Book Review-The World Counters by Boyd Craven (World Burns #10)

The New Caliphate has marched north towards the heart of the country, almost unstoppable. Michael and King attempt to get the proof needed to prove involvement by US government forces and force the president to permanently bench the DHS. The Caliphate has a devious plan, though - a way to neutralize the President's launch codes and take out the central government's nuclear capabilities. The secret lies within the bunker that the odd couple of King and Michael have had under observation.

A plan is cooked up to infiltrate the DHS base, get the proof needed and cripple if not eliminate the threat from within entirely. The timing is tight, and if they don't move fast enough, the Caliphate will get the codes. Sandra’s contact, A Col. Grady is working to stop a global nuclear conflict before it’s too late. His last act before his arrest is to ensure the homestead can defend itself.

But defend itself from who? Are darker forces at work? Is the war on the USA from within or without?

My Review: 
John, Tex, Stu and their group are heading off to meet Michael and King when they are suddenly ambushed by the Jihadists who knew where they were going to be. Now both sides are involved in a raging battle on the roadside. And should they prevail, the next task is to infiltrate a military bunker to root out the enemy and get proof that the Jihadis have been working with government forces.

The President is obsessed with the idea of bringing Blake and his people down by getting dirt to discredit Blake and arresting John. He knows that hiding in fear in a bunker for three months while America fell to enemies and violence has done him a lot of political damage but he insists on continuing to ignore the Jihadi problem and force Blake to do his will. He is unaware that Grady is now working against him to help get the Homestead ready for a military attack ordered by the President which Grady thinks may come soon.

Grady has had enough of the President and his stupidity and remains in secret contact with Sandra, arranging military weapon drops for the Homestead and it's allies. He knows he is in trouble when the President finally discovers what he has been doing but the prospect of house arrest does not interfere with the careful plans that he has laid.

While I continue to like certain elements of the series, I just don't enjoy the sections where the President is whining about bringing down Blake-the guy is a complete idiot and I can't stand the sight of him. I also don't much like the Jihadi story in these latter books as I personally felt it was very late in an established series to introduce new enemies and it just didn't work for me personality. The swiftly introduced cannibals issue also seems to have very much disappeared which is puzzling. I'm not really sure why it was necessary to shove it in but it seems to be gone now which I'm fine with.

Overall it is still a decent series though I do prefer the first seven to these later books.

Read January 2018.
2.5/3 stars.