A Path of Ashes

The Path of Ashes, Book 1

By: Brian Parker

Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies

Evil doesn't become extinct; it evolves. Our world is a violent place. Murder, terrorism, racism, and social inequality are some of the forces that attempt to destroy our society while the state is forced to increase its response to these actions. Our own annihilation is barely held at bay by the belief that we've somehow evolved beyond our ancestors' base desires.

From this cesspool of emotions emerges a madman, intent on leading the world into anarchy. When his group of computer hackers infiltrate the Department of Defense network, they initiate a nuclear war that will irrevocably alter our world.

Aeric Gaines and his roommate, Tyler Nordgren, survive the devastation of the war, only to find that the quaint, politically correct world where they'd been raised was a lie. All humans have basic needs such as food, water, and shelter...and we haven't forgotten how to fight for what we desire.

A Path of Ashes is the first book in an exciting new series about life in post-apocalyptic America, a nation devoid of leadership, electricity, and human rights. The world as we know it may have burned, but humanity found a way to survive and this is their story.

©2015 Brian Parker (P)2015 Brian Parker

Great book!

This was a well constructed story. It kept me engrossed from start to finish. A good amount of action and shocks. Looking forward to book 2!

Was this book edited?

I'm quite amazed at the number of grammatical errors I encountered throughout this story. It's quite distracting, actually. Otherwise, the story is good with some rather compelling characters, made all the more vivid by the outstanding narration by Stephen Bel Davies. There are a couple of minor loose ends, left as setup for the next book I suspect, but the story does not end in a cliffhanger, thank goodness.

Note: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A Path of Ashes

I really liked this book,aside from the nasty torture parts.Stephen Bel Davies does a nice job with all the voices in this book.Eric and tyler meet in their college dorm room.They start school and the end of the USA happens.There is a cyber attack,bombs,nukes,everything happens within a few weeks of each other.As they trek from Texas to Missouri to check on Erics family they encounter good and bad people.They get caught by worse people on their way back but eventuelly make it to their goal.
I was given this book for an honest review.

The story of Aeric and Tyler...

A Path of Ashes (The Path of Ashes, Book 1) by Brian Parker and narrated by Stephen Bel Davies sets the path for a great post-apocalyptic series. It’s well-written and you connect with the characters. Highly recommend for those who enjoy dark post-apocalyptic worlds. 4 ½ stars for story, 4 stars for narration.

What’s it about? Tyler and Aeric are two normal college kids doing their thing when a group of hackers, called the Vultures, sets off and EMP followed by nukes. From there, the world quickly spirals into chaos, with those left trying to survive the aftermath. Make no mistake, there are dark parts to this book, so if that isn’t your thing, might want to stay clear. It starts off semi-light, you’re not always sure where it’s going to go, then picks up the pace to a fantastically dark post-apoc world. Honestly, in the beginning I wasn’t sure if this book would cut it for me, but after it picked up speed, it did and I’m already on to the second book. There’s that hint of realness to the story, which helps bring it to the next level.

The narrator, Stephen Bel Davies, overall did good. Some things were a bit off at times, but overall he’s enjoyable to listen to.

“Yeah, we’ve seen a lot of stuff out there, but it’s mostly been bad people who made the choice to become evil, not these other things that you’re talking about.” (mutant dogs, mutant humans)

Overall I highly recommend for those who enjoy dark post-apoc worlds.

Parental guidance/trigger warnings: one of the MC experiences homophobia from family, rape, prostitution to get food/safety/etc., torture, suicide, murder, castration, sex slaves, and other like situations due to the post-apoc world. Language used: Fx47, Sx54.

A Path of Ashes

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Path of Ashes?

A post apocalyptic tale told by a grandfather
Very immersive and even provokes some emotion as if you have a connection to the characters.
Aeric and Tyler are a couple regular guys in college... they quickly learn to fight and survive. Enjoyed this apocalyptic audiobook

Great Book, Narrator Needs Some Help.

What made the experience of listening to A Path of Ashes the most enjoyable?

Fantastic story, I cannot wait for the next book.

What other book might you compare A Path of Ashes to and why?

If you like this book, check out Convoy 19 by Mark Rivett.

What about Stephen Bel Davies’s performance did you like?

He did a good job overall he just mispronounced some town names. For Instance, Mexia is pronounced "Muh-Hay-Yuh" not "Mex-e-uh" and Seguin is pronounced "Seh-Geen" not "Suh-gwin". But overall he did fine. And yes, I am a native Texan who served in the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood where much of the story takes place, at least he pronounced Killeen correctly.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, it was awesome.

Saga

I love Brian Parker’s work. He always tells an interesting and entertaining story.
The characters are young and intelligent. I do think they take to killing a bit quickly and they definitely get lucky A LOT. Of course their luck runs out at one point but their journey seems so easy at times. I’d love to know how young J makes part of the trip alone without being abused or kidnapped. Maybe a short side story in on of the next books could give us some of those details. Seems unlikely she could navigate her way, take care of herself and her charge and stay safe for the time it took her to get to SA.
(Trying not to give anything away here)
I’ve already started book 2 and I have book 3 ready to go as well.
Stephen Davies did an excellent job narrating. I’m not certain I’ve heard much or anything from him before. I would listen to him again.
I was voluntarily provided this review copy at no charge by the author, publisher and or narrator.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy at no charge by the author, publisher and or narrator.

Great new story

If you could sum up A Path of Ashes in three words, what would they be?

Loss, Betrayal, Redemption

What other book might you compare A Path of Ashes to and why?

I am a big fan of the genre and this is a great story.

What does Stephen Bel Davies bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

These stories are not all sunshine and puppies and the characters have to determine within themselves what they are willing to do in order to live with their actions, or inaction..

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Nothing really, its funny how some narrators try to portray a female charactor.

Any additional comments?

This story reminds me of a Ken Follett novel, sometimes it takes decades before the main charactor gets a break and sometime they never do!

Good ole boys!

Aeric and Tyler, a couple of regular freshmen college students, find themselves at the beginning of a nuclear holocaust. These guys are not your typical military retirees, law enforcement, or outfitted preppers that are the usual fare for these type of stories. These guys are plain ole college students, although they do manage to catch on unusually quick. Leaving Texas after the initial attacks, they set out cross-country to make their way to Aeric's home in Missouri. This first book in the series chronicles their journey. Three.point.five for uniqueness.

Excellent

As a fan of all things apocalypse I really enjoyed this one
The author does a fantastic job describing a bleak landscape and heavy situations added realism
Well narrated with great characters highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review