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Black Autumn #1
Black Autumn
When it finally happened, even elite soldiers could scarcely keep their families alive...
An already weakened U.S. economy crumbles after a rogue nation detonates a small nuclear bomb in a Los Angeles port.
The disastrous economic domino effect known as “Black Autumn” threatens a group of Special Forces vets, their families, and friends, leaving serious doubt that their skills and fortitude will be enough to bridge the deadly gap between modern society and an epoch of American savagery.
**Black Autumn is a survival/military thriller, post-apocalyptic saga, Book One of the ReadyMan Series. The four books of the Black Autumn Companion Series occur during the same seventeen days of the collapse of America as Black Autumn and can be read in any order: The Last Air Force One, and Black Autumn: Travelers (now available), and coming in 2019: Black Autumn: Conquistadors, and Black Autumn: Gunslingers. **
An already weakened U.S. economy crumbles after a rogue nation detonates a small nuclear bomb in a Los Angeles port.
The disastrous economic domino effect known as “Black Autumn” threatens a group of Special Forces vets, their families, and friends, leaving serious doubt that their skills and fortitude will be enough to bridge the deadly gap between modern society and an epoch of American savagery.
**Black Autumn is a survival/military thriller, post-apocalyptic saga, Book One of the ReadyMan Series. The four books of the Black Autumn Companion Series occur during the same seventeen days of the collapse of America as Black Autumn and can be read in any order: The Last Air Force One, and Black Autumn: Travelers (now available), and coming in 2019: Black Autumn: Conquistadors, and Black Autumn: Gunslingers. **
442 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
October 14, 2019
If you enjoy misogynistic, anti humanitarian, racist apocalyptic tales with very little emotional intelligence this is the book for you. I read the entire book hoping at least one of the characters would redeem themselves enough that I wasn't thinking the main protagonists were actually the bad guys. Unfortunately it never happened.
December 13, 2018
Prepper circlejerk. Don't waste your time.
December 30, 2023
As a resident of the Salt Lake City area (where this book primarily takes place), I appreciated that the authors stayed true to detail about the town and its characteristics. They even had street names and businesses in the area correctly located. They didn't take any artistic license on anything related to SLC, and I enjoyed that. It made picturing the actions in the story that much more realistic.
The story itself is entertaining enough, with some slow parts that I could have done without. There were no plot twists or reveals whatsoever...everything was expected and you saw it coming chapters before it happened. There is also some wildly apparent racist ideas in the story. (SPOILER ALERT: The Mexicans are the bad guys, because of course they are.) The ending was also very anti-climactic and their "cliffhanger" wasn't all that suspenseful. It did not leave me eager to read the next book. Even so, it was a decent story that kept me wanting to finish the book.
My problem with this book lies outside of the actual storyline. This book is fiction. And it will always be fiction. I take issue with the fact that the afterword explains how this post-apocalyptic scenario "can and will" happen someday. This book was clearly written by fear-mongering doomsday preppers who live on conspiracy theories. When an author ends a book with "I hope you enjoyed this story, but just remember it WILL happen someday," it makes me not want to read any future books by that author. Just let me enjoy a work of fiction. I don’t need your anti-government, pro-gun, alarmist bullshit views as the ending to your story.
The story itself is entertaining enough, with some slow parts that I could have done without. There were no plot twists or reveals whatsoever...everything was expected and you saw it coming chapters before it happened. There is also some wildly apparent racist ideas in the story. (SPOILER ALERT: The Mexicans are the bad guys, because of course they are.) The ending was also very anti-climactic and their "cliffhanger" wasn't all that suspenseful. It did not leave me eager to read the next book. Even so, it was a decent story that kept me wanting to finish the book.
My problem with this book lies outside of the actual storyline. This book is fiction. And it will always be fiction. I take issue with the fact that the afterword explains how this post-apocalyptic scenario "can and will" happen someday. This book was clearly written by fear-mongering doomsday preppers who live on conspiracy theories. When an author ends a book with "I hope you enjoyed this story, but just remember it WILL happen someday," it makes me not want to read any future books by that author. Just let me enjoy a work of fiction. I don’t need your anti-government, pro-gun, alarmist bullshit views as the ending to your story.
October 13, 2020
Terrorism has taken down the mightiest nation in the world. It is now a time for survival of the fittest or the most daring as law and order are left behind, the weak wait for the “government” to do the heavy lifting and few are truly prepared for the aftermath of the apocalypse. Can money buy safety for the privileged or will their weak underbelly show? They say money talks, but now is the time for action to speak louder than words. Only the prepared will survive, but for how long?
BLACK AUTUMN by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross is dark, terrifyingly realistic and proof that the average guy needs a super hero or anti-hero to save their bacon. The American Dream, or Fantasy is dead and two men will join forces in a tentative alliance to save those they care about and those willing to defend the haven they have carved out. One will use his military experience, one his survival instincts to defend the land they have claimed and the life they have re-built.
If you ever wondered what YOU would do if the United States were brought to its knees? The realism is as terrifying as it seems totally believable. Raw, no cushioning the blow and brutally graphic at times, this tale is riveting from start to finish as flawed humans from different walks of life band together to survive against the desperate, the deadly and the determined.
Absolutely magnetic reading, if you have ever wondered about “what if?” this is a very stark look at what could be. Non-stop, hard-hitting and the shared authorship has given this story a perspective that is far too realistic to deny! Highly recommended reading!
Series: Black Autumn - Book 1
Publisher : ReadyMan Publishing, LLC; 2nd Edition (March 5, 2019)
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic | Survival
Print Length : 439 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
BLACK AUTUMN by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross is dark, terrifyingly realistic and proof that the average guy needs a super hero or anti-hero to save their bacon. The American Dream, or Fantasy is dead and two men will join forces in a tentative alliance to save those they care about and those willing to defend the haven they have carved out. One will use his military experience, one his survival instincts to defend the land they have claimed and the life they have re-built.
If you ever wondered what YOU would do if the United States were brought to its knees? The realism is as terrifying as it seems totally believable. Raw, no cushioning the blow and brutally graphic at times, this tale is riveting from start to finish as flawed humans from different walks of life band together to survive against the desperate, the deadly and the determined.
Absolutely magnetic reading, if you have ever wondered about “what if?” this is a very stark look at what could be. Non-stop, hard-hitting and the shared authorship has given this story a perspective that is far too realistic to deny! Highly recommended reading!
Series: Black Autumn - Book 1
Publisher : ReadyMan Publishing, LLC; 2nd Edition (March 5, 2019)
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic | Survival
Print Length : 439 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
December 24, 2021
A book on the razor edge of being a better read. In an act of hubris, the authors names the main protagonists after themself. The book is basically a prepper fantasy in which two relatively minor events trigger the collapse of society both in the US and the rest of the world. As I was formerly employed in emergency management so of the plans that the two main characters had made were of interest but so much of what happens is just so over the top.
Within less than a week, civilization has collapsed leaving people to shoot their neighbors for food. The authors are pretty clueless as to how much food a normal middle class family has available in their pantry. Someone living in a million dollar house is not going run out of food in just a couple of days.
And while I have observed more than my fair share of government ineptitude, it has never as bad as this book makes it out to be.
In summation, I enjoyed parts of the book, but the time line was all off and made the book a little ridiculous.
Within less than a week, civilization has collapsed leaving people to shoot their neighbors for food. The authors are pretty clueless as to how much food a normal middle class family has available in their pantry. Someone living in a million dollar house is not going run out of food in just a couple of days.
And while I have observed more than my fair share of government ineptitude, it has never as bad as this book makes it out to be.
In summation, I enjoyed parts of the book, but the time line was all off and made the book a little ridiculous.
June 10, 2023
The two main characters of this apocalyptic novel are Jeff Kirkham, retired military, and Jason Ross - they are also the literal authors, so this novel reads like a teenage boy's wet dream. You'd think that since they were writing about themselves, the authors could adequately create fully characterized protagonists, but you'd be wrong. The two men have created a sanctuary in Utah for about 300 people to survive an apocalypse because they love their families and they intend to insure that their families survive, but there is so little interaction with the members of their families that their emotions seem rote, not real. When Jeff's son is bitten by a rattlesnake (and there is no antivenin), Jeff doesn't visit the boy in the infirmary because he is afraid that he can't "remain operational" (323). He has "to put the mission first" (323). Dialogue between husbands and wives is stilted and awkward.
As a blueprint for survival in an apocalypse, the novel is more successful. It details the food and other supplies that will be necessary for survival, and the threats from the complete breakdown of society. Losing electricity even makes Costco close - the first sign of the Apocalypse! Blame is clearly assigned. "The entire...Apocalypse could be placed at the feet of people like Masterson - men with shallow, selfish myopia; men who ignored the lifeblood of a nation in order to advance their dingy ambitions. Politicians, bureaucrats, the power-hungry, the greedy, the self-absorbed; America had become a nation of narcissists and now millions of children would suffer terror, pain and then death" (325-326). A little preachy.
As a blueprint for survival in an apocalypse, the novel is more successful. It details the food and other supplies that will be necessary for survival, and the threats from the complete breakdown of society. Losing electricity even makes Costco close - the first sign of the Apocalypse! Blame is clearly assigned. "The entire...Apocalypse could be placed at the feet of people like Masterson - men with shallow, selfish myopia; men who ignored the lifeblood of a nation in order to advance their dingy ambitions. Politicians, bureaucrats, the power-hungry, the greedy, the self-absorbed; America had become a nation of narcissists and now millions of children would suffer terror, pain and then death" (325-326). A little preachy.
April 10, 2022
All in all, I thought this was a pretty good read. It was beyond entertaining, and I found it quite difficult to put down, burning through page after page. The timeline and action continue from one page to the next, daring you to continue reading to see what lies ahead. It’s also a good little mind stimulator concerning preparedness. More than once, I added a note to myself regarding something I hadn’t considered as essential to my home prep plan. I found this book to be more realistic than many other books in this genre and it is evident the authors have spent considerable time in the lovely parts of our world where society has already collapsed.
Anyone who thinks something like this couldn’t happen here in our lifetime is living in a fantasy land. I hope beyond hope my kids don’t see dark days like the ones in Black Autumn. Reading this book has added a few pieces that will increase our chances should it ever come to it. Highly recommend.
Anyone who thinks something like this couldn’t happen here in our lifetime is living in a fantasy land. I hope beyond hope my kids don’t see dark days like the ones in Black Autumn. Reading this book has added a few pieces that will increase our chances should it ever come to it. Highly recommend.
August 29, 2021
Stopped reading. Started skimming.
Whatever whimsical qualities this book may have had stopped when the author changed the seasonal weather three times in a single chapter. In two weeks it went from the beginning of Fall into late Fall then smack into winter according to one of the fifteen characters whose name started with the letter "J". Skimmed over all the superfluous military jargon and Mack Bola message gun descriptions. Won't bother with the others in this series.
Whatever whimsical qualities this book may have had stopped when the author changed the seasonal weather three times in a single chapter. In two weeks it went from the beginning of Fall into late Fall then smack into winter according to one of the fifteen characters whose name started with the letter "J". Skimmed over all the superfluous military jargon and Mack Bola message gun descriptions. Won't bother with the others in this series.
January 2, 2023
I listened to this book on Audible. The reader (and the writing) was so "macho" and most of the analogies were completely juvenile. Truly it was the most boring book; almost intolerable.
March 12, 2020
Damn, I wanted this book to be better. Yet despite the book’s numerous flaws, which I will enumerate below, it was good enough that I want to read the sequels. The book is carried by the compelling subject matter and authenticity and realism maintained throughout most of the book. Descriptions of the action sequences were outstanding and dialogue between the veterans was realistic to what I know. The book has special appeal to me because I recently moved to Utah and am familiar with the places and culture described. If only...
And now for the bad:
1. The ending sucked. Resolution of the major conflict in the book undermined the air of credibility that the rest of the book had. It was unbelievable—dare I say, stupid.
2. The heroic protagonist of the book, named after one of the co-authors Jeff Kirkham, is not very well developed. His character sketch is one dimensional and he is mostly unlikable.
3. The depiction of the Mormon church vacillates between insightful and unbelievably wrong. I have seen first hand the church’s response to hurricanes that have hit the gulf coast, including Katrina. In every instance, the church provided leadership, organization, communications, and material support in the midst of civil disturbances. The idea that Mormon bishops would impotently tell their congregations to just go home and work things out on their own with their neighbors just smacked as false. I know, it’s only a story...
4. The book is billed as an allegory of how former military special operations forces would respond in a prolonged end of days scenario. Beyond entertainment value, the book seemed intended to provide helpful insights for the masses who are not former elite warriors. It doesn’t. The moral of the story ends up being, if you aren’t a former Tier 1 operator, you are screwed.
5. I listened to the audiobook version. The production quality was poor. The narrator mispronounced some words and the names of several Utah towns. The transitions between takes are sometimes jarring, with uneven pauses, and abrupt changes in tone and tempo.
That is a lot of negatives and I have not elaborated as much on the books positives. I want to end this review on a positive note by reiterating that I look forward to reading the other books in this series. There is more good than bad. I do recommend the book, only with some asterisks.
And now for the bad:
1. The ending sucked. Resolution of the major conflict in the book undermined the air of credibility that the rest of the book had. It was unbelievable—dare I say, stupid.
2. The heroic protagonist of the book, named after one of the co-authors Jeff Kirkham, is not very well developed. His character sketch is one dimensional and he is mostly unlikable.
3. The depiction of the Mormon church vacillates between insightful and unbelievably wrong. I have seen first hand the church’s response to hurricanes that have hit the gulf coast, including Katrina. In every instance, the church provided leadership, organization, communications, and material support in the midst of civil disturbances. The idea that Mormon bishops would impotently tell their congregations to just go home and work things out on their own with their neighbors just smacked as false. I know, it’s only a story...
4. The book is billed as an allegory of how former military special operations forces would respond in a prolonged end of days scenario. Beyond entertainment value, the book seemed intended to provide helpful insights for the masses who are not former elite warriors. It doesn’t. The moral of the story ends up being, if you aren’t a former Tier 1 operator, you are screwed.
5. I listened to the audiobook version. The production quality was poor. The narrator mispronounced some words and the names of several Utah towns. The transitions between takes are sometimes jarring, with uneven pauses, and abrupt changes in tone and tempo.
That is a lot of negatives and I have not elaborated as much on the books positives. I want to end this review on a positive note by reiterating that I look forward to reading the other books in this series. There is more good than bad. I do recommend the book, only with some asterisks.
September 22, 2021
Just okay
Interested in SHTF books, but always wanted more Mormons involved? Well have I got some good news for you my friend...
Interested in SHTF books, but always wanted more Mormons involved? Well have I got some good news for you my friend...
February 29, 2024
Absolutely horrible!. Misogynistic, unbelievably racist, nothing of value at all. 1 star is too many for this kindling bound garbage.
April 10, 2020
I gave this two stars since it started off good. It just went downhill quick. Nice self insertion the authors seem to have going here - if only it weren’t for the characters being completely unlikable. Not just *their* characters but all of them. There’s only so much ego I can handle at one time (yes, even from fictional characters) and I’m a giant Patrick Bateman fan, soooooo......
That was the majority of it for me. The characters just had no substance. None of them. I tried to keep going but ended up skimming the last of it. So I finished- but just barely.
I’m actually disappointed. I was expecting a lot more than I got from this one.
That was the majority of it for me. The characters just had no substance. None of them. I tried to keep going but ended up skimming the last of it. So I finished- but just barely.
I’m actually disappointed. I was expecting a lot more than I got from this one.
September 13, 2023
Predictable prepper porn.
June 21, 2023
Real, real mixed feelings about this one. On the positive side, it's well-written and plausible SHTF (that's shit-hits-the-fan) fiction. A nuclear bomb explodes off the coast of Los Angeles following a nuke attack in the Middle East, and the book follows the quick disintegration of the United States (we're talking just over two weeks, here). The book is written in a fun and easy style and the authors clearly know about survival and military tactics, as well as how to keep readers turning pages.
But there are so many strange choices in this book that bring it down. Set in Utah, the story focuses on Jason and Jeff, who have set up a survivalist Homestead on a mountainside outside Salt Lake City. In line with Jason's Mormon faith, they are as prepared as hell for when Hell comes knocking. And it comes. (Weirdly, the two main characters are named Jason Ross and Jeff Kirkham, which also happen to be the names of the co-authors, giving this book, which already resides in a strange niche genre of perverse wish fulfillment, even more weird military dude fantasy vibes.)
The book also digs fairly deep into the Mormon faith and its prescriptions of preparation for the end times, which suits the characters and plot here, but also ends up feeling a bit like a rah-rah speech for Mormonism (including some serious smack talk regarding the power of the Mormon Army when everything goes to shit).
Black Autumn is at its strongest in the early goings with random snapshots of peoples' lives falling apart totally and quickly as systems break down. These vignettes are scary and effective and fun to read. It's at its weakest in multiple moments of casual racism thrown in for no discernable reason, and in its climactic end, which follows a group of "gangbangers" trying to take over the Homestead in the most ineffective and wildly improbable way imaginable. By the end, I was laughing at the preposterousness of it all.
So, it's a tough recommendation. If you like survival-focused, post-apocalyptic stories with an extreme pro-military bent, you could do worse. I learned a lot -- such as how quickly firewood would run out in the autumn after a world-ending event. That said, be prepared to roll your eyes a lot at the insane characterization, the rampant and repetitive racism, and the corny dialogue, all of which are great reasons to ignore this book completely.
But there are so many strange choices in this book that bring it down. Set in Utah, the story focuses on Jason and Jeff, who have set up a survivalist Homestead on a mountainside outside Salt Lake City. In line with Jason's Mormon faith, they are as prepared as hell for when Hell comes knocking. And it comes. (Weirdly, the two main characters are named Jason Ross and Jeff Kirkham, which also happen to be the names of the co-authors, giving this book, which already resides in a strange niche genre of perverse wish fulfillment, even more weird military dude fantasy vibes.)
The book also digs fairly deep into the Mormon faith and its prescriptions of preparation for the end times, which suits the characters and plot here, but also ends up feeling a bit like a rah-rah speech for Mormonism (including some serious smack talk regarding the power of the Mormon Army when everything goes to shit).
Black Autumn is at its strongest in the early goings with random snapshots of peoples' lives falling apart totally and quickly as systems break down. These vignettes are scary and effective and fun to read. It's at its weakest in multiple moments of casual racism thrown in for no discernable reason, and in its climactic end, which follows a group of "gangbangers" trying to take over the Homestead in the most ineffective and wildly improbable way imaginable. By the end, I was laughing at the preposterousness of it all.
So, it's a tough recommendation. If you like survival-focused, post-apocalyptic stories with an extreme pro-military bent, you could do worse. I learned a lot -- such as how quickly firewood would run out in the autumn after a world-ending event. That said, be prepared to roll your eyes a lot at the insane characterization, the rampant and repetitive racism, and the corny dialogue, all of which are great reasons to ignore this book completely.
October 30, 2024
Loved it. Nothing groundbreaking, but it was an entertaining story. I particularly enjoyed how the authors showed the challenges of some "trolley problem" type situations.
Will definitely try the next one in the series.
Will definitely try the next one in the series.
December 29, 2021
Middling Post-apocalyptic Tale Set In Mormon Country.
Fasten your seatbelt, this is volume one with ten or more sequels hoppin' down the bunny trail, coming right at you. Well, not coming after me, I wouldn't read another book of this bilgewater cocktail for all the reds in china.
Fasten your seatbelt, this is volume one with ten or more sequels hoppin' down the bunny trail, coming right at you. Well, not coming after me, I wouldn't read another book of this bilgewater cocktail for all the reds in china.
December 29, 2022
Boring. Characters are flat and one dimensional. Reads more like a libertarian fever dream than a narrative. Nagging wives. Alpha males. Beta males. Islamic terror. Rural utopia versus the helpless and hopeless urban centers. This novel is what would happen if FOX news wrote the Stand, and I am not going to finish it.
September 11, 2024
Scary stuff, to close to home.
February 26, 2020
It was an okay read. I'm not an expert on pot apocalyptic thrillers but this one kept my interest, for the most part. Because it is the beginning of a series, there are a lot of characters, most of which play roles in the story. Some humor, some sadness.
February 15, 2024
I listened to this book on Audible so I cannot comment on grammatical errors. I do wonder about the amount of CAPS the authors wrote in as the narrator screamed a lot in their reading. Perhaps it was an artistic choice.
This is an apocalyptic survival story that works really hard to be a decent read. There are times when I was addicted to the story but those were interspersed with moments of boredom and frustration.
First off the authors (printed on the cover page) are the two main characters of the story. I don't know if this choice is artistic, or a massive ego trip. If the authors really are the embodiments of the characters then I don't ever want to associate or know these people.
This book feels like it is one compounding stereotype. Military veterans/SOF are elite and far more important than everyone else. If you don't pick up a gun you are a wuss and must turn in your man card. Even doctors who save lives are considered less than the veterans because they are not fighters. This may not be what the authors want to convey but it comes across as such. People who don't fight are worthless and complain when they are protected from probing attacks on the homestead. The wives do not appreciate anything that their husbands do to protect them. All of the liberal people in the compound only learn their lesson when death and destruction come to their families. etc. etc. Is this realistic? I don't know. I read this stuff for entertainment, not as a guidebook for the end of the word.
Jeff Kirkum, the main "protagonist" puts down his own son for having "piano fingers" digging at what he sees as a unmanly attribute. He verbally insults his wife with this statement. Later he goes through this whole introspection where he realizes he is wrong, but he never voices this to his wife. Killing machines like him don't show weakness like that to their wives. If Jeff Kirkum is a real person as the authorship suggests and this real person has a son I would be quite concerned for their mental wellbeing.
In the early pages of the book Jeff Kirkum goes out of his way to poison a water supply of people who don't appear ever in the story until the end and he creates a mini war. He justifies this by removing the future "threat" and therefore protecting his family, but he really engineers a fight cause that's apparently all he knows. I feel like classifying this character as on the spectrum would be appropriate. He cannot interact with normies, and is only comfortable killing things. He cannot live in a world that is not consumed by war.
Veterans are assholes. Normies are weak and useless. Women are stupid and need to be taught a lesson. Its a lot of violent misogyny that really gives all veterans a bad rap. The veterans I know are kind and helpful. They don't act like constant assholes. They see it as a duty to protect the weak and defenseless and they absolutely do not criticize those that are weak.
I toughed it out to the end. Again there are some scenes that are well written perhaps by the other author Jason Ross, but the majority of the book is a violent wet dream poking at all stereotypes except the elephant in the room which is itself.
There are really good post disaster books out there, with deep characters, thought provoking scenes, and plenty of action. This book is a far cry from those. I will not be continuing this series, nor will I read any books written by either of these authors.
This is an apocalyptic survival story that works really hard to be a decent read. There are times when I was addicted to the story but those were interspersed with moments of boredom and frustration.
First off the authors (printed on the cover page) are the two main characters of the story. I don't know if this choice is artistic, or a massive ego trip. If the authors really are the embodiments of the characters then I don't ever want to associate or know these people.
This book feels like it is one compounding stereotype. Military veterans/SOF are elite and far more important than everyone else. If you don't pick up a gun you are a wuss and must turn in your man card. Even doctors who save lives are considered less than the veterans because they are not fighters. This may not be what the authors want to convey but it comes across as such. People who don't fight are worthless and complain when they are protected from probing attacks on the homestead. The wives do not appreciate anything that their husbands do to protect them. All of the liberal people in the compound only learn their lesson when death and destruction come to their families. etc. etc. Is this realistic? I don't know. I read this stuff for entertainment, not as a guidebook for the end of the word.
Jeff Kirkum, the main "protagonist" puts down his own son for having "piano fingers" digging at what he sees as a unmanly attribute. He verbally insults his wife with this statement. Later he goes through this whole introspection where he realizes he is wrong, but he never voices this to his wife. Killing machines like him don't show weakness like that to their wives. If Jeff Kirkum is a real person as the authorship suggests and this real person has a son I would be quite concerned for their mental wellbeing.
In the early pages of the book Jeff Kirkum goes out of his way to poison a water supply of people who don't appear ever in the story until the end and he creates a mini war. He justifies this by removing the future "threat" and therefore protecting his family, but he really engineers a fight cause that's apparently all he knows. I feel like classifying this character as on the spectrum would be appropriate. He cannot interact with normies, and is only comfortable killing things. He cannot live in a world that is not consumed by war.
Veterans are assholes. Normies are weak and useless. Women are stupid and need to be taught a lesson. Its a lot of violent misogyny that really gives all veterans a bad rap. The veterans I know are kind and helpful. They don't act like constant assholes. They see it as a duty to protect the weak and defenseless and they absolutely do not criticize those that are weak.
I toughed it out to the end. Again there are some scenes that are well written perhaps by the other author Jason Ross, but the majority of the book is a violent wet dream poking at all stereotypes except the elephant in the room which is itself.
There are really good post disaster books out there, with deep characters, thought provoking scenes, and plenty of action. This book is a far cry from those. I will not be continuing this series, nor will I read any books written by either of these authors.
December 3, 2024
My parents are semi preppers in their retirement, so every year or two, I get an itch to read a prepper book on KU to remind myself that my family is acting pretty mild. This one is apparently being made into a movie or show by Angel Studios, so I thought it would at least avoid sex and foul language (I was wrong about the language). Definitely self published, it's very skimmable because both coauthors need to take pages of having all sorts of characters (including the main protagonists who share the authors' names) have the same thoughts about why everyone should have lots of guns and ammo stored up and how only career military men are real men. And how the Mormon bishops telling their flock to have a year's worth of food in their basements are right about that, though not about a lot of things. There's literally a scene where the Latino gangs are sweeping around Salt Lake City, pillaging, and they come across a semi-organized self defense group with a banner of the angel Moroni, and I thought, wow, I had no idea that Mormon post- apocalyptic military prepper stories were a thing! White=good, minorities and white collar men and doctors and nurses who live by the Hippocratic oath=losers or downright evil. Women=good for food prep and whining to the real men protecting them. Wowsers. These authors live in an alternate universe to mine. Not a ton about gardening and livestock, which is the aspect of the prepper movement that my parents are getting into. So I probably have read more abysmal content on my random KU dives, but this is a reminder that editors and real publishers do a true gatekeeping service. It's wild that there are enough fans of this series to read multiple volumes and fund a production of it. Absolutely wild. Only in America.
November 7, 2018
I liked that this took place in the Salt Lake City area, where I lived for several decades. The author appears to be familiar with that area and the influence of prepping by Mormons. I liked that various characters were used to explore the differing ways that people would cope with a new reality like this since I think that in a community that banded together to survive, those competing coping mechanisms would be an issue. There were some writing issues that could have used a good editor. I was very confused that the Filipinos on the boat were in Avalon Bay near Catalina and then suddenly were in Alameda Harbor where they detonated the bomb. Alameda Harbor is in the San Francisco area yet the book treated it like it was in LA with the Los Angeles police dealing with it. Quite confusing.
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October 23, 2021So I’m about half way into it. I’m a fan of books of this type (One Second After, Going Home, etc) I would have to say the book is a bit of a mess. Too many characters … and way too many characters with the same letter J name .. gets confusing. Too many stories going on, makes it hard to follow … just as you start getting into the character and their current plight - it skips to someone else as does it again … when it finally gets back to the character… it’s jumped on you.
The narrator that reads it mispronunciation of military names and acronyms drives me nuts as well as how the recording is all over the place … like he stops and pics back up after he moved his mic into a different part of the room, so it sounds like a different person starts reading in the middle of the paragraph … very irritating.
I’ll end up finishing the book, but I doubt I will pick up the others.
The narrator that reads it mispronunciation of military names and acronyms drives me nuts as well as how the recording is all over the place … like he stops and pics back up after he moved his mic into a different part of the room, so it sounds like a different person starts reading in the middle of the paragraph … very irritating.
I’ll end up finishing the book, but I doubt I will pick up the others.
May 23, 2020
Worth the read!
I enjoyed this book, however, I feel the story got bogged down a bit at times by military jargon and old history. Lost track of what all the initials stood for which detracted my mind from the story. For me, it could have flowed smoother. I could have used more actual preparing ideals and survival suggestions instead of being told a hundred times the specs of a rifle. Otherwise, I did love the story, could identify with the location and totally believed the human reactions. Could have used a little less LDS history, and more personal history on the main characters.
Hope there is a part two as there were many loose ends. Keep on writing Boys and keep on teaching.
I enjoyed this book, however, I feel the story got bogged down a bit at times by military jargon and old history. Lost track of what all the initials stood for which detracted my mind from the story. For me, it could have flowed smoother. I could have used more actual preparing ideals and survival suggestions instead of being told a hundred times the specs of a rifle. Otherwise, I did love the story, could identify with the location and totally believed the human reactions. Could have used a little less LDS history, and more personal history on the main characters.
Hope there is a part two as there were many loose ends. Keep on writing Boys and keep on teaching.
September 9, 2024
The two authors are the two main characters of this post-apocalyptic novel. In real life Kirkham served almost 30 years as a green beret, and Ross has been dedicated to 'preparedness.' Using their own experience helped them write the various scenarios of this intense fiction.
April 10, 2020
Poorly written. A goodly number of factual mistakes are made. I will not be enticed to read any of this authors other books. I learned my lesson having read this novel.
September 6, 2023
This would have been a great read...without the toxic masculinity, blatant misogyny, and disgusting racism.
April 13, 2022
Moving
Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed the story. That being said I have to say that the beginning seems a little rocky to me and some of the language in it would be quite offensive to a lot of people. I understand that it represents very well how many in the military act and talk but that doesn't make it truly civilized. As the story progressed it came together much better as all the variant storylines started to make sense and interconnect. Another issue was some of the racial stereotypes that were highlighted throughout this story. To a point I'm sure a lot of it was accurate but some of it was a bit unnecessary I believe. In the last section of the book the story are really came together with the final battle scene. From a military standpoint I felt this was well written and executed. If you like post-apocalyptic stories or even just some good military background then this is an excellent story for you. As to the author's point of whether or not it could make a good movie I always believe that is a possibility. With a bit of spitting polish I think this is a story that could be enjoyed by many on the big screen or more likely as a miniseries for a proper telling.
Let me start off by saying that I really enjoyed the story. That being said I have to say that the beginning seems a little rocky to me and some of the language in it would be quite offensive to a lot of people. I understand that it represents very well how many in the military act and talk but that doesn't make it truly civilized. As the story progressed it came together much better as all the variant storylines started to make sense and interconnect. Another issue was some of the racial stereotypes that were highlighted throughout this story. To a point I'm sure a lot of it was accurate but some of it was a bit unnecessary I believe. In the last section of the book the story are really came together with the final battle scene. From a military standpoint I felt this was well written and executed. If you like post-apocalyptic stories or even just some good military background then this is an excellent story for you. As to the author's point of whether or not it could make a good movie I always believe that is a possibility. With a bit of spitting polish I think this is a story that could be enjoyed by many on the big screen or more likely as a miniseries for a proper telling.
August 21, 2021
I felt like reading a little post-apocalyptic story and that's what I got. It's a very good book, fast paced with a credible enough story to leave you wondering ''what would I do in this situation?'' at times.
To be sure, it's not a perfect work of fiction, as some plot holes exist and a the action is often a little too fast to make it detailed enough to feel totally real. Anyhow, you feel both authors know what they're writing about and I truly loved the whole thing. I will probably read the hole 9-books-and-counting saga.
To be sure, it's not a perfect work of fiction, as some plot holes exist and a the action is often a little too fast to make it detailed enough to feel totally real. Anyhow, you feel both authors know what they're writing about and I truly loved the whole thing. I will probably read the hole 9-books-and-counting saga.
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