The Last Squadron

"The Last Squadron" eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Dan Jayson. This is Mr. Jayson's first novel. I categorize this novel as ‘R' because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. The story is set in Europe in the near future. The primary character is Air Force Captain Natasha Kavolsky. A war has been brewing for some time along ethnic and religious lines - the Allied Forces against The Brotherhood. As the multinational Allied 9th Mountain Squadron heads for some much needed R & R in a plane flown by Kavolsky, the war suddenly intensifies. Communications is disrupted and the plane is shot down somewhere over a remote area of Norway. The survivors struggle in the severe winter. As they slowly make their way to civilization they encounter Brotherhood troops and must battle their way south. Kavolsky slowly transitions from pilot to one of the leading officers of the Squadron. The Brotherhood has surprised the Allied Forces with advanced technology, nuclear weapons, and biological weapons. The Brotherhood has escalated the war and is now trying to "cleanse the Earth" of all Allied Forces and their civilian populations. The squadron must overcome many obstacles in this post-apocalypse world if it wants to survive. The casualties mount up as the Squadron travels through Europe. A base is established by those that remain in France. There they make a stand against a much larger Brotherhood force. I thoroughly enjoyed the 11 hours I spent reading this 480 page military thriller. I liked the many characters that the story includes. I also liked seeing the military technology which the author predicts for 15 or so years in our future. While Kavolsky is the primary character, there are many others that have significant roles in the story, many of which do not survive to the end. I liked this more realistic attrition of characters. I can easily see sequels to this story and if they appear I will be interested in reading them. The cover art is OK, but I think something could have been chosen to better represent the story. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

Post apocalyptic war that doesn't seem too far fetched and in the realms of Is this the way life could become? Some parts are fairly gory and brutal but I think that will make this book stand out from the crowd. I let for the poor ninety-seven soldiers of the 9th Mountain Squadron who were on the way from the Northern Front for a must needed period of R&R, who then got shot down over the Nordic wilderness. Sods law bless them! And then to survive the crash to find everything they knew and took for granted changed into a world they don't recognise. If you have ever been in the military or know people who are, even the families of the squadies this book is extremely relatable with the camaraderie and realism. But saying that, this book will keep anyone turning the pages at a rate on knots, even with no knowledge of army life. Be prepared to be swept away into a world that is both scary and hope and the resilience of the human spirit. 100% worth a read and I am so glad I did, this book will make you think even after you have turned the last page. I would love there to be a follow up to this book so fingers crossed the story won't end here!!