BOOK REVIEW: As the Ash Fell by AJ Powers

Posted: July 3, 2015 in Book Promotions, Book Reviews, Fiction, post-apocalyptic, Reviews

Enjoyable post-apocalyptic adventure!

I received an advance reader copy of As the Ash Fell in exchange for an honest review, but I’m just getting around to writing it. The author published the book while I was still reading it, so I ended up purchasing it on Amazon to read the final version.

One of the things I look for most in a novel is good character development. AJ Powers did an excellent job of that. The characters felt realistic. They spoke and acted in such a way that was believable in their situation. I found myself getting to know Clay, his family, and the other characters in the story; I cared about them. I found it hard to find a good stopping point every night I read this novel, and due to my growing interest in the characters, I wanted to know more. Heck, there were even a few times that I turned off my Kindle, went to bed, and then decided to read just one more chapter.

As much as I enjoyed the story, it isn’t without its flaws. Some parts of the story were a bit slow and even got somewhat repetitive. However, I think I know why he did this. I won’t spoil anything, so I won’t mention specifics. Just exercise some patience. I’m glad I did. There were also a few stylistic, grammatical, and typographical errors here and there, but nothing too distracting. Also, be aware that the author sometimes gets very technical regarding weapons and ammunition. So, unless you are familiar with guns and ammunition, you may find yourself looking things up just to have a better understanding. I did, and I learned a few things . . . and I feel it was worth it.

The overall story is what really drew me in. What would it be like if the supervolcano at Yellowstone erupted? The author only briefly touches on that subject, but I think it worked well. The story isn’t so much about the eruption, but how a man struggles to keep his family alive and safe from the real threat . . . other people. As the Ash Fell has a good mixture of suspense, drama, some romance, and action, but what I really loved most about this novel were the characters and their relationships. Highly recommended.

Note: As the Ash Fell is currently on sale at a discount for the July 4th weekend.

About AJ Powers

AJ Powers is a professional game developer working on some of the biggest franchises in the game world–Halo, Call of Duty, and Borderlands to name a few. However, once he leaves the fluorescent pit of polygons and PBR materials, he switches gears into a reading, writing monster fueled by Code Red. His first full-length novel, As the Ash Fell, is now available. In addition to writing, AJ also does his own cover art, as well as covers for various other indie authors.

AJ resides in Austin, Texas with his beautiful wife, Lia, and their two incredible children. They also have a dog that really could use some braces.

You can learn more about AJ over at www.ajpowers.com.

Sharky Teeth

Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is a native Texan, video game “enthusiast” [addict], and fan of all things horror. He left a career in the newspaper industry in 2011 to pursue the life of a nocturnal author, brainstorming new and creative ways to creep out his readers. He doesn’t only write horror though. He also pens the occasional family-oriented tale just to keep from going completely nuts with all those creatures of the night whispering in his ears. When he’s not pulling ideas out of his twisted brain, you’ll likely find him on social media or fighting alongside his fellow gaming buddies where they all get shot up into Swiss cheese (or turned into little bite-sized chunks because of “Sharky’s” obsession with explosives). Medic!