"The internet was the ultimate manifestation of human progress –an infinitely powerful network connecting every living soul on the planet –and what did those living souls do with it? Masturbate and watch hunts-to-the-death on TV."

Someone make this into a movie 🎥🍿🎬

This is one of those books where the less you know the better.

Colosseum game = epic

•Action-thriller
•Fast paced
•Strong female protag 👊♀️
•Cat & mouse
•Mind games 🃏
•Beat the clock ⏳

Favourite characters: Winter/Boy Next Door
Favourite scenes: GCHQ training

"In the absence of light, darkness prevails."

This book is actually the prequel to the first two, and I suggest you read them in order. It clearly explains Winter and how she became the woman she is today. The book was fast paced, an adrenaline burst until the end, and had me paging until the end. I hope there is more in the series.

Winter Dawn was a thrill to read: like a trip down a black diamond ski trail by an independent or novice skier.

I really enjoyed the character descriptions, particularly the agent from London who comes to New York to protect the female Senator who was chosen by Coliseum (a mysterious group/person) to solve a riddle or be killed in the next 24 hours. The odds don't favor the Senator, because most of the other people chosen by Coliseum have perished.

She chooses to try and survive with the agent from London- a very resourceful young woman who can apparently navigate the ins and outs of New York City- protecting the Senator and killing anyone coming close.

It is truly a thrill ride that the reader is not sure how its going to end: will the Senator survive or will Coliseum, and its numerous armed agents kill her first? I don't want to spoil the suspense by hinting at the ending, but I found it surprising and satisfactory as well.

Whilst I enjoy a chase/hunt book, this book took it to the next, probably, ultimate level.

Some sort of American group calling itself 'Colosseum' attracts huge TV and media audiences with live streaming hunts to the death (yes, to the dreath!) of a range of well known people. The next victim is a 60 year old Senator who is planning to announce her run for President at her birthday party.

As if this wasn't odd enough, the Senator's British assistant calls upon 21 year old woman called Winter who has spent the last 12 months sabotaging a Russian nuclear facility in Siberia!! Perhaps I should have read the previous 2 books involving this female in this series? No more spoilers from me.

Luckily, the book is well written and the characters are well drawn, but slightly unbelievable.

Thanks to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for the chance to read and review.

A very riveting tale of adventure and excitement!

Alex Callister has given us a fabulous book with an excellent plot, great writing, and fantastic characters. From Goodreads, I have gotten to know that this book is the third instalment in the series, Winter. However, this book does well as a standalone.

Fantastic and an absolutely enjoyable read of grit, wit and survival.

This book was great, the characters were well developed. The plot was interesting. Highly recommend it.

I loved this edge-of-my-seat book, and raced through it. It is a terrific storyline, with compelling characters and vivid, crisp writing. I haven't read the first two books in the series, and although I did not feel as though this interfered with my ability to follow the story in Winter Dawn in any way, I am eager to read more. An excellent book - highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for proving an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Winter dawn by Alex Callister.
The winter series.
It is the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.
When a New York Senator is chosen as an assassination target by Colosseum, the chilling online game, she faces a terrible choice; to run or to hide.
No-where is safe. No-one can be trusted.
But just when the Senator’s brutal death seems inevitable, a young agent called Winter arrives from London to protect her. Now Winter is all that stands between the Senator and Colosseum's deadly hunt. As dawn creeps in, time is running out for Winter to unravel the mystery at the heart of this sinister game: who is the shadowy head of Colosseum, and what is his ultimate purpose?
It is darkest before the dawn.
As Winter and the Senator journey together into the dark heart of the longest night, they soon discover that nothing about Colosseum is what it seems. There are rules, and there is a purpose, if only they can solve the riddle in time. Colosseum is more than a hunt: it’s a challenge.
Targets must face their deepest fear, or die at dawn.
An ok read. Slow but readable. Just took my time . 3*.

Free ARC from net Galley

I am not sure what is worse, the billion 'retired SEAL' story lines or the heroine who fights and fornicates just like a man. Whatever.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I loved the previous two books so much that when I saw this was available I just had to squeeze it in.

Winter Dawn is actually the prequel to the two other books and explains how Winter, the kickass female operative, became “the best of the best”. It actually doesn’t matter if you read it first or third. I thought it made a lot of sense being third and I think there will be another book tying it all up.

A shadowy group calling itself Colosseum and headed up by “the adjudicator” has garnered huge audiences with live streaming hunts to the death of a range of reasonably well known people. The victims are given a week - some of them run and some hide but they are always killed in the end. The newest victim is a 60 year old Senator who is planning to announce her run for President at her birthday party but the telecast is hijacked by Colosseum and she is named the ninth victim. Her assistant the very proper British gentleman, Walter, has a plan to save her and he calls in the best of the best - 21 year old Winter who has spent the last 12 months sabotaging a Russian nuclear facility in Siberia and know nothing of the game afoot.

You would think this is doomed to failure but the Senator shows a surprising core of steel as she is forced to push herself beyond endurance. Winter proves very resourceful and they hook up with the mother of the previous victim, Avril - an internet influencing phenomenon. Winter has realised the game is not to indiscriminately kill but rather poses a challenge to each contestant where they face their deepest fears. The Senator has no clue what her challenge is as the email containing it was deleted by ‘someone’. But a captured phone from one of the hunters enables them to learn of it.

This was pure adrenaline, relentless action and some freaky background which Winter still does not know if it’s real or a series of hallucinations. I don’t want to say any more. I didn’t think the violence was gratuitous. There wasn’t much anyway, the mind games were quite enough. The end of the story explains how Firestorm came to be. Firestorm is the subject of books 2 and 3. You can’t help liking these characters, rough diamonds though they are. I really recommend this series for action junkies and I cannot wait for the fourth, and possibly final, book. Many thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly. I loved this one!

This is one of those books that you cannot put down from page two. It had so many twists and turns I wasn't expecting and kept me on my toes the entire time I was reading. And while the storyline is pretty wild it also represents what actually goes on in society and opens your eyes to the categorizations and stupid things we focus on in life. And to me it was a gentle reminder to focus on what is important. It starts you off in a suffocating environment and by the end you've stripped away all social veneers and feel like you've just run for your life with the characters which the author has made you feel are your own kin. A real well done and I look forward to reading the rest. Thank you.