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America Rising #1
Into the Guns
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Legion of the Damned Novels and The Mutant Files comes the first novel in a post-apocalyptic military science fiction series about America rising from the ashes of a global catastrophe...On May Day, 2018, sixty meteors entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded around the globe with a force greater than a nuclear blast. Earthquakes and tsunamis followed. Then China attacked Europe, Asia, and the United States in the belief the disaster was an act of war.
Washington D.C. was a casualty of the meteor onslaught that decimated the nation’s leadership and left the surviving elements of the armed forces to try and restore order as American society fell apart.
As refugees across America band together and engage in open warfare with the military over scarce resources, a select group of individuals representing the surviving corporate structure make a power play to rebuild the country in a free market image as The New Confederacy...
327 pages, Hardcover
First published October 4, 2016
117 people are currently reading
690 people want to read
About the author
William C. Dietz
124 books453 followersNew York Times bestselling author William C. Dietz has published more than fifty novels, some of which have been translated into German, Russian, and Japanese. He grew up in the Seattle area, served as a medic with the Navy and Marine Corps, graduated from the University of Washington, and has been employed as a surgical technician, college instructor, and television news writer, director and producer. Before becoming a full-time writer Dietz was director of public relations and marketing for an international telephone company. He and his wife live near Gig Harbor, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 4, 2019
A dystopian scenario started by a massive meteor strike which conveniently destroys the American government and many key military sites along with the Western allies.
America descends into warlord states with a bleak future.
At this point I stopped reading. . .
America descends into warlord states with a bleak future.
At this point I stopped reading. . .
January 7, 2023
Charles van Buren
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This review is of the e-book available via Amazon
Publication date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Ace
Language: English
ASIN: B01AHKXIJW
If this had been written by an author new to me, I would have stopped reading somewhere around the halfway point and given the thing one or two stars. But it is written by William Dietz, an author I once called one of the most dependable sci-fi writers working today. So I persevered. To my considerable disappointment and boredom this book got worse the deeper I got into it. I don't know what happened to Dietz but apparently some imposter wrote this awful mess.
In this novel Dietz seems to be not overly fond of conservatives, Libertarians, red states, Ayn Rand, the South, etc. He favors gun control (in the book the move for gun control was premature), liberals, democrats, the North, etc. His view of American politics and government is sophomoric at best. There are no racial politics or issues in Dietz' America. The establishment of a second Confederacy completely ignores the large black minorities in the South and the huge black majorities in major southern cities. He even has this second Confederacy using the 1860's Confederate battle flag. He has the ordinary, everyday people of the South happily embracing rule by moneyed elites and giving up the right to vote. There is more but this should give you the idea.
The characters in the book are often shallow and undeveloped. Many major characters are very unlikable. Some are mere caricatures. In many instances the plot is both silly and contradictory. The new climate will prevent the growing of food and cause food shortages except where it suits him for this not to be the case. There is mass confusion in the damaged U.S. except where there isn't. There is a complete breakdown in the military chain of command caused by the destruction of Washington, D.C. A few Chinese nuclear weapons hit other places but so far as I can recall Dietz names only one airbase. If the military chain of command were really that weak, having a military at all would be almost pointless and certainly dangerous. There are many other plot and character problems but this is a review not an essay.
Absolutely the worst William Dietz book I've ever read. One of the worst dystopian/apocalyptic sci-fi books I've ever read. Certainly the worst which I've read cover to cover. I don't know that I will ever spend money on another book by Dietz. I will certainly never pay retail for another. This is so bad in so many ways that I don't see myself trusting Dietz again.
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This review is of the e-book available via Amazon
Publication date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Ace
Language: English
ASIN: B01AHKXIJW
If this had been written by an author new to me, I would have stopped reading somewhere around the halfway point and given the thing one or two stars. But it is written by William Dietz, an author I once called one of the most dependable sci-fi writers working today. So I persevered. To my considerable disappointment and boredom this book got worse the deeper I got into it. I don't know what happened to Dietz but apparently some imposter wrote this awful mess.
In this novel Dietz seems to be not overly fond of conservatives, Libertarians, red states, Ayn Rand, the South, etc. He favors gun control (in the book the move for gun control was premature), liberals, democrats, the North, etc. His view of American politics and government is sophomoric at best. There are no racial politics or issues in Dietz' America. The establishment of a second Confederacy completely ignores the large black minorities in the South and the huge black majorities in major southern cities. He even has this second Confederacy using the 1860's Confederate battle flag. He has the ordinary, everyday people of the South happily embracing rule by moneyed elites and giving up the right to vote. There is more but this should give you the idea.
The characters in the book are often shallow and undeveloped. Many major characters are very unlikable. Some are mere caricatures. In many instances the plot is both silly and contradictory. The new climate will prevent the growing of food and cause food shortages except where it suits him for this not to be the case. There is mass confusion in the damaged U.S. except where there isn't. There is a complete breakdown in the military chain of command caused by the destruction of Washington, D.C. A few Chinese nuclear weapons hit other places but so far as I can recall Dietz names only one airbase. If the military chain of command were really that weak, having a military at all would be almost pointless and certainly dangerous. There are many other plot and character problems but this is a review not an essay.
Absolutely the worst William Dietz book I've ever read. One of the worst dystopian/apocalyptic sci-fi books I've ever read. Certainly the worst which I've read cover to cover. I don't know that I will ever spend money on another book by Dietz. I will certainly never pay retail for another. This is so bad in so many ways that I don't see myself trusting Dietz again.
October 27, 2016
This review can also be found on here my blog: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
1.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Into the Guns is the first book in Deitz’s new post-apocalyptic trilogy: America Rising.
On May Day 2018 a natural disaster strikes, 60 meteors hit the Earth sending the world into complete disarray, not realising that it was in-fact a freak act of nature China believing it was under attack from another country then unleashes its own Nuclear weapons resulting in even more ensuing chaos. One of the meteors wipes out Washington in the US after hitting it with more than twenty times the power of the atomic bomb that dropped on Hiroshima destroying the government and sending the country into turmoil. We do get to read that other countries were also struck by the meteors and China’s missiles, but it’s only a quick reference to let us know that other countries were affected to.
After the catastrophe America deteriorates, erupting in a civil war, ending up being divided into two, the North and the South.
The North lack resources and want to try to maintain the true American way of life and attitude bringing the country back to its former pre-impact glory keeping within the US Constitution. Whilst the South, calling themselves The New Confederacy control the oil and other various resources and want to rebuild America in a corporate structure with a select few in charge of the masses, the wealthy controlling the poor. If you will in the words of Guns N Roses from their classic song Civil War “It feeds the rich while it buries the poor“. And thus, a struggle between the two sides ensues with control of the country and its resources at stake.
The story itself centres around two main character points of view. Firstly Lieutenant Robin Macintyre/Mac who is part of a recon platoon who in a rescue attempt to move civilians to safety gets stranded along with the rest of her platoon. After being stranded from the rest of the army and with no communication her group must traverse North America as she leads her group to safety encountering various obstacles and conflicts along the way before joining the war effort as part of the US army. As their journey progresses, the platoon turn into Mac’s Marauders a mercenary outfit but as long as you keep with the Army doctorate, rules and chain of command, it’s fine to class yourself as mercenaries.
The second main point of view comes courtesy of Samuel T. Sloan, before the meteors struck he was the Secretary of Energy for the US and his story arc sees him at the beginning of the book in Mexico on a government mission about energy, so he’s not in the US when the meteors hit destroying the government, congress, et al. He soon runs afoul of the South and the people in charge down there, resulting in an escape and adventure back to the North where he finds as the highest ranking official left that he is now the President of the US at least on the North side as the South won’t cede to his authority.
The book being the first in a trilogy ends after the first real battle between the North and the South leaving the story open for the two future books.
The cast of characters are all under developed, clichéd and unlikable. The secondary characters are all instantly forgettable and the main characters themselves overall lack any redeeming qualities that can pull the book towards you caring about the outcome. Sloan is very annoying and I didn’t like his character at all, he has a self-important air of graces about him and as the reader I just didn’t connect with him. If we are supposed to root for the North as the titular “good guys” of the series and get behind Sloan then he really needs to develop some charisma in the following books. He’s enough to make you want the South and the “bad guys” to win though they are no better, apart from Mac’s Sister and Father they are all a faceless bunch that are also forgettable and hold no interest.
The best and that’s a term I use very loosely character in the book is Mac, she isn’t likeable per se but she isn’t unlikable either, she just lacks the captivating quality needed to be a leading character. As I mentioned earlier, her Sister and Father are on the South side of the war, you can see where this is going with the fractured family relationships and differing personalities already in place and that there’ll be discord between them in the future books when they finally do meet.
There’s a few things in Into The Guns that don’t make any sense and you’re left wondering at their addition to the story. For example, the Chinese unleashing their Nukes at the books start seems rather incredulous and unnecessary on top of the meteor strike, why not just have a second meteor strike take place? And, it adds nothing to the overall story, unless the series is going to include retaliation and aggression between different countries in the two forthcoming books, but as it’s already an American civil war storyline and the trilogy is called: America Rising I highly doubt it.
The books writing isn’t bad but it’s nothing special either, it’s a competent and standard fare but it just doesn’t pull you into the story being told. There’s never that hook that grabs you, making it a must read and a page turner where you have to keep reading to find out what happens next. Dietz’s imagery is also found wanting, never painting a distinct and strong picture of the destroyed landscapes, certain areas seem to be fine and undamaged while other areas have suffered ruin but it’s never vividly realised and you can’t get a focus of the widespread destruction of the setting. The writing is also missing a distinct lack of humour, I didn’t laugh or even smile once when reading. The sporadic addition of some lightheartedness is always a welcome addition to break up the monotony and when you have military personnel you would at the very least expect some banter between them but alas, no it was not to be as Dietz bypassed that route and believe me Into The Guns needed an injection of humour in places.
The pacing in Into The Guns has to be mentioned to, at the start the story feels very rushed and after the meteor strikes, the US seems to self destruct and implode in a matter of days. After that the pacing gets better and moves forward at an adequately but there’s also some other issues mainly in the first third of the book where the time line jumps around days and weeks. For example, the second time we meet Sloan, 20 days have passed since the last time we saw him, I didn’t realise that until a few paragraphs into the new chapter when Dietz deemed us worthy enough to tell us of the passage of time and it was confusing. This also happens on a few occasions in Mac’s story arc where weeks have passed and it just gave the book an uneven feel to it, especially as we’re led to believe that nothing interesting happened in the gaps yet at the start the US went to hell in days.
The books military influence is intriguing and adds a different take on the genre using military equipment and tactics. Dietz uses military jargon and acronyms throughout, sometimes with detriment to the story, as he either neglects to tell you what the acronyms actually stand for and you’re left trying to figure them out or, there’ll have been mentioned pages before and you have to try to think back what they meant or find the original page they were on. He also has a tendency to overload you with the military aspect and you become bogged down, using the military is interesting it’s just a shame that Dietz didn’t realise that sometimes less is more.
The press release bills this book as “a brand new post-apocalyptic series that will thrill fans of Mad Max”. Now, I’m a Mad Max fan and accepted a review copy of the book based on that description. Unfortunately and much to my chagrin I couldn’t find any remote Mad Max feel, vibe or reference to this book at all! The closest you get is the mention of Warlords taking over and running certain towns but as we never get to see these Warlords and it’s stretching the Mad Max link anyway as it’s a very tenuous connection. Sadly the nearest that this bunch of bland, dullard and vanilla characters get to Mad Max is if any of them were watching one of the films during the book!
I always attempt to be genuine and honest, giving you my personal perspective in the assessment of a book when reviewing it. Even when I don’t like a book I try to look at it objectively and alongside my issues, I also attempt to offer any redeeming qualities and features to that book as I know we’re all different and while I don’t like a particular book it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t actually like the book given a chance. However, it maybe harsh but where Into The Guns is concerned, I can’t find anything to make me recommend it you and I find it to be lacking in any redeeming qualities. I did finish the book in the hope that it would improve but it didn’t and I even found myself skimming pages which isn’t normally something I do when reading.
If you’re looking for a book in the post-apocalyptic genre that has a similar feel to Into The Guns then there’s two books that I highly recommend (they are both better in every way). The first is South by Frank Owen that follows a similar idea to Into The Guns with a North and South divide but has far better writing, imagery, characters and story. And, the second is Bite by K.S Merbeth, a fun-filled action-packed frolic into the post-apocalyptic that really has a Mad Max vibe to it.
To conclude, Dietz likes to use military acronyms throughout the book and while it’s not technically a military acronym and is more a slang term derived from WW2. I have one that sadly is very apt in describing my feelings perfectly towards this book: FUBAR.
1.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Into the Guns is the first book in Deitz’s new post-apocalyptic trilogy: America Rising.
On May Day 2018 a natural disaster strikes, 60 meteors hit the Earth sending the world into complete disarray, not realising that it was in-fact a freak act of nature China believing it was under attack from another country then unleashes its own Nuclear weapons resulting in even more ensuing chaos. One of the meteors wipes out Washington in the US after hitting it with more than twenty times the power of the atomic bomb that dropped on Hiroshima destroying the government and sending the country into turmoil. We do get to read that other countries were also struck by the meteors and China’s missiles, but it’s only a quick reference to let us know that other countries were affected to.
After the catastrophe America deteriorates, erupting in a civil war, ending up being divided into two, the North and the South.
The North lack resources and want to try to maintain the true American way of life and attitude bringing the country back to its former pre-impact glory keeping within the US Constitution. Whilst the South, calling themselves The New Confederacy control the oil and other various resources and want to rebuild America in a corporate structure with a select few in charge of the masses, the wealthy controlling the poor. If you will in the words of Guns N Roses from their classic song Civil War “It feeds the rich while it buries the poor“. And thus, a struggle between the two sides ensues with control of the country and its resources at stake.
The story itself centres around two main character points of view. Firstly Lieutenant Robin Macintyre/Mac who is part of a recon platoon who in a rescue attempt to move civilians to safety gets stranded along with the rest of her platoon. After being stranded from the rest of the army and with no communication her group must traverse North America as she leads her group to safety encountering various obstacles and conflicts along the way before joining the war effort as part of the US army. As their journey progresses, the platoon turn into Mac’s Marauders a mercenary outfit but as long as you keep with the Army doctorate, rules and chain of command, it’s fine to class yourself as mercenaries.
The second main point of view comes courtesy of Samuel T. Sloan, before the meteors struck he was the Secretary of Energy for the US and his story arc sees him at the beginning of the book in Mexico on a government mission about energy, so he’s not in the US when the meteors hit destroying the government, congress, et al. He soon runs afoul of the South and the people in charge down there, resulting in an escape and adventure back to the North where he finds as the highest ranking official left that he is now the President of the US at least on the North side as the South won’t cede to his authority.
The book being the first in a trilogy ends after the first real battle between the North and the South leaving the story open for the two future books.
The cast of characters are all under developed, clichéd and unlikable. The secondary characters are all instantly forgettable and the main characters themselves overall lack any redeeming qualities that can pull the book towards you caring about the outcome. Sloan is very annoying and I didn’t like his character at all, he has a self-important air of graces about him and as the reader I just didn’t connect with him. If we are supposed to root for the North as the titular “good guys” of the series and get behind Sloan then he really needs to develop some charisma in the following books. He’s enough to make you want the South and the “bad guys” to win though they are no better, apart from Mac’s Sister and Father they are all a faceless bunch that are also forgettable and hold no interest.
The best and that’s a term I use very loosely character in the book is Mac, she isn’t likeable per se but she isn’t unlikable either, she just lacks the captivating quality needed to be a leading character. As I mentioned earlier, her Sister and Father are on the South side of the war, you can see where this is going with the fractured family relationships and differing personalities already in place and that there’ll be discord between them in the future books when they finally do meet.
There’s a few things in Into The Guns that don’t make any sense and you’re left wondering at their addition to the story. For example, the Chinese unleashing their Nukes at the books start seems rather incredulous and unnecessary on top of the meteor strike, why not just have a second meteor strike take place? And, it adds nothing to the overall story, unless the series is going to include retaliation and aggression between different countries in the two forthcoming books, but as it’s already an American civil war storyline and the trilogy is called: America Rising I highly doubt it.
The books writing isn’t bad but it’s nothing special either, it’s a competent and standard fare but it just doesn’t pull you into the story being told. There’s never that hook that grabs you, making it a must read and a page turner where you have to keep reading to find out what happens next. Dietz’s imagery is also found wanting, never painting a distinct and strong picture of the destroyed landscapes, certain areas seem to be fine and undamaged while other areas have suffered ruin but it’s never vividly realised and you can’t get a focus of the widespread destruction of the setting. The writing is also missing a distinct lack of humour, I didn’t laugh or even smile once when reading. The sporadic addition of some lightheartedness is always a welcome addition to break up the monotony and when you have military personnel you would at the very least expect some banter between them but alas, no it was not to be as Dietz bypassed that route and believe me Into The Guns needed an injection of humour in places.
The pacing in Into The Guns has to be mentioned to, at the start the story feels very rushed and after the meteor strikes, the US seems to self destruct and implode in a matter of days. After that the pacing gets better and moves forward at an adequately but there’s also some other issues mainly in the first third of the book where the time line jumps around days and weeks. For example, the second time we meet Sloan, 20 days have passed since the last time we saw him, I didn’t realise that until a few paragraphs into the new chapter when Dietz deemed us worthy enough to tell us of the passage of time and it was confusing. This also happens on a few occasions in Mac’s story arc where weeks have passed and it just gave the book an uneven feel to it, especially as we’re led to believe that nothing interesting happened in the gaps yet at the start the US went to hell in days.
The books military influence is intriguing and adds a different take on the genre using military equipment and tactics. Dietz uses military jargon and acronyms throughout, sometimes with detriment to the story, as he either neglects to tell you what the acronyms actually stand for and you’re left trying to figure them out or, there’ll have been mentioned pages before and you have to try to think back what they meant or find the original page they were on. He also has a tendency to overload you with the military aspect and you become bogged down, using the military is interesting it’s just a shame that Dietz didn’t realise that sometimes less is more.
The press release bills this book as “a brand new post-apocalyptic series that will thrill fans of Mad Max”. Now, I’m a Mad Max fan and accepted a review copy of the book based on that description. Unfortunately and much to my chagrin I couldn’t find any remote Mad Max feel, vibe or reference to this book at all! The closest you get is the mention of Warlords taking over and running certain towns but as we never get to see these Warlords and it’s stretching the Mad Max link anyway as it’s a very tenuous connection. Sadly the nearest that this bunch of bland, dullard and vanilla characters get to Mad Max is if any of them were watching one of the films during the book!
I always attempt to be genuine and honest, giving you my personal perspective in the assessment of a book when reviewing it. Even when I don’t like a book I try to look at it objectively and alongside my issues, I also attempt to offer any redeeming qualities and features to that book as I know we’re all different and while I don’t like a particular book it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t actually like the book given a chance. However, it maybe harsh but where Into The Guns is concerned, I can’t find anything to make me recommend it you and I find it to be lacking in any redeeming qualities. I did finish the book in the hope that it would improve but it didn’t and I even found myself skimming pages which isn’t normally something I do when reading.
If you’re looking for a book in the post-apocalyptic genre that has a similar feel to Into The Guns then there’s two books that I highly recommend (they are both better in every way). The first is South by Frank Owen that follows a similar idea to Into The Guns with a North and South divide but has far better writing, imagery, characters and story. And, the second is Bite by K.S Merbeth, a fun-filled action-packed frolic into the post-apocalyptic that really has a Mad Max vibe to it.
To conclude, Dietz likes to use military acronyms throughout the book and while it’s not technically a military acronym and is more a slang term derived from WW2. I have one that sadly is very apt in describing my feelings perfectly towards this book: FUBAR.
October 6, 2016
Lieutenant Robin Macintyre was in charge of a recon platoon in the Pacific Northwest when a swarm of large meteors strike the earth. Washington, D.C., is destroyed along with several major American military installations and other areas of the world. In light of the breakdown of civilization, Macintrye leads here forces and their dependents on a journey to Arizona where they establish a base and later to Fort Knox Kentucky where they rejoin the army and a new president trying to put down a second Civil War and bring order to a devastated country. The hard hitting story was hard to put down and portrays what can happen in a disaster.
November 6, 2017
this is the only book iv had to set down and stop reading. its entirely possible that its due to the fact that I served at JBLM and know a lot about the place, the units stationed there and the shear amount of equiptment and supplies on the base that the ideas and events that occure in the first few chapters ring very hollow and made up. I just couldn't get into it.
The idea that a base such as JBLM would fall as quickly as it did to supposed civilian uprising when forwarned is at best a bad joke. A base housing at a minimum 3 combat infantry brigades, an air unit, a ranger regiment, a SF group, a divisional HQ and a Corps HQ with all their vehicals, equiptment and supplies would not fall to civilian mobs so quickly or so easily.
the "tactics" and actions taken by the soldiers and their leadership in the story are so bad that most or all of them would have been likely killed in their first few engagments. the entire story feel and sounds like a story written by someone who had heard second or third hand accounts of soldiers and how they act, or from bad 80s action movies.
but again, my views of this book are largely colored by my previous service. so maybe others will enjoy this book. but I just cant.
The idea that a base such as JBLM would fall as quickly as it did to supposed civilian uprising when forwarned is at best a bad joke. A base housing at a minimum 3 combat infantry brigades, an air unit, a ranger regiment, a SF group, a divisional HQ and a Corps HQ with all their vehicals, equiptment and supplies would not fall to civilian mobs so quickly or so easily.
the "tactics" and actions taken by the soldiers and their leadership in the story are so bad that most or all of them would have been likely killed in their first few engagments. the entire story feel and sounds like a story written by someone who had heard second or third hand accounts of soldiers and how they act, or from bad 80s action movies.
but again, my views of this book are largely colored by my previous service. so maybe others will enjoy this book. but I just cant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2016
Received a copy from as a Goodreads giveaway. Berkley/Penguin Group.
This was a weird one for me. I liked the premise of the book - What would happen within America if meteors fell upon the earth. Also how would everyone cope in the aftermath. But there were a few things that kept troubling me as I read further and further.
What I liked. I find with a lot of Post-Apocalyptic books (especially with a military slant) tend to just be doomsday manual. Where the author gives a detailed and itemized list of everything the character gathers/uses. William C. Dietz gave just enough to understand what was going on. Without cluttering the book with all this information. I also liked ho one of the main characters was a female within the rank and file of the Army. The supporting characters also seemed to respect Robin Macintyre, and didn't second guess her decisions just based on gender.
What I didn't like. I found it a little uncomfortable how easily it was for Robin (Mac) and her squad to outright kill American citizens. Even discussing taking supplies they needed by force if it came to it. Everything also fell apart really quickly at the start. Roving gangs attacking a base 3 days after the meteors fell, and within 2 months the "South" split for the Union and started to build a wall. Plus I feel there was a miss with China accidentally attacking several countries (is about a paragraph with China pretty much saying "Whoops, Sorry."). Nothing is heard of this afterwards. None of the characters were really fleshed out. As the story moved at a breakneck speed, with not giving enough time for anyone to develop.
I'd be curious to see where the rest of the series goes. Hopefully Dietz can find the perfect balance between action and character development, to really make this series shine. But if you are looking for Fury in a post-apocalyptic setting. You may be disappointed.
This was a weird one for me. I liked the premise of the book - What would happen within America if meteors fell upon the earth. Also how would everyone cope in the aftermath. But there were a few things that kept troubling me as I read further and further.
What I liked. I find with a lot of Post-Apocalyptic books (especially with a military slant) tend to just be doomsday manual. Where the author gives a detailed and itemized list of everything the character gathers/uses. William C. Dietz gave just enough to understand what was going on. Without cluttering the book with all this information. I also liked ho one of the main characters was a female within the rank and file of the Army. The supporting characters also seemed to respect Robin Macintyre, and didn't second guess her decisions just based on gender.
What I didn't like. I found it a little uncomfortable how easily it was for Robin (Mac) and her squad to outright kill American citizens. Even discussing taking supplies they needed by force if it came to it. Everything also fell apart really quickly at the start. Roving gangs attacking a base 3 days after the meteors fell, and within 2 months the "South" split for the Union and started to build a wall. Plus I feel there was a miss with China accidentally attacking several countries (is about a paragraph with China pretty much saying "Whoops, Sorry."). Nothing is heard of this afterwards. None of the characters were really fleshed out. As the story moved at a breakneck speed, with not giving enough time for anyone to develop.
I'd be curious to see where the rest of the series goes. Hopefully Dietz can find the perfect balance between action and character development, to really make this series shine. But if you are looking for Fury in a post-apocalyptic setting. You may be disappointed.
February 9, 2017
Dietz starts with the now-familiar "meteor doom" scenario, throws in a bit of traditional warfare just to completely scupper society, and then takes off running in a whole new direction.
The U.S. government has been almost completely destroyed, the population desperate to survive whatever it takes, and many military branches orphaned without the support structure they typically rely upon. The end result? A new schism develops, threatening another Civil War to divide North and South even while parts of the existing administration are regrouping.
Civilians barely rate a mention in this military and political struggle while families are divided, walls are being built, and any position of authority seems up for grabs along with valued resources like oil and gold.
I didn't realize this was the beginning of a series, so I'll be excited to read the next one!
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The U.S. government has been almost completely destroyed, the population desperate to survive whatever it takes, and many military branches orphaned without the support structure they typically rely upon. The end result? A new schism develops, threatening another Civil War to divide North and South even while parts of the existing administration are regrouping.
Civilians barely rate a mention in this military and political struggle while families are divided, walls are being built, and any position of authority seems up for grabs along with valued resources like oil and gold.
I didn't realize this was the beginning of a series, so I'll be excited to read the next one!
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2016
It seems that post-apocalyptic is the new rage and William Dietz has added a new addition. Into the Guns is book one in a new series. It has all the elements that make up this series. The destruction around the world is caused by a large meteors hitting the Earth. The story starts with a Army unit in the Pacific Northwest and follows them as everything falls apart then slowly starts to come back together. Into the Guns introduces the characters, sets up the world building, and brings the main plot point into focus. This is book one so it only goes so far. It just stops after one crisis is solved so book two and three for the rest of the story.
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June 20, 2022The book's premise is interesting, but it continued to get worse and worse with each page. I gave up on it about 25 pages in and wish I had followed my instincts after reading the first page and seeing how woke it was starting out.
For a wannabee latte drinking incel Democrat who has never served in the military and likes manga this book is probably OK, As a retired soldier, historian, and committed survivalist, I alternated between amusement and being disgusted by the authors simpering tone and unrealistic plot development.
Save yourself the time, it is written for junior high school virgins to propagandize them.
For a wannabee latte drinking incel Democrat who has never served in the military and likes manga this book is probably OK, As a retired soldier, historian, and committed survivalist, I alternated between amusement and being disgusted by the authors simpering tone and unrealistic plot development.
Save yourself the time, it is written for junior high school virgins to propagandize them.
January 28, 2023
First impression: "Into the guns" is redolent with "One second after". Not matters nuclear but matters from the sky.
Second impression: Still chipping away. Fairly meh, but I'm going to keep at it. 3 perspectives and much shade thrown at the so-called red states. I hope things work out for the Divided States of America.
Final impression: I should bring "Into the guns" back tomorrow. No doubt there are more interesting books waiting for me. Will I try my luck with the sequels? Probably not.
Second impression: Still chipping away. Fairly meh, but I'm going to keep at it. 3 perspectives and much shade thrown at the so-called red states. I hope things work out for the Divided States of America.
Final impression: I should bring "Into the guns" back tomorrow. No doubt there are more interesting books waiting for me. Will I try my luck with the sequels? Probably not.
October 14, 2017
In INTO THE GUNS by William C. Dietz (author of LEGION OF THE DAMNED), meteors strike the earth and wipe out the U.S. government. In the ensuing chaos, military units find themselves cut off from the chain of command, and the Southern states plan secession. The result is a setup for a second American civil war.
I read the synopsis and thought, wow, count me in. Here’s what I liked and didn’t. First, I’d heard Dietz is a master of military sci-fi, and his skills are on full display here. The guy writes supremely well, carries a story, gives you likeable characters, and delivers detailed action. I also enjoyed the ideas behind the North and South getting ready to fight. What’s at stake is the strategic petroleum reserve, which in the South. The South wants to keep it for itself, the North says it belongs to the whole country and wants it shared. The South wants to reconstitute as a confederacy incorporated like a business, with a CEO, board of directors, and voters become shareholders–in short, a version of libertarian government where corporations and the rich can buy votes and dominate decision-making. The North wants to spend money on a massive reconstruction program to repair the damage and rebuild the country.
Dietz portrays the North in a more favorable light, but I was just grateful for once not to read a second civil war novel in which dirty liberals try to steal everything under the direction of Black socialists who want to disarm patriotic citizens and create a Marxist one-world government. Seriously, I’ve read one or two of those, and they’re basic right wing wish fulfillment. They don’t require willing suspension of disbelief from the reader so much as an unquestioning ideology, one in which the world is divided between evil liberals and plucky patriots.
Despite what I liked about it, I had some reservations. Within days of the attack, gangs attack and begin to overrun major military bases. One military unit, run by one of the book’s protagonists, finds itself under attack by a nearby town that wants its fuel for itself. While this created opportunities for Dietz to show off his excellent skills as a military fiction author, I found it hard to believe that within days of disaster, gangs or even small towns would find the wherewithal and strength to take on U.S. Army units in their bases, much less win. Civilians don’t come across as very nice people in this novel. Most of them are selfish looters. The President is a civilian but for one odd reason or another ends up going into combat with the troops much of the time.
A final issue for me was the timeline and pacing. The country falls apart, everybody starts attacking everybody else, military units go rogue and turn mercenary (strangely resisting the chain of command when it begins to reassert itself), and the South plans secession in a timeline that seems to be highly compressed for the most part but then suggests time is jumping ahead quite a bit. This is apparently a series; I would have hoped the first book would deal with the meteor strikes and their aftermath, leading up up to the civil war, and the second book get into it. That being said, the quick pacing keeps things moving.
In the end, you just have to regard it as pulpy military adventure fiction and run with it. If you’re good with how some of the events bump fast forward, and the dubious realism of how the country responds to the crisis in its first months, you’re in for a fast-paced, action-packed read.
I read the synopsis and thought, wow, count me in. Here’s what I liked and didn’t. First, I’d heard Dietz is a master of military sci-fi, and his skills are on full display here. The guy writes supremely well, carries a story, gives you likeable characters, and delivers detailed action. I also enjoyed the ideas behind the North and South getting ready to fight. What’s at stake is the strategic petroleum reserve, which in the South. The South wants to keep it for itself, the North says it belongs to the whole country and wants it shared. The South wants to reconstitute as a confederacy incorporated like a business, with a CEO, board of directors, and voters become shareholders–in short, a version of libertarian government where corporations and the rich can buy votes and dominate decision-making. The North wants to spend money on a massive reconstruction program to repair the damage and rebuild the country.
Dietz portrays the North in a more favorable light, but I was just grateful for once not to read a second civil war novel in which dirty liberals try to steal everything under the direction of Black socialists who want to disarm patriotic citizens and create a Marxist one-world government. Seriously, I’ve read one or two of those, and they’re basic right wing wish fulfillment. They don’t require willing suspension of disbelief from the reader so much as an unquestioning ideology, one in which the world is divided between evil liberals and plucky patriots.
Despite what I liked about it, I had some reservations. Within days of the attack, gangs attack and begin to overrun major military bases. One military unit, run by one of the book’s protagonists, finds itself under attack by a nearby town that wants its fuel for itself. While this created opportunities for Dietz to show off his excellent skills as a military fiction author, I found it hard to believe that within days of disaster, gangs or even small towns would find the wherewithal and strength to take on U.S. Army units in their bases, much less win. Civilians don’t come across as very nice people in this novel. Most of them are selfish looters. The President is a civilian but for one odd reason or another ends up going into combat with the troops much of the time.
A final issue for me was the timeline and pacing. The country falls apart, everybody starts attacking everybody else, military units go rogue and turn mercenary (strangely resisting the chain of command when it begins to reassert itself), and the South plans secession in a timeline that seems to be highly compressed for the most part but then suggests time is jumping ahead quite a bit. This is apparently a series; I would have hoped the first book would deal with the meteor strikes and their aftermath, leading up up to the civil war, and the second book get into it. That being said, the quick pacing keeps things moving.
In the end, you just have to regard it as pulpy military adventure fiction and run with it. If you’re good with how some of the events bump fast forward, and the dubious realism of how the country responds to the crisis in its first months, you’re in for a fast-paced, action-packed read.
December 8, 2017
Although I like the author, this book was out of my genre. While those who appreciate conventional earth based warfare stories I am more attuned to battles in space and on alien planets.
Still a good read.
Still a good read.
December 11, 2017
While the premise of this book is a bit nuts (meteors/nuclear strikes taking out the U.S. Federal government, which is apparently the only thing keeping biker gangs from overrunning the country and the South seceding), there were parts of this story that were very entertaining. I especially liked the character development of "Sloan"-- he felt very real. Despite a lot of interesting and great scenes, I had a tough time figuring it how to rate this book. While parts of it were very exciting (3-4 star level), towards the end the story became pretty disjointed; each scene would be described in a few paragraphs and then the book was on to the next day, the next meeting, the next battle. It really brought me out of the feel of the book and I found myself skipping over a lot to just get the highlights.
I picked up this book (the first in the series) after winning the second in a Goodreads giveaway (I hadn't realized that I had entered to win the second book in a series). To be honest, I'm not super excited to start on Book 2, but I'm hoping that it will end up being more cohesive than the first and offer some additional character development for the character of "Mac."
I picked up this book (the first in the series) after winning the second in a Goodreads giveaway (I hadn't realized that I had entered to win the second book in a series). To be honest, I'm not super excited to start on Book 2, but I'm hoping that it will end up being more cohesive than the first and offer some additional character development for the character of "Mac."
January 22, 2018
This is entertaining, particularly if you like military action and political intrigue. My rating 4.0.
Robin “Mac” Macintyre is a First Lieutenant with the Army when meteor strikes change the world. Society has already broken down to include gangs who are willing to thieve for supplies or even destroy for the fun of it. Mac and her scout patrol are assigned to help escort a group of civilian filled buses from Tacoma to Yakima, Washington. They will face murdering marauders and natural disasters and only some of the convoy will get through. Mac becomes the highest-ranking officer and begins to take charge of the troops. She decides to lead them south to Arizona in the hopes of finding warmer climate. Picking up troops and civilians along the way, they become mercenaries hiring out as Mac’s Marauders to establish protection for communities needing relief from the worst of the killing gangs.
US Secretary of Energy Samuel Sloan is caught in Mexico when the disaster strikes. He manages to run and to escape from local thugs to find his way back to the United States. When he is captured in America the authorities don’t believe who he claims to be. He is imprisoned for a time then mysteriously flown out to a meeting with some wealthy businessmen who have taken control of Texas and the vast energy resources in that and surrounding southern states. The tycoons make a proposition to allow Sloan to become the leader of the country under their ‘new order’ which would allow corporations to buy shares in the United States. Sloan doesn’t agree with this new Confederate order. As he is being returned to prison, he escapes again and makes his way east. In a desperate situation he stumbles upon a lawyer who is willing to get him the support he needs to claim his place as President of the United States. Slowly traveling from Maryland to Illinois and in between, they will assemble a like-minded team intent on pulling the country back together, even if that means war with the Confederates.
Mac’s father a Major General and her older sister, Major Victoria Macintyre, are West Point graduates. They disdain Mac for not following in the same path. They are now part of the New Confederacy with Victoria zipping around on a motorcycle as a very cold-hearted officer building a spy network within the Union forces. At least one of these spies in is the forces where Mac’s talents are being used.
These are the three primary characters whose struggles and battles are followed in this book. I liked the fast pace and good action that kept me interested. There is rough language and a good bit of violence. There are inconsistencies and contrived scenes... but, it is fiction, after all. I didn’t allow some of the pointed political ideologies to bog me down nor rile me either way. I actually found the opposing views thought-provoking.
This is the first book I have read by Mr. Dietz and I get the sense I would like some of his other series too. I would recommend this to readers who like post-apocalyptic, alternative history and military action elements as entertainment, not reality. I am glad I have books two and three to continue to see where the author takes the characters and the battles.
I received this from the publisher for an honest review.
Robin “Mac” Macintyre is a First Lieutenant with the Army when meteor strikes change the world. Society has already broken down to include gangs who are willing to thieve for supplies or even destroy for the fun of it. Mac and her scout patrol are assigned to help escort a group of civilian filled buses from Tacoma to Yakima, Washington. They will face murdering marauders and natural disasters and only some of the convoy will get through. Mac becomes the highest-ranking officer and begins to take charge of the troops. She decides to lead them south to Arizona in the hopes of finding warmer climate. Picking up troops and civilians along the way, they become mercenaries hiring out as Mac’s Marauders to establish protection for communities needing relief from the worst of the killing gangs.
US Secretary of Energy Samuel Sloan is caught in Mexico when the disaster strikes. He manages to run and to escape from local thugs to find his way back to the United States. When he is captured in America the authorities don’t believe who he claims to be. He is imprisoned for a time then mysteriously flown out to a meeting with some wealthy businessmen who have taken control of Texas and the vast energy resources in that and surrounding southern states. The tycoons make a proposition to allow Sloan to become the leader of the country under their ‘new order’ which would allow corporations to buy shares in the United States. Sloan doesn’t agree with this new Confederate order. As he is being returned to prison, he escapes again and makes his way east. In a desperate situation he stumbles upon a lawyer who is willing to get him the support he needs to claim his place as President of the United States. Slowly traveling from Maryland to Illinois and in between, they will assemble a like-minded team intent on pulling the country back together, even if that means war with the Confederates.
Mac’s father a Major General and her older sister, Major Victoria Macintyre, are West Point graduates. They disdain Mac for not following in the same path. They are now part of the New Confederacy with Victoria zipping around on a motorcycle as a very cold-hearted officer building a spy network within the Union forces. At least one of these spies in is the forces where Mac’s talents are being used.
These are the three primary characters whose struggles and battles are followed in this book. I liked the fast pace and good action that kept me interested. There is rough language and a good bit of violence. There are inconsistencies and contrived scenes... but, it is fiction, after all. I didn’t allow some of the pointed political ideologies to bog me down nor rile me either way. I actually found the opposing views thought-provoking.
This is the first book I have read by Mr. Dietz and I get the sense I would like some of his other series too. I would recommend this to readers who like post-apocalyptic, alternative history and military action elements as entertainment, not reality. I am glad I have books two and three to continue to see where the author takes the characters and the battles.
I received this from the publisher for an honest review.
February 20, 2018
I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic stories. Most of the time they are of uneven quality, and this was no exception. This was my 1st book by this author, and I would say he is of middling ability.
Problems:
1. I found the characters to generally be rather one-dimensional.
2. The editing was hit-and-miss (not the author's fault, most likely).
3. As the story progressed, events skipped ahead at an increasing rate. This created a bit of a dis-jointed "highlights reel" feel to the latter 3rd of the book.
4. The people populating this story didn't react in ways I would expect in the face of a cataclysm of this magnitude (meteor shower and an abbreviated follow-up nuclear exchange). This made the "world" feel more unreal than it needed to, and differentiates this author from more accomplished authors in this genre.
All the above being true, I still had to be honest w/ myself and give it 3 stars. Why??? Because I looked forward to picking it up and seeing what was going to happen next, and was entertained. At the end of the day, that's the job of a book like this, isn't it? I think I may even read the next one.
Problems:
1. I found the characters to generally be rather one-dimensional.
2. The editing was hit-and-miss (not the author's fault, most likely).
3. As the story progressed, events skipped ahead at an increasing rate. This created a bit of a dis-jointed "highlights reel" feel to the latter 3rd of the book.
4. The people populating this story didn't react in ways I would expect in the face of a cataclysm of this magnitude (meteor shower and an abbreviated follow-up nuclear exchange). This made the "world" feel more unreal than it needed to, and differentiates this author from more accomplished authors in this genre.
All the above being true, I still had to be honest w/ myself and give it 3 stars. Why??? Because I looked forward to picking it up and seeing what was going to happen next, and was entertained. At the end of the day, that's the job of a book like this, isn't it? I think I may even read the next one.
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May 27, 2022My favorite part of the book was when Sloan found out that he was the President of the United States. Sloan was an interesting character, because despite being a high ranking politician, he still fought side by side with his soldiers on the battlefield. Something I learned from this book was that even the strongest of countries can fall apart in a short amount of time. A favorite quote of mine from the book was "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried," because this quote from Winston Churchill shows that despite democracy not being perfect, it's still the best type of government humanity has at the moment. Overall, I think it was a good book, because it showed different perspectives in different places, which made for an interesting story. I would not read the book again, as I have already read it. I think the point of the book was to show what it might be like if America were to collapse into chaos. If I could change something about this book, I might have added a few more perspectives, for example the perspective of a ordinary soldier.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2020
An asteroid hits D.C. and the country's command authority is instantly decapitated. The story primarily follows Lt. Mackenzie, Mack, as she hold out at their base in Washington state with no word or support from higher. Eventually, they must make a decision as to how to survive, where to go, and what to do as an orphaned unit. Meanwhile, Secretary of Energy Sloan is caught in Mexico when the asteroids hit. His attempted kidnapping by the cartel is luckily thwarted by a tsunami. Problem is, now he has to make it back to the US with nothing but the soaking suit on his back. What neither of these characters realize, is that a group of industrialist elites have decided to use this opportunity to create their own new vision for the country, starting with the south. They want a neo-libertarian corporatocracy, where the country is run by a CEO, responsible to a board, with input by "shareholders." Only, if you don't own land or assets, you have no shares in the company.
January 23, 2021
This is the first book in a 3 book series about America after Earth is hit by meteors that kill most of the American Government, thus causing civilisation to break down. One of the main characters is an Army lieutenant in charge of a six vehicle Stryker (armoured personel carrier) squad. They decide to eventually turn mercenary in order to survive, and earn money for food and shelter. They eventually end up back in the US Army, helping the other character, the Secretary of Energy, to become the US President, and help take back the Southern states, who have seceeded from the US.
It's not a bad read, but at the same time, it's not the most intense military action book I've ever read. I'll keep reading for the next book, but some of the things that happen seem to only be there to provide conflict for the main characters, without driving forward the story.
It's not a bad read, but at the same time, it's not the most intense military action book I've ever read. I'll keep reading for the next book, but some of the things that happen seem to only be there to provide conflict for the main characters, without driving forward the story.
June 2, 2021
This is a fast-paced and exciting novel with a simple premise. “Sixty meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere on May Day 2018. One of them swept in over North America at 1:11 p.m. PST.” The meteor destroys Washington DC. The world becomes a very, very dangerous place overnight. In the weeks following the cataclysm, United States becomes divided. Civil war looms large as a group of enterprising entrepreneurs in the South form new government based on pure capitalism. The characterization is spot on and noteworthy. The novel's heroes gradually are united against a common enemy. The main characters are First Lieutenant Robin “Mac” Macintyre who ends up as Captain and Samuel T. Sloan, the United States Secretary of Energy who ends up as President of the United States. The action is relentless and explosive. I give it 4 stars out of 5.
September 8, 2018
Into the Guns is the first book in the America Rising series. This can be read as a standalone though it is clear that the story doesn't end here. There is a lot of violence. While this book is categorized as a SciFi book, it really is a Dystopian military story. This is a new battle for control of what was the United States of America. This is almost a reenactment of the Civil War, including a new Mason Dixon Line.. With the legitimate President and part of the military on one side (think the North) and the rich corporations and part of the military on the other side (think the South). While the story was average and okay, I felt that it could have been written better than it was. Not sure yet if I will read the next couple of books in the series.
April 19, 2024
Author recommended to me. This is a three book series. This being the first one. sixty meteors entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded around the globe with a force greater than a nuclear blast. One hits Washington DC, killing the president and lots of other politicians. My question. Won’t the astronomers and guys and gals at NASA see these meteors coming towards earth and give out some kind of warning to the president in Washington DC?
Lots of murder and mayhem. Thought it was strange that the south decided to secede from the northern states and fly the Confederate flag. Would think the south would come up with a different type of flag. So anyway, civil war starts up in 2018.
This story is fast paced. I plan to read the next one in the series.
Lots of murder and mayhem. Thought it was strange that the south decided to secede from the northern states and fly the Confederate flag. Would think the south would come up with a different type of flag. So anyway, civil war starts up in 2018.
This story is fast paced. I plan to read the next one in the series.
December 27, 2020
A book focused on America entering a second civil war. Following a natural disaster that destroys much of America and the world the book focuses on the people trying to rebuild or change the United States.
A action packed edge of your seat thriller that leads you from a group of soldiers trying to survive in their crumbling society to society fighting for what they believe in and fear.
This book is a page turning action star that will keep you up into the late hours of the night as the bullets wizz over your head!
A action packed edge of your seat thriller that leads you from a group of soldiers trying to survive in their crumbling society to society fighting for what they believe in and fear.
This book is a page turning action star that will keep you up into the late hours of the night as the bullets wizz over your head!
October 26, 2016
Yet another post apocalyptic novel set in the USA, with perhaps too much concentration on the hardware used by the soldiers and not enough on the characters in the storyline. America has been split into two factions and it is the North versus the South. Families are split as well. A new civil war is about to start. Will probably check out the trilogy when the remaining books are published.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
October 19, 2017
Very good, great pace, well developed characters. The story is told from multiple view points so you need to get a handle on all the initial players quite quickly. This is an apocalyptic scenario that could easily happen but I just don't agree with how quickly society de-evolves. I'm quite sure there are back up plans to the back up plans for the military and if regular commuincations are down but hamm radios work I'm sure they would use those. Looking forward to the next in the series.
May 4, 2017
This was a good read and I look forward to the next book. To see where Mac and Sloan go as they try to reunite the country .
I look forward to seeing a love affair growing between Mac and Sloan . Also I would like to see the showdown between Mac and her sister and father.
I look forward to seeing a love affair growing between Mac and Sloan . Also I would like to see the showdown between Mac and her sister and father.
July 29, 2017
Very good book with familiar locations. A little predictable at times, but not enough to ruin the book. Some errors with size of M1 Abrams cannons - they are not 105mm. Correct though on the MGS Stryker which is a 105mm. I like how the author writes women heroes without them being mannish and still able to have their feminine charms.
August 11, 2017
The first book of, what I call what if, history. This is a modern military story of an America following a natural worldwide disaster. Characters are well written and likable. The action is fast and furious. Surrender your sense of what is and submit to a sense of what might be, you will not regret it.
April 26, 2018
It's not offensively bad, but its bad. The blurb mentions a Chinese attack on the rest of the world, which I'd actually forgotten because the bit in the blurb is longer than the bit in the novel. It's a series of reasonable ideas without any structure or coherence, and doesn't work as a novel at all.
December 12, 2018
I love dystopian novels but found this one fun to read for the specific battles and encounters but very weak on big picture. The author seems to have a low opinion of libertarian ideology and even tossed in an Ayn Rand insult or two as the rationale for the villains. Shame as he could have actually had relatable characters on both sides rather than an obvious good/evil setup.
July 21, 2020
Failed to pass my 40-page criteria. If I'm not engrained in a book after 40 pages, I'm not going to be period. Way too much military jargon, not enough action or details about the meteors and the aftermath from them. Initially had high hopes for the whole series, now I won't even be bothering with the others.
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