse has effectively happened, and the survivors have set up what civilization they can. Here, the story becomes more of an exploration-survival story, where we learn how the world has changed from the one we know… and how humanity, in many ways, never really changes much.

While Part I has its heart wrenching moments and makes the room a bit dusty at times in certain ways, Part 2 manages to twist these things a touch and do a bit of its own thing – which is why it can be jarring to read it in the same book as Part I – but also manages to up the stakes a bit in its own way, before finally leaving the reader almost literally begging for the continuation of the story – now to follow in When The Dawn Breaks, with both books being released together.

Very much recommended.

Next, the review for When The Dawn Breaks I posted to the book sites (Hardcover.app / BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com):

More Consistent Yet Less Grounded Storytelling Than Predecessor. When The Sky Falls, for all of its faults in rather clunkily combining two prior books into one, was a very grounded story of survival in both the immediate aftermath of an Apocalypse and several years later. Here, we continue not long after the events of Part 2 of When The Sky Falls leave off – indeed, seemingly just hours after the events of that book’s finale.

And we wind up getting a far more consistent – if also much more fanciful – tale in this book. Without going *too* deep into spoiler territory, I’ll say that some elements of the ending of When The Sky Falls are continued and continued quite effectively, but the newer elements of this tale are where it becomes far less grounded and much deeper into the realm of scifi than simply a post-Apocalyptic story. We get some versions of some answers to some questions, and we’re left with a lot more questions… seemingly leaving room for Spangler to come back to this world, if the third time revising and rereleasing these stories is indeed the charm and sales truly increase such that this may be an option for him.

While When The Sky Falls had a few dusty rooms, this tale has a very different feel that taps into a very different but nearly equally visceral emotion – particularly in some more blatant moments. It is hard to describe this part while avoiding all spoilers, so I’ll just leave it at that. I enjoyed this stretch and thought it well done, but admittedly it could be a bit much and perhaps a bit complex for some readers.

So come along for the ride and see what happens after the sky falls and when the dawn finally breaks. 😉

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” for both books – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.

Book Description:
Poisonous clouds spill from the sky and erase the sun. Buildings collapse. Communications fail. Corrosive fog consumes everything in its path.

Emily Stark flees her crumbling home with baby sister Sammi and shelters with a shellshocked band of survivors. As she tends the injured and risks her life gathering supplies, she is keeping a secret… her father, her hero, caused this disaster.

Fifteen years later. Against all odds, Sammi has grown up in the suffocating darkness and found love with soulmate Declan Chambers. When their hopes of a life together are jeopardised by mutiny in their commune, they slip past the guards and seek a life beyond its walls.

But burning fog isn’t the only danger to face them in the wilderness. A savage gang called The Outsiders attacks anyone who crosses their path, even snatching children from their parents’ arms.

Emily lost her young son to The Outsiders and she fears for her sister’s life beyond the commune. Not knowing where Sammi could be in the darkness, Emily has only one chance to save her: her father. Only she knows he has the power to return sunlight to earth, and only she knows where he is: deep inside the machine that churns the dark skies to acid.

Can Emily find her father and make him reverse the catastrophe he caused? And will Sammi and Declan’s love be enough to survive in the brutal fallen skies?

From USA Today bestselling author B.R. Spangler comes a nail-biting dystopian thriller that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. Perfect for fans of A.G. Riddle, Kyla Stone and Mike Kraus.

Book Description:
The skies are burning and humanity is tearing itself apart. Emily Stark is a ray of hope in the darkness, fighting for survival, fighting for truth.

Amidst the corrosive clouds that shroud the globe, Emily is on a mission to reach the colossal machine that brought the skies crashing to earth. She has the power to destroy it, but her journey is fraught with danger.

The savage Outsiders patrol the poisonous, dark wilderness, hunting for any sign of life. As the acid air burns her skin, Emily can only stifle her screams. She must remain undetected. She must succeed in her mission.

Deep within the workings of the machine, Declan Chambers wakes from a nightmare to the gentle touch of his beloved Sammi. She is beautiful, vibrant, enchanting… but he vividly recalls burying her broken body just a few days before.

Utterly bewitched, he’s desperate to believe Sammi is real. As her belly swells with new life, she promises Declan the machine is not their enemy—it can grant them a life together, forever. But at what cost?

Clouds fall, the dead rise, and Emily has the fate of humanity in her hands. To return sunlight to the earth, she must destroy the machine. But will the sight of her resurrected sister, safe and happy, present a truly impossible choice?

When the Dawn Breaks is the electrifying finale of USA Today bestselling author B.R. Spangler’s Dark Skies Apocalypse duology. A completely gripping dystopian thriller that will leave you breathless, it’s perfect for fans of A.G. Riddle, Kyla Stone and Mike Kraus.

Author Bio:
B.R. Spangler is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author and resident of Virginia with a wonderful family and a few cats who insist on cowriter credits. During the day, the hours are filled with engineering work. Off hours, time is spent writing, editing, and thinking up new stories. Books are split across pen names, writing crime thrillers, science fiction, horrors, paranormal and contemporary fiction.

Social Media Links:
WEBSITE: https://brspangler.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BR_Spangler
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authorbrianspangler/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/brspangler/

Buy Links:
When The Sky Falls: https://geni.us/B0D54N99J4social
When The Dawn Breaks: https://geni.us/B0D54DPK3Fsocial