Blood in the Ashes

Ashes #4

by William W. Johnstone

A bloodthirsty religious cult is spreading a doctrine of hate across the land, and it is sending its armies of fanatics against Ben Raines and his Rebels. If the cult's plan succeeds Raines will die, and so will all his dreams for the future of America.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Science Fiction, Action, Westerns

396 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

William W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.

Reviews

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben and his rebel army face a myriad of challenges both from within their ranks and murderous outside forces. A quick action filled read and unlike the prior volumes this one is not filled with flashbacks every chapter.

[Todd Sullivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ben Raines, the unstoppable hero of The Ashes series, returns in this fourth volume to read maps, be exceptionally good at everything, and stare wistfully at the horizon and say something poignant just a chapter is ending.

Yes, it's 2017, and I have completed yet another book in this series, because I enjoy occasionally taking a walk through a literary dumpster fire.

What does fate hold in store for Ben Raines this time? Mostly assaults from a crazy religious cult led by a woman who has a passionate hatred for Ben because he once may have got her pregnant many, many years before and refused to acknowledge the child as his own (keep in mind that this situation is described as if Ben did nothing wrong) as well as a crazy street thug running some kind of slave / prostitute ring. And even though these two groups should ultimately be incredibly different, they're essentially written as if they're military groups, because of course they are.

Also, Ben struggles against his desire to ditch his group and go back to wandering the wasteland on his own, chronicling the fall of America, because you might have forgotten that he's a also a writer as well as a military general who can do just about anything. This is probably his greatest struggle, as it comes up approximately 50 times over the course of the novel that Ben will be embarking on his own soon. Sometimes Ben says it. Sometimes it's Ben's lover or his friends. Sometimes random people. Everyone seem to be pretty clear about what Ben Raines is going to do. Unless he's about to murder you, in which case, no one has any idea.

This is a confusing series to read because for all of the author's apparent interest in war and combat, very little actually happens. More time is spent dealing with the aftermath of combat than dealing with the combat itself. And even then, it's really spent talking about dealing with the aftermath of combat. There's a painful amount of telling rather than showing going on.

And because of this, opportunities for actual drama end up abandoned. Here's one example: About half through the story, one of the big bads -- the street thug named Tony -- is about to have his position attacked by a military unit. Johnstone clearly wanted Tony to survive, which is fine, and what would have been interesting to see would have been Tony trying to scramble to safety while sacrificing his own men to the assault. It would have been exciting, and it also would have helped to show something of his personality, that he was willing to do anything to save his own neck.

Instead this is what happened: Tony suddenly gets a hunch that something bad is going to happen, and he leaves town just before the assault. And that is it. Literally, that is how he escapes. He gets a "hunch".

Adventure, ladies and gentlemen.

There are the bones of a decent adventure story here -- not a good one, certainly, but still one that could be entertaining -- if only it was being put together by a competent writer. Johnstone is not that writer. There is no drama when your hero is incapable of defeat. There is no suspense when you telegraph just about everything that's going to happen. And when the primary trait of literally all your villains is that they're rapists, you might want to go back to the ol' creative well.

Having said that, I'll be sitting down with book 5 in this mess of a series sometime in 2018.

[Kristina L Murphree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben does it again

This volume was written very organized. The rebels recover from a coupe and rescue more survivors. Great series to follow and I’m looking forward to the. Extone.

[Steven Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A review for the series so far.

I think this is a great series. It is a post-apocalyptic tale of society attempting to rise from the ashes after Cold War nuclear and germ warfare. The second book was a bit tiring because it quoted the first book so heavily. The last couple, including this book has dealt much better with the author giving you sources like a research paper. I started this series back in the 90's, and it is still a good read today.

[Tom OConnor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood in the,ashes

Enjoy the stories that Mr. Johnstone writes, develops the characters in a way that the reader can identify with the readers. Anyone who likes military and stories about the states after the government falls will,enjoy these. Can't wait to do the next.

[Sean Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I'm not a fan of this series like I was before my sense of reality matured, I do like how the entire population of America by this point is probably under 100,000 people. It make's for some enjoyable reading because you get the sense that the fight for civilization is more important. A group of raider's 3,000 strong wouldn't be shit in a country of 200 million, but imagine 80 to 90,000 spread out over the barren wasteland that is post-apocalyptic America. All of a sudden a group that large is a real menace. I think under circumstances like this, the importance of setting up a place where honest people can be safe and defend themselves would be important. By the fourth book, the flashback's are summarized, instead of a grueling 3 or 4 page reread, his agent must have talked some sense in to him.

[Bryan457 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ben Raines is thwarted in his attempts to put civilization back together by a bloodthirsty religious cult called the Ninth Order.

The series seems to have settled into a formula; plans to put civilization back together get put on hold because they have to go out and fight the bad guys.

Warning, strong language, violence, torture and sex.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the fall of the Tri-States and then the United States, Ben and his Rebels are slowly putting the Nation back in order as they travel looking for another place to settle. This time Ben must deal with Sister Voleta's Ninth Order, Tony Silver's slave society, and an uprising within his own ranks. It is the usual Ben book. Lots of blood, sex, and violence.

[Bonnie Hunsaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look at the future

This is the second time I have read this series. So much of what he writes has happened. More will come. I have always enjoyed his books and would recommend them to anyone who is not a liberal

[David Minger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like visiting an old friend and picking up right where we left off. Thank you Mr Johnstone and long live the Raine's Rebels!

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good adventure series. Basically the forming of a new United States after WW3 and the story of the man who leads and forms it. If you like men's adventure stories you will enjoy it. Recommended

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Formula writing but entertaining brainless read.