What the world dreads most has happened.
"Powered by adept character development and relentless pacing, this post-apocalyptic novel, the first in a series...makes for a page-turning, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it reading experience. ...readers will find Morgan to be an endearing hero at world's end. The beginning of what could be a riveting apocalyptic saga." -Kirkus Review
A pandemic ravaged the globe to near extinction. Only 2% of the population survived. A dying mother knows her young son is among the few immune to the virus. What will she do to ensure his survival before her own impending death?
Meanwhile, former math professor, Graham Morgan buried his last remaining family member. Following his father's advice to move out of the city and into the family cabin, he meets with triumph and tragedy in his quest for survival. Just when he thinks he's finally got a handle on things, he's taken by surprise when he learns he's not alone. A hidden yet vulnerable community of Preppers are nearby. Eerily plausible, The China Pandemic, the debut novel of Graham's Resolution series, is a unique take on the dystopian and post-apocalyptic genre.
Fans of The Stand, Lucifer's Hammer, Into the Forest and Alas Babalyon will enjoy this post-collapse epic series.
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"Powered by adept character development and relentless pacing, this post-apocalyptic novel, the first in a series...makes for a page-turning, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it reading experience. ...readers will find Morgan to be an endearing hero at world's end. The beginning of what could be a riveting apocalyptic saga." -Kirkus Review
"The China Pandemic is a post-apocalyptic tale the initially hinges around Graham Morgan, a sturdy, even-keeled survivor of a lethal, quick-killing pandemic that sweeps 98% of the world's population off the map in the span of weeks. Graham has just buried his wife and father, finding himself without purpose, until a gift is bestowed upon him--the unexpected stewardship of a young child. With the promise to guard the child "like his own" recently forged, Graham departs on a journey to reach his family's empty lake house in the rural Northwest, and the perceived safe haven of a secluded locale.
Needless to say, his journey and the following trials are not for the faint of heart. A.R. Shaw strikes a nice balance between menace and the post-apocalyptic environment that would ensue after 98% of the people essentially disappeared. Supplies are still available, to include food, medicine, and essential materials, and there's an unnerving quiet blanketing the landscape. Very unsettling, because getting to those supplies often proves dangerous, and as a reader, you will cringe any time Graham's crew sets out to scavenge. Shaw adds an unexpected, and often overlooked threat in this story...I won't spoil it for you.
Shaw also embeds a high degree of survivalist realism. Emergency first-aid is featured prominently (not for the squeamish) while home remedies and extensive survival craft is solidly locked around the framework of an exciting, fast-paced story. Fast paced, but not exhausting. A.R. Shaw gives you plenty of breathers, filled with raw human emotion and well-crafted dialogue. Graham's expanded crew spends a balanced amount of time cramped into tight quarters, and Shaw fleshes this out perfectly. But don't get comfortable in the warm confines of the cabin, because just when you let your guard down...let's just say that the author is not afraid to put her characters in harm's way.
Overall, a thoroughly post-apocalyptic novel, with solid character development, realistic settings, and a well-balanced pace. I highly recommend it."
- Steven Konkoly, bestselling author of The Perseid Collapse, The Jakarta Pandemic, and Fractured State.