Judgment Day

The Survivalist #3

by Arthur T. Bradley

The Survivalist (Judgment Day) is the third book in Dr. Bradley's Survivalist Series. (Series Order: Frontier Justice, Anarchy Rising, Judgment Day, Madness Looms - coming summer of 2014).

The United States continues to devolve into total lawlessness as it struggles to recover from a pandemic that left billions dead. Gangs of convicts sweep through towns, raping and murdering with impunity. Opportunistic warlords build private armies with the hopes of expanding their influence. And infected survivors continue to mutate, growing stronger and more psychotic with each passing day.

Deputy Marshal Mason Raines tracks a band of mercenaries responsible for poisoning hundreds of his fellow lawmen. Terribly outnumbered, he must resort to drawing the attention of an adversary even more dangerous than the soldiers of fortune. As the nation's last living marshal, Mason must once again remind his enemy that no one is above the law.

Meanwhile, Tanner and Samantha travel to Salamanca, New York, to grant a dying man's last wish. Together, they must overcome all manner of evil, including satanic worshippers, murderous road warriors, and a tunnel-dwelling creature that is anything but human. Their only hope of surviving the perilous journey is to work together in ways they never thought possible.

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

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2014

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

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Audiobook review.)

Technically this is post-apocalyptic but other than lawless communities versus a gang of outlaws, but there's zero post-apocalyptic nostalgia or ingenuity that I most like about the genre. Mostly there's some man-to-woman or man-to-child drama and a lot of fight action. Clearly the author knows his firearms and their detailed usage. Not so much biological science or three-dimensional female characters. The female president must be the president of The Feeble States of Apathetica rather than our former military superpower because lost daughter or not, she is embarrassingly lame. You simply do not get to that level without having more strength of character than this. Some of the descriptions of the virus, Superpox-99, seemed amateurish and made me cringe. Was it really named 99 because of its 99% mortality because that's not how they are named. Plus, the book states 1 in 30 survive which is closer to 97%. But that's just my microbio/physician hackles being raised.

The story is third in a series but I had no problem feeling like it was its own story in the beginning, maybe because the characters aren't exactly complex. Lawman with a giant dog and good-natured giant convict with little girl to protect. It doesn't get much more complex, nor does the journey get closure by the end of the novel, not that it really went anywhere anyways.

As for the audiobook narrator, he's a little overdramatic and does not do female voices well at all, but I guess you get used to it.

I won't be revisiting the other books of the series.

[Tim Seabrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Events for our two lead characters are happening fast and they are having to overcome many challenges.

Tanner and Sam had made back to Tanner's place and managed to spend some time recovering from their ordeals. Tanner also learned that his son is alive.

Mason's life just got more complicated and is now seeking vengence for the events done to his fellow Marshalls. But just as he finds out who is reponsible, a turn of events within the remaining government has made his task of bringing those responsible to justice that much harder.

The action is gritty and detailed. Yet as the same time detailed and you're rooting for an outcome. The writing is good and while the towns and cities mentioned are desolate and in many cases lawless, the writer gives a great deal of detail that helps those who've never been there to imagine what these places are/were like

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

😲

This series just keeps getting better, albeit a few wee niggles annoyed me lol. The tracker for starters, you'll see if you read the book!
So following the same lines and stories of the Marshall and Tanner mainly with even more snippets from the President. This time though we also get Vice President Pike and Nakai, whom works for VP Pike.
Something I haven't mentioned in my previous reviews for the first two books is these books come with great graphics too. Doted through the book. I'm reading these in a paperwhite so only seeing them in black and white, sure they are in colour so would look even better in colour I think.
Said already previously but I really do like this authors writing style. A few things tending to be a little but repetitive but hey what can you do in a post apocalyptic world? Will.see how the fourth installment goes 😊.

[Ford Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, fun, exciting read. Erie and enjoyable.

This series is thrilling and fun. The Group of Main Characters are fun and likable and you want to root for them in every encounter. The plot is spooky but challenging; you wonder how you would do to survive and flourish in such conditions. I like the series, dialogue and story line remains strong. The books are short in length but just enough to not feel shortchanged. Great, fun read!

[Rob Badger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

The third book in the series continues in the same vein as the previous two, it stands alone well enough but continues the he ongoing stories to a greater degree than the first two. Very enjoyable from an action point of view as well as from a prepping and survivalist view point.

[Cynthia S Bonczynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down!

The ongoing saga of Mason, Tanner, and Samantha is a gripping , edge of your seat, story of survival. Can't wait to dig into #4 in the morning, gotta get some sleep!

[Douglas R Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consistent high quality story

This third book is at the same level as the first two. Simple writing backed up by a great story. Truly, this series is the finest of the dystopian story books available. I can't stop reading them!

[S Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Again the author has kept me on the edge of my seat in with another page turner. The story continues to deliver to the reader a fast paced story of life after the fall of humanity giving twists and turns that keeps you up reading all night.

[Sean Aylward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

A good read, lots of action, a little romance, heroism,sometimes it reads more like a Wild West western novel great for those interested a possible post apocalyptic (bit far fetched at times )future.

[Tracey Mccall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Another amazing book in this series! I enjoy following along with Tanner and Sam the interaction of the two is outstanding Masons sense of duty, justice and setting the world right puts him at the top of the good guy list. I am excited to read more of this series

[Mike Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr.Bradley's chracters are believable and real. It's a well spun tale so far!

The fact that Mr Bradley has Doubled the price of his "Books" after he has sucked us in is rather
sad. I guess somebody has to pay for his PHD!!!

[Joshua Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Book

5 stars again the story is unfolding a few deaths in this book to some known characters some vengeance coming in the next few books I imagine

[Glenda Horsfall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read... just loving this series.

[Gregory A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 continues the saga

Another enjoyable read . Plots continue to hold one's interest. Happy to see some characters dispatched. Sad for others. On to book 4

[Josiah Mcfeeters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanner and Sam's relationship is just hilarious.

[Preston Dannelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the best

Best stories, best info, best products, best entertainment! I believe the man knows what he is talking about, so I am going to keep reading.

[Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Susan White-Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a little something to read during slow times at work

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the book. Quick read. Only criticism is that the good guys are like super heroes and can unrealistically beat the bad guys every time

[Mat Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the strongest book so far. It was the smoothest read and contained the most punchy final couple of chapters so far. Still engaged. Still digging it!

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first became a fan of Dr. Arthur T Bradley's writing by way of his excellent non-fiction (namely his Preppers' Instruction Manual and the Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family, both of which are available here on Amazon). When I first heard of The Survivalist series of novels I was both curious and excited about exploring Dr. Bradley's fiction-writing. I was hooked early on by his approachable, engaging writing style, his believable and likeable characters, and the straightforward, action-packed plots; by the time I finished "Frontier Justice," the first novel in the series, I was craving the continuation of the story.

This, the third and most recent iteration of The Survivalist, features all of the elements that made the first two books great but also improves upon them. It is apparent almost immediately that Dr. Bradley has found both his stride and his comfort zone as a fiction writer (which, as any writer will tell you, is an almost completely different arena than technical/academic/informative non-fiction). The returning characters remain true to form but, to my utter enjoyment, the dynamic duo of Tanner Raines and Samantha Glass has really smoothed out. My biggest gripe about the earlier novels was the clunky dialogue between those two characters. Now, here in The Survivalist (Judgment Day), the pair proves to be the most entertaining set of characters arguably in all of the novels and, perhaps, the most believable.

Though the post-apocalyptic milieu remains the same, the ever-present dangers that the main characters face have grown more threatening and, in a few cases, darker and far more heinous. Deputy Marshal Mason Raines' unending quest for justice continues to build in scope as he uncovers new information about the increasing threat posed by villains either hinted at or introduced in the previous novels. The almost infallibility/invincibility of both Mason and his father Tanner take serious hits in Judgment Day and often leave the reader breathless or clutching to the next page, anxiously awaiting the result of the numerous action-packed sequences.

Regarding the overarching plot, I find many of the elements reminiscent of the amazing show "Jericho" that aired in televised format a few years ago and which persists in printed graphic novel form today. What separates Dr. Bradley's Survivalist series though is the interspersion of valuable, applicable real-life prepping knowledge. The first novel seemed to have more of this than its sequel but this, the third novel, seems to have the most though the bulk of it is well-hidden--easily glossed over by the casual reader. Many "preppers'" or "survivalists'" novels border on the ridiculous in their over-the-top exploration of TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it) but Dr. Bradley's series reads as simply a collection of post-apocalyptically placed thriller/adventures. The reader is not brow-beaten with knowledge but, for those who would wish to seek it out, it is undeniably present in the pages.

Though I rarely discuss the specifics of plot and characters, I would be remiss not to point out that Dr. Bradley has mastered the art of the unexpected. For one, a climax that I anticipated being the crux of the novel came and went within almost the first third of the novel; a few that left my jaw dropped completely surprised me in the latter two-thirds. The quantity of action seems to have increased and Dr. Bradley's penchant for capturing both the violence and the emotion of these sequences has clearly improved over his previous already-adequate efforts; now it feels like I'm reading the work of a well-versed, highly-talented fiction writer.

With a five-star rating, this is easily my favorite of the three excellent novels that comprise Dr. Bradley's Survivalist arc and it comes with both my highest recommendation and a caveat. If you're brand new to the series and Dr. Bradley's writing, seek out "Frontier Justice" (the first, introductory novel of The Survivalist series) as well as his non-fiction work so that you can get a greater sense of his motivations for writing as well as his background qualifications. It won't be long before you find your way here to the third piece of the plot puzzle and, I can all but guarantee you, it will lead you forward towards the fourth novel and beyond. An absolute can't-miss novel! And for those of you looking for a slightly different experience be sure to look out for Dr. Bradley's novels in audiobook form both on Amazon and through Audible's website.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fear of judgment is rarely enough to keep evil at bay..."

This is an excellent series by author Bradley based on TEOTWAWKI scenarios. I've read the first two books in the series - "Frontier Justice (The Survivalist Book 1)" and "Anarchy Rising (The Survivalist Book 2)." I enjoyed them both, rated them 5 stars, and the series just keeps getting better.

We are really getting to know Deputy U.S. Marshal Mason Raines and his huge dog Bowie. The stories are pretty well split 50/50, half telling Mason's story and the other half chronicling the story of Tanner Raines (Mason's father) and his young charge, Samantha, the daughter of the POTUS.

Both men - and Samantha too, for that matter - battled their way through this third book in the series. Cool fight scenes abound along with basic survival tips. (Oh, and not to mention killer Amish "zombies.") And, again, great cover art and excellent illustrations that are actually tied into the story, making me think the illustrator actually read the book.

I'm now on my way to start "Madness Rules (The Survivalist Book 4)." So far, in the series, the pace has been fast, character development a real plus and the storyline all too believable. I don't expect that to change in this next book.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mason arrives at the Law Enforcement Center, but finds it devastated by a neuro-toxin bio weapon. The U.S. Marshal force is all but wiped out. Is Mason the last of his kind? Who would commit such an attack and just as importantly, why? With the world in the midst of a pandemic, why attack the U.S. Marshal's home base? The U.S. Government are the only people with access to such toxins. Is our own government guilty of carrying out the attack? Mason will find out who and why. In his search, Mason finds out just how desperate and treacherous the government can be. Mason exacts his revenge on those responsible.
Tanner meanwhile has made his way to his home with his charge safely in tow. Samantha has one more side trip in mind for Tanner before returning home to her mother. She made a commitment to a dying soldier to bring his last sentiments to his family, which is about 100 miles out of their way. Tanner again agrees to oblige his charge on another detour. Seems Tanner is in no hurry to complete his journey and be rid of his charge. Odd to say the least, but good for the story line.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another 2 1/2 - 3 star entry (the third) in the Survivalist series.
This book remains readable, but the plot line is becoming more ludicrous as the characters choose more ludicrous actions, zombies make an appearance, and the anti-government paranoia plot line goes drives the series further into the fringes of absurdity. I thought this was the 3rd and final book in the series, but i was wrong as there's another one on the way.

As mentioned in my review of the first book in the series, this is average pulp fiction in the genre.
If you are looking for quality - look elsewhere (Try "One Second After" or "The Dog Stars")

[Donna Dunmire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

Reading the Survivalist series was pure pleasure for me. I love the relationships and the banter between them! Also there were some survivalist ideas that I want to employ. It prepares your mind and heart for the shocking realities the end times may bring. When I finished, I was so sad to have no new books available. So, I think just for fun, I will read them all again. (Like my mother, I can now forget books and movies so I can experience them again for the "first " time!)

[Kathi Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multipal story lines and many twists and turns. While I am enjoying the books, I wish they were not so short. Through the countless "encounters/adventures" that the primary characters become involved with, their characters deepen. I find myself being more involved with the father than the son, which is the reverse of how I initially felt. I continue to like the series and have bought through book 6.

[Michelle McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survivalist 3

I am stunned with the capacity of humanity to be so vile and cruel. The graphic nature leaves little to the imagination for the sad and sorry state of affairs should the infrastructure of our country were to collapse. It saddens me to think that humanity would become as Mr. Bradley describes it. The loss of life rather intentional or unintentional is staggering.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

He did it again: a super third installment in the series.

I'd like to give 0 star for the twist but couln't...even if I was cocked, I fell still it's was predictable....
I liked a lot and lot Tanner and Sam..keep going buddies !

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the best written series in this genre. Well written, good dialogue even! The story is enticing and I'm excited for more. I really appreciate someone who lends great writing skills to this genre.

[Mike Moondog · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Zombies, but Zombie like

Appears we have some people infected with the virus that didn't die, but mutated to become feral wild beasts.
Some payback is over due for a certain villain. Let the game begin.