Dark Moon (Dramatized Adaptation): E-Day Trilogy, Book 3

E-Day #3

by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, Full Cast (Narrator)

The final battle for humanity is about to begin...

On the moon, Ronin Hayashi trains to protect the colonies from the inevitable invasion of the machines. While he prepares to stand his ground, Sergeant Tadhg Walsh is planning an escape mission to deliver a weapon to the resistance on Earth.

At Neptune Station, Captain Akira Hayashi and Shadow Squad have returned from a deadly journey into enemy territory where they learn the machines are building an army at an astonishing rate. After continued attempts to contact the Lunar Defense Corps for help, Shadow Squad accepts the hard truth—the LDC isn’t coming.

With hope for salvation dwindling, Akira deploys on a desperate mission to find Apeiron, believing only she can stop Doctor Otto Cross from completing his reset of Earth. But Akira soon realizes they need more than just Apeiron. Shadow Squad must somehow reunite with Tadhg and the weapon he carries. Only then can Akira lead the charge against the machines in one last fight for the future of humanity.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Genres: Audiobook, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

Audible Audio

First published March 29, 2022

About the author

Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels with two million copies sold. Before his writing career, he served at Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a background that inspired many of his story concepts. A two time Ironman triathlete, he enjoys running, biking, and hiking. Nicholas also loves traveling, especially to his cabin in Northern Minnesota where he weaves his tales. He lives in Iowa with his wonderful wife and their son and daughter.

Note: Nicholas is no longer an active user on Goodreads and does not use the platform. If you want to connect with him on social media here are some links. He would love to hear from you.

Facebook Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NSSFa...
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/nicholassans...
Website: nicholassansburysmith.com
Instagram: instagram.com/author_sansbury/

Reviews

[Ben Wille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I finished the series. But that’s about it.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend….’ – a new, important thriller

Iowa author Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s extracurricular activities include a passion for racing (he is an Ironman triathlete), and he entered the world of literary art after serving in the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, working in disaster planning and mitigation. His genre is science fiction with an emphasis on post-apocalyptic tales. His initial short story SOLAR STORMS was written in 2013 and was prescient: our history remembers when we were put on alert for a large solar explosion (fortunately it didn't affect our power grid) so we were attuned to the title. Nicholas has published the following series - THE EXTINCTION CYCLE, TRACKERS, ORBS, THE SONS OF WAR, HELL DIVERS, and this series E-DAY described by the author as ‘the rise of AI, droids, and an operating system (OS) designed to save the planet and our species in the near future.’ E-DAY III: DARK MOON is Book 3.

Nicholas understands the impact of a curtain raiser as his opening suggests: ‘Rattling echoed through the caverns. Engine Lieutenant Andy Jackson crouched behind a rock wall with two Coalition soldiers, holding his energy axe while he tried to pinpoint the location of the advancing Canebrakes. The click and hiss of their electronic communications ricocheted from every direction. The island was crawling with the metal monsters. Jackson was somewhere on the eastern side of Cat Ba Island, deep inside the cave system of the mountains…’ And the action progresses!

For an overview of the plot: ‘On the moon, Ronin Hayashi trains to protect the colonies from the inevitable invasion of the machines. While he prepares to stand his ground, Sergeant Tadhg Walsh is planning an escape mission to deliver a weapon to the resistance on Earth. At Neptune Station, Captain Akira Hayashi and Shadow Squad have returned from a deadly journey into enemy territory where they learn the machines are building an army at an astonishing rate. After continued attempts to contact the Lunar Defense Corps for help, Shadow Squad accepts the hard truth--the LDC isn’t coming. With hope for salvation dwindling, Akira deploys on a desperate mission to find Apeiron, believing only she can stop Doctor Otto Cross from completing his reset of Earth. But Akira soon realizes they need more than just Apeiron. Shadow Squad must somehow reunite with Tadhg and the weapon he carries. Only then can Akira lead the charge against the machines in one last fight for the future of humanity.’

Pure steampunk science fiction is delivered by the master chef! Nicholas Sansbury Smith has this jargon and admixture of science and speculation down well - he has the talent to maintain interest and fascination for a long series.

Merged review:

‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend….’ – a new, important thriller

Iowa author Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s extracurricular activities include a passion for racing (he is an Ironman triathlete), and he entered the world of literary art after serving in the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, working in disaster planning and mitigation. His genre is science fiction with an emphasis on post-apocalyptic tales. His initial short story SOLAR STORMS was written in 2013 and was prescient: our history remembers when we were put on alert for a large solar explosion (fortunately it didn't affect our power grid) so we were attuned to the title. Nicholas has published the following series - THE EXTINCTION CYCLE, TRACKERS, ORBS, THE SONS OF WAR, HELL DIVERS, and this series E-DAY described by the author as ‘the rise of AI, droids, and an operating system (OS) designed to save the planet and our species in the near future.’ E-DAY III: DARK MOON is Book 3.

Nicholas understands the impact of a curtain raiser as his opening suggests: ‘Rattling echoed through the caverns. Engine Lieutenant Andy Jackson crouched behind a rock wall with two Coalition soldiers, holding his energy axe while he tried to pinpoint the location of the advancing Canebrakes. The click and hiss of their electronic communications ricocheted from every direction. The island was crawling with the metal monsters. Jackson was somewhere on the eastern side of Cat Ba Island, deep inside the cave system of the mountains…’ And the action progresses!

For an overview of the plot: ‘On the moon, Ronin Hayashi trains to protect the colonies from the inevitable invasion of the machines. While he prepares to stand his ground, Sergeant Tadhg Walsh is planning an escape mission to deliver a weapon to the resistance on Earth. At Neptune Station, Captain Akira Hayashi and Shadow Squad have returned from a deadly journey into enemy territory where they learn the machines are building an army at an astonishing rate. After continued attempts to contact the Lunar Defense Corps for help, Shadow Squad accepts the hard truth--the LDC isn’t coming. With hope for salvation dwindling, Akira deploys on a desperate mission to find Apeiron, believing only she can stop Doctor Otto Cross from completing his reset of Earth. But Akira soon realizes they need more than just Apeiron. Shadow Squad must somehow reunite with Tadhg and the weapon he carries. Only then can Akira lead the charge against the machines in one last fight for the future of humanity.’

Pure steampunk science fiction is delivered by the master chef! Nicholas Sansbury Smith has this jargon and admixture of science and speculation down well - he has the talent to maintain interest and fascination for a long series.

[Derek Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, good story. I enjoyed the mix of history and science fiction aspects to this story. The characters are intriguing while somewhat easy to follow (some have impact but had to remember who they were or what they were doing). I enjoy NSS books, only real critique is the ending. Knew it coming, the story had a logical conclusion however, it almost seems rushed. It has to conclude but the narratives seemed to be leading to more then abruptly shifts to “let’s wrap this up”.

[Jesse Switzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

No hell divers. The books lacked depth. Good characters but the world building and descriptions were lacking. Couldn't help comparing it to Terminator and it lacked the sense of fear and constantly needing to hide. I know the book was always writing about that but I wasn't feeling it.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a good continuation of the E-Day story and I enjoyed NSS' writing style and creativity, especially the monsters. I was not happy with the ending though. That could've been less abrupt and would've been way more satisfying if events went differently.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wish I could say I enjoyed this series but the best I can do is say I finished.
These books were borrowed from the library, it's the only reason I finished the series, because if I had paid money I would have been disappointed.
The saving grace was having R. C. Bray as the narrator.

[Jason Hildenbrand · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent ending to the series. Nick brings so much in this book to wrap things up. I do hope he does revisits this universe again since there is still so much potential for story telling in it.

[Stoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I didn't think this was as good as the prior books but it is a decent conclusion in the series.

[Libbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Heroes are not born, they are forged in darkness. Shaped in battle. Defined by sacrifice."
The Watcher, from Marvel Comics "What If?" series

Sigh… typical. I wait months and months for the latest release from the master of action-adventure, Nicholas Sansbury Smith. And what do I do? I wind up reading it (or re-reading in this case as I got to see a draft back in February) in one day, practically in one sitting (darn my nutritional needs!). It's seriously like opening presents on a Christmas morning as a kid. All that build up and poof, it's over in a flash, with Mom in the kitchen cooking breakfast with Pops free-basing coffee after all the mayhem! But what a great gift to all of us fans this final (?) chapter of "E-Day" turned out to be!

Shadow Squad is the hope... Not one man or woman. It’s all of us, together.

This was certainly an interesting change of pace from Mr. Smith, as the "E-Day" series had so many elements of his earlier classics but really cranked up the scifi angle! It may not be everyone's taste (it sure as hell was mine) but you've got to admire it when an author stretches his creative muscles and tests the limits of what he's capable of, particularly when this trilogy didn't exactly fill the reader with too many happy moments or even quite often any hope either!

Pain is the price of being a warrior. Our duty is to fight, and to die, so that others may live…

And in that regard, I will say that "Dark Moon" was to me a MUCH darker book than the previous chapters. The first books did an amazing job of introducing us to a host of new characters that we could root for and really connect with - or conversely, a bunch of new and nasty villains that we could pull against. This book also has just scads of players involved but we weren't really meeting new people on the grand scale as before. And yes, I did miss that element of where we first got to know Jake, Harback, Juno and oh so many more as well as their struggles. In Book 3, sure, we have lots of new players to deal with but let's be honest: Tumea, Heart Eater, and even the survivors of the Tokyo sanctuary didn't quite have that same vibe to them (or if we're honest, that feeling of permanence!). It's probably again because they were here in such different, nearly hopeless circumstances. I can only underline that things get pretty dark, pretty gritty or just plain gory in parts! You have been warned!

Bloated bodies floated in the water treatment tank. Men, women, children. The sight of grisly death shook Akira to his very core.

I think if I had to summarize my lasting impression of "Dark Moon", it would be again that the author takes a pretty big risk and exposes us to the really REALLY ugly and nasty side of this conflict, even if we're not focused (as much) this time on the Nova Alliance vs. Coalition "disagreements". Let's face it: mankind is only moments away from being utterly wiped out in this story and no one is spared!

You may be an Engine, but out here, you’re prey. Just like the rest of us.

In addition, the new and horrific machine 'types' Smith adds to these climatic scenes are truly, well, impressive in some most decidedly unpleasant ways. If you're not having a few nightmares after some of these scenes, well, you're made of sterner stuff than I! I found these to be very reminiscent of how the creatures in "Hell Divers" (BOOK 9 OUT NOW, he screamed in a moment of unbridled promotional frenzy) have developed over the years! But with that, obviously, know that parts of this book are more horror than action-adventure.

…surviving hell didn’t always prepare someone to fight and kill.

That said, there's a lot of this book that will definitely have the reader feeling like hope is lost. Smith has never shied away from having even the most heroic of his characters suffer greatly in his books, often making the ultimate sacrifice! And if you're like me, you may even be left with a feeling that things don't necessarily turn out all that "good" and are at best "alright-ish" in the end. Mankind has a long long way to go before it's on stable ground and, yes, there is room to lay out some new plots with some very real threats still facing survivors on Earth and on the Moon. We'll see. In the meantime, enjoy the heck out of this incredibly thrilling and emotional ride!

May I fight without fear, using my heart to guide my blade. Today and forever.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big happy, big happy!

E-Day III: Dark Moon is the third and last book in the absolutely amazing E-Day Trilogy from New York Times best-selling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith, the brilliant mind behind other blockbusters such as Hell Divers, The Extinction Cycle, Orbs, and The excellent Sons of War saga.

The action of E-Day III: Dark Moon picks up immediately after the dramatic events in Burning Earth in which we saw humanity fighting for its existence and survival – with just 1 million people remaining alive as a tragic result of the brutal war with the machines, forced to flee the burning Earth and hide on the moon.

With no other feasible solution than to bring the war to the machines and with the Moon under attack by the brutal hybrids, Ghost Squad and the unlucky survivors will fight the last battle, one that can doom humanity once and for all or give it the hope for survival that it desperately needs.

The writing is beautiful and sharp, the pacing is absolutely insane, the characters, the post apocalyptic world, the locations, and the events spring to life in our imagination thanks to another outstanding performance by the legendary audiobook narrator R.C. Bray who returns for a third and last time to this series and fights alongside our beloved characters with passion, bravery and emotion in humanity’s last stand against the machines.

E-Day III: Dark Moon is a fitting end to a superb trilogy partly rooted in Japanese culture, filled with unforgettable characters, dramatic events, bravery, technology and a glimpse into the apocalypse!

I said it before and I say it again now, the E-Day Trilogy consolidates Nicholas Sansbury Smith as one of the most talented and prolific writers of his generation! This epic adventure ended for me about two weeks ago and I can tell you that I am still thinking about it.

I tried several military sci-fi series over the years, but the E-Day Trilogy is the only one that actually kept me interested on such a level and entertained me endlessly. I listened to these three audiobooks in less than one week and was really sorry to see the action end, but, hopefully in the future, Nicholas can think of new stories featuring these unforgettable characters.

This is a wonderfully dark, gripping, viscerally atmospheric and bloody violent post-apocalyptic series that should be experienced by readers all over the world!

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop Sleeping on This Series

Being the third (and final?) book in the E-Day series – I jumped into Dark Moon as soon as I could. I’ve obviously been a fan of Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s work for some time. And anyone that reads my reviews knows that I love R.C. Bray as well. These two of my favorites working together is amazing because these books sound so good. Bray really does a great job bringing Smith’s work to life.

I LOVE the Hell Divers series – it’s easily one of the best series I’ve ever read and I can’t believe that Smith has been able to get as many books out of it as he has (while still keeping it so good). But people are SLEEPING on the E-Day series. It has all of the drama of Hell Divers with characters that absolutely jump off of the page (one of them riding a badass horse.)

Dark Moon had so many moments in it that stood out to me – but I love the mixture of post-apocalyptic and science fiction. Smith is able to write a story that feels both rooted in the near future and so futuristic and sci-fi-y that it could be in its own genre. The different robots/AI and not even knowing if they’re good or bad really make this one stand out as a star in both genres.

And talk about not wanting to spoil anything – I always try and provide non-spoiler reviews but I have to add here that the final maybe 25% of the book was an absolute sprint to the finish. It also cleans up book three AND the series really nicely. It felt like all of the work Smith put in was paying off and I had a constant smile on my face throughout the ending (even when I was nervous everything wasn’t going to work out).

Overall, Dark Moon was an absolute blast. Smith writes stories that just FLY by and ones that have a ton of heart. This did both and did both so darn well.

[Michael Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page to the last and every page in between, the action screamed in pain and frustration. Dr. Otto Cross subverted the Hummer Droids and the Canebreaks into his private army. His victims include anyone wearing an L-S88 chip. The chips allowed direct communication with Apeiron, the AI many thought responsible for this war, and in many cases the chips kept people alive. For Cross, the chips were simply abominations guiding people to fight his army. He also used the chips to convert people into Dreads. More machine than human, the Dreads were the foot soldiers in Cross' army.

Sergeant Tadhg Walsh and Shadow Squad, aided by Coalition fighters who joined forces with the Nova Alliance unit, freed Councilor Keanu Cotter and his niece Chloe from Atlas Station. Chloe carried a micro-drive with the virus coded by Doctor Jason Crichton to destroy Doctor Otto Cross and his machines! Akira with his loyal droid war dog Okami, his droid horse Kichiro and his fellow Engines were fighting back against the insane Cross and his army. Their job now was to find the LifeArc under Megacity Tokyo and restore power to Apeiron, give her the virus Chloe carried and hopefully end Cross and his army. The action is non-stop, continuous, and bloody. The storyline flows smoothly through the smoke and particles in the air, particles that had once been Akira's friends, mixed with dust and haze. The characters are amazing, both heroes and villains crafted carefully to be loved or hated as needed. I consumed the story avidly, hungry for the destruction of the machine army of Doctor Otto Cross. I laughed, I cried, I read the best work yet! This is a GREAT read!

[Abdul Azeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting end to the trilogy by Nicholas Smith. I really enjoyed the ending and it kept me turning pages. Told through the POVs of our main characters this brings to end the question how much AI is too much?

The loss of a great warrior will be moaned by all fans alike. The fantastic ending and development of characters throughout the series is the reason I am not reducing a star for the demise of one of our main characters (not revealing the name... sorry)

What I liked
-Action filled.
-Never boring.
-Amazing character development and transitions.
-Surprising and emotional ending.

What I didn't like
-Killing of some stellar characters.

Recommended for
-AI Fans
-SciFi fans

[Jarryd Kalideen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a 3.5 star book but rounded up. It's a fitting end to this story, though not mind-blowing it does flow well and action packed towards the end. If you look beyond the clichés and cheesy lines, there is a solid story of humanity setting ourselves down the path to ruin and then overcoming it, hopefully never repeating the same mistakes. Mr Sansbury Smith is overall a good writer, I've enjoyed the Helldivers series thus far (haven't read all as yet), on the flip side I didn't like the Orbs books, then this series comes along and is pretty good - I suppose he just needs some work on names.

[Mahari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable story told....

I must admit, even knowing how things would end in this book, and series as a whole, it still had me up late many nights. Flipping through reading with anticipation of how things would transpire, and honestly, the ending had me in tears. There are many other sci-fi books/series out there that are also well written....this one should be included as a must read. Thank you Mr Smith, for such an amazing story told and the characters that brought so much life to it. If you do happen to expound upon this series, I certainly will look forward to the next presentation!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the series

I anticipated this third book in the series with excitement, and I was not disappointed. There is action, drama, humor, and the characters we have come to know from Books 1 and 2. After the epilogue, the author teases us with the possibility of another visit from these characters, which might be good. As it is, this third book comes to a satisfying end. It is not a stand-alone story, so I would urge anyone new to E-Day to start with Book 1 and read the books in order.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an advanced reader copy (ARC). As is Nicholas Smith's style, there is no lack of action, action, action. In this series, humanity has been decimated by AI (artificial intelligence) machines that have nearly destroyed all of humanity. Book 3 is the final day of reckoning. Fast paced, you will not want to put this down. I would highly recommend readers get all three books, it's just that good!

[Todd Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad to see this great series ending already. Excellent ending, even though it was bitter sweet. No spoilers! This awesome Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic series is written and narrated by one of the best author/narrator combos in audiobooks, Nicholas Sansbury Smith and R.C. Bray. These two never disappoint! As with every other series Nick writes, this is action packed! I highly recommend this series and any other written by Smith.

[james wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, Epic and Exciting

As always Nick's books the storyline was totally awesome. I kept expecting the maniac Otto to be the apocalyptic winner in this epic series. Instead after intense battles through the whole book we have a very interesting that leaves me ready to move on to his next series. Read the series, if you like fast paced action, you'll be completely satisfied.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non Stop Adrenaline

Love this series, I could easily read another three of them.
The adrenaline kept coming with each page. The victories are great but that low part was hard to read even though I could feel coming, I won’t say what it was.
I hope we get more books in the world of EDAY.

[Adrian Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big happy big happy

Loved this series from the first page till the last! Plenty of heart, action, great protagonists and chilling villains. An entertaining thrill ride.
Which side would you choose?
AI is salvation or the enemy?
Eday is a must read if you love sci fi/post apocalypse
More please

[Leverna Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished E-Day 3 and I must say Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the ultimate story teller in creating characters that come to life and make you care so much. I have read books where I skim over whole sentences but with Nick’s books I hang on every word. If you haven’t read any of his works you are really missing out. The series E-Day is brilliant in characters and story.

[Suki Rickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3

Book 3 was a fun read and had a few errors throughout. The plot was a bit predictable and the characters did a lot of running around everywhere. The story went back and forth between certain people and came together towards the end. The overall seemed rushed, but was a fun read.

[Rounak Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. The trilogy was awesome. Still, I wish Akira's life was saved. His death makes me wonder what Mr. Smith will do to X and Raven. Beckham and Fritz, the protagonists of Extinction Cycle and Extinction Cycle: Dark Ager were allowed to live. I hope that the protagonists of Hell Divers and Trackers, and New Frontier would survive.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic AI dystopian sci-fi

This series breaks new ground on the AI and AI-Human hybrid dystopia genre, exploring what those types of AI look like and what their motivations are (besides destroying humanity). The progression of events and methods of the AI are novel and imaginative, integrated into future mega-city/ wasteland scenarios which are fascinating.

[Gail Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.....just wow.

What a book! What an ending!! What a story!!!
This series has been a real privilege to read. And I've throughly enjoyed it. The ending was sad, but super satisfying! I would not be opposed to more books in this universe, just saying.
Sainsbury Smith is an excellent writer and I haven't yet found one of his series boringl

[Jennifer Fillmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the edge of your seat read!

I haven't read a single book by NSS that I haven't loved. This series was just as good as all of the others. The way he writes the stories and develops the characters really draws you in. Praying there is a book 4 down the road to see how humanity fares with this new beginning. Fingers crossed!

[John C. Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the series

NSS is a great storyteller. I have read many of his books and I have not been disappointed. Good character development. The details and his descriptions make the stories come alive.

[C J BROOKS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of Midnight Reading

I really enjoyed all 3 books with the character's all believable .
The concept of AI has always fascinated me and Eday certainly didn't disappoint in any ways so I hope the story is continued in the not to distant future -- would definitely recommend