Insurgent

Ice Hammer, Volume 2

By: Basil Sands

Narrated by: Basil Sands

“Basil Sands’s Ice Hammer is a gripping, can’t-put-it-down series that works at every level. It’s got it all: love, war, treachery, and heroism. A home run!” (John Gilstrap, USA Today best-selling author of the Jonathan Grave thriller series)

“The action is fast, the characters are amazing, and there is plenty to keep the reader engaged. This is every bit as good as Jeff Edwards, Tom Clancy, or Dale Brown; fans of those authors will gobble this up... Highly recommended!” (Military Writers Society of America)

Following the invasion of the previous year, Brad Stone has become the figurehead of Alaska’s resistance movement. He’s now head of the largest militia in the former state, including the Chiknik Rangers, making him enemy number one to the Chinese leadership based in Anchorage. At the same time his sons, Ben and Ian, find themselves waging a bloody guerrilla operation against Russian troops in the east. Unknown to any of them, Youngmi - whose mangled, dead body haunts Brad’s dreams - has become the mistress of General Zhang, head of the Chinese forces in Alaska...and a major player in the resistance movement, passing on information that could mean her real death if she’s caught.

©2018 Permuted Press (P)2018 Sandman Studio Productions

The 'Empire Strikes Back' of the Trilogy

Insurgent is the second book in the Ice Hammer trilogy, and is written and narrated by an author and narrator I've enjoyed for some time. I was lucky enough to get this book as a free copy for an unbiased review.
The book starts with the main protagonist, Brad Stone, still estranged from his sons, and he presumes them dead, as with his first wife, and shortly in he marries Sammy Park, who is pregnant.
Ben and Ian, his sons are still unknown to their father, and operating as increasingly bloodthirsty young freedom fighters, seeming having humanity slipping away.

There is some good humor in the book. The whole Johhny Quest analogy was great. As was the direct references and taking a lesson from Red Dawn.

There was also I found a really well written tense scene involving a paper shredder, that had me pretty on edge.

The invaders, although still in charge, seem to be struggling under supply issues and constant interference from the freedom fighters, and the situation doesn't really seem to get any better for them.

The narration was good, but I did find some of the eastern accents a bit too heavily done.

The book was a bit of an "Empire Strikes Back" of a trilogy, with honestly a pretty bleak end, with a discovery of someone still alive (and I get the feeling that she is now on the precipice of bitterness and making a turn to the dark). No happy reunions, no real successes, and it leaves me wondering with interest how it can be wrapped up in a final book. There is no was it can work out with a happy result for all of the good guys.

I'm interested in reading how this can finish up in the next book - and who if anyone will get a happy end.

Interesting Read

The creator of this work has done a good job as Narrator and has delivered a entertaining Audio Book.

The story is well constructed with a great variety of characters to hold the interest of most listeners.




This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Ice Hammer 2 Thrills...and Chills

Sands provides excellent narration to his brilliant thriller. Fast paced and entertaining, Sands provide an excellent backdrop for the communist invasion of Alaska/North America. All of his past characters come together to provide a united front...but Ice Hammer has it's twists and turns. Just when you think you know where he is headed, Sands throws you for an exciting loop. Ice Hammer, and now Ice Hammer 2, are both must reads. I can't wait for the trilogy to conclude!

WOOOOOOOOOOOW!!

I love fast-paced highly intense action and this fits the bill perfectly!
Well-written, great characters, all in all an EXCELLENT story. I loved the first book in the series, Invasion, and this second installment is equally AWESOME!

I was thrilled and chilled from beginning to end - I can't say enough about how great this series is! Get it and get it now :)
You can thank me later ;)

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

action-adventure, military, suspense, survivor's-guilt, War Is Hell, SHTF, thriller, testosterone-fest, family, friendship

There's war in the northern hemisphere and Alaska is a major theater as it was invaded simultaneously by China and Russia. Brad Stone is the major player and consolidates the US factions while dealing with the enemy, mourning the loss of the wife he believes is dead as well as his own country. This story builds momentum from the first one (Invasion) and is classic in its presentation of men at war and the tools of combat.
OK, so I didn't yet finish it, but that's because it was "borrowed" by a former USMC who hasn't returned it.
I love it when an author narrates their own creation, who knows better how to build the suspense or the anger or whatever is behind the action! ?