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Wasteland #1
Hunter
A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series
History is lost, America is no more, and only a few safe places remain.
Ranger Quinn thought that morning would be like so many others. A hangover, a day off before going back to work keeping the lower levels of Zion City safe from itself. But a crime so horrific, so brutal in its execution, turns those mundane expectations around.
An investigation into the death of a senior leader in their underground utopia safe from the harsh radioactive wastelands beyond their walls forces Quinn beyond that safety and into the world outside.
Following the trail of the killers between the pockets of surviving humanity, Quinn soon learns that not all is well beyond the walls, but the same could be said about Zion City.
Experience the start of a harrowing post-apocalyptic series from the best-selling author of After It Happened.
History is lost, America is no more, and only a few safe places remain.
Ranger Quinn thought that morning would be like so many others. A hangover, a day off before going back to work keeping the lower levels of Zion City safe from itself. But a crime so horrific, so brutal in its execution, turns those mundane expectations around.
An investigation into the death of a senior leader in their underground utopia safe from the harsh radioactive wastelands beyond their walls forces Quinn beyond that safety and into the world outside.
Following the trail of the killers between the pockets of surviving humanity, Quinn soon learns that not all is well beyond the walls, but the same could be said about Zion City.
Experience the start of a harrowing post-apocalyptic series from the best-selling author of After It Happened.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2021
195 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Devon C. Ford
82 books434 followersDevon is from the UK, having lived in many places until finally settling in the Midlands. His career in public services started in his teens and has provided a wealth of experiences, both good and some very bad, which form the basis of the book ideas that cause regular insomnia.
He first started reading for fun as an adult, having tried his hardest to avoid anything resembling academia growing up, and at that point the world became a far bigger place. He has been reading, at least one book at a time, ever since.
His debut works, the After It Happened series, (Survival, Humanity, Society) were published in April 2016 followed by Hope (July 2016) and Sanctuary (December 2016). The first part of the series concluded with the release of Rebellion which was published in June 2017.
Storming high into the charts with the first books of the After It Happened series, Devon launched into the top 10 sellers listings in the UK, Australia, Canada and the US, and he made the decision to write full time shortly after the launch of Hope.
Devon’s self-published beginnings caused a stir in the publishing world, and resulted in contracts with Podium Publishing for Audible, narrated by R.C. Bray (The Martian, Expeditionary Force, Arisen), before a publishing deal for kindle and paperbacks with Vulpine Press.
Further works have seen the start of a multi-author series, sci-fi/post-apocalyptic cross genre, futuristic dystopian and alternative history zombie apocalypse. Spin-off books from the After It Happened world have been announced for 2018.
He first started reading for fun as an adult, having tried his hardest to avoid anything resembling academia growing up, and at that point the world became a far bigger place. He has been reading, at least one book at a time, ever since.
His debut works, the After It Happened series, (Survival, Humanity, Society) were published in April 2016 followed by Hope (July 2016) and Sanctuary (December 2016). The first part of the series concluded with the release of Rebellion which was published in June 2017.
Storming high into the charts with the first books of the After It Happened series, Devon launched into the top 10 sellers listings in the UK, Australia, Canada and the US, and he made the decision to write full time shortly after the launch of Hope.
Devon’s self-published beginnings caused a stir in the publishing world, and resulted in contracts with Podium Publishing for Audible, narrated by R.C. Bray (The Martian, Expeditionary Force, Arisen), before a publishing deal for kindle and paperbacks with Vulpine Press.
Further works have seen the start of a multi-author series, sci-fi/post-apocalyptic cross genre, futuristic dystopian and alternative history zombie apocalypse. Spin-off books from the After It Happened world have been announced for 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 5, 2021
The post apocalyptic writing king
So In a future world where a murder takes place there still is the law to try and catch the killer.
Quinn one of 3 M.C characters is a smart ranger but is like John McCain is having a bad day being woke up on his day off to investigate a murder after being hungover.
Valentina is a take no nonsense ranger who dislikes rich and entitled people.
Rivera is the man who people think is there just to look good and rose through the ranks because of who his family is.beyond the surface however we slowly get to see something different a man with principles and a code who doesn't care about his family position. A man who takes his job seriously
all 3 lead to a interesting story of murder and conspiracy in the new world.
I love a good mystery I hope you do to.
So In a future world where a murder takes place there still is the law to try and catch the killer.
Quinn one of 3 M.C characters is a smart ranger but is like John McCain is having a bad day being woke up on his day off to investigate a murder after being hungover.
Valentina is a take no nonsense ranger who dislikes rich and entitled people.
Rivera is the man who people think is there just to look good and rose through the ranks because of who his family is.beyond the surface however we slowly get to see something different a man with principles and a code who doesn't care about his family position. A man who takes his job seriously
all 3 lead to a interesting story of murder and conspiracy in the new world.
I love a good mystery I hope you do to.
October 12, 2021
Humorous without being comedic
A fun read where the characters are three dimensional and the plot is sufficiently interesting. Enjoyed the book and look forward to reading The next in the series.
A fun read where the characters are three dimensional and the plot is sufficiently interesting. Enjoyed the book and look forward to reading The next in the series.
August 21, 2024
Forced road trip in post-apocalyptic west. Two street savvy cops are recruited by an upper class, politically appointed leader to investigate a gruesome murder in a futuristic city hung high in a canyon cleft protecting it from the nuclear wastelands above and below. But knowledge of their city doesn’t help when the young rangers chase into the desert to track down the culprits. From strange mutant creatures to trained assassins to duplicitous thugs and scheming officials, the three protagonists overcome their challenges with cynical attitudes, youthful naivete and, by the author’s good graces, sheer luck.
What I liked about this novel was its creative setting. This is a simple adventure novel. The world building is detailed, especially in the multi-level canyon city. The pace is solid, and a well-defined complete cast of characters with political and personal motives keep the plot threads intertwined and rolling. The story line is the fundamental core of the novel, crafted to bring the reader thrilling adventures with late plot reveals designed to carry the story forward into the next book with a minimum of resolution.
Points of View jumps between characters, an author tactic I typically enjoy, but in this case the voice of the narrator shines through each viewpoint—there is little difference in how Quinn and Valentina think and speak, and even Riviera begins to sound like them as his situation changes. All the characters’ banter would be perfect for a snarky 2024 movie, their language is “of today,” and that made it difficult for me to envision the dialogue as set 100+ years in the future. Sarcastic quips range from creative, “the kid tore into the noodles like they owed her money,” to derivative “Up-and-coming…If my mom’s brother was married to the president’s sister, then they’d call me something like that,” to topical and often crass. A few jokes about men’s genitalia might have been funny, but not every chapter. The story hinges on the continuing sarcastic inner monologues and mocking attitude reminiscent of today’s buddy-cop television dialogue--maybe that is the point.
If you enjoy scatological humor and sharp-tongued characters muddling through a crafted adventure, you will find this an enjoyable read.
What I liked about this novel was its creative setting. This is a simple adventure novel. The world building is detailed, especially in the multi-level canyon city. The pace is solid, and a well-defined complete cast of characters with political and personal motives keep the plot threads intertwined and rolling. The story line is the fundamental core of the novel, crafted to bring the reader thrilling adventures with late plot reveals designed to carry the story forward into the next book with a minimum of resolution.
Points of View jumps between characters, an author tactic I typically enjoy, but in this case the voice of the narrator shines through each viewpoint—there is little difference in how Quinn and Valentina think and speak, and even Riviera begins to sound like them as his situation changes. All the characters’ banter would be perfect for a snarky 2024 movie, their language is “of today,” and that made it difficult for me to envision the dialogue as set 100+ years in the future. Sarcastic quips range from creative, “the kid tore into the noodles like they owed her money,” to derivative “Up-and-coming…If my mom’s brother was married to the president’s sister, then they’d call me something like that,” to topical and often crass. A few jokes about men’s genitalia might have been funny, but not every chapter. The story hinges on the continuing sarcastic inner monologues and mocking attitude reminiscent of today’s buddy-cop television dialogue--maybe that is the point.
If you enjoy scatological humor and sharp-tongued characters muddling through a crafted adventure, you will find this an enjoyable read.
February 28, 2024
I was perusing though my library and came across this book. I completely forgot I bought this one I noticed it was read by one of my narrators r c bray so I started it and I didn't regret it this was a really good read. I love the characters and the world it's set in. 4 and half stars
September 28, 2024
As someone who is hesitant to give 5 stars , I didn’t even think twice about this one. The writing , the character’s, and the story id give it all an A it was great, I’m not sure if this book comes in paper copy but even if it did I would definitely recommend listening to the audio version anyway, R.C. Bray is the Michael Jordan of narrating , there’s literally no one who does it better than him he brings this already great book to somehow an even higher level, his ability to change voices for different characters and his tone changes is super top notch , honestly he could make even the worst book entertaining, but this one was already a great book brought to an even higher level by him. This will probably end up being a contender for my favorite book of the year along with Project Hail Mary and The Family Experiment.
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February 15, 2022Devon is an overall good writer although some issues still sneak into his works. This was a murder mystery and government conspiracy story with the apocalyptic wasteland as a backdrop. The government parts are a bit weak as the characters are pretty much carbon copies of every other shady government characters. For some reason this book has an obsessive and excessive fixation on balls (and asses to a lesser extent). Technical aspects that need work is sometimes too much inconsequential content that does nothing to propel the story or develop characters. Some grammatical issues such as ending sentences with prepositions. Devon writes in a dry manner yet in a tone that comes off as natural. Thankfully he doesn’t go into weapon porn overkill like so many in this genre tend toward. Worth checking it out as a series but it’s likely best as just two books and not a prolonged series.
October 6, 2021
Occasionally it is such a pleasant surprise to stumble across a real gem of a story/series when you weren’t even looking for one. In this case Hunter, book 1 of the Wasteland series was one of these stories I didn’t know I was looking for until I heard RC Bray read those first few sentences and then I was hooked. Not only is this dystopian science fiction tale filled with action, there is plenty of intrigue as well as characters who are impossible to not like- true people filled with failings, real smart-asses but at the same time very competent in their roles as Zion Rangers. While it goes without saying, R.C. Brays’ narration of the audiobook is excellent- I believe he could read the newspaper want ads or phonebook and make it entertaining.
January 19, 2022
Having read Devon's series After It Happens, I expected the same quality. I feel like I was dropped in to the middle of the story with no back story. I kept thinking the author would tell me what happened. What is Zion, what happened to the world maybe, but no. I started to question if I was reading book two or the series instead but again, no. I was reading the first book!
There is nothing in this story that I can relate to make me care about what happened to the characters.
This book only gets two stars because it's Devon C Ford and I like their other books. This one in my opinion can be skipped all together.
There is nothing in this story that I can relate to make me care about what happened to the characters.
This book only gets two stars because it's Devon C Ford and I like their other books. This one in my opinion can be skipped all together.
November 1, 2021
This is the first book in a series
Devon Ford does atmosphere so well. We are in a radiation contaminated world somewhere in the US southwest. The 1% are still living the High life up in the sunshine but the 99% are living underground. There's a gruesome murder and a political plot which sends our 3 heroes out into the wastelands searching for the murderers in a series of small western towns with a few mutants thrown in for good measure.
I am a huge fan of the "After it Happened" series but did not find this one quite so compelling. Waiting for book 2.
Devon Ford does atmosphere so well. We are in a radiation contaminated world somewhere in the US southwest. The 1% are still living the High life up in the sunshine but the 99% are living underground. There's a gruesome murder and a political plot which sends our 3 heroes out into the wastelands searching for the murderers in a series of small western towns with a few mutants thrown in for good measure.
I am a huge fan of the "After it Happened" series but did not find this one quite so compelling. Waiting for book 2.
November 24, 2021
A little slow honestly. Not the best Devon C. Ford story in my opinion. RC Bray was great as usual i just didn't find anything that really hooked me or made me care about the characters at all. The stupid repeated mistakes that the characters would make got old after a while.
Hopefully this is just character building. I will finish it and give the next book a try so hopefully the story gets a little more active.
Hopefully this is just character building. I will finish it and give the next book a try so hopefully the story gets a little more active.
June 18, 2024
Incomplete story
I enjoyed the plot and the post apocalyptic settings. The main characters developed and interacted well and supporting characters provided variety and interest. The main issue for me is the lack of any sort of resolution. I dislike this form of serialised story and, unless the writing and plot are exceptional, I rarely go beyond the first instalment. This is good. It's not exceptional - just my opinion.
I enjoyed the plot and the post apocalyptic settings. The main characters developed and interacted well and supporting characters provided variety and interest. The main issue for me is the lack of any sort of resolution. I dislike this form of serialised story and, unless the writing and plot are exceptional, I rarely go beyond the first instalment. This is good. It's not exceptional - just my opinion.
November 13, 2021
Welcome to the Old West where there are no cowboys anymore, just towns full of sketchy folks, mutants and a lot of radiation. This ends pretty abruptly, so hopefully the next book is going to be out soon. Also, I think one mention of losing control of one's bowels was quite enough - all the references to it kind of got old.
RC Bray was of course fantastic.
RC Bray was of course fantastic.
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February 21, 20224.25/5 - audiobook
Another great hit from Devon C Ford + RC Bray. I thoroughly enjoyed the city life inside Zion - it reminded me of some other bunker-like colonies in books and film. Quinn is a great MC, especially out on his own. I'm hoping we get some more time in Zion or the other colonies in book 2.
Another great hit from Devon C Ford + RC Bray. I thoroughly enjoyed the city life inside Zion - it reminded me of some other bunker-like colonies in books and film. Quinn is a great MC, especially out on his own. I'm hoping we get some more time in Zion or the other colonies in book 2.
March 5, 2022
This book is not your run of the mill post-apocalyptic scenario. The environment outside of the main settlement is brutal and imaginative with a mix of the old west meets dystopia.
The storyline will demand your attention as the next turn in the road brings new tribulations.
A good read that was hard to put down.
The storyline will demand your attention as the next turn in the road brings new tribulations.
A good read that was hard to put down.
October 21, 2022
A two-star rating is probably not fair, but I had to give it less than 3 because I just became so bored with the book that it wasn't comparable to a lot of 3 star books. The concept of the novel is what made me select it, but it needed more direction; the story needed to be tighter. Somewhere along the way, I just stopped caring about anyone in the novel.
October 10, 2021
Decent story
Plot was good. Story started out strong, good characters then about halfway through the characters just kept doing the same wrong thing over and over and over again. It gets repetitious when the character cannot learn from the myriad of mistakes he makes.
Plot was good. Story started out strong, good characters then about halfway through the characters just kept doing the same wrong thing over and over and over again. It gets repetitious when the character cannot learn from the myriad of mistakes he makes.
Read
October 19, 2021Devon C Ford & RC Bray 2 faves deliver an outstanding listen. Excellent start to a new series, adventure, drama, characters that made me cringe one moment then lol alone in my car! Total package, don't miss the ride, highly recommend 5 stars!
January 13, 2022
Great Story Line
Ford took his time really creating the characters and this story line. Sometimes Kindle Unlimited books tend to be full of errors and a rushed story line. Not this one!
Ford took his time really creating the characters and this story line. Sometimes Kindle Unlimited books tend to be full of errors and a rushed story line. Not this one!
February 4, 2022
Pretty good
Too slow but the humor helps. Reminded me a little of Keith C Blackmore with the Mountain Man series.
Terrible ending. Random, like he was just counting words and when he got to the desired number of words he just ended it.
Too slow but the humor helps. Reminded me a little of Keith C Blackmore with the Mountain Man series.
Terrible ending. Random, like he was just counting words and when he got to the desired number of words he just ended it.
May 30, 2024
Starting of as a futuristic detective in a 20 levels deep city in a canyon the story switches to the wild lands beyond the city wall resembling more a dystopian Western. I had the feeling I was reading a computer game.
February 25, 2026
Ending sucked. More like a chapter ending, forcing the reader to buy the next book to go to the next chapter. No closure. Good characters, decent story, but seems like Ford is milking us to pay for 3 books to finish the story.
November 9, 2021
Did not finish... Nuff said...
January 27, 2022
2.5 stars.
Its ok, basic airport reading. I chose audiobook. Could never have read it.
Its ok, basic airport reading. I chose audiobook. Could never have read it.
August 4, 2025
I had a good fun with this, an entertaining read, a Wild West feel.
February 18, 2026
Book 1
Still love his first series the best but trying to support the author by reading his other works. Now on to book 2. Get the author’s books and leave your reviews.
Still love his first series the best but trying to support the author by reading his other works. Now on to book 2. Get the author’s books and leave your reviews.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews