Reviewed
Read Time
7 min read
Age & reading levelAdult
Reader ratingreader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
4.5
· 69 Amazon ratings, as of Oct 2026Share This Review
Our review
Less than Half
Less than Half: A Post Apoc Survival Journey (Half a World) by Randall Wood Review: Character-Driven Post-Apocalyptic Survival Fiction
by Randall Wood
Less than Half: A Post Apoc Survival Journey (Half a World) is a post-apocalyptic novel by Randall Wood set five years after a plague kills six billion people, following a soldier-commander navigating survival, duty, and human connection. It opens the Half a World series and is aimed at readers who want character-focused survival fiction.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers of post-apocalyptic fiction who want a morally driven survival story focused on what comes after civilisation collapses — specifically, the ethical choices facing those tasked with rebuilding it.
Worth it if
Worth reading if you are drawn to post-apocalyptic premises that centre conscience and community over action-heavy catastrophe, and are happy to begin a seven-book series from its opening entry.
Skip if
Skip it if you prefer survival fiction driven by fast-paced action and event-centred plotting rather than character introspection and moral reckoning.
4.5from 69 Amazon ratings, as of Oct 2026— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
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Less than Half: A Post Apoc Survival Journey is the opening entry in Randall Wood's Half a World series, set five years after a plague has killed six billion people and following soldier-commander Jake Reynolds as he leads a nuclear-powered armored train tasked with clearing the remnants of the old world — until a small Gulf Coast community and a woman named Harper Crowe force him to confront whether anything is still worth preserving. The novel's distinguishing angle is its moral and character-driven focus on what comes after the apocalypse, rather than on the catastrophic event itself. It suits readers who want post-apocalyptic fiction built around conscience and human connection, and is best approached as the start of a seven-book series.
- Is it worth reading?
- For readers drawn to post-apocalyptic fiction that centres conscience and community over catastrophe, Less than Half offers a premise reader commentary has described as refreshing within the genre — specifically, its focus on the role a remnant government might play in rebuilding rather than on the collapse itself. The book is best entered with the understanding that it is the first chapter of a longer seven-book story, and that the payoff is cumulative. Those who want fast-paced, event-centred survival action are likely to find the character-introspective register a different experience than expected.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoy Less than Half may want to explore Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, which similarly focuses on human connection and cultural survival years after a devastating pandemic rather than on the disaster itself. Stephen King's The Stand and Peter Heller's The Dog Stars are touchstones in the genre for those who want morally complex survivors navigating a depopulated world. One Second After by William R. Forstchen covers comparable ground for readers interested in collapse fiction with a military dimension. For something in a related speculative vein, After Intelligence: The Hidden Sequence by Nicole Marie is also featured on this page.
- Who should read this?
- Less than Half is aimed squarely at adult readers of post-apocalyptic fiction who want a morally driven survival story — specifically, one that asks what people owe one another when rebuilding civilization from scratch. It is particularly suited to readers comfortable following an ensemble from the opening book of a multi-volume series rather than seeking a self-contained resolution. Fans of Wood's Jack Randall thrillers looking for more of the same will find this a deliberate genre shift, but those open to character-focused speculative fiction should feel at home.
- About Randall Wood
- Randall Wood is the bestselling author of the Jack Randall series of thrillers — including Closure, Pestilence, and Scarcity — and the Half a World Post-Apocalyptic series. He is also the founder and CEO of ScribeCount. In prior lives, he has been a paratrooper, combat medic, bartender, student, and teacher.
- Where does this fit in the series?
- Less than Half is Book 1 of the Half a World series and the correct entry point — it introduces Jake Reynolds, Task Force 68, Harper Crowe, and the world five years after the plague. The series runs to seven books in total, so the story begun here continues across six further volumes. Readers should not expect a fully closed narrative arc from this opening entry alone.
- What kind of story is this, really?
- At its core, Less than Half is a story about the ethics of power in a depopulated world — specifically, whether a soldier whose job is erasing the past has the right, or the obligation, to help protect what little remains. Jake Reynolds' confrontation with Harper Crowe at Venice, Florida is less a conventional romantic or action beat than a catalyst for a moral reckoning he has postponed for five years. Reader commentary has noted this framing — the role a remnant government plays in rebuilding — as the quality that sets the series apart from more action-centred post-apocalyptic fiction.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
About Randall Wood
Where does this fit in the series?
What kind of story is this, really?
Summarize this book
Less than Half: A Post Apoc Survival Journey is the first book in Randall Wood's Half a World series, published by Tension Bookworks in April 2024. The story is set five years after a plague has wiped out six billion people, with infrastructure gone and oil no longer flowing. Jake Reynolds commands Task Force 68 — a nuclear-powered armored train three kilometers long — and is tasked with burning the remnants of the old world to prepare the ground for rebuilding. When the train reaches Venice, Florida, Jake's encounter with Harper Crowe forces him to choose between continuing to follow General Perry's orders and treating the surviving world as something worth saving.
Follow up
How many books are in the series?
Does it show the plague happening?
What's the overall tone?
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Our Review
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A post-apocalyptic novel that asks what civilization owes its survivors, Less than Half: A Post Apoc Survival Journey (Half a World) is the first book in Randall Wood's Half a World series, published by Tension Bookworks in April 2024.
What It Is
According to the author's description, the novel is set five years after a plague has killed six billion people — a world where infrastructure has collapsed, oil has stopped flowing, and survival itself has become the new normal. The book opens with Jake Reynolds commanding Task Force 68, a nuclear-powered armored train three kilometers long, tasked with burning the remnants of the old world to clear the way for something new.
As one passage from the book's opening reads: "It isn't often that you see a city the size of Tampa burn."
What Happens
Per the author's description, the story pivots when Task Force 68 arrives at Venice, Florida — a small island community holding on along the Gulf Coast — and Jake encounters Harper Crowe. The author frames her as carrying her own history of loss, and her presence forces Jake to reckon with a choice he has avoided for five years: continue executing orders from General Perry, or start treating the world as something worth preserving.
The novel does not tell the story of the apocalyptic event itself; as one Amazon reader noted, it picks up years after the virus and focuses on the struggles of those who have already survived and the new challenges they face.
Back cover with synopsis, author biography, publisher logo, and barcode.
What Readers Are Saying
Reader commentary on Amazon describes the premise — specifically what happens after the apocalypse, and the role a remnant government might play in rebuilding — as a refreshing angle within the genre. One Amazon reader wrote that the series feels "quite different from the others" in the post-apocalyptic space and called it "very refreshing in many ways."
Another described it as a premise worth continuing, saying they were looking forward to Book 2. This review draws on published reader commentary and the author's own description; it does not reflect hands-on reading or independent critical assessment from major outlets.
Who It's For — and Who Should Skip It
The author's description pitches Less than Half: A Post Apoc Survival Journey (Half a World) at readers who want survival fiction with a moral dimension — specifically, stories that explore what people owe one another when rebuilding from scratch. Readers already engaged with Wood's Jack Randall thriller series will find this a distinct departure into post-apocalyptic territory.
Those who prefer action-heavy, event-centered survival narratives may find the character-driven and conscience-focused approach a different register than expected. As the first book in the Half a World series, it is the right entry point; readers who want to continue the story of Jake Reynolds will find six further books in the series.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
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randallwoodauthor.com
Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
2 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
mass death (six billion lives lost to plague)
destruction of civilian infrastructure and settlements
Skip if you prefer survival fiction driven by fast-paced action and event-centred plotting rather than character introspection and moral reckoning.
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