New Beginnings

     Mike Crenshaw, his girlfriend, and his best friend decide it is time for them to search out family in hopes that they have survived the Scourge and/or the upheaval that followed. The remainder of their group stays on to search out the rumored utopia of central Florida. The government is desperately trying to re-engineer the virus to suit its nefarious purposes. And, the Cartel is taking hold in the territory formerly known as Texas.

Abrahams’ third and final novel in The Scourge series, Grounded follows each group as they grapple with the new normal. Life is hard; and survival is harder. There are several story arcs to follow. Some tie directly to The Traveler Series. Others follow the new characters.

It is interesting to see how many of The Traveler Series supporting characters arrived in their positions. Though in at least one case the plunge in their career is not fully developed.

4 out of 5 stars.

Who Is In Control?

     Mike Crenshaw and his new friends have been adrift at sea just off the coast of Florida for almost six months. Their time has been fraught with would-be pirates. They believe that now is the time for them to come ashore and see what has become of civilization. Little do they know that the government is conspiring to weaponize the Scourge.

Abrahams’ second novel in The Scourge series, Adrift shows how Mike and his friends grow in this new dystopian world. It’s either adapt or die. Death comes more often than not. Trust is hard to come by. Friendship bonds are tested, and romantic relationships grow.

Power struggles from within the government will expand outside their current boundaries. Control is the ultimate goal.

5 out of 5 stars.

Rise to that Occasion

     Mike Crenshaw is an ordinary young man who does his best to stay away from confrontation. When a fast-moving plague grips the world, he becomes the unlikely hero. Unprepared for any type of crisis Mike and his coworker friend, Brice search for anything that or anyone who can help them survive.

Abrahams first novel in The Scourge series, Unprepared is set in the early days of the outbreak within the US. It is the same world as The Traveler Series. Some of the same characters show up in their much younger version. This helps provide their backstory.

It’s a heart-wrenching tale that brings out the true nature of the characters. There’s no place to hide from this plague.

5 out of 5 stars.

Die to Fight Another Day

     Ezekiel (Zeke) Watson left his girlfriend behind as he escaped certain death from his employers, the Tic a black-market cartel. The Tic battles the Overseers, some call them the government, for control of water. Nearly dead from being chased, Zeke stumbles on the property of a bar. But, it’s not any bar; it’s the bar at the end of the world.

Abrahams first novel in The Watchers series, The Bar at the End of the World is an odd mix of post-apocalyptic, dystopian, and paranormal. He does an excellent job of blending the genres to create a fascinating tale of redemption. I’ve never read anything like it, nor have I seen any other books of a similar nature.

Zeke’s character was well developed and while not the nicest person on the planet, he was relatable. The storyline is full of surprises and takes you through a maze. There is even one big ‘gotcha’ twist that makes you want to start all over from the beginning to see if you can pick up on the clues.

5 out of 5 stars.

Does Safe Refuge Exist?

     Marcus Battle has secluded himself in the backwoods of Virginia. He wants to stay as far away from trouble as he can. But Lou needs him. She is the one person that can pull him back into society. He will do what he must to help get her and her family safely to the Harbor.

Abrahams eight and final book in The Traveler series, Harbor brought out a lot of emotions from me. I laughed out loud as he helped Andrea. I cheered when Lou ran into Rickshaw. And, I cried first when Norma saw Battle and then again when he said his last words. These are the scenes that stand out the most to me.

This novel is probably the best of the series. It’s a bit philosophical in nature. I loved how Battle has aged. The back and forth between him and Lou always bring a smile to my face. And, the other story arcs are interwoven in such a way that they help move the story along.

The book could have been better edited. One whole chapter has the sun beaming down in the wrong direction. I hope that by the time you read this that all the errors will have been corrected.

4 out of 5 stars.

No Rest For The Weary

Marcus Battle may have disappeared, but he is neither gone or forgotten. Nearly a decade after leaving the town of Baird, Texas and going north of the wall friends from his past seek his help. Battle isn’t young anymore and had hoped his days of vigilante justice were behind him. But, the only people that he loves are in trouble, and he will step back into the world to do whatever it takes to keep them safe.

Abrahams seventh book in The Traveler series, Hero: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Adventure brings back an even harder and more grizzled Marcus Battle. We see a mixture of familiar characters with some interesting new ones. The new ones foretell of a future story arc.

This has to be one of my favorite series. It’s a shame the author rushed through this book and made it so short. It wasn’t one of his best edited either. It seems really weird that ALL of the women waited until they were about to give birth to try and leave. Why not flee when you find out you are pregnant? Or, at least not so late term. And, ALL of the women brought their other child. Why couldn’t other relatives have taken them or possibly the daddy?

In Chapter 13 Lou has labor pains. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said. “Now?” And, again in Chapter 19. “Now?” she growled. “Are you kidding me?” Lou has more depth than that. The dialogue is almost the same.

From Chapter 24: He counted a half dozen women.
Nope. There were only 6 to begin with. One was shot after giving birth. Another was shot while behind the horse with Lou and Andrea. Andrea is behind the horse with Lou. So, the most he could see would be 3.

Otherwise, it is a good story, and I love Marcus Battle.

3 out of 5 stars.

Are You Immune?

An outbreak of flu-like illness is quickly spreading throughout the USA and abroad. Researchers are desperately seeking a cure or vaccine. But, it is a bacterial sickness that is immune to all known antibiotics, and it’s mutating.

Abrahams’ fourth novel in The Alt Apocalypse, Affliction follows our established set of characters and adds some new ones into the mix. The mystery behind these catastrophes is slowly unraveling. Characters that haven’t died before are swiftly taken from our grasps.

Every book in this series takes my breath away. They also leave me wanting to know more. While Abrahams claims they can all be read as standalone tales I beg to differ. There are too many unanswered questions to leave the entire series unread.

5 out of 5 stars.

Retched Water Everywhere

A storm has grown over the Gulf of Mexico and stalled out around New Orleans. Flooding is inevitable the longer the rains pour down. Even once spared high ground isn’t immune to the raging waters. The currents are merciless. People will be trapped, and some will die either from drowning or tragedy bestowed upon them from the relentless torrent.

Abrahams third novel in The Alt Apocalypse series, Torrent is his best work to date. The emotional rollercoaster invoked in this tale punches you in the gut and then gives you hope. The narrative is so realistic that you see the story in your mind’s eye as well as with your emotions. It sucks you in and won’t let you go until the end.

Abrahams experienced the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 that struck Houston. I’m positive that he drew the scenes from what he witnessed firsthand. This is a real tear-jerker.

The same characters in the first two novels are thrown together again to test their abilities for survival. Some will, and some won’t. The déjà vu the characters are experiencing is explored in more detail. Though each book is a standalone work we are just now discovering the thread that binds them all together.

I can’t wait for the next installment!

Most definitely 5 out of 5 stars.

Trying To Get Home

James (Rock) Rockwell and his family are on an island off the coast of Portland, Maine when an explosion sends a tsunami their way. Realizing that no one will come to their aid they seek higher ground until they can find a way home. After leaving the island they discover that civilization has dissolved into the chaos that threatens their lives at every turn. Can they adapt and manage to get home? And, is home any safer than anywhere else?

Abrahams combines three novellas, Crossing, Refuge, and Advent into a standalone novel, Pilgrimage: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Story. The story is loosely based on the The Perseid Collapse series of books written by author Steven Konkoly. It is very well done and follows Konkoly’s timeline. The characters are as real as they get. The family makes heart-stopping mistakes that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the story. The emotions tug at you as you read about their struggles with the new reality that surrounds them.

Having previously read each of the novellas I was surprised to find as many errors in the combined version as I did. A few were contextual misspellings while the main portion were continuity errors. The story was every bit as good as it was in separate pieces. Abrahams seamlessly transitioned from one part to the next.

James made me want to knock him upside the head on numerous occasions. The man can’t walk without tripping over something.

Even with the mistakes, I would recommend reading this novel.

4 out of 5 stars.

California is on Fire

Fires have broken out all over and around the Las Angeles area. Southern California has never seen so much devastation. As soon as one fire seems to be under control it jumps to another set of buildings or stands of trees. Can the firefighters survive to put them all out? How many folks will die trying to escape?

Abrahams second novel in The Alt Apocalypse, Lit tells the story of a group of people from different walks of life and areas around the fires and how they cope or don’t. These are the same folks from Ash and will continue to experience different apocalyptic events throughout the series.

Each book in the series is a standalone tale. Seeing how your favorite characters handle the pressures of the new situation showcases their strengths and their weaknesses. And, it could make you cry.

5 out of 5 stars.