Anarchy Rising

The Survivalist #2

by Arthur T. Bradley

Anarchy Rising is the 2nd book in Dr. Bradley's Survivalist series. It features eleven full-page illustrations. The 3rd book, Judgment Day, is due out in January of 2014

After the worst pandemic in mankind's history, anarchy threatens to break apart the United States. The government is years away from providing even the most basic necessities. Militias, gangs of convicts, and rogue soldiers face off in a violent free-for-all as they vie for power. Few safe havens remain. Big cities have been overrun with deformed survivors of the Superpox-99 pandemic. Smaller towns are being overtaken by authoritarians and lawless thugs. And congested interstates have become thoroughfares for desperate travelers and bandits seeking to capture women and supplies.

President Glass must face daunting challenges, completely unaware that some of her closest advisors are using unthinkable methods to have her removed. Their clandestine hunt for her eleven-year-old daughter, Samantha, intensifies, and the only person standing in their way is a ruthless convict who will stop at nothing keep the young girl safe.

Duty drives Deputy Marshal Mason Raines to leave the small town of Boone to discover the fate of his fellow lawmen. With his faithful wolfhound, Bowie, at his side, he crosses paths with desperate refugees, a bloodthirsty hangman, and savage cannibals. Only as he discovers the horrific truth, does he realize that he may be the last of his kind.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Apocalyptic, Survival, Horror, Science Fiction, Dystopia

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2013

About the author

Events have made me who I am, neither a hardcore survivalist nor an all-trusting soul. I am a Boy Scout in the truest sense of the word—­dedicated to family, country, and good citizenship. As you may already know, an enabling element of those ideals is being prepared.

It took the horrific events of 9/11 to wake me from my routine complacency. In one single moment, I came to realize that our world is not as safe as we would all like to believe. We have no guarantee of safety in this world. Disasters occur on an almost daily basis all around the globe. Major events in recent years have included the devastating tsunamis striking Japan and the coast of Sumatra, the rash of tornadoes that swept across the U.S. in 2011, Hurricane Katrina, the deadly earthquake in Haiti, and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to name just a few.

I believe with all my heart that we have a duty to prepare our families for the dangers they face. I started my preparation by reading nearly every disaster preparedness book currently available. If you check Amazon, you will see that I am the #1 reviewer for many of these books. Even with all the material out there, I could not find a single book that offered a complete, well-reasoned approach to practical preparedness. As a NASA engineer, I took up the challenge by conducting very careful research – disecting fact from folklore. Three years and many thousands of dollars later, I have finally released a handbook that offers well-researched advice that can be put into practice in the real world by normal families.

I wrote this handbook for my own family, but I would be honored to share it with yours. If you are not fully satisfied with the Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family, send it back, and I’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Arthur T. Bradley, Ph.D.

Reviews

[Charlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bowie"

Right up front let me say my favorite character is the wolfhound "Bowie".The owner/friend Mason travels an apocalyptic USA.He is a US marshall or more precisely a former marshall.He is headed south from the northern Georgia area.On his way he finds people that need help,offers it and teaches how to help themselves.And he loves Bowie and Bowie loves him.

Also there is a man heading north to DC.He was a convict but got let out early because the world was going to shit.A lot of convicts were released early due to the fact no one was going to be around to take care of them.And they only released the criminals that were not on hard time.Tanner is his name and he is a good guy.he has a reason for going to DC.I just can't divulge without giving spoilers.



P.S.I'm gonna keep reading the series.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed that Mason was leaving Boone because the scenes in the town with the supporting cast were the best bits of the book. I wasn't as keen on the President's story or her daughter's journey and those plots were the main part of this book along with Mason deciding he wanter to go to Marshall HQ in Georgia for some strange reason. I would've thought that trying to get the towns around Boone settled and on trading terms would be priority instead of a bit of a weird road trip where he gets into all kinds of trouble. I mean, why bother going to take action on two men robbing an armoured bank vehicle, then leaving them alive and swearing revenge, and then rob it yourself??? What was the point in that Mr Lawman??? And yes that decision does come back to bite him!

The puppet President continues to struggle and it becomes clear that she has lost control of rogue members of her government. She really is a pretty pathetic and ineffective character and I got quite bored reading about her. Mason's journey was full of non stop stupid decisions and I missed seeing what was happening in Boone. The third plot was the journey of irritating smart arse child Samantha who really gets on my nerves and who is travelling with Mason's convict father Tanner. there is more action in their story with zombies and government agents trying to snatch Samantha but I didn't find their problems that interesting. The characters just don't feel well developed and more like cardboard cutouts, while the plot meanders along in random directions. The most interesting things are the different versions of the infected but they are background in the book and vastly underused. This is book two in the series but I'm not going to read on with it.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

😲

Sequels are hard to write and don't usually live up to its predecessor. This one does 😊. Again following mainly two narratives, Marshall Raines and Tanner Raines, father and son. One a lawman and one a convict. With the added peppering of the President of the USA.
Marshall Raines goes in search this time for fellow lawmen.
Tanner Raines is still trying to get his charge, Samantha home to her mum, who happens to be the President.
The President is fighting a losing battle with her enemies all around her, mainly her vice president.
Plenty action packed scenes but again slow paced which I quite like. Writing is perfect and flows really well. Onto the 3rd instalment 😊.

[S.A. Ison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second time around.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most terrifying thing a writer can face is a blank page; for fiction writers, though, penning a sequel to a well-received novel is a close second. With "Anarchy Rising," author Dr. Arthur Bradley faced such a challenge and has handled it masterfully. The second novel in Dr. Bradley's Survivalist universe, "Anarchy Rising" continues the multitude of plots established in its predecessor, "Frontier Justice," deepening them with new twists and turns without necessarily establishing anything inherently new. The dramatis personæ of "Frontier Justice" return, facing a cadre of new foes as they continue their struggle to survive in a post-pandemic, post-apocalyptic United States. Only one additional villain appears making an evanescent and, at least thus far in the plot, unnecessary appearance.

There are few things that I disliked about the book and most of those are simply recurring instances from "Frontier Justice." The problematic metaphors and similes return ("...sat in her gut like rancid peanut butter") but these are admittedly more a matter of personal preference than anything else: some readers might dislike them while others will simply gloss right over them. The multitudinous mentionings of flies swarming bodies and said bodies releasing gases persist but seem fewer in number than in the previous novel. Lessened also is the overabundance of detail that peppered the pages of "Frontier Justice"--a sure sign that Dr. Bradley is finding his narrative groove.

Occasionally, an obscure reference will rear up possibly causing confusion for the reader. In looking at the collective of these references, I feel like they might present an issue more to younger readers simply because of their historical relevance. It's extremely difficult to create a work with timeless references because, given enough years, even the most current of homages will lose their meaning. I was unfamiliar with Iron Eyes Cody and Ernest T. Bass but had caught an episode or two of Kojak back in the day and thus appreciated the Telly Savales reference. If you're not one to get hung up on such trivialities then it likely won't even matter. The one reference that I DID truly appreciate was the single mention of beer in the entire book. It's clear that Dr. Bradley is familiar with fine, microbrewed beer given his choice of brewery!

There are a few things worth mentioning that might be hit or miss with readers depending upon their preferences. One thing that I noticed early in "Frontier Justice" and saw more than a few times in "Anarchy Rising" is Dr. Bradley's habit of providing menial characters with descriptive monikers rather than names (e.g. Blacksmith, Coveralls, Tweedledee, and Tweedledum). I felt like it worked well in "Frontier Justice" given that most of those characters survived for only a few pages before meeting their untimely demises as a result of Mason's Supergrade but I find myself on the fence about the use of such a tactic here in "Anarchy Rising." I think that the problem this time is that the application isn't uniform. For example, the character titled "Blacksmith" appears with a second man named Cletus; the Tweedles are accompanied by a woman named Flo. The problem is that it comes across more as a lack of writing discipline than a demonstration of creative prowess. Again, just a personal preference but something that I thought worth mentioning.

Regarding the characters, there are more than a few helpless damsels throughout both novels that might cause some to roll their eyes. There are even a few references made to said females relying upon or seeking out a "strong man to protect them." Personally, I find the "strong man, weak woman" dynamic antiquated, inaccurate, and unnecessary. With that said, there are a greater number of female characters (including one extremely important one in "Anarchy Rising") who exhibit strong, desirable characteristics sure to assuage any rankled feminists reading the novels.

With regards to the many positives about "Anarchy Rising," the novel's pace is clearly its greatest strength. With three distinct narrative threads there is no shortage of action and Dr. Bradley does an excellent job of shifting seamlessly between them. In fact, out of the book's twenty-eight chapters only four are ten pages of text or more with the longest being fourteen in length. Some are as short as two or three pages. Despite the brevity of each individual section, I never felt like things moved too swiftly and, naturally, there was nary a moment that felt like it dragged on too long.

While reading "Anarchy Rising" and reflecting upon "Frontier Justice," I feel like the former has more action spread evenly throughout the novel. Dr. Bradley's strongest writing shines through in those action sequences, whether it's describing hand-to-hand combat or a sweeping military assault. It can be difficult to vary the description of such instances without repetition but Dr. Bradley manages to do so in such a way as to keep the reader engaged without feeling like he is rehashing earlier sequences.

Overall, the strength of "Anarchy Rising" is the fact that it is concise and never tries to be something that it isn't. It is clearly bridging the gap between "Frontier Justice" and whatever novels lie ahead but it is an excellent read in its own right and certainly deserves its place in the future Survivalist canon that Dr. Bradley is crafting. I'd recommend reading "Frontier Justice" first to obtain familiarity with the characters and plot elements and would HIGHLY recommend reading "Anarchy Rising" immediately thereafter. This is an excellent read and, much like the previous work, it fills me with excited anticipation about what lies ahead for the cast of characters.

[Edward Tessier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting and most of the series in a week. I can't adequately explain why. There was so much to dislike or at least grown about. The ham-fisted handling of politics and intrigue. The barrage of exhausted clichés – – the convict turned protector, the go it alone law man, gladiatorial combat, the oh so young girl turned deadly predator, the petty criminal turned post-apocalyptic kingpin, a member of the First Family in jeopardy, etc. Still, the narrative kept up an entertaining pace, there was a novel take on the evolution of zombies and occasionally something unexpected happened. I guess it was just pure escapism and a couple likable characters that kept me going.

[Delta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once again, I picked up a book without reading the first in the series. But to be fair, if I had read the first, there is a very high chance that I would have never read this one. I didn't have a problem with the plot or characters too much, but the actual writing made me want to scream. I'm pretty sure Bradley doesn't know how to set a scene without comparing it to something else. The first chapter has so many similes and metaphors that I don't know if I can actually tell you what he was trying to say without some serious analysis.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second in the series. It to is a 2 1/2 - 3 star book. Average but not horrible.
It is not bad, but there is nothing special about it either.
The writing and characters remain generic and one dimensional.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little thin - I wish the author would have combined this book with #3.

The story itself was okay. You knew bad stuff was happening but the author just let our imagination do the talking. Enjoyable series.

[Tim Seabrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story flips between two main characters, Marshall Mason Raines and his father Tanner Raines as both of them are making their way across the country.

Some of the descriptions are pretty graphic yet they are necessary and hold you to the story as it develops. There are several antagonists in each book. The main ones are those who have been affected by the virus and are changing, some to animalistic creatures that hate anyone who hasn't been affected, several groups of criminals who were freed from prison instead of being left to die, though not all of these are as bad as you would expect and then, there's the government. The Vice President is after the top job and is prepared to go any length to get it but wants it to look like he's the best person for the job, rather than then meglomaniac he actually is.

Caught in the middle are everyone else.

The action is fast paced, interspersed with moments that are funny.

Tanner, travelling with the Presidents daughter Sam, is trying to get her back to her mother. They are fighting to stay alive and have more than a few close calls with those that are trying to capture Sam to use as leverage against her mother, or are willing to kill her.

Mason and his wolf hound companion Bowie are trying to make their way to the Glynco training centre and meet up with other Marshalls. While the country maybe lawless, he is sticking to his ethics though they are sorely challenged on a regular basis.

A riveting read that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens.

[Mat Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Survivalist series improves on the first, offering a deeper exploration of the characters and maintaining the tension that fans will recognize. This time, the stakes feel higher as the main characters face increasingly dire situations, with more urgency in their actions. The character development is stronger too, likely because they’ve endured so much already.

The writing is smoother, with fewer awkward phrases and comparisons that disrupted the flow in the first book. While my critiques are few, one aspect stood out: I wish the author had spent more time on the cannibal section. That part of the story felt rushed and could have been expanded to add even more depth and intensity.

Overall, this book is a solid continuation of the series, with better pacing and a stronger narrative. Fans of the genre will find plenty to enjoy.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most terrifying thing a writer can face is a blank page; for fiction writers, though, penning a sequel to a well-received novel is a close second. With "Anarchy Rising," author Dr. Arthur Bradley faced such a challenge and has handled it masterfully. The second novel in Dr. Bradley's Survivalist universe, "Anarchy Rising" continues the multitude of plots established in its predecessor, "Frontier Justice," deepening them with new twists and turns without necessarily establishing anything inherently new. The dramatis personæ of "Frontier Justice" return, facing a cadre of new foes as they continue their struggle to survive in a post-pandemic, post-apocalyptic United States. Only one additional villain appears making an evanescent and, at least thus far in the plot, unnecessary appearance.

There are few things that I disliked about the book and most of those are simply recurring instances from "Frontier Justice." The problematic metaphors and similes return ("...sat in her gut like rancid peanut butter") but these are admittedly more a matter of personal preference than anything else: some readers might dislike them while others will simply gloss right over them. The multitudinous mentionings of flies swarming bodies and said bodies releasing gases persist but seem fewer in number than in the previous novel. Lessened also is the overabundance of detail that peppered the pages of "Frontier Justice"--a sure sign that Dr. Bradley is finding his narrative groove.

Occasionally, an obscure reference will rear up possibly causing confusion for the reader. In looking at the collective of these references, I feel like they might present an issue more to younger readers simply because of their historical relevance. It's extremely difficult to create a work with timeless references because, given enough years, even the most current of homages will lose their meaning. I was unfamiliar with Iron Eyes Cody and Ernest T. Bass but had caught an episode or two of Kojak back in the day and thus appreciated the Telly Savales reference. If you're not one to get hung up on such trivialities then it likely won't even matter. The one reference that I DID truly appreciate was the single mention of beer in the entire book. It's clear that Dr. Bradley is familiar with fine, microbrewed beer given his choice of brewery!

There are a few things worth mentioning that might be hit or miss with readers depending upon their preferences. One thing that I noticed early in "Frontier Justice" and saw more than a few times in "Anarchy Rising" is Dr. Bradley's habit of providing menial characters with descriptive monikers rather than names (e.g. Blacksmith, Coveralls, Tweedledee, and Tweedledum). I felt like it worked well in "Frontier Justice" given that most of those characters survived for only a few pages before meeting their untimely demises as a result of Mason's Supergrade but I find myself on the fence about the use of such a tactic here in "Anarchy Rising." I think that the problem this time is that the application isn't uniform. For example, the character titled "Blacksmith" appears with a second man named Cletus; the Tweedles are accompanied by a woman named Flo. The problem is that it comes across more as a lack of writing discipline than a demonstration of creative prowess. Again, just a personal preference but something that I thought worth mentioning.

Regarding the characters, there are more than a few helpless damsels throughout both novels that might cause some to roll their eyes. There are even a few references made to said females relying upon or seeking out a "strong man to protect them." Personally, I find the "strong man, weak woman" dynamic antiquated, inaccurate, and unnecessary. With that said, there are a greater number of female characters (including one extremely important one in "Anarchy Rising") who exhibit strong, desirable characteristics sure to assuage any rankled feminists reading the novels.

With regards to the many positives about "Anarchy Rising," the novel's pace is clearly its greatest strength. With three distinct narrative threads there is no shortage of action and Dr. Bradley does an excellent job of shifting seamlessly between them. In fact, out of the book's twenty-eight chapters only four are ten pages of text or more with the longest being fourteen in length. Some are as short as two or three pages. Despite the brevity of each individual section, I never felt like things moved too swiftly and, naturally, there was nary a moment that felt like it dragged on too long.

While reading "Anarchy Rising" and reflecting upon "Frontier Justice," I feel like the former has more action spread evenly throughout the novel. Dr. Bradley's strongest writing shines through in those action sequences, whether it's describing hand-to-hand combat or a sweeping military assault. It can be difficult to vary the description of such instances without repetition but Dr. Bradley manages to do so in such a way as to keep the reader engaged without feeling like he is rehashing earlier sequences.

Overall, the strength of "Anarchy Rising" is the fact that it is concise and never tries to be something that it isn't. It is clearly bridging the gap between "Frontier Justice" and whatever novels lie ahead but it is an excellent read in its own right and certainly deserves its place in the future Survivalist canon that Dr. Bradley is crafting. I'd recommend reading "Frontier Justice" first to obtain familiarity with the characters and plot elements and would HIGHLY recommend reading "Anarchy Rising" immediately thereafter. This is an excellent read and, much like the previous work, it fills me with excited anticipation about what lies ahead for the cast of characters.

[Bill Thibadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A post pandemic story

This is the second book in a series. Having completed the first two I am debating purchasing the third. The story, characters, and writing style are all very good - in fact excellent. My problem issues that it will cost me $6.60 for each of the remaining books. Do I spread my limited reading budget over a number of other indie authors or be selfish and read this one author and only download free books for awhile?

The author does a fine job of crafting a series that people who like this genre will lose sleep because they want to keep reading. I fit that mold hence my predicament. Highly recommended.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line. It continues the stories of US Marshal Mason, and his convict father following parallel lines. I wonder how many books it will be before they cross paths. The father, Tanner, has rescued the president's daughter and is trying to get her home to her mother while Mason is working his way to the US Marshal's center at Glencoe... to bad he finds it a death field. Each is putting together one half of the current situation of the United States. It will be interesting to see where Bradley goes with this.

[Joe Ricca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two continues the frantic storytelling pace provided by Arthur T. Bradley. The patriarch of the Raines family Tanner is making his way to his off-grid home where his son Mason has recently left. Both men are driven by ideals and at war with the same elements. Of course, neither man knows this. Mason has no idea of the fate of his father, who last he knew was incarcerated down south when Superpox-99 decimated the planet.
Book three should really get the pulse pounding.

[David Francesconi · Rating 3 out of 5]

We follow Marshal Mason and his pet dog (who saves in book one) Bowie who's an wolfhound. The world is a viruses apocalyptic USA, where a huge portion of the population killed off. This books has three stories going on. Marshall Raines as he travels around helping people as helps people, in this book he lso wants to check up on his fellow lawmen. Then there is Tanner Raines, father to Marshall Raines. Who is a convict, Buddhists who is still trying to get Samantha home to her Mother, who happens to be the President. Lastly there is the President is fighting a losing battle with her enemies all around her, mainly her vice president. I enjoyed the firsts two books and well keep reading the rest. The books are good but nothing new so far in this type genre.

[Christopher Alexandrov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great action, interesting premise

I started the series as a free book that I received from BookBub but since then I’ve purchased number two and number three in the series. They’re really enjoyable. It’s an interesting take on TEOTWAWKI with interesting characters and entertaining scenarios. Lots of action and fast-paced.

[Robert Mazzola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun series. The first six volumes are a single story centered around a father and son who's paths don't cross until book 4 (or is it book 5). They are like super men, who simply have better skills and survival instincts that any one else in the world. Not believable in any sense, but a lot of fun. Written at a 5th grade level, it's an easy and entertaining bathroom read.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page Turner

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. I love page turners likes this. The writer allows you to form a relationship with the main characters to the point that you can't wait to see what happens with them next. Can't wait to start the next book in this series!

[Michele Livesay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary Good Book

In book one, I was scared by the pandemic premise. But I couldn't put it down. This book had a different scary senerio that I also couldn't put down. These books are so real. What Mason and Tanner go through sounds so realistic and frightening. I can't wait for book three.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book in the series, and am happy to report that this sequel does not suffer the fate of many sequels, rather is good in itself.
The characters carry on doing what they were doing, and we have a lovely dog who keeps getting better and better. Always nice to have an intelligent canine sidekick!

[Ford Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good fun read. Fast paced with logical dialogue!

Book 2 was a bit slow to start but was still a great easy read. The pace was fast jumping from two Main Characters , each with a supporting cast, with exciting action scenes that were well placed within the plot. I'm enjoying the story and looking forward to the third installment.

[Roger C. Sellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story.

Father Tanner and son Mason and their traveling companions are all strong characters. The book is interesting from start to finish. I'm looking forward to the third book in the series.

[Marc Haughaboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable time killer, brain candy, accurate.

Readable time killer, brain candy, accurate. Lazy Saturday afternoon read. Very few errors and overall well worth the money and time spent.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like these books. Bloody as hell but enough detachment that I can stand it. Good plot, weird enough. What pisses me off is getting a 3 hr read and then having to buy another book. Don't know if it is "that" good......

[Michael D. Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The....

....action, drama and excitement continues in book two. New characters are just as realistic as the old ones, and there are a few brief, very interesting one's as well!!! Gotta love 'The Survivalist '!!!!!

[Tracey Mccall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

I love this series! Fast paced action from beginning to end! I am loving the interaction between Tanner and Sam.Mason is a true hero. Start reading now. I am off to get book 3

[Joshua Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

Some good action and great attention to detail in this book would recommend it to anyone interested in post apocalyptic stories

[Douglas R Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the genre.

[S Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Again the author has written a hard to put down page turner. I thought that it was even better than the last book.