The Perseid Collapse

Alex Fletcher #2

by Steven Konkoly

THE PERSEID COLLAPSE:

America is on the verge of collapse, in the thrilling post-apocalyptic sequel to The Jakarta Pandemic.

In 2019, an inconceivable attack against America's infrastructure will unleash a human darkness over the United States--with a vast appetite for chaos and violence. Alex Fletcher, former Marine, will wake to this brutally hostile landscape, thrown headfirst into an epic, impossibly grueling journey to save his family and friends.

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

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 27, 2013

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

[Brian Switzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

good writing overcomes a boggy plot- but barely.

I really enjoyed the Jakarta Pandemic, but Perseid, not so much. I still enjoy Konkoly's narrative characters, and dialogue- his writing skills can't be questioned. But The Perseid Collapse just bogs down in to many places. And I don't mean where the book delves into weapons and military arcana- in a prepper based post-apocalyptic novel there are going to be pages upon pages about weapons, it's a central story line to the genre.

But the endless permutations about the route- my lord, I've never been to the east coast but I feel I can find my way just fine around Maine and Massachusetts just from reading the unending conversations about what route to take. And the way Alex, Ed, and Charlie assess every building, passing car, and tree for multiple paragraphs- it just wore on me after awhile. If the three of them were to have a glass of water first Alex would give a long lecture on the history of water. And then they would spend pages considering alternate fluids. Much conversation would take place about the ideal beverage holder, and they would disagree about the proper temperature to drink the water at for many more pages. Finally they would all do what Alex thought best. Man, just take a drink.

[Fiona Brichaut · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gun porn. Really boring. All about guns, with an apocalyptic story as an excuse to talk about guns. I wanted one of those guns, just so I could shoot myself.

Like this review? Why not check out my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews?

[Lyndsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ex-military prepper type writes book for other ex-mil prepper types. Do people REALLY talk like this? Characters so totally under-developed that I don't care what happens to them and won't be reading part 2. Utter bobbins.

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Pandemic and so was very disappointed by the first of this trilogy. Instead of one fast paced excited story the author has decided to stretch into three books full of technical descriptions or weapons, ammo, vehicles, back packs, etc. I guess this might appeal to a real survivalist, but there were far to many distractions for me.

I wish I could know the rest of the story, but it will not be worth it to wade through two more books.

If the author ever does a rewrite and sticks to the story I may pick it back up.

Disappointed that I spent 99 cents based on my sheer enjoyment of Pandemic.

[Star Shining Forever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having experienced a widespread sickness outbreak in the prequel (that I have not read, but that isn't a problem as anything important is reviewed here) the Fletcher family is no stranger to disaster. This time, they've been prepping something serious. So when the East Coast gets hit with an EMP or asteroid and then a tsunami, they know how to react. They can't hunker down and ride it out this time: it's off to the rendezvous farm for the moms and kids, while the neighborhood dads go to collect the teens who are at nearby Boston colleges.

Ex-Army dad Alex is totally competent and capable. It's convenient of course that he knows so much, but it's a lesson to take to heart. Either get really good with physical activity, guns, maps, little sleep, and strategy, or make darn good friends with someone who is.

This is a pretty clean book, with a sprinkling of language and a couple crude comments from would-be attackers.

[Lucas Hamasaki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Sad to say this was quite boring. There’s no character development. No depth in the story. Just one mission after the other. Kinda like a videogame, except that it’s boring. The action scenes are all technical. I really disliked this.

[Heather Faville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here I am with another book from the talented Steven Konkoly, The Perseid Collapse. Set six years after The Jakarta Pandemic, our friends the Fletchers are in for yet another collapse of society. This time from an event that no one was expecting or could even have imagined. But being still so close to the devastation and societal downfall that occurred during the Jakarta Pandemic, fear and paranoia remain on high alert and that simply adds to the difficulty the Fletchers and friends will be forced to deal with as they attempt to split up and get part of the group to the safety of Alex’s parents home and the other few members of their group head to Boston to get two of their children who have just started college back safe with their families.

What I really enjoyed about The Perseid Collapse is that it is thought-provoking. It truly makes you stop and consider what actions you may take should you be forced into a similar situation. Do all the main characters in Konkoly’s book make the right decision? I do not feel that is the case, but it also was not me in that same situation being forced to choose whose life to take/not take. Who is to say that should I be put into a similar scenario I wouldn’t make the exact same choice no matter how wrong it may be. We simply do not know until it happens to us. But it’s nice to sit and read, what I feel is a pretty realistic possibility and see how others deal and ponder your own options.

I’m not a scary conspiracy theorist survivalist, but I do believe in being prepared, which is yet another aspect of The Perseid Collapse that I enjoyed. These people are prepared. They know what they are doing, they are ready to make the hard calls and they have planned out and, obviously, discussed various situations that may arise and how to deal with them. Food, weapons, ammo, various other gear are all stocked up and ready to go at a minutes notice….or once it’s brought to the surface from the flooded basement (see, you can’t really prepare for EVERYTHING)

Ultimately, this is a fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed and am also irritated that I have to wait for the 2nd and, I believe, 3rd books to be released. I think I’m going to tell Mr Konkoly to not contact me until all books are available, because darnit I hate waiting. But yet it’s also very much worth the wait, so I shall wait…begrudgingly.

[John Wiltshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is set about six years after the events of The Jakarta Pandemic. Alex and his family learnt a lot of lessons during that apocalyptic event, most noticeably, don't tell anyone you have lots of stocks, and don't try to be humane: shoot first and shoot to kill. These new-learnt lessons come in handy when the family is hit by an EMP and then a tsunami (presumably both as a result of a nuclear event just off the New England coast). The Fletchers who survived the Jakarta flu have consolidated in a compound where they can hole up and survive self-sufficient through another event. The only problem is, Ryan, their son, has just started college in Boston. Alex has to face the devastation of the city and all a densely packed urban environment means, in order to bring Ryan to the compound.
Alex Fletcher is the new and better Jack Reacher. I cannot praise these books too highly for those who like special forces/quasi-military novels. Seriously, just a description of what Alex packs in his (fifteen second) bug-out kit stirs my blood.
The trouble in real life with preparing for an apocalypse is that they never actually come. Fortunately for Alex, he's facing one far worse than the flu epidemic. Everything he's learnt, everything he knows is vital if he's to save his family.
This novel ends on such an abrupt cliffhanger that it's clear you're intended to have part 2 Event Horizonready to go.
Superb movie material and any actor would literally kill to get the Alex Fletcher role.

[SueAnn Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his second book following The Jakarta Pandemic, Steve Konkoly takes away all of Alex Fletcher's weapons of choice and puts him on the road to recover his son after the newest disaster strikes. He and his wife Kate split up on their own separate survival adventures, testing their will to survive and protect their own.

I could not put this book down for long, except to google a piece of survival equipment or two mentioned in the book, and was left on the cliff of impatience awaiting the next installment of this exciting series. Hurry up on that next one Steve!

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving this series. The level of action and suspense really picked up in this book. The realistic portrayal of the main characters makes the story... there are no aging actors here pulling off unbelievable stunts like kids 20 years their junior. Alex's military background makes the story all the more interesting because he knows things that most of us do not; he knows how to get things done. The story really keeps you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns and surprises around every corner.

[Bee Glosson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Opening novel to a 4 book series is always a character builder. So that being said it is what it is. I give it 3.5 stars. It seems to be a giant novel split into multiple books as the ending seems more like a stopping point than a closure point. Writing is solid, audible performer is kind of monotone so not my favorite reader. Overall it's not a bad novel, but as I said it's a character builder so I expect the following novels to get better..

[Felicia A Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

YAYYYYY! Another editing project is alomost a published book! Due out December 1, The Perseid Collapse continues the adventures of the Fletcher family from The Jakarta Pandemic. Not a sequel exactly, just another wretched event that happens that they get caught up in.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart pounding read

Couldn't put it down. So much action right from the very beginning. The characters were well developed. Alex has become my hero! Looking forward to the next book. Not to mention reading the prequel. I think I've found another favorite author.

[Karen Azinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a good post apocalyptic book with a refreshing twist, give The Perseid Collapse a try. Smartly written with interesting characters. Very enjoyable.

[Pamela Jo Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven Konkoly is AMAZING!! The Alex Fletcher series ensnared me with the very first one, The Jakarta Pandemic. I really want a neighbor like Alex; maybe I’d think he was a little crazy, but maybe I’d take his advice and I’d definitely want his protection. I’d probably be much further ahead on my TBR if Konkoly hadn’t written such good books that I felt the need to go back to them time and time again.

[David Pospisil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 3.5 really.
Not a satisfying ending.
Love the characters in Konkoly's other series, this one not so much.
I did love the chapter where the women took out the drunk militia guys.
I will be back for more to see how Alex does in Boston.

[Rachael Ashak-Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Konkoly does it again!! *Read Prequel 1st Though

I’ve written so many reviews for Steven Konkoly’s novels by now, I must be due some type of certificate as a Super Fan. Or a gold star sticker at the very least. Lol

The start to the series - well, this is the 2nd novel after the phenomenal prequel, definitely read that first - is just like all the rest of this author’s work. Absolutely engaging, sublimely creative, keeps-you-awake-all-night entertaining, and with more interesting characters and storylines than almost all other books/series in the genre. No question this series lands somewhere in the top 10 - 15 across the board. Other Konkoly work sprinkled in their as well.

Within this story, there are so very many believable characters to love, hate, adore, have a crush on, feel sad for, sympathize with, be totally and completely annoyed by, cheer on, feel empowered by, want to shoot in the groin yourself, want to hug and assure it’s gonna be alright, and so much more. What this means is — the author is truly able to make his characters come to life. He is that skilled.

I’ve finished the book, and I’m STILL aggravated and annoyed by one scene I read today. (No spoilers.) How ungrateful people can be! How soon people revert to “modern Americans” or current American mentality (for some, granted) once a modicum of safety/normalcy occurs. For instance - instead of being left to burn in a fire, some are offered a way out. Once out, sitting safe, they then talk smack about the very people who saved their bacon. Develop a little attitude while sittin’ on the shady side of the inferno. Become a bit selfish. At least in the one scene ..... thus far. I’m interested to see how the group dynamics continue to play out in the next book. So, BRAVA, Mr. Konkoly, for the exercise offered to my eye-rolling muscles as well as aggravating the crap outta me!! ;) Urgh! Lol

The worlds this author builds are so awesome. You are THERE. Running, and so so tired, with beat up knees and an old body but with a broken heart because it wants to go on. You can see that condensation dripping down the side of the bottle of pale ale while sitting on the deck...taste the beer. You can feel the soft breezes and smell the smoke. All of it. Konkoly is a master at the craft of world building.

This series, like all of his books within the apocalypse genre, are not to be missed out on. You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you are a fan, or passionate about, apocalypse fiction — EVEN IF you primarily generally stick to just zombie material. This is still great stuff. Keeps the pages turning... and your life on hold... until all of a sudden you’re like — wait?! That’s the end? Already!?! Oh boy did I read that fast!! Then you cannot wait to crack open the next part of the adventure....

......Which I’m about to do right now. So, for sure, ANYTHING you come across by Steven Konkoly will rocket to the top 5 of your “Favorites” list. Currently I believe 3 or 4 of my top 5 ARE Konkoly works - lol!

[Thom Swennes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story starts like a mid-summer sunrise in a long cultivated valley. An almost imperceptibly slow but steady transformation from dark to light. When an asteroid impacted the eastern coast and the resulting tsunami swept north and south, large sections are flooded and life will never be the same. When the tsunami hits the state of Maine, Alex Fletcher, his wife Kate and their children survived the wave on their yacht behind one of the coastal islands. When they finally get home they team up with a couple of neighbors and head off to Boston to try and rescue two of their children attending college there.
The apocalyptic scenario is frightening but nothing compared to the main characters and their arsenal of weapons that they have in their possession. I can’t imagine how it would be if my neighbors had the weapon arsenals herein described and my neighbor’s wives and children could field-strip any pistol, semi-automatic and automatic weapon on and off the open market.
The story reveals a situation no one would ever like to experience and I found myself continually reminding myself that this was just a work of fiction. If the reader can accept how easily law, order, and civilization can be abandoned when a natural (or unnatural) disaster strikes, this should interest them. I stopped counting collateral damage and dead civilians halfway through the story. This must be the reason civil authorities recommend that people stay inside during and after a catastrophe; natural or otherwise. The technical jargon and painstaking descriptions tend to take away from the story as a whole. It gives the reader a literary wedgy by leaving them hanging in confused and frustrating ignorance.
For some unidentifiable reason, Stephen King’s use of Maine as the state that most of his horror stories are located, other authors have taken up the idea, making it their horror location of choice. With an estimated population of 1.3 million and an area of 353,385 square miles (91.646 km), rating 39th out of 50 doesn’t explain the affinity for writers and horror stories.

[John Podlaski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Perseid Collapse: A Post Apocalyptic Survival Thriller and learned more about military equipment and prepping than I cared to. The first half of the book follows Alex, former military and current day prepper and his wife as they struggle through a rogue tsunami wave created by an EMP detonated near Boston while in a sailboat on the ocean, and then trying to reach home covertly while avoiding all humans they come upon. The second half involves them teamed up with three of their close neighbors to pull off a rescue of two of their children in a Boston University and to reach sanctuary at Alex father's farm during this apocalypse. The families are split into two groups with separate missions; both encounter death and mayhem en route to their proposed targets. It's an exciting race which kept me engaged with the welfare of the two groups, and then, suddenly ends. Readers have to purchase the next book in the series to see how things work out. I did purchase the next book just to find out what happened next. The author claims that he had split the story into sections for the sake of keeping the lengths manageable - understanding this - I would have expected the cut off to take place later in the story.

If the author would have eliminated much of the "planning" of missions and weapon descriptions and just let the story play out, the story could have become more complete without abrupt stops and cliff-hangers. Nevertheless, I thought the editing was good and the story kept my interest.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Thank god for acronyms and terminology section in the back of the book. I feel like I could go join the marines and be successful communicating with all of my new lingo.

In the current political climate I find this book a little unnerving. I enjoyed the story and I thought the writer did a fantastic job moving the plot along. All throughout the book I found myself more drawn to the characters.

I found the first few chapters a little confusing especially Because the storyline didn't continue it was just left hanging. I am assuming this will be explained in the next books but I feel like it was useless information at this point.

Overall awesome book I can't wait to read the next one.

I did print out the terminology acronyms section otherwise this book is like reading German :)

[Deacon Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Post Apoc novels, but this one left me yawning. It was a bear to get through the first part of the book, and nearly as much to through the rest.

One of my bigger issues, aside from the pacing, was that it went too much into gear and weapons. When I was in the service we had a name for people who bought all the latest gadgets and gizmos, and while it is politically incorrect, it one of the two things Gunney said came from Texas and it wasn't steers, but for this review I will call it that.

I am not sure if the writer is a Gear Steer, but for goodness sake, it sure felt like it. Yes, a little gun geekiness is great, but dang...

Anyway I give it two stars because it was okay, and it was something I did eventually get through, but I won't be rushing to read any more of Steve's work. SImper Fi Marine, but put away the Ranger Joe's Catalog.

[Endangered · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be the most exciting novel within the EMP/SHTF genre so far. It's exciting, but most importantly it's realistic. With realism comes plenty of detailed and difficult decisions which outweigh the amount of firefights... as it should. The main character is fantastic and this book really got me thinking... what the hell would I do? At first I was like "Here we go.. military vets kicking ass and taking names like in every other story..", but that certainly isn't the case.

Some parts do feel like the author indulged in too much information, becoming borderline boring. However, I find that the slow sections always result to a BAM! moment launching you into action. Much of the book makes perfect sense and its really an enjoyable story. Fatigue, moral or immoral decisions, and status of each individuals health plays a big factor in the development of each character.

[Denise Buechele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better

Much better than book one. A lot more action and with a purpose . A good story with a lot of good characters.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author specializes in post-apocalyptic stories. This one supposes an EMP over America that knocks out all electronic devices -- including electronics in cars, communication devices, etc. It's the same situation as in Teresa Shaver's "Land", "Sea", "Home", and "City Escape" set -- but the attitude is very different. This author sees the complete ascendency of evil men, with only a few fighters standing against them. I tired of the constant battles with no sign of improvement. More a men's book than a woman's, I figure.

[Emery N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this book wasn’t quite as good as Jakarta Pandemic, but still had a sturdy enough storyline. I also just read Event Horizon and I felt like the storyline does improve and is worth continuing.

Alex Fletcher proves to be more badass than ever as we follow him and his team of neighbors on a mission to save their kids in Boston. There are more intense scenes, crazy twists, and great surprises in this book. If you enjoyed the Jakarta Pandemic I do recommend continuing through the Alex Fletcher series!

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and rating is for the entire series. Great book series. You definitely want to start with The Jakarta Pandemic because it has great background info not just for the main characters but for the overall storyline. I would say four of the books were five stars and only one was a four star book. The main character is skilled but he’s not over skilled that would make it boring. It has a great twist thrown in that makes you question if the EMP was really a sudden shock or did the US government want it to happen. Overall 5 Stars. Differently give it a go.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read. My first experience with Konkoly but certainly won't be the last. High action and suspense and extreme realism rolled into each event. Look forward to continuing this series.




Awesome read. My first experience with the author , but certainly not the last. High energy and fast paced action with extreme realism make this a thrill readers joy. I look forward to following the characters into the next book.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my sort of thing but I did enjoy the first three books in the series. The fourth I found to be a distraction and the fifth was more like the first three, but not as good. There are many flaws in the story that I was able to acknowledge but overlook. Being a Playstation game player I could see that these books could be transformed into a great action game. I think I will need a break before I contemplate any more of Steven's books.

[Angie Bale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

This is one of those "couldn't put it down" books. Not only was it entertaining but also thought provoking.....What if this happened? What would I do? Could I survive? And finally, maybe I need to get prepared just in case!
Going straight to Amazon for book #2 right now!!!

[Angee Sluder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perseid Collapse has it all! The natural disasters, nuclear detonations, wildfires, fire fights, the military disarming civilians, felon-packed militias, state police run-amok, indomitable children, intelligent men, and strong women filling the pages of this action-packed book had me on the edge of my seat. This is, by far, the best post-apocalyptic thriller I've ever read!