The Storm Before the Storm by Joe Russell is an end-of-the-world type prepper’s dream. Well, not really, but the main character Dave is definitely that guy. If it’s between prepping or saving for his daughter’s college fund, he’s more apt to make sure he’s got everything together in the event of an EMP or other end of the world scenario. I was really interested in listening to this book, and initially got distracted listening to the super in depth descriptions in the first hour to hour and a half or so of the book. I wanted to story to start already! Though with this being the beginning of a series, I definitely understand the author’s need to set up initial explanations, Dave’s backstory, etc. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into the multiple story lines with much gusto. Obviously with tons of good reviews though, I am largely in the minority. The story jumps between multiple story lines in both the past and present. Reading the description, I really thought that this was going to revolve around the kidnapping of the women in the present.
Kevin Pierce did an excellent job with the narration. His voice is a perfect fit for this story and, well, I’d love to listen to more of his performances. His voice is is so easy to listen to and he has a perfect voice for narration, and adds emotion when needed. His narration was the highest point of the book. That being said, perhaps if you were a die hard prepper, or at least someone who could definitely get into that type of lifestyle, you may enjoy this book more than the non-preppers that didn’t rate this book as high. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.