Wilder Country, by Mark Smith

The post-apocalyptic collapse of society has seen wilders consolidating into vicious gangs in this sequel to The Road to Winter. Finn, Kas and Willow have survived a harsh winter and must now turn their minds to protecting themselves from the likely return of the wilders to wreak vengeance. They also need to fulfil their somewhat unrealistic deathbed promise to rescue Kas’s niece from her wilder father. Along the way they need to liberate Willow’s family from slavery to a wilder gang and find out what happened to Finn’s friend Ray, whose house has been torched by wilders. The grimly realistic tone is countered by the stirrings of young love between reclusive Finn and damaged Kas. Unfortunately it all gets a bit silly as Finn battles between his morals and his survival instincts and the teens miraculously get through every challenge without major loss.