Arisen: Raiders Volumes 1 and 2

Arisen: Raiders #1-2

by Michael Stephen Fuchs, R.C. Bray (Narrator)

Listening time 14 hours 10 minutes

Contains volumes one and two of the Arisen: Raiders series.

The Collapse, Volume 1

Two teams of pipe-hitting special-operations Marines left to die in the fall of North America. One nuclear supercarrier strike group; humanity's last best hope for survival. And seven billion ravening dead guys, rampaging across an overrun planet. For the JFK strike group and its MARSOC guardians, two years of the horrors and glories of Zulu Alpha on the high seas and the fallen world's ports and coasts. Now, their story will finally be told.

Tribes, Volume 2

One nuclear supercarrier strike group, perhaps the last operational military unit on a fallen planet. Two teams of spec-ops Marines, the only warriors dauntless enough to dare the missions required to keep the others alive. And one Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman, battling to do an impossible job and find his place on a team knit tight as steel cable. Doc Yaz, Gunny Blane, and the rest of the Raiders are safely back on the Kennedy. But they are nearly instantly thrust back onto shore, out into the worst of the Zulu Alpha, in order to secure the critical supplies the strike group needs to survive even another week - and then the weapons and ammo the Marines need to keep fighting for the others.

Hold your breath as these shore missions go from simple, to stupid, to suicidal, all with breathtaking speed and violence.

Genres: Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published August 31, 2021

About the author

MICHAEL STEPHEN FUCHS is author of the #1 bestselling epic ARISEN series of special-operations military ZA novels, which have repeatedly been Amazon #1 bestsellers in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction, #1 in Dystopian Science Fiction, #1 in Military Science Fiction, #1 in War Fiction, and #1 in War & Military Action Fiction, as well as Amazon overall Top 100 bestsellers. The series as a whole has sold over 1.5 million copies. The audiobook editions, performed by R.C. Bray, have generated over $5 million in revenue. He is also author of the D-Boys series of high-tech special-operations military adventure novels, which include D-Boys , Counter-Assault , and Close Quarters Battle (coming in 2026); as well as the existential cyberthrillers The Manuscript and Pandora’s Sisters , both published worldwide by Macmillan in hardback, paperback and all e-book formats (and in translation). He lives in London and blogs at www.michaelfuchs.org/razorsedge. You can follow him on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, or by e-mail.

Reviews

[Tracy P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-stars.

Arisen: Raiders, Volumes 1-2 isn't just and extension of the Arisen universe—it's the explosive ground zero for everything that follows. Written after the main fourteen-book epic but stepping back to the earliest days of the collapse, this prequel audiobook delivers a direct shot of pure adrenaline straight through the headphones.

Anchored aboard the USS John F. Kennedy, a massive warship floating as one of humanity's last high-seas fortresses, these first two books begin tracking the elite MARSOC Marines (including the legendary, Master Gunnery Sergeant Fick) through the brutal first two years of the global outbreak.

Knowing where the world is ultimately headed gives every mission, choice, and narrow escape a sharper, tragic edge. The military realism is as good as ever, but in my opinion the real heart comes from hearing the squad in the early days—forging their bond through dark humor, sheer determination, and the sad desperation of warriors fighting for a world that is already slipping away.

Stepping back into this universe with Bray guiding the journey turns what could have been a simple tactical side-story into an essential hard-hitting beginning chapter of the larger saga. It's brutal, fast-paced, and always tough to pause.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want more.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, what a ride. I've read the Arisen series three times and then Raiders came out. I just listened to these first two volumes and it took me right back to the JFK and to so many characters, like Fick, Drake and Reyes. Even Handon and Ainsley have a cameo appearance in the beginning. If you're familiar with the series, this takes place shortly after the outbreak. Instead of ground zero in Africa or the last bastion of humanity in the UK, we get to see what things were like in San Francisco and for the crew of the JFK and the other ships. Of course, you can't have that location without some series action on the Golden Gate Bridge. Then they have their first scavenging mission where Murphy's Law keeps them on their toes. If you're new to Arisen then just know this can be read at any point. It's not a bad place to start chronologically, but you may want to read Genesis first if order of events is important to you. Now I'll be listening to the rest of Raiders and proceeding to read the whole series for a 4th time. It's like coming back to family every time I do. I absolutely love these characters, their bonds and sacrifices. I love all the specific details about weaponry, gear and operations, the play-by-play of every action sequence, and all the inside thoughts of different people. Of course the narration was excellent, too.

[Booksofdoom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great as always

Bloopers at the end of the audiobook was hilarious as well, all audiobooks should have that.

[MaryMargaret Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

And apparently I have read these. I started goodreads so this didn’t happen. But I love the story. Just thought it was a continuation.