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After the End #3
Grip of Fury
The power’s out. And only one chance to escape.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2023
177 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 6, 2025
GRIP OF FURY: is the third full length book in the After the End series by author Sam J Fires. Patrick & Holly and her little rescue dog.
I started this last night in bed and as per usual when it comes to this author I can't seem to put these books down, chapter after chapter ceased to exist once I'd finished this and was faced with a cliffy which has me wanting to start the next book in the series tomorrow after some much needed sleep.
And so Holly and Pat's journey continues and so far with what they have encountered on their travels they know they need to check up on Patricks kids Piper and Dylan and take Holly to her mother's..Pat has high hopes that Kimberly his ex wife made it home before all hell broke out and she's there taking care of their kids.
But that's not the case..
Kimberly crashed her vehicle on her way home from work, her car completely totaled and no cell phone service to make sure Patrick dropped off their kids at home as per their arrangement.
Pat knows that the kids will be fine as he knew Kimberly had a generator on hand and enough food stored away to keep them fed for a while until things righted itself again.
So first things first. Get to his ex wives place to check that everything is ok, get Holly to her mothers, then he'll head on to his cabin.
But when he reached his ex's place things aren't so great, due to her recent divorce she's kind of decluttered and everything that could've and should've saved them now has been given away, there's no food in the cupboards or stored away, and that life saving generator has also been given away, plus there's no sign of Kimberly, the kids stayed the night at a neighbours house due to the food situation at home and the cold.
Now Patrick, Holly and his kids make their way up to his secluded cabin away from the mayhem he knows is going to descend on the city. He was confident that when Kimberly makes it home she would know that he would've taken the kids up to the cabin.
Remember that nurse that's hellbent on grabbing Holly and taking her back to the hospital well he's made his way to Pat's cabin and he has Holly in his sights.
I started this last night in bed and as per usual when it comes to this author I can't seem to put these books down, chapter after chapter ceased to exist once I'd finished this and was faced with a cliffy which has me wanting to start the next book in the series tomorrow after some much needed sleep.
And so Holly and Pat's journey continues and so far with what they have encountered on their travels they know they need to check up on Patricks kids Piper and Dylan and take Holly to her mother's..Pat has high hopes that Kimberly his ex wife made it home before all hell broke out and she's there taking care of their kids.
But that's not the case..
Kimberly crashed her vehicle on her way home from work, her car completely totaled and no cell phone service to make sure Patrick dropped off their kids at home as per their arrangement.
Pat knows that the kids will be fine as he knew Kimberly had a generator on hand and enough food stored away to keep them fed for a while until things righted itself again.
So first things first. Get to his ex wives place to check that everything is ok, get Holly to her mothers, then he'll head on to his cabin.
But when he reached his ex's place things aren't so great, due to her recent divorce she's kind of decluttered and everything that could've and should've saved them now has been given away, there's no food in the cupboards or stored away, and that life saving generator has also been given away, plus there's no sign of Kimberly, the kids stayed the night at a neighbours house due to the food situation at home and the cold.
Now Patrick, Holly and his kids make their way up to his secluded cabin away from the mayhem he knows is going to descend on the city. He was confident that when Kimberly makes it home she would know that he would've taken the kids up to the cabin.
Remember that nurse that's hellbent on grabbing Holly and taking her back to the hospital well he's made his way to Pat's cabin and he has Holly in his sights.
October 31, 2023
This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
October 31, 2023
This was excellent! A brilliant third part to this well written, end of the world series! Following the same main characters as they face unbelievable odds & bad luck! Good ideas, lots of action & a good fast pace so that I finished it in no time at all! I can't wait for the next part! A really great read!
October 31, 2023
(I received this copy for the ARC group, so I got to read it early. Eat your hearts out.)
It is still snowing, of course.
Pat and Holly made it to his ex's house to see about his children. Piper and Dylan were safe with a neighbor. His ex has thrown or given away everything they might have needed in a decluttering frenzy. Pat, Holly, Piper, and Dylan have to figure out their next move.
As Holly tells Piper, "change isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Meanwhile, his ex, Kimberly, was stranded on the highway while trying to get home to her children. We follow her struggles to get back together with her family as well.
How will that reunion go, should it take place?
This is the third installment of the "After the End" series by Sam J Fires. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories, get a "Grip"!
It is still snowing, of course.
Pat and Holly made it to his ex's house to see about his children. Piper and Dylan were safe with a neighbor. His ex has thrown or given away everything they might have needed in a decluttering frenzy. Pat, Holly, Piper, and Dylan have to figure out their next move.
As Holly tells Piper, "change isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Meanwhile, his ex, Kimberly, was stranded on the highway while trying to get home to her children. We follow her struggles to get back together with her family as well.
How will that reunion go, should it take place?
This is the third installment of the "After the End" series by Sam J Fires. If you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories, get a "Grip"!
October 31, 2023
Really enjoying this third book in this series. The story of Pat and Holly continues to grow and keeps you riveted in their journey. Well done Ms Fires, great story, great characters. I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next.
October 31, 2023
Another book in the amazing After the End series. Each one keeps getting better and better. Had a hard time putting this one down. Looking forward to many more books/series from Sam Fires!
October 19, 2023
I loved the book and this series, great story,great characters. I loved the first two books and couldn't wait for this one now I can't wait for the next. I really enjoy Sam J Fires writing style. Now I need to wait for the next book. But I highly recommend this one!
November 22, 2023
Moron Characters and little action
What kind of idiot sends his kids off walking alone to where he knows there’s danger while he moves the dead body of a woman he doesn’t even know? The ex-cop hero of this series that’s who! Yeah that’s not the only stupid short sighted thing he and the others do either:
His truck is nearly out of gas so he siphons two gallons from the dead woman’s car and plans to fill up at the next gas station. Yeah that’s really how Our Hero thinks after three days of power out and he already has seen the empty stores. Why not siphon all the gas while he’s there? No reason other than sheer stupidity.
And let’s all sit around by the fire for days where there’s no food in the house and also no front door. No one even considers the radical idea of maybe go out and look for food. Or board up the front door to keep the blizzard and looters out. No let’s just prop the door against the wall and go back by the fire.
The author spends most of the time inside the characters heads where they endlessly repeat the same sort of inner dialogue that never ever gets them to any useful conclusions. It’s all just useless rumination. 5-6 paragraphs of mental maundering interrupted briefly by 1-2 lines of dialogue or very rare brief quickly-resolved action is the norm. Very little actually happens. 90% of the book could be removed with no loss to the storyline. There are many much better books in this genre available to waste time here.
What kind of idiot sends his kids off walking alone to where he knows there’s danger while he moves the dead body of a woman he doesn’t even know? The ex-cop hero of this series that’s who! Yeah that’s not the only stupid short sighted thing he and the others do either:
His truck is nearly out of gas so he siphons two gallons from the dead woman’s car and plans to fill up at the next gas station. Yeah that’s really how Our Hero thinks after three days of power out and he already has seen the empty stores. Why not siphon all the gas while he’s there? No reason other than sheer stupidity.
And let’s all sit around by the fire for days where there’s no food in the house and also no front door. No one even considers the radical idea of maybe go out and look for food. Or board up the front door to keep the blizzard and looters out. No let’s just prop the door against the wall and go back by the fire.
The author spends most of the time inside the characters heads where they endlessly repeat the same sort of inner dialogue that never ever gets them to any useful conclusions. It’s all just useless rumination. 5-6 paragraphs of mental maundering interrupted briefly by 1-2 lines of dialogue or very rare brief quickly-resolved action is the norm. Very little actually happens. 90% of the book could be removed with no loss to the storyline. There are many much better books in this genre available to waste time here.
May 14, 2025
On the positive side, the book held my attention. That's it for the positives. The book was ludicrous. Pat, the ex-cop, made about every mistake possible in a survival situation. He only siphoned one can of gas from a car in which the driver had died out of respect for the dead with the health and safety of his kids on the line. He broke down his wife's door rather than picking the lock when there was ZERO evidence of foul play inside. She had a new solid wood security door and he allegedly broke it down with a kick when he can barely walk because of his old gunshot wounds. Not. Then, he made virtually no effort to secure the house after he busted the door. Then we have the absurd evil psychiatrist sub-plot where she is trying to cure depression by experimenting on lab animals and patients? WTF? Then, somehow, Julian, the nurse, is all in on this evil plot in order to secure some sort of "promotion" at the hospital, and somehow with grid and no access to tech, he's able to find out Pat's name and locate his ex-wife's home, and then convince his 2nd ex-wife to ride on his motorcycle in the cold and snow for hours to get to Pat's cabin. So she just jumps on a bike with a complete stranger and drives off for hours? Did I mention that there was a bear attack and people dropping dead everywhere from heart attacks? Oh, and we never learn anything about what took out the grid. Is it in Oregon only? Are we at war? Worst plot ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2024
5/5
Is it an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) or something else? Who, what, how long is this going to be an issue?
I have just read all four books (Grip of Deceit, Despair, Fury and Panic) in this series. One right after the other. I had to!
Pat, our physically damaged and medically retired policeman and army vet, is only doingwhat he sees is the correct thing to do. It seems that his help is not always wanted though. He tries to sort out the nightmare everyon has found themselves in one person at a time damn the costs to himself.
He has kids that he is not sure if they love him or even like him, a bittter ex-wife and an escaped mental patient under his wings. All of them are in danger one way or another. In helping them he draws unwanted attention to himself and them. They all need tto to survive.
You need to read this series from the opening chapter of the ffirst book to the finish of book four to get you best bang for your buck. This series must go on!
Is it an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) or something else? Who, what, how long is this going to be an issue?
I have just read all four books (Grip of Deceit, Despair, Fury and Panic) in this series. One right after the other. I had to!
Pat, our physically damaged and medically retired policeman and army vet, is only doingwhat he sees is the correct thing to do. It seems that his help is not always wanted though. He tries to sort out the nightmare everyon has found themselves in one person at a time damn the costs to himself.
He has kids that he is not sure if they love him or even like him, a bittter ex-wife and an escaped mental patient under his wings. All of them are in danger one way or another. In helping them he draws unwanted attention to himself and them. They all need tto to survive.
You need to read this series from the opening chapter of the ffirst book to the finish of book four to get you best bang for your buck. This series must go on!
June 26, 2024
Grip of Fury: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (After the End Book 3), my twenty-eighth read from author Sam J. Fires and the third book in After the End series. Another enjoyable, well-written, entertaining 168-page Post-Apocalyptic read. “I was a given Kindle copy of this book and am just now getting around to reading it after discovering a free audio version on Youtube, and am voluntarily leaving a review." Next up Grip of Panic: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (After the End Book 4). The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
November 21, 2023
Grip of Fury
After the End #3
Post-apocalyptic
Sam J. Fires
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the POVs from new characters alongside POVs from Holly and Pat.
I really like the writing style of this author. It flows very nicely and the pacing was just right.
I can't stand Nurse Julian, but that's because of how creepy his character is and how well he's written. I look forward to seeing him get what he deserves 😂.
The ending was a surprise and I can't wait to see what happens next!
I didn't realise the next book will be released in January though and now I have to wait!
After the End #3
Post-apocalyptic
Sam J. Fires
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked the POVs from new characters alongside POVs from Holly and Pat.
I really like the writing style of this author. It flows very nicely and the pacing was just right.
I can't stand Nurse Julian, but that's because of how creepy his character is and how well he's written. I look forward to seeing him get what he deserves 😂.
The ending was a surprise and I can't wait to see what happens next!
I didn't realise the next book will be released in January though and now I have to wait!
October 31, 2023
This is instalment 3 in the After the End series and continues on with Patrick Dunn and Holly's story of survival. Patrick has befriended Holly and her dog Butler, on his way to get his children. It has been a harrowing few days since an EMP has done a reset to the world, but Patrick won't let anything stop him from getting to his children to protect them. Riveting writing with lots of action and fabulous characters.
January 8, 2024
Great Next Part of the Story
I really enjoyed this third book in the series and I hope the fourth is released soon so I can find out what happens next. This is an interesting read with plenty of twists and turns, although at least one of them is unexplained. I highly recommend these books and the previous series which are a very interesting take on what would happen if an EMP wiped out most electronics and even cars.
I really enjoyed this third book in the series and I hope the fourth is released soon so I can find out what happens next. This is an interesting read with plenty of twists and turns, although at least one of them is unexplained. I highly recommend these books and the previous series which are a very interesting take on what would happen if an EMP wiped out most electronics and even cars.
October 19, 2023
Another exciting episode in this saga. Pat is becoming ever more trusting of Holly who in turn is taking on more responsibility with less trepidation. Circumstances appear to be plotting against them as the EMP event continues to disrupt everyones lives. Two new character appear in the form of Pat's children, both appear to be typical teenagers. Roll on number four.
November 5, 2023
A quick, easy to read continuation of Pat and Holly's not so pleasant journey to ensure that Pat's children are safe. Underlying issues are brought to the fore and they face several dangerous situations, ending on a cliff-hanger. A must read. Looking forward to the next instalment. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 9, 2023
Compassion v evil humanity dares
Grip of fury is so aptly titled. Holly's story makes for dark reading yet she fights to find her way. Pat's compassion doesn't waver. Yet evil sneaks it's way in and there's danger at almost every turn. These characters draw you into their very being. With an explosive ending I'm left desperately waiting for book 4. Sam Fires has done it again.
Grip of fury is so aptly titled. Holly's story makes for dark reading yet she fights to find her way. Pat's compassion doesn't waver. Yet evil sneaks it's way in and there's danger at almost every turn. These characters draw you into their very being. With an explosive ending I'm left desperately waiting for book 4. Sam Fires has done it again.
January 25, 2024
Action Packed
Seems Pat is just like everyone else and chose poorly when dating and marriage.
His children are great kids, plus Butler took to Dylan like no one’s business and Piper instantly trusts Holly.
My question however is, who was the man in the cabin?
I can’t wait for book 4!!
Seems Pat is just like everyone else and chose poorly when dating and marriage.
His children are great kids, plus Butler took to Dylan like no one’s business and Piper instantly trusts Holly.
My question however is, who was the man in the cabin?
I can’t wait for book 4!!
March 10, 2024
What a cliffhanger
This was a great, suspenseful, clean read. I didn’t want to put it down. This is part of a series and the books need to be read in order. There was plenty of suspense as Pat and Holly head to Pat’s cabin. Kimberly, Pat’s ex, makes her way home. There was a cliffhanger, but thankfully the next book in the series is out. On to book 4.
This was a great, suspenseful, clean read. I didn’t want to put it down. This is part of a series and the books need to be read in order. There was plenty of suspense as Pat and Holly head to Pat’s cabin. Kimberly, Pat’s ex, makes her way home. There was a cliffhanger, but thankfully the next book in the series is out. On to book 4.
December 25, 2024
I mean, I do have some issues with this series (books too short, and sometimes a bit too much explaining instead of showing) but in the end it's just a very entertaining read. I liked this part more than the previous two, a lot more action, though I'd say the main strength of the series is suspense, which is done really well here by interweaving various POVs in slightly offset timelines.
December 24, 2025
“The former cop, who was compelled to help by his compulsion to help, felt a compelling pull to help that compelled him to want to help.
Tap tap tap tap. He looked around and even though the former cop was no longer a cop, he still felt he should be helping people because when he was a cop he helped people. Tap tap tap.”
Tap tap tap tap. He looked around and even though the former cop was no longer a cop, he still felt he should be helping people because when he was a cop he helped people. Tap tap tap.”
November 1, 2023
More villians than you can shake a stick at in this 3rd book in the After the End series. All of the characters seem to grow in this book, great character building. Quick read. Can't wait to see what happens next.
July 21, 2024
Another brilliant book
I have really enjoyed reading these first 3 books in this series and I can't wait to download another ,I am looking forward to see what happens to Holly & Pat
I have really enjoyed reading these first 3 books in this series and I can't wait to download another ,I am looking forward to see what happens to Holly & Pat
October 31, 2023
Another amazing story that will keep you gripped. What happens when the power goes out. There’s danger , intrigue and interesting characters to keep you wanting more.
November 26, 2023
Wow. Another installment in a fantastic series. These books are like a drug, just can't wait to get your next fix and I love the way they always end on a cliffhanger. Such a brilliant read.
February 8, 2024
Can't wait for book 4
Read all 3 books in 1 night! Couldn't put them down! Can't wait for book 4 to come out. Excited to see what happens next
Read all 3 books in 1 night! Couldn't put them down! Can't wait for book 4 to come out. Excited to see what happens next
July 22, 2024
Good book
Continued book. Book is about finding hope and peace from a struggling world. Pat, Holly, his children and his ex-wife to find a way.
Continued book. Book is about finding hope and peace from a struggling world. Pat, Holly, his children and his ex-wife to find a way.
August 8, 2024
Another page Turner
Sam Fries has a knack for drawing you in to the characters . Great page Turner A writer o follow.
Sam Fries has a knack for drawing you in to the characters . Great page Turner A writer o follow.
October 10, 2025
🎧(audiobook)
Good. Solid. The story has picked up.
Read my reviews about book 1 and 2 for more info.
Good. Solid. The story has picked up.
Read my reviews about book 1 and 2 for more info.
November 15, 2025
Borrowed with Kindle Unlimited, read with Alexa audio assist. Escape with kids to the cabin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews