Wake of War

by Zac Topping

Zac Topping's breathtaking near-future thriller, Wake of War, is a timely account of the lengths those with power will go to preserve it, and the determination of those they exploit to win back their freedom.

It's 2037, and the United States government is on the brink of collapse amid rebel uprisings and aggressive political maneuvering turning the country into an active war zone.

In a nation where opportunity is sequestered behind doors open only to the privileged, joining the Army seemed like James Trent’s best option. He just never thought he’d actually see combat. Now Trent finds himself on the front lines of a second American Civil War, fighting for a cause he’s not sure he even believes in. The last thing he wanted was to spend his days breaking down doors and chasing after fellow Americans―rebels or not.

Retribution is the only thing driving Sam Cross, and her sharpshooting skills have made her invaluable to the rebel efforts tearing their way across the Midwest. With every successful mission, she's reminded that she's enacting real change, but that hasn't made pulling the trigger any easier. And with each step she takes into the heart of the war effort, she can't help but wonder if there isn't another way.

When these opposing forces clash, alliances are shattered, resolve is tested, and when the dust clears, the only certainty is that the country and its fighting forces will never be the same.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Military Fiction, Audiobook, Military Thriller, Novels

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 19, 2022

Reviews

[Michael Mammay]

This is hardcore military SF that is more military than SF. The SF elements are mostly associated with the setting, which is a near future in which there's a war between government forces and separatists in the US. The politics of why this separation happened are mostly in the background, as the story focuses almost solely on the battle for Salt Lake City told from the close-to-the-action points of view of a soldier, a security contractor, and a rebel sniper. Topping doesn't give you a view from above...he slams you right down in the muck.

What this book does, it does exceptionally well. For fans of military action, it doesn't get any better than this. This is as intense and realistic as it gets.

On the deeper side of things, I think it does a good job of showing war without crossing over into glamorizing it. There aren't a lot of winners or feel good moments, which just adds to the realism of it, and the book clearly shows the consequences, both on the city and on the psyches of the individual soldiers, to the point where the sequel could just be all of these folks sitting around in the therapy that they're definitely going to need.

This is a quick read as it hits the gas at about the ten percent mark and doesn't let off until the end.

[J.T. Greathouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wake of War is chilling and deeply humane.

An anti-war novel in the tradition of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and THE FOREVER WAR, this book draws from the the author's own experiences as a soldier to depict an imagined future American civil-war in the late 21st century that parallels American interventionism in the Middle East. While written at a brisk, often thrilling pace and featuring plenty of tactical gear and near-futuristic technology, WAKE OF WAR is far more interested in the psychology of war than in combat itself. Through multi-layered, unflinchingly believable characters Topping asks questions -- what drives people to violence? how can a sense of purpose lead you astray? what lingering effects will participation in war have? -- and does not shy away from difficult, complex answers. A great, if at times harrowing read.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obligatory: I received a review copy of this book from Goodreads and the publisher, Forge by way of Tom Doherty Associates. Thanks, y’all!

In 2037 - and do not mistake this for any kind of science-fiction tale - the United States is undergoing, if not a full-on civil war, at least a massive insurrection as the instruments of Federal government are failing. Out West, the Revolutionist Front is one of the largest rebel groups, and a push towards Salt Lake City is where we find things.

There’s a good amount of hardware love here, but it’s nothing like, say, the near-porn of Monster Hunter International or its ilk.

Topping writes very good action scenes, and his interpersonal work isn’t half bad. Dialogue never feels stilted, even if the characters speaking it are a little flat.

That’s my biggest complaint with the book. The protagonists aren’t very likable. US soldier Trent gets intimidated into doing something dumb and very much against Army rules, and that leads him getting demoted out of a comfortable support job and into the infantry, so expect lots of horrors of war to happen. On the other side, Sam Cross is a skilled hunter, which leads her into becoming the rebels’ hotshot sniper in the story. She’s got her reasons for killing what should be her countrymen, but I found myself wanting her to meet a bad end.

OH! Also, there are mercenaries hired to protect a precious metals mine that both sides want. I found these guys to be the most likable characters in Wake of War.

My own biases are in play here. I recently read They Want to Kill Americans, and on the day I started reading Wake of War, the Supreme Court’s draft decision overturning Roe V. Wade was leaked, and well, that decision’s going to kill a lot of people, so … look, I’m not really sympathetic to much of anyone in this story for plenty of reasons. Your mileage, hopefully, will vary.

RPG utility: Plenty. You’ve got usable scenarios, antagonists, and protagonists. Worth checking out for your near-future-and-plausible game.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to author, Zac Topping, publisher, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook to review.

Wake of War is a uniquely written novel that I instantly fell in love listening to. In a dystopian United States, where Salt Lake City is a major battleground the author, Zac Topping, transports the reader to the front lines of battle. Written with dual points of view, the reader gets a glimpse into the United States Military, the rebellion and the mercenaries.

The scenes are realistic, raw and gritty. There are heartbreaks, triumphs and losses. As a reader I found some sympathetic characters, even on opposing sides, and jumped around on who to root for. One specific character I liked was Samantha Cross, a female sniper for the rebellion. Samantha’s Journey was a powerful statement to the lengths someone will go to avenge her family while also learning the true impacts of war and loss.

This novel isn’t a traditional story, it’s a series of moving pieces that were weaved together brilliantly to tell a bigger story while also imparting deeper messages. Overall, I think this novel really works and heavily recommend it.

[Jamele (BookswithJams) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a military thriller set in the United States in the near future, which has basically fallen apart and is at war with a rebellion republic. It starts off with a bang and is fast paced throughout, which is what you’d expect from these types of books. This is not one I would normally pick up, and I thought it was well written and kept my attention throughout. I enjoyed it and it was a nice change from my usual thrillers, and while this genre is not one I will start picking up regularly, I was glad it got me out of my comfort zone for a bit.

Thank you to Forge Books for the free copy to review.

[Dlmrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Christopher Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Did I like this book? It was not the best book by any means, but it was not the worst book either. I found that the characters were not fully developed, but I don’t think that was the point. This book is what I call filler. Not high lit and you are not going to walk away with a new meaning of life reading this. It was fun. That is about it.

I think the message of this book falls in line with what the country is going through today. I saw some potential parallels here, with the division the country is experiencing, and what is likely to come to your doorstep if we continue on this path.

I found a couple editing errors in the text, which is alarming, given that this was put out by a major publisher. Do better.

Would I read this author again? Maybe. But, I am not going to hold out hope that he will offer anything other than what I saw here.

[Nathan Toronto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received an advance reader copy, and this review is duplicated on the Bullet Points blog.

To call Zac Topping’s Wake of War a military thriller would be an understatement. It is at once more thrilling and more disturbing than that. In this debut novel from Zac Topping, who served two tours in Iraq, the combat sequences are so real and morally fraught that it feels almost like nonfiction. The book follows a host of characters on a collision course of ideologies, tactics, and ambitions, and it leaves very little wanting for those who know war.

In other words, Wake of War isn’t one of those cartoonish books that paints war in simplistic, black-and-white terms. Rather, it is a book that approaches war’s essence, its essential nature, as Clausewitz calls it, rather than simply describing its character. This is a thrilling feat indeed.

Wake of War receives 4 out of 5 bullets because the characters that Topping creates are compelling. They are case studies in that old adage: “the more war changes, the more it stays the same.” The novel follows three main characters: Trent, a kid who joins the U.S. Army to pay for college but winds up in the infantry instead; Markus, a late-career private military contractor who must balance the welfare of his team against the questionable ethics of his mission; and Sam, an ice-in-her-veins rebel sniper bent on eliminating as many U.S. military members as possible. These characters collide in various states of enmity and cooperation on the battlefield, and their stories intertwine in satisfying ways by the end of the novel. In the context of a crumbling American political system in the year 2037, these characters offer a frightening picture of what a cataclysmic American internal decline would look like.

Wake of War’s descent into civil war does leave this scholar of Middle East conflict with a glaring question, though. How in the foxtrot does Salt Lake in 2037 feel so much like Sadr City in 2003? I went to school in Provo, Utah, just down I-15 from where Wake of War is set, and the description of Salt Lake in the novel presupposes a nearly complete loss of social, human, and material capital from what Salt Lake is today. The fabric of society in Salt Lake has unraveled completely, with trash on the streets, decrepit infrastructure, and a tolerance for criminality that fit squarely in the dusty cities of central Iraq in the early 2000s. I, for one, want to know how this happened, so I hope to high heaven that Topping writes another book, and that it’s a prequel.

This should not overshadow what Topping has pulled off here. For him, war is real, and it comes out in this novel, in all its chilling complexity. The late Kenneth Waltz, a preeminent scholar of international relations, wrote, “Asking who won a given war… is like asking who won the San Francisco earthquake.” Wake of War is so thrilling and disturbing in its realism because its characters, to quote Waltz again, “suffer varying levels of defeat.” This frankness about war is precisely why Wake of War needs to be read by everyone who thinks that war is just a game, and even those who have already figured out that it’s nothing of the sort.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian novels range across a spectrum from realism to absurdity. No one could regard the most famous of the lot as realistic depictions of any recognizable future. Brave New World, 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale are works of literature, taking poetic license to drive home the author’s vision. But later dystopian tales do sometimes fall on the realistic end of the spectrum. And Zac Topping’s Wake of War, a novel about a second American civil war, is a grim example. It portrays a set of events we could easily see in our future. If this is prophecy, it’s terrifying.

Wake of War is, unsurprisingly, a war novel. Prepare yourself for nearly nonstop action from beginning to end. I’ve never experienced combat, so I can’t attest to the accuracy of the fighting portrayed in this book. But author Zac Topping served two tours in Iraq, and I trust him to convey a more accurate sense of the experience than anyone who has never been in the military. However, Topping does not glorify combat. In fact, if it’s true that every war novel is an anti-war novel, Wake of War certainly qualifies.

THE SECOND AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ERUPTS NATIONWIDE
Topping’s story is set in 2037. Population control is in effect, with couples limited to two children, and only when authorized. The Federal Reserve is collapsing. The country has withdrawn within its borders, lacking the means and the will to engage overseas. Meanwhile, violent storms lash the coasts, and the temperature soars. All across the United States, anti-government forces are in revolt. Conscription is in effect, violently enforced at times. The US Army is deployed in “combat cities” throughout the land. And near Salt Lake City, a charismatic backwater preacher and cult leader named “Joseph Graham has just declared war on all government forces in the city.” He styles the ragtag army he has assembled the Revolutionist Front (RF). And it is there that Specialist James Trent arrives to join a front-line unit engaged in a fierce campaign to destroy the RF.

UNDERSTANDING THE FURY AND DESPAIR OF THE REBELS
We follow Trent and his buddies through a series of violent engagements as the army steadily moves through the outskirts of Salt Lake City toward the rebel encampment. Meanwhile, Joseph Graham has observed “a nineteen-year-old girl from Texas with a scar on her cheek” hitting bullseyes with her Remington rifle at a thousand meters. She soon becomes one of “Joseph Graham’s Chosen,” assigned as a sniper with a spotter to help halt the army’s advance. As Samantha (Sam) Cross deploys through the mountains, we gain an appreciation of the fury and despair of those who have joined the RF.

Wake of War is tightly plotted and forcefully written. If this is war, I want no part of it. Because if a future American civil war like this ever comes to be, the American Project is doomed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The bio blurb in this book notes that “Zac Topping grew up in Eastern Connecticut where, contrary to popular belief, it’s not all trust funds and yacht clubs. He spent his formative years on the move, as some do, and discovered a passion for writing early in life. [Topping] is a veteran of the United States Army and has served two tours in Iraq. He currently lives with his wife in a quiet farm town in Connecticut and works as a career fire fighter. Wake of War is his debut novel.”

[Jonathan Ficke · Rating 5 out of 5]

WAKE OF WAR is a near future novel about a civil war raging in the American West, Utah to be specific. It’s not so much about why the country fractured, or even really the effort to knit the fracture back together (or drive it further apart, depending on point of view) and more about how the people who fight the war enter a crucible of irrevocable personal change. This isn’t about Churchill inspiring a nation under siege, or even about the clash of Patton and Rommel, field commanders wiling to breathe diesel fumes and get dirty in a war with the hands on movement of units across a theater. No, WAKE OF WAR is about ordinary soldiers, rifle in hand, and how the war puts them into a crucible and leaves them behind, irrevocably altered by the experience.

We follow a young American soldier, James Trent, who enlisted in the Army seeking the advantages afforded to veterans when he completes his service period and returns to civilian life. Trent was no true believer, but rather simply someone who saw the Army as a means to further his life’s ambitions. Yet, he finds himself thrust into the front lines of an anti-insurgency in all the grim and brutal details that entails. We’re given a window into his journey as he gradually loses the touchpoints of the society he left behind and is ostensibly fighting to protect, until by the close of the book the young man is something cynical, damaged, someone who comes to see his old life as something distant and foreign. The life he envisioned for him before his combat experience comes to be something foreign, his hopes and aspirations twisted and changed so that to whatever extent he emerges “victorious,” doing so comes at a personal cost that is visceral to experience as a reader. In a way, he’s a symbol of how the trauma of war changes those who fight it.

Trent’s experiences are juxtaposed against a rebel sniper, Sam Cross, who is a young woman who fights with the insurgency and does so for her own reasons. She enters the story as an avenging angel, a sniper who will earn the moniker “Reaper.” Where Trent fought because the needs of the Army dictated he fight, Cross fought because she believed in the cause. Yet, much as the war changed Trent, the fighting does the same to Cross. Regardless of why you enter the crucible, the heat of combat changes you just the same.

Lastly, the book provides us with the perspective of a grizzled mercenary, Markus. Unlike Trent or Cross, Markus has chosen war as his trade. He and his company have been in one war or another for ages. But even for someone like Markus, war has a way of reaching out and making itself felt.

Nobody, it seems, is immune from being affected by the wake that war leaves in its passing.

Ultimately WAKE OF WAR is a pulse-pounding novel. It’s short, punchy, and relentless. There’s more than just gunfire and military trappings. It’s captures the souls of its characters and gives you a front row seat to how those souls bear the trauma of combat. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

[Kym's Open Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 2037, America is crumbling and a man takes charge as a rebel leader to fight for what he believes America should be.

I love a good military thriller and this was no exception! It was full of fast-paced fighting, backstories on the characters and a rebellion to add to the intrigue.

What I found I liked most were the characters. Topping did a great job of giving the main characters a backstory that made me wanting to find out more. With each POV change, I looked forward to hearing about them and what they had been experiencing.

What really gravitated me to this book was that it was set in Salt Lake City. I live near Salt Lake and have lived in Utah all of my life. Hearing about the mountain ranges, street names and cities brought an extra sense of reality to me. It is set in 2037 and I could follow along in my head where they were.

“I just really hope I’m on the right side of history.”

There were POV’s from the army, mercenaries and rebel forces. This was amazing! I really loved seeing each viewpoint and their reasons for fighting. Each felt they were in the right but many had moments of reflection, debating whether they were on the “right side.” I adored this! I strongly believe nobody should follow blindly into anything. Having them second-guess their decisions made me want to cheer for them.

One aspect I really would have appreciated was more backstory. Maybe I felt too involved because it was in towns I have called “home” over the years, but I wanted to know why Utah? Why wasn’t the nation more involved? They talked about how California was not overrun, so how had Utah gotten so far? How had the rebels truly gained so much power? The intricate details and more backstory about how Utah got to this point would have really sold me more on the story.

The audio was fabulous! I always like to review the audio with any books I receive because why not get 2 in 1? It had two narrators, a male and a female voice. Sam Cross was such a unique character that I was so impressed she had her own narrator. Each narrator did so well with the fighting scenes. I believe those can either make or break a story and they were able to portray the intensity with fluidity and ease. It was well done!

Thank you to Forge Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies!

The book releases July 19, 2022.

Content details:

https://www.theopenbooks.net/2022/06/...

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Wake of War” by Zac Topping ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Future Military Thriller. Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Time: Spring-summer, 2037. Note: Hard core military battles.

The United States of America is crumbling, the dollar imploding, the government foundering. Rebels led by Joseph Graham and his “Chosen” destroy everything in their path. They want no police, no local government, no law, just Graham and his “Chosen” destroying the old and running the new. Martial law rules in big cities, army conscription is back, and mercenaries protect the Vircon mine from rebels. The main characters are on a collision course as army and rebels advance on their target.

Main characters:
Sam Cross, 19 yr old rebel sniper, is one of Joseph Graham’s Chosen. Young and angry, she wants to punish the government for her parents’ deaths and brother’s conscription. Graham names her “Reaper of Killzone Valley”. She shoots and kills, but now she’s killing innocents. Has she become the exact thing she hates?

James Trent, young untested infantryman thrown into battle. When he learns that “free fire” means killing civilians, he isn’t sure he believes in the government. He joined the army for its university tuition program, but will he survive his last year of service?

Marcus, leader of hired mercenaries protecting Vircon mine. In his late 40s, he believes in hope, but the line between right and wrong is getting blurred.

The author immerses you in the chaos of war without glamorizing it-fighting, killing, advancing, retreating, scouting, sniping. He describes sounds, sights, smells of human beings attacking and fleeing. Unfortunately, the constant war scenes tend to overpower significant character development.

The rebel group has parallels to actual violent USA zealots who believe conspiracy theories and fanatically follow an adored leader. Reading the book, you absorb their desperation and confusion, and wonder if our current situation could lead to this end. If you like action-filled military war stories, this is the book for you, and it’s 3 solid stars from me. 🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to Forge Books for the advance reading copy.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wake of War, written by Zac Topping, is a thriller novel that feels more real than fictional at times. It's one of those novels unafraid to delve into current events and issues, making it a heavier read than its peers. Yet it is still a worthwhile experience.

The United States of America feels less united by the day. The economy is crumbling, the government is ineffective, and the people are desperate. It's the perfect recipe for disaster – or civil war.

Enter people like James Trent and Sam Cross. James Trent is an army man fighting a war he doesn't support. Meanwhile, Sam Cross has a personal connection to this war, and that means she's dedicated to making a difference.

Wake of War is one of those books that has the potential to hit HARD, especially depending on the mood you're in. It portrays a war that can feel all too real, and those more sensitive to those concepts will find themselves chilled. Or, in my case, staying up late at night to avoid the risk of nightmares. You know how it goes.

If you're a fan of hardcore military science fiction, then the odds are good that you will enjoy Wake of War. However, I should probably mention that this book leans more one way than the other (more military than science fiction). There's nothing wrong with that, obviously. It's all about finding the right genre balance for you, right?

In many ways, Wake of War reminded me of classical tales of war, just with a different setting. I think that helped ground the story, making it feel all the more real.

Thanks to Forge and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wake of War author Zac Topping is a veteran, and it shows. In Topping’s debut novel, war is not treated as a glorious thing, but rather as an absurd cancer, or a toxin. The reader leaves with the distinct feeling that any sort of violence damages everyone involved. Somehow, despite the gravity of the subject, Topping wrote an entertaining book. He has a knack for simultaneously shoving the reader into the chaos of a firefight, while also slowing things down to more closely inspect the dread and confusion of battle.

Wake of War is set in the near future United States. It’s kind of a less funny Idiocracy. The U.S. is more or less in the middle of another civil war, with the heart of the rebellion located firmly in Utah. There are two main point of view characters – first, a young U.S. soldier named Trent, who only enlisted for free college. On the rebel side is Sam Cross, a teenage sniper who naturally drifted into the rebellion after her parents were killed years before. Both are looking for purpose and therefore are sucked into the violent promise of meaning in war. There's a third mercenary character, but I think plot-wise he was more of a literary device to tie the story together than a fully fleshed-out character.

I appreciated that Topping infused both of his primary characters with humanity, but also plenty of flaws. Trent is unsure of himself, untrusting of his girlfriend back home, not really sure of what he stands for. Cross is perhaps too sure of what she stands for, but also confused by typical teenage things like romance. She's a great example of the difficulty in breaking the causal chain of violence.

I recommend this book to folks who enjoy “Dad TV” shows like and movies like anything Tom Clancy, Lee Child (Jack Reacher), or Jack Carr (Terminal List). If that’s your jam, this will hold a lot of appeal for you. I doubt others would be as interested.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wake of War AUDIO by Zac Topping is a story of revolution, right here in the United States. It is a little way in the future: 2037 and there is a strong group known as the Revolutionary Front fighting to set up a new country in, of all places, California. The battle is taking place in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah and it is definitely a battle story with three fronts: government troops, revolutionary troops, and private security at a gold mine. Not all soldiers believe in what they are fighting for. That is one thing that makes mercenaries believable: they fight to get paid. As the war rages on, the cracks inevitably show up, spread, and become deeper and wider.

This book is definitely not my cup of tea although in many ways it may be a precursor for where our country is headed. I always like the societal aspects of war as opposed to the battles. This was decent for what it is and probably more about the societal effects than I give it credit for. I am not a huge fan of dystopian novels, and this falls into that category as well. I chose poorly when I chose this novel, which is no reflection on the novel itself.

Roger Wayne and Sophie Amoss were the readers and did a fine job, especially Wayne who was able to differentiate between characters with inflection rather than resorting to cheap tricks. Excellent job!

I was invited to listen to a free audio ARC of Wake of War by Macmillan Audio, through Netgalley. Al thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #macmillanaudio #zactopping #rogerwayne #sophieamoss #wakeofwar

[A.T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wake of War is a near future, military sci-if that places the reader smack in the middle of the action. The political struggles that led to the conflict depicted in the book aren’t front and center, the personal struggles of those fighting on both sides are.

The setting feels dystopian. The military jargon is pervasive and precise, adding to the realistic feel of the book. The third person POV is well developed for all three narrators. I appreciate Topping’s ability to create and weave three personal journeys within the story. All three narrators arrive at Salt Lake City, where an American revolutionary force is about to face the U.S. military might, with what they see as strong reasons to be there. All of them face many demons and suffer personal losses. For me, this book is as much about Trent, Sam Cross, and Markus, as it is about the people they lose.

Topping made me hear the deafening artillery, smell the blood, and somehow root for all main characters, no matter which side they fought for. He made this book about the people who pay the ultimate sacrifice, not about political forces far removed from the battlefield. By doing so, he highlighted how distant said forces can be from the reality of war.

Disclaimer: I received a free, electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. Nonetheless, my rating for Wake of War reflects my personal opinion.

[Reid Edwards]

Hemingway's "write what you know" quote feels entirely appropriate for Zac Topping's Wake of War - this veteran captures not just the outside perspective but forces the reader into the minds and experiences of his protagonists, contrasts and displaying their thoughts, emotions and motivations against their actions and choices. Even set in a futuristic USA, Topping's story feels like it could have been ripped from the headlines (which isn't a good thing necessarily, with where the book has us going), oozing authenticity and realism. The action scenes carry weight and visceral heaviness; this isn't your untouchable hero running through firefights unscathed but gritty explosions of violence and fear. Topping's POVs are perfectly differentiated; the story moves from viewpoint to viewpoint expertly, presenting the conflict from multiple angles and beliefs. Honestly, a 5-star book from me is one that pushes the genre, by either doing something entirely new, or that leaves the reader thinking. Wake of War left me with feelings (I won't go into them to avoid spoilers) rarely evoked by a first time author. Definitely one for any fan of military fiction, SF or not.

[Maria-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the future 2037. The book wasn’t what I expected but I did like the story. One of the main characters Samantha Cross a snipper for the rebellion got herself manipulated by the leadership. An easy accomplishment when your family was killed by the government soldiers when you’re only a teenager. Against all odds she doesn’t lose her self-worth and stands for her own principles when she realizes the contradictions in what the leadership is telling them.
Within the US Military we see a mix of characters. The ones just out of high school eager to proof they are a man and ready to fight till they encounter the real event and the body count is increasing. Then we have the kid that feels this is a way to get his higher education paid for after he finished his term. His hope to get through his commitment without getting any fighting goes out the window in his last year of service.
In the mix we have some mercenaries and then of course the town folks who end up in the middle of it all.
The two narrators did a wonderful job in presenting the story.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐫 is a look into a dark, disturbing, and not-so-distant future for the United States. It’s 2037 and America is crumbling. A Revolutionary Front, led by Joseph Graham, has taken control of Salt Lake City.

This is a hardcore military thriller. If you love being deep in the action with soldiers, rebels, and snipers, then this is your book! It is intense and realistic.

I don’t typically pick up military or war thrillers, but I will say I appreciated that Zac Topping provided three different POVs within the narrative: an army soldier, a mercenary, and a rebel. It made a difference because it showed that nothing is ever black and white; there are always gray areas.

Although I sometimes got lost in the gruesomeness of the battle scenes, the author made these characters real, with lives back home - families, girlfriends, and dreams that this war was separating them from.

🎧 The audiobook from @macmillan.audio was done very well, with dual narrators.

Thank you to @forgereads for this gifted copy.

[Sally Mander · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars, both sides believe they're right

WAKE OF WAR
by Zac Topping

In a dystopian future, there's the US Military on one side and the Revolutionary Front on the other side, with the RF trying to take over major cities. It's basically a story about one side shooting at the other side with snipers.

The blurb seemed appealing, but the book was not for me. It may appeal to you.

I would have given it one star, except that a name in the book is similar to one of my family members, so gave it a 2-star marking. That family member may purchase solely for that reason.

I received a complimentary copy of #wakeofwar from #forgebooks I was under no obligation to post a review. #2022newrelease

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Wake of War” by Zac Topping is set in 2037 America. The United States is imploding. Sections of the country are at war with other parts, and The Revolutionist Front (RF) wants to be free of the government. You’ll see echoes of the Civil War seeded in contemporary complaints.

Debut author Zac Topping sets the story is a dystopian world filled with war, poverty, and lost hope. Chapters shift Point of View, keeping readers on their toes.

I heard the author discussing his book and was really excited to score an ARC. I found the battle action was intense, reminding me of video gaming, most disturbing.

Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village (Columbus, OH) http://www.bookloft.com for an ARC to read and review.

[Christopher Gerrib · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was encouraged to buy this book by the author Michael Mammay, and I'm glad I took his recommendation. The book is Zac's first novel, and it's a strong and gripping debut.

Set about 15 years in our future, the story is about three individuals caught up in a second American Civil War - a US soldier, a rebel, and a private security contractor. Not much time is spent discussing which side is right or wrong, although at least to this reviewer the US government is mostly to blame. What the story does focus on is the emotions and actions of these three combatants, "down in the muck" of the struggle to control Salt Lake City.

The book is not for the squeamish, as there is a lot of blood, but for fans of military SF it's a great read.

[Tomasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Civil war in near-future U.S., as seen from the perspectives of a grunt, a rebel girl sniper, and a former Steely-Eyed Operator (TM) turned PMC. There's no good guys here, not much of finger-pointing, just the grind and the gore of a... surprisingly outdated war (I mean, for real, what Topping describes could ring true - pre-Ukraine, that is. The only truly futuristic element here is the railguns, and, as described, they are deployed as howitzers, which is dumb). No surprises, no feats of language, not much imagination and a problem with scale - all this means three stars is the most I can give.

[Tutu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zac Topping’s Wake of War was a page turner with action scenes that make you feel that you are watching it from above. I found myself thinking about the deeper meaning of this book days after I was finished with it. I feel this book really made me question who’s on the right/wrong side of war…or should I say is there a right/wrong side? After all, we are all human beings and each of us fight for our own cause.

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦, 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨!

Omg, this story was brutal and so clever, I found myself living these characters stories in a way so vivid that I really didn’t knew if I was on the right side of the story. I loved the different POVs, the narrative and the pace, a fantastic experience.

Thank you Forge Books and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗮𝗿 by Zac Topping releases tomorrow July 18, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...

[wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A futuristic novel about a United States embroiled in a civil war. This could envision a future maga revolt against our federal government. Mr. Topping does not speak of politics at all. He focuses on the people - a man (Trent) fighting for the government and a woman (Sam) who is sniper for the rebels. We become vested in their successes and failures. Ultimately there is too much focus on the battlefield at the expense of fully fleshed out characters.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take one divided country. Add in a soldier who joined for the college funds, a girl who joined the rebels due to government over-reach, and a military contractor hired to protect a mining executive. Mix in lots of gritty action around Salt Lake City that intertwines the three stories and the result is a tale that makes the reader consider who they would support in the hot mess portrayed by Zac Topping. Interesting reading.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on what could happen after the 2024 election - i.e. a civil war. The book followsmain characters from the existing Government, those from the rebel side and even those not directly invovled on eitherside, but hire mercenaries to protech their foreign investments in the United States. The action centers around Salt Lake City and the valley it lies in. Could have easily been made into book series. As it is, the book starts when the rebellion is well underway.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story that uncannily alludes to consequences as a result of tension in today’s world. This book has fantastic battle scenes that ropes in any reader, even those with no military experience or background. I was hanging on every word eager to take the next turn with the characters throughout the author’s story.

[Kerry]

I won Wake of War in a Goodreads Giveaway, but it must have been delivered to someone else. Goodreads has suggested I make a request to receive it, but after reading reviews I think I'll pass as it doesn't sound like I would appreciate it. I'll mark it as read to move it from my to-read list and skip a rating.