What do you think?
Rate this book
After It Happened #1
Survival
Everyone got sick.
By the time the country realised it was everywhere, nearly everyone died. Being one of the few left alive wasn't the freedom he would have expected.
Banding together those he found along the way, he has to fight to keep them safe.
To keep them alive.
To survive.
By the time the country realised it was everywhere, nearly everyone died. Being one of the few left alive wasn't the freedom he would have expected.
Banding together those he found along the way, he has to fight to keep them safe.
To keep them alive.
To survive.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2016
1616 people are currently reading
1846 people want to read
About the author
Devon C. Ford
80 books430 followersDevon is from the UK, having lived in many places until finally settling in the Midlands. His career in public services started in his teens and has provided a wealth of experiences, both good and some very bad, which form the basis of the book ideas that cause regular insomnia.
He first started reading for fun as an adult, having tried his hardest to avoid anything resembling academia growing up, and at that point the world became a far bigger place. He has been reading, at least one book at a time, ever since.
His debut works, the After It Happened series, (Survival, Humanity, Society) were published in April 2016 followed by Hope (July 2016) and Sanctuary (December 2016). The first part of the series concluded with the release of Rebellion which was published in June 2017.
Storming high into the charts with the first books of the After It Happened series, Devon launched into the top 10 sellers listings in the UK, Australia, Canada and the US, and he made the decision to write full time shortly after the launch of Hope.
Devon’s self-published beginnings caused a stir in the publishing world, and resulted in contracts with Podium Publishing for Audible, narrated by R.C. Bray (The Martian, Expeditionary Force, Arisen), before a publishing deal for kindle and paperbacks with Vulpine Press.
Further works have seen the start of a multi-author series, sci-fi/post-apocalyptic cross genre, futuristic dystopian and alternative history zombie apocalypse. Spin-off books from the After It Happened world have been announced for 2018.
He first started reading for fun as an adult, having tried his hardest to avoid anything resembling academia growing up, and at that point the world became a far bigger place. He has been reading, at least one book at a time, ever since.
His debut works, the After It Happened series, (Survival, Humanity, Society) were published in April 2016 followed by Hope (July 2016) and Sanctuary (December 2016). The first part of the series concluded with the release of Rebellion which was published in June 2017.
Storming high into the charts with the first books of the After It Happened series, Devon launched into the top 10 sellers listings in the UK, Australia, Canada and the US, and he made the decision to write full time shortly after the launch of Hope.
Devon’s self-published beginnings caused a stir in the publishing world, and resulted in contracts with Podium Publishing for Audible, narrated by R.C. Bray (The Martian, Expeditionary Force, Arisen), before a publishing deal for kindle and paperbacks with Vulpine Press.
Further works have seen the start of a multi-author series, sci-fi/post-apocalyptic cross genre, futuristic dystopian and alternative history zombie apocalypse. Spin-off books from the After It Happened world have been announced for 2018.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
March 21, 2019
One of rare apocalyptic books that deal less with technical aspects of apocalypse, but more with people and relationships. Really liked it, now that I'm on second book, I see there's upwards trend both in the quality of the story and its magnetism. There's something irresistible pulling me in and wanting to know more. I really wonder how good it will get until the end.
March 20, 2019
I had high hopes for this book (and the ensuing series), but it was disappointing with a capital D. So, it only takes about 24 hours for some unidentified disease to kill everyone. A few coughing fits and you're dead. That's fine. I get it. The story is not about the disease or how to stop it.
But then no one who survives it gets sick at all. And they don't seem to care. Not even about loved ones who died. That's fine. I get it. The story is not about how to deal with grief.
Everyone instantly goes into survival mode, so I guess that's what this story is about. That's fine, but where's the story. The book reads like a survivalist's manual set to fiction. It is a how-to book on what to do if everyone suddenly dies. It drones on like a field manual with a small (very small) number of shootouts. Actually, they aren't even shootouts. The main character just guns down a few low-lives who are too stupid to know how to shoot back.
The only part of the book that was halfway interesting was the last two chapters, and that wasn't enough to save it from receiving more than 1 star. I got the impression the author got tired and decided to stop writing, so he put in a suspenseful ending just to get you to buy the next book in the series.
I tend not to review books I really don't like, but this one was frustrating and I just had to voice my frustration.
But then no one who survives it gets sick at all. And they don't seem to care. Not even about loved ones who died. That's fine. I get it. The story is not about how to deal with grief.
Everyone instantly goes into survival mode, so I guess that's what this story is about. That's fine, but where's the story. The book reads like a survivalist's manual set to fiction. It is a how-to book on what to do if everyone suddenly dies. It drones on like a field manual with a small (very small) number of shootouts. Actually, they aren't even shootouts. The main character just guns down a few low-lives who are too stupid to know how to shoot back.
The only part of the book that was halfway interesting was the last two chapters, and that wasn't enough to save it from receiving more than 1 star. I got the impression the author got tired and decided to stop writing, so he put in a suspenseful ending just to get you to buy the next book in the series.
I tend not to review books I really don't like, but this one was frustrating and I just had to voice my frustration.
May 31, 2016
I truly enjoyed this story of survival after the majority of the population got sick and died. There are a few survivors that Dan, who was a wonderful main character until the end, decided to bring together to work And learn how to live on.
I hated the ending of book one. It just made me mad and ruined my faith completely in Dan. To be so easily forted by a crazy person didn't make sense in this story. Nobody is faster than a gun so that part ruined all believability in this story for me. I mean, it was obvious why Ash was brought into the story in the first place, but please.... Lexi's part was perfectly fine and enough to go out with a bang without deballing Dan for the emotional value. I know everyone love this book and so do I but, that was too much to be brushed away like it was nothing. That ending is the only reason why I could not give this book five stars. I didn't feel like crying and debating whether to help Dan or not like the people in this book did, because he saved everyone in their makeshift community.
I guess I'll read the next book in the series but I will also keep in mind that something stupid is probably going to happen towards the end of the next book to keep people continuing it. I would have continued without that botching of Dan's great inteligence and respectability.
I hated the ending of book one. It just made me mad and ruined my faith completely in Dan. To be so easily forted by a crazy person didn't make sense in this story. Nobody is faster than a gun so that part ruined all believability in this story for me. I mean, it was obvious why Ash was brought into the story in the first place, but please.... Lexi's part was perfectly fine and enough to go out with a bang without deballing Dan for the emotional value. I know everyone love this book and so do I but, that was too much to be brushed away like it was nothing. That ending is the only reason why I could not give this book five stars. I didn't feel like crying and debating whether to help Dan or not like the people in this book did, because he saved everyone in their makeshift community.
I guess I'll read the next book in the series but I will also keep in mind that something stupid is probably going to happen towards the end of the next book to keep people continuing it. I would have continued without that botching of Dan's great inteligence and respectability.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2017
This simple little story--first in a series-- of starting over after an apocalyptic event really grew in me, as did the main characters.
It's is set in Great Britain and the plague that ended most of civilization is not known.
No zombies. What?! But yes, people remain dead here. This is a story about the human need to survive and also human need to form groups to do so. The part of the Walking Dead that I love so much is in this book --
Making a new family, leadership, learning to adapt, and most of all-- survive. It's a practical book. Simple, but accurate in what smart folks would do when 99% of the world appears gone.
It's is set in Great Britain and the plague that ended most of civilization is not known.
No zombies. What?! But yes, people remain dead here. This is a story about the human need to survive and also human need to form groups to do so. The part of the Walking Dead that I love so much is in this book --
Making a new family, leadership, learning to adapt, and most of all-- survive. It's a practical book. Simple, but accurate in what smart folks would do when 99% of the world appears gone.
June 17, 2021
It’s no secret that my favorite genre is the apocalyptic / post-apocalyptic genre. And when I find a new series on audiobook performed by R C Bray, I couldn’t scoop it up fast enough.
This series is my favorite kind of apocalypse storyline. The survivors are mostly good people just coming together trying to continue on. The few bad guys are barely part of the book as the story focuses on finding survivors and putting together a game plan for their future.
And then there’s R C Bray as narrator who’s in my top 3 favorite narrators. Sold!! On to Book 2.
This series is my favorite kind of apocalypse storyline. The survivors are mostly good people just coming together trying to continue on. The few bad guys are barely part of the book as the story focuses on finding survivors and putting together a game plan for their future.
And then there’s R C Bray as narrator who’s in my top 3 favorite narrators. Sold!! On to Book 2.
May 4, 2018
I started to read this vast, post-apocalyptic fantasy purely because, unusually, it's set in England, not the US, after an inexplicable disease has wiped out around 99% of the global population. Like all novels of the genre it is about a small group of immune survivors who have inherited a suddenly empty world. When I'd checked there weren't, at least, any zombies in it I gave it a go.
The first volume, Survival, was nearly enough for me. Ford is a novelist only by courtesy. His characters are cardboard, he has no sense of place, his dialogue is frequently ridiculous, and even his grammar and sentence-structure are more than suspect. His reliance on the passive voice, presumably to pad out his sentences, is maddening: just having a character light, smoke and discard a cigarette can take most of a paragraph. He has no sense of pacing - his idea of a plot is to chain together one violent encounter after another, described in stomach-churning detail. This is unashamed, unadorned male adolescent fantasy, complete with a spunky, teenage heroine, played out with the biggest of big lethal toys looted from military bases, told in basic English.
Nevertheless... George Orwell once said that reading simple-minded popular fiction is like the taste for cheap sweets. Despite myself I kept on with this, right to the end of the series in fact. The sheer size of the story means that one does get to know the characters, trite as they are. Ford's obsessive interest in the most minute details of military hardware (no idea how accurate this is) and the sheer, remorseless plodding accumulation of detail - nothing is too trivial - does grip you a bit despite yourself, like the descriptions in 'Robinson Crusoe' of looting his shipwreck down to the last barrel of nails. My recommendation: don't start this if you suspect you might not be able to resist it.
The first volume, Survival, was nearly enough for me. Ford is a novelist only by courtesy. His characters are cardboard, he has no sense of place, his dialogue is frequently ridiculous, and even his grammar and sentence-structure are more than suspect. His reliance on the passive voice, presumably to pad out his sentences, is maddening: just having a character light, smoke and discard a cigarette can take most of a paragraph. He has no sense of pacing - his idea of a plot is to chain together one violent encounter after another, described in stomach-churning detail. This is unashamed, unadorned male adolescent fantasy, complete with a spunky, teenage heroine, played out with the biggest of big lethal toys looted from military bases, told in basic English.
Nevertheless... George Orwell once said that reading simple-minded popular fiction is like the taste for cheap sweets. Despite myself I kept on with this, right to the end of the series in fact. The sheer size of the story means that one does get to know the characters, trite as they are. Ford's obsessive interest in the most minute details of military hardware (no idea how accurate this is) and the sheer, remorseless plodding accumulation of detail - nothing is too trivial - does grip you a bit despite yourself, like the descriptions in 'Robinson Crusoe' of looting his shipwreck down to the last barrel of nails. My recommendation: don't start this if you suspect you might not be able to resist it.
May 13, 2017
Dan and Neil find each other in the aftermath and decide to stick together and look for survivors for safety in numbers. For some very stupid reason they decide to communicate with each other like idiots with dumb conversations that sound like the British airmen from British sitcom 'Allo 'Allo. We were getting the chin chin and old bean, tally ho old chap nonsense during every interaction they had, plus Yoda impersonations, quotes from Jaws...it was really stupid and annoying. Just act like normal people instead of this dumb crap and get on with raiding the shops! It's not cute and funny, it's driving me mad! The longer it went on, the more pissed off I got with the steriotype rubbish.
July 28, 2016
Dnf at 7% The atrocious punctuation and changes of tense kept pulling me out of the story. I was totally confused as to who was speaking at times and the utterly appalling pastiche of English stiff upper lip (chin chin, Old Boy etc) even if meat in jest, just didn't work.
And ..... digging three graves in your back garden? Has anyone ever tried doing that???? A real 'wtf' moment ;)
And ..... digging three graves in your back garden? Has anyone ever tried doing that???? A real 'wtf' moment ;)
January 16, 2017
Awful
Seriously surprised that this is published and available on Amazon. So amateurish it is virtually unreadable. How there were so many sequels is beyond my comprehension.
Seriously surprised that this is published and available on Amazon. So amateurish it is virtually unreadable. How there were so many sequels is beyond my comprehension.
May 19, 2016
After receiving a recommendation to check out a new author, I read all three of Devon C Ford’s ‘After It Happened’ series in the same number of days. I’ll be honest; I expected them to be good, but worried that the hype would eclipse the content. I couldn’t have been more wrong!
The first of these – Survival – was the slowest-paced of the three, yet I found myself so intrigued by the characters and their interactions, that I kept turning the pages to find out who they’d meet next. Characters – both friendly and otherwise – felt real and believable, and I found myself emotionally invested in their lives as I read. I felt like I was right there with them, as they faced numerous problems – both practical and emotional – and was fascinated by the solutions that were discussed in the text. The book definitely took on a faster pace as it progressed, and by the end I was left with my jaw on the floor, desperate to start the next volume to find out what was going to happen! Truly one of those “OMG” moments in literature!
The first of these – Survival – was the slowest-paced of the three, yet I found myself so intrigued by the characters and their interactions, that I kept turning the pages to find out who they’d meet next. Characters – both friendly and otherwise – felt real and believable, and I found myself emotionally invested in their lives as I read. I felt like I was right there with them, as they faced numerous problems – both practical and emotional – and was fascinated by the solutions that were discussed in the text. The book definitely took on a faster pace as it progressed, and by the end I was left with my jaw on the floor, desperate to start the next volume to find out what was going to happen! Truly one of those “OMG” moments in literature!
June 16, 2023
It reads a lot like the first part of The Stand.
I really appreciate that is not good virus evil. Because of that it seems more reality based. It is people who lost everyone they loved having to deal with survival. It brings out the best in some and the worst in others. So far nothing supernatural.
It wasn't the most gripping read but at the end I ended up like the characters. Since this wasn't a long book, I am head straight in to the next book.
I really appreciate that is not good virus evil. Because of that it seems more reality based. It is people who lost everyone they loved having to deal with survival. It brings out the best in some and the worst in others. So far nothing supernatural.
It wasn't the most gripping read but at the end I ended up like the characters. Since this wasn't a long book, I am head straight in to the next book.
June 8, 2019
5 stars audio
4 stars story
4 stars story
January 27, 2020
What a book... what a start! This was a little slow, but it fit the circumstances the characters were facing. The action at the end was pretty full on though.
Oh, and Penny's annoying.
Oh, and Penny's annoying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2019
2 stars, because one seems mean. It was a good effort.
Recommended to new readers to the Post-Apocalypse genre, who also don't mind about the writing.
Not recommended to readers who require literary talent or have read many PA books before.
Pros:
1. Post-apocalyptic world.
2. There's a dog.
3. Set in the UK, which is new.
Sadly, when you've said that, you've said everything.
Cons:
1. The writing isn't very good. Jarring, out-of-nowhere POV switches - that's not how point of view works, sir. Tenses were off. Just bad use of English throughout. It's fine if a character doesn't speak English very well, but it's a problem when it is the narrator. Definitely needed a good editor to set things straight.
2. The audio-book was read by an American, which killed the UK theme from the outset.
3. No plot at all. Just going from one violent encounter to the next with some looting in-between. This does not a Post-Apocalyptic survival story make. The book may have benefited by some more beta-readers asking the obvious questions, for instance the very basic: "Where is this heading?" and "Why should I keep reading?"
4. Illogical from the start. The rest I could probably overlook (maybe), if the characters acted realistically. Case in point: You wake up to find everyone dead. Your first reaction? "Let's rebuild society" ? I think not.
1st reaction: shock. Sitting around dazed.
2nd reaction: try to find authorities, police, municipal, the mayor, anyone in charge
3rd: try to find out if it's only local. The book COMPLETELY missed this part. Everyone just assumes it's country-wide.
4th: get together as survivors and set up a temporary base (this he got right, though the previous logical steps were skipped)
5th: get out there and look for survivors, specifically in old age homes, hospitals, prisons and kennels were the living may be unable to help themselves.
6th: Try to establish contact with the outside world. Maybe send a scout party out to the outlying towns.
I can go on and on about logical steps any intelligent person would take before the "we'd better rebuild society stage."
As it is this book read like the fantasy dream of a gun-nut, prepper.
5. Characters. Sigh. Writing 101: characters need flaws and they need to change and grow as they are put through trying situations. Basic stuff.
6. Gary Stu main character.
7. Unrealistic reactions to emotional and physical trauma. All those people dying? Yeah let's just forget about it and get on with life. Easy-peasy.
8. Nothing original here.
9. The girls had to mostly do the food and domestic stuff, while the guys did the guy stuff.
10. Dan is an ass.
Puzzling questions:
Just awful, silly oversights.
How these books get published is beyond me. What has happened to the industry?
Better PA books I'd recommend:
I am Legend. The 5th Wave. Journey. The Unit. Hell's Children. Ashfall. Ashes Ashes.
Recommended to new readers to the Post-Apocalypse genre, who also don't mind about the writing.
Not recommended to readers who require literary talent or have read many PA books before.
Pros:
1. Post-apocalyptic world.
2. There's a dog.
3. Set in the UK, which is new.
Sadly, when you've said that, you've said everything.
Cons:
1. The writing isn't very good. Jarring, out-of-nowhere POV switches - that's not how point of view works, sir. Tenses were off. Just bad use of English throughout. It's fine if a character doesn't speak English very well, but it's a problem when it is the narrator. Definitely needed a good editor to set things straight.
2. The audio-book was read by an American, which killed the UK theme from the outset.
3. No plot at all. Just going from one violent encounter to the next with some looting in-between. This does not a Post-Apocalyptic survival story make. The book may have benefited by some more beta-readers asking the obvious questions, for instance the very basic: "Where is this heading?" and "Why should I keep reading?"
4. Illogical from the start. The rest I could probably overlook (maybe), if the characters acted realistically. Case in point: You wake up to find everyone dead. Your first reaction? "Let's rebuild society" ? I think not.
1st reaction: shock. Sitting around dazed.
2nd reaction: try to find authorities, police, municipal, the mayor, anyone in charge
3rd: try to find out if it's only local. The book COMPLETELY missed this part. Everyone just assumes it's country-wide.
4th: get together as survivors and set up a temporary base (this he got right, though the previous logical steps were skipped)
5th: get out there and look for survivors, specifically in old age homes, hospitals, prisons and kennels were the living may be unable to help themselves.
6th: Try to establish contact with the outside world. Maybe send a scout party out to the outlying towns.
I can go on and on about logical steps any intelligent person would take before the "we'd better rebuild society stage."
As it is this book read like the fantasy dream of a gun-nut, prepper.
5. Characters. Sigh. Writing 101: characters need flaws and they need to change and grow as they are put through trying situations. Basic stuff.
6. Gary Stu main character.
7. Unrealistic reactions to emotional and physical trauma. All those people dying? Yeah let's just forget about it and get on with life. Easy-peasy.
8. Nothing original here.
9. The girls had to mostly do the food and domestic stuff, while the guys did the guy stuff.
10. Dan is an ass.
Puzzling questions:
Just awful, silly oversights.
How these books get published is beyond me. What has happened to the industry?
Better PA books I'd recommend:
I am Legend. The 5th Wave. Journey. The Unit. Hell's Children. Ashfall. Ashes Ashes.
June 8, 2019
This is a review for the whole series, which is really annoying to read. The author seems to think every vehicle and anything else man made left outside for less than a year will fall apart.
Fuel on the otherhand degrades quicker than they seem to think.
The women are either rude, arrogant and stupid OR amazing, skilled and competent with no inbetween.
I'm no expert on social dynamics, actually i find most people are incredibly stupid so I'm probably not the best person to judge whether this book has realistic interactions between people but I'm pretty sure the way the leaders of almost every 'bad' group are described they would have been killed on day one.
Authors of stories like this repeatedly make the same mistake. You can't spend chapter after chapter describing how well trained and amazing a character is just to have them fall to the first untrained idiot that comes along. Just because you want to get the story from point A to B but you have written yourself into a corner by making your main character too highly skilled doesn't excuse LAZY writing. It's so annoyingly stupid!
Fuel on the otherhand degrades quicker than they seem to think.
The women are either rude, arrogant and stupid OR amazing, skilled and competent with no inbetween.
I'm no expert on social dynamics, actually i find most people are incredibly stupid so I'm probably not the best person to judge whether this book has realistic interactions between people but I'm pretty sure the way the leaders of almost every 'bad' group are described they would have been killed on day one.
Authors of stories like this repeatedly make the same mistake. You can't spend chapter after chapter describing how well trained and amazing a character is just to have them fall to the first untrained idiot that comes along. Just because you want to get the story from point A to B but you have written yourself into a corner by making your main character too highly skilled doesn't excuse LAZY writing. It's so annoyingly stupid!
July 18, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have immediately downloaded book 2. What I loved about this was the pace of it. It starts with Neil and Dan and the characters are introduced slowly so that you get to know them and how they interact with Dan and Neil. It is a very easy read with a good well-thought out plot. I loved the interaction between the characters and Dan shines as a main character. This was recommended to me by a friend and I would certainly recommend it to other readers.
February 20, 2017
Kind of seemed a lot like the walking dead, but no zombies, just scattered survivers and dangerous groups and others. It was ok. Dont think I will read on though.
September 3, 2018
poor, very poor
the writing was reminiscent of a 12 year olds first attempt
no depth to the story or the characters
thank god it was free
the writing was reminiscent of a 12 year olds first attempt
no depth to the story or the characters
thank god it was free
March 23, 2022
I love me a good post apocalypse book, and this is a whole series of 9 books!
You get to know each and every character, and I, personally, fell in love with them.
There are some stereotypical charactes, like most men are strong, most women stay at home and cook/clean or become the secretary type stuff, but the good storyline and likeable characters make me forgive that and I still gave it 5 stars.
My reason for 5 stars is because I was always looking forward to reading more, and I was lost once I had finished the 9th book.
You get to know each and every character, and I, personally, fell in love with them.
There are some stereotypical charactes, like most men are strong, most women stay at home and cook/clean or become the secretary type stuff, but the good storyline and likeable characters make me forgive that and I still gave it 5 stars.
My reason for 5 stars is because I was always looking forward to reading more, and I was lost once I had finished the 9th book.
December 22, 2017
Male fantasy post-apocalyptic survival story with way too many guns for the UK.
We follow a group of about 20 people led by Dan (military-type), Neil (engineer) and Penny (bossy head teacher), who systematically strip the entire area of all its resources (food, fuel, medicine, portable toilets, solar panels, generators, 4 wheel drives, etc) and hoard them in a former prison farm, with no thought for others who might be living in the area and would like to eat or swallow the occasional aspirin: "we emptied the entire pharmacy!" someone proudly announces. There is very little character development and one bland character after another is introduced and subsequently sent off in parties to raid shops, businesses and industrial estates for miles around. In any other post-apocalyptic tale, these would be the 'bad guys' comprising heavily-armed raiding parties hoarding all the supplies for themselves. The book is somewhat dull (describing one 'shopping trip' after another), until near the end when a few adversaries appear, but the book ends just as the interest ramps up.
Of the disease which caused the apocalypse, almost nothing is mentioned except that the population coughed themselves to death over a 2-day period and no-one seems to grieve much, talk about their loss or even wonder what happened.
The writing may be simple, unsophisticated and linear, but it does appear to have been proof-read recently (earlier reviews mention poor grammar etc but I didn't notice much). Would I go on to read part 2? I'm really not sure!
We follow a group of about 20 people led by Dan (military-type), Neil (engineer) and Penny (bossy head teacher), who systematically strip the entire area of all its resources (food, fuel, medicine, portable toilets, solar panels, generators, 4 wheel drives, etc) and hoard them in a former prison farm, with no thought for others who might be living in the area and would like to eat or swallow the occasional aspirin: "we emptied the entire pharmacy!" someone proudly announces. There is very little character development and one bland character after another is introduced and subsequently sent off in parties to raid shops, businesses and industrial estates for miles around. In any other post-apocalyptic tale, these would be the 'bad guys' comprising heavily-armed raiding parties hoarding all the supplies for themselves. The book is somewhat dull (describing one 'shopping trip' after another), until near the end when a few adversaries appear, but the book ends just as the interest ramps up.
Of the disease which caused the apocalypse, almost nothing is mentioned except that the population coughed themselves to death over a 2-day period and no-one seems to grieve much, talk about their loss or even wonder what happened.
The writing may be simple, unsophisticated and linear, but it does appear to have been proof-read recently (earlier reviews mention poor grammar etc but I didn't notice much). Would I go on to read part 2? I'm really not sure!
November 9, 2017
"Survival" is a wish-fulfillment, post-apocalyptic read that is was fun for me, particularly because of the characters. Thankfully, for an end-of-the-world scenario where most everyone in England falls sick and dies within a die, they remain that way. No undead here. The story's main focus is the rebuilding of society, centered around the first two characters, that of Dan and Neil, who decide to find other survivors and rebuild society. Most of the characters are stereotypes, but really, I didn't care much. Dan is silent, macho, military type (the silhouette on the cover), Neil is the smart class clown. They meet a matronly lady, a young girl, a nurse, an engineer. They collect trucks (lorries, here), camping gear, camper vans. They get running water and generators and weapons and ordnance from the local military base. They rescue the weak and punish the lazy and the mean. They find pigs and cows and horses and chicken. Dan rescues a German shepherd.
Like I said, it's cliched, but it's fun, and I enjoyed it a lot, particularly because of the characters. A good read.
Like I said, it's cliched, but it's fun, and I enjoyed it a lot, particularly because of the characters. A good read.
April 20, 2016
Outstanding SHTF/TEOTWAWKI Book 1 in Devon C. Ford's AFTER IT HAPPENED series
"Survival: After it Happened" is a gem in the PA/Lethal Pandemic genre. An ever-increasing cast of characters/survivors of an unnamed pandemic band together for the 'common good'. Set in England, with protagonists rich in skills and varying idiosyncrasies, this novel, the 1st in a trilogy, is an excellent addition to the SHTF/TEOTWAWKI genre, a favorite of this reader. One only hopes that Books 2 and 3 are as worthy of praise. And with that, it's on to Book 2.
"Survival: After it Happened" is a gem in the PA/Lethal Pandemic genre. An ever-increasing cast of characters/survivors of an unnamed pandemic band together for the 'common good'. Set in England, with protagonists rich in skills and varying idiosyncrasies, this novel, the 1st in a trilogy, is an excellent addition to the SHTF/TEOTWAWKI genre, a favorite of this reader. One only hopes that Books 2 and 3 are as worthy of praise. And with that, it's on to Book 2.
February 1, 2017
Well worth an investment in your time and money!
I chose this rating only because it wasn't a full length novel. The story was would certainly have supported one. I don't want to give you a spoiler, but when you get to the end, feel free to agree/disagree with me on whether you'd like to turn your guns on a few of those for whom Dan has fought and bled. I mean, really! At this point in the story, the time for naysaying the 2nd Amendment is OVER!! Am I wrong? Plus, how the heck does a liberal even survive the apocalypse, much less survive it and NOT become a Republican!!
I chose this rating only because it wasn't a full length novel. The story was would certainly have supported one. I don't want to give you a spoiler, but when you get to the end, feel free to agree/disagree with me on whether you'd like to turn your guns on a few of those for whom Dan has fought and bled. I mean, really! At this point in the story, the time for naysaying the 2nd Amendment is OVER!! Am I wrong? Plus, how the heck does a liberal even survive the apocalypse, much less survive it and NOT become a Republican!!
March 7, 2017
Interesting concept
This post apocalyptic story does lack in details. The cataclysmic illness seems to wipe out most of humanity improbably fast. We know almost nothing about the survivors which makes it hard to care about them. The saving grace of this story is the fascinating and methodical way the survivors go about rebuilding civilization.
This post apocalyptic story does lack in details. The cataclysmic illness seems to wipe out most of humanity improbably fast. We know almost nothing about the survivors which makes it hard to care about them. The saving grace of this story is the fascinating and methodical way the survivors go about rebuilding civilization.
April 22, 2016
What a cracking read !! Love the UK aspect, no politics so far and the lead characters are varied and have a reasonable depth. For a self edited book the grammar was outstanding, unlike others that are self published in the same genre. This was a very enjoyable read and i would wholeheartedly recommend Survival: After It Happened to anyone. I just hope books 2 and 3 are just as good because Devon C Ford has set himself a high standard to measure up to.
October 3, 2016
Oh So Good.....
I can't remember if I wrote a review for this book after I read it for the first time, but it was even better the second time around. These characters created by Mr. Ford are some of the best developed that I have ever had the chance to meet. This story is so well worth your time to read it, it has all the things that a good book needs to be excellent. It's fast paced, exciting, and incredibly well written. Buy this book...you won't regret it.
I can't remember if I wrote a review for this book after I read it for the first time, but it was even better the second time around. These characters created by Mr. Ford are some of the best developed that I have ever had the chance to meet. This story is so well worth your time to read it, it has all the things that a good book needs to be excellent. It's fast paced, exciting, and incredibly well written. Buy this book...you won't regret it.
May 17, 2016
Really gripping!
Not sure why I've suddenly started reading books of this type but this is one of the better ones. Character develop occurs over time, which I prefer. Action is steady and the cliffhanger is great! I was upset to discover I had not purchased book 2 and had to wait to keep reading. A few typos here and there but not distracting or annoying.
Not sure why I've suddenly started reading books of this type but this is one of the better ones. Character develop occurs over time, which I prefer. Action is steady and the cliffhanger is great! I was upset to discover I had not purchased book 2 and had to wait to keep reading. A few typos here and there but not distracting or annoying.
May 24, 2016
Doesn't disappoint!
I highly recommend this book. Didn't think I was going to like but after the first couple of chapters I was into it. The characters are well written. I can't wait to read more about them and find out Dan's story.
I highly recommend this book. Didn't think I was going to like but after the first couple of chapters I was into it. The characters are well written. I can't wait to read more about them and find out Dan's story.
June 11, 2016
A Great Read with Real People
The survivors - ordinary people, banding together. doing extraordinary things to keep each other alive. It's a must read with a cliff hanger so think Part 1 ...
The survivors - ordinary people, banding together. doing extraordinary things to keep each other alive. It's a must read with a cliff hanger so think Part 1 ...
June 17, 2016
New series
Very goodread good story line and character building . Hopefully new stories out regularly. Recommend for anyone wanting a good stoty
Very goodread good story line and character building . Hopefully new stories out regularly. Recommend for anyone wanting a good stoty
Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews