Divided World

EMP Aftermath, Book 4

By: Grace Hamilton

Narrated by: Andrew Tell

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

They went looking for their daughter. They found a civil war....

Laurel and her husband Bear are finally reunited. But South Minneha Hospital is no longer the haven it once was. Together, they leave the hospital behind to take on a new quest: find their daughter, Mae.

Accompanied by Trent and Jess, Laurel and Bear leave the safety of Minneha and begin their search, knowing only that Sergeant Mae Petersen was serving in the US Army when the EMP hit. The Internet is just a memory, and phones are now quaint relics. Finding out where one soldier was stationed—and where she might be now—will take a miracle.

Laurel is up for the challenge, but the world changed while she was fighting to save South Minneha. Roving bands of gunmen have given way to organized paramilitary groups. The land she and her companions must cross is contested by two factions, the Militia and the Freemen. Tensions are rising, lines are being drawn, and one fact is painfully clear—if Laurel and Bear are to reunite their family, they’re going to have to fight.

©2023 Relay Publishing (P)2023 Relay Publishing

Laurel/Karen, Bear and May

l came in on this series with this book, which is #4. Dr Laurel Rivera's character was probably best reviewed by her own daughter Mayflower (May) who said she's "bossy, a know-it-all even with things she knows nothing about, an one who forces things to be done "her way or the highway!" She is a thoroughly unlikeable person, someone everyone knows in their life, nowadays called a "Karen". Yet her former military husband Bjorn (Bear) often defers to her decisions because he wants his family back together, he has PTSD and hearing loss that in a crisis situation exacerbates his distrust of his own judgement. Bear is trying to reunite his family so that they can all ride out this crisis together, in spite of the fact that their daughter May is a soldier, as if leaving her unit is something their rebellious offspring is likely to easily do, especially since they've added a young teen male named Trent into the mix as a wannabe son/brother. In the midst of this family disfunction, Laurel's mother dies, civilians are fighting military groups and there are the prerequisite horrors of life without electricity and phones. While I can definitely believe that something like this would happen during a crisis, it's equally clear that people like this wouldn't survive long without someone more organized taking charge of them. The PC-ness fallacies would very quickly be exposed as totally useless within weeks. No woman will lead without genuine leadership skills. Laurel's constant pouting, refusal to face reality (I don't buy a doctor who deals with life and death being sooo impractical about her cancer ridden mom) and inability to move forward within timely manners is Not establishing a good format for teaching survival skills. 


Best character so far...Kermit, hands down. Carrier pigeons idea was absolutely brilliant. Carry that into the next book in a bigger way.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Another Great Addition to the Series

This latest addition to EMP Aftermath was well written and kept me entertained from beginning to end. The narrator did a great job of breathing life into the story and making this a fun listen.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Captivating Series!

This is the fourth installment in the amazing EMP Aftermath Series, a post-apocalyptic survival fiction. This is a series with an ongoing plot. The story continues where the third book left off. In this installment, we follow Laurel and Bear in their quest to find their daughter Mae. The story is told from multiple POVs, which is great. I liked the characters, the action, the suspense, and the twists and turns. The world building is enthralling. The story ends with a cliffhanger, and I am looking forward to listening to Collapsed World, the next installment in this captivating series. Andrew Tell did an OUTSTANDING job bringing this story to life. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. #Booksprout

Bear and Laurel

The story picks right up from the previous book. I recommend it be read in order of the series, and not as a stand-alone book. I felt the story had come to a close after the previous book. It was a nice surprise to see the story continue. The author did a good job with world building. The story line is entertaining. The characters are interesting. The book is action packed. There is a lot happening in the post-EMP world. The narration was well done. I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Ugh, Dastardly, Dim-Witted Daughter

The overarching story takes a decided turn in this fourth book of the series. This book focuses on Laurel and Bear finding their “adult” daughter, Mae. I say “adult” with a degree of “caveat” because she seems more adolescent—and not in a good way—than a true adult. Given that this is a big country—the United States—it seems improbable that Laurel and Bear would find their daughter as neither knew of her last location. Yes, the author has them go through a few steps, but it was surprisingly easy—too easy. We get to see a lot of Mae in this book, and frankly, I'm not impressed. She comes across as far too naïve for someone who's been a soldier for some time, and when she and her parents finally reunite, she acts like an immature, petulant brat instead of being thankful for their safety and the reunification. She also manages to endanger her parents as well. The book ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger; we don't quite know what will happen to Bear, what the hideous commander has in store for his group, or where Trent is. I enjoyed this series more before Mae entered the picture, that's for sure. Just not wild about the concept of a woman-child who doesn't seem to get it on multiple levels, acts out of stupidity, and endangers those she should care about because of her idiocy and lack of care. I hope she becomes a better person and character in the other books I have in this series! If not, the books will get reeeeeaaaaallllllly tedious!