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The Fallen World #2
Don't Call Me Ishmael
Don’t call him Ishmael. Or do; he really doesn’t care. Just don’t call him Fred. No matter what you call him, though, he has a problem. Well, several of them. Ishmael—for want of a better name—woke up in a world that had changed. The Corporations—the wielders of power in a society not long from now—brought about the end of civilization as we know it, nuking each other to the point where it collapsed. Ishmael doesn’t know any of this, though; in fact, he doesn’t know anything about himself when he wakes up in this shattered world. All of his autobiographical and episodic memories are gone, and along with them, any knowledge of who he was or anything in his past. Worse, he has made enemies of some very important people, and they are after him. They are armed and he is alone and in…well, he doesn’t know where he is, either. Can Ishmael stay alive long enough to recover his memories—to find out who he is and how he fits—or will he be just another casualty of This Fallen World?
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2019
110 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Chris Kennedy
138 books163 followersA Webster Award winner and three-time Dragon Award finalist, Chris Kennedy is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author, speaker, and small-press publisher who has written over 50 books and published more than 400 others. Get his free book, “Shattered Crucible,” at his website, https://chriskennedypublishing.com.
Called “fantastic” and “a great speaker,” he has coached hundreds of beginning authors and budding novelists on how to self-publish their stories at a variety of conferences, conventions, and writing guild presentations. He is the author of the award-winning #1 bestseller, “Self-Publishing for Profit: How to Get Your Book Out of Your Head and Into the Stores.”
Chris lives in Coinjock, North Carolina, with his wife. Follow Chris on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ckpublishing/.
Called “fantastic” and “a great speaker,” he has coached hundreds of beginning authors and budding novelists on how to self-publish their stories at a variety of conferences, conventions, and writing guild presentations. He is the author of the award-winning #1 bestseller, “Self-Publishing for Profit: How to Get Your Book Out of Your Head and Into the Stores.”
Chris lives in Coinjock, North Carolina, with his wife. Follow Chris on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ckpublishing/.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 29, 2019
“You take what you can get in this Fallen World.”
I was literally blown away with the story! Just when you think nothing can surprise you, more twisted turns appear around the corner! The author’s ability to trigger visual images is impressive, though some of those images are scary and so realistic. The crude, daunting efforts for survival and each to its own, is a very terrifying and dangerous prospect. I liked the moral summary at the end of each chapter. An astounding Post apocalyptic series which I’m definitely going to follow.
I was literally blown away with the story! Just when you think nothing can surprise you, more twisted turns appear around the corner! The author’s ability to trigger visual images is impressive, though some of those images are scary and so realistic. The crude, daunting efforts for survival and each to its own, is a very terrifying and dangerous prospect. I liked the moral summary at the end of each chapter. An astounding Post apocalyptic series which I’m definitely going to follow.
January 7, 2020
I really liked this story of an agent with amnesia who just wants to find out who and what he is. I am also very familiar with the area of the country the story is set in and enjoyed that aspect of the story. Fred kicks a lot of butt and takes a lot of punishment but always seems to come back with a good attitude.
March 30, 2019
A great sequel in a new universe
This book does a good job in getting you interested in the characters and making you want more. I honestly look forward to future titles in the series.
This book does a good job in getting you interested in the characters and making you want more. I honestly look forward to future titles in the series.
November 27, 2019
This second installment in the Fallen World series is from a different author, Chris Kennedy, and is from a different perspective, although the theme of 'amnesiac bad-ass' is the same.
From the start of this book, you will be sucked into the Post-Fall then shoved through the door of your imagination against your will, naked, and forced to survive there! Well, not really, but it's a fun analogy, so run with it.
Dude with no name (he tells them to call him Ishmael, but most of them just call him Fred) staggers forth into a crumbling world with no 'personal' memories, but a lot of 'muscle' memories of rather extra-ordinary abilities. He soon finds himself in a fight for his life, teaming up with set of survivors that just happen to be on their way to a place he doesn't even know he needs to go. And fight he does. Busting through roadblock after roadblock from Slidell, Louisiana to Florida then on up to Tennessee, Mr. 'Fred' puts the bad guys in their places while seeking out his own true identity in This Fallen World.
I found this book to be one of the more exciting page-turners I've read in recent months. The familiar setting of just after the fall of the modern world was easy for me to understand. Having read the first book, I also knew the score of the world's history which made it fun to guess at what was coming (sometimes rightly, sometimes not). I look forward to the further adventures of 'Fred' as much as I do the characters from book one in the series.
I give this one four stars and call it a Non-Stop Action Read.
From the start of this book, you will be sucked into the Post-Fall then shoved through the door of your imagination against your will, naked, and forced to survive there! Well, not really, but it's a fun analogy, so run with it.
Dude with no name (he tells them to call him Ishmael, but most of them just call him Fred) staggers forth into a crumbling world with no 'personal' memories, but a lot of 'muscle' memories of rather extra-ordinary abilities. He soon finds himself in a fight for his life, teaming up with set of survivors that just happen to be on their way to a place he doesn't even know he needs to go. And fight he does. Busting through roadblock after roadblock from Slidell, Louisiana to Florida then on up to Tennessee, Mr. 'Fred' puts the bad guys in their places while seeking out his own true identity in This Fallen World.
I found this book to be one of the more exciting page-turners I've read in recent months. The familiar setting of just after the fall of the modern world was easy for me to understand. Having read the first book, I also knew the score of the world's history which made it fun to guess at what was coming (sometimes rightly, sometimes not). I look forward to the further adventures of 'Fred' as much as I do the characters from book one in the series.
I give this one four stars and call it a Non-Stop Action Read.
May 5, 2019
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author with the proviso that I write an honest review once it was released.
I am familiar with Chris Kennedy’s writing via the Four Horsemen Universe (which I really enjoy). This was a different setting but equally as good.
Ishmael or Fred wakes up to find he is now in a post-apocalyptic America after the big corporations decided to nuke each other during a true corporate takedown. He has no memory of who he is, but remembers other unusual things like how to field-strip a weapon, kill efficiently, fight spectacularly and Moby Dick hence the name Ishmael.
In his quest to find his identity, he meets many different people some become friends or at least allies while others just end up dead. Along this odyssey, he learns many life lessons. A few of these are: you have to be flexible; you have to bluff; good friends are hard to keep; the more things change, the more some things stay the same; sometimes it doesn’t pay to challenge people; a roll of toilet paper can save a man’s life; you have to do what feels right and so on. Each of these lessons appear at the end of each chapter summing up the action.
Buy this book and learn how "Fred" acquires each of these lessons. This is truly one adventure after another with nonstop action as our amnesiac hero crosses a devastated country in search of his identity.
I am familiar with Chris Kennedy’s writing via the Four Horsemen Universe (which I really enjoy). This was a different setting but equally as good.
Ishmael or Fred wakes up to find he is now in a post-apocalyptic America after the big corporations decided to nuke each other during a true corporate takedown. He has no memory of who he is, but remembers other unusual things like how to field-strip a weapon, kill efficiently, fight spectacularly and Moby Dick hence the name Ishmael.
In his quest to find his identity, he meets many different people some become friends or at least allies while others just end up dead. Along this odyssey, he learns many life lessons. A few of these are: you have to be flexible; you have to bluff; good friends are hard to keep; the more things change, the more some things stay the same; sometimes it doesn’t pay to challenge people; a roll of toilet paper can save a man’s life; you have to do what feels right and so on. Each of these lessons appear at the end of each chapter summing up the action.
Buy this book and learn how "Fred" acquires each of these lessons. This is truly one adventure after another with nonstop action as our amnesiac hero crosses a devastated country in search of his identity.
October 30, 2022
Change of authors leaves this sequel to This Fallen World a little the worse than you may hope. (Audible version)
Good points,
Set in the same universe as This Fallen World.
Okay storyline
Excellently read by the voice actor.
Less than good points,
Not written by the original author and unfortunately it shows - in the story itself and the truly cringe worthy of the writer ending the majority of the chapters with “in this fallen world.” Unlike the original author’s use of the same.
Suffers from weaker characters compared to the first book.
I was glad this book was part of the Audible Plus Catalog and I hadn’t had to pay for it as I would have felt ripped off after the first book, which was a book I wouldn’t mind having paid for. My expectations for a sequel were low as so few sequels live up to the promise of the first book. My expectations were further lowered when I saw that it was a completely different author. At best it reached my much lower expectations, just scraped enough for the much lower end of 3 stars, at 2.7 stars rounded up because of the star system in this app.
Good points,
Set in the same universe as This Fallen World.
Okay storyline
Excellently read by the voice actor.
Less than good points,
Not written by the original author and unfortunately it shows - in the story itself and the truly cringe worthy of the writer ending the majority of the chapters with “in this fallen world.” Unlike the original author’s use of the same.
Suffers from weaker characters compared to the first book.
I was glad this book was part of the Audible Plus Catalog and I hadn’t had to pay for it as I would have felt ripped off after the first book, which was a book I wouldn’t mind having paid for. My expectations for a sequel were low as so few sequels live up to the promise of the first book. My expectations were further lowered when I saw that it was a completely different author. At best it reached my much lower expectations, just scraped enough for the much lower end of 3 stars, at 2.7 stars rounded up because of the star system in this app.
January 3, 2021
I really,really hate giving low star ratings but skipping a rating is also a cop out.
As much as I loved the first story I really struggled with the second story. I actually quit twice but then forced myself to finish it. Guess that says alot right there.
My real,complain is the lack of a real connection with the main character. For most of the book his answer is “I don’t know who I am” and he is just kind of moving forward with the goal of finding out who he is.
I know this is a sci fi world but really? How cliche to just toss out the standard hollywood grade b typical story bad guys. Only thing missing were the zombies.
It.just seemed like the author was more fixated on how many battles and kills our superguy is. Not enough depth added to Ishmael as he wandered to learn his identity. I never grew to understand or even care about him by the end..
As much as I loved the first story I really struggled with the second story. I actually quit twice but then forced myself to finish it. Guess that says alot right there.
My real,complain is the lack of a real connection with the main character. For most of the book his answer is “I don’t know who I am” and he is just kind of moving forward with the goal of finding out who he is.
I know this is a sci fi world but really? How cliche to just toss out the standard hollywood grade b typical story bad guys. Only thing missing were the zombies.
It.just seemed like the author was more fixated on how many battles and kills our superguy is. Not enough depth added to Ishmael as he wandered to learn his identity. I never grew to understand or even care about him by the end..
August 30, 2019
The title does not tell you much
Who is this Ishmael the person called by this name does not know himself. The storyline in this book is about a man with no memory trying to find himself and at the same time stay alive. And alone the way he learns, meet people he provide protection and deliveries to a safe haven then start a new adventure in quest to find himself.
In addition where the first book place in the middle of the country this one is in the southern states and tells the story of how humanity has became murderers, cannibals but in the bleakest of time there is a few places were humanity still strives and want to start a new beginning.
I recommend this book and you find who really Ishmael really is and in doing so you learn what ties book 1 and book 2 as one.
Who is this Ishmael the person called by this name does not know himself. The storyline in this book is about a man with no memory trying to find himself and at the same time stay alive. And alone the way he learns, meet people he provide protection and deliveries to a safe haven then start a new adventure in quest to find himself.
In addition where the first book place in the middle of the country this one is in the southern states and tells the story of how humanity has became murderers, cannibals but in the bleakest of time there is a few places were humanity still strives and want to start a new beginning.
I recommend this book and you find who really Ishmael really is and in doing so you learn what ties book 1 and book 2 as one.
December 31, 2020
Second book in the series, this is a separate story to the first book, with different characters.
The world is run by corporations, and they have both developed a way to 'imprint' a personality onto a person. Joshua Hood wakes up in a hidden facility in New Orleans, unsure of who he is, or why he was there. He's an Agent, selected to act as a Hostage Rescue member when he's imprinted. Only trouble is the nukes got dropped while he was in there, and it failed.
His body has muscle memory of his skills, but until he can find an intact imprinter, there's no way to make himself whole. he sets out on a quest to find someone who can help him, saving people along the way, and setting up the action for some sequels.
The world is run by corporations, and they have both developed a way to 'imprint' a personality onto a person. Joshua Hood wakes up in a hidden facility in New Orleans, unsure of who he is, or why he was there. He's an Agent, selected to act as a Hostage Rescue member when he's imprinted. Only trouble is the nukes got dropped while he was in there, and it failed.
His body has muscle memory of his skills, but until he can find an intact imprinter, there's no way to make himself whole. he sets out on a quest to find someone who can help him, saving people along the way, and setting up the action for some sequels.
July 25, 2021
This was as good as the first book. It was about a man who woke up in a tanning-bed-type-bed and he had no memory of who he was, so went on a trek to find out. It was quite bloody along the way and he also made a few friends. It was a good story.
Just like the first book the last 3 words at the end of each chapter is "This Fallen World". It doesn't bother me but if you think it might bother you please don't read this then give it a bad review because of it. It's a good book. IMO
No romance and according to my iPad the F-bomb was used 25 times.
As for the narration: Mark Boyett did another fabulous job, again.
Just like the first book the last 3 words at the end of each chapter is "This Fallen World". It doesn't bother me but if you think it might bother you please don't read this then give it a bad review because of it. It's a good book. IMO
No romance and according to my iPad the F-bomb was used 25 times.
As for the narration: Mark Boyett did another fabulous job, again.
November 27, 2022
4.5stars Love the premise of the story, that he does not have a memory of who he is why he woke up in like a tanning bed. The. Starts getting attacked, but he can defend himself. So things himself some kind of psycho but at least he wants to help some people now. What could he have done before is all he can think about. Poor guy, at least he is able to figure out who he is and a why to get back to his personality or that of his agent one. It will just not be easy like everything else in this fallen world.
August 12, 2020
Solid entry in the Fallen World universe.
Fred is a guy without a past, looking for answers about who he is! Don't call me Ishmael have us follow his journey towards learning who he is!
It is fully packed with action, memorable characters and quite dark humor... as well as a last shot between the eyes... After all, Bulletproof vests exist, in this Fallen World!
Fred is a guy without a past, looking for answers about who he is! Don't call me Ishmael have us follow his journey towards learning who he is!
It is fully packed with action, memorable characters and quite dark humor... as well as a last shot between the eyes... After all, Bulletproof vests exist, in this Fallen World!
August 24, 2019
Fast paced, fun read
Ishmael or Fred, or whatever you want to call him, he's on a mission to find himself. Great read. So much more to come. Looking forward to seeing this story unfold.
Ishmael or Fred, or whatever you want to call him, he's on a mission to find himself. Great read. So much more to come. Looking forward to seeing this story unfold.
May 6, 2020
I enjoy this sequel. It is written by a different author, therefore a different perspective.But, the premise is simular. An agent ( genetically modified badass) is on a mission to find himself and better a dystopian world. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to followers of the sci-fi genre.
July 1, 2020
Thought I was getting another Matthew Kane book, but turns out the entire series is just vignettes of the world, which is exactly what I don't want. Only think I got a couple chapters before I stopped and looked up the series information more and was disappointed.
August 17, 2020
Pretty darn good reading
I have enjoyed books by Mr Kennedy for quite some time, since his china invasion books.
This is a much different type story. But great characters, good storyline and well written. Thanks for a fun time reading this.
PS, thanks for your service, go Navy
I have enjoyed books by Mr Kennedy for quite some time, since his china invasion books.
This is a much different type story. But great characters, good storyline and well written. Thanks for a fun time reading this.
PS, thanks for your service, go Navy
December 31, 2021
I'm a third of the way through this and there doesn't appear to be any coherent plot or character development. The writing is first person puerile. Not even good enough for brain candy. I'm giving up on the series.
June 24, 2022
This is an action-packed journey in an dystopian world. The protagonist is unique and entertaining. I throughly enjoyed this second book in the series Fallen World and already have book 3! I can hardly wait to read it so go get book one and enjoy!
Read via Kindle Unlimited
Read via Kindle Unlimited
October 30, 2022
This is the second episode of the Fallen World series. After a corporate world war, the main character wakes up with no memory and a particular set of skills. Sometimes it takes particular skills to survive in this fallen world.
August 5, 2019
Not bad
I hate writing these things it was OK not terrible not the best I have ever read. But it was ok
I hate writing these things it was OK not terrible not the best I have ever read. But it was ok
December 19, 2019
This is an excellent story. Really interesting plot and great characters.
January 25, 2021
Weird ride
I took four of five here. I think there is a great deal that can be worked in. Like the style. Can picture the world. A great read.
I took four of five here. I think there is a great deal that can be worked in. Like the style. Can picture the world. A great read.
February 18, 2021
Decent book but was annoyed by how the end of every chapter had the exact same wording.
May 10, 2021
Pretty annoying book in this fallen world
June 25, 2021
Great story
Found the book very interesting. The main character is what made the book a great read, even has some humor, which made it a good book. I recommend it for reading.
Found the book very interesting. The main character is what made the book a great read, even has some humor, which made it a good book. I recommend it for reading.
December 2, 2021
Truckloads of purposeless violence with hardly a trace of character development or serious narrative movement makes this a serious contender for the worst apocalyptic novels I have ever read.
February 28, 2022
If you liked book 1 you will like book 2. Lots of the same flow. There were plenty of tie ins to book one only a new set of characters.
December 11, 2022
Great story and great characters
August 30, 2024
While I enjoyed this tale, one element irked me as the story progressed.
almost all the chapters end with "... in this fallen world."
almost all the chapters end with "... in this fallen world."
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews