Review: Blue Dawn & A Most Uncivil War

My friend and fellow Michigan Native, Blaine Pardoe, has done something not many have – He sent a chill down my spine with his Blue Dawn Series. And, unlike my dear friend Mark Sibley, Blaine is pumping the sequels out pretty quick.

I just finished Book 2, “A Most Uncivil War”, and I have to admit, he has created a very likely scenario.

In the first book, “Blue Dawn”, Blaine creates “NewMerica”: an alternate history where after the 2020 election, ANTIFA and their various associates succeed in a real insurrection. They replace our Republican form of government with a Ruling Council and a Truth and Reconciliation Committee that rewrites history in a very 1984 fashion. “Social Enforcers”, or BLM/ANTIFA thugs, are made a semi-official law enforcement arm that operates with no oversight. “People’s Tribunals” are convened to mete out street justice for perceived wrongs. Dissenters and conservatives are sent to “Social Quarantine” camps, and Big Tech scrubs the internet and social media at the orders of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

I won’t give away spoilers, but there are many familiar names and faces in the books on both sides.

Ironically, Blaine has named the nascent resistance fighters the “Sons of Liberty”. I find that highly appropriate since NC Scout, Patriotman, Johnny Paratrooper, Mech Medic, and I, along with a few others, are on NC Scout’s “Sons of Liberty” podcast every Thursday. A very convenient coincidence.

In Blue Dawn, a couple of story lines emerge. The Sons of Liberty are taking the first steps to try and restore the American government while exposing NewMerica’s concentration camps. At the same time, a young man tries to find a hidden relic that is essential to a rebirth of America. Meanwhile, agents of the NewMerican government called “operatives” are trying to hamper them every step of the way. The first book culminates with a few guerrilla operations to set in motion the restoration.

In Book Two, “A Most Uncivil War”, the forces of the reborn American Government and the NewMerican government run various operations and dirty tricks ahead of an election to determine who will lead this nation, in hopes of forestalling a full-blown Civil War.

Needless to say, neither side has much faith in the other abiding by the results. The American side tries to ensure that voting is free and fair, while the NewMerican side tries to “fortify” the election (does this sound familiar?). Against this backdrop, the Director of the NewMerican National Security Force tries their own intrigue to seize power from them all. The NSF itself spends all of the book trying to capture our SOL Heroes from the first book.

Individual states choose sides, deciding whether to support NewMerica or the traditional American government. National Guard units are mobilized on both sides, while federal forces remain on their bases.

I have to hand it to Blaine, there is an epic urban battle in the book, and he captured the essence of modern combat and the confusion that is rampant when one side tries to limit collateral damage. I couldn’t put the book down during the battle story. I also couldn’t help but smile and shed a small tear at one point, when he mentions the Gadsden flag emerging in the heat of the combat being carried by the Sons of Liberty. It really is a POWERFUL moment in the book, made even more powerful just after (but you have to buy the book to find out). The rebirth of the “Remember the Alamo” battle cry is awesome as well and I even felt compelled by the exact moment he describes.

Another essence Blaine captures well in the second book is the weight of command. The Colonel and his subordinate officers struggle with prospect of a National Guard on National Guard fight, AS THEY SHOULD, but the upholding of the Oath and loyalty to their soldiers, along with the protection of innocents is what compels the officers to do what is needed, no matter how unpleasant. It’s a stark reality we need to contemplate now.

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