Invasion: Ice Hammer Book 1, by Basil Sands

MWSA Review
Basil Sands lead novel in the ICE HAMMER series is a non-stop thought-provoking thriller that I could just not put down!

Set in Alaska in the present day, the world is turned upside down when the new Russian confederation, along with China and several Muslim factions, invade the United States and Canada.  The larger US cities are nuked at the outset, and smaller civilian populations around other major ports are conquered and ruthlessly controlled.  Veterans and rugged citizens in and around Anchorage, Alaska are left to band together to survive, and eventually take the fight back to the enemy.

Brad Stone, a Marine "no longer on active duty," finds himself leading fugitives through the woods away from the conquering Chinese.  Along the way, he meets up with others who bring unique skills to his small group, and together they plan to survive.  Through propaganda and just dumb luck, Brad finds himself being called "the Ice Hammer," by both the resistance movement and the Chinese.  Struggling with his own demons of faith and haunted by the wife he feels he couldn't protect, is he up to the challenge of being the focus of the fight to reclaim the lifestyle that was taken from his country?

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 and wait for the sequel.  No sex to speak of, but with some gory war scenes, this is probably a "PG-13" read, but definitely worth it for fans of the military techno-thriller.  Highly recommended!

By Rob Ballister, MWSA Awards Director and Reviewer

Synopsis:
It only took an instant for the world to come crashing down. 

The bombs came first, and the troops were close behind. Life in the dream that was America ceased when a deadly new alliance of Communist states from Russia, China, and their allies invaded from the North. 

The invasion splits Brad Stone's family apart. His wife, Youngmi, is captured and exploited by Alaska's new Communist warlord. Brad and his sons narrowly avoid massacre and retreat into the icy wilderness albeit in separate directions. Brad, a former Marine, finds himself thrust to the front as the warrior they call “Ice Hammer” – a leader, a legend, and the most wanted man in occupied Alaska. 

Brad, Youngmi, and their sons Ben and Ian must find their way through the horrors of war. They may not live to see victory, but they will not live as slaves. They have already learned a brutal truth: 

The age of peace has ended. The age of the Ice Hammer has begun.

ISBN/ASIN: B01NAJRXFE
Book Format(s): Audiobook, Kindle
Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Number of Pages: 340