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Flotilla
Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain continues the story of Jim - an average kid living in unbelievable times. Along with his family the teen must escape a world that is in the early, slow-motion stages of disintegration. Governments struggle to restore order, but they are fighting a losing battle against a combination of attacks, infection and deadly circumstances. Each person is struggling to survive every moment. Ordinary families are now sharing space in refugee camps with other survivors, infected people ... even terrorists.
The ocean again provides refuge for Jim, but the new faces he meets might be helpful friends or deadly enemies. Some make the chaos into an excuse to execute their own vision for a brave new world. Old hatreds and vicious prejudice now flourish. Jim's search for a safe place in a dangerous world will uncover desperate choices and painful truths. Neighborhoods can become war zones, men can become monsters and kids can become heroes. Jim might survive, but nothing will be the same.
The ocean again provides refuge for Jim, but the new faces he meets might be helpful friends or deadly enemies. Some make the chaos into an excuse to execute their own vision for a brave new world. Old hatreds and vicious prejudice now flourish. Jim's search for a safe place in a dangerous world will uncover desperate choices and painful truths. Neighborhoods can become war zones, men can become monsters and kids can become heroes. Jim might survive, but nothing will be the same.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2014
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 19, 2018
The copy I received is only a sample. We’ll leave it at that.
This appears to be the second in a trilogy. The world has fallen in to anarchy. Various terrorist groups have formed and from I can see, they are fighting the National Guard and CHP.
The main characters are Jim and Madison Westfield. They escaped Colony D, on their Dad’s ship, Horner C when all hell broke loose. Jim guides the ship to San Simeon on the California coast. They meet Helen and Bob, more like, Bob and Helen find them on the boat exhausted and famished. Jim has a few injuries from their daring escape.
The beginning needs to be cleaned-up. Way too much background information.
Too much he said she said in the dialogue. Needs to be cleaned up. Plenty of repetitive phraseology which I’ve found is common in books for the age group targeted.
Plenty of grammatical issues.
The end of each chapter has the current latitude and longitude co-ordinates. Why?
While there are some exciting scenes scattered through the work, not enough to entice to read andy more of the series.
Three stars
This appears to be the second in a trilogy. The world has fallen in to anarchy. Various terrorist groups have formed and from I can see, they are fighting the National Guard and CHP.
The main characters are Jim and Madison Westfield. They escaped Colony D, on their Dad’s ship, Horner C when all hell broke loose. Jim guides the ship to San Simeon on the California coast. They meet Helen and Bob, more like, Bob and Helen find them on the boat exhausted and famished. Jim has a few injuries from their daring escape.
The beginning needs to be cleaned-up. Way too much background information.
Too much he said she said in the dialogue. Needs to be cleaned up. Plenty of repetitive phraseology which I’ve found is common in books for the age group targeted.
Plenty of grammatical issues.
The end of each chapter has the current latitude and longitude co-ordinates. Why?
While there are some exciting scenes scattered through the work, not enough to entice to read andy more of the series.
Three stars
July 2, 2015
Review: Iron Mountain by Daniel Haight Publication date: 25th February 2014
Publisher: Northern & 71st
ISBN: 978-1-940745-49-7
Source: Author provided review copy
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Iron Mountain continues the story of a teen surviving the breakdown of the United States after a massive terrorist attack. Along with his family, Jim must escape the disintegrating West Coast that is descending further into chaos as people try to escape the nuclear and biological attacks. Rioting, anarchy and destruction spread like wildfire.
The military is attempting to restore order, but they are fighting a losing battle against a combination of attacks, infection and deadly circumstances. Each person is struggling to survive every moment. Ordinary families are now sharing space in refugee camps with other survivors, infected people … even terrorists. The ocean again provides refuge for Jim, but the new faces he meets might be helpful friends or deadly enemies. Some make the chaos into an excuse to form their own paramilitary groups and execute their own plan to restore order. Old hatreds are now beginning to flourish. Jim’s search for a safe place in a dangerous world will uncover desperate choices and painful truths. Neighborhoods can become war zones, men can become monsters and kids can become heroes. Jim might survive, but nothing will be the same again.
Review:
Thanks to Author Daniel Haight for providing me with a review copy in return for an honest review.
Although I haven't read any previous books in this series, Iron Mountain works well as a stand alone novel. The background is explained along the way and it's easy to find your way into Jim’s dystopian world.
Jim is a likeable character, he is not without faults but the care he shows his younger sister soon makes you forget about them. Jim is written in such a way that makes the reader identify with him, despite his environment being so extremely different. Supporting characters fit in well and give the story bulk, making it come alive.
There are many many dystopian books around, but this is one of the better ones I've come across. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
Publisher: Northern & 71st
ISBN: 978-1-940745-49-7
Source: Author provided review copy
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
Iron Mountain continues the story of a teen surviving the breakdown of the United States after a massive terrorist attack. Along with his family, Jim must escape the disintegrating West Coast that is descending further into chaos as people try to escape the nuclear and biological attacks. Rioting, anarchy and destruction spread like wildfire.
The military is attempting to restore order, but they are fighting a losing battle against a combination of attacks, infection and deadly circumstances. Each person is struggling to survive every moment. Ordinary families are now sharing space in refugee camps with other survivors, infected people … even terrorists. The ocean again provides refuge for Jim, but the new faces he meets might be helpful friends or deadly enemies. Some make the chaos into an excuse to form their own paramilitary groups and execute their own plan to restore order. Old hatreds are now beginning to flourish. Jim’s search for a safe place in a dangerous world will uncover desperate choices and painful truths. Neighborhoods can become war zones, men can become monsters and kids can become heroes. Jim might survive, but nothing will be the same again.
Review:
Thanks to Author Daniel Haight for providing me with a review copy in return for an honest review.
Although I haven't read any previous books in this series, Iron Mountain works well as a stand alone novel. The background is explained along the way and it's easy to find your way into Jim’s dystopian world.
Jim is a likeable character, he is not without faults but the care he shows his younger sister soon makes you forget about them. Jim is written in such a way that makes the reader identify with him, despite his environment being so extremely different. Supporting characters fit in well and give the story bulk, making it come alive.
There are many many dystopian books around, but this is one of the better ones I've come across. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
March 19, 2014
Iron Mountain is the second book in Dan Haight’s Flotilla series. 15 year old Jim and his little sister Madison have just escaped the destruction of their offshore settlement, Colony D, in their father’s old boat, the Horner C. But they quickly discover that the mainland United States is no safer for them, as the Meltdown quickly spreads. Bands of outlaws are fighting the National Guard and diverting emergency relief, and refugees are constantly on the move looking for a safe place away from the fighting and from disease. Jim has to figure out who he should trust and how much danger he is prepared to put himself and Madison in, in order to find out what has happened to their family.
This is a gripping novel that quickly captured my interest. Jim’s desire to prove that he is no longer a kid, and his resulting struggle to shoulder the responsibilities of adulthood, and to deal with the difficult choices he faces, underpin the novel. Unlike some dystopian fiction heroes, Jim’s character development is very realistic and convincing. Likewise the situations and places that Jim finds himself in are very believable while still being compelling. This was a thoroughly enjoyable, well-paced novel. I look forward to the next instalment.
This is a gripping novel that quickly captured my interest. Jim’s desire to prove that he is no longer a kid, and his resulting struggle to shoulder the responsibilities of adulthood, and to deal with the difficult choices he faces, underpin the novel. Unlike some dystopian fiction heroes, Jim’s character development is very realistic and convincing. Likewise the situations and places that Jim finds himself in are very believable while still being compelling. This was a thoroughly enjoyable, well-paced novel. I look forward to the next instalment.
March 17, 2014
I did not read the first book in the Flotilla series, but found the introduction gave me enough background that I was able to understand the story. Set in the future when the US is in chaos, the main characters are a teenage boy and his sister who are on their father's boat off the coast of California. They had been living on the boat in a mariculture community (a group of boats that link together to farm fish as well as vegetables) off the coast of California. Their father was drafted into the militia, leaving the kids alone on the boat. Pirates attack the community and the kids are barely able to launch the boat to get away without getting hurt. The story takes you through their adventure as they try to find a safe place to land the boat and find one of their parents who are divorced. They escape chaos in California with the help of new found friends and move the boat to another mariculture community where they find friends and enemies. This is a scary look into the future of our world.
I read a pre-release copy of the book.
I read a pre-release copy of the book.
May 25, 2014
Dystopian fiction makes up a huge percentage of the books I read and when it is done right, it can be awesome, when it isn't well it can be laughable, thankfully Iron Mountain falls in to the former, I read and reviewed earlier this month the amazing Flotilla from Dan Haight and I loved it.
Thankfully Flotilla is part of a series and I was very kindly given a copy of book 2, Iron Mountain to read. After the ending of book 1 I really was desperate to see what happens to the narrator of the story Jim.
Before I start this book has a couple of things which I loved straight away, Maps!, I love a good map, I even went out a bought the atlas of Middle Earth because I love maps so much, anyway I digress there is a map of the area in Iron Mountain as well as a map of the Colony, there is also a list of characters which comes in handy to for reference.
Flotilla ended with Los Angeles and its surrounding area being attacked by dirty bombs that have infected the population with a flesh eating disease, the ones lucky enough to escape this disease have to deal with radiation, looting and all the other nasties that come after a major incident like that.
Jim had escaped Colony D with his sister Madison, escaping from the pirates, the locals who were after his Dad and the fact that Colony D was left to fend for itself following the disaster on the mainland.
They arrive at the coast and are looked after by Bob and Helen who find them and take them in, but due to there being huge amounts of civil unrest they decided to make a run for it in the trusty Horner C, Jim's dad's boat.
At sea, they have to decide where to go, their list of options is few and far between, eventually they decide to head toward another PacFish colony - Colony C.
On arrival it becomes clear that Jim's dad's dodgy reputation has been spread far and wide, he does not have a lot of fans here, but Jim is not like his father and before we know it he is given a job looking after IT on the colony, his sister along with Bob and Helen also find their place on this floating island.
Jim comes across Mitch from colony D on board, he is still as nasty as ever and has his finger in a lot of pies, he also meets an African American family, the Orchards, Doc aka Scott, who is the resident doctor of the colony, his wife LaShondra and daughter Michelle (who Jim has his eyes on!), they welcome Jim, Madison, Helen and Bob with open arms and things start to feel normal, well as normal as they can on a floating island of the coast of an America ravaged by a biological attack.
Bob and Helen, take their chances and go back to the mainland to see what is happening, leaving the kids behind under the Orchard's care, things however start to take a turn for the worse on the colony.
Jim meets Holden a charismatic man who decides to start a militia on the colony, with the purpose of eventually going to the mainland to help, Jim is completely charmed by this man, and rises through the ranks becoming one of Holden's right hand men.
What Jim is oblivious to is the fact that this militia is full of white supremacists and despite a warning from the Doc, Jim doesn't believe it until he sees it for himself as all ethnic minorities are rounded up and Doc is given a beating.
The Orchards with Jim and Madison make a run for it in the Horner C, and this begins the next half of the story where they look for a safe haven, conscious of the fact Holden is after them, they hope to find Jim's mum and step dad along with his father. When they arrive on shore they find everything in chaos and fuelling up the Horner C is a dangerous business, they find friends and foes here and some longed for faces, but the story steps up when Jim hears from his father but finds he is with the militia, who are raising hell up and down the coast.
Jim and Doc go in search of him, and that is when they get to the Iron Mountain of the title and where the story explodes with detail. The journey from the coast to find Jim's dad has to be one of my favourite parts of the book and we get to find out that Doc is a bit of a badass.
This story again has amazing world building from Dan, you can literally feel the boat swaying on the ocean as he delivers line after line of gripping dialogue. Jim is still only 15 in this story and has had to do a lot of growing up but you can tell he still has some more to do.
The story of Jim is not over yet, a third book is on the horizon, hopefully soon! I can't wait to share it with you guys once I get my greedy hands on a copy!
Iron Mountain is awarded 5 out of 5
Thankfully Flotilla is part of a series and I was very kindly given a copy of book 2, Iron Mountain to read. After the ending of book 1 I really was desperate to see what happens to the narrator of the story Jim.
Before I start this book has a couple of things which I loved straight away, Maps!, I love a good map, I even went out a bought the atlas of Middle Earth because I love maps so much, anyway I digress there is a map of the area in Iron Mountain as well as a map of the Colony, there is also a list of characters which comes in handy to for reference.
Flotilla ended with Los Angeles and its surrounding area being attacked by dirty bombs that have infected the population with a flesh eating disease, the ones lucky enough to escape this disease have to deal with radiation, looting and all the other nasties that come after a major incident like that.
Jim had escaped Colony D with his sister Madison, escaping from the pirates, the locals who were after his Dad and the fact that Colony D was left to fend for itself following the disaster on the mainland.
They arrive at the coast and are looked after by Bob and Helen who find them and take them in, but due to there being huge amounts of civil unrest they decided to make a run for it in the trusty Horner C, Jim's dad's boat.
At sea, they have to decide where to go, their list of options is few and far between, eventually they decide to head toward another PacFish colony - Colony C.
On arrival it becomes clear that Jim's dad's dodgy reputation has been spread far and wide, he does not have a lot of fans here, but Jim is not like his father and before we know it he is given a job looking after IT on the colony, his sister along with Bob and Helen also find their place on this floating island.
Jim comes across Mitch from colony D on board, he is still as nasty as ever and has his finger in a lot of pies, he also meets an African American family, the Orchards, Doc aka Scott, who is the resident doctor of the colony, his wife LaShondra and daughter Michelle (who Jim has his eyes on!), they welcome Jim, Madison, Helen and Bob with open arms and things start to feel normal, well as normal as they can on a floating island of the coast of an America ravaged by a biological attack.
Bob and Helen, take their chances and go back to the mainland to see what is happening, leaving the kids behind under the Orchard's care, things however start to take a turn for the worse on the colony.
Jim meets Holden a charismatic man who decides to start a militia on the colony, with the purpose of eventually going to the mainland to help, Jim is completely charmed by this man, and rises through the ranks becoming one of Holden's right hand men.
What Jim is oblivious to is the fact that this militia is full of white supremacists and despite a warning from the Doc, Jim doesn't believe it until he sees it for himself as all ethnic minorities are rounded up and Doc is given a beating.
The Orchards with Jim and Madison make a run for it in the Horner C, and this begins the next half of the story where they look for a safe haven, conscious of the fact Holden is after them, they hope to find Jim's mum and step dad along with his father. When they arrive on shore they find everything in chaos and fuelling up the Horner C is a dangerous business, they find friends and foes here and some longed for faces, but the story steps up when Jim hears from his father but finds he is with the militia, who are raising hell up and down the coast.
Jim and Doc go in search of him, and that is when they get to the Iron Mountain of the title and where the story explodes with detail. The journey from the coast to find Jim's dad has to be one of my favourite parts of the book and we get to find out that Doc is a bit of a badass.
This story again has amazing world building from Dan, you can literally feel the boat swaying on the ocean as he delivers line after line of gripping dialogue. Jim is still only 15 in this story and has had to do a lot of growing up but you can tell he still has some more to do.
The story of Jim is not over yet, a third book is on the horizon, hopefully soon! I can't wait to share it with you guys once I get my greedy hands on a copy!
Iron Mountain is awarded 5 out of 5
November 15, 2016
I was a beta reader for Iron Mountain.
Iron Mountain starts with a prologue and uses a cringing dark ocean hook to reel the reader in.
The characters are both compelling and sympathetic. Distinct voices, flaws/virtues, make the characters feel three-dimensional; well-drawn emotions fuel believable motivations. The story is further enhanced by believable inter-character relationships and well-rounded secondary characters.
Each of the main characters' internal/external conflicts are believably well-defined and feel organic. The stakes and tensions throughout the story make it a page turner. With a fresh perspective on an old theme, the story's premise avoids cliché with believable yet unexpected plots twists — the characters act and react to the flow of events in realistic and believable ways.
The story flows with realistic and compelling progression and effective transitions. Each scene feels relevant, adds to the story, and moves the story along without it feeling rushed or dragged along.
The story has a nice balance of dialogue and narrative. Vivid descriptions give a clear sense of place and time and details further enhance the story. The Dialogue feels natural as it moves the story along and reveals the characters. The characters' voices are consistent and distinct from one another.
The writing quality allows the story to shine through and draw the reader in. The writing ‘shows’ the scene with senses and ‘tells’ when appropriate; the tone is consistent and appropriate. The point of view and changes are also appropriately and consistently handled well.
Overall, the protagonist, Jim Westfield, is quite annoying. He's bold and savvy on the one hand and dangerously naïve on the other — an almost typical young adult — childishly-selective about which hand to play a dangerous game of life with.
Daniel Haight is an interesting voice in fiction. Iron Mountain delivers on the promise of its premise — I enjoyed reading this book.
Iron Mountain starts with a prologue and uses a cringing dark ocean hook to reel the reader in.
The characters are both compelling and sympathetic. Distinct voices, flaws/virtues, make the characters feel three-dimensional; well-drawn emotions fuel believable motivations. The story is further enhanced by believable inter-character relationships and well-rounded secondary characters.
Each of the main characters' internal/external conflicts are believably well-defined and feel organic. The stakes and tensions throughout the story make it a page turner. With a fresh perspective on an old theme, the story's premise avoids cliché with believable yet unexpected plots twists — the characters act and react to the flow of events in realistic and believable ways.
The story flows with realistic and compelling progression and effective transitions. Each scene feels relevant, adds to the story, and moves the story along without it feeling rushed or dragged along.
The story has a nice balance of dialogue and narrative. Vivid descriptions give a clear sense of place and time and details further enhance the story. The Dialogue feels natural as it moves the story along and reveals the characters. The characters' voices are consistent and distinct from one another.
The writing quality allows the story to shine through and draw the reader in. The writing ‘shows’ the scene with senses and ‘tells’ when appropriate; the tone is consistent and appropriate. The point of view and changes are also appropriately and consistently handled well.
Overall, the protagonist, Jim Westfield, is quite annoying. He's bold and savvy on the one hand and dangerously naïve on the other — an almost typical young adult — childishly-selective about which hand to play a dangerous game of life with.
Daniel Haight is an interesting voice in fiction. Iron Mountain delivers on the promise of its premise — I enjoyed reading this book.
April 9, 2014
Dan Haight's Flotilla series continues with Iron Mountain. I usually don't recommend starting with the second book in a series, but I did and I turned out fine.
Iron Mountain has the trappings of a post-apocalypse adventure, but it could just as easily be set in a rural mountain area. The apocalypse is really not the issue. The story is about a teen's attempts to survive and protect his family from assorted bad guys in a paranoid new society.
The story has excellent moments of action, from tense chases to frantic escapes. The science here is real stuff, including mariculture and seasteading, so you'll get knowledge dropped on you, on top of a neat adventure story.
Dan Haight's strength here is the human stuff, and the teen hero has a tough hero's journey. But it's a good hero's journey, and well worth a read.
Iron Mountain has the trappings of a post-apocalypse adventure, but it could just as easily be set in a rural mountain area. The apocalypse is really not the issue. The story is about a teen's attempts to survive and protect his family from assorted bad guys in a paranoid new society.
The story has excellent moments of action, from tense chases to frantic escapes. The science here is real stuff, including mariculture and seasteading, so you'll get knowledge dropped on you, on top of a neat adventure story.
Dan Haight's strength here is the human stuff, and the teen hero has a tough hero's journey. But it's a good hero's journey, and well worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews