Rick Waters is trapped. He and another survivor are stuck in the middle of a devastated Las Vegas, forced to hide while a band of criminals wielding stolen military-grade hardware loot the city. Any hope of escape rests on Rick's quick thinking, though that may not be enough. Back home in Virginia, his wife and children are preparing their homestead for an early winter that has arrived. The heavy snowfall is accompanied by the revelation of a strange secret beneath their home that may make their lives easier or even more dangerous.
Surviving the Fall is a thrilling post-apocalyptic episodic series that focuses on Rick and Dianne Waters and how they each deal with the apocalypse. Stranded across the country away from his family, Rick must travel from California to Virginia to reunite with his wife and children, all while struggling to comprehend and deal with the horrors along the way.
At home with her three children when she experiences the beginning of the end in a dramatic and deadly fashion, Dianne Waters has experience as a prepper and survivalist, but not even years of training and preparation have readied her for the darkness that comes with the end of the world. Now she must draw upon those skills to protect her loved ones and fight back against those who come against her and her family.
Surviving the Fall will feature 14 episodic (25k-30k words in length) books that are full of action, suspense and drama as Rick and Dianne struggle to survive the end of days. Episodes will be published every 2-3 weeks.
OK, so after reading the third installment of this post-apocalyptic tale, I decided to buy the 12 book set because I'm enthralled with the story. The Shattered Earth is the third book in the Surviving the Fall series by Mike Kraus. This one had the most action, and I felt it was the most visual. I could see the setting and feel the tension. I can tell that the intensity is ramping up. The author's notes at the end of each installment serves to hint at the way things are building and coming to a head. Rick is trying to make his way back home in an attempt to care for his family, but finds obstacles to impede his progress. On the home front, Diane, Rick's wife is prepping with the help of their children for the possibility of things never going back to the way things were. The prose is taut and the characters are real. The worldview is cynical, but I believe Kraus is not far wrong. If anything, the pandemic has shown how fragile is much of what we have as far as societal structure, order, and informational relativism.
One less star for the third installment. It dragged out a bit and the main character is really making stupid decisions (for a supposedly smart guy). Hopefully this is only temporary and he will be smarter in the next installment.
This book was a bit meh compared to the first two, which is weird because everyone thinks this one is the best so far. I think I enjoyed this less because it was very Rick-centric, and I usually enjoy Dianne's chapters a bit more. From the author's note at the end, it seems like Book 4 will be very Dianne-heavy, so I'm looking forward to that.
I want to point out a couple of things. Rick is very... unrealistic. He makes the dumbest decisions with no obvious reasonings, kills and shows no remorse at all, which is very concerning to see, and he's all around overtrained for a tech engineer. The most annoying part about this is the whole no-remorse thing. He Spoilers for the Illuminae Files series:
Long story short, Rick's reactions aren't really realistic and seem inhumane in a way.
Book 3 is much better than book 2. This book delves into the real mess going on in the U.S. Rick's part is more interesting as he tries to leave Las Vegas. The mass exodus of civilians to Nellis Air Force Base is probably what would happen in reality. Dianne is preparing for the worst. Into book four!
It’s not often that I pay for books but this series is compelling. I love the authors personal notes at the end of each story, and as for the story itself.....brilliant! I have to keep getting the next instalment, hence the header, so it would have been nice to get bundles at a reduced rate. I find I’m completely engrossed... then the book ends!
Third installment in the "Surviving the Fall" series. I have to totally suspend belief while reading these books, because I don't believe U.S. civilization would erupt into chaos just a few days after a disaster, nor that gangs of looters would chase around after innocent citizens, bringing down destruction and death on themselves merely to keep those people from ratting them out to the authorities. In this scenario, there is no authority, so what would be the worry?? It is also hard to believe this James Bond-type computer nerd would be so skilled. Nevertheless, the writing is good and the story is very exciting, so I keep reading. * * * * * Doggone it, still no resolution and not much progress with the story. I may have to give up on this. I want to find out what happens, but not if I have to buy serials for the rest of my life.
Rick is trapped, struggling to survive the gangs and massive destruction of Los Vegas. Dianne and the kids continue to prepare for what looks like a long winter.
This is the third book in the post apocalyptic series, Surviving the Fall and is full of action, drama and danger. I enjoyed the action and how Rick steps up to the task and is creative in his solutions to all that he faces. Dianne shows enginuity as well. The storyline flows quickly and smoothly. The narrative is well written and the scenes were so well described that the reader can imagine the setting and the desperation of the situation. I am really looking forward to seeing what will happen next.
Since each book builds on the previous one, I suggest that you begin with book one.
A Great Series! The story continues in book 3, leaving you hoping book 4 will be out soon ( hope, hope, hope :) Mike Kraus does a very good job building the the suspense and telling the story as the world as we know it, is coming apart.
Recommended.
I received a review copy, at no cost, in exchange for an honest review and have no personal affiliation with the author.
Well, Rick is finally coming around. I'm a little surprised that just because the military heard him talk about computers, they thought he should be in a think tank trying to solve the problem of Damocles. My biggest issue is that this book is so very short. I feel like I'm watching a weekly TV series drama that is only 30 minutes for each episode.
This is a look at what could happen. It's a look at the dependency of our society on computer driven systems. It's a look at society breaking down and the inability of the government to help or control it. So Rick is on his way and Dianne is building the home front. Can't wait to see what happens next!
I was given this book for a honest review. This is the third book in the post apocalyptic survival series. Rick is a believable character that is trying to get back to Virginia to his wife and children. I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Well, I liked this one too. As always, they're too short, but then the excitement makes the time go by very fast. Mr. Kraus is a gifted wordcrafter and all three of these books in the series are good ones. On to book four.
Disappointing. Story line has a lot of iffy motivations that just don't ring true. Way too much time spent on mundane actions while important plot elements are hurried through with narration. It claimed to be 400 some odd pages but seemed more like maybe a hundred.
Wow edge of my seat nail bitting excitement Book 3 of the series is the most exciting yet. I thought for sure Rick and Jane were going to die. The description of the Vegas Strip is so detailed I felt like I was right there!
Each book just gets better and better in this series. I need to keep reading to find out what will happen with Rick and Dianne will Rick finally get back home.. it has me on the edge of my seat. Dying to know how it all going play out. The story is really getting exciting.
Could not put down my ARC copy! Had to keep reading to find out what happens with Rick and Dianne. I hope the finally reunite. Can't wait till the next installment comes out to find out what happens.