Fans of post-apocalyptic science fiction, a growing sub-genre, should lap up The Long Night series by Kevin Partner and Mike Kraus, at least based on my reading of the first three books of six, leading up to “States of War” (the earlier two instalments are “The Long Night” and “Scattered“). Each instalment is short and Mike Kraus is prolific in this field, two characteristics that gave me pause when I began reading, but I can report that there’s nothing cookie cutter about this effort. The premise – near-universal healthware implants lead to ninety percent of the world dying – is a ripper, and the three protagonists (a man and his faraway wife and a town cop) are believable. The sinuous plot involves the shadowy Lee Corporation and a missing hi-tech cylinder. The writing is fluid, intelligent, and immersive. I read the three initial books in a haze of pleasure.
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