Fire In The Ashes

Hundreds of federal police forces are carrying out brutal raids against innocent people, and a mercenary army is helping to keep the peace. Meanwhile, a third enemy is lurking in the shadows.

The story and action are strong and believable. I also see the strong need for an armed population, and the elements and warnings against socialism are as strong today as they were when this book was written.

Johnstone keeps the action going!
Fire in the Ashes is the perfect continuation of the "Ashes" series. Bill takes the reader onward from where "Out of the Ashes" left off, and provides a lot of flashback so that even the reader who starts with this one can understand the storyline. The flashback sequences are terrifically done and masterfully crafted. Ben Raines dogged determination to pull America up from destruction is enough to have everyone raising the banner of freedom.

So-So
If you like adventure/action with a freedom slant, you'll probably enjoy this book. It was gripping, and it does definitely suck you in. Is it Moby Dick? Heck no, but it's worth a read if it's laying around, you only have a few minutes at a time, you get the picture!

Good Pulp Adventure With One Proviso
IN the 30s, when pulp adventure was king, there was a magazine called Operator 5 about America's greatest secret agent. Excellent stories, but especially noteworthy is the "Purple Invasion" set of stories where Op 5 had to contend with foreign invaders who had seized control of America. The "Ashes" series rings with echoes of those great pulp stories. After WW3, America is in grips of a brutal, yet American run, dictatorship. Ben Raines is the head of the Rebels trying to overthrow the ruling govt. and return America to democracy. The first 3/4 of the book show Raines in his struggle with the ruling party. The last quarter is a grim account of the world being swept by the Black Plague. All in all, it's an exciting and worthwhile adventure with one proviso. Normally I don't mind a little sex and violence in my action fiction. Heck, violence is an integral part of any men's adventure fiction. What is disturbing about this book is the sex and there is plenty of it. However, almost all of the sex portrayed in this book is brutal rape. When the secret police are trying to get information from anyone in this book, they are, for the most part, raped, sodomized or forced to watch loved ones undergo the same treatment. A couple of incidents would have been fine to show characterization of the men in power, but Johnstone goes way overboard. It was a bit disturbing