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Brutal Reset: A Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller
A catastrophic EMP.
An impossible choice.
When saving humanity requires destroying the world that made it.
When the president weaponizes AI through brain implants, Blayne Mitchener, once CIA, now a reluctant conspirator and a secret government cabal, has a brutal choice to destroy the system… or lose human freedom forever.
But their strike failed, and now President Burchett’s AI empire is rebuilding faster than anyone believed possible, and his neural implants are on track to overwrite the last remnants of human autonomy.
Operation Red Eagle, a nationwide EMP, is the only option left. But if they deploy it, millions will die. If they don’t, artificial intelligence will seize control of the human mind itself.
Across the nation, the lights go out.
In Memphis, Blayne's brother, Jake Mitchener, a recovering addict and former Green Beret, assumes it’s just another blackout until the world around him collapses into darkness and silence. With no power, no communication, and no warning, Jake is forced into a fight for survival he never expected to face again.
Meanwhile, in Tulsa, Jake's ex-wife, Kelsey, a grieving mother who left trauma nursing after her son’s drowning, has built a quiet life inside a small geriatric clinic. Order. Routine. Control. Then the grid fails. Violence spills into the streets, and the skills she tried to bury become the only thing standing between life and death. Forced back into emergency medicine, Kelsey must confront the grief she never healed and decide whether she can hold the line for strangers in a world coming apart.
In the war between democracy and domination, the first shot has already been fired from the shadows. Now, Jake, Blayne, Kelsey, and a fractured nation must face the consequences.
Blackout War is a relentless post-apocalyptic EMP survival thriller series in which political betrayal, collapsing infrastructure, and rising technological tyranny collide, leaving humanity to fight not just for survival but for the right to remain human.
An impossible choice.
When saving humanity requires destroying the world that made it.
When the president weaponizes AI through brain implants, Blayne Mitchener, once CIA, now a reluctant conspirator and a secret government cabal, has a brutal choice to destroy the system… or lose human freedom forever.
But their strike failed, and now President Burchett’s AI empire is rebuilding faster than anyone believed possible, and his neural implants are on track to overwrite the last remnants of human autonomy.
Operation Red Eagle, a nationwide EMP, is the only option left. But if they deploy it, millions will die. If they don’t, artificial intelligence will seize control of the human mind itself.
Across the nation, the lights go out.
In Memphis, Blayne's brother, Jake Mitchener, a recovering addict and former Green Beret, assumes it’s just another blackout until the world around him collapses into darkness and silence. With no power, no communication, and no warning, Jake is forced into a fight for survival he never expected to face again.
Meanwhile, in Tulsa, Jake's ex-wife, Kelsey, a grieving mother who left trauma nursing after her son’s drowning, has built a quiet life inside a small geriatric clinic. Order. Routine. Control. Then the grid fails. Violence spills into the streets, and the skills she tried to bury become the only thing standing between life and death. Forced back into emergency medicine, Kelsey must confront the grief she never healed and decide whether she can hold the line for strangers in a world coming apart.
In the war between democracy and domination, the first shot has already been fired from the shadows. Now, Jake, Blayne, Kelsey, and a fractured nation must face the consequences.
Blackout War is a relentless post-apocalyptic EMP survival thriller series in which political betrayal, collapsing infrastructure, and rising technological tyranny collide, leaving humanity to fight not just for survival but for the right to remain human.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 1, 2026
A terrifying new twist on the post-EMP survival genre!
Brutal Reset, book 1 in the Blackout War Series is a post-EMP survival thriller totally unlike any I've read... In the absolute best way possible! The plot involves the utilization of chips implanted into people's brains as rehab, optimization tracking, emotional regulation, with serious negative effects like flat affect and debilitating, sometimes fatal, withdrawal if the chip is disabled or removed. The EMP(s) in the book are set off by the protagonists to stop the further proliferation of the chips. Needless to say, all does not go to plan.
The writing is stellar, the characters are complex and likeable, the plot unique and pace blistering fast, the narrative quality is great, and the extensive research for the included before chapter 1 is fascinating and horrifying. I knew the technology was out there, but never realized just how close we are to seeing it in our lives. I highly recommend picking a few articles to read before starting the book to get the full experience! Overall, 5/5 terrifying stars, highly recommended for fans of apocalyptic thrillers, sci-fi thrillers, technothrillers and anyone looking for a thought provoking read that will stick with them for a very long time after one finishes the book! Brutal Silence can't come soon enough!
Brutal Reset, book 1 in the Blackout War Series is a post-EMP survival thriller totally unlike any I've read... In the absolute best way possible! The plot involves the utilization of chips implanted into people's brains as rehab, optimization tracking, emotional regulation, with serious negative effects like flat affect and debilitating, sometimes fatal, withdrawal if the chip is disabled or removed. The EMP(s) in the book are set off by the protagonists to stop the further proliferation of the chips. Needless to say, all does not go to plan.
The writing is stellar, the characters are complex and likeable, the plot unique and pace blistering fast, the narrative quality is great, and the extensive research for the included before chapter 1 is fascinating and horrifying. I knew the technology was out there, but never realized just how close we are to seeing it in our lives. I highly recommend picking a few articles to read before starting the book to get the full experience! Overall, 5/5 terrifying stars, highly recommended for fans of apocalyptic thrillers, sci-fi thrillers, technothrillers and anyone looking for a thought provoking read that will stick with them for a very long time after one finishes the book! Brutal Silence can't come soon enough!
April 28, 2026
Title: Brutal Reset: A Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (Blackout War Series, Book 1)
By: T. L. Payne
Publisher: Shaky Rock Publishing
Published Date: March 31, 2026
ASIN: B0G4S4T29H
Page Count: 412
Triggers: Check your triggers
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
An EMP, AI brain implant chaos, collapsing infrastructure, political betrayal, and the kind of survival thriller that laughs in your face when you think you are safe enough to stop reading.
Here’s What Slapped:
This book moved. No dragging, no endless wandering, no filler pretending to be depth. It came out swinging and kept the pressure on the whole time. The tension stayed high, the premise felt unsettlingly plausible, and the page-turner label actually earned its paycheck here. The characters had enough depth to make the danger matter, which made every bad decision, close call, and unraveling situation hit harder. It had that “just one more chapter” disease, and yes, I caught it immediately.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Honestly, not much from me on this one. When a book keeps me locked in, makes me side-eye technology, and steals my sleep without apology, I do not have a whole lot to complain about.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Post-apocalyptic thrillers, EMP disaster fiction, survival stories, technothrillers, political tension, and books that keep your pulse up while the world falls apart.
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
By: T. L. Payne
Publisher: Shaky Rock Publishing
Published Date: March 31, 2026
ASIN: B0G4S4T29H
Page Count: 412
Triggers: Check your triggers
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skull Dread Rating: 💀💀💀
What Did I Just Walk Into?
An EMP, AI brain implant chaos, collapsing infrastructure, political betrayal, and the kind of survival thriller that laughs in your face when you think you are safe enough to stop reading.
Here’s What Slapped:
This book moved. No dragging, no endless wandering, no filler pretending to be depth. It came out swinging and kept the pressure on the whole time. The tension stayed high, the premise felt unsettlingly plausible, and the page-turner label actually earned its paycheck here. The characters had enough depth to make the danger matter, which made every bad decision, close call, and unraveling situation hit harder. It had that “just one more chapter” disease, and yes, I caught it immediately.
What Could’ve Been Better:
Honestly, not much from me on this one. When a book keeps me locked in, makes me side-eye technology, and steals my sleep without apology, I do not have a whole lot to complain about.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
Post-apocalyptic thrillers, EMP disaster fiction, survival stories, technothrillers, political tension, and books that keep your pulse up while the world falls apart.
Reviewed by Robin for Robin’s Review
Read
March 18, 2026I loved this book, T.L. Payne is wonderful writer. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. I have read many of T.L. Payne books . Can’t wait until the second one . If you like to read about EMP and what to do or what you think you should do if something like this happens, then it’s a book for you..sit back and relax and you will not want to put the boom down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Such a suspenseful story. It kept me on the edge of my seat as I read it. I love the characters and the relationships between them as they try to survive the new normals. A real page turner that was responsible for my lack of sleep as I kept telling myself, "Just one more chapter and then I will stop for the night" repeatedly. I will be waiting impatiently for the next book in this series.
March 31, 2026
I found Brutal Reset to be an exciting book in this new series. Right from the start I was hooked and found the storyline to be very interesting and I was instantly invested in the different characters. An EMP disaster with a difference. Definitely recommend and I'm really looking forward to the next book.
Review of advance copy
T.L. Payne’s Brutal Reset, like all her other books, another outstanding book.
I enjoy how Payne weaves current scientific and political situations into her stories.
Similar to her other books, I feel the need to go out and prepare for another coming apocalypse.
I enjoy how Payne weaves current scientific and political situations into her stories.
Similar to her other books, I feel the need to go out and prepare for another coming apocalypse.
April 7, 2026
This was another great start to a T.L. Payne series. I can't wait to read book 2!
April 23, 2026
Another great story by Payne! Ant wait for the next installment.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another amazing read for T.L. Payne and of course left me hanging and waiting for book 2. Excellent read and a little different then her other books but still loved it. Jake and Harper amazing characters.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews