Prequel to Book One of the Phoenix Treks
Trek Through a
Ravaged LandRelease Date: February 13, 2026
In this prequel to “Trek Across a Changed Land,” it’s been only twenty-five years since climate-related disasters led to an economic meltdown, a failed geoengineering attempt, and, in retaliation, a Blackout War where EM pulses destroyed electronic systems taking out the power grid and most satellites. Sea level has risen five feet and continues to rise at an accelerating rate, but worse, erratic weather is hindering attempts at farming and any hope of restarting civilization.
We return to find George Reynolds on his second trek down the East Coast to collect crucial data needed to predict the weather. This time George is accompanied by his second wife, Ruth, who nursed him back after the tragic murders of his first wife and twin daughters. The question is whether their marriage can survive being joined at the hip for over a year on this trek. Their mission and lives will be threatened by an EF4 tornado, flooding, wildfire, weeks of trekking through a heat dome with deadly temperatures, and by the greatest danger—the people they encounter on their journey.
*While the first book explored the father-son relationship, this one is, at its core, a love story.
We return to find George Reynolds on his second trek down the East Coast to collect crucial data needed to predict the weather. This time George is accompanied by his second wife, Ruth, who nursed him back after the tragic murders of his first wife and twin daughters. The question is whether their marriage can survive being joined at the hip for over a year on this trek. Their mission and lives will be threatened by an EF4 tornado, flooding, wildfire, weeks of trekking through a heat dome with deadly temperatures, and by the greatest danger—the people they encounter on their journey.
*While the first book explored the father-son relationship, this one is, at its core, a love story.

Testimonials
Unnerving examination of humanity amid a world ravaged by natural disaster. Rumbold’s immersive worldbuilding treats rising seas, agricultural collapse, and lost technology as ongoing processes rather than past events. Instead of spectacle, he focuses on something intimate: a marriage under stress. Publishers Weekly: BookLife
Trek Through a Ravaged Land is a gripping, character-driven story that does a great job blending survival, tension, and emotional weight. The journey at the heart of the novel feels harsh and unforgiving, and the author captures the exhaustion, fear, and determination of the characters in a very believable way. The setting itself almost becomes a character, constantly testing those who must cross it. Eddie, BookSirens
