Station Eleven meets The Hunger Games in this ruthless, captivating story of a young woman’s survival in the frozen wilderness of the Yukon after the rest of the world has collapsed.

As the old world dies, we all must choose to become predators. Or become prey.

The old world has been ravaged by war and disease, and as far as Lynn McBride is concerned, her family could be the last one left on earth. For seven years, the McBrides have eked out a meagre existence in the still, white wilderness of the Yukon. But this is not living. This is survival on the brink.

Into this fragile community walk new threats, including the enigmatic fugitive, Jax, who holds secrets about the past and, possibly, keys to a better future. And then there’s Immunity, the pre‑war organization that was supposed to save humankind from the flu. They’re still out there, enforcing order and conducting experiments—but is their work for the good of humankind or is something much more sinister at play? In the face of almost certain extinction, Lynn and her family must learn to hunt as a pack or die alone in the cold.

Breakout debut novelist Tyrell Johnson weaves a captivating tale of humanity stretched far beyond its breaking point, of family and the bonds of love forged when everything else is lost. Reminiscent of Station Eleven and The Hunger Games, this is a classic and enthralling post‑apocalyptic adventure and a celebration of the human spirit.

Tyrell Johnson is a writer and editor. He received his MFA from the University of California, Riverside, where he studied fiction and poetry. Originally from Bellingham, Washington, he currently lives in Kelowna, British Columbia, with his wife, two kids, and a Siberian husky. His debut novel, The Wolves of Winter, was an instant national bestseller that remained on the list for over two months. Connect with him on Twitter @tjohnso14.

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“A brilliant, post-apocalyptic thriller that’s part coming-of-age story, part survival epic. Fans of The Hunger Games will love Wolves’ hard-bitten heroine Lynn and her thrilling journey into a frozen, predator-filled landscape. Clever, compelling, cinematic, this story chilled me in all the right ways. I absolutely loved it.”

Peter Clines, author of The Fold, Ex-Heroes and 14

“A chilling vision of a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where weather can kill and trust can be deadly. The Wolves of Winter is vivid, fast-paced, and raw.”

Jennie Melamed, author of Gather the Daughters

“Visceral and consuming, The Wolves of Winter depicts a frigid dystopian future where compassion has become the ultimate luxury. Johnson’s novel boldly enters that dangerous gray space between survival and empathy, revealing the ways in which those opposing urges can break open our hearts.”

Claire Vaye Watkins, author of Gold Fame Citrus and Battleborn

“This is fiction at its best: a gripping plot, imagery that arrests and illuminates, and characters that will haunt you well beyond the closing of the book. But what sets The Wolves of Winter apart is Tyrell Johnson’s masterfully deliberate lyricism. Every word has been vetted against all other possibilities. The result is a story that pulses from beginning to end. Here is prose that demands to be read. Read it.”

Jill Alexander Essbaum, New York Times–bestselling author of Hausfrau

“Fans of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel or Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars may appreciate this bleak yet suspenseful take on the aftermath of disaster. Tyrell Johnson creates a compelling post-apocalyptic tale for his novel debut.”

The Hamilton Spectator

“Lynn McBride is a kick-ass heroine, negotiating both the apocalypse and her teenage angst with grit and a great sense of humour. There’s heartbreak, loss, triumph, redemption and some fine bloody action, lyrically written. To be savoured!”

C. C. Humphreys, author of Plague

“Full of spirit and hard to put down. Fast-paced, absorbing, haunting; The Wolves of Winter is a pleasure to read.”

Iain Reid, author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things

“An intense, emotional thriller with a propulsive narrative and an immersive atmosphere—the perfect fireplace read this winter.”

Toronto Life

“With The Wolves of Winter, Johnson has created a stark, brutal and all too believable new world. The landscape and conditions are beautifully realized, the writing is deft, sure of itself and from the first page, you know you’re in the hands of a gifted storyteller. This is a stunningly written account of a young woman’s struggle and what a woman she is. Lynn is everything I want in a character; resilient, resourceful, charming and tough, she’ll stay with me for long time. A brilliant book, I loved it.”

Beth Lewis, author of The Wolf Road

“Tyrell Jonson is a writer and editor living in Kelowna, BC. He kept me wide-awake with his debut novel… It is about a lost world, one that reminds me of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, certainly one of the most frightening post-apoc novels I have ever read.”

Owen Sound Sun Times

“A masterpiece of suspense. Written with the narrative tension of some of the finest of post-apocalyptic works, the exquisite terror of Lynn McBride’s predicament in a snow-covered wilderness is so utterly compelling and relevant that readers may find their view of the world changed.”

Anthony De Sa, author of Barnacle Love and Kicking the Sky

“...the outdoor survival details, the bloody, jarring confrontations and Lynn's misaligned physical and emotional maturity make this a standout.”

The Globe and Mail

“Beautifully imagined, dark and chilling, yet ever hopeful too. The reader is given a remarkable heroine in Lynn McBride, a steadfast and resourceful young woman surviving with her family in the wilds of the Yukon and parsing through memories of life before everything collapsed. As I turned the pages, I could sense the coming dangers right alongside her. Tyrell Johnson has imagined a future that feels both faraway and too real, too possible. I simply could not put this book down. What a masterful, haunting debut.”

AMY STUART, author of Still Mine

“A fast-paced, rollicking ride with thrills, chills, and even a little romance. The Wolves of Winter is The Hunger Games meets The Road with a touch of The Call of the Wild.”

Robyn Harding, author of The Party

“Johnson’s stylish debut traverses a cold, vividly unforgiving landscape. In the aftermath of nuclear war, with disease continuing to spread, one woman forges ahead in the Canadian Yukon while haunted by memories of her past. Her arduous journey is harsh but unforgettable.”

Entertainment Weekly

“If Jack London had written a post-apocalyptic, coming-of-age thriller, it might read something like this. Curl up with The Wolves of Winter by a warm fire, and set aside a day, because this is great, absorbing fiction, with one of the most appealing protagonists I’ve ever encountered. It deserves the widest possible audience.”

Blake Crouch, author of the New York Times bestselling Dark Matter and the internationally bestselling Wayward Pines Trilogy

“An exciting, fast-paced tale . . . Johnson is an excellent storyteller; the novel is full of action, suspense, and plot twists as the resilient characters fight for survival in a harsh winter wilderness.”

Publishers Weekly