Thrillers & Suspense
![William R. Forstchen - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B000APZ9N8.jpg)
Five Years After: A John Matherson Novel (A John Matherson Novel, 4)
From William R. Forstchen, the New York Times bestselling author of the One Second After series, comes Five Years After, a near-future thriller where John Matherson must contend with new threats to the fragile civilization that he helped rebuild.
Five years after The Final Day, the Republic of New America has all but collapsed into regional powers and the world at large is struggling to remain stable as regional conflicts ravage the post EMP landscape. After several years attempting to lead a quiet life, John Matherson receives the news that the President is dying from a possible assassination attempt, and is asked to step in to negotiate with what appears to be a new military power hidden in the wreckage of the world.
Pulled back into the fray, John struggles to hold the tottering Republic together. Facing threats on multiple fronts, he races against time to stop another EMP attack on the former United States and China, putting years of progress at risk. With so much of his work under threat, John must find the strength within to start over, so that he can save the country and the people that he holds dear from even greater calamity.
Five years after The Final Day, the Republic of New America has all but collapsed into regional powers and the world at large is struggling to remain stable as regional conflicts ravage the post EMP landscape. After several years attempting to lead a quiet life, John Matherson receives the news that the President is dying from a possible assassination attempt, and is asked to step in to negotiate with what appears to be a new military power hidden in the wreckage of the world.
Pulled back into the fray, John struggles to hold the tottering Republic together. Facing threats on multiple fronts, he races against time to stop another EMP attack on the former United States and China, putting years of progress at risk. With so much of his work under threat, John must find the strength within to start over, so that he can save the country and the people that he holds dear from even greater calamity.
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Five Years After
"The future has never seemed more chilling or more believable than in Five Years After, a riveting dystopian page-turner from one of the masters of the genre. As you descend into the world that William Fortschen creates, you absolutely know that this is how it could all turn out. But as you root for the characters who inhabit his world, your faith in the human spirit will be restored."
―William Martin, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Constitution and December '41
"Forstchen is a rare storyteller who not only entertains, but also conveys a vital message. He reminds us how much we've forgotten―how to subsist, how to fight, and how to live. Five Years After is a veritable guidebook for surviving the apocalypse―and better yet, how to avoid it."
―Ward Larsen, winner of eight major awards and USA Today bestselling author of Deep Fake
"With One Second After, William Forstchen redefined and elevated the genre of apocalyptic fiction. Now, with the release of Five Years After he raises the bar once more. John Matherson faces his most diabolical antagonist yet, when he he's thrust into a deadly game of wits when a secret cabal of government survivors unleash global holocaust. To save the world, John must embrace the unthinkable, and live with the consequences forever. This is edge-of-the-seat fiction at its finest!"
―Kathleen O'Neal-Gear and W. Michael Gear, award-winning, New York Times bestselling authors of The People of the Earth series and Dissolution
Praise for the John Matherson series
"The only thing more terrifying than this masterfully crafted story is the possibility of it actually happening--and not a damn thing being done to protect us."
―W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV, New York Times bestselling authors, on One Second After
"Forstchen is the prophet of a new Dark Age. The wise will listen."
―Stephen Coonts, New Yo...
"The future has never seemed more chilling or more believable than in Five Years After, a riveting dystopian page-turner from one of the masters of the genre. As you descend into the world that William Fortschen creates, you absolutely know that this is how it could all turn out. But as you root for the characters who inhabit his world, your faith in the human spirit will be restored."
―William Martin, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Constitution and December '41
"Forstchen is a rare storyteller who not only entertains, but also conveys a vital message. He reminds us how much we've forgotten―how to subsist, how to fight, and how to live. Five Years After is a veritable guidebook for surviving the apocalypse―and better yet, how to avoid it."
―Ward Larsen, winner of eight major awards and USA Today bestselling author of Deep Fake
"With One Second After, William Forstchen redefined and elevated the genre of apocalyptic fiction. Now, with the release of Five Years After he raises the bar once more. John Matherson faces his most diabolical antagonist yet, when he he's thrust into a deadly game of wits when a secret cabal of government survivors unleash global holocaust. To save the world, John must embrace the unthinkable, and live with the consequences forever. This is edge-of-the-seat fiction at its finest!"
―Kathleen O'Neal-Gear and W. Michael Gear, award-winning, New York Times bestselling authors of The People of the Earth series and Dissolution
Praise for the John Matherson series
"The only thing more terrifying than this masterfully crafted story is the possibility of it actually happening--and not a damn thing being done to protect us."
―W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV, New York Times bestselling authors, on One Second After
"Forstchen is the prophet of a new Dark Age. The wise will listen."
―Stephen Coonts, New Yo...
Readers Top Reviews
Geobill29450Mark
Not only is this book much darker, but it is (IMHO) devoid of heroes. It is a good book, but I’m not sure I like it. The plot in the book (as opposed to *of* the book) is a bit too far fetched and contrived for my tastes. I’m glad I read this book, and if there is another in the series someday, I’m sure I’ll read it too.
Amy S.Geobill2945
We have read this whole series and highly recommend it. It is enlightening and it gives you pause to think about what would the U.S. actually be like if something happened and we suddenly found ourselves without an electrical grid. How would humanity really react and are we really ready for it.
BigOrangeDaveAmy
While it’s been a few years since I read the last installment, things came back quickly within the first chapter or two. Many of the same characters are still keeping things running in rural Virginia when new survivors, who give a new perspective to the term “deep state“ , make their appearance. The writing is top-notch, the plot full of twists, and the whole thing reminds you that as bad as things are today… they could be a whole lot worse. It’s a good reminder that individuals, good or bad, can make a big difference in how things turn out. Very nicely done. Put this at the top of your reading queue. VFL
MamastooksBigOran
Another great John Matherson and Black Mountain tale. Through each book, I have come to know a community and it’s members. I could only pray my own small town would act the same. Each book is a combination of hope and pure terror! Hope that our government will finally get their act together and address our electrical grid shortfalls and terror in knowing they probably won’t. The final decision left to John Matherson is both brave and heartbreaking. Thank you William R. Forstchen for another great book I couldn’t put down and kept reading until the wee hours of the morning. Hope you continue with this series.
Randall L Colwell
Let me just say this. This book is fantastic. As others have said, this was a much darker book than the other three but what do you expect 5 years into an EMP. The last third of the book for me gave me great closure to the series. There were a few things that I would’ve liked to of seen differently, but there were amazing twists and interesting characters that were presented in this book. The chapters and how they flowed was a little different than the other books, but still was not a big deal. Not only did I get the hardback copy, but I also bought it on audible, and it was great as well. I’m honestly looking forward to taking a vacation up in the Asheville/Black Mountain area and look forward to going to some of the sites that were mentioned in the book. Hopefully I can get a chance to meet the author up at Montreat College in the near future as well. Overall, I believe the first book was my favorite followed, fairly closely by this book. The last third of the book really sealed the deal for me. I loved it. I hope there is a fifth book in the series, but will probably be waiting at least half a decade for it or more. Definitely give it a chance and if you haven’t read any of this series, definitely start in order and you won’t be disappointed.
