Dies the Fire

I've just completed "the change" trilogy by S. M. Stirling, starting with the first book, Dies the Fire. This title somewhat describes the basis for this new world, post technology, return to feudalism that takes place in 1998. Basically an apocalyptic event happens, which is referred to as "the Change", in which all modern technology fails. All electronics and electricity stop working, gunpowder won't ignite, meaning no more firearms. So, there is no more law enforcement or government or communication, including TV, radio, or phones. General chaos ensues.

If you like reading about archery, swordplay, horsemanship, cannibals, and witches (wiccans), then you'll probably like this series. There are some great male and female leading characters, though I found the villains not to be as interesting, with the exception of the last book, A Meeting at Corvallis. Stirling includes a lot of references to Lord of the Rings, with one of the first characters, a girl of fourteen, that's obsessed with Tolkien and is an accomplished archer pre-change.

Sometimes I found the books a bit slow with much description of things I wasn't interested in. All three books are a little long, around 600 pages. Maybe that's just me wanting to see the plot advancing faster. This got me reading about bow making and looking up medieval weaponry online. I'd recommend the series if you like reading about swordplay in the modern era, or postmodern era or post technologically I should say. I should also mention the covers illustrated by Jonathan Barkat, which originally drew me to the books.