Set in a dystopian post-nuclear apocalyptic world, Blue Fire is a tale of overcoming adversity, necessity as the mother of invention, and coming together as a community. It forces you to ask uncomfortable questions and face inconvenient truths about how far you’d go to ensure your own survival in a severely resource constrained environment. In doing so, John Gilstrap has delivered a novel that is equal parts entertainment, survival guide and an introspective thought exercise.
Blue Fire picks up several weeks after Hell Day, a nuclear world war that came and went with just enough warning to sequester the United States Congress in a secret government facility. Former West Virginian congressional representative and doomsday prepper Victoria Emerson, who refused to enter that facility without her kids, is now the de facto mayor of a town called Ortho where she is doing her best to rebuild a fair and just civilization. As word spreads about this town’s enviable resources and organized society, they become a target of a group of Army National Guardsmen and the violent recruits they pick up along the way. As a result, Vicky and this small town are put to the test to see if their training and resolve will hold up under the onslaught of an armed attack by a determined and well-organized enemy. Nothing less than the survival of all citizens of Ortho hangs in the balance. Failure is not an option.
Blue Fire offers a bevy of intense moments, uncertain outcomes, and fierce action sure to please any thriller fan. It’s full of suspense and every single character faces mortal danger. And the development of each character is fantastic, allowing you to feel the emotional toll of what everyone is going through and understand the difficult choices they face at every turn…even if you thankfully don’t have the personal experience of what it’s like to live in the Stone Age-like environment that follows a nuclear war.
Additionally, while you don’t have to read Crimson Phoenix, the first book in this series, to understand and enjoy Blue Fire, it does help to read this young series in order if you want to get the full picture of Hell Day and the immediate aftermath of the war. But don’t let that deter you from jumping into the series with Blue Fire because it stands on its own merit by providing enough backstory to get caught up and fully engaged in these characters' struggle for survival and attempt to rebuild society.
If you’re a fan of dystopian novels, action packed thrillers or just plain old good writing, then Blue Fire is for you. John Gilstrap is onto something great with this series and it’s the perfect time to get stuck in.
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