In their biggest battle yet, the people of Cedar Key band together to fight for the one thing that means the most to them—their community.
Living in a post-nuclear world, the people of Cedar Key know a thing or two about community. With no army to call on, no hospital to attend, and seemingly no help on the way, the people of this small island town in Northern Florida have no choice but to depend on each other to survive.
And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing for the past 25 years. But then an army of men show up on their bridge with demands, and it could lead to the end of life as they know it.
With the decision to fight or let them in, and time not on their side, the town gears up for a battle that they may not be able to handle. In Michael Presley Bobbitt’s third and final installment of the Cedar Key trilogy, The Republic of Cedar Key, he does exactly what he sets out to do—go out with a bang.
Opening up the final book in the Cedar Key trilogy feels like stepping back into a cozy and familiar place. Bobbitt’s biggest feat in the previous books is just how accurately he portrays the feeling of home. In this one, we jump right back into the cozy town with its beloved settings and characters like Thomas Buck and Hayes David. Just as I was starting to feel all comfortable and relaxed, they’re faced with an army at their front door. As much as I would have enjoyed a quiet book of everything going right in this town, I was just as pleased with the thrill of a good group of people fighting for what they believe in.
Bobbitt takes us on plenty of detours in this book, never feeling the need to rush to the big battle or the big reveal. On the contrary, in true small town fashion, he takes his time and gives nearly all the characters proper backstories that turn them from a name on a page to a beloved piece of the story. And not once did I question the importance of each chapter; they are written with such intention. Not many writers can gear you up for an epic battle and then wax poetically for pages about a character we’ve never heard of before—and then make you feel happy he did so—but Bobbitt can.
In The Republic of Cedar Key, it’s Georgie who stands out the most. He’s an old Cedar Key native, but he had been living in Virginia with his wife and children when the smokestacks fell. The impact killed his whole family and left him laying in the ashes of what was once a well-enjoyed life. It’s this loss, followed by even more, that leads him to walk back down to Cedar Key in search of the only other family he’s ever known. My heart breaks for this man.
An army claiming to be the United States Army sends their man-in-charge on a helicopter to the center of Cedar Key, where he explains that his men need safe passage through the town because a Navy Ship plans to meet them there. Though this could be a best case scenario if things check out, the men and women of this town have an eerie feeling about the whole thing. After getting a few locals involved, the path ahead becomes clear, but it will in no way be easy. With a newly appointed mayor in charge, the old generation and the new have to work together if they want to save their community from danger. They all have tough decisions to make—together.
Having multiple generations working together is just one of the many heartstring pulling aspects of this series. The old look after the young and vice versa, up until the very end. There are 90-year-old women grabbing their guns and walking to the frontlines. The wives are gearing up alongside their husbands. Every person plays their part, and it turns up truly inspiring to read. So much of this story is about family, the one you’re born with and the one you choose, and with so many people being like family in this book, every single loss feels so much bigger than just a number.
The settings in The Republic of Cedar Key are so vividly described, reminiscent of the feels of that beautiful cover. Each small island, house, and sunset are written with love and admiration.
This is just the ending I was hoping for—a stellar mix of action, beauty, suspense, drama, and epic battles.
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