The premise of a near-future America devastated by civil war, economic depression and a monster New Madrid fault earthquake forms an interesting and initially promising backdrop. But Burton's neophyte writing skills are painfully evident in the one-dimensionality of his characters, the amateurish approach to the scientific, and awkward prose. I can't help but wonder what someone like David Brin, John Barnes or Octavia Butler would have done with this story. Another thing I didn't like too much were the almost-cartoonish racist overtones applied to the characters and overall story line. Maybe if Burton would have been less proccupied with these and more mindful of writing a more coherent story, the book would have been better.