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EMP Survivor #1
Unexpected World
Length: 5 hrs 35 min
#1 in Hot New Releases in Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction!!!
Author Chris Pike explodes on the scene with a compelling survival tale about human courage and gritty determination to live, to endure, and to persevere against all odds.
Assistant District Attorney Dillon Stockdale is on the phone with his daughter when an EMP obliterates the entire electrical grid of the United States. Anything relying on a computer is fried, including the plane his daughter is on. Gripped with the terrifying realization the plane has crash-landed somewhere in the expansive and dangerous landscape of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, Dillon sets out to rescue her before it’s too late.
A harrowing survival story with non-stop, pulse-pounding action, Unexpected World is a story of good vs. evil, of a complex narrative of fight or flight, and mind-bending choices resulting in profound consequences.
Dillon Stockdale is determined, he’s well-equipped, and nothing will stop him. Or will it?
#1 in Hot New Releases in Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction!!!
Author Chris Pike explodes on the scene with a compelling survival tale about human courage and gritty determination to live, to endure, and to persevere against all odds.
Assistant District Attorney Dillon Stockdale is on the phone with his daughter when an EMP obliterates the entire electrical grid of the United States. Anything relying on a computer is fried, including the plane his daughter is on. Gripped with the terrifying realization the plane has crash-landed somewhere in the expansive and dangerous landscape of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, Dillon sets out to rescue her before it’s too late.
A harrowing survival story with non-stop, pulse-pounding action, Unexpected World is a story of good vs. evil, of a complex narrative of fight or flight, and mind-bending choices resulting in profound consequences.
Dillon Stockdale is determined, he’s well-equipped, and nothing will stop him. Or will it?
6 pages, Audible Audio
Published October 14, 2016
679 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Chris Pike
28 books59 followersChris Pike grew up in the woodlands of central Texas and along the Texas Gulf Coast, fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, and dodging hurricanes and tropical storms. Chris has learned that the power of Mother Nature is daunting, from floods to category five hurricanes, to slippery ice or desert conditions. It pays to be prepared.
Currently living in Houston, Texas, Chris is married, has two grown daughters, one dog and unfortunately three overweight, demanding cats.
Chris is an avid supporter of the Second Amendment and has held a Texas concealed carry permit since 1998, with the Glock being the current gun of choice.
IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT BOOK 2: Uncertain World is now available! Readers are emailing me telling me they really enjoyed it. To find the book, please search by these words: Chris Pike EMP Survivor Series.
Hi Readers, this is Chris. I'd like to tell you thanks for stopping by and if you have downloaded a copy of Unexpected World or Uncertain World, man I am really grateful! It is because of readers like yourself that makes Indie publishing possible. Seriously. Thanks a million.
And if you have a moment, could you post a review. One or two sentences is all that is needed. I will be forever grateful. Thank you! Y'all are the best!
Currently living in Houston, Texas, Chris is married, has two grown daughters, one dog and unfortunately three overweight, demanding cats.
Chris is an avid supporter of the Second Amendment and has held a Texas concealed carry permit since 1998, with the Glock being the current gun of choice.
IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT BOOK 2: Uncertain World is now available! Readers are emailing me telling me they really enjoyed it. To find the book, please search by these words: Chris Pike EMP Survivor Series.
Hi Readers, this is Chris. I'd like to tell you thanks for stopping by and if you have downloaded a copy of Unexpected World or Uncertain World, man I am really grateful! It is because of readers like yourself that makes Indie publishing possible. Seriously. Thanks a million.
And if you have a moment, could you post a review. One or two sentences is all that is needed. I will be forever grateful. Thank you! Y'all are the best!
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July 15, 2022Another quick read with a few predictable twists and turns but exactly the kind of book you want when you’re in an apocalyptic mood.
November 24, 2016
Wow. Just wow. I love me some prepper fiction, and a good EMP tale is my sweet, sweet nectar. I finished this book, but mostly because it was so poorly written, it was actually humorous. I knew from the prologue, when within this course of a paragraph, the POV switched from gator to human within a paragraph, that this was going to be a gem of read. For awhile, my friend and I were putting sticky notes on all the most ridiculous phrases, ideas and clichés, but by page 60, it was just getting out of control. If you love prepper books and have no literary standards, this is the read for you. If you love prepper fiction and need a good laugh, this is the book for you. Other than that, steer clear.
September 25, 2017
Boring, unrealistic, mediocre writing, campy, and chauvinistic. If you want to read a somewhat better EMP post apocalyptic series, I recommend "One Second After"
tried-couldnt
August 15, 2017Abandoned. This book is rubbing me the wrong way. I hate characters whining, and I especially hate authors who depict women whining... poor little things the men have to save and educate. Damsels in distress, apparently too stupid to get their act together in times of catastrophe. Thanks for the men around, and their guns, and their displays of testosterone, who need to come and save the day. Oh piss off.
Yep, the wrong way indeed, and I think I didn´t cross the 15% mark.
Yep, the wrong way indeed, and I think I didn´t cross the 15% mark.
February 6, 2018
Dillon Stockdale, Assistant District Attorney in Houston, has his world flipped upside down when an EMP strikes the USA. As vehicles come to a stop and lights and phones no longer work he realizes that his daughter’s plane has probably crashed in the swampy area just inside of Louisiana. Finding her is all he can focus upon. Once committed to the search will he be able to even find the crash site in the Atchafalaya Basin? First, though, he must get home.
Pike’s first novel in The EMP Survivor Series, Unexpected World: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Survival Fiction Series, the love of a father knows no bounds when trying to find his lost daughter. Dillon is a soulful character and most of the time stuck in a pity party. He is not being noble in his search for his daughter. No, instead, he is being reckless with his own life for a one in a million chance of finding her.
I’m happy to say that this book was well edited and proofread. Though the writing borders on being simplistic it is at a very fast pace with lots of action. There are a few scenes that were hard for me to believe. What I had the hardest time with was Buster being able to keep pace with the bicycles when he had been an indoor lump of a dog for two years.
And I really don’t care for animals having a voice even if it’s only in their head. That is a personal preference on my part and no way reflects the review.
Overall, it is a good book that tells a good story. I plan to read the entire series.
4 out of 5 stars.
Pike’s first novel in The EMP Survivor Series, Unexpected World: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Survival Fiction Series, the love of a father knows no bounds when trying to find his lost daughter. Dillon is a soulful character and most of the time stuck in a pity party. He is not being noble in his search for his daughter. No, instead, he is being reckless with his own life for a one in a million chance of finding her.
I’m happy to say that this book was well edited and proofread. Though the writing borders on being simplistic it is at a very fast pace with lots of action. There are a few scenes that were hard for me to believe. What I had the hardest time with was Buster being able to keep pace with the bicycles when he had been an indoor lump of a dog for two years.
And I really don’t care for animals having a voice even if it’s only in their head. That is a personal preference on my part and no way reflects the review.
Overall, it is a good book that tells a good story. I plan to read the entire series.
4 out of 5 stars.
October 27, 2018
On Amazon, this book gets a 4 1/2 star average based on 787 reviews. I have no idea why!
I felt the writing was very adolescent. Everything was explained in detail! I feel like the author is insulting my intelligence! I know what a rock looks like (okay, that's a stretch but you get the idea). Just about every chapter ends with a foreshadowing sentence which I also found very annoying. The characters were very stereotypical (gun slinging man with nicely dressed woman who needs taken care of). There were many things that were so ridiculous - the main female character has a wound that is so bad "it squirts blood every time her heart beats" but yet she has the energy to have hot, wild sex???? I struggled to get to the end - I will NOT be reading others!
I felt the writing was very adolescent. Everything was explained in detail! I feel like the author is insulting my intelligence! I know what a rock looks like (okay, that's a stretch but you get the idea). Just about every chapter ends with a foreshadowing sentence which I also found very annoying. The characters were very stereotypical (gun slinging man with nicely dressed woman who needs taken care of). There were many things that were so ridiculous - the main female character has a wound that is so bad "it squirts blood every time her heart beats" but yet she has the energy to have hot, wild sex???? I struggled to get to the end - I will NOT be reading others!
May 23, 2019
Dillon is a deputy DA who thinks he is on the verge of a big win and calls his daughter, who is on a plane to share his excitement. As they talk an EMP hits, causing her plane to crash and another plane to crash into the building that he is in. With his rival defence council Holly, he is able to escape her veangeful client and get out of the building alive. Dillon has to get home first so he can gather the supplies that he will need to set out on the dangerous journey to get Cassie, knowing her flight went down in the swamps.
The first thing that attracted me to the series was the gorgeous set of covers. I mean who can resist a colourful cover for an apocalypse book that also features a faithful hound! The down side to a dog on the cover of course is the fear for the fate of the dog, something that I always get nervous about. I also like these dangerous journeys after the apocalypse type stories where we see the gradual breakdown of society and how our heroes cope with the new world that they are living in. The book begins with a bang as the EMP hits and the planes begin to crash. Dillon has to travel 5 miles with the injured Holly to get to his house where faithful hound Buster awaits his return and then the next stop is to be Holly's house, from where Dillon will set out to find his daughter.
I was disappointed that the book pretty much skipped out the usually interesting part of the dangerous journey home. We get nothing about Dillon's trek to his home at all and we don't get a great amount of detail on the actual trip to find Cassie. We get a couple of encounters with a helpful man and a hungry alligator but not much else. Most of the focus is on the time spent at Holly's house and the start of a steriotypical apocalypse love story beginning between them. I found the focus on their attraction somewhat annoying when it was there instead of good apocalypse moments. If that wasn't bad enough, Cassie has decided to love the guy who was sitting beside her on the plane like a lovely little Twilight moment, and of course he happens to be the long lost son of Holly...how wonderfully convenient! Gah!
Holly was really annoying to me. She is the steriotype female character who doesn't quite believe how bad things are going to get and she questions every decision that Dillon makes. It left me wanting her to just shut up. I got really mad at her when she just decides to go and look at the jewellery of Dillon's dead wife and start trying it on and when she is almost caught by Dillon, decides to keep wearing it for the journey. Listen lady lawyer, that is called stealing and you should never be doing that in these circumstances! There is also the fact that Dillon pandering to her delays his trip to get his daughter when that should've been his first priority. And of course Holly never bothers to mention the fact that she has a bad infection that requires medical treatment so again Dillon when he finally finds out has to detour for medicine before looking for Cassie. Jeez, Holly is a pain.
It was a bit of a silly plot at times. Holly doesn't know who her son is and it is just so convenient that he has hooked up with Dillon's daughter so there could be cozy double dating in their future. Yeuch. Holly's psycho client Cole just happens to be the daddy who has blackmailed her into representing him as he knows where their son is and if she wins the case he'll tell her. Of course Cole then decides to take over the town where Holly is living and naturally only Dillon is willing to take a stand. It is just too farfetched even for an apocalypse book for me and every bit of plot seems to centre on the irritating Life Of Holly and not on the more interesting parts of the apocalypse that we aren't seeing!
It was more angst that apocalypse tension and I felt that it was just lacking the tension and excitement that I expect in this genre, and that was really disappointing. The plot was slow and didn't greatly excite me and the characters weren't greatly exciting. It was decent enough to read once but I don't have any interest in reading any more in the series as there are better apocalypse series out there.
The first thing that attracted me to the series was the gorgeous set of covers. I mean who can resist a colourful cover for an apocalypse book that also features a faithful hound! The down side to a dog on the cover of course is the fear for the fate of the dog, something that I always get nervous about. I also like these dangerous journeys after the apocalypse type stories where we see the gradual breakdown of society and how our heroes cope with the new world that they are living in. The book begins with a bang as the EMP hits and the planes begin to crash. Dillon has to travel 5 miles with the injured Holly to get to his house where faithful hound Buster awaits his return and then the next stop is to be Holly's house, from where Dillon will set out to find his daughter.
I was disappointed that the book pretty much skipped out the usually interesting part of the dangerous journey home. We get nothing about Dillon's trek to his home at all and we don't get a great amount of detail on the actual trip to find Cassie. We get a couple of encounters with a helpful man and a hungry alligator but not much else. Most of the focus is on the time spent at Holly's house and the start of a steriotypical apocalypse love story beginning between them. I found the focus on their attraction somewhat annoying when it was there instead of good apocalypse moments. If that wasn't bad enough, Cassie has decided to love the guy who was sitting beside her on the plane like a lovely little Twilight moment, and of course he happens to be the long lost son of Holly...how wonderfully convenient! Gah!
Holly was really annoying to me. She is the steriotype female character who doesn't quite believe how bad things are going to get and she questions every decision that Dillon makes. It left me wanting her to just shut up. I got really mad at her when she just decides to go and look at the jewellery of Dillon's dead wife and start trying it on and when she is almost caught by Dillon, decides to keep wearing it for the journey. Listen lady lawyer, that is called stealing and you should never be doing that in these circumstances! There is also the fact that Dillon pandering to her delays his trip to get his daughter when that should've been his first priority. And of course Holly never bothers to mention the fact that she has a bad infection that requires medical treatment so again Dillon when he finally finds out has to detour for medicine before looking for Cassie. Jeez, Holly is a pain.
It was a bit of a silly plot at times. Holly doesn't know who her son is and it is just so convenient that he has hooked up with Dillon's daughter so there could be cozy double dating in their future. Yeuch. Holly's psycho client Cole just happens to be the daddy who has blackmailed her into representing him as he knows where their son is and if she wins the case he'll tell her. Of course Cole then decides to take over the town where Holly is living and naturally only Dillon is willing to take a stand. It is just too farfetched even for an apocalypse book for me and every bit of plot seems to centre on the irritating Life Of Holly and not on the more interesting parts of the apocalypse that we aren't seeing!
It was more angst that apocalypse tension and I felt that it was just lacking the tension and excitement that I expect in this genre, and that was really disappointing. The plot was slow and didn't greatly excite me and the characters weren't greatly exciting. It was decent enough to read once but I don't have any interest in reading any more in the series as there are better apocalypse series out there.
November 8, 2016
He'll do anything to get to his daughter
4.5 out of 5 stars
The entire US electrical grid is down from an expected EMP blast. No electronics work, cars die on the side of the road never to be started again, and planes come crashing out of the sky.
Honestly, the only reason that this loses half a star was the lack of an ending. The book just sort of finished. I write all the time about understanding an author wanting to continue a series, but you have to give the reader some sort of closure. I mean I guess there was a little here, but we didn't even get a final update from (I won't ruin anything) the other group before the book was just over.
You'd honestly never know that this is Pike's first novel. Everything he wrote felt real and plausible. From the environment to the characters, it was all really well thought out and explained. The people that were in the book felt like they were picked directly from friends of Pike's. They just jumped off the page with realism.
The pacing of the book was good too, every time it felt like it was going too fast, it slowed down a little bit and allowed the reader to catch their breath.
Overall, an incredible first novel from Chris Pike... with a cliffhanger ending. I am happy to know that there is another book already ready and waiting for me. I just have to get it from Audible.
4.5 out of 5 stars
The entire US electrical grid is down from an expected EMP blast. No electronics work, cars die on the side of the road never to be started again, and planes come crashing out of the sky.
Honestly, the only reason that this loses half a star was the lack of an ending. The book just sort of finished. I write all the time about understanding an author wanting to continue a series, but you have to give the reader some sort of closure. I mean I guess there was a little here, but we didn't even get a final update from (I won't ruin anything) the other group before the book was just over.
You'd honestly never know that this is Pike's first novel. Everything he wrote felt real and plausible. From the environment to the characters, it was all really well thought out and explained. The people that were in the book felt like they were picked directly from friends of Pike's. They just jumped off the page with realism.
The pacing of the book was good too, every time it felt like it was going too fast, it slowed down a little bit and allowed the reader to catch their breath.
Overall, an incredible first novel from Chris Pike... with a cliffhanger ending. I am happy to know that there is another book already ready and waiting for me. I just have to get it from Audible.
October 13, 2016
I really liked this book. It was a quick read, started and finished in one afternoon and evening. Throughout the story, Chris Pike emphasizes the need for being prepared, without becoming preachy. It is inherent in the story by contrasting the plight of those not prepared, with the main character (an assistant D.A.), who is. The main character has one goal, to find his daughter who was on her way to school in La. when the emp hit, downing her plane in a swamp in La., he's in Texas. He's anxious to find her, but doesn't even know if she's alive. We see the main character's preps in a natural way as he sorts through them, first getting what he needs to get home from his car, then at home when he selects what he can take with him to search for his daughter. In the chaos that follows the emp, he maintains his humanity and compassion, helping and protecting the defense attorney who was his rival in the case, and also helping others when he can. It has a steady pace, with some unexpected events, like the survival of a killer about to be sentenced when a downed plane drops out of the sky, severely damaging the courthouse and killing many. He becomes an important danger throughout the story. This is the first installment of a two part story. Can't wait to read the next one.
March 15, 2017
Predictable
An EMP, (probably) causes power outage, plane crashes, no cell phones, etc. The hero states the EMP was caused by a nuke, but no one asks who attacked the U.S., which seems strange. And it could have been a solar flare, but that's not discussed.
Two attorney's, one a former medic with the military, the other a female who happens to own a ranch, are the main characters. They leave the city together, searching for the man's daughter, who was on a plane heading towards New Orleans, but the plane crashed in an alligator infested swamp.
The situations seemed contrived, the characters weren't believable, and the dialogue stilted.
What I found inexplicable was that after travelling so far, and coming so close to the crash site, when a survivor of the crash tells the hero his daughter is dead he just turns around and leaves! He never even checks the crash site and you just know his daughter is still alive.
And it's a cliffhanger, too.
Results: since its pretty obvious what's gonna happen, I don't see any need to continue. I expect the author will improve with practice.
An EMP, (probably) causes power outage, plane crashes, no cell phones, etc. The hero states the EMP was caused by a nuke, but no one asks who attacked the U.S., which seems strange. And it could have been a solar flare, but that's not discussed.
Two attorney's, one a former medic with the military, the other a female who happens to own a ranch, are the main characters. They leave the city together, searching for the man's daughter, who was on a plane heading towards New Orleans, but the plane crashed in an alligator infested swamp.
The situations seemed contrived, the characters weren't believable, and the dialogue stilted.
What I found inexplicable was that after travelling so far, and coming so close to the crash site, when a survivor of the crash tells the hero his daughter is dead he just turns around and leaves! He never even checks the crash site and you just know his daughter is still alive.
And it's a cliffhanger, too.
Results: since its pretty obvious what's gonna happen, I don't see any need to continue. I expect the author will improve with practice.
June 26, 2016
I love that the apocalyptic mayhem, most likely an Electomagnetic Pulse (EMP), though since we are only seeing things through the eyes of our main characters we don't really have CNN news reports to tell us exactly what happened, which I guess is how it would be in a real disaster like this with everyone trying to guess what happened, and some living in denial.
I have to give the book extra credit for having a loyal dog in the story, and the dog survives to the end of this book 1, which always makes me happy. I hate it when they gorily kill off the dog!
There are many things left hanging at the end of the book, so obviously this is going to be a series. Both the main character and his daughter (who was on a plane that crashed) are alive, but neither know anything about the other. Only we, the reader, are able to see both their stories.
Looking forward to see what happens with this one.
I have to give the book extra credit for having a loyal dog in the story, and the dog survives to the end of this book 1, which always makes me happy. I hate it when they gorily kill off the dog!
There are many things left hanging at the end of the book, so obviously this is going to be a series. Both the main character and his daughter (who was on a plane that crashed) are alive, but neither know anything about the other. Only we, the reader, are able to see both their stories.
Looking forward to see what happens with this one.
September 29, 2016
Great EMP thriller from new Indie author Chris Pike. 4.5 stars.
I appreciate how he sticks more to the human aspects of an EMP fallout rather than overloading a reader with the science of it. The pace is great. I didn't want to put the book down. It is also well edited-- sometimes an indie book is littered with errors I didn't notice more than one.
An EMP is a real threat and it's about time more stories are being written showing how quickly society will break down. As an animal lover, the dog as a character is a great extra bonus. The second book is already out and I'm anxious to start it.
I appreciate how he sticks more to the human aspects of an EMP fallout rather than overloading a reader with the science of it. The pace is great. I didn't want to put the book down. It is also well edited-- sometimes an indie book is littered with errors I didn't notice more than one.
An EMP is a real threat and it's about time more stories are being written showing how quickly society will break down. As an animal lover, the dog as a character is a great extra bonus. The second book is already out and I'm anxious to start it.
August 11, 2016
Eh...
I can not honestly believe so many ppl have five star reviews...
This book is not a smooth and easy read, where you just easily slip into the story. I like to be swept into a story, consumed in the world the author creates. To much time is spent describing guns, it reads like a jerky instruction manual, even tho the idea for the book is great! I expected more from the reviews I saw.... . None of the characters are very likable, and few descriptions are given.
I can not honestly believe so many ppl have five star reviews...
This book is not a smooth and easy read, where you just easily slip into the story. I like to be swept into a story, consumed in the world the author creates. To much time is spent describing guns, it reads like a jerky instruction manual, even tho the idea for the book is great! I expected more from the reviews I saw.... . None of the characters are very likable, and few descriptions are given.
March 14, 2017
This book was a piss poor representation of the genre. I thought it felt rushed and to be honest, I could care less about what happens to the characters.
If it wasn't Kindle Unlimited, I would be pretty unhappy right now.
If it wasn't Kindle Unlimited, I would be pretty unhappy right now.
November 11, 2016
Review to come.
July 16, 2020
The story opens with Dillon and Holly fighting against one another in a court battle (he's the prosecuting attorney and she's the defense lawyer). Then, the lights go out and everything in the air crashes to the ground. The courthouse is destroyed by a crashed aircraft and Dillon rescues Holly from sure death - carrying her unconscious body for miles to his home. Unfortunately, Dillon's daughter was also on a flight from Houston to Louisiana when it crashes in the bayou. Miraculously, she survives, but Dillon doesn't know this. His immediate goal is to rescue his daughter or find her body. It seems like he's the only one that knows anything about EMP's and has prepared for such an event over time - a prepper.
Holly decides to join Dillon on his quest to locate his daughter. They head east on bikes for many miles then graduate to horses when reaching Holly's farm at the state line. Unbeknownst to them, the person they were fighting over in the courtroom escaped and returned home, killing the sheriff and deputies and taking over the region. His home is the same town that Holly lives in, and the two of them seem to have some history together beyond the courtroom.
The duo and his dog, Buster, encounter trouble on their way east from both humans and animals. Will they locate Dillon's daughter? Will there be a showdown with Cole, the defendant in the trial. Dillon also has some special skills that will come in handy during their mission.
Kept my interest throughout and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. Highly recommended.
Holly decides to join Dillon on his quest to locate his daughter. They head east on bikes for many miles then graduate to horses when reaching Holly's farm at the state line. Unbeknownst to them, the person they were fighting over in the courtroom escaped and returned home, killing the sheriff and deputies and taking over the region. His home is the same town that Holly lives in, and the two of them seem to have some history together beyond the courtroom.
The duo and his dog, Buster, encounter trouble on their way east from both humans and animals. Will they locate Dillon's daughter? Will there be a showdown with Cole, the defendant in the trial. Dillon also has some special skills that will come in handy during their mission.
Kept my interest throughout and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. Highly recommended.
November 27, 2016
Author Chris Pike's debut novel is a gritty and compelling survival tale about human courage and steadfast determination to live, to endure, and to persevere against all odds.
Assistant District Attorney Dillon Stockdale is on the phone with his daughter when an EMP obliterates the entire electrical grid of the United States. Anything relying on a computer is fried, including the plane his daughter is on. Gripped with the terrifying realization the plane has crash-landed somewhere in the expansive and dangerous landscape of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, Dillon sets out to rescue her before it’s too late.
A harrowing survival story with non-stop, pulse-pounding action, Unexpected World is a story of good vs. evil, of a complex narrative of fight or flight, and mind-bending choices resulting in profound consequences.
Dillon Stockdale is determined, he’s well-equipped, and nothing will stop him. Or will it??
This was a great story and I will definitely look for the next instalment, what a great idea how would people cope with no electricity at all, everything we do everyday would change, could you survive??
Will look forward to Dillion, Cassie and Coles future stories, well written and well rounded story that keeps you intrigued and I like the twist in the final chapter, even though you are still left with a cliffhanger.
Assistant District Attorney Dillon Stockdale is on the phone with his daughter when an EMP obliterates the entire electrical grid of the United States. Anything relying on a computer is fried, including the plane his daughter is on. Gripped with the terrifying realization the plane has crash-landed somewhere in the expansive and dangerous landscape of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, Dillon sets out to rescue her before it’s too late.
A harrowing survival story with non-stop, pulse-pounding action, Unexpected World is a story of good vs. evil, of a complex narrative of fight or flight, and mind-bending choices resulting in profound consequences.
Dillon Stockdale is determined, he’s well-equipped, and nothing will stop him. Or will it??
This was a great story and I will definitely look for the next instalment, what a great idea how would people cope with no electricity at all, everything we do everyday would change, could you survive??
Will look forward to Dillion, Cassie and Coles future stories, well written and well rounded story that keeps you intrigued and I like the twist in the final chapter, even though you are still left with a cliffhanger.
September 17, 2017
Great start to a series. I really enjoyed this story. It pulls you in from the start and doesn't let go until the end. It was an entertaining, well written, interesting, engaging and enjoyable story. Definitely worth your time.
You never know where you will be when a disaster hits and your world changes.
When SHTF your child is hundreds of miles from home. What lengths would you go to in order to find your child. If your Dillon Stockdale you'll will do anything in your power to find your child.
Cassie Stockdale survived when plane she was on crashed. Has no idea where exactly she is or which direction to go in an effort to get help and eventually home. With little to no supplies, what's your next move?
The story does end in a cliffhanger. Fortunately the second book in the series is already available on Audible.
Kevin Pierce does a fantastic job with the narration. Great character voices. Clearly spoken. The narration flows smoothly at a nice even pace. He just has one of those voices that makes the characters and story come to life. I save his books for my road trips, listening to a story he narrates make me look forward to my weekly 9 hour trip.
I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.
You never know where you will be when a disaster hits and your world changes.
When SHTF your child is hundreds of miles from home. What lengths would you go to in order to find your child. If your Dillon Stockdale you'll will do anything in your power to find your child.
Cassie Stockdale survived when plane she was on crashed. Has no idea where exactly she is or which direction to go in an effort to get help and eventually home. With little to no supplies, what's your next move?
The story does end in a cliffhanger. Fortunately the second book in the series is already available on Audible.
Kevin Pierce does a fantastic job with the narration. Great character voices. Clearly spoken. The narration flows smoothly at a nice even pace. He just has one of those voices that makes the characters and story come to life. I save his books for my road trips, listening to a story he narrates make me look forward to my weekly 9 hour trip.
I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.
April 16, 2019
I liked it to a point. The main character Dillon is an overly obsessive father/lawyer who is kind of a jerk and kind of a good guy. He acts like a jerk to Holly which I tried to write off as being an overly concerned father worried about his daughter but there were times it is hard to forgive how rude and dismissive he is. If he prepped his daughter as well as they not claimed he did then how come she didn't have enough sense to grab her backpack when things started going south.
If Holly is as tough as she is characterized then why is she such a wuss or does she just like playing the damsel in distress.
Overall, I liked the story but not so much how the characters were written. There are other things that I didn't understand but can't go into them because of spoilers. Would give the second book a chance though maybe I'm being too harsh on the characterization since I generally like strong female characters more.
If Holly is as tough as she is characterized then why is she such a wuss or does she just like playing the damsel in distress.
Overall, I liked the story but not so much how the characters were written. There are other things that I didn't understand but can't go into them because of spoilers. Would give the second book a chance though maybe I'm being too harsh on the characterization since I generally like strong female characters more.
September 13, 2020
Cliche (and somewhere between "bad" and "mediocre") post-apocalypse book of the EMP subgenre. All the normal flaws (bad characters, dumb and implausible plot, writing which focuses on irrelevant technical details), combined with a deep misunderstanding of how EMP would affect a commercial airliner (one of the key elements of the story is that two planes crash, one containing the protagonist's daughter, the other crashing into the protagonist's place of work) -- EMP doesn't cause jet turbines to suddenly stop working, and civilian airliners have a moderate degree of EMP resistance as well as backup control in the event of electrical failue.
Lots of plot holes -- EMP being instantly taken as a military attack, basically no redeeming value other than a nice dog in the story.
Lots of plot holes -- EMP being instantly taken as a military attack, basically no redeeming value other than a nice dog in the story.
February 6, 2022
characters that you become invested in!
One of the best written indie, particularly in post-apocalyptic fiction. Pike paints vivid scenes in which you can almost feel what the character is experiencing. Main character is so well developed, I found myself amused, without him being blatantly funny.
Pike seems to be a natural a writing humor, yet misses a few perfect (fun, but not funny) opportunities to interject a much needed laugh into a harrowing topic, i.e. the theft-proof horse named Cowboy.
Very good book. I look forward to meeting more of Pike’s characters!
*this is the ONLY review I’ve written out of the 41 books I’ve read in this genre since I got KindleUnlimited in November. Keep writing Mr. Pike!
One of the best written indie, particularly in post-apocalyptic fiction. Pike paints vivid scenes in which you can almost feel what the character is experiencing. Main character is so well developed, I found myself amused, without him being blatantly funny.
Pike seems to be a natural a writing humor, yet misses a few perfect (fun, but not funny) opportunities to interject a much needed laugh into a harrowing topic, i.e. the theft-proof horse named Cowboy.
Very good book. I look forward to meeting more of Pike’s characters!
*this is the ONLY review I’ve written out of the 41 books I’ve read in this genre since I got KindleUnlimited in November. Keep writing Mr. Pike!
July 5, 2020
0 stars–Unreadable. Unfortunately I'll have to miss out on what could have been an interesting saga.
I expect some folks could enjoy Pike's yarn without getting snared with the bad grammar, poor composition, and faulty polt development. Heck, the premise is interesting, and the disjointed scenarios are interesting, even exciting–we aren't looking for a classic, right?
Sadly, I've been spoiled by the huge number of exceptional Indi/self-published authors that I can tolerate crap in only small doses. When every chapter, and even every page is spoiled, my (miniscule) tolerance is breached and I regurgitate the offensive offal.
I expect some folks could enjoy Pike's yarn without getting snared with the bad grammar, poor composition, and faulty polt development. Heck, the premise is interesting, and the disjointed scenarios are interesting, even exciting–we aren't looking for a classic, right?
Sadly, I've been spoiled by the huge number of exceptional Indi/self-published authors that I can tolerate crap in only small doses. When every chapter, and even every page is spoiled, my (miniscule) tolerance is breached and I regurgitate the offensive offal.
September 10, 2017
People being eaten alive by alligators, riding dead silent planes into the swamp, and escaping courthouses under barrage from jetliner pieces plummeting from the sky. This book, so far, has one of the most interesting "moment of disaster" stories I've yet come across. The journey afterward, and the characters themselves, were very well done, as well. I'm looking forward to listening to the next book in the series. It was a little shorter than most of its kind, but wasted very little time anything irrelevant to the story, and moved along at a fast clip.
April 19, 2021
Well it started out as less than great. Guy about to get his verdict and knows it is bad so he attacks the deputy district attorney. The judge says, " one more outburst and I'll find you in contempt" because attacking a lawyer isn't enough? Then, they take a recess before reading the verdict, that the defendant has already made clear that he knows is going to be guilty. Why not just read it and have him taken away? Why give him time to escape?
It didn't get any better. Just didn't care for the characters.
Dnf 60%
It didn't get any better. Just didn't care for the characters.
Dnf 60%
July 30, 2017
I decided to read this book on the recommendation of another author who's books I really enjoy.
It seems that I cannot get enough of good EMP stories and fortunately this one didn't disappoint. As with most first in series books, the emphasis is on the initial event and the introduction of main characters who must now survive.
The pace of the book is perfect and the author did a great job in setting up the story for the next book.
It seems that I cannot get enough of good EMP stories and fortunately this one didn't disappoint. As with most first in series books, the emphasis is on the initial event and the introduction of main characters who must now survive.
The pace of the book is perfect and the author did a great job in setting up the story for the next book.
September 2, 2017
Copied: Assistant District Attorney Dillon Stockdale is on the phone with his daughter when an EMP obliterates the entire electrical grid of the United States. Anything relying on a computer is fried, including the plane his daughter is on. Gripped with the terrifying realization the plane has crash-landed somewhere in the expansive and dangerous landscape of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin, Dillon sets out to rescue her before it’s too late.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2018
An EMP story
Not sure I like Dillon who seems very capable in the end of world type scenario depicted, but seems gruff and even disrespectful of Holly whom he met before the event. He tells her more or less to shut up and do as he says.
Still the story is interesting and held me. It is an easy quick action packed read. On to book two. Maybe this guy will soften up emotionally toward Holly. One can hope.
Not sure I like Dillon who seems very capable in the end of world type scenario depicted, but seems gruff and even disrespectful of Holly whom he met before the event. He tells her more or less to shut up and do as he says.
Still the story is interesting and held me. It is an easy quick action packed read. On to book two. Maybe this guy will soften up emotionally toward Holly. One can hope.
August 4, 2018
Although this book doesn't exactly end in a cliffhanger, the story is definitely unfinished. It's a fairly formulaic post-apocalyptic story with prepared protagonists facing stereotypical challenges. It's sufficiently engaging for me to want to continue reviewing this series. It doesn't hurt that Kevin Pierce delivers his customary excellent performance.
NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
October 3, 2018
I rate the series (up to the end of #4) 3-4. I enjoyed the storylines and characters. I'm a sucker for anything in this genre so I'm sure my rating is somewhat biased.
The narration is definitely not great but satisfactory. The storylines are not very deep, which would have made the series much more enjoyable.
As a stand-alone book, #1 would leave you with a lot of questions but as a set, these books are worth the read.
The narration is definitely not great but satisfactory. The storylines are not very deep, which would have made the series much more enjoyable.
As a stand-alone book, #1 would leave you with a lot of questions but as a set, these books are worth the read.
July 8, 2020
Interesting read...
I have recently read several of these apocalyptic/dystopian novels and enjoyed them. This one was good and I am now hooked and will read the rest of the series to see how things progress. I’ve noticed that most of these type of novels are often written as a series...they hook you with the first one but leave you hanging so you HAVE to keep reading to find out what happens. Smart!
I have recently read several of these apocalyptic/dystopian novels and enjoyed them. This one was good and I am now hooked and will read the rest of the series to see how things progress. I’ve noticed that most of these type of novels are often written as a series...they hook you with the first one but leave you hanging so you HAVE to keep reading to find out what happens. Smart!
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