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The Borrowed World #5
Valley of Vengeance
Human Resources Manager Alice Watkins is finally making it home. In her journey across Virginia, she experiences a country disintegrating and collapsing in on itself in the wake of a nationwide terror attack. Her trip home is agonizing; her experiences indescribable.
She finds that her peaceful farm community is experiencing the same strife as the rest of the nation. As her world is further shaken by a series of devastating occurrences, she comes to realize that she has been profoundly and irreversibly changed by her agonizing experiences on the road. She is both emotionally blunted and wickedly violent. She cannot feel love, nor does she feel the slightest remorse at taking someone's life.
In an attempt to find safety for her family, she must reconnect with the former coworkers that she started this journey with. She discovers the group struggling with their own problems, finding that in this borrowed world there is no promise of safety, no peace, and no promise of tomorrow.
She finds that her peaceful farm community is experiencing the same strife as the rest of the nation. As her world is further shaken by a series of devastating occurrences, she comes to realize that she has been profoundly and irreversibly changed by her agonizing experiences on the road. She is both emotionally blunted and wickedly violent. She cannot feel love, nor does she feel the slightest remorse at taking someone's life.
In an attempt to find safety for her family, she must reconnect with the former coworkers that she started this journey with. She discovers the group struggling with their own problems, finding that in this borrowed world there is no promise of safety, no peace, and no promise of tomorrow.
246 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2017
498 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Franklin Horton
57 books369 followersFranklin Horton lives and writes in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. He attended Virginia Intermont College and Virginia Commonwealth University. In his spare time he pursues outdoor adventures with his wife and two children. His interests include camping, kayaking, backpacking, mountain biking, and shooting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
June 29, 2017
I love this writer/narrator combo and am always thrilled when the next book in this series comes out.....I am not sure with the way this one ended if we will be getting another one....I hope so, or at least a continuation of the Locker Nine series...This one showed how brutal a P/A can get and I was impressed with the bravery and courage of these characters...I listened all night long and could not put it down...It was Great!!!!
I RECOMMEND THIS ENTIRE SERIES!!!!
I RECOMMEND THIS ENTIRE SERIES!!!!
July 27, 2017
A fantastic addition to 'The Borrowed World' series.
With beautifully detailed characters in an impossible grid-down world, the story moves seamlessly as it continues to follow the original members of Jim's group on their own journeys to their own perceived places of safety and refuge.
With brutal honesty and heart aching truths, Mr. Norton has achieved a masterpiece of storytelling in this exhilarating series. I loved it. Impeccably well done!
With beautifully detailed characters in an impossible grid-down world, the story moves seamlessly as it continues to follow the original members of Jim's group on their own journeys to their own perceived places of safety and refuge.
With brutal honesty and heart aching truths, Mr. Norton has achieved a masterpiece of storytelling in this exhilarating series. I loved it. Impeccably well done!
July 2, 2017
Not to be missed
Summer is drawing to an end and our friends in the valley are finding no respite from the world outside. We make some new friends and say goodbye to some people, too. Once again, Mr Horton has written an intriguing and exciting continuation of the story of what happens in the valley when the whole country is forced to go off-grid.
Summer is drawing to an end and our friends in the valley are finding no respite from the world outside. We make some new friends and say goodbye to some people, too. Once again, Mr Horton has written an intriguing and exciting continuation of the story of what happens in the valley when the whole country is forced to go off-grid.
July 2, 2017
Amazing
I was so happy to see this latest borrowed world book that I couldn't finish the book I was already reading fast enough. I've really enjoyed each book in this series and am hoping that this is not the end. It would be really cool to show what happens even after the power is restored, what kind of world exists?
I was so happy to see this latest borrowed world book that I couldn't finish the book I was already reading fast enough. I've really enjoyed each book in this series and am hoping that this is not the end. It would be really cool to show what happens even after the power is restored, what kind of world exists?
July 1, 2017
Just keep getting better
This series just keeps getting better and better. It's not often that happens in a series.
Horton has once again knocked it out of the park. I was pulled in from the start and when I finished was disappointed. I want more!!!! Good stuff.
This series just keeps getting better and better. It's not often that happens in a series.
Horton has once again knocked it out of the park. I was pulled in from the start and when I finished was disappointed. I want more!!!! Good stuff.
June 29, 2017
Another awesome addition to the Borrowed World series
Action filled page turner you won't want to put down. I just hope this isn't the end for the Borrowed World series!
Action filled page turner you won't want to put down. I just hope this isn't the end for the Borrowed World series!
August 31, 2017
This fifth volume of the Borrowed World Series centers on Alice Watkins, the Human Resources Manager who was one of the six that attended the seminar in Richmond before the terrorist attack. In summary it covers Alice’s prior misfortunes and then picks up with Alice on the road home. Alice’s troubles were not over by a long shot. There were more encounters before getting home and when she did finally make it the memories and visions would not let go of her. Alice’s psyche went through a lot of changes in the few weeks she was gone and the troubles continued. This is a sad chapter in the series, but it demonstrates the horrors and changes one can go through in such a crisis. The writing was so clear and the narration so descriptive that I felt sad for Alice. There were also sub-chapters relating to Jim, Gary and Randy, along with additions on Buddy and Lloyd. All-in-all a great addition to the series.
December 17, 2022
Ooph now this...this one was rough.
Yet again, Franklin Horton has come up with a rather apt title for this book. This thing is positively dripping with vengeance. Obviously, the very nature of vengeance essentially proves the darkness of this entry, how even the most reluctant of people can still be susceptible to acting on their darker sides. Needless to say, this book was rough to read given how our core characters behave and how circumstances were so much more challenging to accept. But it's not like this series was ever meant to be rainbows and butterflies anyway.
At any rate, things continue to carry onward in good and proper form from the previous entry. For this story, we are taken heavily into Alice's perspective after departing Jim's valley, though the storytelling load is very evenly distributed among many characters. I like that Horton has continued his switch from a single person's point of view in favor of several different perspectives, sometimes even in the same chapter. While it took getting used to from how things first started out, it definitely makes the most sense. The story simply NEEDS to be stretched out from different angles to work for what's occurring.
My only significant complaint (hence the missing 5th star) was certain events occurring because of characters doing thing that are very uncharacteristic for them to do. I don't really like when authors force particular plots points in their stories by having their characters do something they were very much not written to do. Case in point, Jim is very HEAVILY established as a certain kind of person, so to see something happen to him purely because of some random detail seems too forced. I also didn't really care for the certain moments in the story progressing clunkily or with too abrupt a close-out.
I'm still having SUCH fun in this series. And given how this book ended, whoa boy, I'm SUPER curious how the next entry is gonna play out.
Click here for my random commentary.
Yet again, Franklin Horton has come up with a rather apt title for this book. This thing is positively dripping with vengeance. Obviously, the very nature of vengeance essentially proves the darkness of this entry, how even the most reluctant of people can still be susceptible to acting on their darker sides. Needless to say, this book was rough to read given how our core characters behave and how circumstances were so much more challenging to accept. But it's not like this series was ever meant to be rainbows and butterflies anyway.
At any rate, things continue to carry onward in good and proper form from the previous entry. For this story, we are taken heavily into Alice's perspective after departing Jim's valley, though the storytelling load is very evenly distributed among many characters. I like that Horton has continued his switch from a single person's point of view in favor of several different perspectives, sometimes even in the same chapter. While it took getting used to from how things first started out, it definitely makes the most sense. The story simply NEEDS to be stretched out from different angles to work for what's occurring.
My only significant complaint (hence the missing 5th star) was certain events occurring because of characters doing thing that are very uncharacteristic for them to do. I don't really like when authors force particular plots points in their stories by having their characters do something they were very much not written to do. Case in point, Jim is very HEAVILY established as a certain kind of person, so to see something happen to him purely because of some random detail seems too forced. I also didn't really care for the certain moments in the story progressing clunkily or with too abrupt a close-out.
I'm still having SUCH fun in this series. And given how this book ended, whoa boy, I'm SUPER curious how the next entry is gonna play out.
Click here for my random commentary.
November 2, 2020
The series is getting pretty stale. I know there are more but this is the last for me. To be honest the writing seems to be getting lazy. Characters acting absurdly just to force conflict to progress a certain way. I'm out
July 18, 2017
Alice, Randi, and Jim face separate struggles that ultimately bring them together. As coworkers in the before, they didn’t necessarily get along. With the world having gone into chaos, they find relying on one another is the only way to survive and keep their families safe.
Alice leaves Jim’s valley after helping Gary and his family relocate there. She wants to find her husband and son, then move them to her mother’s farm. Her journey has been harrowing up to this point and continues to throw the worst of mankind in her path. She has lost her humanity. She is hard on the outside, so much so, that the person she was before is no longer there.
Randi is fighting the demons inside. She wants to do the right thing and forgive the person responsible for the death of her most of her family. The remaining kids and grandkids are living with her in Jim’s valley. She won’t find peace within until she has had her revenge.
Jim can’t seem to catch a break. Having running vehicles make his group a target. An overly zealous sheriff’s deputy broadcasts on an open radio frequency the location of a tanker of diesel. A splinter faction of the local law enforcement that has gone rogue is determined to claim the tanker.
Horton’s fifth novel in The Borrowed World Series, Valley of Vengeance, shows that no matter what one does to keep safe, that there is always someone out there that wants to take what you have. The world is no longer civil and making your own justice is the new norm. The character expansion of both Alice and Randi is heartbreaking and cathartic for them. It’s amazing how strong they have become.
This is one of my favorite series. I find it very realistic. Bad guys are killed, but some of the good guys are too. It’s a tough new way of life. I look forward to the next book in the series.
5 out of 5 stars.
Alice leaves Jim’s valley after helping Gary and his family relocate there. She wants to find her husband and son, then move them to her mother’s farm. Her journey has been harrowing up to this point and continues to throw the worst of mankind in her path. She has lost her humanity. She is hard on the outside, so much so, that the person she was before is no longer there.
Randi is fighting the demons inside. She wants to do the right thing and forgive the person responsible for the death of her most of her family. The remaining kids and grandkids are living with her in Jim’s valley. She won’t find peace within until she has had her revenge.
Jim can’t seem to catch a break. Having running vehicles make his group a target. An overly zealous sheriff’s deputy broadcasts on an open radio frequency the location of a tanker of diesel. A splinter faction of the local law enforcement that has gone rogue is determined to claim the tanker.
Horton’s fifth novel in The Borrowed World Series, Valley of Vengeance, shows that no matter what one does to keep safe, that there is always someone out there that wants to take what you have. The world is no longer civil and making your own justice is the new norm. The character expansion of both Alice and Randi is heartbreaking and cathartic for them. It’s amazing how strong they have become.
This is one of my favorite series. I find it very realistic. Bad guys are killed, but some of the good guys are too. It’s a tough new way of life. I look forward to the next book in the series.
5 out of 5 stars.
November 6, 2021
I don't have much to say about this one, that's not a bad thing though, I really enjoyed the book. The author has definitely found his lane throughout this series and each book is better than the last.
This one is more action packed than the others, always something exciting going on.
Buddy continues to be my favorite character, he is down to help anyone out. Don't wanna say more than that as to not spoil anything.
NOW, for my favorite part of these reviews. The KNIVES. If you've been reading my reviews on this series you'll know I've been keeping track of what kinda knives are used in the books, well here they are!
Alice finds and carries a "Buck hunting knife", no model name but if I had to guess I would say a 119, they're very popular and you can get one about anywhere.
Buddy has a Gerber Mark II which he got in Vietnam, it's a combat knife so not really up my alley but it's a nice knife.
Hugh is strapped up with several homemade Kiradashis, which is a Japanese style knife, look them up they're really cool!
And my favorite out of the books so far, Sword carries a Spyderco, my personal favorite non-budget brand. It doesn't specify which model but I would guess it's a Paramilitary 2 or PM2 for short. It's Spydero's most popular knife and it's favored by police/military people.
Overall, I loved the book, they just keep getting better. I'm excited to finish the series!
This one is more action packed than the others, always something exciting going on.
Buddy continues to be my favorite character, he is down to help anyone out. Don't wanna say more than that as to not spoil anything.
NOW, for my favorite part of these reviews. The KNIVES. If you've been reading my reviews on this series you'll know I've been keeping track of what kinda knives are used in the books, well here they are!
Alice finds and carries a "Buck hunting knife", no model name but if I had to guess I would say a 119, they're very popular and you can get one about anywhere.
Buddy has a Gerber Mark II which he got in Vietnam, it's a combat knife so not really up my alley but it's a nice knife.
Hugh is strapped up with several homemade Kiradashis, which is a Japanese style knife, look them up they're really cool!
And my favorite out of the books so far, Sword carries a Spyderco, my personal favorite non-budget brand. It doesn't specify which model but I would guess it's a Paramilitary 2 or PM2 for short. It's Spydero's most popular knife and it's favored by police/military people.
Overall, I loved the book, they just keep getting better. I'm excited to finish the series!
August 8, 2024
I just finished “Valley of Vengeance” by Franklin Horton (2017), book 5 in the “Borrowed World” series. The disaster from the previous books continues and the various characters fortify their positions in the valley where they’ve decided to weather the storm. This time there’s a spotlight shone on a group that was mentioned in earlier books: a group of police officers that have effectively turned into marauders in a nearby town.
This was another entertaining read in the series. I found the grittiness to be appropriate for the genre, as was the case in previous books. I kind of wish Horton would make a map of the area where the story has kind of settled on, as it’s sometimes difficult for me to picture the layout of the community. Details of characters approaching an area from one direction would take them through a spot that I thought was somewhere else, based on previous descriptions. Not a huge deal, but it would be helpful to have a map at the start of the book and it would add only one page to the whole thing.
This particular book had somewhat less suspense than other books in the series. Perhaps the situation settling in somewhat made for more security for the characters and, thus, less danger and uncertainty for them to deal with? It was still a good read, just lacking a bit of tension that characterized the other books. This series has been a great way to pass the time and I plan to keep reading it.
This was another entertaining read in the series. I found the grittiness to be appropriate for the genre, as was the case in previous books. I kind of wish Horton would make a map of the area where the story has kind of settled on, as it’s sometimes difficult for me to picture the layout of the community. Details of characters approaching an area from one direction would take them through a spot that I thought was somewhere else, based on previous descriptions. Not a huge deal, but it would be helpful to have a map at the start of the book and it would add only one page to the whole thing.
This particular book had somewhat less suspense than other books in the series. Perhaps the situation settling in somewhat made for more security for the characters and, thus, less danger and uncertainty for them to deal with? It was still a good read, just lacking a bit of tension that characterized the other books. This series has been a great way to pass the time and I plan to keep reading it.
April 27, 2025
“I’m saying that the people who plan are the people who live, and we need to plan for everything.”
At long last, Alice makes her way home. Hardened by all that she’s experienced out on the road, Alice has become a radically different person.
She is brutal now. Son Charlie, 17, has trouble reconciling his mother’s changes.
Wonderful to be back in Jim’s Valley.
Randi makes her decision regarding Lila Cross.
The tribe. 🙌🏻 The Found Family dynamics tighten here—stronger bonds than ever.
Dinner with the tribe was a chance to relax and share information as well as food.
Alice’s opening and POV (first ~25%) isn’t as strong as Jim’s or Randi’s, but it’s much better than Gary’s.
The deserting cops running the superstore compound. Led by the notorious Barnes.
The Valley’s diesel tanker is in high demand.
Randi’s vengeance, with invaluable assistance from Buddy. 🔪 🩸
Hugh, the radio operator.
Hell of an ending. Bravo.
Excellent. Best book yet in this series. And that’s saying something. All the threads are coming together. Bloody, violent, satisfying.
They were not fellow survivalists trying to make it through this bout of societal collapse. They were a threat and would have to be dealt with as such.
At long last, Alice makes her way home. Hardened by all that she’s experienced out on the road, Alice has become a radically different person.
She is brutal now. Son Charlie, 17, has trouble reconciling his mother’s changes.
Wonderful to be back in Jim’s Valley.
Randi makes her decision regarding Lila Cross.
The tribe. 🙌🏻 The Found Family dynamics tighten here—stronger bonds than ever.
Dinner with the tribe was a chance to relax and share information as well as food.
Alice’s opening and POV (first ~25%) isn’t as strong as Jim’s or Randi’s, but it’s much better than Gary’s.
The deserting cops running the superstore compound. Led by the notorious Barnes.
The Valley’s diesel tanker is in high demand.
Randi’s vengeance, with invaluable assistance from Buddy. 🔪 🩸
Hugh, the radio operator.
Hell of an ending. Bravo.
Excellent. Best book yet in this series. And that’s saying something. All the threads are coming together. Bloody, violent, satisfying.
They were not fellow survivalists trying to make it through this bout of societal collapse. They were a threat and would have to be dealt with as such.
September 15, 2017
I think I found this final book disturbing. I certainly had trouble going to sleep and staying that way.
Like the other books, this one was fast-moving and not a lot of depth or character development. But there were certainly some changes in characters. But it mostly a book about action.
Life changes. Some of the changes are not good, even in the best of times. And sometimes good people are changed and are never the same again. And sometimes good people die.
I found the series to be riveting, partly because it is set where I live and I have found the 'end of the world as we know it' books to be interesting reading. With the recent worries about North Korea [political statement alert!]
I think that the possibility of an EMP and temporary/slight societal collapse to be entirely plausible, if still mostly unlikely. But I'll be traveling to Richmond for a meeting next week, so the books do resonate with me. I'll have a backpack, some snacks, and a pair of good walking/hiking shoes with me when I go to Richmond....
spoiler alert:
no, Jim doesn't die, but another major character does. One might fairly say he finally gets what he has coming....
Like the other books, this one was fast-moving and not a lot of depth or character development. But there were certainly some changes in characters. But it mostly a book about action.
Life changes. Some of the changes are not good, even in the best of times. And sometimes good people are changed and are never the same again. And sometimes good people die.
I found the series to be riveting, partly because it is set where I live and I have found the 'end of the world as we know it' books to be interesting reading. With the recent worries about North Korea [political statement alert!]
I think that the possibility of an EMP and temporary/slight societal collapse to be entirely plausible, if still mostly unlikely. But I'll be traveling to Richmond for a meeting next week, so the books do resonate with me. I'll have a backpack, some snacks, and a pair of good walking/hiking shoes with me when I go to Richmond....
spoiler alert:
no, Jim doesn't die, but another major character does. One might fairly say he finally gets what he has coming....
July 8, 2017
The continuing story of Jim and his band of survivors. This book has a heavy focus on Alice who was part of Jim's original group of survivors. She was one that decided to trust FEMA then released that they had no intentions of helping everyone get home. They intend on keeping the refugees all in one area so they do not interfere with locals.
When we do get back to Jim his new threat comes in the form of those who have sworn to protect us. These former officers have threatened everything that Jim has worked so hard to protect. With no end in site to this national emergency the lives of those in the valley hang in the balance.
Franklin did not disappoint with this book again. His ability to make you feel like your one of the characters and that their family is also your family is great. I have been following this series for awhile now and I can not wait for the next installment.
If you have any interest in prepping, survival, post apoc books or just like a great story this series is for you!
When we do get back to Jim his new threat comes in the form of those who have sworn to protect us. These former officers have threatened everything that Jim has worked so hard to protect. With no end in site to this national emergency the lives of those in the valley hang in the balance.
Franklin did not disappoint with this book again. His ability to make you feel like your one of the characters and that their family is also your family is great. I have been following this series for awhile now and I can not wait for the next installment.
If you have any interest in prepping, survival, post apoc books or just like a great story this series is for you!
April 10, 2018
Intense as always, Horton continues his stirring series of human instinct and reaction after the fall of society. This book picks up with Alice for the remainder of her journey home as she has now been hardened by this hostile world, numbed to all emotion, and surviving on pure and brutal instinct. Jim and the crew from the valley finally collide with the rogue cops, led by a bastard named Barnes who is bent on taking whatever he can to feed his own pockets, and ego. The final clash between the two comes as a surprising twist from the expected plot. In the end, Jim, with a thrice broken nose, finally relents on letting a new war start with a new enemy, content to continue on as they had before. For their new found treasure of supplies it's easy come, easy go, and hard to keep in the land of the desperate and greedy.
May 28, 2025
New allies and old enemies....
Valley Of Vengeance, the 5th book in the Borrowed World series, picks up following Alice and her family's fight to stay on her family farm, but what she finds upon reuniting with her family isn't what she expected, leaving her and her son Charlie with no recourse but to leave. At the same time, the former law enforcement that seized public property for personal gain set their sights on Jim's Valley. People from the golf course make a reappearing at the most inopportune time. This book is full of other horrific surprises that I won't spoil. The writing is excellent and the characters continue to grow to meet the challenges facing them. 5/5 stars, highly recommended to those who enjoy survival thrillers that pull no punches, they will not be disappointed!
Valley Of Vengeance, the 5th book in the Borrowed World series, picks up following Alice and her family's fight to stay on her family farm, but what she finds upon reuniting with her family isn't what she expected, leaving her and her son Charlie with no recourse but to leave. At the same time, the former law enforcement that seized public property for personal gain set their sights on Jim's Valley. People from the golf course make a reappearing at the most inopportune time. This book is full of other horrific surprises that I won't spoil. The writing is excellent and the characters continue to grow to meet the challenges facing them. 5/5 stars, highly recommended to those who enjoy survival thrillers that pull no punches, they will not be disappointed!
July 30, 2017
This is the fifth book in The Borrowed World series. I had no idea that a fifth book was coming, so I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up on Audible. The Borrowed World was one of the first SHTF series I read and I have loved it since the moment I got into it.
In this latest book we pickup with Alice who had originally parted ways with Jim and Randy earlier in the series. The first portion of the book focuses on her journey home and then her subsequent venture to get her and her son to Jim's group in the valley.
As Alice makes her way to the valley a new thread emerges forcing Jim and the group to defend themselves once again. Everything does not end well... I won't provide any spoilers, you will have to read it for yourself.
In this latest book we pickup with Alice who had originally parted ways with Jim and Randy earlier in the series. The first portion of the book focuses on her journey home and then her subsequent venture to get her and her son to Jim's group in the valley.
As Alice makes her way to the valley a new thread emerges forcing Jim and the group to defend themselves once again. Everything does not end well... I won't provide any spoilers, you will have to read it for yourself.
December 19, 2019
This series continues to be a page turner as we welcome back Alice who was absent from the previous book. The author also heavily follows Randy and Jim, while tossing in a few additional perspectives here and there. I won't add any spoilers other than to say there is a real tragedy that happens, which had me both shocked and saddened. The ending felt a little rushed and contained more info dumping than I like. It tells the passing of time, rather than showing it. Personally, I feel the author could have written the book to be a little longer. But this is a minor complaint and it leads into the next story, which I am eagerly looking forward to reading.
June 6, 2022
Great series but...
I am decidedly enjoying the entire series including The Mad Kick series but being an avid reader it's annoying to find so many grammatical errors. By that I'm referring to missing words or words placed in the wrong places causing a disruption in the flow of the story. I've not found any misspelled words so I suspect spell check was employed and therefore no errors were found.
I realize these books are already completed and published but would recommend a proofreader for future endeavors.
That being said, I will continue to enjoy this excellently crafted journey.
Thank you Mr. Horton,
Michael Smith
I am decidedly enjoying the entire series including The Mad Kick series but being an avid reader it's annoying to find so many grammatical errors. By that I'm referring to missing words or words placed in the wrong places causing a disruption in the flow of the story. I've not found any misspelled words so I suspect spell check was employed and therefore no errors were found.
I realize these books are already completed and published but would recommend a proofreader for future endeavors.
That being said, I will continue to enjoy this excellently crafted journey.
Thank you Mr. Horton,
Michael Smith
September 20, 2022
Another great chapter in the borrowed world series. As Jim and friends entrench even more in the valley other people hear more about them and things that they have. This is of course very dangerous to his group. Much mayhem happens and I was going to comment on something that did not happen in this book, but then I realized that would be a spoiler so not going to do that. Its suspenseful and if you enjoyed the first four books in the series then you will enjoy this one. You do need to start with book 1 as its a continuous story-line and you will not know the cast of characters or what they have been through so far.
#borrowedworld
#postapocalypse
#franklinhorton
#borrowedworld
#postapocalypse
#franklinhorton
July 30, 2017
Life and death continue
It's a hostile world left after the grid collapses and everyone is spun back to the days before electricity. Some people are more prepared than others. The others either die or become thieves and murderers. Everyone is changed and it becomes kill or be killed.
This series is generally plausible. With this country's aged grid and few replacement parts this could easily occur. It is something that makes you think. Would you be able to survive?
It's a hostile world left after the grid collapses and everyone is spun back to the days before electricity. Some people are more prepared than others. The others either die or become thieves and murderers. Everyone is changed and it becomes kill or be killed.
This series is generally plausible. With this country's aged grid and few replacement parts this could easily occur. It is something that makes you think. Would you be able to survive?
July 20, 2020
Valley of vengeance Franklin Horton
Book five in this excellent series. It appears that the people in the valley trying to survive have circled their wagons and are intent on surviving the chaos that has erupted following the terrorist attack on America. The enemy are now other people who are surviving at the expense of others. The lowest of lows in the food chain. As stated previously, an excellent read!!
Book five in this excellent series. It appears that the people in the valley trying to survive have circled their wagons and are intent on surviving the chaos that has erupted following the terrorist attack on America. The enemy are now other people who are surviving at the expense of others. The lowest of lows in the food chain. As stated previously, an excellent read!!
July 28, 2021
Realistic, scary
Love the people, enough detail about each that you either like, trust or Don t like them. The scary part is this situation is too close to what can happen today or tomorrow. Like the preparation Jim made, great for new people that would not have thought to prepare. The more everyone is ready we are all better off. Thank you for another great read. Looking forward to next book.
Love the people, enough detail about each that you either like, trust or Don t like them. The scary part is this situation is too close to what can happen today or tomorrow. Like the preparation Jim made, great for new people that would not have thought to prepare. The more everyone is ready we are all better off. Thank you for another great read. Looking forward to next book.
Read
June 2, 2022The story gets weaker, unfortunately.
Good: Interesting character development of Alice.
Bad: a lot of page filling and the characters act more and more erratically - for plot reasons. In the last book Jim was hardcore. This time he lets - against his mantra from the earlier books - knowingly a threat fester. The characters are too stereotypical for me. The end is heroic and very unbelievable. What about all of the hoarded stolen eqippment at the enemy base??
Good: Interesting character development of Alice.
Bad: a lot of page filling and the characters act more and more erratically - for plot reasons. In the last book Jim was hardcore. This time he lets - against his mantra from the earlier books - knowingly a threat fester. The characters are too stereotypical for me. The end is heroic and very unbelievable. What about all of the hoarded stolen eqippment at the enemy base??
February 11, 2024
Book 5 still interesting
Maybe its because this is the 5 th book but I'm not as invested as I once was. Maybe others are more interested in a long description of each weapon they use but as an older woman, not so much. I don't need a catalogue of the guns and ammo each time they leave the house. Also Ellen is almost non existent in this series. This being said, I'm getting ready to read the next. I will definitely keep reading this author.
Maybe its because this is the 5 th book but I'm not as invested as I once was. Maybe others are more interested in a long description of each weapon they use but as an older woman, not so much. I don't need a catalogue of the guns and ammo each time they leave the house. Also Ellen is almost non existent in this series. This being said, I'm getting ready to read the next. I will definitely keep reading this author.
April 26, 2025
So good!
I can't believe I have read five of these books in two weeks. I always start these kinds of books but quickly give up as the horror add up. But this series is different. Yes, the horror and heat break is there, but so much more. The heroes are REAL ones, and their story actually gives you some hope if this happened. Feels good to know that though there will always be bad guys, there will always be good ones too.
I can't believe I have read five of these books in two weeks. I always start these kinds of books but quickly give up as the horror add up. But this series is different. Yes, the horror and heat break is there, but so much more. The heroes are REAL ones, and their story actually gives you some hope if this happened. Feels good to know that though there will always be bad guys, there will always be good ones too.
December 1, 2017
Great series
Its not the Apocalypse, but pretty close. Office workers who know some things about survival work to get back to their families and to survive after terrorists take out much of America's infrastructure. They do what it takes to make it in this new world. Written with reality, and yet humor and a sense of hope.
Its not the Apocalypse, but pretty close. Office workers who know some things about survival work to get back to their families and to survive after terrorists take out much of America's infrastructure. They do what it takes to make it in this new world. Written with reality, and yet humor and a sense of hope.
February 23, 2018
Review of Books 1-5
Excellent Series!!! I've read dozens of books in the "end of the world as we know it" genre and these stories are some of the best out there. So incredibly believable it's a tad scary. The characters are great and the stories are hard to put down. Honestly, I am a little sad that I finished!!! Please do a book 6!!!!
Excellent Series!!! I've read dozens of books in the "end of the world as we know it" genre and these stories are some of the best out there. So incredibly believable it's a tad scary. The characters are great and the stories are hard to put down. Honestly, I am a little sad that I finished!!! Please do a book 6!!!!
July 9, 2019
How long could you hold out?
While I read this amazing series I ask myself how would I react? Jim and his people are so well written as characters that some moments I forget that it's fiction. Sometimes I wish I could have a sit down with Him and ask him questions. That's how real these characters are to me.
While I read this amazing series I ask myself how would I react? Jim and his people are so well written as characters that some moments I forget that it's fiction. Sometimes I wish I could have a sit down with Him and ask him questions. That's how real these characters are to me.
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