The Road of Resistance

The Road of Resistance by Chase Bolling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SYNOPSIS
When rogue scientists strip the world of modern weapons, a gunless America becomes an exceptionally dangerous place to live, in the richly imagined epic; The Road of Resistance: First Book of the Vanguard

Chessed was really trying to settle down, live life, and leave the streets behind for fatherhood. But when a government AI goes rogue, destroying all the world's military technology created after the Iron Age, the world is plunged into chaos. Desperate to appease corporations and regain control, the president enacts a series of draconian executive orders, turning the government against its own people, killing and enslaving millions in the process. When his family and community are threatened, Chessed falls back on his checkered past, finding his youthful proclivities for anime, gang violence, and historical martial arts useful like never before. 

The result is an authentic, haunting, and action-packed narrative, set in a painstakingly crafted world built from the ruins of our own. Enter a rich imagining where ancient, and modern technologies are intertwined for survival, where street violence and gunshots have been replaced with the clash of the shield wall, and charge of mounted knights, across the inner city as the world, goes medieval in the face of unspeakable tyranny!

                                                              BOOK REVIEW
The overall story was intriguing because the author created a society that does not exist in this world, and most likely never will in our lifetime. Chessed is the main character who becomes King of The Vanguard, a group formed to fight the hate groups of this world. This all begins when Pandora Epstein, creator of AINI (Artificial Intelligence Nanoswarm Initiative) kills herself right when she launches this program to destroy every modern weapon known to man. Chessed, training since he was young, in the art of sword fighting, is prepared for this day to come. He gathers his troops which consist of close family and close friends. Together they fight the world with their old-fashioned weapons against all the groups of "tyranny, oppression, and fascism." If you enjoy countless scenes of bloodshed and battle, then this book is definitely worth your time.
The main character, Chessed, had tremendous chemistry with every single character in this book. I especially loved his tender heart when it came to Khalise, his wife. He showed great courage and protected what was right and just in his heart to the very end.
The story flowed very well as the reader is initially introduced to how The Vanguard is formed and each chapter addresses every hate group being attacked and subsequent battles. I praise the author and his idea of Covenant of Governance, establishing a new set of laws and rights for the world in which he helped to create anew.
The fact that Chessed became a King and he defeated all of the evil forces that existed in the world as we once knew it. It was like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones where it is good against evil and plenty of battle scenes to add to the flair of the plot.
While this particular story didn't work for me necessarily, as I could not connect with the characters or the story as a reader, I can still appreciate the creativity and writer's skill at creating this fantasy world.

                                                                            
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