With the way the world is going today, this situation is becoming even more of a probable reality than fiction which is a very scary thought.

Thom is a self made billionnaire who plans for anything and everything that could possibly happen in life. His estranged sister, Aubrey and her stepson are not - they are disorganised to say the least.

When a solar flare destroys the entire power supply system across the world, Thom heads for his prepared underground bunker with all mod cons, and Aubrey has to deal with the blackouts, riots etc.

This tells the story from both viewpoints and shows money and being prepared is not always the best option but it definitely makes you think about what preparations you may need to seriously think about.

A twisting and turning tale that reads like one of the authors screenplays. A story that you're never too sure what the antagonists are going to do, but hoping the protagonist beats them at each turn.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers in return for my personal opinion and review of the book.

I don't usually read male authors (sorry I just don't seem to enjoy their stories), but this one has caught my attention. The story is partially scary as it could happen in the future and scientifically accurate. I really enjoyed reading it and actually it seemed a little short and rushed toward the end, like it could have done with another 100 pages of story

Not usually drawn towards Sci fi dystopia novels but what a book. Great characters, well written and good paced book. A good read that kept me wanting to keep going.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

A solar storm knocks out the power throughout the world; Aurora follows Aubrey, her stepson, ex-husband, neighbours, brother and his family as they try to navigate this powerless new world.

This was a gripping novel; not only in the concept of a solar flare knocking out all power globally but also the cast of characters who were not only human and flawed but with their intertwining histories and difficult relationships. This was a gripping and addictive read; couldn't put it down until it was finished.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

Ive just spent about five days with Aubrey and Thom. Both are living through a natural disaster, a solar event that has wiped out all power on earth resulting in no running water, no food production, no heating, no mobile phone networks, no internet, and a lawless society. Aubrey and Thom have different ideas on what surviving means, and different ways to achieve it: 'We are completely passive in our act of our own contentment, because it isn't an act, it's a result' ... A well crafted tale about love and family and what makes a society...and how to win the bad guys!

Aurora
By David Koepp

I don't know what is in the water recently but I seem to be hoovering up disaster and near future stories having spent the past two years avoiding them like the plague (or pandemic).

This is set against the background of a massive CME, a coronal mass ejection, which is powerful enough to take out the entire magnetosphere, leaving us with a crippled grid, meaning no electricity, no wifi, no internet, no fresh water (pumps), in short, we are all plunged back into the bronze age.

As with all apocalypse stories, the most interesting part is what happens in the immediate aftermath and how do we employ our resources to get on with things. In Aurora we get all this, but so much more. Because this is also a family dynamics story, a found family story, a crime story.

I really enjoyed the set up for the disaster. If the movie gets made, I'm looking forward to seeing how they depict the pimped up aurora borealis described in the book. I also cannot wait to see the pad that Thom has been creating for himself and those important to him in the event of calamity.

What didn't work for me was the scope of the story. With such a great premise, I expected a bit more. More panic, more emotion, more examination of how different localities dealt with their particular aftermaths. More examination of the global response.

However, it is a very well written story, with interesting characters who interconnect well and demonstrate resilience, resourcefulness and community spirit.

Thanks to #netgalley and #HQ for the egalley.

Aurora by David Koepp stood out as being something a little bit different from other books I have read and I really enjoyed it. I started out thinking it was science fiction but it is scarily realistic and a thriller element is added to keep the pages turning at lightning speed.

The main part of the story is a coronal mass ejection (CME) hitting earth and taking out the power. The book starts by telling us about The Carrington Event, the CME that hit earth in 1859, and expected to occur every 150 years. Three little words at the end of that section chilled me to the bone: "We are overdue."

The scene is set and I was already thinking how real this could be. Scientists check and double check their data, governments refuse to believe the scale of the event, and billionaires race to their bunkers. Aubrey and Thom are siblings but their lives couldn't be more different. When the world goes dark, Aubrey is stuck in Aurora, Illinois with a layabout stepson and Thom is in his state of the art bunker in California.

I love how the different character storylines flow and intermingle; I thought I wouldn't remember who certain characters were but they each have a role to play and fit into the story perfectly. Just seeing how different people react to such massive challenges is so interesting to read - it's amazing how people can react to change and it's heartwarming to see that instead of being selfish, it's better to work together. Of course, some people are only looking out for themselves and they will never change.

The writing is so vivid and the storyline is so gripping that I'm not surprised it's being made into a film. I could have read so much more than the 400 pages included in the book, in fact I was disappointed to reach the end as I wanted to find out more.

Scarily realistic, Aurora is gripping, thrilling and eye-opening; I can't wait to watch it on the big screen.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I have been more into dystopianesque books recently - which is no surprise with how the world is. I really enjoyed this, it was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

‘Aurora’ by David Koepp is sure to make quite an impact this year. Set in the present day, it is the story of a family and their struggles to survive the aftermath of a solar storm – a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). The event causes electrical power to go out across the world, and no-one knows how long it will last. Aubrey and her stepson have to find a way to work together to get through a complete change in their lives and those of their neighbours. They soon discover just how much we rely on electricity for every aspect of our lives. Going back to a pre-electrical era is scary. Aubrey’s billionaire brother foresaw such an event and has plans in place to ride out the storm. But life doesn’t always work out the way you plan. How will society cope with being thrown back into what seems like the Stone Age?

I must admit to loving disaster movies, so this book was right up my street. In fact the book is going to be made into a movie. I was not surprised to hear this, as it is perfect for such an adaptation. David Koepp is a well-known screenwriter, and it shows in the structure of the novel. It is wonderfully descriptive, with short, punchy scenes that captured my imagination.

The story is told from various characters’ point of view and lets us see how all levels of society deal with such a cataclysmic event. It’s about finding strength in adversity. Some thrive, and some become an even worse version of themselves. It’s about learning and taking responsibility.

I loved it.

I was given this ARC to review.

I am not normally drawn to novels about catastrophic events but something about Aurora intrigued me right from the start. I must admit that, not being used to reading sci-fi, I found some of the more scientific parts of the book harder to get on with. However, instead of worrying about understanding every single detail, I let myself enjoy the ride. And what a ride it was! How would we react to the end of the world as we know it? Here, we follow different people – some more likeable than others (like in real life!) – as they navigate this scenario. Thought-provoking and disturbingly plausible!

Three words to describe it. Chilling. Unputdownable. Suspenseful.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it reflects well the mood of the novel.

Loved it! loved it! loved it!
From the opening explanation of the problem at hand to the final sentence it just had me hooked. Great characters but never character driven. Superb research ( frightening good) with just enough information to make you understand. Well paced and well told. Well done that man. Can’t wait to try more from this author.

The appeal of this novel is that it could be a reality very soon. A solar storm is a natural phenomena that has happened before, and may happen again. Scary stuff.

The book opens with a very lengthy section about the science behind it all, which, while very interesting, is far too long and interest wanes after bit. Then we are introduced to the stereotyped and unlikable characters who serve to show the responses to the imminent disaster. The hard-done to woman with a moody teenager (the son of her feckless ex) and her overwhelmingly rich brother. The contrast is as polar as it could be.

There is far too much exposition in this story that focuses on the dysfunctional family rather than the dystopian society itself. Oddly feels as if it is a disaster film rather than a thriller novel. And a film I have seen many times before.

​The premise is a gripping one. The rest of the book, not so much.

The events in Aurora seem so plausible, so realistic, that you have to wonder how or why it hasn’t happened to humanity as yet. Or more accurately, it leaves us wondering if we are prepared for when it may happen in the future.

Aurora follows the interrelated stories of a handful of great characters as they navigate the new world, following a solar flare induced global blackout (I’ve simplified the event of course, but it’s worth mentioning that the science behind the unprecedented event is very interesting).

Can one really be fully prepared for such an event? Even though this event follows shortly behind covid, which should have prepared us to some point, I don’t think anyone can be totally prepared for the unexpected. In Aurora, we are actually presented with the inverse, where the unprepared fair better than the prepared (obviously we only see one or two stories out of millions of stories).

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how”

Aurora is a really great story, keeping the reader engaged right from the start.
There are characters you will love, characters you will hate, and a range of other interesting characters in between. Oh, and a happy ending (with power restored).

Reading about a dystopia is not as farfetched as it was once as we are living through a couple of ongoing ones as I write, but there is always space for a little more terror to add to the reality. What about a situation that is eerily possible? The sun belches out radiation daily and according to Davis Koepp’s Aurora we are due a large blast hitting Earth any day. This is the type of radiation that will burn out all our electricity. How long will the planet survive without on demand TV and games consoles? More importantly, how long will it last without water in the taps and food in the stores?

When the scientists learn of the upcoming disaster it is only a matter of hours that society must react. A massive solar storm is incoming and will knock out all the electricity on Earth for months, if not years. Billionaire Thom has planned for a day like this is going to retreat with his family to a hidden self-reliant bunker. His sister Aubrey is less prepared with only a few tins of gross beans to eat and a stepson for company that does not like her. However, even the best laid plans can collapse when a society does. Will Thom, Aubrey and a host of other characters survive the black out?

Aurora is a novel pregnant with possibility as its central premise has such far reaching consequences. Firstly, it feels worryingly possible. Koepp does a good job of convincing the reader this may happen, the poor characters in this book have moved straight from COVID into this next crisis. One option Koepp could have taken was epic set pieces akin to 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow, but this has never been the writer’s style. His screenplays, and more recently books, have always placed character at the forefront. All the action means nothing if you cannot care for the characters. Therefore, Aurora has plenty of flawed character to discover.

The main two are siblings Thom and Aubrey, whose lives have gone in vastly different directions. The story follows both their separate camps in the lead up to the solar flare and what comes after. Thom is well equipped, while Aubrey is not. However, this is not a book about preparedness, but community. The personalities of Thom and Aubrey comes to the fore and who they have chosen to surround themselves with. Community can play a vital role in your chances of survival.

There is great tension in Aurora, but this comes more from the characters than the natural disaster. It is the people around you that you must be wary of. There are some great character beats, especially between Aubrey and her stepson. Elsewhere the characters are not as well served. For such an epic concept, the book does feel more like a family thriller and drama as it progresses. As a movie or TV events, you would layer all the intimate moments onto an action-packed backdrop. This novel does not venture into what is happening much further than a few settings.

I enjoyed reading about the survival attempts of a choice few people within a potentially apocalyptic event and will let other novels and media explore all the tidal waves and lasers from space. This is a book about how something like a solar flare, or COVID, can bring local communities together, or rip them apart. The number of births and divorces this year attest to how things can go badly or well. Auroa may not have epic scenes of destruction but does have the tension of people's individual stories. One for readers who seek characters over action.

Aurora by David Koepp is a great read about how money, power and humanity. The premise is simple in 1859 there was a massive solar storm that knocked out the electricity across the world, for over a week there were no telephone lines.
There have been other small storms effecting the geomagnetic balance locally but we are due another global scale storm that will wipe out the power across the world for weeks, months or even years. The author tells the story of a few people on the brink of this storm and how their lives are effected by it.
The characters are very well described, The most interested in the storm is Norman, 88 years old one of the first to be told about it, is delighted to be able to see the biggest aurora borealis in his lifetime, his neighbour, Aubrey, who's very capable yet under prepared. Despite her moving her job to online conferencing during Covid she has not prepared for a national event like this, much to her brother, Thom's disappointment. He has made an awful lot of money and uber prepared for any threat to human existence on a global scale, with his bunker. 14 floors of nuclear proof living with generator back up he, his family and select staff members will be under his care during the blackout.

Written very much in a movie script fashion with glimpses of each characters life before, during and after the initial event. Showing how different people react to these things, cope with the loss or change in conditions and who or what is important to them. A very interesting perspective on human behaviour.

I would thoroughly recommend this book as an insight to human behaviour, an example of how money corrupts and an inspiration to how you might act in similar situation.
A 4.5* from me, thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

I think we all learnt how people fall in to two camps when disaster strikes, with the Covid pandemic. For every person that will look out for others in the community there is one that is hoarding toilet rolls and only looking out for themselves. Which was exactly the case here with Aubrey and her brother Thom.

I signed up for this book tour as I am someone who relies on electricity to survive as I use an electric pump to feed. We have all become so dependent on it I wondered what would happen. Would they become happier with a simpler way of life? How far would they be willing to go to get what they need to survive?

I must confess the science behind it went right over my head. I was very relieved that this became more character based and not just a lesson in solar science, although I probably would have enjoyed it more at school if Norman Levy had been my teacher. “A childless widower, he collected friends the way some people collect butterflies”. After that description I liked him instantly. He was one of the few though as most of the characters were more rotten than the rapidly depleting food.

It felt a little like one of my all time favourite books The Stand by Stephen King. Good vs Evil with some trying to build a better future while others are living it up in luxury and getting people to do their dirty work, was Aubrey Mother Abigail and Thom Randall Flagg?

You could tell that a screenwriter was behind this as it played out like a movie and I am thrilled that it has been snapped up by Netflix. Let’s just hope the electricity is still running so we all get to watch it too!

This wonderful novel holds a lot of power for what could potentially be the next big issue for the planet after the pandemic, I mean according to scientists we’re overdue to be hit by electromagnetic plasma. The author opens the book talking about the Carrington event in 1859 which knocked out the electrical systems on earth, and how the sun ejects electromagnetic plasma that in our direction every day, but once every 150 of so years that plasma will hit the earth.

This book features such an event that knocks all power out across the globe and everywhere pretty much north and south of the equator is left without power. And as we all know, in the midst of a crisis the human population can do some awful things. This story is no exception. The wealthy hide in generated bunkers, the government don’t listen to scientists warnings, and the rest of the population descend into anarchy as social order breaks down and anything goes.

This book was absolutely phenomenal and I’m in desperate need of it to be turned into a movie, please and thank you. I love books that contain real world scenarios, and if the scientists are anything to go by, I can’t help but wonder how long it’ll be until we have another Carrington event, and just how long it’ll last. Sometimes technology isn’t the best thing in the world to rely on, huh?

Definitely preorder this one and get it on your TBRs!

Thank you to HQ Stories for having me on the blog tour and sending me a proof to review.

For some reason, I assumed this book would be very plot-driven. I would actually say it’s more character-driven. There was a lot of violence but it was more within set characters than the book as a whole. I was expecting more violent dealings with desperate random people. I do think that’s because I was assuming the book to be plot-driven though, so I had very different expectations than I should have had. That doesn’t take away from the book, as there was an array of very different personalities with very different circumstances and levels of desperation. I do think the circumstances were very as to what would actually happen in this event. You’d have the rich, who manage to sort themselves somehow, the people who come together and those who take advantage and contribute to the disorder.

I found the fact the solar event is a very real event that has happened and will happen again intriguing at first. After reading this, I really hope it doesn’t happen in my lifetime. I felt a lot of anger and sadness within reading this. Thom really turned himself around for me. I couldn’t stand him at first, despite slight glimpses of his good, but even though he had what people would assume the best tools to ride out the event, he ended up learning a lot more than other characters, in my point of view. He really did redeem himself and showed that money doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. I would have personally liked more from Norman. I found the story in relation to him quite emotional, and more involvement from him would have tugged my heartstrings even more.

Thank you to NetGalley, David Koepp and HQ for my DRC in exchange for an honest review.

The best thing I’ve read in a long time! Aurora is the sort of book that you could read in a day, I devoured it- just needing to know what was going to happen next. The fact that the idea of such an international emergency of this scale is now so believable makes this book seem so very realistic and this is what really hooked me. The characters diverse, some likeable and some very much not. I cannot wait to see how this book is adapted for screen. I can’t imagine I will stop talking about this book anytime soon, I’ve been recommending it to friends and family since I read the opening chapter.