The Reckoning: The Day Australia Fell

The Unforeseen #1

by Keith McArdle

Australia has been invaded.

While the outnumbered Australian Defence Force fights on the ground, in the air and at sea, this quickly becomes a war involving ordinary people.

Ben, an IT consultant has never fought a day in his life. Will he survive?

Grant, a security guard at Sydney's International Airport, finds himself captured and living in the filth and squalor of one of the concentration camps dotted around Australia. Knowing death awaits him if he stays, he plans a daring escape.

This is a dark day in Australia's history. This is terror, loneliness, starvation and adrenaline all mixed together in a sour cocktail. This is the day Australia fell.

Genres: Dystopia, War, Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Military Fiction

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2013

About the author

Keith was born in a hospital, somewhere in Australia, when he was very little. He owns every David Gemmell book ever written (and two versions of some books), including the graphic novels. To maintain some semblance of sanity, Keith likes writing fast-paced stories ranging from Fantasy and sci-fi, to modern military thrillers. He now lives somewhere else in Australia.

Reviews

[Tony Calder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a military thriller based on an invasion of Australia by Indonesia. In what is a fairly standard format, the author follows the stories of several different groups - some military, some civilian. In this format, the reader really doesn't know any more than the characters do - there is no look at the big picture, except for a couple of lines at the start of each chapter.

This does keep the suspense level up, and the characters are generally well-written. The story flows nicely, but I did find the lack of the overall story irritating. A level of suspension of disbelief is usually required for these types of stories, in this case, for me, it was a little more suspension that I was happy with. I accept that the Indonesian military is numerically superior to the Australian forces, but the RAAF and the RAN have more modern equipment, and would certainly have an advantage in electronic warfare. I found the comprehensive victory of the Indonesian air and naval forces to be unlikely. Also, as is being shown currently in Ukraine, capturing cities without overwhelming numerical superiority, is pretty difficult, so it seems unlikely that Indonesia has a big enough military to capture all Australia's big cities, as well as make the incursions they do into Australia's vast land. Also, the complete lack of any reason why Indonesia invades is also irritating - I'm sure Indonesia would like the extra space and resources, but their military leadership would be well aware of the disparity in technological capability, and that they certainly don't have enough numbers to occupy a country the size of Australia. Also, they would have expected that the Americans would have got involved from the start.

Overall, it was a fun read, but I found the underlying assumptions troubling. 3 1/2 stars.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgivable proofreading errors, for the sheer ambition of the plot, and the execution thereof - which is carried out with aplomb, sheer guts, grave courage, and great heart, much like each of the memorable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Keith McArdle's fast-paced, action-packed novel "Reckoning: The Day Australia Fell" the country has been invaded by Indonesians who are killing, pillaging and raping while the world looks on. Threads of this fascinating story follow ordinary men and women who step up to a challenging fight with bravery and heart, facing death at every turn; like Ben the city slicker who learns to fight; Grant Bridge the airport security guard who learns to survive in a concentration camp; Kane a platoon leader who wages guerilla warfare after his platoon is decimated; and Jason the fighter pilot whose plane is shot down and clashes with the enemy at the side of an experienced aboriginal soldier. In a landscape of terror, loneliness, starvation and violence, all will put their lives on the line to save the country they love.

The mood of the story is dark and foreboding with the devastation, chaos and brutality that sweeps across Australia. Although emotionally-charged the intensity of the plot is often diluted by the humorous banter of characters like Special Forces soldiers Craig and Matty or the ill-tempered sarcasm of Mick owner of Brent Wood Cullen Bone. I liked the news headline at the beginning of each chapter that gives the reader a birds eye view of the global reaction to the invasion. Short in length with little description and no background information, the writer brings soul and realism to the plot with Aussie slang and adroit one-liners.

Although the author gives glimpses into the odd individual's personality like Mick, the tough former Vietnam Viet who's haunted by the loss of a former comrade-in-arms, loves his family but is crusty, contemptuous and antagonistic towards the IT specialist Ben who saved his daughter and granddaughter, there is minimal emphasis on character development. The only Indonesian named is Major Simanjuntak, a threatening and cruel interrogator; the rest are left as non-descript, faceless entities. Yet the actions and bravery of the main characters draw the reader into the power and passion of this story, making them unforgettable.

"Reckoning: The Day Australia Fell" is a book that sparked my curiosity on Goodreads because of the title and the ingenuity of the illustrative book cover. I wasn't disappointed. Although I enjoy stories with more plot and character development, I found this novel imaginative, entertaining and mesmerizing from the first page to the last. I recommend it highly and will look for other novels by this author in future.

[Greg Barron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Reckoning is the story of an Indonesian invasion of Australia, an eventuality that isn’t that hard to swallow given current relations. The story is told through the eyes of a handful of POV characters: Grant the airport security agent, Jas the fighter pilot, Kane the Special Forces soldier, and Ben the civilian who learns to fight, among others.

The pace of this book is fast, fast, fast, with the minimum of background. A brief excerpt from international media at the beginning of each chapter is enough to show the developing international reaction. I thought this was a clever device.

The characters were perfect for their roles, complex enough to be interesting, but not overly burdened with Freudian analysis. There are some excellent character moments and some great one-liners. Aussie humour shines through the narrative. I really enjoyed this, and found it hard to put down.

[Shell Swinscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic read, loved every page. Not my usual type of book, but im so glad I gave it a go!

[Dale · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well that was... an experience.

[Robert Lewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

My highest praise. A page turner and a barn burner.

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so tired of reading garbage. I should have known better with this one but I checked it out anyway. Great plot. Really. Does Australia not have an airforce or navy? I'm pretty sure they do. Indonesia does not have anything like the military equipment the author decided to bring into play from them. The rest of the world standing and watching Australia be destroyed is ridiculous. There is way too much suspension of disbelief here although letting the government take every gun away from the citizenry was a damn stupid move on the part of the Australians years ago. I've read in numerous places that rural Australians basically flipped their government the bird and kept their weapons. I can easily believe that since it would never happen in the US either. rural citizens aren't giving up their guns and rural Australia takes 'rural' to a level we only see in a few states here. It would take 5 minutes to put down a military attack from Indonesia. There is no way in Hell the rest of the world would just watch. Even if Trump wasn't the US president, Indonesia would shortly find itself watching its own islands turn into pieces of charcoal if they ever tried something like this. The bleeding heart hand-wringers wouldn't get their way, no matter how much they tried to excuse the behavior from Indonesia. I'm not referring to all liberals there, just to be clear. Very few liberals are actually that dumb, but the ones who are that dumb are loud. This book is just ridiculous from start to finish. The writing is about average. It would be readable if the plot wasnt so truly ridiculous.

[Sean E Britten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of the great old piece of cinema that is 'Red Dawn', Indonesia invades Australia and most of the story is spent dealing with the aftermath of Australia being overwhelmed rather than in the initial fighting. Clever tactics or not, Australia being caught so completely with its pants down requires some major suspension of disbelief but the story is full of enough gritty details that it feels real. And the writing is so fast-paced you soon get swept along. Forced into a guerrilla war, Aus forces resort to Taliban tactics. I was surprised at the depth of feeling in a couple of sections for the Indonesian fighters as well, elevating them from the status of faceless mooks to be steamrolled over. Looking forward to reading the sequels!

[S L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrative was interesting and rolled along at a cracking pace with all the action scenes set up very well and the action really well described. I was not surprised to read he has a military background, the military details, actions and tactics are described clearly and expertly.

The characters were interesting and well formed while a little stereotypical. However, that is not a significant drawback and actually may make tham more relatable. They are all very likable and it is clear the author had great affection for them.

[Damien Larkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Reckoning is a fast paced military fiction covering Australia’s invasion by the Indonesian military and the subsequent guerrilla war.

I’ve read plenty of military fiction books, but none set in Australia, so the premise hooked me in. The author’s experience in the ADF gives a sense of realism to the action scenes and paints a gritty portrayal of civilians and a fractured military banding together to strike back at the invaders.

Very enjoyable read.

[MRS C MARSHALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

The day Australia fell book 1

I was given this book for my
Honest review.
A new author for me. This type of book is different to the ones I read, but decided to give it a go.
Boy after the first few pages I was hooked. What a book exciting drama fantastic. Could not put it down read in 3 days.
I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Sad in parts . A great story .

[Jim B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlikely, but possible. An excellent read about an unexpected attack by one nation on another. Includes political dithering that exacerbates an already bad and tragic event. Events seem believable and realistic. I am already reading the second book in the series.

[Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Loved the way the author brought out the humanity in his characters and the colorful way he shows us Australia. I'm a big military sci-fi buff and even though this isn't science fiction it rang a bell with me.

[Haggielady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. It takes place in Australia,
which has been invaded by Indonesia.
Lots of action, great story line and well written.
I was hooked from page two.
If you like military thrillers, this is a good one.

[Alun Humphreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although realistically not possible, the invasion of Australia by Indonesia really sucked me in due to what's happening in the world today. I've read this book a couple of times now, Keith's writing is so good, you get the feeling that you're actually there, like it's happening.

[Justin Sarginson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. One of those books that you won't be able to put down.

[Ronald Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

A page-turner, the dialogue could use some work

[Mickey Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody good read this one. Fast paced, and scarily possible....

[Carmel McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarey

The book was freaky as being an Australian and knowing about the Indo military it could be possible. It was very well written and I couldn't put it down

[Thomas Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read!
I particularly love the opening scene - it sets the pace for what comes next. Do yourself a favour and get hold of this great read.... You wont be disappointed.

[Pip Pendrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

One fine ordinary day, as Australians awoke to begin their usual routine.....they discovered their routine was shot to hell.

With the enemy pouring out of ships and planes the spirit of a country known far and wide for their bravery and spirit would tested to the limit.

Who would come their aid? New Zealand was a given and they were onboard with their best troops by the end of invasion day, but the US was taking their time, as were the British, Australia's natural allies, and all the while Aussies were dying in their tens of thousands and their defence forces were either destroyed, or fragmented, conscripting willing civilians and conducting guerrilla sorties to limited effect.

For the first time since the English settled their convicts in Australia, war had come to the largest island continent.

This is a gripping read, and very well written. Full of fear, bravery, mate-ship and even an indomitable aussie humour.

Happy reading!

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Reckoning, by Keith Mcardle, was an entertaining look at what might occur if Australia was invaded by Indonesia. It is written from a "first person" limited perspective, but uses several narrators to give a fuller picture of what occurs as the invasion progresses. The narrative voice, however, is third person, leading one to think that all the main characters think of themselves in third person.
The book starts with the invasion itself and wastes no time on motivations of the invaders or their long-term objectives... one assumes land and resources. Instead, this book is all about the actions of those who encounter the invasion and how Australians would fight back to protect their home. The enemies are one-dimensional and seemingly poorly trained as fighters, while the Australian freedom fighters are a varied cross-section of Australians with the best motivation for fighting their hardest.
Depradations during the war are described in a limited fashion (although a fair amount of time is spent on one concentration-style camp), and the world-wide reaction the the invasion is shown with ersatz headlines from newspapers around the world. Although, I feel that the lack of a timeline makes these headlines seem to lag sometimes and jump ahead other times. The book, ultimately though, is about the Australians actively fighting rather than the wider world. A longer book might have allowed more development of characters which would have been helpful to the book.
If you enjoy books involving hypothetical modern warfare, or are looking for a quick read on a flight, this book is for you.
Full Disclosure: I received this book as a First Read promotion on Goodreads.

[John Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book, per se.. but it's been done before, and while this is a fresh take on the idea, something in the back of my mind keeps going "Yes, but..."
So.. Australia gets invaded by Indonesia without warning, and for unknown reason (although it's hinted that they want our food and natural resources). The Armed Forces are overwhelmed and mostly destroyed, leaving small units of soldiers to battle it out, guerilla style, along with locals and ex-vets.
The US reneges on it's ANZUS commitment, pleading poverty, which causes supposed riots and impeachment of the President, according to headlines presented at the start of every chapter. New Zealand and the United Kingdom send troops to help, and eventually the US Navy arrives and destroys the entire invasion singlehandedly (apart from 10000 or so Indonesian troops in the bush that we need to read part two to hear about)

Would the Australian Defense Force fail so badly? Would an invasion timed to land troops in every capital city at exactly the same time succeed? Would there literally be no warning? and would the Indonesians confine civilians in concentration camps and starve them? and would the Australian Army simply collapse? Why is there only 2 camps (one in NSW and one in QLD) for survivors to head for? and why are there no obvious soldiers at either of these camps?

[R. James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Reckoning: The Day Australia Fell, a harrowing tale of an Indonesian invasion of the Land Down Under as told in the narratives of several characters involved in one way or another. This one landed for me. I'm not sure whether it was the way it was told, or just the fact that I've always been enamored with Australia. Whatever the reason, I liked it.

Sure, there were some logical inconsistencies - like when Matty was deciding whether to kill one of the Indonesian soldiers in the truck. He wrestled with the choice of whether to off him, knowing that either way he'd be in trouble. But in the preceding paragraphs, he already killed the driver of the truck - so he was already in trouble before the next confrontation. Additionally, there is a part near the end where the US launches their offensive against the Indonesian-held continent using F-18's. Not to nitpick, but it's highly doubtful that any military with an arsenal of cruise missiles (read: the US) would choose to send in fighters as a first strike option.

All that aside, there were a small handful of typos - so this needs a little cleanup. But overall, I thought it was a very enjoyable read.

Anyone that likes Military fare should like this one.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didnt mind this book. I bought it electronically after failing to win it in a review giveaway. The storyline had a certain intrigue to it, the price was right so i thought id give it a shot.
I found it to be good. i read it in a short period. The time frame of the book is odd in that it makes no direct reference to it, only inferences but that doesn't bother me to much altho it may others.
i found the plot engaging and combined with the main characters gripping enough to make me want to continue reading. It stayed relevant and believable without diverging away to far from the main story line.
all in all its worth a read if the plots your kind of thing. i liked it.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read!

Action, action, and action, never a dull moment.

The plot covers the invasion of Australia by Indonesia. The obvious reason why this (hopefully) never will happen is the ANZUS treaty and the thought of American intervention. This story plays out with the Americans pleading poverty and sitting out. The result: Indonesia invades successfully, and Australia's defence forces are completely overwhelmed. As a result, the remaining soldiers and civilians turn to a guerrilla campaign to hurt the invades as much as possible.
This novel was written well, with plenty of military knowledge, but well explained for the non-technical reader.
A job well done!

[Balthazar Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

All good stories should have a good time line and a good setting. That is where this book falls down for me. The time line is very unclear and all over the place which I found annoying. For most of the story I had no idea where this story took place, except to say Australia, but Australia is pretty big country.

That aside it was an interest read, even if the ending was a bit abrupt. This is fiction and as such anything could happen, but most of what did happen and how it happened, wouldn't happen in the real world. The good thing is that it was action from cover to cover.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded the ebook for free thanks to Keith McArdle's generosity. I gave it 2.5 stars really. It was action front to back and had some good characterisation through actions and dialogue, but the writing didn't really draw me in to like them much. The cohesion was out of whack and I wasn't sure how much time had passed between chapters or scenes.
Some of the newspaper articles at the beginning of each chapter seemed out of place.
A few consistent grammar errors and a lot of military jargon. If you don't like constant action then it's not the book for you.

[The Bookself · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keith McArdle's novel is a testament to the courage of the Australian spirit. A terrifying scenario with highly authentic dialogue, both in terms of language and military terminology. The language and locations used by McArdle rang true to me as an Australian, encouraging a greater visualisation of the narrative.