299 Days Complete Series Review

I just finished the last book, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the series, there were several issues that I can’t reconcile.

1. It’s supposed to be a “partial” economic collapse situation, but the power and water stay on, but aside from the utilities there isn’t anything partial about it. It is a complete and total breakdown of civilization. If this breakdown were to truly happen in the way the author portrays, I just can’t find the idea that utilities workers would head on in to work everyday while every other business and government function had completely evaporated.

2. Does the author have a food addiction? It seemed to me that there were almost chapters worth of details around food. Redundant details covered about MRE’s covered almost verbatim again in other books. Was it just me, or did it seem like the only “17th irregular” who ever needed to sleep or eat was the Grant”?

3. A Double Standard: why was it over the line for Eric to preemptively murder the suspected head of the red brigade with scant evidence, but just fine for the antagonist in pierce point to be silenced with just as little unverified evidence? There wasn’t any forensic investigation to see if the fax truly was sent. Just speculation as the document was by the fax in the antagonists home. That’s hardly iron clad beyond a reasonable doubt kind of evidence. I don’t see much of a difference. I also have a big problem with how Ted simply says all Lima’s have to be killed. He claims this is a war and they’ve chosen sides. This is in direct conflict with what the Founders did and in direct contrast to Grant’s desire to avoid following the French Revolution. The didn’t seem to over do it in this regard, but the murder of the main Lima at Pierce point simply can’t be reconciled with the principals Grant supposedly espouses.

4. The whole build up to “The War” was anti-climactic. Several times during and after the war whether Grant is reflecting internally or describing specific events he makes talks the war up as if it was some horrific event on par with other sacrifices soldiers have made in almost every major conflict America has been involved in, yet, I don’t recall Grant ever even firing his weapon in the “war”. It may have been more brutal for other units, but the author glosses over almost all of the details focusing on well…, some rather boring crap that doesn’t leave the reader/listener with the feeling some major victory was won or that the people fighting made tremendous personal sacrifices. The 3 casualties from the 17th were not from some major battle where the forces were dug in deeply and the patriots had to fight and die for every inch of ground gained. The first two were dumb luck due to a poor level of skill on the part of the scout team. The last death was frankly due to an accident that lead to the brutal murder of one of their guys. When the guys go looking for their missing compatriot against orders, it comes across as if they go 25yds to the wooded area and found their man. If what happened to their man happened the way the story claims and was videoed as claimed. Why wouldn’t the patriots have heard them cheering and beating their compatriot? How could their friend have been missing long enough for everything that happened to him to occur? It seems like maybe he was missing for a while before then figure out he is missing, but if it was just a handful of “The Team” that went and they were in the same vehicle, why didn’t they realize he was missing immediately? It just doesn’t seem realistic to me that he could have been missing long enough for what happened to have happened to him in the time frame In which the events took place.

5. Early in the series Grant is supposedly preparing for himself and his family. He is putting his family and their future safety first. I can relate to this, but the author makes grant appear to be completely disconnected from his family. He doesn’t seem to have much of a relationship with any of them. His relationship with his wife is especially odd. It frankly, doesn’t seem to be much of a relationship at all. Aside from his time spent shooting with his daughter it seems to me that he is doing everything he can to avoid spending time with his family, yet is doing this all for them? I just can’t wrap my mind around that. Not to mention his complete lack of any spine with his wife, yet Grant turns out to be a strong natured leader. There is a distinct problem with the personality traits Grant has that make his character almost unbelievable. He takes control and runs the. We community, yet can’t have a simple honest conversation with his wife about current events? If he can’t persuade those closest to him, how the hell can be persuade a community to do what he thinks should be done?

With all that said, I did find that I could relate in some ways with Grant. I too will purchase preparedness items without discussing it first with my spouse. My spouse isn’t as bought into the the idea the country is very near its own Soviet Unions like 12/26/91 economic collapse. She indeed suffers from the normalcy bias, but she knows I have and am preparing and doesn’t have a problem with it. She allows me to be me. It doesn’t seem like Grant is allowed to be his own man and has to ask permission to do anything. What kind of marriage is that? How is that any way to live? Doesn’t that make him a glorified slave to his wife if he needs her approval to do anything without hiding it from her?