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After the Fall #1
After the Fall
Where can you hide after the fall?
The unthinkable has happened - the Yellowstone Caldera has ruptured, instantly killing hundreds of on-site scientists studying the recent unusual rumblings and spreading a cloud of destruction that annihilates everything in its path.
In North Dakota, Rick Slayton has just finished a prisoner transfer, and is about to head south to pick up his daughter from his cousins' house when news of the eruption hits the airwaves. He and the other guards - and inmates - of the prison barely have time to take shelter in the building's interior before the outer wave of the pyroclastic flow strikes. When he digs his way out of the prison, only one thing is on his mind: rescuing his daughter come hell or high water.
In South Dakota, Jackie Slayton is shopping when the eruption arrives, and she's barely able to survive by hiding underground in a parking garage. A torturous journey awaits her as she struggles to get back to her relative's house - and tragedy waits around every corner.
Meanwhile, in Texas, the effects of the eruption are lessened - but are severe nonetheless, as Brenda Slayton and her other two children flee to her father's nearby ranch, holding out hope for her husband and eldest daughter's eventual return while turning her immediate attention to survival and preparing for what the future holds.
The unthinkable has happened - the Yellowstone Caldera has ruptured, instantly killing hundreds of on-site scientists studying the recent unusual rumblings and spreading a cloud of destruction that annihilates everything in its path.
In North Dakota, Rick Slayton has just finished a prisoner transfer, and is about to head south to pick up his daughter from his cousins' house when news of the eruption hits the airwaves. He and the other guards - and inmates - of the prison barely have time to take shelter in the building's interior before the outer wave of the pyroclastic flow strikes. When he digs his way out of the prison, only one thing is on his mind: rescuing his daughter come hell or high water.
In South Dakota, Jackie Slayton is shopping when the eruption arrives, and she's barely able to survive by hiding underground in a parking garage. A torturous journey awaits her as she struggles to get back to her relative's house - and tragedy waits around every corner.
Meanwhile, in Texas, the effects of the eruption are lessened - but are severe nonetheless, as Brenda Slayton and her other two children flee to her father's nearby ranch, holding out hope for her husband and eldest daughter's eventual return while turning her immediate attention to survival and preparing for what the future holds.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 22, 2024
3.5 Stars.
I liked the volcanic eruption, for a change, but I was put off by the prisoner, who will survive and exact his revenge. I didn't take to any of the characters. I'm not sure if I will go on with the series.
I liked the volcanic eruption, for a change, but I was put off by the prisoner, who will survive and exact his revenge. I didn't take to any of the characters. I'm not sure if I will go on with the series.
April 26, 2023
Different disaster from EMP, but due to recent shows on the actual Yellowstone super-volcano, it is a topic that has gotten recent attention in the post-apocalyptic fiction arena. The elements of the story were so standard and familiar, that I did have to check to see if I had read this book already. The Yellowstone caldera is very interesting in its own right, but all of the shows and literature on the actual thing indicate there would be a lot of warning signs, enough to make sure there were not a lot of people wandering around the Park. Certainly, more warning of ominous activity than indicated in the book, but then the element of some surprise would be gone. The other elements of family not together but desperate to get home, someone that is very prepared and the very, tired (should I say please retire) element of convicts with a vendetta. Some of the protagonist characters are likable and some are not. Rick is OK, but seems to dither at the prison rather than try to find his daughter that is on a farm a few hundred miles south (and in his case, south is better). Brenda is Ok, but her father I don't like at all. I can't really respect a guy that might cut loose some loyal ranch workers who chose to stay and help simply if all of his preps didn't work like he planned. Dude! Jackie is a good character and really shines as she has to survive on her own. The plot was a solid 3 for me, but the writing is good so I bumped it and will continue to book 2 to see what happens.
February 4, 2026
I'm loving this box set! Book one of six done. The Yellowstone Caldera has erupted. The super volcano sends a pyroclastic cloud of super-heated gas and debris across the USA decimating everything in its path for hundreds of miles. I love disaster/apocalyptic films and this series of books is right up my street! I'm enjoying the characters so far and I'm heavily invested in what happens next.
June 26, 2023
learn some trauma medicine.
I really wish authors in this genre would get over the nonsense about bullets needing removal to save the patient. They almost never do. This author should know better as he recognizes that pink froth coughed up means lung injury and that bullet removal is likely to do more damage. Yet the main goal of treating the gunshot wound to the chest was still ‘gotta get the bullet out!’ Actually, you don’t. And no one would walk away from the fall Jackie took without serious, possibly fatal injuries.
I really wish authors in this genre would get over the nonsense about bullets needing removal to save the patient. They almost never do. This author should know better as he recognizes that pink froth coughed up means lung injury and that bullet removal is likely to do more damage. Yet the main goal of treating the gunshot wound to the chest was still ‘gotta get the bullet out!’ Actually, you don’t. And no one would walk away from the fall Jackie took without serious, possibly fatal injuries.
July 25, 2023
No more sleepless nights
A great book, not what I expected, hard time wrapping my head around the devastation. Just got book two. Here we go again. Long nights again.
A great book, not what I expected, hard time wrapping my head around the devastation. Just got book two. Here we go again. Long nights again.
August 17, 2023
Surprised
Well great read and very good. It is so uncomfortable as it could come true and maybe reading this story may even help if it does. Love the characters.
Well great read and very good. It is so uncomfortable as it could come true and maybe reading this story may even help if it does. Love the characters.
January 19, 2024
Creative, exciting, solid start to the series! ( No spoilers …… )
After the Fall series, Book 1, by one of the members of the top of the writing food chain within the post-apoc genre, Justin Bell (& one of THE GREATEST contributors to this topic — Mike Kraus), is a pretty solid beginning to this saga.
I definitely would rank Book 1 as ….. middle-to-high on a dystopian read scale. (If we were talking steak here, with well done being a 1 Star or less, & medium rare as 4+-5 Star, this book would be a perfectly grilled medium. 4 Stars. ;)
The writing itself is extremely well crafted. The plot is imaginative & fairly creative.
The world building & imagery’s complex, rich with contrast & color, as well as engagingly alive! This story is definitely one of those rare gems which seamlessly, effortlessly, & crisply spool out within your mind’s eye from the first page till the last. As clear & enjoyable as sitting down with a bowl of popcorn to watch a skillfully executed film.
Additionally, character development is all you hope for in a professionally written & edited novel. The cast present as strong, intelligent, independent, as well as more than capable, men & women. Each one is likable, or not, appropriately. Even the major “bad guys” are given enough care & attention to detail by Bell & Kraus to really lift them off the page.
One of my favorite characters, thus far, belongs in the latter group. Sure this person’s not really a “nice human,” but the manner in which this actor is depicted truly helps him/her to stand out.
Unfortunately, far too often even main characters who are “the villains” within a tale are too easily slapped on the pages using tired two dimensional thug, or similar, typecasting. That gets boring.
Not the case here, however. Each player within this story is handled with care; each being expressed as unique & multifaceted/multidimensional.
Overall, After the Fall is a strong kickoff to this series. I flew through Book 1 in a few hours & I can’t wait to start in on Book 2 right away!
I absolutely recommend this series to fans of this genre, as well as readers who enjoy a broad range of subjects; volcanism, geology, mystery, family-centric stories, adventure, travel, science of all disciplines, & more.
Engrossing beginning to this ongoing plot!
After the Fall series, Book 1, by one of the members of the top of the writing food chain within the post-apoc genre, Justin Bell (& one of THE GREATEST contributors to this topic — Mike Kraus), is a pretty solid beginning to this saga.
I definitely would rank Book 1 as ….. middle-to-high on a dystopian read scale. (If we were talking steak here, with well done being a 1 Star or less, & medium rare as 4+-5 Star, this book would be a perfectly grilled medium. 4 Stars. ;)
The writing itself is extremely well crafted. The plot is imaginative & fairly creative.
The world building & imagery’s complex, rich with contrast & color, as well as engagingly alive! This story is definitely one of those rare gems which seamlessly, effortlessly, & crisply spool out within your mind’s eye from the first page till the last. As clear & enjoyable as sitting down with a bowl of popcorn to watch a skillfully executed film.
Additionally, character development is all you hope for in a professionally written & edited novel. The cast present as strong, intelligent, independent, as well as more than capable, men & women. Each one is likable, or not, appropriately. Even the major “bad guys” are given enough care & attention to detail by Bell & Kraus to really lift them off the page.
One of my favorite characters, thus far, belongs in the latter group. Sure this person’s not really a “nice human,” but the manner in which this actor is depicted truly helps him/her to stand out.
Unfortunately, far too often even main characters who are “the villains” within a tale are too easily slapped on the pages using tired two dimensional thug, or similar, typecasting. That gets boring.
Not the case here, however. Each player within this story is handled with care; each being expressed as unique & multifaceted/multidimensional.
Overall, After the Fall is a strong kickoff to this series. I flew through Book 1 in a few hours & I can’t wait to start in on Book 2 right away!
I absolutely recommend this series to fans of this genre, as well as readers who enjoy a broad range of subjects; volcanism, geology, mystery, family-centric stories, adventure, travel, science of all disciplines, & more.
Engrossing beginning to this ongoing plot!
March 28, 2024
A heartbreaking story with hope
The author's have fleshed out a very frightening story that scientists have studied and dreaded for many years. Yellowstone erupted! The outcome of which might actually cause terrible repercussions around a large part of the world, and most specifically the northwest part of the U.S.
The catastrophic event appears fairly accurate (I was married to a theoretical physicist who insisted good scifi required good or plausibly accurate science). In my mind, there is something in everything Mike Kraus touches, and that is the amazing "real" people, whom the readers care very much about their safety and survival. Hope is always there, as is the basic belief that goodness prevails. God help us all, I hope he is correct. Let me not overlook Justin Bell, as a courier of this saga. This was an excellent first book and I cannot read fast enough to satisfy my desire to see a happy, or at least hopeful ultimate end to the series. I fully expect the rest of the books will be just as compelling and impossible to put down. If this genre appeals to you, these authors are a surefire bet for an amazing read.
The author's have fleshed out a very frightening story that scientists have studied and dreaded for many years. Yellowstone erupted! The outcome of which might actually cause terrible repercussions around a large part of the world, and most specifically the northwest part of the U.S.
The catastrophic event appears fairly accurate (I was married to a theoretical physicist who insisted good scifi required good or plausibly accurate science). In my mind, there is something in everything Mike Kraus touches, and that is the amazing "real" people, whom the readers care very much about their safety and survival. Hope is always there, as is the basic belief that goodness prevails. God help us all, I hope he is correct. Let me not overlook Justin Bell, as a courier of this saga. This was an excellent first book and I cannot read fast enough to satisfy my desire to see a happy, or at least hopeful ultimate end to the series. I fully expect the rest of the books will be just as compelling and impossible to put down. If this genre appeals to you, these authors are a surefire bet for an amazing read.
September 18, 2023
Excellent Story, Great Read
I've been reading post apocalyptic fiction for quite a while but After the Fall is the first to have the set up be the Yellowstone Volcanoe. I find this scenario interesting, as I have not had it high on my list of possible SHTF challenges, but it certainly could happen and I have heard about the ecological results of ash clouds from other events, all equally bad.
The characters herein are being developed as their stories are unfolding, and we are getting to know them as they react to events both present and for some, in their past. Regardless, we are getting to know them, so that is good and it makes for a better story. This first book reads very quickly, so I'll be on to #2 immediately.
This story, with all of its threads, pulls you in and I have developed an interest in learning more about what happens to these characters and what they all do to survive on-going. That makes this series both entertaining and educational, at least for me.
I've been reading post apocalyptic fiction for quite a while but After the Fall is the first to have the set up be the Yellowstone Volcanoe. I find this scenario interesting, as I have not had it high on my list of possible SHTF challenges, but it certainly could happen and I have heard about the ecological results of ash clouds from other events, all equally bad.
The characters herein are being developed as their stories are unfolding, and we are getting to know them as they react to events both present and for some, in their past. Regardless, we are getting to know them, so that is good and it makes for a better story. This first book reads very quickly, so I'll be on to #2 immediately.
This story, with all of its threads, pulls you in and I have developed an interest in learning more about what happens to these characters and what they all do to survive on-going. That makes this series both entertaining and educational, at least for me.
February 15, 2023
After The Fall - a review by Rosemary Kenny.
After The Fall is Book 1 of Mike Kraus and Justin Bell's new series of the same name, in which they develop the national consequences of a mega-eruption at the Yellowstone National Park, that dwarfs anything on record.
Apocalyptic scenes follow swiftly after one
another, as the caldera spouts incalculable clouds of poisonous gases and nuclear temperatures and various characters must make life-or-death decisions for themselves, loved ones and, in one case, those they feel responsible for.
To see how it all works out, get yourself a copy of After The Fall by Justin Bell and Mike Kraus, then buckle up for a wild ride!
After The Fall is Book 1 of Mike Kraus and Justin Bell's new series of the same name, in which they develop the national consequences of a mega-eruption at the Yellowstone National Park, that dwarfs anything on record.
Apocalyptic scenes follow swiftly after one
another, as the caldera spouts incalculable clouds of poisonous gases and nuclear temperatures and various characters must make life-or-death decisions for themselves, loved ones and, in one case, those they feel responsible for.
To see how it all works out, get yourself a copy of After The Fall by Justin Bell and Mike Kraus, then buckle up for a wild ride!
May 27, 2023
Kraus and Bell have done it again....
Another chillingly plausible and realistic tale of an apocalyptic natural disaster ( a deadly volcanic eruption of massive proportion from Yellowstone ) and its far reaching effects on all of the living creatures within its massive reach. Then, the effects on the mental and emotional health of mankind....both good and evil. As a father struggles to find and guide home his missing fourteen year old daughter in the wilderness of the Dakotas, evil stalks them in the form of an escaped prison inmate desperate for revenge. Now they must face the untamed fury of both Mother Nature and a beast who calls himself a man....
Another chillingly plausible and realistic tale of an apocalyptic natural disaster ( a deadly volcanic eruption of massive proportion from Yellowstone ) and its far reaching effects on all of the living creatures within its massive reach. Then, the effects on the mental and emotional health of mankind....both good and evil. As a father struggles to find and guide home his missing fourteen year old daughter in the wilderness of the Dakotas, evil stalks them in the form of an escaped prison inmate desperate for revenge. Now they must face the untamed fury of both Mother Nature and a beast who calls himself a man....
July 24, 2024
Speed read a good portion...
...because it was just too wordy. I can understand you wanting to explain the landscape after Yellowstone lets loose, but it was just page after page. Also, I don't know if they state it, but this in no way could be read by itself. There's barely an ending and the main character (at least who I thought was) hasn't even started his journey! I like Jackie's character arc, but that's about it. If what you're looking for is lengthy explanations, this is your tale. Sorry. Not mine.
...because it was just too wordy. I can understand you wanting to explain the landscape after Yellowstone lets loose, but it was just page after page. Also, I don't know if they state it, but this in no way could be read by itself. There's barely an ending and the main character (at least who I thought was) hasn't even started his journey! I like Jackie's character arc, but that's about it. If what you're looking for is lengthy explanations, this is your tale. Sorry. Not mine.
March 2, 2023
This is actually a 20 Star start to a new series!! The unthinkable has happened. Yellowstone has erupted. As the flare out of the eruption continues, there is a family separated from each other. As Brenda tries to get to her prepper father with two of her children, her husband and eldest child will have to stand on their own to try and get home. Mike Kraus is a master story teller and his imagery and word use paints the picture in clear words. I cannot wait for the rest of the series.
February 11, 2023
The beginning
Yellowstone erupted and our characters for this series are introduced. Rick and his daughter separated but close er to the erupt ion prepare . The rest of the family ,at home in Texas also start to realize and prepare for what is coming.
Yellowstone erupted and our characters for this series are introduced. Rick and his daughter separated but close er to the erupt ion prepare . The rest of the family ,at home in Texas also start to realize and prepare for what is coming.
February 17, 2023
explosive start
After the Fall is a realistic and explosive story that concentrates on family members far away when a super volcano erupts. The emotions are very clear. The feel and sound of volcanic dust and stones stays with you after the book ends. Buy this book!
After the Fall is a realistic and explosive story that concentrates on family members far away when a super volcano erupts. The emotions are very clear. The feel and sound of volcanic dust and stones stays with you after the book ends. Buy this book!
February 17, 2023
Just as good as you promised..
I especially like your series that are mainly about one family and these people are very likeable. Also, an eruption at Yellowstone is a real possibility which makes it more realistic. Can't wait for the next one.
I especially like your series that are mainly about one family and these people are very likeable. Also, an eruption at Yellowstone is a real possibility which makes it more realistic. Can't wait for the next one.
February 19, 2023
Wow, what a story that you won’t be able to not read. A disaster happened, beyond anyone’s comprehension. The Yellowstone Caldera, killing a lot of scientists. How will this all end. Gripping to the last page.
August 28, 2023
loved the story and characters
Great writer who made the characters and story come alive. I couldn’t put it down. looking forward to book 2 to continue the story. Great twist to the apocalypse.
Great writer who made the characters and story come alive. I couldn’t put it down. looking forward to book 2 to continue the story. Great twist to the apocalypse.
September 15, 2023
Beware!
This is a great tutorial for anyone unaware that Yellowstone National Park is a ticking time bomb just waiting for our worst time to unleash its fury on our country and others!
This is a great tutorial for anyone unaware that Yellowstone National Park is a ticking time bomb just waiting for our worst time to unleash its fury on our country and others!
July 16, 2024
An excellent take on an unprecedented crisis
After the Fall is a book about a family spread across the west when the biggest disaster in human history strikes. Great characters and well written dialogue draw you into the story from page 1. More great work by the Bell/Kraus duo!
After the Fall is a book about a family spread across the west when the biggest disaster in human history strikes. Great characters and well written dialogue draw you into the story from page 1. More great work by the Bell/Kraus duo!
February 21, 2023
Really good book
I didn't put this book down and now it is 5:12am.
I'm ready for book 2, I am going to try and sleep
I didn't put this book down and now it is 5:12am.
I'm ready for book 2, I am going to try and sleep
April 20, 2023
I live this storyline. Yellowstone at the centre of a catastrophic eruption killing millions. A family separated and the dangers they're going to face. Very excited to read more.
May 1, 2023
Hmmm
Good range of characters to follow. The only problem I have is that prisons in catastrophe zones have a kill order. Not sure why this is never talked about.
Good range of characters to follow. The only problem I have is that prisons in catastrophe zones have a kill order. Not sure why this is never talked about.
Read
July 9, 2025Great Book, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the different perspectives of the characters. Highly roecommend. Now on to Book #2 in the series!
December 29, 2025
OMG!
What a hum dinger of a story's beginning! Everybody has problems. Yellowstone is providing the most. A few are prepared, and a few are not.
What a hum dinger of a story's beginning! Everybody has problems. Yellowstone is providing the most. A few are prepared, and a few are not.
January 2, 2026
A good start to this 6 part series setting the scene of the disastrous explosion of Yellowstone. The devastating consequences and what is to come.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews