Fractured State

Fractured State #1

by Steven Konkoly

A land in ruin. A state on the verge of secession. A man on the run.

In a future California ravaged by drought and on the brink of political upheaval, a high-profile assassination triggers a cascade of violence and sabotage facilitated by the highest levels of power. Nathan Fisher, an unassuming government employee, is drawn into the unraveling conspiracy after accidentally witnessing a suspiciously timed clandestine military-style operation.

Hunted by ruthless killers seeking to ensure his silence, suspected by the authorities, and aided only by a loyal Marine officer with a mysterious agenda, Fisher and his family must somehow stay a step ahead of their relentless pursuers, navigating a dangerously changed world in a desperate search for sanctuary.

With their lives on the line and California on the brink of secession, can they save themselves—and ultimately their country?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Dystopia, Action, Post Apocalyptic

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2016

About the author

Steven graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1993, receiving a bachelor of science in English literature. He served the next eight years on active duty, traveling the world as a naval officer assigned to various Navy and Marine Corps units. His extensive journey spanned the globe, including a two-year tour of duty in Japan and travel to more than twenty countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.

From enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq as a maritime boarding officer in the Arabian Gulf, to directing aircraft bombing runs and naval gunfire strikes as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) assigned to a specialized Marine Corps unit, Steven's "in-house" experience with a wide range of regular and elite military units brings a unique authenticity to his thrillers.

He still wakes up at "zero dark thirty" to write for most of the day. When "off duty," he spends as much time as possible outdoors or travelling with his family--and dog.

Steven is the bestselling author of ten novels and several novellas, including a commissioned trilogy of novellas based on the popular Wayward Pines series. His canon of work includes the popular Black Flagged Series, a gritty, no-holds barred covert operations and espionage saga; The Perseid Collapse series, a post-apocalyptic thriller epic chronicling the events surrounding an inconceivable attack on the United States; and The Fractured State series, a near future, dystopian thriller trilogy set in the drought ravaged southwest

You can contact Steven directly by email (stevekonkoly@striblingmedia.com) or through his blog (www.stevenkonkoly.com).

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too bad this shoot 'em up thriller finishes on a bit of a downer. Therefore, 7 of 10 stars

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers, thanks!

Oh boy...I really wanted to like this book. I enjoy near-future climate change type sci-fi and saw this book listed on an article about "books to read in May" on io9, so I was really pleased to be able to get a copy from NetGalley!

Unfortunately, overly long descriptions of specific military weapons/tactical choices and the authors personal political views somewhat overshadowed what was a pretty interesting and well-paced plot.

The book really, *really* hit you over the head with the whole "government regulation bad, military good" idea that is common in certain political circles. Unfortunately, that was a bit too simplistic and required a hearty suspension of disbelief to think that government regulations to deal with drought in the West would actually pan out that way. It was obvious that the author needed his personal political beliefs (complete with condescending slights towards liberals and/or anyone who wasn't 100% in love with guns) to shine through in order to justify the entire purpose of the novel as prepper wish fulfillment. The main character's father was a pretty clear self-insert archetype of ex-military prepper.

I know there are many novels that function as justification to the preppers among us that one day, they'll be vindicated and need their elaborate survivalist tendencies, but unless you are one of these preppers or appreciate a lot of military/prepper worship, I would skip this book.

That being said, I did think the plot had a lot of redeeming moments (the only reason I finished the book) and the middle chunk of the book in particular was fast-paced. Unfortunately, so many of the characters ended up being stereotypes and every single speaking female character introduced was only introduced to be killed, so I wasn't particularly invested in the outcome. I won't be reading the subsequent books.

Oh, also, it's a series (which I didn't know) so I didn't even get to find out what happened to the main characters.

If you are looking for a great climate change sci-fi thriller that deals with drought in the American southwest, without the political opinions, I would recommend The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi.

[Matthew FitzSimmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure - Steve and I share a publisher. We've never met, but we trade emails and recently we traded books. I'm really glad we did because I blew through his book this weekend. I know I really like a book when I start scanning ahead to see what's coming (not a good habit as a reader, but I can't help myself).

Fractured State is a great, great read. It's set in California circa 2035, and I have a weakness for well thought out, fully realized near futures. The research and planning that went into the book is brilliant, and in my opinion, Steve created a plausible, thought provoking scenario. I also like thrillers that defy easy classification - part military thriller, part espionage thriller, part family in peril, with a dash of politics thrown in. He is also a Naval Academy graduate and it shows in all the authentic touches.

But none of that would matter if Steve wasn't such a good writer. The book is tightly plotted, and the characters stand out. It's a great read and best of all there is a part two coming in January.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am having a love/hate relationship with this book so I am trying to formulate my review as I write it. I will start by admitting this is my favorite genre (post-apocalypic) but this is definitely different from others I have read in this category. Rather than an event or series of events tossing the country into chaos and only the truly prepped will survive... this plot took a slower approach building on problems we are already aware of. Let me preface this by saying I have a pitifully low knowledge of California's resource struggles, but this story taking place about 15-20 years in the future is well-written and plausible in my mind. I had no trouble wrapping my mind around the status of middle class life as the author describes, and the struggles that come with it. I loved his use of technology and his attention to detail was great. The details at times were a bit TOO great and I found myself getting lost in the descriptions and forgetting what was actually happening.

Now for what was happening... If I even recap this correctly the big picture was One Nation vs. the California Liberation Movement (CLM). One side wants California to stay a part of the nation and the other side wants the cessation of the state. OK simple enough. HOWEVER... I was very lost at times. One group was assassinating someone and was pretending to be the other group or the other group was thwarting the efforts of the first group. My head was spinning. Even so, I could attribute this to moving between the Kindle edition and Audible. There were a lot of characters to keep track of but for the most part I was on board and interested. With all of this I would give the book 4 stars because I really did love it. And now for the BIG BUT...

BUT! The characters SUCKED! Starting with Flagg who was the main guy directing his One Nation minions, the only thing I can say about him was I have seen him a million times before. He was your cookie cutter antagonist. Leeds seemed to be his main guy and should have been this off the charts bad ass, but he was a spineless little creature. Not even in a 'love to hate him' kind of way, but really just a dime a dozen operative who could have been killed off and replaced with a dozen subsequent operatives and it wouldn't have mattered (or changed the story line at all). Now Quinn had potential. From his first scene he had swooped in as this military bad-ass that had a lot of potential. I wanted to read a character like this and just think I could trust him. That he had seen it all and would get them out of it. And that is even the impression he gives off when he makes the surveillance team outside the Fischer house right at the beginning . But after my initial impression was set, there was a spiral of disappointment.

I can go on and on about every character but the one I struggled with the most was Nathan! And UGH! He had such potential (as he should considering he is the primary driver of this book). I am marking the rest as a spoiler because I plan to rant. His dad is this military hero with the connections and ability to go off the grid on a moment's notice. They KNOW everything that is going on in California yet still moved there (not sure I got the motivation in that move). He makes monthly trips to the ocean to collect water samples for his desalination machine in his house and has a room of prepping supplies. This sounds like a guy who has his $%^& together right? Tragically, no. Let's say I can get past the fact he accidentally fell asleep on the beach during a trip that he readily admits to himself was not the best move following an assassination. And let's say I buy his reasoning for not bailing out of California at first daybreak (they even had a place to go!). At what point does this guy step up and pull his own weight? He had Quinn and his endless military resources holding his hand and keeping him alive. People were dropping dead all around him. In the few instances where he did take control and start shooting people (with this unbelievable "skill" and marksmanship unfitting to his character), he seemed to be in an oblivious fog! I just don't get it. I would have been less surprised and more entertained to see Keira pick up a gun and shoot the hell out of someone or something. .

So overall I am pretty angry over the character development in this book. I feel like they were written in such a way that rather than see character development through experience, they all just seemed to do things uncharacteristically and we are just meant to believe it. This caused a big disconnect for me. That being said, I really did enjoy the premise and I do plan to move on with the series. There is the promise of more characters that will hopefully turn things around! I did pick up on a few hints on where the second book is headed, and I can only hope Nathan either shapes up or takes on more of a secondary role as we go on. One more thing. I am pretty pissed at the last chapter. Nathan and his family have just had their lives saved at a great expense, but one of his final thoughts as he goes off with the CLM (to further protect him I'm guessing) is 'Gee, I hope they won't want to use my brain on this whole water crisis thing, because I don't know where I stand on that'. At what point does survival instinct kick in with this guy?? At the very least he should admit to himself that he really will do whatever it takes to keep his family alive

[Bonnie E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lost track of how many nameless, faceless elite contract security operatives were shot to death, blasted by automatic weapons, targeted by predator drones, or shredded by missiles. There were quite a few characters briefly introduced with names who are killed, too. Survivalist communities enter into the picture. Lots of the action ultimately takes place at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton where there are some very cool heroes trying to save the day. Ongoing suspense whether the principal characters will live or die, and if they live, how they manage to escape lots of bad, bad situations. And if they die, how gory will it be? What will alter the trajectory of the vying state and national interests?

This is not the type of book that I usually like to read but the overall premise of the book, set in the not too distant future in the United States, piqued my interest. Character development is not a strength of this story but it is action packed, offering rather chilling views into a future state society, with an engrossing storyline. The ending of this book is ambiguous and sounds like there’s a part two but that really didn’t phase me at all. I loved the ending of The Sopranos so ‘nuff said.

[Tessa -Poised Pen Productions · Rating 5 out of 5]

America, about 20 years in the future. There has been no zombie apocalypse, no nuclear war and all the asteroids have missed us. But, the Southwestern United States has been in a twenty-year drought, and our southern border is a no man’s land ruled by Mexican Crime Syndicates.
Enter the California Liberation Movement. They want the State of California to secede from the Union. Their oppositions, The One Nation Coalition, is in control of the power base in California and will do anything to stop the Liberation Movement.
Water Reclamation Specialist Nathan Fischer, leads a quiet life with his family, until he is framed for blowing up the desalination plant, where he works. As the opposition forces close in Nathan must decide which side his loyalties lie. If he makes the wrong choice, it could mean his life.
This book was an excellent read and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Hazel Bright · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this book was a scene in a TV show, it would be the one where the clean-cut middle-aged white guy with the gun enters a room and immediately rolls across the floor for no reason. Yes, there is a lot of action, but most of it is pointless to ridiculousness. After struggling to differentiate the good clean-cut white middle-aged men from the bad clean-cut white middle-aged men (because outside of their names and affiliations, they behave identically), we may or may not be introduced to some new clean-cut white middle aged man just to have him get a bullet between the eyes. If it's a woman who is not a wife of one of the main clean-cut white middle-aged men, it's pretty much guaranteed she will get a bullet between the eyes. It's not just clean-cut white middle-aged men who are featureless, even California has no personality, which is a rather neat trick, given California's starring role as a dominant artistic, financial, and intellectual driver of American culture. Having lived in California for much of my adult life, I have no doubt that Konkoly's experience with California is limited in the extreme. This is a state with a broad generous streak, a big bawdy sense of humor, and a lot of really clever people who can figure out solutions to problems and have shaped our world in countless ways. None of this is evident in the California described in this book. Hispanic names for streets, specific freeways named, and talking about palm trees and good Mexican food is about as close to descriptions of California as we ever get. What character California does have is some invention of a Nanny State on steroids worthy of a libertarian convinced that in 2018, Obama is still coming for his guns. The ill-defined eco-apocalypse initiated by depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer does not really explain why California, west of the Continental Divide, has been so strongly affected, while Idaho and Montana have had no problems at all. Presumably, if one just closes one's eyes and says "lalalalalala," apocalypses go away. Similarly, no mention of why California wished to secede in the first place is ever described in detail. That would have been fascinating, but I suppose the author did not have the nerve or the work ethic to explore this element.

I love prepper stories, I love a good suspense story, and I love California. I should have loved this book. It outright bored me. If "Fractured State" was a character in the book "Fractured State," it would be one of the nondescript, disposable characters who, in a matter of pages, ends up with a bullet between the eyes.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

For many years, optimistic activists primarily in Northern California have fantasized about California seceding from the United States. The latest iteration of this movement is the Yes California Independence Campaign, which is preparing a statewide referendum for a future election. Given that California’s economy is the fifth largest in the world, and the state has a population of forty million, it’s not an outrageous suggestion. However, the movement has always been widely viewed as marginal. Some 70 percent of the California public opposes the idea, according to a recent poll from Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. But this hasn’t stopped thriller author Steven Konkoly from concocting Fractured State, a wild tale about a robust and violent California independence campaign set in the early 2030s.

A fast-moving military thriller
Fractured State falls into the category of military science fiction, and it shows on nearly every page. If details about high-tech weapons, survivalist conspiracy theories, and military procedures rock your boat, you may love this book. It’s best characterized as a fast-moving military thriller. There’s a lot of fighting. A lot. And, truth to tell, the story is exciting. It’s exciting, that is, until the very end. There it falls flat. Fractured State is the first book in a series, and Konkoly leaves the story hanging to compel readers to its successor, Rogue State. I do not plan to read the book.

About the author
Steven Konkoly is a 1993 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He served on active duty in the Navy and Marine Corps for eight years in assignments all around the globe. He’s the author of at least twenty books, including four series of military thrillers.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I don't know. I mostly liked this book. It was weird because while I was listening I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue but when I'd shut it off i would wonder about the story and want to listen to the rest.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I will never return to that life styles in California!! What to scary and fearful of your life!!
I was in total awe while reading this book!!
The author had me on pins and needles the whole time!!
Now, do I want to read PART 2 ??

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking place in future California, it's interesting (and horrifying) at the type of changes that have happened-severe water and gas rationing,etc. And then there are two factions fighting over whether Cali should secede. A family gets accidentally caught up in serious diabolical plots and has to abandon all and go on the run. Pretty fast paced and interesting all the way through.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Fractured State’ is an interesting story part eco warning, and part thriller with a bit of George Orwell mixed in. The writing is good, the story is well thought out and the characters are likable, but I had two issues with this book. First, it took a long time to get going. As a thriller, it didn’t really have any action until about half way though, but from there it kept but a pretty good pace. Second is that this book doesn’t tell the whole story. You’ll need to get the second book (and possibly more?) to get the whole picture. I’m a big Konkoly fan so I don’t mind the investment but it’s a little bit of a pet peeve of mine. Overall, I enjoyed the story and can’t wait to move on to the next book.

[David Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice read

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fast paced action. Good characters and story line. It makes you think about what is happening with american now.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the realism that comes from good solid research and plot development. Obviously KONKOLY knows his craft.

Well developed characters, thorough knowledge of the history and the past natural events, combined with the experience of having served both in and out of theatre, Konkoly knows how to put it all together for a great entertaining read. This is book 1 and the beginnings of an action packed series ! I can't wait one more second to get started on book #2. Gotta go !

Oops, I guess I will have to wait a wee bit later as book #2 won't be released until early January 2017.

Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue.... Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue..... damn, is it January yet ? Lol

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intense book. Scary because it's possible

This review is for the ebook and Audible.

This book really opened my eyes to a scary future because of climate changes. The plotline is very complex yet it is presented in such a way that a non-science person such as myself can follow it without getting too overwhelmed. I loved the characters with the possible exception of Keira. She was such a whiner. When a group of people are literally fighting for their lives, one does not want to hear constant complaining from one person. Alison was also close to doing that but since she was more of a minor/secondary character, I could deal with her.

I am looking forward to the next book. And possibly a third one?????

[Bruce · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cliffhanger Alert!

The potential to be a really good story, with great action and good characters, soured by leaving us abruptly in the middle of the story. I despise that -- every book should have an ending. I guess the temptation to double his payday was too much for the author to pass up, so he cut his book in two, and sold the parts separately. So, I'll return the favor -- half the rating, for half the story.

Update: AVOID this series
I just finished book #2. It also lacks an ending, and there is no mention of a book #3. I just dropped my 2-star review to a 1-star review. I feel cheated.

[Andrew Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite Konkoly showing his obvious bias against the California government which among other forces, caused the state to be a dystopia in 2030ish his obvious familiarity with San Diego County is really heartening to someone like me who also lived there for years. The geography of the book might be too specific for someone who doesn't or hasn't lived in San Diego, but I thought it was great to be able to clearly picture everything.

Otherwise, this book reminds me of a 1980s action movie and I mean that in a good way. I look forward to the next installments.

[David Holland · Rating 2 out of 5]

No real ending to this book

This book just abruptly ends with no real resolutions. It started out as a good story but needed to be twice as long to not be a half of a book.

[Georgeharrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

Could not put it down
Stayed up reading to follow the action. Worth the loss of sleep. Will get some now.

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars! An absolutely breath-taking thrill-ride from the first to the last page! I kept catching myself literally scooting to the edge of my seat through so many parts of this story as the suspense never lets up!

OK, I started that way because I don't want to discourage potential readers, but my real reaction about this book is it made me... um ... well, it made me want to throw up! And here's the weird bit: no, not in a negative way (huh?)! More in the (urrp) exciting way that (hornk) you feel after a great (aaaahgl) rollercoaster ride (uggggh)! You know, that adrenaline-laden feeling of "yay that was fun" along with a side dose of "yay I survived" mixed together! Or like when you watch the evening news, whichever analogy you prefer or feel more threatened by.

Konkoly's masterful depiction of what has happened owing to politics, climate change and more in "Fractured State" just seemed far too real - and far too likely to occur - particularly looking at the mess the United States has been in since the election back in November 2015 (and after Jan.6th 2021 or after all the crapola going on right now in Texas, Florida and, oh look, California, too)! Put it this way: I found it incredibly apt in the "About the Author" section that it included the statement:
"(Konkoly's) “in-house” experience with a wide range of regular and elite military units brings a unique authenticity to his thrillers." Again, with my third air sickness bag still firmly in hand, I can only confirm that what he achieves is indeed a very VERY authentic feeling! I mean, if you don't catch yourself ducking during at least that last battle scene, well, go back and read it again! That rocked!

Trying to be serious for a moment: I will say that not since the "Extinction Cycle" books by Nicholas Sansbury Smith - or if you prefer, his equally thrilling "Hell Divers", "Trackers" (my personal favorites) and "Sons of War" books - has a military 'action-adventure' book really clicked with me like this one did. Don't be mistaken: just as NSS regularly does, Konkoly displays a real sense of timing and subtle plotting acumen that more than supports the broad cast of characters we get to meet along the way. And it's not all just shoot 'em up gun-time either: there are some very emotional scenes peppered throughout the story that left me with lumps in my throat on many occasions!

And I also need to add before I'm done here is that perhaps most stunning to me at least is that this near-future story is so convincing in terms of really setting the reader down in this time, even if its kind of just "around the corner" chronologically speaking. But I do find that when authors manage this that it is impressive, namely because I find often that more difficult to achieve convincingly than even setting a tale into the far future or with less human threats to deal with (or both). Not that I wouldn't say "no" to some zombies but still... Look kids, this was great stuff and I can't wait to start Book 2 after a night's rest. Assuming I can get my heart-rate back to something resembling normal!

[Jim Carleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bottom Line first: I enjoyed this. It rips along well, the military material is plausible (and accurate, which is no surprise, as the author spent 20 years in the military), the plot has no gaping holes (a few minor ones are inevitable in a thriller) and if the characters are a bit two-dimensional, the action is such that I won't really fuss too much. The main complaint is the dialogue is often weak.

I'm not a big fan of military thrillers, which is what this. There is no SF in it, and I've been reading SF all of my life. As a 4th-generation Californian, I found the basic premise not only intriguing, but quite plausible, more than a little frightening, and (dare I say it?) something which I hope for a little, when things in D.C. and much of the rest of the country frustrate and aggravate me. While the drought which was still on-going at the time which this was written has now slackened, the increasingly horrendous fires, which can now spring up year-round, seem unlikely to stop happening. And water is the one resource of which The Golden State is not likely to ever have enough, especially when urban areas in other states have equal claim to some of the sources of it.

Many of the things in this novel are not at all likely to happen, not in the next 15-20 years, if ever. I doubt that drones will be monitoring freeway usage any time soon, not when so many airports are "freeway close". Maybe out in the deserts, but not in major urban areas. Nuclear-powered desalination plants are simply not going to happen, not when San Onofre is now shut down, and Diablo Canyon is slated to "go dark" in less than a decade. But given some of these "what if"s, and the sociological attitude of urban California, the idea of secession is not at all pie-in-the-sky, nor is the concept of a heavy-handed industrial organization dead-set against it. And the US military, the men and women trained to defend the USA, would be caught in between.

This book runs with the ideas, sets up a reasonable series of conflicts, and does not make the mistake of saving all of the Good Guys nor of taking out all of the Bad Guys. I'm looking forward to seeing what, exactly, really is in Nathan Fisher's head that is so important to both sides.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Review of the Audiobook

Published by Brilliance Audio in 2016
Read by Timothy Andres Pabon
Duration: 10 hours, 9 minutes
Unabridged

In the year 2035 America is almost unrecognizable. Environmental collapse due the abuse of aquifers and mountain run-off in the West has caused the governments of many Western states to practically collapse. The highway systems have become "No Man's Land" and the Arizona border has practically been overrun by drug cartels who often act as a brutal de facto government in some areas.

California has escaped this fate due to a strict resource protection regimen that limits travel, and strictly watches how much water and electricity each household consumes. The relationship between the strict (yet successful) government of California and the often ineffectual federal government is strained to the point that there is an open and active movement that is pushing for California to secede.

Political assassinations and the sabotaging of a critical power plant make the political situation all the more tense. This is where the main character, Nathan Fisher, stumbles into the story. He is on a public beach loading sea water into big water bottles. He does this frequently because he owns a personal desalinization unit so he is able to augment his family's official water allotment.

But, while he is loading up his water bottles he sees something he shouldn't see...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2018/...

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action-thrillers are one of my favorite genres, especially as a "palette cleanser" from my normal fare of fantasy and science fiction. They are generally quick reads, feature tons of fast-paced action, and usually feature a body count of bad guys in the hundreds.

Fractured State meets all of those expectations in spades. It takes place in the near future, just 10-15 years ahead of our current time so everything, from the technology featured to the issues that the book deals with, feels very familiar. It also takes place largely geographically, in and around San Diego County, where I spent my high school and college years. Events are happening in towns and neighborhoods that I lived in which was really neat to experience.

The actual story itself was tense, focusing on a drought that has ravaged the Western United States and how that has been used to institute police state restrictions on movement, consumption, and every other phase of life in California. Considering the drought that the West is dealing with in real life, this felt very "of the times" and helped to ratchet up the realism. There are greedy corporations, corrupt politicians, and militia groups galore, and all this together with the story setting made this book just fly by for me. It is clearly just the first part of a two-part story. It ends rather suddenly, with Rogue State (book 2) picking up where this one leaves off. But, at 400 pages, it makes sense to break it inot two. This was super fun, lots of pew-pew action with a good story to boot. Easy 4 stars.

[Jerry Mount · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK read in the Post-Apocalypse genre. Interesting depiction of a future US southwest battered by many years of drought, and the resulting effect on California and her neighbors. The book didn't spend much time on climate science or the overall condition of the nation. The focus is on politics and resource management in California. The overall story wasn't fleshed out very well. What is presented are corporate conspiracies and major activist movements, Orwellian authoritarian government in California, the US Marines, doomsday preppers, and one unfortunate family. The high points are extreme technology, especially in communications, military hardware galore, much non-military black ops, and plenty of surveillance, gunplay and explosions. It takes a while for the story to take off, but then the action is fast and furious. There are some twists and unknowns for the characters (and the reader) to figure out. If you like (somewhat far-fetched) fast-paced violent military action, this book could be a good choice for you. Biggest single downer for me is that this book (like many others) is not at all stand-alone. There are already two books in this series so far, with apparently no real end yet. There wasn't enough here for me to commit to a 3 or more book series.

[Shari Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great plot! (needs some editing though)

Author Steven Konkoly is a plot master, and Fractured State bears this out through the entire book. From Nathan’s foray to the ocean to get water to supplement his family’s monthly state issued ration, all the way to the ending cliff hangar, the fast paced action will make it hard for you to set the book down for food or sleep.
The only reason I didn’t give the book five stars is due to some distracting editing errors - characters with names misspelled (Greaves changes to Graves, Prichard to Pritchard, and when you’re reading a fast-paced thriller, that makes the reader stumble to try to figure out if a new character has suddenly shown up). I have a saying, if you don’t care about your characters enough even to make sure their names are spelled correctly, why should I care about your characters, either?
Last problem was with the narrator and word pronunciations:
The city of Tucson was pronounced Tuck-sun; the word chassis was pronounced Chass-siss plus a few others. It’s grating hearing Tucson read that way - plus again, you must figure out what the narrator performer should be saying, since no one I know is from Tuck-sun.

[Shane Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political assassinations. Overreaching state government. Creepy surveillance measures. 20-year drought. Gasoline rationing. Shady military contractors. Political activist groups for and against California secession. Mexican syndicates. Lingering conspiracies. Military tactics, vehicles and weapons. All within San Diego County and virtually my backyard! I literally live a mile away from the back gate of Camp Pendleton which is where a chunk of this story takes place. The locality kept me locked into this fast-paced thriller. I found this book and its sequel for free on Kindle Unlimited. Most books on there are misses and I’m thankful I found a hit. I was consumed right off the bat.

At the end of the book Konkoly, the author, is shown to have received a BS in English literature from the US Naval Academy and served eight years active duty for the Navy and Marines. His varied experience within our military brings effective knowledge to the table and creates a realistic dystopian near-future. The book indicates he researched well and knows how to develop characters to boot. I learned so many military terms. I appreciated the realism.

I docked my rating by a star because I felt he abruptly ended the novel without any clear resolutions. It sort of felt like he put a great amount of effort into it and was so tired of writing he just cut it off and probably shifted focus to the subsequent novel. I forgive him through because 90% of the book had me hooked and is one of the most exciting books I’ve read this year out of about forty total.

I look forward to reading the second in this series called Rogue State.
Thanks for the ride, Steven Konkoly, and thank you for your service.

[R.A. Flannagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part about this story is the realistic and interesting world the author creates. It's a near-future novel that focuses on California. The Golden State is now brown and has huge water challenges. As a result, the state has gone just a touch authoritarian and looks to control people's daily activities (water consumption, where folks can drive, etc).

The schism that exists today in the US has grown and in this book there's an active separatist movement in California. It's still in the US, but its teetering toward becoming its own country.

The author's research skills and imagination create an entirely believable, if depressing tableau for his story.

The story itself is well done. There's a solid plot, good characters, and well done bad guys. The pace of the book is a strength. Things move along at a good clip and the action scenes are well executed.

Overall, I enjoyed this story because it took place in a setting that is eminently possible and speaks to the craziness that's taking place in the US right now. It also has a realistic take on what's coming down the pike from a climate change perspective.

[Julianne Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomorrow's headlines or maybe today's.

Considering the social atmosphere in the United States today, it seems very feasible to me that what Steven Konkoly writes about in this book could really happen. The characters are well fleshed out and I found myself truly caring about what happened to them. The California drought, talk of secession, extreme privacy invasion, and big sinister corporations seemed to come from today's headlines and not 30 years into the future where this story takes place. There is plenty of fast paced action! There is quite a bit of gun talk, military talk, covert actions, etc. but it's all told in such a way that I believe even someone not knowledgeable about such things can still understand it and be able to imagine the scenes unfolding. I really enjoy Mr. Konkoly's books and this one is no different. Highly recommend this book...The start of what I know is going to be a wonderful series! I am anxious to start book # 2 ! Read it, you won't be disappointed!

[Walter Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two generations of a family find themselves caught in the middle as the California Liberation Movement begins the process of California seceding from the United States of America. At this stage, and unknown to the majority of its citizens, (who have gotten used to Draconian travel restrictions, as well as severe water use limits) there is a war taking place involving cutting edge surveillance, armed drones, special forces personnel conducting black ops missions.
As a Canadian citizen, this evoked the October Crisis in 1970, when the FLQ (Front de liberation du Québec) initiated a violent attempt to separate the Province of Quebec from Canada. There were bombs set off. People died. There were kidnappings of high level politicians. And in a referendum held several years later, 49 percent of Quebecers voted to separate. A 50% vote was needed. Things were that close.
Steven Konkoly once more has written an intense, explosive, action-packed thriller… to be continued in Rogue State. I already read the second one, and the story is not over yet.

[Chloe Cuthbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting story

This author has definitely taken an interesting road with his version of post-apocalyptic America than most. What makes it intriguing is how believable it is; this could truly be our not so distant future.
This is the first book in the series, so I highly recommend not skipping it, as you will miss the beginning of a bit of a convoluted plot. It is not difficult to follow really, but as the author chose to break it up into multiple books, there is obviously a lot of story to tell. This book doesn't leave you on too much of a cliffhanger, but definitely makes you want to get to the next in the series to find out what happens next.
I really enjoyed the military humor thrown in for good measure, being from a military family, it felt right at home. Very well written and kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the novel.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys James Rollins, Brad Thor, or just a good counterintelligence, or thriller novel.