Relapse

Breakers #7

by Edward W. Robertson

Anson's army has driven Raina from the mainland, but the war is far from over. From the safety of Catalina Island, she launches a guerrilla campaign, meaning to weaken him cut by cut.She finds herself matched at every step by his grimly determined lieutenant, Lowell. With progress slower than expected, Raina is forced to accept the creation of a war council. But the council's will to fight is weakening by the day. Pressured by her enemies and from within, Raina soon finds her grip on the island slipping.But the threat of losing her people is nothing compared to the threat Ness and his alien friend Sebastian have discovered across the Pacific.____The seventh post-apocalyptic Breakers novel, RELAPSE is the setup to the explosive finale of the series.

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic, Fiction, Audiobook, Aliens, Post Apocalyptic

413 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2014

About the author

Ed is the author of the post-apocalyptic Breakers series and the epic fantasy series The Cycle of Arawn. A former New Yorker and Idaho-guy, he currently lives in the LA area. His short fiction has appeared in a whole bunch of magazines and anthologies.

Reviews

[ᒪᗴᗩᕼ]

4⭐

👽MOODS👽
➨ Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian ➨ Alien Invasion ➨ Politics, warring and deceptions ➨ Book #7 of Breakers Series

This is my favorite of the books that have come after the original 3 breakers books. I’m pretty sure I liked it as much as I did because Raina is the focus. Raina is such a badass, and I’ve missed being in her headspace. Things are definitely gearing up for a big finale showdown. I’ll have to listen to the final book (Blackout) sooner rather than later.

➨ Narrated by: 🎙️ Ray Chase 📣 He does terrific voices for dialogue but his voice is a little deep for me. I don’t know what it is about deep voices…but I don’t like them for Audio all that much. Also, I still really want a female narrator for the female POVs…I’ll never stop wanting that…


Total Score 7.79/10 | Opening-8 | Characters-8 | Plot-7.5 | Atmosphere-8 | Writing Style-7.5 | Ending-8 | Overall Enjoyment- 7.5

[Geoff]

Great book - it is always a problem recommending a sequel, the next book will determine my ultimate opinion. Robertson works for me - he is not Dickens but I had no great expectations. I look to escape to post-apocalypse worlds and he provides me one that I can closely identify with - it could be today.

[Lisa Dugan]

So good!!!! As with the previous two books, Robertson is on a roll with this series and once he got going with Book 5, it’s been a non-stop roller coaster ride. All of the previously established characters are back or updated and the adventures are creative, unpredictable and well written. None of my complaints from Books 0-3 apply anymore. I am enjoying this series immensely now. Nothing like an unputdownable book, let alone three in a row in a series. Kinda bummed I’m finally about to start the final book, Book eight. Although since I skipped book 4 I at least have that to go back to. Not to leave the story behind yet. ( Another reviewer advised that Book 4 picks up the story from Book Zero, diverging from the characters I finally came to care about - so skipping it finishes one thread while leaving others out there.) Glad I took that advice. I was done with the plodding pace of the first books. Bravo Edward W Robertson. Well done!! Btw, I lm listening to the audiobooks and Ray Chase has nailed these characters so well and so consistently it’s as if he has other actors performing the parts. A true listening pleasure

[Christian]

Ness and Sebastian are the funniest combo in the book. I love the banter they have with each other especially towards the end during some stressful parts. "NESS WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO FOREVER PARK THE SUB ON THE REEF????!!!!! BE QUIET AND SIT DOWN" lol

Or when he calls out Ness saying that he has a thing for Tristan haha

[Carole]

Good book, love the return of Ness and Sebastian, again he managed to keep the reader so interested that you just had to know how it finished, Hurry and bring out the next book please as I am really looking forward to reading it.

[Lisa]

Too Good for Words

I never want this fantastic series to end. It's just THAT GOOD. Excellent character development and story intrigue that simply compels you to keep reading. It's funny, sad, scary, anxious and oh so much more. 💙

[Peter Parslow]

As I mentioned - don't start with this book. The series is really one story, to be read from the beginning. Well, often it's three simultaneous stories which sometimes weave together.

I've bought - and started - the next (& final) episode.

[Doug Peters]

I'm so close to giving this a 4/5 because of Raina and Lowell, a new character. Their development and backstory, respectively, saved what was very much a middle-of-a-trilogy story. Weird for the 7th book of a series to be that way, but whatever. It is all leading up to the next book, which is the last. It is shaping up to be an epic one.

Overall, I've enjoyed this series, but not nearly as much as Robertson's Cycle of Arawn/Galand/Scour books. We'll see if its finale changes my mind.

[Julie Powell]

I am really enjoying this series - well-written, great characters, intriguing plot, plenty of action, thought-provoking, wise and humorous.

Book seven takes us in all manner of places as the characters battle for survival. I particularly like the humour - laugh out loud sometimes - which is a perfect foil for all the brutality and seriousness of the story itself.

I also like how we can follow characters from the rest of the series. Cleverly done.

Highly recommended.

[Shirley Procter]

love this series!

I started off reading the first book as a free download, and was immediately hooked! I’ve ended up buying the whole series and reading them over a couple of weeks. The stories interlink, weave around reach other so well and come together climactically. Absolutely loved the set!

[Karlyn]

I’ve enjoyed this installation in the story line. I like the story arc and am looking forward to the final. I enjoy these characters and the culmination of their story lines.

[Joanne]

can't wait til next bk, but it's the last one so will wait a bit!!!

[Jan]

Love this series.

[Kim]

One more to go!

[Debbie Hemmeter]

I cannot put these things down. Wonderful bad guys, smart and moral heroes, and exciting, thrill-filled plots, and this one totally measured up.

[Mark Zodda]

Very good story, but this one clearly acts as a set-up for the final book of the series, which I'm looking forward to reading soon.

[Eric Spurgeon]

Love this series. Another great entry.

[Emma]

I always forget what happens in book 7, as I think I mix it up a bit with the final book. It is a little slow to start, especially before you realise there is a third narrative involving Ness, Tristan, Sebastian and friends. And then of course, you are sucked into the book. I really enjoy a big chunk of the story being in Australia/NZ, as being so far out of the way generally leaves us Aussies out of most stories. My only critique, is that Dr Gohel most certainly lived in the "bush" and not the "woods" as is written, however, I am nitpicking and it does not detract from the story at all. I love that Robertson takes us all around the world in the Breakers series. It is really refreshing to be a little less U.S.-centric. In saying that, it always leads back to L.A. which is the main base for the narrative. I do love the U.S. settings as well, and the impeccable descriptions of the places Robertson takes us. I'm presently only a quarter of the way through my current read of book 7, but as always, his writing only improves as the series goes on, and many of my favourite scenes occur in this book. So in short, I can't recommend it enough!

[Barry Bozeman]

The best deals on this series for audible listeners is to purchase the Kindle version and add the Audible for $8 = $11 or 12 for both versions vs $15 for Audible only. 5
Many of the new post-apocalyptic series books go for $14 or 15 for 6 or 7 hours but this series has respectable 13 to 14-hour segments for excellent characters in intertwining storylines that eventually see each of the dozen or so main characters come together for the final series ending battles .
85% of humanity dies from a worldwide pandemic only to face invasion from Swimmers - crab/squid/lobster like aliens that start eliminating the survivors or capturing them in order to craft a virus to overcome their immunity.
Each book has chapters that alternate the stories of 2 or 3 main characters who migrate toward Los Angeles from New York, Idaho, and other states with stops in Washington State's Hanford nuclear facility, Redding CA., Hawaii, and/or Arizona.
The surviving humans end up in 4 camps in SoCal - The LaJolla Kingdom, The Catalina Kingdom, the followers of Anson in Hollywood, and Raina's San Pedro - Long Beach group all fighting for dominance and control beneath the shadow of the massive alien mothership before and after it is crashed into the Pacific off Santa Monica.

[Brian Switzer]

The best book of the series

Readers of The Breakers series have come to know its characters like they know their friends (or in some cases their enemies) and Relapse, the seventh and penultimate book in the series shows the characters at their finest. Over the course of the book they converge in the same location (with plenty of twists, turns, abductions, battles and a regicide along the way). By the time you get to the cliffhanger scene that sets up the final book in the series you realize you are in the hands of a master storyteller.

[Lara]

Great Series

I'm a lifelong fantasy and sci-if fan and wasn't sure what to expect from a modern day post-plague apocalyptic story, but this kept me reading. Since I stumbled on "Wool" and read Robertson's Cycle of Arawn I knew I needed to give this a shot.

I'm apparently posting for my wife, the next step is to get her to try the books as well. It shouldn't be that difficult since he has such strong female protagonists.

[Vic Falconer]

Another excellent book in this series!!

This has been a truly entertaining read for me. Robertson has once again paced the action very well and overlapped the differing character stories into a cohesive whole. If you haven't read any of this series, what are you waiting for? Raina, Mauser, Ness, Sebastian, Tristan, Sprite, Sam, Walt & Carrie are about to kick ass once again in the final book and I am really looking forward to it. Here's to you Mr. Robertson!!

[Nicole]

It is bittersweet finishing this book. I know I have one more to go before the series is over, and I honestly feel like I could read this series forever. When I first started reading the series back in October, I wasn't particularly hooked. Now, I feel much more invested in the characters, and looking back, I have come to realize how much more meaningful all of their stories have been.
I can't wait to start reading #8 tonight!

[Mike]

Sets up the final act for the Breakers series perfectly. The whole series is a combination Sci-fi/medieval knights/royalty mashup. Interesting take on what an apocalypse would be like, if you lived in California.

[Dawn Taylor]

Awesomeness

At first I thought the book was moving a little slow but persistence drove me through the first couple chapters then it was all on. I couldn't put it down. I am really looking forward to the final book in the series.

[® Andy]

More of the quality that we've come to expect with this series, but breaking with the tradition of two main stories in alternating in chapters. Why? Well across this book it was time to start gathering all the protagonists from the series together ready for the big reveal and the final book ;-).

[Gray Family]

Great finale to a wonderful series. Some twists and and turns along the way and for a while it's really not very clear how it's all going to pan out. No spoilers, but it was a fitting end and the characters were done justice. Some old faces make a showing too which was a nice touch.

[David Blaylock]

The penultimate chapter in the Breakers series.

I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

[Mike Abrahams]

Another good effort in what has been a consistently thoughtful series despite the pace and cliffhangers at the end of each chapter.

Love the depth in characters like Raina and Ness too.

[Thomas Shull]

Great book

Another very good book in this series. Started reading and could not put it down. Need to start with first book but this is a must read