I haven’t done one of these in a while, particularly due to time constraints, but I couldn’t help showcasing the writing talents of a featured author in The Perseid Collapse Series Kindle World. I was very excited to hear that A.R. Shaw would contribute a novella…here’s why. Forgive me if this review is a little rusty.

The China Pandemic (Book 1) and The Cascade Preppers (Book 2) spring from the post-apocalyptic tale of Graham Morgan, a sturdy, even-keeled survivor of a lethal, quick-killing pandemic that sweeps 98% of the world’s population off the map in the span of weeks. Graham has just buried his wife and father, finding himself without purpose, until a gift is bestowed upon him—the unexpected stewardship of a young child. With the promise to guard the child “like his own” recently forged, Graham departs on a journey to reach his family’s empty lake house in the rural Northwest, and the perceived safe haven of a secluded locale.

Needless to say, his journey and the following trials are not for the faint of heart. A.R. Shaw strikes a nice balance between menace and the post-apocalyptic environment that would ensue after 98% of the people essentially disappeared. Supplies are still available, to include food, medicine, and essential materials, and there’s an unnerving quiet blanketing the landscape. Very unsettling, because getting to those supplies often proves dangerous, and as a reader, you will cringe any time Graham’s crew sets out to scavenge. Shaw adds an unexpected, and often overlooked threat in this story…I won’t spoil it for you.

Shaw also embeds a high degree of survivalist realism. Emergency first-aid is featured prominently (not for the squeamish), while home remedies and extensive survival craft is solidly locked  around the framework of an exciting, fast paced story. Fast paced, but not exhausting. A.R. Shaw gives you plenty of breathers, filled with raw human emotion and well crafted dialogue. Graham’s expanded crew spends a balanced amount of time cramped into tight quarters, and Shaw fleshes this out perfectly. But don’t get comfortable in the warm confines of the cabin, because just when you let your guard down…let’s just say that the author is not afraid to put her characters in harm’s way.

Cascade Preppers (Book 2) picks up shortly after the shocking conclusion to Book 1, sharing the series focus with a prepper-colony located across the lake. I don’t want to say more about the interaction between Graham’s group and the Cascade Preppers, but I will say that Shaw has created a fascinatingly unique prepper-camp, complete with detailed description of their operation, rules, society…it’s truly a blast to read about the camp. “Reading” doesn’t do it justice. Though the characters, the reader gets to live and breathe camp life. Shaw has put a ton of thought into their setup. This isn’t your typical bug-out location or compound. The Cascade Preppers have been hard at work for years preparing for a disaster like The China Pandemic. This camp provides an ideal backdrop for the series.

Once you dig into these novels, you’ll see why I’m excited to have A.R. Shaw onboard. Head over to her blog to learn more about what she has planned for The Perseid Collapse World, and book 3 in her series, The Last Infidels. 

AND DON”T BE FOOLED BY HER PLEASANT COVERS! Trust me, there’s plenty of mayhem inside.