When the world ends, all they have left is family. But can they survive what’s coming?
Laurel and her husband, Bear, have finally reunited with their daughter Mae. But their daughter’s loyalties are divided, leading both Bear and Trent to get swept up in the turmoil as Mae is forced to pick sides.
With her family separated once again, Laurel needs to figure out how to save them and remind their daughter that family comes first in the battleground of post-apocalypse America. And it isn’t long before a new crisis threatens everything they’ve worked so hard to build. Now Laurel must work out how to rescue not only the Freemen but the Militia as well.
People are dying as the two groups clash, loyalties are tested, and Laurel and Bear must make the hardest choice of their lives. In the fight for survival, they struggle to answer a single burning how much can the ties of family withstand?
Grace Hamilton is the prepper pen-name for a bad-ass, survivalist momma-bear of four kids, and wife to a wonderful husband. After being stuck in a mountain cabin for six days following a flash flood, she decided she never wanted to feel so powerless or have to send her kids to bed hungry again. Now she lives the prepper lifestyle and knows that if SHTF or TEOTWAWKI happens, she’ll be ready to help protect and provide for her family.
Combine this survivalist mentality with a vivid imagination (as well as a slightly unhealthy day dreaming habit) and you get a prepper fiction author. Grace spends her days thinking about the worst possible survival situations that a person could be thrown into, then throwing her characters into these nightmares while trying to figure out "What SHOULD you do in this situation?"
It’s her wish that through her characters, you will get to experience what life will be like and essentially learn from their mistakes and experiences.
So Collapsed World picks up literally right where Divided World ended, so straight back into the plot, angst and action!
The freemen realise that they cannot hold onto the warehouse so a decision is made to relocate to an outside camp not that far away. There are some supplies already there but they also need to take some things with them. Laurel has some trickery decisions to make, particularly regarding one of her patients who still has not regained feeling in her legs after being crushed by a flag pole during the last battle with the militia. It's not an easy trip to make and as they are struggling with carts in mud whilst travelling away from the coveted warehouse Cornell is still as determined to take the warehouse from the freemen at all costs. Cornell decides to attack earlier than planned and when it becomes apparent that the freemen have left he is quite eager to enter the warehouse despite the risks of potential booby traps. When Cornell steps on such a trap, it is down to Mae and Gideon to help him. Its Mae's quick and clever thinking that saves Cornells life, not that he thanks her, nor even thinks better of her. Gideon later reveals that Cornell had asked him to step on the trap to free himself. Further proving Cornell is pertaining not fit to wear the army uniform let alone lead it.
Bear is locked away in an improvised pitch black cell with the help of his own daughter Mae! Cornell cruelly removes Bear's hearing aid therefore hindering him and depriving him of another of his necessary senses to be aware of his surroundings. He is however reunited in his cell with the missing Trent. It's not long before the pair have their heads together making an escape plan! They do in fact escape but end up delaying their get away to help a trapped swan which unfortunately means they are recaptured, once again Mae leads them back to imprisonment. This time they are separated and guarded preventing a further escape plan. just when you think it's all over, that the bad guys have been squashed you find out it isn't over, theres more bad guy militia, part of some greater larger plan. When an illness sweeps into the militia group, Cornell once again picks on Mae to undertake the dangerous mission of finding out if it's the water supply. Cornell seems to think just because her mother, Laurel is a doctor that Mae will have some specialised insight. When Mae hears Bear is also ill she does have the extra incentive to find out what is going on. Its whilst on this mission visiting the water plant that Mae comes across her mother Laurel on a similar mission. The freemen are also becoming ill with all signs pointing to the water being the source of the illness. Neither Laurel and the freemen, nor Mae and the militia trust each other. In fact each initially accuse the other group of being responsible for poisoning the water. Laurel works out the issue with the water but it wont make a lot of difference if the group cannot survive the militia attack.
I loved the catch up with what was going on at the hospital....the people, Chris, Peter & Liam....Hannah (nurse in relationship with ex prisoner Bulldog) is pregnant.....etc. I wonder if they are about to be overrun once again? Maybe Laurel and the Freemen will have to rescue them, or maybe use the hospital as a base. There are so many possibilities for what could happen. I really love that the author, Kyla Stone gives you, the reader the space to ponder what direction the plot, characters and world will take.
Theres lots of family angst continuing on in this book, will Mae ever choose her family over the army? Are there romantic feelings between Gideon and Mae?
Its difficult to say much more about the content of the book without giving anything away. I will say I thoroughly enjoyed reading Collapsed World, almost reading it in one reading session! I am definitely seriously looking forward to reading more. There seems to be so much more to come, theres still questions to be answered, and problems to be resolved.
Just when you think everything is over you find out the Cornells branch of the militia was part of some greater plan. Once again the book ends with the main characters facing a dilemma.....retreat to Thunder Bay and a hopefully quiet life or stay, and join the freemen in their quest against the other branches of militia and their bigger, greater plan whatever that may be.
Summing up, Another great action packed instalment in the EMP Aftermath series! I can't wait to read more!!
This is book five of the EMP Aftermath series and whilst Laurel (Dr Rivera) and Bear (Bjorn) Peterson have finally been reunited with their daughter Mae, who was serving with the military, but her ideals have been changed. She became part of the Militia under Captain Cornell, her superior, and has had to do some things that have left a bitter taste. She was injured and fixed up by the Freemen, but her loyalties are divided and she wants to prove her ability to be trusted by her captain and the militia, and so leaves to re-join them. Bear and Trent, the young teen Bear found on his initial journey to find his ex-wife after the EMP, get mixed up in the battle between the militia and the Freemen, all to do with an ammunition depot that the Freemen currently hold. Captain Cornell has taken on a lot of power hungry and questionable civilians, that Mae would be worried to be left alone with if she was unarmed, that’s for sure. With her being with the Freemen for a period, she has to prove her loyalty to the Militia all over again, with Cornell pushing her out in the lead in dangerous circumstances. Her only friend is Gideon, as they went through boot camp and were stationed together, but he was never a very confident soldier. Now he has started to suck up to Cornell, believing he will get a better position and be promoted, not able to see he is being used!
Bear wants to take his family, Laurel, Mae, Trent and his dog Jess, back to his isolated cabin, but without Mae would either he or Laurel be happy? Bear has to try and save Trent and just as you think he has, Mae is forced to bring them back in to prove herself trustworthy. Cornell wants to take the depot and after one attack, the Freemen have been weakened, but now the militia are facing another issue as lots of its soldiers are becoming sick. Mae is ordered to figure out what is wrong with them, even though she has no medical training whatsoever, in another move by Cornell to undermine her! Laurel and the Freemen face a similar issue and it is up to Laurel to try and figure out what this latest crisis has been caused by, or many will die. Laurel and Bear thought they had raised their daughter to put family first, but she seems to think of the Militia as her family now. She has always believed in everything Cornell has had them do, but after seeing how the Freemen interacted, she starts to have doubts about Cornell’s demands and actions. He wants the depot, no matter the cost to those on either side, even if most are ill. Loyalties are about to be tested and people will have to figure out the right and wrong of what they are being told to do. Laurel soon finds herself having to find out how to save both the Freemen and the Militia from this latest issue, where Mae is, but now also Bear and Trent. It seems that the problems never end, as something else always comes up, just as they hoped to finally leave as a family. Still one more adventure to come, as they seek their own piece of tranquillity away from the madness of a collapsed world. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
As it was in the prior book of this series, the newly found Mae, daughter of estranged Laurel and Bear (the adult protagonists of this series) thoroughly annoyed me. She just is not a good person, and her redemption was too little, too late. I couldn't understand the way she thought through most of this book, let alone how she treated her parents—and allowed them to be treated. (Locking up her dad at gunpoint and with the threat of harm to a teenager in a dank cell without light, water, or toileting with little food and water even after he got cholera … when he had committed no offense.) Poor Bear! It's like she's been brainwashed to follow commands as a former soldier, even though technically, she and her band of former military are no longer a part of any true armed forces group. From what I understand, soldiers can disobey illegal orders, which certainly happened in her case, multiple times. Nope, she went along with them willingly! Even toward the end of the book, she more questioned her parents’ motives—which were always good—than questioned her evil commander, whom she knew was evil! It didn’t feel like she had many brain cells to rub together, not the kind of character I like to see featured in a story with any sort of power and control. Her parents forgave her far too quickly and easily—and I think I threw up a little in my mouth each time Bear called her Mae-bug—despite what she put them through. Then she further acts like a dimwit brat by acting like a jealous, petulant child in regard to the young, heroic orphan Trent that Bear found and has protected through the entire series. Until Mae entered the picture, I was really enjoying this series, but once she came on the scene, not so much! I think authors should take care before they decide to make a character so despicable, especially one that we want to like because we do respect her parents and all that they have gone through to get where they are.
I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.
When we last encountered Mae, she had just reunited with Bear and Laurel, but the happiness was fleeting as Mae felt remorse for abandoning her unit. As soon as she got the chance, Mae departed from the Freeman and returned to her unit, bringing along all the intelligence she had collected about them. She hoped that this information would earn her captain's trust.
Bear and Trent have been captured by the Army/militia, and Mae is following along with them. I am optimistic that she is merely waiting for the right moment to secure their release.
In the meantime, Laurel remains oblivious to the situation, but for now, she must remain with the Freeman, assisting the injured. Once she ensures everyone is taken care of, she will do everything in her power to save Bear, Trent, and hopefully Mae, too.
Collapsed World, like the other novels in the EMP Aftermath series, has kept me eagerly anticipating what would unfold next. It is a gripping read that keeps the pages turning without a single dull moment.
The world-building is among the finest I have ever encountered. The descriptions are equally impressive. I am eager to delve deeper into this incredible, enchanting world. I adore everything about it and find myself craving more.
I am excited to jump into the sixth and final installment in this collection, Lawless World, to discover where everyone's journey leads next and how it all concludes. Not that I want it to end; I wish it could continue endlessly.
I cherish nearly all the characters, though I must admit that even the antagonists play their essential roles effectively, and they excel in their functions.
I wholeheartedly recommend picking up a copy of Collapsed World for another thrilling adventure in a dystopian setting!
Continuation of Bear and Laurel fighting against the militia and also finding their daughter Mae. Mae is very conflicted about who to believe and who to support. She picks the Militia first but doesn't like it when they arrest her father. While in captivity Bear finds Trent who's also been captured. Will Mae continue to follow Cornell even when she sees the atrocities that he is doing? There are so many challenges that the characters face in this book and I can't wait to find out what is going to happen in the last book. Great series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
And I don’t mean that in a good way. Books four and five were hard to get through. Dumb and frustrating became the theme. It was 80 percent discussion about what or should do, 10 percent failure, and 10 percent disappointment. Why am I reading this again? Oh yeah, books one and two were actually interesting with Bear and Trent. Bring in Laurel and Mae and it dropped like an anvil over a cliff. I was going to close it out with the last book six, but that “sneak peak” chapter show casing Shane’s death so callously has convinced me I’m done with this series and Ms. Hamilton’s books for a while. They used to be good.
Collapsed World is book five of the EMP Aftermath series and it picks up where book four Divided World left off. With each book we read in this series Bear, Laurel, and the rest of the group are challenged time after time but they must do what they can to survive the aftermath. Faced with their daughter's dangerous choices Laurel and Bear are determined to win Mae back. This is a well written, page turning story that held me captive for two days until I finished the book and now I wait for the final book in this series to find out how it ends. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Collapsed world allowed little place for peace. The militia and the freemen blame each other. Mae has much to learn, hope she’s not too stubborn. In this now vastly different world there’s so much to face, to fear, that Bear and Laurel shine with the love that never really left them. This was a wonderful reading experience with every facet clear and clean.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WOW, I read this book in 1 day, its so Exciting and filled with thrills and Adventure that i couldnt lay it down. I absolutely Love the characters, they have been so Well written i feel as though i know them personally. While reading this series, i have realized that it would be very hard to Prepare for this Collapsed World. We could prepare with food and water, but medicine and nursing care would be near impossible. What an Eye Opener.
Bear and Laurel battle the militia. Mae battles her emotions about whether to support the militia or her family. Both the militia and the Freemen battle illness. Bear and Laurel are winners in all three battles.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is an interesting fifth part to this new EMP series. As always a slightly mad adventure following the main characters through this unbalanced world! Vindictiveness abounds! I liked this less than the previous stories in the series, as I found the characters a little irritating at times but still an enjoyable read.
Great characters you will grow to love (including a cute Jack Russell dog), villains who you will come to despise, and a story that takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion. This series has everything to keep you entertained and wanting more. I can't wait for Book 6 to be released next month.
Bear and Laurel had just found their daughter when they found themselves separated again in a fight between the Militia and Freemen. What's worse is that Mae helped lock her father up. Trent has also been caught, while Laurel remains with the Freemen. The fighting continues and both factions are sick.
The story just keeps getting better! The characters are very relatable, and it's easy to become invested in their lives. I could only hope that I might be as resourceful in a similar situation. Can't stop now, I'll be starting the next book in about 2 minutes!
Loved the writing, loved the story but especially loved the characters . The bond between Bear and Trent is so heart warming in snook filled with fighting , death and destruction. Highly recommend this book but start from the beginning of the series otherwise it might not make much sense .
Another tragedy: as if fighting factions weren’t enough, a dreadful GI disease strikes both friend and foe. Laurel struggles to determine the cause. In the midst of the dilemma, Mae must decide whose side she is on…
Another tragedy: as if fighting factions weren’t enough, a dreadful GI disease strikes both friend and foe. Laurel struggles to determine the cause. In the midst of the dilemma, Mae must decide whose side she is on…
This book in the series was amazing and had a ton of action and suspense. I loved seeing all the characters interact with each other and how they tried to understand each other’s story.
I am impressed with Plot lines and character development I have read several of Grace Hamilton's series and enjoyed them all. Having worked in an emergency room. I especially loved this series
This series is getting better and better. This one concentrated on the family relationship but also the other relationships which were intergal. I don't want to say anymore due to spoilers. Grace Hamilton writes intelligent disaster books yes there is the normal fighting but it us not the key element it is more than that.
Loved the ending can't wait for the next one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Updated for audio This was very well narrated and a great story. I have read the entire series a few months ago but the audible version brings a different dimension to the book and I feel that I escape into it which is brilliant.
The story continues and you really do need to listen to the other books in order otherwise this will not make sense.