The Midnight Stand

by Louis A. Affortunato

They were able to transform the world in a matter of years. They molded it to their will and created a new world order. It happened so fast no one had a chance to stop it. The ones who cared could only stand by and watch as all traces of the old world began to disappear piece by piece.

They are the Council and they will stop at nothing to fulfill their plan, even if that means murder.

Now the only man left of that previous world is Harley Jacobs and when he receives a letter from the Council telling him to vacate his home he must make a decision that will change his life forever. Does he protect his family and leave or does he stay and make one last stand against the people that took everything away from him?

The first part in a multi-book series, The Midnight Stand introduces us to a harrowing view of a not too distant future that raises the question of what it truly means to be an individual.

143 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2015

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5



I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.





First off this book wasn't really my cup of tea. That said, the writing is great and the story is very intense. The MC Harley Jacobs is a great character well written with a powerful back story including some trigger warnings for pregnancy loss. The story moves between past and present in a very smooth way. The descriptions were very realistic and I don't know...can I over use the word intense?


This novel was very dystopian, but in more of a Fahrenheit 451 then Divergence kind of way. I mean the story starts out with a man waiting with a shotgun to be evicted from the house his grandfather made! The Council is a non traditional but effective villain and this book really delves into the question about how much is too much government power.


I would have liked more about Sara and Jasper and honestly really don't care for dystopian in general. However this book is a well paced novel with the right amount of action. Do I think it needs to be a series? No, the plot is good enough this could have been one whole novel....Though I may have to get the second *sigh*.


So if you were a fan of 1984 or Fahrenheit 451 I recommend buying and reading this book.

[John Autero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Louis Affortunato’s novel entitled “The Midnight Stand” and I have to tell you that it was quite the thriller. Affortunato writes about imaginative speculative technologies and creates a dystopian world where everything is controlled by an entity called “The Council”. When the Council came to power they implemented a diabolical campaign named “The Project” with the goal of controlling all aspects of human life. Personal dwellings of all kind were demolished and replaced with “more sophisticated and user friendly homes”. Human freedoms and private ownership were outlawed and replaced with a life style where humans want for nothing. Dwellings, clothes, food, medicine and leisure time were abundant and continuously available to all. When initially implemented, there were a few protestors to the overreaching control of the Council and the Project, but they were easily silenced. Those who didn’t rebel, determined it was useless as well as lethal to revolt and sheepishly followed along with the all-controlling “Project”.

One of the main characters, named Ancil, is a traditional “manly-man” and hates the idea and the life style set up by the Council and the Project. He is an expert with every type of hand tool, is able to repair every device known to man and loves outdoor activities. Ancil has a grandson named Harley who he loves very much. While Harley is a child, Ancil takes him under his wing and imparts all of his manly knowledge to him. Harley considers his grandfather to be almost a super-hero because of his hands-on capabilities as well as his Anti-Project ideology and follows these beliefs into adulthood. It is here that the standoff between good and evil begins. Throughout the book, Affortunato does a great job of bringing us through the story at a measured pace, not too fast or too slow to ruin the tension. Affortunato also does an exceptional job of developing the characters as well as writing realistic and believable dialog. I’m happy to hear that the Mr. Affortunato will be writing additional novels to continue this story because when I got to the last page, I definitely wanted more. I am a big fan of stories that feature dystopian worlds, black ops and government corruption and this story has them all. Who knows… this book may turn out to be the next “Atlas Shrugged”. Get it. You’ll like it.

[Richard Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the near future, a man waits in his home for the government’s men, who are to arrive at midnight. Their mission: destroy the home. His mission: stop them.

From this premise, Louis Affortunato has crafted a thriller with a heart.

Using flashbacks, three generations of the man’s family are revealed, each generation a stepping stone to the novel’s climax. Meanwhile, we are brought into the lives and minds of the government’s men, some eager, and some not, for a violent confrontation.

Mixing action with snappy dialogue, The Midnight Stand brings its characters to life, showcasing their motivations, hopes and fears. Each chapter is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, all fitting together neatly at the end.

Well written and moving along at a brisk pace, The Midnight Stand is both for lovers of dystopian fiction and readers demanding well-fleshed out characters. It is a very good read.

[Marco Marek · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Midnight Stand is a trip to the strict rules of the Council of Elysia, Harley is the main character and he's waiting the Council to come for proceed to wrecking his house because it fail the standard level for a living facility based on rules of the Council.
The story goes with some flashback when Harley was young together with his grandfather, and the missions of Maxon, Lead Wreck for the Office of Standard Living, and the one that involved Harley and his house that he will defend at risk of his life.
Good book to read, when the Council assault Harley's house i imagined the Hollywood's action movies, and was written as well very good.

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only got this book because it was free on amazon, but I have to say I actually ended up liking it!
The writing was nice and easy, some characters were really well constructed and the plot was also good.
The ending wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I would have liked to see a little bit more action, more fight against the power, but I guess I will have to read the following books to see what else the author's got up his sleeves.
All in all, a good book, will follow the series.

[Jay Saph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It took me less than a week to read which is always a good sign. To me it mainly conveyed an inter-generational struggle against change, how one part of family embraced the change, how the other opposed it. That change was technological and put in an interesting way i.e. The change of our habitat. The Author has written a considered piece. Well done.

[Simon Brading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Affortunato creates a very convincing and all too possible future for us that brings to mind the greats in the genre - sometime Fahrenheit 451, at others 1984 and occasionally Brave New World. Highly recommended.

[Saleh Radaideh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in the book are very intriguing and interesting. Specifically, Harley. I love books like this that contain lots of introspection in the main character. There are many lines I found in this book that cut deep. The kind of lines that's hard to find in a book. There's also much suspense in the story, and the end of every chapter made me want to read the next one. The story is dark overall, reminding me of Paulahniuk's and Dan Brown's type of writing. But dark is always interesting. The interesting lines in the book, that I talked about earlier, will definitely spark thoughts and emotions in the reader. I loved the style of writing, and fell in love with the character, Harley.
This is a must read for all those interested in a dystopia of a world. An Anti-Utopia. Every type of destruction is contained in this book. If you liked Fight Club by Paulahniuk, then I'm sure you'll like this. I look forward to reading further works from this brilliant author.

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a simple message be who you want to be not who everyone else is or wants you to be.

The story is the first in a series of books however can be read as a standalone short story.

It is about a government that wants its people to conform into the modern world and I guess some people would not understand why someone wouldn’t want the best home etc. The council are trying to take away freedom of choice.

Harley is a traditional man who would like to grow old in the house that shares his memories. He doesn't want a new modern life and why should he when he is happy with what he already has.

I rate this book 4* out of 5. An interesting read which reminded me of some of my favourite songs the top one being Weezer's Pork and Beans. This book would be good for the start of a debate topic.

*An advanced copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed reading it and I wouldn't call myself a big dystopian future fan. But I did enjoy this book. "They are the Council and they will stop at nothing to fulfill their plan, even if that means murder." I think this is a book you should read if you like to read dystopian future books. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Chantal Gadoury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
I thought Louis's writing was very good, and the characters were very well developed. I'm not a huge fan of dystopian future novels, but this was still enjoyable. It has a lot of exciting twists, and the plot carried me through to the end. This would be enjoyed by someone who enjoys this genre! I encourage anyone to give it a try! I wasn't at all disappointed by the novel - it was strong - with good, strong characters.
Great job Louis!

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Midnight Stand, Louis Affortunato crafts a meticulous and thrilling dystopian novel that fans of the genre won't want to miss. The attention to detail in everything from the Council of Elysia to new technologies paints a world in which the reader can easily live for the duration of the read. The main character, Harley Jacobs, is well fleshed-out and his introspection adds a breath of fresh air to the pages.

A quick, enjoyable read by Louis. Give this one a shot.

[Segilola Salami · Rating 3 out of 5]

well written, negligible errors.

plot was a bit slow as it was setting the foundation for the rest of the series I think

I found myself feeling anxious when reading some parts. I would consider reading the next book in the series as the ending of this book made me feel the next book might be better.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not far from what is happening today...

Frustratingly real attitudes that mimic many of our citizens today...trading freedoms for security and ease...an interesting read, with a timely warning.