I very much enjoyed the first book in this series, Wanderers, despite reading it after the pandemic lockdowns. But where that book told of the lead up to the pandemic and how people coped with the seeming end of the world, this one is very much post=apocalyptic and I found I didn't love it as much as the first one. I think this is partially because there are so many post-apocalyptic novels these days, whereas there aren't as many that detail the lead-up to the world falling apart in the way that Wanderers did. If you didn't read the first book, I think you could follow along fine the way you would with any post-apocalyptic novel.

I thought Black Swan was kind of boring as a villain but Creel gave me the same vibe as the villains in old silent movies (in all the best ways). Like the first book, though, this one is LONG and I think parts could have been cut or condensed. The world-building is pristine though, and the story, despite its length, carried me along for the ride without too much trouble.

Do I think these two books could probably have been one long book? Definitely yes. But if you like apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic fiction, then these are worth the read.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

"Wayward" by Chuck Wendig is a gripping and gritty tale that plunges readers into a world of suspense, intrigue, and supernatural forces. Set in a small town where secrets run deep and danger lurks around every corner, Wendig weaves together a captivating narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. With its complex characters, atmospheric setting, and pulse-pounding plot, "Wayward" is a must-read for fans of dark urban fantasy and supernatural thrillers. Wendig's skillful storytelling and vivid imagination make this novel an unforgettable journey into the unknown.

A creepy, slow burn of a novel. I put it away for months and returned to it now and again, reading a few chapters at a time. I preferred Wanderers, as this one felt overwrought at times, as though it could use some streamlining, but fans of Wendig will certainly want to read the second book in the series.

Wendig is such a character. I would honestly love to see inside his mind. I wrote in another review that he can be compared to Stephen King because of the style and mind-bending storylines. But he definitely has a whole original point of view.

As with the first in this series it’s a thiccckkkk one. I don’t think it needed to be either. It made for a difficult read because I found myself skimming a lot. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review

I read Wanderers, loved it, and dug right into this 800 page epic. I was not disappointed! I didn't love all the characters, and at times the plot dragged some for me, but all in all another well done post apocalyptic novel from Wendig!

Chuck Wendig (some would say better known for being funny on twitter) has written an excellent sci-fi tale of a dystopian future (is there any different) filled with greedy and kind characters.

Where do I start? This book had me going through all the emotions and I also got to revisit all these wonderful characters that I fell in love with in The Wanderers. There’s nothing better than trauma bonding with a bunch of fictional characters during a pandemic!

In a lot of ways Wayward, like the Wanderers, feels very prescient for our time. While I appreciated the skillful writing and the almost prophetic voice, it felt very long and I got bored at times.

This is a story about more than just survival.

This book is magnificent. The ability to spin a story with numerous, dynamic characters in a complex world, while also creating an unnerving landscape is something that feels deeply impressive. This story is massive but never feels pointless.

The story feels complete, but if the author writes another 10 books in this world I will read them all.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Ballantine & Del Rey!

Wayward was a rich follow-up to a story that gripped me the moment it fell into my hands. Equally frustrating and satisfying, it hit every note Wendig is known for. I especially love how he writes like a DM who is anticipating every move his party will make.

Book Two?! This is the second book in a duology?! I'm such a Chuck Wendig fan ... how did I miss the first book? Fortunately, I never felt like I was missing anything as relationships and circumstances felt well explained through the course of the book.

The story: Five years ago, many ordinary Americans fell victim to a strange affliction that caused them walk, zombie-like, to a destination that only they seemed to know. Others followed them, to protect them. They became known as 'shepherds.'

The secret destination was Ouray, Colorado and this town in the middle of the mountains would become one of the last bastions of civilization as the sleepwalking epidemic was only the first incident in what would be the end of the familiar world and the start of something new and very different.

Those gathered in Ouray - sleepwalkers, shepherds, and survivors alike - struggle to understand their new situation and form new relationships with the strangers around them. Trust in one another is something to be earned, but there may not be time for this as Ouray is not the only civilization oasis. Other locations and other individuals are gathering, including some with nothing but the acquisition of power in mind.

There may be an answer to what has happened, but it will mean a dangerous journey and there are no guarantees they'll find what they're looking for.

This is an absolute epic. Stephen King did it with The Stand, and Justin Cronin did it with The Passage. Now Chuck Wendig has done it with The Wanderers (and this, the follow-up, Wayward) ... an apocalyptic, man-made (sort of) epidemic that vastly changes the landscape of the civilized world. And, just as I enjoyed King's and Cronin's works, I really liked Wendig's bleak future.

For me, one of the hallmarks of Wendig's writing is his absolute viciousness. He pulls no punches and aims for the jugular. And that's his heroes. And by that standard, this book was just slightly subdued, with only his villain, the self-proclaimed new President of the United States, Ed Creel, striking out cruelly and viscously.

The book offers a really nice balance of character and story. I believe you need to be invested in what happens and that usually starts with the characters and there's a core group here, although even among this small group a few rise up and the ultimate confrontation will center around them.

This is a powerful book and I'm really eager now to read the first book in the duology.

Looking for a good book? Wayward, by Chuck Wendig, is an apocalyptic epic by one of the best, raw, sci-fi authors out there today.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Chuck Wendig you incredible bastard! You’ve done it again! The sequel is as amazing. I thought after the first story, maybe there wouldn’t be the same suspense this time, but I was more than surprised that it sucked me in again. Bravo! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After disliking the ending of the first book, I was nervous going into this. I was pleasantly surprised! I felt as though the last chapter of book 1 ruined the whole thing for me but this didn't go the way I thought it was going to. Much of what I liked about this are spoilers so I can't go too much into it. My major complaint about this duology is that the books are SO LONG and it felt like they could be split into mulitple books. Definitely don't think I would ever reread these, but I enjoyed them!

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine, Del Rey for the digital ARC!

'Wayward' is certainly daunting in its page count and content, especially as someone who did not know it was a sequel when selecting it to receive an ARC- however, it was so excellent and Wendig made the content extremely accessible to anyone who had not picked up book one that I found myself immersed all the same.

The characters are nuanced, they drive the story, there is never a wasted word or moment- hard to do with a page count like 'Wayward', if I'm honest. Each person felt real, felt fleshed out, and could stand alone, despite not having them introduced previously. For such a massive endeavor, all the pieces come together and all the dots connect.

For any fans of Michael Crichton's 'Prey', I cannot recommend this book enough.

Truly, this one is not to be missed, and if I ever have time to devote I would love to read the first in the series.

Holy moly. I want to live in Chuck Wendig’s brain.

I don’t usually write my reviews as soon as I’ve finished a book. As much as I try to, I’m terrible about it. But this review almost needed to be written.

I loved the world that Wendig gave us all. Was the book a bit slow in places? Sure. Of course. But I think it needed to be. There were characters to meet. Places to be explained. Golden retrievers. Motives and pitfalls and failsafes and I don’t think this book would have been nearly as enjoyable (or as understandable) had it not been exactly the way it was.

And yes… the ever-present comparisons to The Stand.

Be prepared, though. This being a sequel, you’re going to have the read Wanderers first. And both books are about 900 pages a piece. Don’t let that scare you. It’s worth it. I’ve finished and I’m still sad that it’s over.

Also, to Mr. Wendig… may we have a Gumball the Great spin-off? I friggin loved that dog.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey Books and Chuck Wendig for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Chuck Wendig has done it again. I loved Wanderers and didn’t want it to end, even though it was just shy of 800 pages so I was super anxious for Wayward.

Reading about pandemics is always a little uncomfortable and it was super weird that Wendig wrote so much of what happened to us in 2020 YEARS before it happened.

You’ll want to read Wanderers before starting Wayward. If you loved The Stand, you will love this too. There’s so much to digress into with everything that went on in the story, but I don’t want to ruin it since it is the sequel. Wendig has the ability to develop characters so well, that you can’t help but feel attached to them, Benji and Pete being my favorites. All the answers that were left hanging in Wanderers were addressed in Wayward, and honestly I didn’t see some of it coming. I laughed, I damn near cried, and I enjoyed all of the 800+ pages. Many thanks to Chuck Wendig, Ballantine and Del Rey for my review copy. Wayward is out now. 🖤

I really loved the Wanderers. This was a good sequel, and I enjoyed revisiting the characters. I do feel like the 800 pages could have been condensed, but overall the book gave great closure to the story. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The Sleepwalkers have made it to Ouray and woke up, and now we need to figure out exactly what Black Swan is and what to do about it. And we spend a lot of time getting to know Black Swan and we learn about how it came to be and its motives now that it has "saved" humanity. But...did it save humanity? And how is that affecting Black Swan?

If you enjoyed Wanderers, you'll enjoy this. We get to hang out with most of our favorite characters again. Shana actually has a baby (!) but then Black Swan kidnaps the baby using her sister. So of course now we have to go on a post apocalyptic roadtrip instead of getting our super-human fast growing baby back. I guess in the context of the book and world it makes sense....but this is what happens when men write women characters. Sometimes they get things *really* really wrong.
But I really enjoyed the roadtrip, so I'm glad we got it--I absolutely want to go visit that diner and hang out with Dot and Pete. I liked the exploration of how people would react to a world ending apocalypse, from scavenger to innovator. Algae as plane fuel (and thankful for that algae otherwise we might have been starting down the barrel of a 1k page book lol), jerry-rigged solar cars, large cities that break down into neighborhood like groups that may or may not be at war with each other. It was really well done. Then we get to figure out what is going on with Black Swan, answering most (I think most) of the questions we may have had from Wanderers.

But then we have...that ending. 1600 pages and THAT is the ending we get? A page and then a cheeky "where are they now" ala 80s movies epilogue? I mean, it was nice to see where all of our favorite characters end up, but...I don't know, it just felt like soooooo much build up for very little payoff. Regardless, I really did enjoy this book and found it to be a good sequel to Wanderers. 3.5 stars rounded down because that ending.

After readings Wanderers prepandemic and really loving it and it's characters, I wasn't sure about this sequal post pandemic. But the characters pulled me back in. Beautiful and heart wrenching, too believable unfortunately. Should be ready in order for sure.