Audio Book Review: Bunker (Book 3) Code of Honor by Jay J. Falconer

This series’ episode fits the bill for a quick action title.
Bunker (Book 3) Code of Honor
Written by Jay J. Falconer
Read by Gary Tiedemann

Run Time 5h 50min
Release Date: May 29, 2017
Publisher: BookBreeze.com
Genre: Action, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Thriller
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

A Warrior Lives for Peace. Sometimes All He Finds is War.
When the perpetrators finally reveal themselves, Jack Bunker finds himself the target of a deadly manhunt. He’s all that stands between them and complete control.
Yet mortars, artillery, and machine guns are not the only threats Bunker must face.
News of an airborne pathogen spreads panic across the countryside, leaving everyone to fend for themselves, including Bunker after he’s wounded.
Eventually the citizens of Clearwater must make an impossible decision: resist with their lives or serve on their knees.
>>> From award-winning, bestselling author, Jay J. Falconer, comes another heart-pounding, post-apocalyptic saga you won’t be able to put down. If you love high-intensity thrillers, this book was written just for you.

Review:
Jack Bunker was able to escape with Deputy Daisy from a gang of military mercenaries. But soon find themselves facing Russian enemies. Jack sends Daisy back to town to warn the mayor and others there. Then Jack finds himself running for his life after being spotted.

Jack isn’t the only one the Russians are chasing. Apparently, their real reason for being in Clearwater is to find the man who stole a deadly weapon. That man is on the run with a daughter returning to her home.

Back in town, the community is excited to welcome FEMA trucks and supplies when they roll into town. Although the ‘rescuers’ are manned by a foreign team, the mayor and citizens agree to line up for a special vaccination they are told is to protect them against radiation from the potential threat of a damaged nuclear site miles away.

Soon all injured parties are converging on the home of the local prepper, who is now dead. There is a delayed challenge between some of the primary characters before the straggling group recognize that they need to pull together if they want to protect themselves and help their community from the Russian threat and the unknown, but suspected, threat posed by the ‘FEMA’ group.

I enjoyed this quick listen. I still disapprove of some of the shallow jealousy of one character in particular, although that may have been resolved in this book. I still like how Bunker takes the blows and keeps pushing back. I will be continuing with the next two books which I already own.

Audio Notes: Once again, Gary Tiedemann does a fine job providing distinct voices and appropriate energy that fits the story. I am glad that I can listen to this series.

Source: 10/2/2021 Chirp Purchase $1.99. This qualifies for 2022TBR and 2022Audiobook goals.

Audio Book Review: Bunker (Book 1) Born to Fight by Jay J. Falconer - 4.0.
Audio Book Review: Bunker (Book 2) Dogs of War by Jay J. Falconer - 3.75.

Audio Book Review: Bunker (Book 2) Dogs of War by Jay J. Falconer

This Post-Apocalyptic/dystopian moves the story along.

Bunker (Book 2) Dogs of War
Written by Jay J. Falconer
Read by Gary Tiedemann

Run Time 4h 40min
Release Date: April 6, 2017
Publisher: BookBreeze.com
Genre: Action, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Thriller
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.75; Narration 4.0.

Those Who Resist, Triumph. Those Who Kneel, Serve.
When a covert communication is intercepted, Jack Bunker and the town leaders of Clearwater swing into action to uncover the secret behind its deadly intent.
However, before their defenses can be fortified and the threat neutralized, a ruthless faction gains a foothold, turning to kidnapping and torture for control.
As the body count rises, Bunker is forced to summon a part of himself he loathes in order to save everyone he cares about.
But rescuing his friends won’t be easy, not when the insurgents focus their attention on him and his mysterious past.

Review:
This second book picks up where book 1 ended. The town council agrees to have Bunker help prepare them for the difficulties they will face from their own community with the tech and electric systems down. But they soon learn of an outside threat. They will need more help and more resources.

Bunker is asked to join Deputy Daisy to travel to the farm of the local ‘prepper’ to try to obtain supplies. Bunker’s friend (from book 1), Stephanie, quickly moves into jealousy mode, having had a bad history with Daisy. Another town leader takes Stephanie and her son Tommy off to his home to help cool her temper.

Stephanie’s group runs into trouble as they approach home while across town, Bunker and Daisy run into trouble as they try to find the old man in his home. The story jumps into action that keeps the reader engaged. The story stretches realism a bit and ends with the next scene yet to come.

My headline summary says that this moves the story along. The bottom of the publisher info does indicate that this is “Audiobook 2 in the Mission Critical Series. A 5-part completed serial.” The reader needs to recognize that these are just short chapters of a full story. I am glad that I was able to get the other ‘chapters’ on sale. The best way to buy this series would be in a boxed set. I will continue to listen to the next books when in the mood for an action post-apocalyptic story.

Audio Notes: I can repeat my assessment of the narrator from my review of book 1. Gary Tiedemann does a fine job providing distinct voices and appropriate energy. I will continue to listen to more in the series.

Source: 10/2/2021 Chirp Purchase $1.99. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.

Audio Book Review: Bunker (Book 1) Born to Fight by Jay J. Falconer

This is a quick post-apocalyptic listen with a hero that I like.
Bunker (Book 1) Born to Fight
Written by Jay J. Falconer
Narrated by Gary Tiedemann

Run Time 3h 46min
Release Date: March 31, 2017
Publisher: BookBreeze.com
Genre: Action, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Thriller
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher Description
Cyber-Attacks. EMPs. Invasion. War. When the end comes, few will have the ability to survive.
When a coordinated attack takes out the nation’s power grid, a small town finds itself at ground zero of an all-out invasion.
With limited options and no time to prepare, the citizens have no choice but to turn to a mysterious drifter, Jack Bunker, for help.
The former combat engineer has the skills to keep them alive, but he won’t be able to do it alone, not against an overwhelmingly superior force. Somehow he’ll have to find a way to transform the mild-mannered townsfolk into military-grade warriors and lead them into battle, despite his dark past that leads some to wonder whose side is he really on?
The Bunker series is a 5-part explosive, high-octane thriller. If you like pulse-pounding action, resourceful warriors, and deep political intrigue, then you’ll love this bestselling tale of true grit. It’s Rambo versus Red Dawn, only amped-up with one thrilling scene after another.

Review:
Jack Bunker is a soldier with a mysterious past. He was looking forward to ‘decompressing’ and finding a new beginning when events went haywire. Bunker was on a train traveling north when the power went out. At the same time, the cell phones and tablets of passengers went dead. Next a plane plunged from the sky. It is clear that Bunker suspects a greater problem – an EMP strike – that many others don’t recognize.

Sitting next to Bunker on the train is a young woman and her 10 year-old son. When Bunker chooses to exit the train and start walking, the woman, Stephanie, and her son, Jeffrey, are determined to go with him. Bunker doesn’t want to take any responsibility for them, but he can’t force them not to follow.

Before Bunker and his companions get to the town they set out for, they are pulled in to rescue a busload of children. Now Bunker is in town and facing a crowd with leaders who aren’t sure how to protect themselves from the disruptions that are quickly spreading.

The author has not yet revealed Bunker’s full background, so he is still a mystery, which adds interest to the story. The post-apocalyptic event has just occurred so there is still a lot to learn about what or who caused the event. I liked the action which I hope will increase in the next books. The writing could use more depth, but it has an easy flow in this series opener.

I didn’t necessarily find this ‘enthralling’, but I found it entertaining and want to continue. I was glad I could get audio books 2-5 for just under $10.00 at Chirp. I recommend this to fans of the post-apocalyptic genre.

Audio Notes: Gary Tiedemann does a fine job with the narration. The voices are distinct and the energy fit the story. I look forward to listening to more in the series.

Source: 9/5/2021 Chirp Purchase $.99. This qualifies for 2021Audiobook goal.

Audio Book Review: Redfall: Freedom Fighters: American Prepper Series, Book 2 by Jay J. Falconer

There is continued action and forward plot movement in this second book that provides solid entertainment.
Redfall: Freedom Fighters: American Prepper Series, Book 2
Written by: Jay J. Falconer
Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
Series: American Prepper, Book 2
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:03-29-16
Publisher: BookBreeze.com
Genre: Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
When the red rain stops, will civilization survive?
As militant groups arm themselves and take to the streets, survivalist Simon Redfall and his band of freedom fighters scramble to uncover more facts about the swarm of red storms suffocating the planet.
The more they dig, the deeper the conspiracy grows. Yet, it all seems to point back to one man and his weather control technology, Jeffrey Hansen. A former military intelligence officer who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
When more of the puzzle comes together, Simon realizes the threat to humanity is even greater than anyone could have ever imagined. Something sinister is about to crawl out of the shadows and reveal itself.
No one is safe.
No one can stop it.
No one saw it coming.
Rated R for violence, language, sexual situations, and bloodshed.
©2016 Jay J. Falconer (P)2016 Jay J. Falconer

Review:
This installment picks up where the first book ended and I do recommend reading book one first. The story follows seven important characters or groups.

Simon is helping Tally and the other teens at Pandora take precautions for safer survival. The kids have pulled together materials to a make a Faraday cage for their computer room. While they are working on this, a young man walks up claiming to be from sent by Tally’s brother, Wyatt. He has sent a message that Jericho has been attacked by an unknown military force. Tally freaks out and wants to rush to her brother’s side even though the message is to stay away. Before they can execute a plan to check out the truth of the boy’s story, a military team shows up at Pandora.

A Nighthawk team is on their way to retrieve misdirected weapons when they receive orders to find Simon Redfall and get him to meet with General Nate Rawlings, and Director of National Intelligence, Nancy Wiggins. The government leaders need Simon’s help to find Jeffrey Hanson, the owner of Rain Tech, who may have something to do with the red rain.

Simon coerces the reluctant and adversarial Nighthawk team to accompany them to Jericho in exchange for Simon’s cooperation. When they arrive at Wyatt’s farm tensions quickly escalate. Then the rain stops as another unusual weather event brings a new form of chaos.

Meanwhile General Rawlings was on his way to a meeting with Wiggins when he takes a detour. He wakes up from a car crash facing a noxious group of Pennsylvanian hillbillies; the Carmichael brothers who are Wyatt’s rivals. Back in Washington, D.C., Wiggins is wondering where the General is when a strange electrical strike wreaks havoc on her meeting.

The head of Indigo Technologies takes a dive while spying on Nighthawk’s playboy leader. Indigo's "clean-up" guy, Zeke, is brought to the Indigo command center, where the cadre of lawyers and accountants introduce him to the inner workings of the mega company that seems to control much more than just security.

Jeffrey Hanson has made a ransom offer to buy his way out of the dilemma he swam into. He awakes to find himself abandoned in the bowls of a rusty cargo ship in an unknown port.

The story moves along at a quick pace with the variety of scenes, most with intense action; physical and emotional. As the warning notes, there is violence and brutality consistent (sadly) with lawless gangs.

A couple of the pieces of the conspiracy are beginning to be connected. I was wrapped up in anticipation of finding how all of it fits…just when this book ends. Now I have to wait for the next book to continue, and hopefully, resolve the puzzle.

Audio Notes: Once again Gary Tiedemann does a good job portraying the various characters. He provides the continual intensity and emotion that maintains the focus on the story. One issue I have with this book is Tally’s panicking and hysteria. I don’t know if her behavior would be quite so annoying in print as it was in the audio. I suppose this might be realistic for a teen girl scared for her brother but I found it stupid, inconsistent with her logical personality, and very annoying in the listening mode.

I received this audio book from the author for an honest review. It qualifies for my Audio Challenge.

Audible Book Review: Redfall: Fight for Survival: American Prepper Series, Book 1, by Jay J. Falconer

This is a fast moving, introduction to an engaging dystopian series.

Redfall: Fight for Survival: American Prepper Series, Book 1
Written by: Jay J. Falconer
Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann

Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
Series: American Prepper, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:03-11-16
Publisher: BookBreeze.com, LLC
Genre: Sci Fi, Dystopian
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Society will collapse in days...and that's the good news.
Former special ops and survivalist Simon Redfall has lost everything: his wife, his fortune, and his future. Despite being hunted by angry mobs and his own bankrupt government, Simon arrives in Washington, DC, to attend the first ever pay-per-view execution of someone he loves.
Then red storm clouds appear and begin to spread their potentially toxic rain across the planet.The mysterious weather phenomenon grounds all travelers, knocks out communications, and threatens to take down the grid, sending civilization back to the Stone Age.
As society tumbles into chaos, Simon joins a group of like-minded preppers to unlock the secrets behind a terrifying global conspiracy. What he and his band of freedom fighters soon learn will put their lives - and the lives of everyone else on the planet - at risk.
For humanity, time is running out.... When the red rain stops falling, it will be too late to stop what's coming next.
©2016 Jay J. Falconer (P)2016 Jay J. Falconer

Review:
Simon Redfall was a respected former special operative who established a successful security business, Ghost Works. The business went into bankruptcy and Simon went into hiding after his wife committed a terrorist act, massacring a group of visiting scientists and their families. Simon has been living off the grid for two years and only returned for his wife's execution which is a mega public extravaganza, legalized so it can be exploited to help raise money for government budget shortfalls.

Simon suffers quietly through his wife’s cries of innocence. When it is over he tries to slip away but reporters and angry citizens try to mob him. The only thing that stops them is red rain that comes from nowhere and distracts the mob long enough for Simon to be pulled into a van and whisked away.

Simon find himself with a team of teen-aged survivalists and geniuses who need his help in consulting and contacts, to unravel and deal with the society collapsing around them. They have a secure survival base called Pandora, located in Amish country. Tally Wicks, their leader, also has a brother, Wyatt, who has a more militant compound, Jericho, a few miles away. Wyatt wants the two groups to join forces and challenge the government, while Tally is looking for a logical, peaceful solution. But whether it is cyber rebellion or military rebellion it looks like the groups are going to face major technological trouble. Before it is fully revealed how Simon can help the teen group at Pandora, a militant force of some sort attacks the Jericho compound. It might be a competing gang group or something more sinister.

Between the scenes introducing Simon, Pandora and Jericho, readers meet the ‘nefarious’ characters. Zeke, sounds like a ‘clean up’ man for Indigo Technologies, the mega company that took over the security world when Simon’s business closed. Jeffrey Hansen is a scientist who founded Rain Tech. Although he provided covert weather technology for the government, his current project is a complete secret to everyone except his obscenely wealthy, contract employer.

The involved government parties include General Nate Rawlings, Director of National Intelligence, Nancy Wiggins, NSA Director, Conner Haskins, and a contract militia group, Nighthawk. There are quite a few threads moving along the story line and this first book hasn’t tied them all together yet. The independence of American society has been crumbling at the opening of this story. The red rain and manipulated events move the story into a scary dystopian world which is being controlled by technology in the hands of powerful, wealthy fanatics who have, as yet, undisclosed agendas.

I really like the elements of technology being used by the good guys and bad guys. I am interested in the dynamics between the youth and their aversion to the older generation. This first story moves quickly, setting up the political atmosphere, strong characters and a glimpse of the conflicts and action that will undoubtedly escalate. However, there are a lot of open questions and, as I was warned, the book stops in the middle of the action. The reader is left to choose to either walk away or move on to book 2, Redfall: Freedom Fighters. Since it was an “argh” moment for me, I want more.

Audio Notes: I really enjoyed the narration by Gary Tiedemann. He provides distinct character voices and includes solid emotional nuances. I would be glad to listen to more of his narration. The combination of talented narration and steady action made this an engaging listen.

Cautionary content: This book does contain violence and bloodshed consistent with a dystopian setting. It may also contains some foul language - that barely registered for me so it couldn't have been too glaring. 

I received this audio from the author through Audiobook Blast for an honest review. It qualifies for my Audiobook Challenge and “R” in Alphabet Soup Challenge.