COLD LIGHT (After Trilogy #2) by Traci L Slatton-a review

COLD LIGHT (After Trilogy #2) by Traci L Slatton

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COLD LIGHT is the second instalment in Traci L Slatton’s After Trilogy focusing on the aftermath of a biological apocalypse and the men and women forced to make heartbreaking decisions. The storyline takes place 18 months after (Fallen Book #1) Emma escapes the mist-ravaged plains of Europe and the reality that the loss of billions of lives is in the hands of the one man she had grown to love.

With her family together in the safe zone of Edmonton, Emma’s thoughts continued to center around Arthur and his revelation he was responsible for the mind-altering/life consuming destructive mists that are relentless on their path of destruction. But safety in the zone is short lived when her eldest daughter Beth is abducted and held hostage in a rogue encampment hundreds of kilometers away. Knowing she would risk everything for the safe return of her daughter, Emma embarks on a frozen trek against deadly odds and an even deadlier enemy to free her daughter from a man who once owed her a debt.

Arthur’s search for Emma had taken 18 months across land and ocean, and his discovery of his lost love in a small town in Canada both shocked and surprised. With his family of gifted survivors, Arthur’s passion for survival is second to his love for the woman whose heart he had destroyed. But the happiness of finding Emma is short lived when she announces her plans to rescue her daughter and regardless of the love she felt for Arthur, her number one priority was her child. Knowing he would never let her go, Arthur and the others resign themselves to a deadly adventure to reunite Emma and her daughter. As both the hero and the anti-hero Arthur is a charismatic leader. He commands a presence like no other, and the lives of the survivors now depend on the man who is responsible for the loss of billions worldwide.

Once again, Traci reunites Emma with the many fascinating characters she learned to call family. Laurette and her haughty French ideals: Robert and his pregnant wife Jeannie: Kangee and her ability to teleport: Theo and Marco looking for a lost love. And the bittersweet reunion between Emma and Arthur will be tested, when Emma’s husband Haywood surprises the group with his determination to keep his family together. But when Emma and Arthur discover the identity of the man responsible for the abduction of Beth, they know that the real target is Arthur-for he will be made to suffer for the many losses of life, especially one in particular back home.

Emma’s courage is only matched by her determination to find her daughter. But her heart is torn between the man whom she married and the man to whom she has fallen in love. Although there is a long history between Emma and her husband, not once is there a mention that Haywood is in love with his wife. His ability to see the varying futures will place him on one-way path to imprisonment and destruction, but the life of his daughter will outweigh any thoughts of self-preservation and survival. And when he is willing to die for the release of his daughter, it will be Emma who acknowledges that she loves the man for his determination and drive, but she is also in love with the man who has destroyed much of the world.

Arthur’s relentless pursuit of Emma is both heartbreaking and remarkable given the circumstances of the day. Finding a woman like Emma is a once in a lifetime occurrence, but his love has forced many of his friends into life-threatening situations. But like family, they argue and fight, and in the end, the survival of one means the survival of them all.

COLD LIGHT is an amazing look at one person’s passion to find someone they love- Arthur’s pursuit of Emma and Emma’s hunt for Beth. The storyline is slow to evolve as Traci takes the reader on a cold, dark and deadly trek across the snow covered fields of Alberta, but once Emma reaches a survival Outpost, the interaction of the characters quickly uncovers a series of plot twists and anxiety ridden re-introductions to the colorful characters from the series first book. Arthur’s reunion with Emma is heart-wrenching and painful knowing he has travelled thousands of mile and 18 months to find the only woman he will ever love.

The character development continues as each of Arthur’s family members seeks to find a place to where they belong. And survival 101 after an apocalyptic nightmare can also mean finding someone to love for all of the right and wrong reasons.

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon Paper Books
Amazon Kindle
The Book Depository
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied by author.