American Kill Switch

End of Days #3

by John Birmingham

Why do some societies collapse into lawless savagery while others prove resilient and lasting?

On Zero Day of the first and last cyberwar in human history, the internet went dark, transport and power grids collapsed and cities began to starve, showing just how vulnerable the world could be to a targeted campaign of online sabotage. This final instalment of this prescient epic of civilisation collapse finds the small ragtag band of survivors come together to face a new, but eerily familiar threat - the rise of a fascist militia among the ruins of a failing country.

With American Kill Switch, John Birmingham’s End of Days trilogy comes to a high-octane, thrilling conclusion.

©2021 John Birmingham (P)2021 Audible, Ltd

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

Audiobook

First published March 2, 2021

About the author

John Birmingham grew up in Ipswich, Queensland and was educated at St Edmunds Christian Brother's College in Ipswich and the University of Queensland in Brisbane. His only stint of full time employment was as a researcher at the Defence Department. After this he returned to Queensland to study law but he did not complete his legal studies, choosing instead to pursue a career as a writer. He currently lives in Brisbane.

While a law student he was one of the last people arrested under the state's Anti Street March legislation. Birmingham was convicted of displaying a sheet of paper with the words 'Free Speech' written on it in very small type. The local newspaper carried a photograph of him being frogmarched off to a waiting police paddy wagon.

Birmingham has a degree in international relations.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

At least this story got better towards the end. 5 of 10 stars

[David Haberlah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars to be honest. I really liked how all the main characters came together in the final volume of John Birmingham’s trilogy. But ... and this is a big BUT ... the plot fell short of driving the main story of Zero Day to any satisfactory conclusion. Many pages are lost on rather obscure and bizarre sideline plots such as the encounter with the cultists. The main plot primarily lived on by introducing new characters key to the final showdown. But the showdown itself didn’t lead anywhere. The situation in the rest of the world was hardly alluded to. Ultimately, an unsatisfactory conclusion to a great first book that promised so much more, and a mediocre second book that felt like a bridge to more to come.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

So glad to be done with this series. If I had to hear one more persons balls retract or bowel loosen or whatever I think I would have been driven to violence. The books are just meh and he’s not a very good writer.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Kill Switch is the final part of the End of Days trilogy, about the USA’s descent into chaos and massive population loss following a coordinated mass cyber attack by China. It is currently available exclusively through Audible; all three parts were free when I downloaded them. We have listened to all three on car journeys in the last couple of months and overall I enjoyed them, with some caveats. This is definitely one story in three parts, so you definitely need to start from the beginning. It’s a scarily plausible account of a world gone horribly wrong, where the end of civilisation is caused entirely by human malevolence.

This one is set a couple of months after the events of Fail State, and mostly follows the same groups of protagonists from the beginning, but also introduces some new POV characters. Rick Boram’s group has grown quite considerably with the addition of various other travellers as they head West towards James’ parents farm in Montana, while Jodi & Ellie’s crew are still trying to get to Canada. Meanwhile Jonas has ridden his luck and sociopathic manipulation skills to end of heading the “Legion of Freedom” - a pseudo military force of thugs who now control four states by destroying any town that stands against them. As the survivors all converge towards a final reckoning, can the good guys overcome the might of the Legion?

I enjoyed this the most of the three audiobooks as there was no prolonged exposition and I liked the way the various heroes’ stories overlapped, with much much less filler and “interludes”. There were some welcome happy scenes, more of Damo’s hilarious Australianisms and plenty of action. Everything built towards an exciting climax, but the ending was very abrupt, leaving many characters’ stories unfinished - this definitely needed an epilogue to wrap up the major characters’ arcs and also explain what happened to the rest of the world. The narration would’ve benefited from having a female actor do the women’s voices and more coaching for the various foreign accents (including English!) which were totally mangled.

As many other female reviewers have complained, the constant mention of retracting testicles, loosening bladders and bowels and extremely crude references to women and their genitalia were very off-putting (even though this was obviously designed to show how just loathsome the main antagonist Jonas was), and I’m not sure I would read this author again because of it, but I did like this story overall.

[Shaylee Quigley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I finished it.

If you’re interested to know how many different ways someone’s balls can react to a situation then this is the book for you. I also wasn’t aware that someone’s butthole can pucker in numerous situations.

Some characters became likeable over the series but most were annoying and filthy.

[Tanner Pool · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this series! Kinda surprised it doesn’t get talked about more in the apocalyptic/down fall of society corner of the book world. It’s no literary masterpiece, but an enjoyable listen.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator on Audible, Rupert Degas, made this worth listening to and finishing. He has remarkable talent. For the performance I give 5 stars. The story I give 3 or 3.5. It didn’t quite stick the landing in the way I hoped it would. It wrapped most things up neatly, but in this last book we lost the global point of view of what was happening. I was a little disappointed by that. I was also left feeling oddly cold at the end of the book. I am a sucker for the emotional swell at the end of a well-finished tale, even if they are not always wholly good emotions. But this one fell a little flat. In truth, I think I was somewhat put offside by all the different mentions of male characters’ balls crawling up inside them. Way to alienate a whole gender who can’t relate to this feeling so superfluously described. I wouldn’t have minded a couple mentions here and there, but after so many descriptions of it, it almost felt like the author intentionally aimed to omit anyone without balls from the experience. Not saying that WAS his intention of course, it was just how it felt.

All in all, considering I got this whole series for free on Audible, I would recommend anyone should listen if they can do the same. The performance of Rupert Degas is fantastic enough to keep you entertained.

[Caia_In_Wonderland · Rating 3 out of 5]

As in any apocalyptic type series finale there’re those who don’t survive, and there are those who change with the world they now live in.
I really liked James and his crew being saved by the other group and finally reaching his family ranch, those quiet moments before the storm were really nice.
Some of the less savoury characters also grew on me especially Tripod, the ex mob sleaze, and when things got tricky and people started dying I actually hoped he survived.
The suspicion about the nature of Michelle’s work is finally unveiled, and mostly everything is tidied up.
This was not a conclusion per se, only a closing of a chapter for the characters you followed since zero day in the first book, I wish there was more, I wish some language wasn’t so vivid and repetitive but all in all I liked this audible, and it still had a satisfying end.

[Tobey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong 3.5 for me and a strong finish to this trilogy. I'm not going to lie though, how this ended isn't quite what I thought would spark the end but I guess these events turning out this way make sense. I think I've forgotten to mention in my last two reviews that my favorite character was probably Nomi (sp).

All in all, this was a fascinating concept, one all too realistic and I do highly recommend this on audio - after all, it's the only way you can enjoy it, it's only available on audio.

[Sharondblk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently the whole series is free on Audible Australia, and I would recommend it even at full prince.
This final instalment brings everything together in a beautiful way. I found some elements at the end of the second book a bit boring, but this is perfectly paced. It's hard to say much without spoilers, but this is a really fun, satisfying book (and series) about the end of the world. the narrator, Rupert Degas does his usual marvellous job. Highly recommended.

[Kix · Rating 3 out of 5]

My balls shriveled up into my body.

[Jeffrey Schmieder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this one but would have preferred a written version. Two groups of refugees from the coasts embark on an expedition to reach the Ranch of one of the characters. Pretty gripping action and I thought the narrator did a pretty good job. Like others, I think there were too many mentions of involuntary bladder releases. One thing I really enjoyed was the character development, and how you got fleshed out villains who maybe did have hearts after all. Except Chad. Chad remained a Chad, but that was okay. I was glad to discover Rick was a well read man and had completed the "Dave Vs. The Monsters" series. A fine group of books. One final point, the ending of the book did bring some tears. Well done JB.

[Eliatan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Crocodile Dundee, the History major with a god complex from The Postman, and Rick and crew from The Walking Dead teamed up for an end of the world apocalypooza, then this novel would be their love child. Birmingham smashed it out of the park again, with messy humans, petty squabbles and a few bad luck captain’s calls that gave this grand narrative a terribly human and realistic edge. Where the borders of absurdity were visible, he quickly snapped back into the terror of living in a completely lawless society that reminds us when resources become scarce then so does human decency.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid apocalyptic action thriller that benefits from Birmo's top notch research skills and wide-screen staging sensibilities. Back in the day we would have called this sort of thing an airport novel: chunky, digestible, granular, fast paced, and engrossing. It doesn't rewrite the rulebook but that's not really a design goal here. My only real caveat for the audiobook is that I cannot stand the way narrator Rupert Degas does women's voices, but that's hardly a deal breaker.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Cassandra Doon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got me though 10hr night shift in aged care!
The audio was amazing and kept me engaged.
Very much enjoyed

[Michael Sanderson-green · Rating 2 out of 5]

After three volumes still no satisfactory ended, all we get the ending for one small American town ,what happened to the rest of the world etc.

[Ashley Lymbery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was MUCH better than the second book. I thought I lost hope after that one, but the narration was great and the storylines finally coming together was also great!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down best book of the series, and separately to that a very good book. It was thrilling and adrenaline filled, but there were also many heart-warming moments which made you believe things might be okay. Set a few months after the beginning of the war, you got more of an insight into what could happen once larger groups begin to form. It just seemed very realistic the situations people found themselves in. I also enjoyed the monologues when they had time to reflect on how much has changed in such a short period of time. So many things were gone "and they were replaced by nothing good".

This book was released in early 2021, so there is no doubt that the events of 2020 had an impact on the quality of this book in comparison to the others. This one mentioned the importance of toilet paper, keeping technology available for children, and taking time to appreciate the people in your life. After the initial shock that settled in in the first book, and the character development of the second, it was great to see people reflecting on their journey together, meeting new parties, and making it a priority to enjoy the little things. I listened to the Audiobook and found myself going out of my way to listen to the book rather than just listening to it on the commute to and from work. It was definitely a more gripping story and I loved how many big fight scenes there were. Five stars!

[Matthew Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series for the world building, the characters and the dark sense of humour. This last book still had some of that charm but had to sacrifice a bit in order to bring the story to a close. Most of the humour of the earlier books came from the neo-nazi character but there wasn’t much space to laugh at his antics in this book as the consequences of his actions started to catch up with him and the people around him. Most of the characters continued their trajectories in a satisfying way and the author did signpost the one character who suddenly had a secret that allowed the end-plot to happen.

There are some very dark atrocities in this book and the violence is ramped up to a new level but it’s in service of the story as the author layers in some (pretty light) philosophical musings about the relationship between violence and power.

I would have liked to have some sense of what happened to the rest of the world - whether the government ever came back or if the war had anymore wind in it but some of the setup in that area from the previous book just seemed to peter out.

[Howard Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t think I’d get so I invested in this band of misfits. The ending 💔

[Frank Mikes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly I've found that I've read the first and now the third of this series without reading the second. I'll have to go back and read the second at some other time, but for completion sake the order to read this series in is Zero Day Code, Fail State and American Kill Switch.

The book I'm reviewing here is American Kill Switch and I will say it holds up okay without reading book 2, Fail State. There are many of the original characters introduced in the first book plus a few more and as is usual in Birmingham's books, there is a bit of jumping around between characters. I also noticed in this book that several times the author goes back in time a little and tells events from a different character's point of view.

As one would expect from Birmingham the characters are interesting and quite diverse. As is also typical he is quite good at describing a post-apocalyptic world and the horror of living there.

Unfortunately, I have a few criticisms of this book. The first is a writing sin in that the main characters have very little agency. Things happen to them rather than they are the ones driving things. There are also a couple of massive coincidences which are kind of mind boggling – this will be discussed further in spoiler territory further down.

Despite these problems, I did quite enjoy the book and think that anyone who likes Birmingham's work will enjoy it as well.







Spoilers
The real sin I find in this book is that after the two groups led by James and Damo join up, they go to confront 'Jonas Legion'. They arrive just as a massive coup starts, something that wasn't even hinted at in the first three quarters of the book. Even worse, it is suggested that all of this would have happened even if the delegation to confront them hadn't gone. If James and Damo's group hadn't done anything, Jonas Legion would have self destructed anyway and none of the deaths or injuries incurred by that group were really for nought.

Second, it is a massive coincidence that Chad, Jonas' bodyguard, survived and then meets up with Ellie who is captured.

Finally, what is it that Birmingham has against his overblown Aussie characters? He kills Damo off in this one and killed off another in Without Warning. He obviously likes these characters as he gives them some of the best dialog, but he always kills them off.

[RJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonas Murdoch helps lead the good folk of Silverton. Getting out of Silverton slightly ahead of the motorcycle gang that took over the town. He devised The Legion of Freedom, and with his one hundred cohorts and a slick tongue was busy taking over towns, building an empire. It’s good to be king. Jodi Sarjanan and Ellie Jabbarah navigating the inland waterways of California. Damo and Carl join them, helping Maxi, Pascal, and Beatrice get home to Canada. James O’Donnell and his friends Michelle, Rick, and Melissa traveling cross-country. Rick and Nome were still a team. Nome is my favorite character. James and friends meet up with Damo, Carl, Jodi, and Ellie in the town of Batham where they encountered religious zealot Preacher and his followers. Religious fanatics seem to appear regularly in this genre. James and crew, including Damo and crew, continued heading towards James’ parent’s ranch outside Livingston Montana. Livingston had been destroyed by The Legion. Everyone was welcomed at the O’Donnel’s ranch. Damo’s home was still many miles to the north in Canada, where he and his friends would bring the children home. A pig roast and an open invitation celebrated James’ homecoming. Everyone was happy, in a state of make-believe, and felt safe for the first time in a long time. Michelle set about doing her professional risk assessment. Back in the town of Three Forks, which The Legion had taken over before Livingston, all hell was breaking loose. Michelle, Rick, and a few from O’Donnel’s ranch went to Three Forks to negotiate a settlement but were finding out much more than they had imagined. What was taking place in Three Forks? Hold on to your seat!

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had misgivings early on in this book, but in the end, Birmingham delivers another fun read that surges to a close.

I felt like Birmingham did a great job describing a cyberwar collapse in the first book, but from there, things were heading towards fairly well-trodden 'post-apocalypse America with a lot of guns and militias'. A good chunk of this book felt the same way. However, even if it doesn't entirely play to his strengths, the book really picks up momentum, with the final third being very page-turning. I don't mean to at all compare this book to The Stand in terms of quality or cultural impact–apples to oranges–but there was a similar sense of foreboding and that sense of the protagonists being propelled into a confrontation in the villain's town where you knew not all the protagonists would make it out alive. I felt more invested in several of the characters, particularly Damo, than in previous books, and I actually quite enjoyed the Tommy the Tripod segments. Birmingham has something of a knack for taking stock characters and still making them fun.

There were still a few little attention to detail items that jumped out at me, since I consider Birmingham to usually be really good about the nuts-and-bolts techno thriller stuff (A Sierra is still not an SUV! A Nintendo Switch doesn't take store-bought disposable batteries!) but it wasn't anywhere near as noticeable as the second book.

Rupert Degas' narration is exceptional. He's clearly putting in a lot of effort and having a lot of fun, and he does quite a good job differentiating most of the voices. His voice for Damo is particularly fun.

[John Castillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

American Kill Switch, the third book in John Birmingham's series, gets a 3 out of 5 stars from me. The novel felt rushed, as if it was sprinting to tie up loose ends rather than allowing the story to unfold naturally. Between Fail State and American Kill Switch, significant character development seemed to happen off-page, leaving us with characters who had transformed in demeanor and skillsets with little more than a passing reference to a "mysterious past." It feels as though there was initially a plan for more books, but when the decision was made to condense the series into a trilogy, too much got crammed into this final installment. Of the characters that did get some focus, any growth felt unearned or had already occurred in previous novels, with their presence merely servicing the plot. Meanwhile, other more interesting characters were sidelined or ignored altogether.

Once the main characters and antagonist were established, the plot jumped on rails, following a predictable checklist of events leading to the inevitable final conflict. Unfortunately, the climax fell flat. The antagonist lacked a meaningful connection with the main characters, resulting in a lackluster conclusion that felt disconnected and unearned. Overall, I enjoyed getting closure on these characters that I had become invested in from the previous books, but I can't say I was satisfied with the pacing and plot of this particular installment. The story left more promises abandoned than fulfilled, making for a finale that didn’t quite pay off the buildup from the earlier entries in the series.

[Read Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book #3 of a trilogy. Not meant to be read out of order. Reader should read books #1 and #2.

I do love Birmingham's attention to detail. And the logical flow of the story line. Books #1 and #2 take place with little time delay between books. Book #3 picks up a few months later, but not a serious amount of time later.

I did like the action, but this last book seemed to me to be just a bit too predictable. I was hoping for some other twist in the ending. I am also not sure if I liked the POV narrative changes. The first one caught me off guard. The others just seemed a bit awkward for me to make the action timeline transition.

I did love how Michelle concluded. There is much to this character that could be used in another story line. Not that I insist on having a prequel. There was not the expected inferences as to the ultimate fate of most of the survivors. I don't at this time know if I liked not knowing or would have rather more of a clue as to how they eventually finished. And the biggest 'what ever happened to..." is the fate of the nation, but that would be the question I expect to not be directly addressed.

Now go find your next GoodReads.

[Olivia Saman · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMERICAN KILL SWITCH
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Written by John Bermingham
Narrated by Rupert Degas
Book 3 of 3
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I finished this a few weeks ago but forgot to post it, sorry.
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Wow this series of books was incredible. I love Audible and how they have free books for you to read between credits. And books I would never have chosen to pay for.
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This book was the longest of the 3 but finished the story. Pieced together all the little stories in the other 2 books together in the end. A big ending of how the world recovers from this modern day war.
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I wished it ended differently, I wanted a bigger happier ending with a story line that went deeper into how they lived and recovered, as I was so attached to these characters I wanted it to keep going.
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But I recommend it regardless. Honesty these books open your eyes to how real this modern day war could go.
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For my Liv review it gets
🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 5 out of 5 for storyline
🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨5 out of 5 for Narration it's more of a performance than a narration... incredible.
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#amaricankillswitch #audible #livnessentially #bookupdate #livsbookreview #

[One Flew · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a series of coordinated cyber strikes dismantles the food distribution systems, the United States collapses into clusters of small fortress towns, safe zones, ghost cities and bands of refugees.

A stunning conclusion to a great series. By this book, I had become attached to a lot of the protagonists and was dreading getting to the final showdown. There is a lot to love about this trilogy, it delves deep into societal collapse, warning everyone of how fragile the bonds that hold modern civilisations together. There are several strong main characters who avoid the usual action hero cliches. The plot never descends towards become far fetched or absurd, while also managing to tell a story that is massive in scale and execution.

The ending still leaves a lot of things unresolved and I wonder whether Birmingham has thought about writing a follow up book. A great read.

[R.A. Flannagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: a quick review of the full series.

I picked this up free from Audible. I had no idea what to expect. Mr. Birmingham is a fantastic writer. His characters' dialogue is wonderful, witty, and smart. The color he adds to his story with his descriptions and metaphors is first-rate in every way. The pace of his stories clips along perfectly. And this series comes to a satisfying end. This series is an end of civilization story that features a wide cast of characters, each of whom is different and interesting. I can't recommend it enough. A quick word about the narrator. He was brilliant. He nailed the characters. I suspect he's Australian because the one Australian character in the story is captured flawlessly.

[Hakan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book, and the overall series, five stars. I really really did.

And the series started with such a promise...

If it wouldn't have been for the last few chapters which wrapped up the whole story in an unholy hurry, giving the impression that John wanted to be rid of this storyline and start writing something new. Without spoiling too much, everyone interesting either dies or has to die because he (read the last chapters of the book to understand which "he" I'm talking about) would be key to at least another installation of this series.

Anyway, glad to be done with the last half of this book, and very much looking forward to the continuation of Johns World War III series :)