State of Chaos

A Cade Rearden Thriller

By: JK Franks

Narrated by: Lee Strayer

Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

His mind has been fractured for years. Now, he could be humankind’s only hope of stopping the end of our species.

Special Forces Captain Cade Rearden struggles to control the whispers in his head. Plagued by multiple personality disorder, he nearly spirals into insanity after extremists kill his whole team and hold him captive. Defeated but not broken, he can hardly believe it when an artificial intelligence named Doris rescues him and then recruits him for an impossible mission.

Pulling together a crack military team, Rearden must take down Janus, a rogue AI intent on launching a chain of deadly attacks on American soil. And the key to staying one step ahead of the enemy could lie in understanding and protecting the incredible knowledge that Doris possesses. Knowledge that didn’t originate here on Earth.

Can Rearden somehow control his internal chaos and the battles raging around him? Can he and his team prevent the genocide of the whole human race? The stakes don’t get much higher.

State of Chaos is the first book in the riveting Cade Rearden science fiction thriller series. If you like near-future technology, complex heroes, and high-octane action, then you’ll love JK Franks’ explosive adventure.

©2019 JK Franks Media LLC (P)2020 Jk Franks Media LLC

This Book Is Everything a Thriller Was Meant To Be

Sometimes you just get lucky. J.K. Franks’ novel, Midnight Zone, looks absolutely fascinating to me, but I decided to start with this first book in the series to make sure that I knew everything I was supposed to when I started the next book. Now, all I can say is, “WOW!” State of Chaos is an amazing ride that had me hooked from the very beginning straight through to the final page.

This book has everything a good thriller needs and a heck of a lot more. There’s a war between two rival AIs. There is first contact with an alien species. There’s a plot to create a coup within the U.S. government which will have the unavoidable side effect of killing many millions of people. And there are a few decent people dragged into the plots and conflicts that are trying desperately to keep Armageddon from happening.

On top of all of that, Franks has clearly thought very carefully about all the issues involved and pulled together a highly credible setting. These are events I could imagine happening in the modern U.S., which is quite an accomplishment since it involves two AIs, aliens, and a lot of high-tech break throughs.

The book is called a Cade Rearden Thriller, and frankly Cade, with his military training and multiple personalities is a great character, but there’s nothing in this first book to make you think he’s the only main character—i.e. the character the whole series will be built on. That’s because the rest of the cast from the friendly AI, Doris, to the teenagers she recruits to help her fight the war, to the handful of critical military personnel and scientists fighting to save humanity, are also great characters. I hope very much that they appear in the next book as well.

State of Chaos is an amazing experience. If you like high octane thrillers, strap on your seatbelt and give this novel a try.

I received this book for free from Audiobook Boom in exchange for an honest review.

Outstanding

It’s was a long book that blew by. Great execution, kept on the edge of my chair at every turn.

Scary

Really makes you think where all the AI will go the next upcoming years.

Great and realistic

Loved this book. So much of it could be true today. If you like techno thrillers this is the book for you. Can’t wait to read more of his books.

Great first story

I know nothing about computers so it all sounded logical to me. Great story. That is a lot to accomplish in that book.

A Fight for the Future

State of Chaos is the start of a new series by a favorite indie author of mine, JK Franks. I was given the opportunity to get the audiobook as a free review copy, and given I'd loved the prior books of his I'd purchased and gotten, I was glad for the opportunity.

State of Chaos is once again a series founded in a non fantastic sci fi universe (eg no walking dead). But in this scenario, we are dealing with warring AI's and humans in a world bordering on an apocalypse. A group of humans along with a good AI, battle with a rogue AI and the humans aligning themselves with it. The plot was rich and full of action, schemes, events, and people, but oddly it never became too confusing. The book starts with some historic back stories and origins, and then moves several years later to a series of triggering events leading up to a pending apocalypse.

I did find myself intrigued by the book being listed as a Cade Rearden thriller. Cade Rearden was a significant character in it, but it felt more like is was a multi lead character, and I wouldn't have called Rearden the lead character. So much was going on with so many characters it would be hard to label it as one character's book, being a true ensemble thriller. I am intrigued though in wondering what the future books will take on - as in concentrating more on Rearden, so all the other great characters would be more sidelined or not included. But the book was highly enjoyable, so I am pretty interested in seeing what the next book will bring. State of Chaos was a fantastic contained story though, so don't worry that you will be left with a cliffhanger...
The narrator was great, and easy to listen to, and no clarity or pacing issues. I would definitely listen to a further books by this narrator.

State of Chaos

I cannot wait until book 2 comes out. The gamesmanship between Janis and Doris was very intriguing. I cannot state enough how much I enjoyed this book. I get how the politics played into the situation but I still found it annoying. I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

GREAT READ!

I really enjoyed it! This book was full of action, adventure, drama and suspense! The narration was great and kept me entertained! The author did a great job with the character builds and plot! This was my first book by this author but definitely not my last! I look forward to reading more books in this series! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

much better than I expected

First story from this author, not going be last.

early I struggled to fit divergent parts together. Had no idea what was going on. But then parts pulled together in a very good way.

The book was very well written, author knowledgeable and definitely kept my attention. The narrator was extremely good, would listen to anything by him.

Thank you, I will be looking for more stories by fine writer.

Scary possible reality

This is the fifth book I’ve read/listened to by this author (previously listened to the entire Catalyst series) and I’d love to continue this series. I enjoy the speculation about AIs and their motivations and abilities based on initial programming. Some Sci-if ideas have become reality...for example, “beam me up Scotty” and flip phones. If only a small amount of possibilities in this book become reality, I am very scared! For me, this is more a story about what could happen when we underestimate and place too responsibility in the hands of advanced AIs (not a military, fight and go get the bad guy book).

The publisher’s summary leads us to believe this book centers around Captain Rearden. It does not. We are introduced to him at the beginning of the book, then we are introduced to a group of young kids who accidentally discover an advanced AI named Doris. The story then centers on them, Doris, and others working with them. It is quite a while before Rearden makes his way back into the story. He is also not the one putting together the team to take down the malevolent AI Janus, nemesis to Doris. I’m glad! This storyline is way better. It’s not one Rambo guy going around with some tag-alongs. There are many people, each playing a specific, important role.

This book has a conclusion and does not have an obvious lead into the next book. I’m very curious where this series will go from here.

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Lee Strayer ) and I would listen to another. He uses a few well placed, subtle sound effects (like radio transmissions). He does great performing this book. His male and female character voices are well done. He has a good range.

There are no explicit sex scenes, or overly excessive violence. There is the occasional swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.