The Last Air Force One - Black Autumn Book 4
This is the last chapter of the first part of the series. My understanding is that books 1 - 4 cover the first couple of weeks of the societal collapse. Books 5 through 9 cover living in the new world after the collapse.
So book 1, Black Autumn, covered the events that caused the collapse, basically dirty bombs and a stock market crash. The rest of the book is about our protagonists getting a homestead prepared for the new world that's about to unfold before them.
Book 2, Travelers, covered friends and family of the people at the homestead and what they encountered as they made their way across the United States to the homestead trying to reunite with loved ones.
Book 3, Conquistadors, gets into the Mexican drug cartels taking over Mexico and trying to invade the US. We also see militia groups and gangbangers forming into organized paramilitary groups.
Review of Book 2 & 3:
@the-bitcoin-dood/book-review-travelers-and-conquistadors-black-autumn-series-books-2-and-3
Book 4, The Last Air Force One, covers the last flight of Air Force One and how the government tries to maintain control. It's basically the president and his staff coming to terms with the situation on the ground and trying to figure out the best way to proceed as they fly circles around the country.
So far all 4 books have been good enough for me to continue on with the series. The Last Air Force One is the shortest of all the books so far with only 119 pages. The basic plot goes like this. A suitcase nuke has gone off in a harbor just outside of Los Angeles. The POTUS (President of the US) is immediately evacuated from Washington and placed on Air Force One. Air Force One flies above the United States and the President and his cabinet try to figure out what to do. In the meantime, social unrest is growing and the stock market is crashing uncontrollably. On top of all that, things just aren't what they seem to be with some of the president's cabinet members.
Of all 4 books in this series, so far, I think book 4 was the best. It seemed the most realistic as far as government reaction. The plot seemed reasonable and even likely. As the President tries to figure out the best way forward, members of his own cabinet are plotting against him. Social unrest is growing in the streets of America. Practically all of the country is without power. The stock market has crashed and the President is trying to figure out how to take care of his family and also save the country.
I liked the idea of the presidential point of view. When everything is falling apart around you, what do you do to try to keep it all together? How do you keep it all together? Can you keep it all together? Does there come a point where you just have to cut your losses and walk away?
I also like how it got into the politics at play. This story actually shows the dangers of the left vs right paradigm that is growing in this country and also how it could be used against us. It also touches a little on the concept of false flags, fake news, and how our loving representatives rarely let a good crisis go to waste.
I'm going to continue on with the series.. I'll be starting Book 5 next. At this point, I'm planning on finishing the series. For the most part, I'm enjoying these books. Most of the scenarios are believable. Book 1 was great, couldn't put it down. Books 2 & 3 were also very good. They started losing me a bit as things begin to grow into a bit of a race war. Race war may be a bit strong, but the underlying tone is there. The concept of drug cartels turning into paramilitary outfits was intriguing though.
Book 4 brought us back to survival and government reaction. Basically, it seems the foundation for this story is laid out in the first 4 books. Now I want to see how this huge cast of characters all comes together. For the most part, these have been really good reads. I'm looking forward to carrying on!