Indie Book Review – Steel City: Part One by William Carlson II

The world as we know it is gone. After the devastating, airborne TD1 virus wiped out most of the population in 2013, the ones that survived now live in a post-war world of fear and chaos. The City of Pittsburgh perseveres with its own military for protection and a medical team searching for a cure. One night a group of refugees appear seeking medical attention for a sick child. The medical unit checks the drifters for TD1 and other contagions, while the child’s father tells them about the world outside the walls of Pittsburgh. He warns them of a sociopath currently eradicating religious sects in Ohio. The madman, Roland Damien, will probably come for Pittsburgh next. He has a vendetta against the Steel City and Lincoln Adams who has sworn to protect it.

William J. Carlson II makes his debut with Steel City: Part One. A quick read, Steel City begins as a straightforward post-apocalyptic novel: no zombies, no meteor, just a killer cold. The book is one long bated breath: anxious and intense moments give way to teaser action scenes. Snippets of imagery and details help to liven up the dialogue. While many of the characters seem underdeveloped in this first installment of a series, Sarge, Adams’ commanding officer, does not disappoint. He brings a patented, hardass military demeanor and memorable axioms to the story. Readers only get a peek of villain Damien in this book, but he is efficiently drawn as a believably heartless war machine.

The ebook format was a challenge to read, with paragraphs seemingly indented by E.E. Cummings. The book could also be improved with a small amount of technical editing to correct tense changes, and extra and missing words.

Despite some technical shortcomings, this is a post-apocalyptic story that deserves a read. It has its ups and downs; and though it leaves readers with numerous questions, it also promises to deliver in the forthcoming books of this planned trilogy.

This book is available on Amazon. Steel City: Part Two is scheduled for release in March 2013. 

-Kristen