book review-article 2 of 2 today

This is the second of two articles today.  The regular daily article was published first-scroll down.
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BOOK REVIEW
GRID DOWN-The New Reality Volume 3

I do enjoy Bruce “Buckshot” Hemming’s Grid Down book series.  I would put it at the top of the post-Apocalypse genre of books being published on a regular basis.  There are plenty of over-priced books that are a collection of very short novels broken up to increase revenues.  There are very good stand alone books that are published sporadically.  Some are set in the same universe, but can either continue or never see a sequel, seemingly at random.  Good authors can never be heard from again.  But there are very few professionally published series that can hold my interest ( and that doesn’t mean New York published-which can put out financially orientated drivel ).  Grid Down is one of the few.  Bruce is a good writer.  Not the best-few of us are.  But a solid writer who tries to deliver value for your book buying money.  His efforts are better than most, even if they aren’t perfect. 

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I like what the last two books have done, veering off a bit and testing new territory.  They are not carbon copies of the earlier series.  They do not pander to some readers expectations of non-stop action and bloody unending combat and harrowing attempts at survival.  The previous book changed the geographical setting and was a very good “almost stand alone” attempt.  This last one takes a very sharp departure and has a Back To Near Normalcy component.  The country is, piecemeal, getting back on its feet, yet without the federals interference.  I’d say a bit too much of a Libertarian/Patriot Militant victory.  But that is a minor point.  I was actually very pleased with the overall general feeling, much more positive.  A lighter air about it, not as doom and gloom.  The other volumes in the series always had a positive optimistic feel, but this was even greater.  It was a “less wolf packs and feral bandits will kill us, now we can grope towards a better future”.  I did think the optimism and turn-around were too pronounced, but the series could continue filling in those gaps and still retain their post-apocalypse feel.  It wasn’t like some series where everything returns to complete normal, only better ( cough, cough, “299 Days”, ahem, Rawles ).  A bit too much of a recovery, but not completely unrealistic. 

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I did enjoy the book.  I didn’t want to put it down and it never bogged down.  It was an enjoyable read.  It had those wonderful nuggets of survival tips the whole series contains.  I merely mention all of the above to prepare the reader.  It isn’t action packed, nor is it a continuation of the first few books.  It didn’t have the “normal” romantic interest ( a departure I welcome, for one-not that those ruined the other books, just not my preference ).  It was a change.  Not unwelcome, just different.  I’ll eagerly await new installments.  If you enjoyed the series, by all means get this one.  Just be forewarned this one seems an interlude rather than a continuation.  As long as the series doesn’t veer into militia porn fantasy/patriot porn, I still see great things ahead.

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