Okay homesteading battle.

This was an okay homesteading battle but not compelling post-apocalyptic. My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; 3.75 Story, 4.25 Narration.

Dale Hardy had tried to prepare for trouble. He has learned to grow his own crops, generate power and draw fresh water from the aquifer on his land which has been in his family for generations. A deadly virus has killed many people throughout the country, leaving behind chaos and lack of power during a time of severe draught. Dale hunkered in and drew his family together to help protect them from the virus and the violence that has begun to break out as resources, particularly food and water, become scarce.

Dale’s water trouble started when neighbors began demanding water, then armed strangers tried to sneak in and steal water. But now a newly self-appointed mayor and sheriff are trying to take away his water and they are willing to send in cutthroats to accomplish their goal.

Dale isn’t backing down. He may be willing to trade water for other commodities but if he isn’t willing to just give a cup of water to neighbors, he sure isn’t going to stand by while corrupt officials try to take his water.

There are personal issues to add to the tension. Dale was dating a female deputy until he became concerned that his young daughter would hear the false rumors that he had been seeing the deputy before his wife died. One of the relatives is a young man whose father was sent to prison. The prisoner has broken out and is intent on getting to his son, even as he leaves a trail of death behind him.

I generally like post-apocalyptic books. This one was centered on water shortage more than the plague crisis. There wasn’t a lot of prepper detail but there was private, defensive (initially) action. I didn’t feel there was a lot of character depth and, although I could side with Dale, I wasn’t impassioned by the story or characters. I listened all the way through, expecting a confrontation but just as that arrives, this book ends. It was okay but I am likely to try other series before continuing this one.

Audio Notes: Kevin Pierce does a good job with this genre. He presents the story with a direct flow and the characters with appropriate emotion. I think it was easier for me to listen to this on audio than it would have been for me to read in text.