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Desert's Edge: A Jack Cross Novel
The grid is down. Phoenix has 72 hours. And the only way out is through 200 miles of desert.
Former Army Ranger Jack Cross hasn't spoken to his father in three years. Hasn't been inside a church. Hasn't let himself believe in much of anything since nineteen firefighters trusted him and didn't come home.
But his father has been broadcasting on emergency radio every night since the EMP hit.
Come north. There's room. Come anyway.
Jack has 210 terrified strangers, one missionary doctor running from her own ghosts, and a wooden cross he can't bring himself to throw away.
The desert doesn't care about any of that.
Neither does the clock.
When an electromagnetic pulse kills every electronic device in Phoenix during a 118-degree heat wave, Jack faces an impossible choice — stay in a city of 1.7 million people as the infrastructure collapses, or lead more than two hundred terrified strangers two hundred miles north through the Sonoran Desert to Camp Kadesh — his father's off-grid Christian retreat in the Prescott mountains.
The father he hasn't spoken to in three years. The refuge the old man spent five years building while everyone called him a fool.
Joining him is Dr. Faith Morrison — missionary physician, Haiti veteran, and a woman whose faith has been ground down by years of watching children die of treatable diseases while her prayers went unanswered. Together they'll lead a caravan of families, elderly couples, frightened children, and one man hoarding water while others go thirsty — through crashed planes, contaminated water sources, rattlesnake strikes, and triple-digit heat that turns every mile into a question about whether God is still in any of this.
Jack's father has been broadcasting on emergency radio every night. Come north. There's room. Come anyway.
The wooden cross is still in Jack's pocket.
Some things you can't throw away. Some debts can't be balanced. And some refuges are built by people who believed — long before anyone else did — that the day would come when you'd need somewhere to run.
Desert's A Jack Cross Novel is a post-apocalyptic survival thriller about what it costs to keep walking when everything in you says stop — and what grace looks like when you finally arrive.
Especially for readers of Kyla Stone, Jamie Lee Grey, and William Forstchen.
A Jack Cross Novel, Book 1 Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller / Christian Fiction Clean read. No profanity. No explicit content.
Former Army Ranger Jack Cross hasn't spoken to his father in three years. Hasn't been inside a church. Hasn't let himself believe in much of anything since nineteen firefighters trusted him and didn't come home.
But his father has been broadcasting on emergency radio every night since the EMP hit.
Come north. There's room. Come anyway.
Jack has 210 terrified strangers, one missionary doctor running from her own ghosts, and a wooden cross he can't bring himself to throw away.
The desert doesn't care about any of that.
Neither does the clock.
When an electromagnetic pulse kills every electronic device in Phoenix during a 118-degree heat wave, Jack faces an impossible choice — stay in a city of 1.7 million people as the infrastructure collapses, or lead more than two hundred terrified strangers two hundred miles north through the Sonoran Desert to Camp Kadesh — his father's off-grid Christian retreat in the Prescott mountains.
The father he hasn't spoken to in three years. The refuge the old man spent five years building while everyone called him a fool.
Joining him is Dr. Faith Morrison — missionary physician, Haiti veteran, and a woman whose faith has been ground down by years of watching children die of treatable diseases while her prayers went unanswered. Together they'll lead a caravan of families, elderly couples, frightened children, and one man hoarding water while others go thirsty — through crashed planes, contaminated water sources, rattlesnake strikes, and triple-digit heat that turns every mile into a question about whether God is still in any of this.
Jack's father has been broadcasting on emergency radio every night. Come north. There's room. Come anyway.
The wooden cross is still in Jack's pocket.
Some things you can't throw away. Some debts can't be balanced. And some refuges are built by people who believed — long before anyone else did — that the day would come when you'd need somewhere to run.
Desert's A Jack Cross Novel is a post-apocalyptic survival thriller about what it costs to keep walking when everything in you says stop — and what grace looks like when you finally arrive.
Especially for readers of Kyla Stone, Jamie Lee Grey, and William Forstchen.
A Jack Cross Novel, Book 1 Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller / Christian Fiction Clean read. No profanity. No explicit content.
249 pages, Paperback
Published June 4, 2026
About the author
Dante F. Lupinetti
9 books19 followersDante Lupinetti is a compelling voice in Christian speculative fiction, crafting stories that explore faith, redemption, and the enduring power of grace in worlds shaped by divine transformation. His work brings readers into vivid, spiritually charged landscapes where the presence of the Messiah reshapes not only the world but also the human heart.
Blending high-stakes suspense with deep theological insight, Lupinetti writes narratives that confront darkness with hope, weaving together themes of brokenness, restoration, and sacrificial love. His characters face impossible choices that test their faith, revealing the cost and the beauty of true discipleship.
Driven by a passion to illuminate the boundless mercy of Yeshua and the redemptive power available to even the most forgotten souls, Dante Lupinetti creates stories that are both thrilling and spiritually transformative.
Blending high-stakes suspense with deep theological insight, Lupinetti writes narratives that confront darkness with hope, weaving together themes of brokenness, restoration, and sacrificial love. His characters face impossible choices that test their faith, revealing the cost and the beauty of true discipleship.
Driven by a passion to illuminate the boundless mercy of Yeshua and the redemptive power available to even the most forgotten souls, Dante Lupinetti creates stories that are both thrilling and spiritually transformative.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 23, 2026
3.5 Rounded up to 4, and I probably should be giving it lower. I'm too nice sometimes, though; I'm a very generous rater. I wanted so badly to give this book five stars! Well, more like the story and not the book, because the book was filled with flaws, but I'll get to that later. Let's start with the positives!
I immediately connected with both MCs, even though there really was not very much deep diving into their emotions. This is one of those rare times where I accept that less is more... and I mean a lot less. It somehow spoke between the lines, even when the lines were short (My pet peeve: short, choppy sentences... but this worked for the most part, especially since it was well balanced with longer sentences.)
The strong theme of struggling faith after bad events is what drove this storyline. The constant question of both MCs is "am I making the right decisions or am I repeating my mistakes?" and that is the main focus. I liked that; damaged, imperfect heroes still fighting on is one of my favorite tropes. And while there is not much "action" per se, there are things constantly happening and plenty of drama and trauma. Lots of decisions. There was a constant pressure of urgency to the story that kept me engaged.
There is no romance (I was hoping for a little, but no big loss). There is an underlying connection built between the MC and FMC. If this turns into a series (and I'm guessing it will), maybe that's in the works? It would add a nice touch to the story.
Now for the negatives:
-Right from the start, the formatting and paragraph structure was filled with flaws. (Maybe the kindle is different, but I bought the paperback) I'm talking countless times where a beginning quotation was stuck at the end of a previous sentence. Multiple times, I encountered spoken sentences from different characters bunched all together without separation, making it difficult to tell who was saying what.
-One medically glaring thing (yes, I am a stickler for getting medical things right, and most things I let slide, but this was glaring and flustercated me soooo much). Someone will die without a blood transfusion, and FMC doctor says they don't have access to any. They have IV bags on hand. IV lines. This FMC is a missionary doctor (we find this out early on, so no spoiler), and she should be used to working with next to nothing when it comes to supplies. She would probably know a common practice that military medics train for: you take the IV line and find a live donor. Either direct line or fill the IV bag with the donor blood and administer to the patient. That wasn't the only inaccuracy with that particular patient's situation, but I'll jump off my high horse and continue...
-I was expecting way more conflict and action, but that's just my preference and maybe my expectation for situations like this where you would expect people to become unhinged. It was almost too tame; everyone was too calm.
I looked past those minor things and personal peeves because the story was still strong...
But then the inconsistencies started to flood in... and not small ones...
-The miles they had to travel, did travel daily, and had left to travel began changing constantly. (see one of my previous notes in my progress)
-The need to travel by night was agreed, but they continued to travel by day on several occasions.
-One moment the guy says "we move out in ten minutes". The next moment they are still in the same building and settling in for the night. (again, no night travel as agreed)
-A couple conversations between characters are repeat... verbatim.
-One disagreeable guy who "stayed behind" with a group of people was suddenly there with the traveling group. No explanation. No "hey, he decided to join anyway." Just there.
Even with all that, if this becomes a series, I will still read those books too!
I immediately connected with both MCs, even though there really was not very much deep diving into their emotions. This is one of those rare times where I accept that less is more... and I mean a lot less. It somehow spoke between the lines, even when the lines were short (My pet peeve: short, choppy sentences... but this worked for the most part, especially since it was well balanced with longer sentences.)
The strong theme of struggling faith after bad events is what drove this storyline. The constant question of both MCs is "am I making the right decisions or am I repeating my mistakes?" and that is the main focus. I liked that; damaged, imperfect heroes still fighting on is one of my favorite tropes. And while there is not much "action" per se, there are things constantly happening and plenty of drama and trauma. Lots of decisions. There was a constant pressure of urgency to the story that kept me engaged.
There is no romance (I was hoping for a little, but no big loss). There is an underlying connection built between the MC and FMC. If this turns into a series (and I'm guessing it will), maybe that's in the works? It would add a nice touch to the story.
Now for the negatives:
-Right from the start, the formatting and paragraph structure was filled with flaws. (Maybe the kindle is different, but I bought the paperback) I'm talking countless times where a beginning quotation was stuck at the end of a previous sentence. Multiple times, I encountered spoken sentences from different characters bunched all together without separation, making it difficult to tell who was saying what.
-One medically glaring thing (yes, I am a stickler for getting medical things right, and most things I let slide, but this was glaring and flustercated me soooo much). Someone will die without a blood transfusion, and FMC doctor says they don't have access to any. They have IV bags on hand. IV lines. This FMC is a missionary doctor (we find this out early on, so no spoiler), and she should be used to working with next to nothing when it comes to supplies. She would probably know a common practice that military medics train for: you take the IV line and find a live donor. Either direct line or fill the IV bag with the donor blood and administer to the patient. That wasn't the only inaccuracy with that particular patient's situation, but I'll jump off my high horse and continue...
-I was expecting way more conflict and action, but that's just my preference and maybe my expectation for situations like this where you would expect people to become unhinged. It was almost too tame; everyone was too calm.
I looked past those minor things and personal peeves because the story was still strong...
But then the inconsistencies started to flood in... and not small ones...
-The miles they had to travel, did travel daily, and had left to travel began changing constantly. (see one of my previous notes in my progress)
-The need to travel by night was agreed, but they continued to travel by day on several occasions.
-One moment the guy says "we move out in ten minutes". The next moment they are still in the same building and settling in for the night. (again, no night travel as agreed)
-A couple conversations between characters are repeat... verbatim.
-One disagreeable guy who "stayed behind" with a group of people was suddenly there with the traveling group. No explanation. No "hey, he decided to join anyway." Just there.
Even with all that, if this becomes a series, I will still read those books too!
June 30, 2026
I picked up Desert's Edge expecting a post-apocalyptic survival thriller, and it delivered that in spades. But what I didn't expect was a story that would also challenge me spiritually and emotionally, a story about faith, family, and what it really means to lead people through hell.
The premise is terrifyingly simple and effective. An electromagnetic pulse has just destroyed every electronic device in Phoenix during a 118-degree heat wave. The grid is down. Phoenix has 72 hours before the city becomes completely unlivable. Former Army Ranger Jack Cross hasn't spoken to his father in three years, hasn't been inside a church, and hasn't let himself believe in much of anything since nineteen firefighters trusted him and didn't come home. But his father has been broadcasting on emergency radio every night since the EMP hit, urging anyone who can hear him to come north. There's room. Come anyway.
Jack faces an impossible choice: stay in a city of 1.7 million people as the infrastructure collapses, or lead more than two hundred terrified strangers two hundred miles north through the Sonoran Desert to Camp Kadesh, his father's off-grid Christian retreat in the Prescott mountains. Everyone called him a fool for even trying.
What makes this book so compelling is the way Dante F. Lupinetti balances action with heart. The journey through the desert is brutal and unflinching. There are crashed planes, contaminated water sources, rattlesnake strikes, and triple-digit heat that turns every mile into a question about whether God is still in any of this. The physical challenges are vividly described, and I felt like I was right there with Jack and his group, suffering through every scorching mile.
But the real strength of this novel lies in its characters. Jack Cross is a beautifully drawn protagonist. He's a man haunted by his past, carrying the weight of nineteen firefighters who trusted him and didn't come home. He's been running from his faith and his father for three years, but the crisis forces him to confront both. His character arc from broken skeptic to reluctant leader to something approaching redemption is deeply satisfying.
The premise is terrifyingly simple and effective. An electromagnetic pulse has just destroyed every electronic device in Phoenix during a 118-degree heat wave. The grid is down. Phoenix has 72 hours before the city becomes completely unlivable. Former Army Ranger Jack Cross hasn't spoken to his father in three years, hasn't been inside a church, and hasn't let himself believe in much of anything since nineteen firefighters trusted him and didn't come home. But his father has been broadcasting on emergency radio every night since the EMP hit, urging anyone who can hear him to come north. There's room. Come anyway.
Jack faces an impossible choice: stay in a city of 1.7 million people as the infrastructure collapses, or lead more than two hundred terrified strangers two hundred miles north through the Sonoran Desert to Camp Kadesh, his father's off-grid Christian retreat in the Prescott mountains. Everyone called him a fool for even trying.
What makes this book so compelling is the way Dante F. Lupinetti balances action with heart. The journey through the desert is brutal and unflinching. There are crashed planes, contaminated water sources, rattlesnake strikes, and triple-digit heat that turns every mile into a question about whether God is still in any of this. The physical challenges are vividly described, and I felt like I was right there with Jack and his group, suffering through every scorching mile.
But the real strength of this novel lies in its characters. Jack Cross is a beautifully drawn protagonist. He's a man haunted by his past, carrying the weight of nineteen firefighters who trusted him and didn't come home. He's been running from his faith and his father for three years, but the crisis forces him to confront both. His character arc from broken skeptic to reluctant leader to something approaching redemption is deeply satisfying.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A realistic look at what can (and likely would) happen if power and communications were crippled in a metropolitan area. The characters were staged well from the start, and developed over the course of the book. Noone went unaffected by their journey. Jack and Faith, the primary leads, were strong in many aspects, yet even they had burdens that plagued them. The journey stripped them down to bare essentials, leaving little to no room for anything beyond basic survival. They've taken on quite a challenge, with over 200 in their group. Can they all make it safely to Jack's father's camp?
This story took hold and never let go. I read it in one sitting and was disappointed to reach the end. I would love to find out more about the various travelers and how they fared in the long run.
I was gifted a copy of this book and voluntarily provided this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚
This story took hold and never let go. I read it in one sitting and was disappointed to reach the end. I would love to find out more about the various travelers and how they fared in the long run.
I was gifted a copy of this book and voluntarily provided this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚
June 1, 2026
I have been a fan of Dante Lupinetti's books for a while so I was excited to be given an ARC of Desert's Edge: A Jack Cross novel. This book is a quick read but very good. It takes place after an EMP attack. Jack Cross leads a ragtag group of people from Pheonix to a Mountain compound. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. There is a decent amount of suspense and drama. All said and done this is a good read.
So fix something good to drink and settle in for a good read!
I was given a copy of Desert's Edge with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.
So fix something good to drink and settle in for a good read!
I was given a copy of Desert's Edge with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.
July 30, 2026
Compelling read with an important message
Well written and fast paced, this book was one that will stick with me. I was immediately immersed in the action as well as the main characters’ ethical and personal dilemmas. I put other books aside to finish this one. While reading Desert’s Edge, I reflected on how faith is critical to anyone’s response in choosing the best path through life’s most difficult trials.
Well written and fast paced, this book was one that will stick with me. I was immediately immersed in the action as well as the main characters’ ethical and personal dilemmas. I put other books aside to finish this one. While reading Desert’s Edge, I reflected on how faith is critical to anyone’s response in choosing the best path through life’s most difficult trials.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a good read! Good pacing & action, I did like the characters & found it an interesting adventure! A mammoth journey is undertaken in this deteriorating world, good ideas, good action, a good read!
July 29, 2026
I love a survival type book and this was that! An EMP attack hits and hundreds of people are stranded at an airport. The only hope for possible survival is traveling 200 miles through the heat to Jack's father's off grid retreat. People are skeptical but also desperate. This is the story of stranger having to work together to survive. There were faith elements too. And can we talk about the gorgeous cover?!😉
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews