The Recommended Days of Want Reading Order
T.L. Payne's grit-filled survival saga is incredibly straightforward to read, as the publication sequence aligns directly with the timeline of events. For the absolute best reading experience, it is highly recommended to follow the chronological path, starting with the prequel novella to set the stage, followed by the seven core novels of the main storyline.
- Sudden Chaos (2019) – Prequel Novella (Book 0.5)
- Turbulent (2019) – Book 1
- Hunted (2019) – Book 2
- Turmoil (2019) – Book 3
- Uprising (2019) – Book 4
- Upheaval (2019) – Book 5
- Mayhem (2020) – Book 6
- Defiance (2021) – Book 7
Where to Start: Prequel vs. Book 1
If you are deciding where to take your first steps into this post-EMP world, you have two primary options, depending on your preferred narrative style:
Option A: The Chronological Start (Starting with Sudden Chaos)
Starting with the prequel novella, Sudden Chaos, allows you to witness the very first moments of the grid failure through the eyes of Erick Wynn, a business traveler stranded in Chicago. It offers a compact, high-stakes introduction to the panic, confusion, and immediate breakdown of society that occurs when an electromagnetic pulse and cyberattacks strike the United States. Reading this first establishes the global scale of the disaster before you zoom in on Maddie's journey.
Option B: The Main Protagonist Start (Starting with Turbulent)
Many readers prefer to jump straight into the first full-length novel, Turbulent. This book introduces the central protagonist of the entire series, Maddie Langston. Stranded at a chaotic Chicago airport, the collegiate ultra-marathon runner must navigate the onset of the blackout, take under her wing a newly orphaned young girl named Emma, and make the grueling trek back to her family. If you choose this path, you can always treat Sudden Chaos as a companion story to read later.
The Core Story Arc and Key Characters
The main narrative of Days of Want focuses heavily on the theme of family survival and character evolution. As Maddie travels from Chicago to her uncle’s farm and eventually into the rugged terrain of the Missouri Ozarks, she transforms from an anxious college freshman into a resilient leader. Along the way, the series details the challenges of resource scarcity, local conflicts, and defense against lawless factions.
- Turbulent: Maddie is stranded in Chicago and makes a desperate attempt to flee the urban center alongside young Emma, setting the tone for the series' travel-survival themes.
- Hunted: Finding temporary shelter at her uncle's farm is not enough. As threats close in, Maddie and her family are forced to make painful sacrifices to protect their own.
- Turmoil: Alongside her brother Zach, Maddie faces lawless groups and dwindling supplies, forcing the survivors to adapt to increasingly harsh realities.
- Uprising & Upheaval: The setting shifts to a highly contested conflict zone in Texas County, Missouri, where Maddie's group must stand their ground against organized threats.
- Mayhem & Defiance: The concluding acts of the series ramp up the tactical pressure, forcing the community to unite and fight for their long-term survival in a shattered nation.
What to Know Before You Start
Unlike many post-apocalyptic book series, T.L. Payne’s work stays firmly grounded in reality. There are no zombies, supernatural elements, or sci-fi tropes. The focus is entirely on human nature—how people respond to a complete grid collapse. You will encounter both the dark side of desperate survivors and the inspiring resilience of communities pulling together. The series has also earned praise from prepper enthusiasts for its practical, realistic depiction of survival skills, navigation, and emergency preparedness.
Expanding Beyond Days of Want
Once you finish Maddie's story in Defiance, you can explore T.L. Payne's other post-apocalyptic works. While these series do not share characters or feature direct crossovers with the Days of Want cast, they are written in the same gritty, detail-oriented survival style. Popular series to check out next include:
- Gateway to Chaos Series: Beginning with Seeking Safety, this series follows survivors navigating similar grid-down scenarios with a focus on defense and community building.
- Fall of Houston Series: A survival series set in Texas, focusing on the immediate aftermath of a collapse in a major southern metropolitan area.
- Blackout War Series: A fast-paced survival thriller focusing on military elements and cyber warfare.