The Mad Mick

The Mad Mick #1

by Franklin Horton

Conor Maguire nearly lost his daughter Barb when she was three years old, injured by the drunk driver that killed his wife. When the justice system failed him, Conor -- the son and grandson of IRA bombers -- retaliated against the driver in dramatic and gruesome fashion. While an ironclad alibi prevented the police from pinning the murder on Conor, it did not prevent a covert agency within the US government from recruiting the talented young bomber and machinist. For over twenty-five years, Conor designed and built custom weapons of death and destruction at his compound in the mountains of Virginia. Then a series of devastating terror attacks brought down the United States. Conor and Barb assumed they were safe in their secure compound. They had food and a water source. They were armed and highly-trained. Then Barb was kidnapped. The kidnappers, needing slave labor for their farm, didn't know why Conor was known as The Mad Mick. They didn't know the fear and respect his name invoked in the shadowy world of covert operations. They didn't know that when it came to protecting his family, he was without conscience, without compassion, and without equal. But they would soon find out.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Thriller, Survival, Audiobook

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2018

About the author

Franklin 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.

Reviews

[Rain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to all the reviewers that gave this book glowing five stars, I went in with my expectations are way too high. Should I have noticed the weird cover? Or the title? Possibly.

Parts of the story were done very well. As a father and daughter surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, how refreshing and new! But then the other part of the story read like a survival manual with paragraphs after paragraphs of detailed descriptions and soooooo many unnecessary flashbacks that clogged the story down.

One dimensional characters and stupid bad guys made this story feel like a b-grade movie.

The battle scenes were vividly and violently portrayed. This story wasn't completely terrible, but it wasn't very good either.

Not a romance, straight end-of-the-world kind of story.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I thought that this was very well done. I had heard some good things about Franklin Horton's writing and was in the mood for a post-apocalyptic story so I was thrilled to get the chance to listen to the first book in the Mad Mick series. This was a pretty quick read for me but I think that one of the things that made it feel like such a quick read was the fact that I didn't want to stop listening once I started. I was completely entertained by this story.

This book is set in a place where everyone is on their own after a terrorist attack takes down the United States. Conor and his daughter, Barb, are doing okay and can deal with most situations. That is until Barb is kidnapped by a group that uses women as slave labor among other things. Barb is outnumbered and must think of the other women in the group that were also taken. Barb knows that her dad will come for her and just tries to hold out until then.

I thought that the set up of this book was really well done. It was very clear who the bad guys were in this story but I liked that fact that we are given some background for them so that we can understand their motivation. Conor is a great character and I love the fact that he is willing to work in some grey areas when that is what is necessary. Barb was tough and smart and more than able to handle herself. I also thought that Ragus really stood out to me and I think that his character had the most growth over the course of the story. He was really the hero of the story in so many ways.

This was the first time that I have had the chance to Kevin Pierce's narration but I really enjoyed his work. I think that he did a fantastic job with a wide range of characters and I thought that the dialogue sounded quite natural. This was an exciting story and I thought that his presentation really added to the tone of the book. He has a very pleasant voice that was really easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I would recommend this series to others. I thought that this was an exciting book set in a world where surviving can be a struggle and neighbors can prove to be deadly. I can't wait to read more of Franklin Horton's work!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom.

Initial Thoughts
I thought that this was well done. The world has changed after terror attacks crippled the United States. There is no government and there are no rules. Most people are just trying to survive while others are brutally taking advantage of the situation. Conor, known as the Mad Mick, refuses to let any harm come to those he loves. Conor is like a one-man army and his focus is not only on protecting those under his protection but revenge on those who would cause them harm. I thought that this book was exciting and the narrator did a great job with the story.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed "The Borrowed World" series by this author, I was interested in this one. Unfortunately, I found this a bit of a disappointment. Most of the characters were pretty one-dimensional, with Ragus having the most depth. The aptly named Barb was so consumed with showing that she did not need a man to help her (when in fact she did need to be rescued), she comes off shrewish and hollow rather than capable. With all of his preps prior to the collapse, Conor does not seem to have thought much about securing his area or transportation (like get a horse ahead of time?). He was presented as a very careful and deadly guy and while he was the latter, he pretty much launched into the bad guys out of rage and ended up being lucky more than smart. The flashbacks were annoying and other than Ragus's, did little to fill in the backstory and much to disrupt the current action. At the end, apparently Conor realizes that he was remiss in not developing a better and broader cooperative network, but other than putting scary corpses around, we don't hear much about anything effective that he does with others in the area.
There were also some errors in the writing, including when Barb was first captured and was trying to assess her situation and hang on to some food, but suddenly the name switched to Joann who had not been the focus of much direct action. I'm kind of on the fence with continuing to the next book.

[Aidan McNally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow even crazier and more gory than the other series. Very entertaining

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The next Book One of my bundle of Book Ones to a new series I'm hoping to explore. How'd this one fare? Well, it this was a decent, 3-star read. Not boring. Not mind-blowing. But...entertaining in its own right. It definitely held my interest most of the way and I got through the entire book in a few hours. But is it enough for me to plow forward? Meh. Likely not. Despite finding it mostly entertaining, I don't feel drawn enough into it. I don't find anything very compelling to care about, and given how it ended, I don't see myself developing an interest in that direction. That may change later if I DO opt to continue, but eh...I'm just not feeling it.

Though the overall premise is set in an apocalyptic time, it still comes across as a sort of otherworldly adventure, like something that isn't happening on this planet. You don't actually witness the fall of society. You're just in the aftermath of it, witnessing how folks live now. This is all fine and dandy and not even a complaint, but...it just wasn't really what I was looking for. The plot heavily reminded me of Schwarzenegger's movie Commando, in which a well-prepared father with a specific set of skills goes on a hunt for his abducted daughter. That's exactly what happens here too. But it also reminded me a lot of Zorro, considering the conclusion with all that stuff about creating the myth and legend of "The Mad Mick," complete with carving symbols into trees to strike fear into the hearts of the bad guys. And I found myself thinking, "Eh, I don't really care though."

But why? Why don't I care? I guess I didn't see many examples of justifying why this "Mad Mick" even became a thing for the main character, whose real name is Conor. This story wasn't TOO badly written, but it did have many things lacking, including seeing Mad Mick in action. We more just get told about him by other characters. While yes, Conor surely has his time to shine at the book's conclusion (which is probably what the author was aiming for all along), there were still areas prior to that big finale that could have REALLY cemented him as this huge threat to bad guys, someone worthy of being some sort of legend. But that moment was squandered when Conor's first opportunity to reveal to me his interrogation tactics was left in the background, and ended up seemingly achieving nothing for the story. Conor simply narrates his intent towards the bad guy, and then you don't hear anything about it afterwards. It just continues on with Conor still doing what he was doing before: following bread crumbs left by another character to help find Barb, his daughter.

Yes, a majority of this story was carried by another character altogether named Ragus, who essentially does MOST of the heavy lifting for Conor. Young Ragus is the one to witness Barb's abduction, follow her abductors, leave a trail for Conor to follow, and kill off men little by little in the process. He even captures, tortures, and leaves a man tied up for Conor to question later when the man didn't cooperate with Ragus, which is what I mentioned before. That seemed to be a perfect setup for Conor to strut his ways in inciting fear from his enemies. But when Conor stumbles upon this captive, he simply exacerbates the injuries left by Ragus, then narrates his intent to both interrogate and kill this man. You don't actually witness anything being done to extract any information. What are his methods? Why is he a big deal? And why, when he left, did he seem to not acquire ANY advantage from the man? We as readers just weren't privy to know.

Anyway, the only characters that were remotely interesting were Ragus and Conor, but mostly Ragus. Barb, Conor's daughter, came across as a brat more than anything. I love tough women in books, LOVE em, but I guess it takes a certain finesse not to equate toughness with bitchiness (pardon the word choice). Barb's toughness was one that reeked with an air of superiority and I didn't care for that. Other characters weren't really fleshed out or properly developed. I can see the author was attempting to change that with all the excessive flashback moments happening throughout the entire story, but it just didn't help. That's just me being dumped with PAST stuff. Give me more PRESENT stuff. The past stuff only serves as distraction from the moment that's about to happen in the present and ends up being counterproductive.

So eh, I don't see myself carrying on in this series. Maybe one day when I'm bored with nothing else to read. But as of now, I'm good.

[Cherye Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

MM

I was introduced to Mad Mick in a earlier book of Franklin Horton and wanted, no demanded more of this man. What a bad a$$ . I was not disappointed. The book gave me an adventure of what goes on in a madman's mind.

Spread the story of the Mad Mick. Tell the story and make it wilder with each telling. Turn him into a legend. (Badly paraphrasing)


.
I love how author's use words. One of my fav quotes.
They were dead as disco.

[Misty Galbraith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lively dystopian novel full of mayhem and violence…just the ticket for V-day this year! 😂

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, too many flashbacks.

[Daniel Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I have anything frustrating going on I know I can pick up a Franklin Horton book and have some pure fun escapism. The problem is that I enjoy them so much that even after they have done their job I then want to read the rest of the series I just started! That was ok when the last series only had 3 books, this one has 8 so far. So I think I will be reading these for a while. If thats not a good endorsement I do not know what is.

#postapocalypse
#adventurethriller

[Ford Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average with ok writing but no story except to tell the background of the characters.

This book disappointed me after seeing so many reviews on it. The author's writing wasn't necessarily bad and the dialogue felt pretty natural but the story itself was so lacking it ruins it. The main character is barely introduced into the story except for his background and really doesn't even enter the story until halfway through the book and that is in small spurts of chapters that again just over explains the characters background. There's three main characters; The Mad Mick, his daughter, and a young man. The whole story takes place in 5 days. The main characters rolls in the plot are.... Daughter who goes for a walk, gets kidnapped, her friend the young man sees it, he follows notifies the dad who is the main character(?) to follow. The only other characters are the bad guys and we don't really care about them because we just assume they're going to die anyway. The whole book tells us how much training and life experience they have the daughter is a she-boss and has a personality that nobody likes and she'll never have any friends unless she wants it which apparently is how she wants to live her life. The daughter character is so annoying it ruins the book. So much so, that you don't even want to finish it and... you almost hope that the author writes her out of the story. Well you know what, you don't almost hope, you pray the author writes the daughter out of the story... she's that ungrateful and annoying. The young man in the story really turns into the main character and was enjoyable because his was an awakening story in a coming of age way with a test of his loyalties and friendships to a family that has only shown him kindness. The main character is explained as a very experienced, rough, mad-mayhem type of ex-soldier, crazy bomb maker. However, for all this training, the very end of the book is ridiculous with some all-out attack on a group of bad guys that make zero sense, puts everybody in danger, including the main character and was pointless in illogical based on the story written at that point. The daughter enters the last battle as a she-boss ridiculously endangering herself the young man and potentially the main character father, but all that's overlooked because the bad guys are beaten and the three main characters are victorious... hooray!,
The book had some potential as the writing wasn't bad and the dialogue was okay, but the story really no Arc. There was only a predictable travel story here from A to B, with normal tropes and encounters along the way which really that belonged only to the young man ( yes the daughter was trying to escape her captives, but you never like this character so you dont care what happens to her... and her actions are pointless and illogical anyway.) Overall the story was average at best and I have no desire to read any more books in this series.
If you read this because so many reviews of people saying how amazing it was(I did), I now assume those reviewers haven't read many books in this genre because there's no thrills or surprises or anything here. After a while the explanation of the characters background gets very tiresome and cumbersome to the reader. Middle of the road average, can't really recommend!

[Charles Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. The arc of the story is good, and the main characters are competent, and I especially liked Ragus's part of the story. However, there are many things I did not like, preventing me from rating it very high.

The plot relies on the bad guys being really dumb, and missing/forgoing every opportunity they have to avoid problems; this continues all the way to the final scene.

Much of the book is about main characters traveling, so there's a lot of time to get into each character's thoughts, which was good, except that the development of character motivations, through flashbacks or character musing, was very heavy-handed.

And where are all the people? Aside from the bad guys, their captives, and the main characters, we don't encounter any other people on this multiday track through Virgina. The apocalypse in the story was very recent and, at least as described, didn't kill off a large swath of the population, so where is everybody?

The final combat scene was really disappointing - after Conor muses how he has to be careful not to alert the bad guys before making his final move, and that he wouldn't win a big shootout with the enemy (who outnumber him greatly and are well armed), what does he do? Well, I won't spoil it, beyond that's it exactly what he says he shouldn't do.

Finally, the book has a lot of small proofreading errors leading to inconsistencies; one example, early in the story Ragus discards his refillable water bladder (because it's heavy) in favor of a plastic bottle, but then he occasionally stops to refill his water bladder. That's a minor inconsistency, but there are many of these kinds of mistakes throughout.

So I think there was a lot of potential in this story, but the execution was poor. I finished the book, so I give it a 3 out of 5, but doubt I will read more in this series.

I did the audiobook version and the reader is mediocre at best. His narration of events is fine, and his voice is clear and likeable, but he doesn't do dialog well - minimal distinction between the voices, and comical accents. Not a bad reader, but not especially good either. 3 out of 5 for the narration.

My personal rating scale: 5 (best of the genre, highly recommended); 4 (good book, recommend to others who like similar types of books); 3 (decent book, enjoyed reading it but not enough to recommend to others); 2 (has merit, but I didn't enjoy it much, and possibly didn't finish it); 1 (trash that shouldn't have been published).

[DH VDL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

An average book about a small part of the USA after the loss of all infrastructure.it’s… okay. The story is not horrible, the characters are likable in some ways, and the action is well described, but still it is average. The problem is the many
holes that are assumed the reader should understand, such as how the whole government disappeared, how there were no police, no military, no doctors, no vehicles, nothing. Yes, loss of power would cause havoc, but some communities would combine together, some places would still have security, that military bases would still be in place, that doctors would still be around even if hospitals didn’t exist… there is no explanation of where that all went. The only explanation is terrorist attacks, and the description mentioned disease, but the book doesn’t really. It’s a story without a background, without anything to set up a foundation for the storyline to rely on. This causes the book to fail in many ways. Pass on this.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't make much sense to me

Why does it take Conor so long to catch up I feel like the times/distance really make no sense here. Ragus is having to go slower because he caught them and laying ambushes and Conor never catches up? Also Conor literally just rides in guns blazing on a horse and no one shoots at him? One of the most ridiculous scenes I've ever read. Barb and Ragus interactions feel very strange and forced as well. I like the idea of the book, but in practice I was left feeling a bit lackluster.

[Ana J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting more action from Mad Mick.... He was more of a guest than a protagonist

Lets hope the action takes a bit more of center stage w the lads engaging early on, now that we have the background story laid out!
I would've like a bit more on MM and less on Bryan, since he was only mentioned peripherally. 🤷

[TP · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok read.

The story in itself was good, the characters interesting but very one dimensional.
But it was not a fluid read for me. The world building was also lacking a bit, because after reading the first book, I still don’t have a good picture of what brought the collapse of the society on?
What situation are they facing, did people die, how many survivors, was there an attack, why are there no governmental structures left, was it a world wide event or only to the US, ... the book provided no real answers for me.

I didn’t like the writing style. It became annoying in the long run. Every POV change resulted in a little bit of story progress and a lot of reminiscing about the past or a story of the past and at least one of a hand full topics on repeat.
Topics like Barb being an expert in martial arts or her single minded focus on doing anything on her own, that Ragus has a traumatic life and is unrequited in love with Barb, Conors unique line of work, building specialized weapons and explosive devices, as well as his Irish background, justifications and constant reasonings of why their view of life is what it is.

This writing concept was implemented in almost every “chapter”/POV.
That dragged out the actual story and the consequence was that I repeatedly lost interest and put the book aside for a while.

[Chessy The Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conor Maguire built a secure compound in the mountains of Virginia before the world changed and has only recently sought out his remote neighbors to establish trade and exchange information. His only daughter, Barb has been kidnapped by slavers. Little do they know that Conor is known as “The Mad Mick” due to his IRA family background and training. He’s gained that reputation while producing weapons for the government for special purposes abroad. Barb’s mother died when she was a toddler, and Conor has raised her to be as deadly as him. These kidnappers have no idea what Hell on Earth they have unleashed upon themselves.

Horton’s first novel in The Mad Mick Series, The Mad Mick is a spinoff from his The Borrowed World series. It is everything you’ve come to expect in the post-apocalyptic world that Horton has designed. He brings the main characters, Conor, Barb, and Ragus to life in a way that there is no doubt in your mind who they are and what they can do.

Kudos to the editing team. I noticed no typos, contextual errors, or plot holes. Fair warning though, this story is not for the faint of heart. The violence is vividly described.

I am looking forward to more from The Mad Mick.

5 out of 5 stars.

[Michael Slavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

683+ Amazon reviews 4.6 avg Most people loved it.
925+ Goodreads ratings 4.29 Avg

-The near future, there's been a terrorist attack and all electricity and infrastructure is down. Takes place in Virginia. This is a short book, 260 pgs or so, and the first book in a series.

What I liked:
-Started out pretty interesting.
-Barb was a kick-ass, no shit, a young woman (Mick's daughter)
-Ragus was a charter that grew tremendously in the story. Very likable, but (see what I didn't like.)
-It stayed interesting, but (see what I didn't like.)
-Conor Maguire (Mick)lived in an old coal mine's facilities.
-The setting in the mountains of Virginia seemed to be very well described, I did feel like I was there.

What I didn't like:
-Conor Maguire, the hero, had a very small part, until the last 20% of the book.
-Way too much back story...boring...and slowed the pace of the story.
-The beginning of the book sets up a camp with a potential main bad guy, but once his raiding party goes out, you never hear about him again. I am sure you will in later books in the series.

Overall I liked it. But it could have been so much better.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connor, the Mad Mick, came to Virginia by way of Ireland. He is a dangerous man which comes in handy at the end of the world. He raised his daughter, Barb, to be a killing machine as well. These two are not bad, but they have a strict morality that says we will help those in need, but if you harm anyone, we will kill you. Ragus was befriended by this family when he was 17 years old. Connor has been training him up to survive and learn to defend himself and others. When a group of slavers kidnaps Barb, Ragus tracks her while leaving signs for Conner to follow. The Mad Mick is on the war path and will not stop until his daughter is safe and vengeance has been had.

This book is so detailed when it comes to the weaponry and battle techniques used by this family, but vague on other aspects of the environment, like how the government fell. It is interesting how this book was written and kept my attention the whole way through. I love the audiobook narrator Kevin Pierce. He has a great, laid-back storytelling voice. It is a lot of why this audiobook series has my interest.

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mad Mix. Franklin Horton

Connor Maguire, a product of his environment, his childhood in Ireland during the troubles. Later in America his education on survival continued. His wife, in America was killed in a car accident. He is left to raise their daughter, a small child alone. He learns as he goes. Their bond is unbreakable. His survival skills are taught to his daughter. In reality Connor makes weapons of destruction. A bomb maker. He is also a highly skilled machinist. They now live in a world in turmoil. A Apocalypse has occured. The survivors either band together or survive alone. The wolves are on a rampage and their are not enough sheep dogs to keep them at bay. Connor has acquired the nickname of the "Mad Mick." He is respected and feared. His daughter Barb has been kidnapped by slavers. Mad Mick is in pursuit. Revenge is a survival skill and the slavers, kidnappers will receive a lethal dose. Non stop action from the first to last page. Enjoyed immensely!

[Shawn Fahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished “The Mad Mick” by Franklin Horton (2019), book one in the Mad Mick series, a series that ties into the Borrowed World and Locker Nine series as well. This story introduces us to the eponymous character (if you haven’t already read the second book in the Locker Nine series, Grace Under Fire, that is; events from that book are referenced in The Mad Mick so it’s probably best to read Grace Under Fire first), who is a combination of an assassin and a mad scientist inventor. An immigrant to the USA from Northern Ireland and the son and grandson of IRA bombers, the Mad Mick is a character almost uniquely suited to thriving in the post-apocalyptic world created by Horton.

Upon learning the premise of the book - fused with the somewhat corny title/nickname for the main character - I expected an over-the-top superhero type story. In reality, the theme was far closer to the Western novel trope of innocent womenfolk getting captured by outlaws or savages who need to be tracked down by the heroes. The heroes here are Connor, a.k.a.: the Mad Mick, Barb, his daughter, and Ragus, a local boy that Connor has taken under his wing and become something of a father figure that Ragus never had. Barb ends up getting kidnapped and Ragus, who is infatuated with Barb, in spite of her indifference toward him, takes off after her after sending his friend to locate Connor and tell him the bad news. The pursuit begins and fun, exciting carnage ensues.

The book was easy to read and, overall, well-written, though there are some errors that I just am not used to seeing from Horton in his Forgotten World books. There is a part that sticks in my mind where one character is described as getting hit “a second time” but there’s no reference to the character getting hit a first time. There were other paragraphs I reread, trying to get details that didn’t pop out to me the first time around. This was in stark contrast to the rest of the book where getting the full story was effortless. Perhaps an extra proofreader is what Horton needs for this series?

This was a fun read and one that ties into the other series by Horton. I plan to read the rest of them too.

[Matt Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't mess with The Mad Mick!

The Mad Mick, book 1 in the spinoff series from the Borrowed World Series The Mad Mick is the story of Conor and his young friend Ragus tracking and rescuing Conor's daughter Barb is kidnapped for slave labor along with over a dozen other young women by a drug lord over 100 miles from home. They had no idea the Hornets nest they kicked when they kidnapped Barb! The writing is just as flawless as the reader should expect from Horton, with great characters, flawed and likeable, a breakneck pace and the kind of mayhem that only Horton and a few others are capable of choreographing and mixing with perfect pacing. It also has an unexpected bit of pathos to keep the reader engaged. Overall, a superb start to a new introduction point to the Borrowed World universe. 5/5 stars. The Mad Mick is like a summer blockbuster movie in written form, but infinitely more enjoyable. If you like apocalyptic survival thrillers with a side of pathos, The Mad Mick will not disappoint!! Highly recommended!

[Cmoore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this action packed story, but even with all the action, we get plenty of backstory on who the main players are, and what makes Mad Mick, Ragus, and Barb tick without feeling force fed. The story itself is not new... a father's daughter is kidnapped, and he will do anything to get her back... Ragus is an added treat... a boy who's feels indebted to Mad Mick, and maybe, just maybe he's a little sweet on Barb, this is his chance to show what he's made of as he helps in the search... and Barb, well she's quite possibly more than the kidnappers bargained for. Is it geat literature? No, probably not... but who the hell cares? It's just so damn much fun!
This is the first time I've had the pleasure of listening to Kevin Pierce, and I love his voice... He joins the ranks of my top 3 favorite narrators... These are the narrators who could read a doctoral thesis on string theory and I'd actually enjoy it!

[Shanna Tidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It could be the worst book ever or the damn dictionary and I’d listen to it if Kevin Pierce is narrating it. Luckily for me this was a great story, full of action. Complete, although I feel there could be a continuation if Barb, Ragus and Mick were to go look for the camp the women were being taken to.
I like that it had an actual ending. Many books like this don’t and you have to wait forever for the next installment. Barb is a bad ass raised by an even bigger bad ass and adored by a budding bad ass! Give Ragus a chance! Give that boy his first kiss already.... say thank you! So while it is a self contained story I think Horton could revisit the characters and may already be planning to do so, I hope he does.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy at no charge by the author, publisher and or narrator.

[Deneko Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow

This was definitely one of the best books I've ever read The character build up, the story, the environment, and atmosphere was absolutely breathtaking. I couldn't put this book down and now I'm completely hooked. When you hear about books being adapted to films or series this is the type of book that comes to mind. Many unexpected twists and a Rollercoaster of emotions came with each chapter. Who tears up with all of this action going on? I read the Kindle versions but I need this on paper. I can't wait to read the next books in line.
I love a book where I can visualize and see what the characters look like without the author stating it. Franklin Horton you're an amazing author. Much love from the Bahamas! A definite must read for anyone who wants something different and unlike anything else they've read before.

[Alesay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.45 stars. This was an okay read overall. It was interesting enough to finish, but the world felt loosely drawn and the cause of the collapse is never explained. Also, the military elements were lighter than I expected. The story itself is quick and fairly simple, yet the frequent flashbacks often felt like they were doing the main work of establishing Conor’s abilities instead of letting the present narrative show them.

Barb is described as tough and trained, but her actions and attitude did not consistently match that portrayal. Overall, this was a straightforward read with a few good moments, though the execution was uneven and never fully came together for me. I already have the next few books, so I may or may not continue the series at some point.

[RJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a bit more from this opening volume to a new series. The character background was excellent and gave me a good idea of who was who, including a glimpse of their past. I liked the characters, especially the solid and straight forward Barb. The young lad Ragus held my attention and commanded more print space than the Mad Mick himself. When the Mad Mick Conor Maguire did make his JIT appearance, it was pretty much all over but the shouting. As an opening installment it was pretty good, having excellent background, but I was looking for more from Conor. I’m hoping the next volume will satisfy my curiosity. Three.point.five for development.

[Bruce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content Warning!
Although pretty short, it's a well-crafted story with good characters. That said, the author makes an unforgivable attack on his readers. There's disgusting scene describing an event a character thinks back to in order to intentionally make herself throw up. I jumped the story ahead a minute, and then another minute to escape from it, but it left me gagging for several minutes. There's no excuse for trying to make your reader's physically ill. I often listen to audio books while I eat, and thank goodness I wasn't eating then. If I had been driving, it could have been even worse. Without that scene, it would have been a 4-star rating.

[James Maxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthy spinoff of The Borrowed World. I was going to wait on this series, but when The Borrowed World book #9 heavily involved the happenings of The Mad Mick between Book 8 and 9 (I've already read 8), I stopped reading 9 and picked up on this instead. I want to catch up before going back to the original. Having read about The Mad Mick in Book 1 of Locker Nine, I felt as if I'm already familiar with his character. While some readers may be annoyed at how the different series interact with one another (and how dependent Book 9 of the Borrowed World is on The Mad Mick), I personally love it. This world is a big one and I enjoy every minute of it. All series included.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great full length side story to his regular series. Although not connected in any way other taking place during the same collapse, this book easily keeps par with his his other works. I very much hope he continues this vein.

The story is about a former assassination tech guy who grew up in an IRA family. He now lives with his daughter Barb in a former mine complex. When life begins to form normality after the collapse events transpire to bring the mad mick out of retirement and into local legend status as creates an epic protector status around his entire area.

[Heather Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, I can tell this series is going to be good!

I love when book one in a series sets you up for good (okay maybe not so good) things to come and this book did just that. We are thrust into a post apocalyptic world with a cast of characters that I’m positive will be a force to be reckoned with for many books to come. I adore Connor- just call him Mad Mick- and can’t wait to see the mayhem he causes…. All while singing a happy tune as he takes his strolls through the forest near his Appalachian fortress.