The invaders are gone. Earth is in ruins. The strong prey on the weak.
In the wastelands of what’s left, a lone gunslinger delivers his own brand of justice. Some call him lawman. Some call him madman. Some call him vigilante. Some call him killer. Some call him legend.
They all call him…
...the Sheriff.
This is his story.
With vibes of classic westerns against a post-apocalyptic sci-fi backdrop, if you like Firefly, Westworld, Mad Max, or the Dark Tower (the books), you’ll love The Sheriff.
M.R. Forbes is the author of a growing number of science-fiction series including Rebellion, War Eternal, Chaos of the Covenant, Stars End, and the Forgotten novels. Having spent his childhood trying to read every sci-fi novel he could find (and write his own too), play every sci-fi video game he could get his hands on, and see every sci-fi movie that made it into the theater, he has a true love of the genre across every medium. He works hard to bring that same energy to his own stories, with a continuing goal to entertain, delight, fascinate, and surprise.
He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:
I cant believe I gave it 3 stars. I am getting soft. This is a mindless story that feels like it was written by a teenager. The dialogue is cheesy. The characters have shallow arcs. The ability to evolve from dipshit to a morally superior being happens with a snap of the fingers.
Like most post apocalyptic stuff, authors cant let tech die. In the beginning everyone is riding horses and is either using sticks or club. By the end of these stories, we switch back to "lost" weaponry and technology that somehow still works.
There is a hint of a cool world building here with aliens, worse aliens, aloof aliens, and rebuilding earth. This book just doesnt execute the narrative. Dim plot. Weak characters.
I first discovered MR Forbes books on Kindle Unlimited. I liked them so much I bought them and continue to buy them as he releases a new book.
The whole series, which Sheriff Duke is a character in most of them, is excellent sci-fi! I've been a sci-fi fan for most of my life and read countless books. This series and it's spinoffs are easily some of my favorites. Not too many years ago I would have gladly purchased each of them in paperback and put them in a place of honor on my overloaded bookshelves. Luckily, I no longer have to make space for a new book so I can read and re-read my favorites wherever I am. This book, and all of his Forgotten Universe, are great and in my mind classic sci-fi!
I don’t know why this book has good reviews.... really, it’s average. The main character is unstoppable, has better guns and is modified biologically, and basically can’t be killed. Ok, right there you know the outcome. Sigh. How does that make a good book. It’s a comic book character like Superman, add the Wild West, add sci-fi, add the apocalypse, and you have a simple story where the outcome is never in doubt. The other characters are okay, but the woman the book starts out with is suddenly sidelined for the end... nice, she is capable until then, but hey, stay behind at the end, ok? So, ya, if you want a meandering story with a superhero main character who you know will win... then read this book.
M.R. Forbes writes an action packed story about a man on a mission to bring peace to war torn, ravaged world. Sheriff Hayden Duke has been genetically modified by a race of aliens who want to conquer Earth and enslave everyone. The kicker is they are a long way from Earth and The Sheriff has to try and bring law and order to this half destroyed planet. He made a promise and he's going to keep it even if he dies trying. He has a code of honor, a large leather duster and two six shooters that he handles like magic. He picks up people to help him but they aren't guaranteed to live out the day anymore than he is. A good shot 'em up sci-fi... spend your money and buy this book then invest your time reading on this thrill ride
This novel is rather good, in its context, but is going to be quite flat and confusing if you do not know the backstory, because it is not a novel about exposition. This is a novel about continuity.... satisfying the reader's curiosity about what Hayden is up to while the real story is happening elsewhere in the Universe...the only real 'hint' given about the wider universe is the inventory of extrasolar ships he reads near the end, which implies something about the wider universe to the reader that is irrelevant to its context in this story. If you do not know about the xenotrife, you should start with a series set on one of the ships first.
Readable....but just. I found myself skimming through passages to get to the end quicker (never a good sign). Too many face palm moments, and too much hokey Is stand for justice’ statements to be believable. Also, major plot holes and head-scratchers throughout. Not a bad book, but not good either.
It is a banal piece of writing a space age Western grafted onto Mad Max or perhaps just a very poor effort to copy Mad Max. I don't really mind characters drawn with a child's red crayon but they should at least have some thought processes beyond those of a fox terrier. Actually my terrier is far more cunning and anticipatory.
I see there are prequels and sequels no doubt all worth missing.
Last year, I could finally articulate my favourite type of story to read. I discovered that I enjoy stories about exceptional people living up to (or exceeding) their potential. In discovering this information, I was also able to articulate the story that frustrates me most: a story about a potentially exceptional protagonist who never lives up to that potential. The scale of frustration I feel about these stories is relational to how much potential they have and how much of that potential was realised.
This book was extremely frustrating to me because, from the story's set-up, Sheriff Duke is a protagonist with mountains of potential, but he doesn't come close to realising even a fraction of it within the first 65% of the book. Despite being written as a highly competent character, he is utterly useless in the opening 65% of the book. He doesn't show any signs of intelligence when he heads into dangerous situations, often deliberately putting himself into situations he has no business living through, and relying on plot armour to save the day.
For fans of action movies, I'm sure you'll have seen the John Wick movies. There is a scene in the first movie that perfectly represents this character. It's the scene where John Wick has been captured, is entirely at the villain's mercy, and starts dishing out threats like it's a guarantee he will escape and kill everyone, even though there is no realistic reason to expect this will happen. In the movie, he is saved by a third party intervening on his behalf (something that he had no idea was going to happen), so it felt stupid to behave in such a ridiculous and over-the-top manner when another course of action (like the stoic silence and competence he had shown throughout the movie to that point) would have been more appropriate.
Luckily, that is just one scene in the movie, and the rest of the movie is exceptional. In this book, though, this is what it's like in every scene. It's like the protagonist knows he is the protagonist and has enough plot armour to get him out of every situation. It's completely unsatisfying and not at all worthy of the character that had been set up to that point.
It's a shame because the rest of the story is really interesting. The concept of exploring a world set after humanity had successfully fought off an alien invasion at the cost of their civilisation as a whole, setting them into a post-apocalyptic style setting, really intrigued me. I liked the writing style for the most part, I thought the characters were interesting, and I think the story could have been great. But I stopped reading in frustration a couple of days ago, and now I can't bring myself to pick the book up again to finish it off.
Overall, I'm giving this one a 2-star rating that I will round up to 3-stars to account for my personal tastes and biases. I stand by the fact that the situations the main character gets into in this novel are idiotic at best, so I won't go any higher than a 3, but I do think that your personal tolerance to such activities will dictate your enjoyment of this book.
I have enjoyed reading these books very much! They keep me turning page after page! I love sheriff Hayden so much!!! I just want to point out something to the author. One of the things I love about your writing is the(and I know this will probably sound weird) way you shock to me. With bringing in a character making them part of the storyline and Bam! No matter how much I love them they are killed off!!!!! No one is safe. But the story continues on with new characters coming into the story. That is what makes your writing special to me...I know I am weird! The shock factor of it I guess!
Very clever book in the world of Sheriff Dukes that does not require that the reader be up to speed with the countless books that came before. So much so, that I could even recommend this as a starting point. Fair warning for those of you that choose to start here: be prepared with lots of free time to binge everything that happened before. It is almost impossible to stay away from every word in this epic world that is so brilliantly painted every few months.
7/10:Good solid read, something to get your teeth into.
“Let’s ride.”
Back with the Sheriff, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. MR Forbes makes it very easy to read his books, and this was no exception. I do prefer the books set in space, though. But that's just me.
This one had pace and a few feels, but I found the ending a little too simple.
Still, I'll probably read the next...it's hard to find good writing like this sometimes and I know with Forbes, I'll get good writing.
Mistakes: The mistake was mine, this is a spin-off series from his other works. While it could be read on its own, you shouldn’t. It references things that happened in other books.
Plot: Post apocalyptic sheriff running around trying to rescue a bunch of kidnapped kids. He fights a lot. Kills bunches of baddies and some genetically engineered monsters.
Characters: I guess the Mc is okay, except for his habit of giving bad guys a second chance. 6/10
An MRF. SYFY Post Apocaltptic Western Action Adventure (TS) (SDB - 1)
MRF. has penned a SYFY post apocaltpic western action adventure which begins after an alien rsce had decimated the population of Earth. There are few survivors and they ate attacked by stronger humans for what e have and then are killed. The Sheriff arrived in time to help his wife, but not his son. When the Sheriff finds of his sons death he takes action. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
This is one of those books that is flat out enjoyable to read. The Sheriff is on a serial path to find out why children are being kidnapped from their parent and lost in a post apocalyptic future. Along the way good and evil go head to head at every turn leading to an unforgettable and surprising ending. I’m a fan and highly recommend this book for pure adventure and excitement..
I don’t usually like post apocalyptic books, but this book is different. It superseded all my expectations. PA books are a dime a dozen these days, but this story carried me back to the days of the great SF authors. Highly recommend. You can probably read it faster than I did. I had to stop for a few minutes ever so often, to brace myself for what was coming next. Now, I need to read the other Sheriff books.
I found this a fun read, was a little dissapointed in the strength of the MC, the build up was huge and he didn't really match up. The story line was good and the outcome different to expected and hinted at much bigger stories in the offing. I rarely rates books low as I always sample first so I only read if I enjoy the sample. I probably rated this a little higher than I should (perhaps should have been a three star) as the sheriff does not appear in the sample and I may not have continued if I met the sheriff in the sample.
Thanks for bringing the sheriff back. He is what the world needs. Good to see him saving people again. Need more back story for those who haven't read all the sheriff's adventures/trials. Also need to know what s going on with those that survived the end of the trite and reylah. Keep writing there is so much more to tell
This was an odd mix of several different genres. This is not to say it was bad, but quite the opposite. This was a very interesting,engaging, and thought provoking book. The characters were well thought out, developed, and had interesting back stories. The action was on going from being subtle to down right explosive. A very very good read.
This was hard to put down. The sheriff seemed like an old time sheriff in a future time. I like the way the characters came together. Individuals that end up being a team. I would recommend this book to any science fiction reader. I gave it a 4 because I don’t like to give a 5 unless I really take a book personal.
a Rip Roaring aWestern, Matt Dillon could not have handled it better, except maybe for the tank…..
A Rip roaring Western with a Sci Fy twist. Don’t expect cowboys and aliens here. Just imagine Matt Dillon pushed ahead 600 years trying to clean up from an alien invasion. There ya go
Not much to say about this book. I finished it barely, wanted to throw it away many times. It's got a good idea for a plot, but very simplistic. The sheriff only has bad luck, except when everything is on the line, then all of a sudden he wins. Not only is the plot simplistic, the dialogue is very corny.
Having read all the previous novels in the series and enjoying them. I was looking forward to the further adventures of Sheriff Duke. It was an a very good fast read and I look forward to the next installment.
The sheriff finally finished what he set out and finished what he intended and what a story a epic spellbinding tale of what can be achieved when the mind is set up to do it. Excellent reading
I rush to read any book written by this author. They keep me really interested in the characters. The Sheriff has become my favorite and I look forward to seeing more .
Been there and done that already. Good read, feels comfortable but not original from the past many books in the series. Love the Sheriff but have traveled down this path many times.
Just like all of the other books in this series, The Sheriff had a great story wonderful character development and enough action to keep me glued to the book for hours. Sheriff Duke spreads hope to those who get to know him by reading his story.
This was a weird one, I enjoyed most of the story while I found my attention wandering a little at other parts of the story. Just enough not to make it a 5 star story. But just I just maybe liked it enough to give book 2 a try...
This book was my introduction to the author. I was so overwhelmed by the imaginative story that I could not put it down. Missing my usual afternoon catnap, I read the entire book in one sitting. Rest assured that I will be very involved in this series.