First off, third chapter in the saga of Luke & Amy is by far the best one yet. I say 3rd chapter as I'm desperately hoping this isn't just a trilogy, more please! Hats off to William Allen for continuing to mature and fill out the characters most prominent in all 3 Walking in the Rain books. Luke, his girlfriend Amy, and the various National Guard soldiers they join up with are given much more than a one dimensional intro... which is so often the case with this type of book.
Quick recap: Solar flare or EMP strike; either way it's clear something has destroyed the infrastructure and power grid worldwide. Without spoiling and giving too much away, Luke continues on his journey to make it home to his parents ranch in Texas, trying to keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary attention. Problem is, in the wasteland of post 21st century America... a young man with his morale code and growing set of skills sticks out like a dandelion in a parking lot.
Luke must decide which of the factors driving him is highest priority, his growing love for Amy, dedication to the friends he rescued back at the Keller Farm (in Book 2), or the unknown condition of his family and homestead. He constantly struggles with that balance, often changing his mind as situations evolve. Mr. Allen weaves new threats and allies into the story in a way that doesn't seem theatrical or improbable, rather quite likely and almost expected events considering the state of the country at this point.
Expect more battles the closer our characters get to the population centers, more enemies, and combat that even pushes Luke past his abilities. I appreciate that the author didn't make Luke into... Well, Skywalker. (Yeah, bad joke). He does get tired, hungry, exhausted, wounded, and lose his temper. All in all, Luke is an "Everyman" we can all relate to, perhaps that's why I fell so under the spell of this series. I also appreciate that William Allen keeps his data detailed enough and realistic that laymen can understand what's happening, but not so nerdy that you get lost in the minutia of 3 pages describing how a water purification system works. Same goes for his military jargon and conversations between military units. Part of it he rubs off as Luke not understanding the more complex communication methods of the military, but the end result is it's quite readable for the average Joe or Jane. Let me know it's a Colt M4 in 5.56, but please spare me the muzzle velocity and bullet weight in grains of the ammo he hand loaded! Excellent balance struck by the author...
Without spoilers, not all the endings are happy but you won't throw your kindle across the room either. If you haven't read the first two books, buy this one but also buy books one and two and start from the beginning. It's totally worth it and will be some of the best SHTF fiction you've read so far. Just be aware, you may stay up till 2:30AM to finish book three like I did, lots of coffee today!
...until book four, Allen. ;)
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