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Zeb Dalton #1
When Totems Fall
He dreamed of his breakthrough AI changing the world.
It finally has.
And now 50,000 Chinese boots occupy American soil.
Seattle. Terror Wars vet Zeb Dalton is just glad to be home. A decade of sand, blood, and religious extremists has more than satisfied his bargain with the US Army. But when Beijing takes control of American nuclear forces, Dalton finds the weaponized code all too familiar. And more dangerous than he'd ever envisioned.
Beijing. Rising star businessman Junjie Zang silenced his fears. Now he fears what his silence has forced upon humanity. Secretive government contracts brought wealth and social standing. But that's all fading in the wake of coworker's mysterious deaths and the realization that his name is next on the list.
With fragile but lingering loyalties, Dalton is preparing an incursion of his own.
Seeking a reversal of his country's aggressions, Zang is on the run and reaching out to the only one he believes can help.
One man must trust his enemy.
The other must destroy what he has trusted in.
As Book 1 in the Zeb Dalton Thrillers, Totems satisfies readers with breakneck pacing, action, and intrigue. Download | Buy today and get started on the series hailed as "Yes... just, yes."
***Publisher's note: When Totems Fall is currently available in its second edition (2020) with original and revised content resulting from reader and reviewer input.
It finally has.
And now 50,000 Chinese boots occupy American soil.
Seattle. Terror Wars vet Zeb Dalton is just glad to be home. A decade of sand, blood, and religious extremists has more than satisfied his bargain with the US Army. But when Beijing takes control of American nuclear forces, Dalton finds the weaponized code all too familiar. And more dangerous than he'd ever envisioned.
Beijing. Rising star businessman Junjie Zang silenced his fears. Now he fears what his silence has forced upon humanity. Secretive government contracts brought wealth and social standing. But that's all fading in the wake of coworker's mysterious deaths and the realization that his name is next on the list.
With fragile but lingering loyalties, Dalton is preparing an incursion of his own.
Seeking a reversal of his country's aggressions, Zang is on the run and reaching out to the only one he believes can help.
One man must trust his enemy.
The other must destroy what he has trusted in.
As Book 1 in the Zeb Dalton Thrillers, Totems satisfies readers with breakneck pacing, action, and intrigue. Download | Buy today and get started on the series hailed as "Yes... just, yes."
***Publisher's note: When Totems Fall is currently available in its second edition (2020) with original and revised content resulting from reader and reviewer input.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2020
258 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Wayne C. Stewart
6 books8 followersWayne C Stewart writes military and political adventure with a techno thriller twist. His Zeb Dalton Series features an Iraq/Afghan Wars Veteran, working hard to make sense of his world with a keen mind and fragile, yet lingering sense of duty. The first book in the series finds Dalton in a Chinese-occupied Seattle. Book 2 calls him back into service as America's first female president tasks the team of Dalton and retired super-sniper Jessica Sanchez with fighting back an ancient Mayan scourge set in motion by a jaded tech billionaire. The Zeb Dalton Novella (short read) Juarez Liberty rounds out the present work on the Dalton stories, set against the backdrop of Zeb's earliest days in the military and an eye-opening off-base weekend in the border town of Ciudad Juarez. Wayne is a displaced Seattleite, currently living with his family in Iowa.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 9, 2018
In the first few chapters the author uses a way over the top overly descriptive writing style and I do mean way, way over the top. Almost stopped reading the book because of those chapters. It gets better after that though there are still instances where the author does similar things in other areas of the book.
May 11, 2017
What a great book. In the first few chapters, I had my doubts. The author likes to set the scene and part of the scene setting was to get inside the peculiar head of Zeb Dalton. I was almost looking for another book by the time the story actually started to make sense. If you can make it past the prosy descriptions and the slow lead in, When Totems Fall picks up pace and really draws you in.
A scenario where China gains a superior hand over the USA through better computer hacking skills and invades US territory isn't so far fetched that it could just happen. There is great attention to detail in this story, from computers to Chinese and American culture. It will delight the pickiest of readers, I'm sure.
A scenario where China gains a superior hand over the USA through better computer hacking skills and invades US territory isn't so far fetched that it could just happen. There is great attention to detail in this story, from computers to Chinese and American culture. It will delight the pickiest of readers, I'm sure.
August 21, 2024
When Totems Fall is the first book I have read in a very long time that I really did not want to put down. I am not sure how this book ended up in my Elibrary but I opened it four days ago and did not want to stop.
Zeb Dalton is a very talented coder, and he created something that he thought he would never encounter again. That all changes when China tries to use his code to take control of America's nuclear weapons systems. Zeb is called back into duty to try to finish the program he wrote as a young man.
I can not wait to download the next Zeb Dalton story. Thank you to Wayne C. Stewart for a story that has started me reading again.
Zeb Dalton is a very talented coder, and he created something that he thought he would never encounter again. That all changes when China tries to use his code to take control of America's nuclear weapons systems. Zeb is called back into duty to try to finish the program he wrote as a young man.
I can not wait to download the next Zeb Dalton story. Thank you to Wayne C. Stewart for a story that has started me reading again.
January 17, 2018
Awesome
This was one of the best books I've read in my library. Reason, story line quiet believable, and I hope never comes to this nuclear standoff! Also the language was not offensive. Thank you! I have jumped right into the next book in this series and it is a page turner too! Love the two main characters. Just the right chemistry.
This was one of the best books I've read in my library. Reason, story line quiet believable, and I hope never comes to this nuclear standoff! Also the language was not offensive. Thank you! I have jumped right into the next book in this series and it is a page turner too! Love the two main characters. Just the right chemistry.
February 5, 2018
My second read from author Wayne C. Stewart, a lot has happened to Zeb Dalton between Juarez Liberty & When Totems Fall. A series reminiscent (to me) of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher & Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan comes up a little short in this first book in the series and deliver the promise of the prequel. Still it was a good read and I’m going right on to book #2 The Cleansing.
June 2, 2023
Edge-of-your-seat thriller
Terrifying in its potential reality! This is an excellent story of near catastrophic proportions and possibilities. The main characters grab your attention and don’t let go. The world is a familiar one but, the universe it inhabits is new to me. I throughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to book 2 in this series.
Purchased from Amazon
Terrifying in its potential reality! This is an excellent story of near catastrophic proportions and possibilities. The main characters grab your attention and don’t let go. The world is a familiar one but, the universe it inhabits is new to me. I throughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to book 2 in this series.
Purchased from Amazon
March 1, 2017
Give Me More!
I have read political, espionage & military books for years, but this was a new spin. I loved the contrasts yet parallels between the main American Hero and his Chinese counterpart. It gave a perspective to everything that I wouldn't have otherwise had.
I was a bit disappointed in the ending. It built to the Question then just kind of stopped anticlimactic. Then told what to me should have been one or to great chapters in an epilogue.
Even so, great book and I can't wait to read the next one!
I have read political, espionage & military books for years, but this was a new spin. I loved the contrasts yet parallels between the main American Hero and his Chinese counterpart. It gave a perspective to everything that I wouldn't have otherwise had.
I was a bit disappointed in the ending. It built to the Question then just kind of stopped anticlimactic. Then told what to me should have been one or to great chapters in an epilogue.
Even so, great book and I can't wait to read the next one!
November 2, 2018
Would more likely give it a 2.5....it was not very suspenseful or exciting. And the paragraph seemed to be all drawn out with very little dialogue. Pretty clean with language....a plus. But not compelling enough to want to read any further in the series.
April 21, 2017
When a bright young Chinese computer scientist and his company come up with the means to disrupt communications between the US Command and all its units and weapons, the Chinese government takes it over and takes over the Seattle area under the threat of a nuclear attack of the west coast. With the US unable to defend or strike back Washington reluctantly concedes. It is up to Zeb Dillon to make his way out of the captured territory and connect up with the US army outside the captured area. Meanwhile in China the head of the Software Company is upset at the what the government is using his program for and is determined to disrupt it. Zeb, accompanied
by a Sgt. return to the captured area and meet up with an army sniper who has remained behind and has been gathering information on the Chinese activities. Together they work to get Zeb to a place where he can also attempt to breach the Chinese program and neutralize it. Action, Suspense and a scary possibility.
by a Sgt. return to the captured area and meet up with an army sniper who has remained behind and has been gathering information on the Chinese activities. Together they work to get Zeb to a place where he can also attempt to breach the Chinese program and neutralize it. Action, Suspense and a scary possibility.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews