What do you think?
Rate this book
Without #1
Without
The apocalypse came as a whisper. Mother Nature had been sending signs for three years, but most didn’t pay attention until she pulled the plug on everything. Nobody will forget where they were and what they were doing at 8:13 on that morning. They’re all still waiting for 8:14. Well, at least the ones that have made it so far. He was stuck in Atlanta traffic, making his way to work, when the world fell silent. His car, his radio, his phone, his watch, anything that needed a spark, a battery, or an outlet died. The silence didn’t last long and neither did she. He didn’t know if the yellow sundress was the first to die, but he does know that she wasn’t the last. Not even close. As aircraft fell out of the sky, panicked drivers lost control in the fast lane, and pace makers stopped keeping their rhythms, he got out of his car and popped the trunk. Most didn’t pay attention, but he did. And he knew what was coming. Three years earlier during the first city-wide blackout in Atlanta, he lost his Samantha to cowards who were never caught. Those looking to take advantage didn’t hesitate, wreaking havoc at every opportunity. It took less than an hour after the event for society to start its disintegration. He made a promise to himself never to feel that helpless again. He wasn’t a soldier or a cop, but he was one of the few that did have a plan. Get out of the city, get away from people, and don’t hesitate. May God have mercy on their souls, because he won’t.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2012
133 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
June 5, 2018
Had Mother Nature finally taken her revenge on humanity’s excesses that raped her world? There were warnings, but nobody listened…until it was too late and the world was thrust into survival mode. Now one man will journey hundreds of miles to the only place he thought he could feel safe, his childhood home.
E.E. Borton’s chilling WITHOUT is the saga of one man’s journey through the chaos of a world gone feral as he remembers the man he used to be, the life he used to have and discovers the man he has become and the life he has to re-define.
This post-apocalyptic tale is not filled with super-human feats, it is a story of survival, of the devolving of humanity into less than animals, as well as the heights of compassion and loyalty and love that mankind can rise to.
Told through the heart and mind of one solitary man determined never to feel helpless again, we witness an accidental hero being created. We live through the actions he takes to save innocent strangers, as well as his realization that one can never truly go home and no man is an island. We may not agree with all of his actions, but in their totality, we can say, this man deserves to live, even as it becomes apparent that we have not yet been told his name, it is clear he represents humanity trying to do the right thing, survive with dignity.
WITHOUT is not a typical post-apocalyptic tale, there are no rapid-fire car chases, but there is evil lurking in the shadows, inhumane humans, brutal acts and heartbreaking results. E.E. Borton has taken a slice of a fantasy world, and condensed it down to one man’s journey, but it is amazing to travel alongside this once ordinary man!
Dark, gritty, violent, but written so well, E.E. Borton had me from page one, through that last page where hope in a future seemed possible.
Series: Without - Book 1
Publisher: Legacy Road Publishing (November 24, 2013)
Publication Date: November 24, 2013
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Print Length: 328 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
E.E. Borton’s chilling WITHOUT is the saga of one man’s journey through the chaos of a world gone feral as he remembers the man he used to be, the life he used to have and discovers the man he has become and the life he has to re-define.
This post-apocalyptic tale is not filled with super-human feats, it is a story of survival, of the devolving of humanity into less than animals, as well as the heights of compassion and loyalty and love that mankind can rise to.
Told through the heart and mind of one solitary man determined never to feel helpless again, we witness an accidental hero being created. We live through the actions he takes to save innocent strangers, as well as his realization that one can never truly go home and no man is an island. We may not agree with all of his actions, but in their totality, we can say, this man deserves to live, even as it becomes apparent that we have not yet been told his name, it is clear he represents humanity trying to do the right thing, survive with dignity.
WITHOUT is not a typical post-apocalyptic tale, there are no rapid-fire car chases, but there is evil lurking in the shadows, inhumane humans, brutal acts and heartbreaking results. E.E. Borton has taken a slice of a fantasy world, and condensed it down to one man’s journey, but it is amazing to travel alongside this once ordinary man!
Dark, gritty, violent, but written so well, E.E. Borton had me from page one, through that last page where hope in a future seemed possible.
Series: Without - Book 1
Publisher: Legacy Road Publishing (November 24, 2013)
Publication Date: November 24, 2013
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Print Length: 328 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
February 25, 2016
This is an excellent story. Well thought out and an organized approach to writing. My first read by this author. I hope to read more of his books soon.
June 21, 2015
Get ready for a pun. Here goes. This is a sort of book a post apocalyptic genre can technically do without. Tada. Thing is this is a perfectly decent read, Borton ends the world via EMP and some nature rebellion and his stoic hero gets to go around being all heroic. It isn't very original, but it's entertaining enough and a fairly quick read. The main problem here is the overwhelming sexism and misogyny. While most of the men are upstanding good ole boys, the sort who literally promises to be warriors for their loved ones, the women are exclusively good for taking care of them, feeding them, cleaning up after them, comforting them, etc. Maybe it's the southern thing, maybe it's a Borton thing, but it's corny and silly at best and tedious on a flipside. It's basically the apocalypse of helpless damsels in distress, who are constantly raped and/or killed and need some strong men to come rescue them. One doesn't need to be a feminist to find that ridiculous, not to mention patronizing. Other than that the writing was consistently serviceable. The first half of the book (the solitary part,with occasional ghost visitations, of the journey) was stronger than the second. No sex, but the romance parts were uber cheesy. Plenty of violence and aforementioned rape. Stronger characters would have improved this dramatically. But then again corny sells.
March 16, 2013
Oh wow. No. Just no. :-(
October 24, 2013
No reason given for the apocalypse and incessant use of the word coward....I could not finish it as the dialog was stilted and characters clearly unbelievable....I quit.
February 20, 2013
I'd like to start out by saying this author is an amazing writer. His words create such a vivid picture that I found myself totally immersed within the pages. This novel, as did "Abomination", is a testament to what can happen if man messes around with nature - be it human or environmental. "Without" is set in a present day post-apocalyptic world. The cause is never revealed and only surmised, but it hints that the natural disasters and unusual weather patterns throughout the story are an effect of global warming. The story takes the protagonist on a dangerous journey to reach the safety of his deceased parent's home. Along the way, as society begins to disintegrate, he is met with a myriad of challenges from mother nature and mankind alike and he questions what his ultimate goal really is. Another Kindle freebie, this book drew me in from the beginning and I found I wanted to keep reading even when I was tired. Wonderful book, highly recommend this to anyone.
October 18, 2015
No. The idea was good, Mother Nature getting her revenge on us, however this isn't an apocalypse story, or anything similar to it. It's a story about a guy who communicates with dead people and goes around shooting bad guys. He falls in love too quickly and of course he's about to die as the ultimate sacrifice for that. The apocalypse is just somewhere in the background, appearing when needed to throw another obstacle on his way and to guide him towards his happy end.
February 14, 2013
The original idea for this book was a good idea. The writing was good. Even the storyline was interesting, however, it was just a tad to violent for me. This may not bother others. The ingenuity of the hero, who was likable enough, was exceptional. The story stayed on the same course almost up until the very end, and then it just seemed to go in a different direction.
March 12, 2014
This is okay, not great. Talks to an old dead girlfriend, then another dead person? Repetitive paragraphs. In love within 24 hours. Really? I read a lot of books, so I am much more particular of what books I read. I read this because of the high ratings. Sorry, too unrealistic for me.
August 31, 2016
This book was amazing. I truly don't get how the writer was able to paint a world that has become hostile and still show the good with the bad, show hope and humanity. I don't know how to say anything more without spoiling, but I will say: buy this book!
February 16, 2013
This book scared me a little because it hit so close to home. I could see this really happening and to think this is what we would all be reduced to is terrifying!
July 7, 2013
Without is a very good dystopia-style novel for anyone who is into the genre. There is quite a lot of action, adventure, gore, philosophy and psychology. We join the protagonist as mother nature starts kicking back and follow him through his adventure to get out of the city. Some people he meets he wants to help while others want to help themselves to what he has; there is a wide range of types of people that he meets along his journey. This book is not for the feint of heart. Although there are some slow parts where very little is happening, there are also quite a few parts that would make some queasy.
The only thing that didn't really work well for me was him seeing, and having conversations, with the dead. I understand they were just manifestations of his own mind giving him pushes and pulls in whatever direction, but it just brought me out of the story every time it did it. An inner voice is one thing, putting them to characters and trying make it really seem like he is interacting with them in the real world just killed a little of it for me. To some it might work and it did push the story into different directions, that is just my opinion on the way it was used.
The way Without was written was enough to fill my head with images like a movie or a dream. Some books try to overdo the details of everything happening which is painting too much of a picture; others are too vague and it is hard to even imagine what is going on in the scene; this book gives just enough that your imagination isn't working overtime, but just the right amount to live the world the author created. I would recommend this book to most, as long as you can deal with some brutality.
The only thing that didn't really work well for me was him seeing, and having conversations, with the dead. I understand they were just manifestations of his own mind giving him pushes and pulls in whatever direction, but it just brought me out of the story every time it did it. An inner voice is one thing, putting them to characters and trying make it really seem like he is interacting with them in the real world just killed a little of it for me. To some it might work and it did push the story into different directions, that is just my opinion on the way it was used.
The way Without was written was enough to fill my head with images like a movie or a dream. Some books try to overdo the details of everything happening which is painting too much of a picture; others are too vague and it is hard to even imagine what is going on in the scene; this book gives just enough that your imagination isn't working overtime, but just the right amount to live the world the author created. I would recommend this book to most, as long as you can deal with some brutality.
June 21, 2014
Another take on the Dystopian catastrophe genre. Electrical power disappears leaving our chief character to survive which he initially does by killing everyone he comes across, unless they are little old ladies or recent attractive widows. I felt the story got lost in the middle and its blend of murder dressed up as killing cowards to survive mixed with ghost story loses some of the intensity. It turns into oh look another bunch of male rapists who terrorise the neighbourhood but can't shoot as well as our graphic artist hero.
Then for the last third it turns into a typical God and Christianity right to bear arms whilst conveniently killing anyone in his way. Of course he survives tremendous injuries e.g. one moment he has a broken wrist then when it is plastered buy a convenient doctor he gets told it will be 4 weeks before the bone will be set yet 2 days later he is fit and killing people again. For some reason he blows up a house in some psychotic episode, a house he has spent a good part of the book trying to get to because it's so precious to him. A couple of days later he is sane and welcomed by a family group of survivors who all think like him but welcome him with open arms even though he hasn't seen them for years.
On the good side the descriptions of societal collapse are convincing even if it's dressed up in some cross between environmentalism, mother nature then the bad guy is a preacher who despite twenty plus men can't kill the lone hero.
A good start to the story an average middle then just silliness.
Then for the last third it turns into a typical God and Christianity right to bear arms whilst conveniently killing anyone in his way. Of course he survives tremendous injuries e.g. one moment he has a broken wrist then when it is plastered buy a convenient doctor he gets told it will be 4 weeks before the bone will be set yet 2 days later he is fit and killing people again. For some reason he blows up a house in some psychotic episode, a house he has spent a good part of the book trying to get to because it's so precious to him. A couple of days later he is sane and welcomed by a family group of survivors who all think like him but welcome him with open arms even though he hasn't seen them for years.
On the good side the descriptions of societal collapse are convincing even if it's dressed up in some cross between environmentalism, mother nature then the bad guy is a preacher who despite twenty plus men can't kill the lone hero.
A good start to the story an average middle then just silliness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2013
As a post apocalypse tale, Without falls somewhat short. The world is brought to its knees by violent weather and an electromagnetic pulse that causes everything electrical to stop functioning – cars stop, planes fall from the sky, even battery operated watches stop. The storms continue as nature takes revenge on the population that has spent so many years destroying the environment.
One man leaves Atlanta on foot on a journey to his family’s house in the mountains over 100 miles away. Along the way he meets good people that help him and bad people that he mostly has to kill. He is joined in his brain by his now dead girlfriend and an old man that he meets along the way who also dies.
The disturbing part of this book is the way gangs of violent marauders, raping and pillaging suddenly appear when the electricity ends. There is no mention of police or military or government authorities as if these groups suddenly disappeared. The book is largely a testosterone filled bloody rampage by people on both sides of good and evil. To say the least, this book is no “The Road,” and outstanding post apocalypse novel.
One man leaves Atlanta on foot on a journey to his family’s house in the mountains over 100 miles away. Along the way he meets good people that help him and bad people that he mostly has to kill. He is joined in his brain by his now dead girlfriend and an old man that he meets along the way who also dies.
The disturbing part of this book is the way gangs of violent marauders, raping and pillaging suddenly appear when the electricity ends. There is no mention of police or military or government authorities as if these groups suddenly disappeared. The book is largely a testosterone filled bloody rampage by people on both sides of good and evil. To say the least, this book is no “The Road,” and outstanding post apocalypse novel.
November 6, 2013
The third novel by EE Borton and as with each an unusual premise presented in a package full of surprises . E.E. has created yet another world that thrills filled with well researched facts as well as a host of characters with depth and dimensionality . He has reached a new level in just 3 books and I look forward to his future offerings . Soon to be followed by a 4th novel and more .
Without
Suffer
Abomination
E.E. Borton
Without
Suffer
Abomination
E.E. Borton
January 11, 2014
I bought this book on a whim while browsing on Amazon and was pleasantly surprised to find it well written and intriguing. So intriguing that I read the whole thing in one day, when I should have been working. Oops.
The story is told from the point of view of a man who lost his love in a blackout a few years back. Since then, he's been prepared for the worst to happen. When it does and the world ends, he's ready for it. Unfortunately, the world isn't so ready for him.
While there are some scenes that are a little fantastical, Without covers the scenario of what would happen if everything stopped pretty well. It's enough to jolt you into becoming a prepper if you aren't already.
If you enjoy end of the world stories, this one is good.
The story is told from the point of view of a man who lost his love in a blackout a few years back. Since then, he's been prepared for the worst to happen. When it does and the world ends, he's ready for it. Unfortunately, the world isn't so ready for him.
While there are some scenes that are a little fantastical, Without covers the scenario of what would happen if everything stopped pretty well. It's enough to jolt you into becoming a prepper if you aren't already.
If you enjoy end of the world stories, this one is good.
May 4, 2014
I quit after about 90 pages. While I really love apocalyptic books this was just overdone. The "hero" kills 3 "bad guys" in 3 seconds with just as many shots. HE is the ONLY one who knows exactly what to do and where to be in case of an (unexplained) apocalypse. At least up until the point I threw the book away ;-) First he only had imaginary talks with his dead girlfriend. When she was joined by other dead people I just could not take it any more. Life's too short for bad books :-)
February 13, 2013
This was the best book I have read since I started downloading books for my Kindle. It was very well written, easy to identify with the characters, captivating to the point of being almost impossible to put down, and with many unusual and unexpected plot twists. I loved it.
February 28, 2013
Without, by E.E. Borton in a touching, thought-provoking post-apocalyptic tale. I finished this book several days ago and I am still thinking about the characters I’ve read about in this story. It is a fabulous read! Full review is on my website at www.eReaderPerks.com.
December 23, 2016
Clever
Well done. The ending hit me and I go dang! Leafed thru realized you got me! Very clever well done. Starting II now.
Well done. The ending hit me and I go dang! Leafed thru realized you got me! Very clever well done. Starting II now.
June 1, 2023
4.5 Stars
I've read a good number of post apocalyptic books and this one is better than most in the genre. For the first half I would have said it was a solid 5, but not only did an event happen that felt quite out of character for our protagonist, but the break wasn't really presented well. There were also more editorial errors in the second half. All that said, however, this was still an intelligent, interesting and dramatic story of survival, kindness, and courage. There were some very interesting components, like his relationships with the deceased. The story kept you rooting for him and those he cared about. I also appreciated the strong message that the catastrophes they faced were a result of the excessive damage humanity has done to the Earth.
I've read a good number of post apocalyptic books and this one is better than most in the genre. For the first half I would have said it was a solid 5, but not only did an event happen that felt quite out of character for our protagonist, but the break wasn't really presented well. There were also more editorial errors in the second half. All that said, however, this was still an intelligent, interesting and dramatic story of survival, kindness, and courage. There were some very interesting components, like his relationships with the deceased. The story kept you rooting for him and those he cared about. I also appreciated the strong message that the catastrophes they faced were a result of the excessive damage humanity has done to the Earth.
September 3, 2023
Quirky off beat action.
The reason for the apocalypse was never explained, just what it was doing to everyone. It was not a one.time thing but kept a continuous massage on humanity. The protagonist is unwilling to give up. He is fast, he is relentless and dare.I say, funny to a fault by stating the obvious in as a sarcastic manner as possible. He also talks to himself via dead people. This is a very novel approach.which.I have not seen implemented in any other book I have read. A happy ending, barely, but a s!Ile was warranted regardless of how it was reached. Fast paced and enjoyable, a great read.for those deep into post apocalyptic literature.
The reason for the apocalypse was never explained, just what it was doing to everyone. It was not a one.time thing but kept a continuous massage on humanity. The protagonist is unwilling to give up. He is fast, he is relentless and dare.I say, funny to a fault by stating the obvious in as a sarcastic manner as possible. He also talks to himself via dead people. This is a very novel approach.which.I have not seen implemented in any other book I have read. A happy ending, barely, but a s!Ile was warranted regardless of how it was reached. Fast paced and enjoyable, a great read.for those deep into post apocalyptic literature.
February 18, 2018
Just, Wow!
When I first started reading this one, I began thinking, nah, this is not for me, To much crazy going on. By the end of the first chapter, I was completely pulled in! I felt for the characters, they seemed so real. Everything seems so perfectly written, like the author actually experienced it all first hand. Gotta read the second one now, I bought it before I finished this one.
When I first started reading this one, I began thinking, nah, this is not for me, To much crazy going on. By the end of the first chapter, I was completely pulled in! I felt for the characters, they seemed so real. Everything seems so perfectly written, like the author actually experienced it all first hand. Gotta read the second one now, I bought it before I finished this one.
April 25, 2018
Couldn't put this one down!
Read this at breaking speed. A catastrophic event starts the story and the quest for survival begins. It was exciting and dreadful, but I came away with the thought that although, some through desperation, some with evil intent, what was more powerful that even in extreme times, there are more good people than bad. Can't wait to read the next instalment!
Read this at breaking speed. A catastrophic event starts the story and the quest for survival begins. It was exciting and dreadful, but I came away with the thought that although, some through desperation, some with evil intent, what was more powerful that even in extreme times, there are more good people than bad. Can't wait to read the next instalment!
October 21, 2019
Pretty good
Not the usual post apocalyptic story. Yeah, all the expected elements are there... it's just not the usual smug "I'm better prepared for the end of the world than you are" type of narrative. The protagonist is caught far more unprepared than he expected to be. He's flawed & somewhat clueless, yet he he persevered & somehow lucked out repeatedly. I would have given a three star review but I added a star for his self deprecating humor through all the horror.
Not the usual post apocalyptic story. Yeah, all the expected elements are there... it's just not the usual smug "I'm better prepared for the end of the world than you are" type of narrative. The protagonist is caught far more unprepared than he expected to be. He's flawed & somewhat clueless, yet he he persevered & somehow lucked out repeatedly. I would have given a three star review but I added a star for his self deprecating humor through all the horror.
January 30, 2023
Needless violence. Unrealistic violence. Looters do not murder and rape people. They do not murder people to prevent being caught. You can watch countless hours of video with Looters stealing on camera. The Law spends zero time rounding up Looters. How many Looter trials have you heard about?
This book is Unrealistic (I know it is Science Fiction. ) The behavior of the people in this book is not credible. The story is bad. This is a poorly written book.
This book is Unrealistic (I know it is Science Fiction. ) The behavior of the people in this book is not credible. The story is bad. This is a poorly written book.
February 28, 2018
This book is a bit weird, the first halve was really really bad, dude getting constantly beat up my mother nature, and talking to his 'ghosts', it was a mess, the 2nd halve of the book was a good redemption so to say for the story.
In the end it's prob a 2.5 star but due to the poor start of the book i round it down to just 2 as we cannot give 2.5 stars on goodreads.
In the end it's prob a 2.5 star but due to the poor start of the book i round it down to just 2 as we cannot give 2.5 stars on goodreads.
May 30, 2018
Great Read !
Well written novel. This story graphically tells us about the possibility of our own destruction . Planet Earth needs better care and society needs better morals and standards.
Well written novel. This story graphically tells us about the possibility of our own destruction . Planet Earth needs better care and society needs better morals and standards.
July 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The situations were realistic. Good character development. I love the sort of "twist" ending. It was one of those things you didn't realize until it was said. I don't want to spoil anything. Would probably read this book again some time.
April 23, 2022
Hero's or dead
The end of the world could happen like this, it's easy to imagine, made easier by this great writting. There's good people even in tough times and there's bad people taking advantage when they see the opportunity. Be ready and be careful what side you choose.
The end of the world could happen like this, it's easy to imagine, made easier by this great writting. There's good people even in tough times and there's bad people taking advantage when they see the opportunity. Be ready and be careful what side you choose.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews