A terrific, but disturbing book, Five Years After is a sharp and well-written addition to the author's best series. I've been a fan of Forstchen for years. His writing has the uncanny ability to wriggle beneath a reader's consciousness and root there. This is the sign of a writer worth reading, over and over again.

This book is worth buying, reading and then reading again. 100%

I thought this was a great addition to the series. It touches on several issues that are still being dealt with even five years later. The author is very passionate about this subject, and you can tell, has done a lot of research and provided realistic situations and conclusions to real world possibilities.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

While I didn't find this fourth book in the series as compelling as the previous books, it is a good story and fans of the series will enjoy it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve loved the whole series and this book was an excellent addition to it. William R. Forstchen has a talent for writing a fictional world but making it so believable.

This popular series of novels which started with One Second After, published in 2009, are based on life at various periods of time after the U.S. has suffered an EMP attack.

Five Seconds After could be read as a stand-alone, although all of the books in this series, including this one, were excellent.

John Matherson continues to be the main character in this story, a leader who would rather not be, but is of necessity continuing to serve as such, since it seems that national leaders with integrity and who actually serve the people, rather than their own self-interests, are "few and far between."

This story continues to illustrate the reality of the extreme difficulties and hardships that would result from an EMP attack. Even five years after the event, those who have survived to this point (perhaps 20%), live a life focused on procuring the basic necessities, with extreme practicality ruling a lifestyle more in line with a hundred years ago (or more) than found in our present society. In spite of the challenges of such a simple existence, there are those who are beginning to appreciate their simple life, although it is still a precarious one.

The author's expressed desire through these books has been to bring attention to the need for the government to take action in protecting America from an EMP attack. There have been those who have tried, including a congressman and experts in the field, to no avail. One wonders why nothing has been done to protect against a threat that seems so great. In this novel, we see the ongoing problem of leaders whose self-interests override the best interests of the people, and therein lies the problem.

This was a really great story, with a completely unexpected (and shocking) ending. Quite a thought provoking novel, even more so in 2023 than when the series began in 2009.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Five years after The Final Day, the Republic of New America has all but collapsed into regional powers and the world is struggling to stay stable. Everyone is still reeling from the EMP that hit.

After trying to live a simple and quiet life, John Matherson receives news that the President is dying from a possible assassination attempt. John has been the vice president and is asked to step in to negotiate what appears to be a new military power.

With threats everywhere, John must work hard to get the republic back together.

I received this one unexpectedly in the mail one day from Forge Books, @Forgereads. I was so excited. I love Dystopian novels and was very intrigued by the premise. What I failed to realize was that this was part of a series. In the case of this book I would have genuinely would have preferred to read the other books first. I would say that this series is best read together, and not as a standalone.

This book is very plot driven and doesn’t dive too deep into the characters. My guess is that is done in the first three books. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and how he told the story. The book was easy to follow and very logically laid out. There weren’t many twists and turns but there were a few minor discoveries along the way. I do think that the ending was a little rushed and abrupt.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and this sounds like one I would really enjoy going back and starting from the beginning.

Thank you so much to @Forgereads for sending me this ARC copy. All thoughts are my own.

Five Years After by William R. Forstchen is a very highly recommended post apocalyptic thriller and the fourth book in the John Matherson series.

The most succinct introduction to the narrative is from the publisher: "Five years after The Final Day, the Republic of New America has all but collapsed into regional powers and the world at large is struggling to remain stable as regional conflicts ravage the post EMP landscape. After several years attempting to lead a quiet life, John Matherson receives the news that the President is dying ... and is asked to step in to negotiate with what appears to be a new military power hidden in the wreckage of the world."

This is the fourth novel in the series and every book has been a winner. The series consists of One Second After, One Year After, The final Day and, now, Five Years After. While John reluctantly steps in and represents the Republic, he is up against more than he bargained for and must be ready to save what progress his community has made. As the plot unfolds, parts of the narrative will hit uncomfortably close to home, including the emergence of controlling, nefarious surviving bureaucrats.

Fans of the series will applaud this fourth installment. Those new to the series will likely be able to follow the plot easily as background information is provided and John Matherson continues to be a great character. After reading The Final Day, most new to the series will want to jump back and read the previous three novels.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Forge Books via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble Edelweiss, X, and Amazon.

Five Years After by William R. Forstchen is a very realistic book.
I was immediately enthralled with this book and it would not let me go.
I loved the overall plot, a typical post-apocalyptic situation.
I’m going to be reading the rest of titles in this series.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forge Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

A huge fan of this book series and the writing style of Willian R. Forstchen. It was great getting back with these characters and the ongoing challenges they face since book one.

An exceptional addition to this series! Forstchen leaves you wondering, thinking of the future of the world as we know it. This whole series is a must read for all. Would you make the choice, knowing the outcome?