Dawning, by Marie. F. Crow is a gripping dark fantasy story that follows the journey of young, vibrant and feisty protagonist Helena. In her early twenties she is trying to figure out her place in a zombie ridden world. Helena is not only haunted by the death looming outside but also her forlorn past. Dawning is a story set in a dystopian world where our admirable heroine starts her journey with two younger siblings, Conroy and Ashley. Bruised and sorrowful, she has to protect her siblings from known as well as unknown threats all by herself. Helena hawthorn, estranged from her birth family bonds with local motorcycle club G.R.I.T., including her love Lawless, bestie Aimes, J.D., Rhett and Marxx.
Author Marie F. Crow has written a story that engulfs the reader with its intensity. The author has created mesmerizing and relatable characters that you end up truly caring for. Helena is a strong and caring character, she has to be in order to protect her family. In that, she perfectly succeeds even if outlandishly, it works at some levels. A great aspect of Dawning is the length of the chapters. Marie Crow keeps her chapters concise and brings each one to a fitting end that urges the reader on to the next. Each character is unique with distinctive personality and individual style. The changing dynamics within the group, the madness and gore make the overall story an intense experience.
As a hard core zombie buff, I found the book wildly entertaining. There are some scenes in the book that made me impatient because of the dense descriptions. I wanted to know more about these interesting characters and quickly! Marie has succeeded with shocking and captivating her audience. With a relatable cast of characters, an engaging and fascinating plot surrounding the phenomenon of the living dead, it will appeal to readers who like zombie horror. Dawning is an entertaining and gripping read that I gladly recommend.
