Gunpowder & Embers

Last Judgment's Fire, Book 1

By: John Ringo, Kacey Ezell, Christopher L. Smith

Narrated by: Matt Godfrey

In the smoking ruins of our world, will the struggle for yesterday's technology spark tomorrow's global war?

A new postapocalyptic novel, in which a young cowboy claims his destiny—and tries to prevent a catastrophic war—from New York Times best-selling author John Ringo, Kacey Ezell, and Christopher L. Smith.

Thirty years ago, the world ended. Giant electrovoric ants and pterodons came through a rift in space-time, millions of humans died, and that was that. Thirty years later, humanity has rebuilt … to an extent. Human ingenuity has provided some creative solutions to life without electricity, but most folks survive at the subsistence level, farming to keep themselves and their families fed.

Chuck Gordon never thought he'd have to leave his family's farm. The simple life of a rancher was enough for him. A dying stranger proved him wrong. Now, he’s on the road of destiny, accompanied by a mystic warrior monk, a beautiful dragon tamer, a runaway cultist, and a mysterious drunken lecher, all of them searching for the key to reclaiming humanity’s future and past. Each of them carrying a single spark of hope.

But will that hope be enough to light the beacons of freedom once again? Or will they face the next century in bondage to the last century’s technology?

©2019 John Ringo, Kacey Ezell, and Christopher L. Smith (P)2024 Recorded Books

Post Apocalyptic Cowboys, with dragons?

Seems to be a large divergence from "Classic Ringo". While listening I felt like I had missed an earlier book or something. It's like you jump in in the middle of things, where "Something" happened to the entire planet earlier, and now there are parasitic characters that are part of a hive mind, somehow Dragons were introduced to the environment, and humanity is primarily back to steam power, with a smattering of residual high tech equipment scattered around for those educated people who know how to use it.

Like I said, it's pretty different for a Ringo book.. not "bad", just "different". I'm attributing that to the two Co-Authors that seem to have done most of the writing.
If there's another volume in this series later on, I'll buy it. I'm interested to see where this goes once it's got its legs under it.

Been waiting for this one for quite a While!

I got this book when it first came out and enjoyed it immensely! Kacey and Chris, writing with John Ringo, created a very interesting post apocalypse world. They populated with creatures who, being 'electrocores' destroyed our modern, electricity driven civilization. Folks live in a aftermath where stream is the highest form of energy for the rebuilding. Suddenly it's the 1840s again.
They also create some really interesting and believable characters to take us on this ride. Some of these are quite colorful. But the same can be said about people that I know personally.
The Bubba Likes it! Do recommend!

Unique story

Started a little slow, give it a few hours
Interesting characters, a little predictable, but worth the journey 🙂

Intriguing story, cast and dragons!

I’m rooting for Chuck and the folks who join him on his journey. I love Jasmine and her dragon, too! So many adventures and strong female characters!