Holding Their Own Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order

For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Holding Their Own series in publication order. Although Book 16 (Before) serves as a prequel, starting with the original 2011 novel allows you to properly experience the sudden shock of the collapse alongside the main characters, Bishop and Terri. Reading the prequel first would spoil much of Bishop's mysterious background and alter the progression of the narrative arc.

Holding Their Own Books in Order

1. Holding Their Own (2011): The story begins with a sudden, devastating terrorist attack and economic collapse. We are introduced to Bishop and Terri, an ordinary couple who must escape a collapsing Houston and traverse a lawless Texas landscape to survive.
2. The Independents (2012): Bishop and Terri work to establish a safe haven, joining forces with a fledgling community of survivors. They quickly realize that internal politics and betrayal are just as dangerous as external threats.
3. Pedestals of Ash (2012): Conflict intensifies as rival factions emerge. The couple must defend their home against increasingly organized and desperate hostile forces.
4. The Ascent (2013): The scale of the rebuilding efforts grows. Bishop takes on a larger leadership and security role to protect the growing community from regional threats.
5. The Alpha Chronicles (2013): As society attempts to reconstruct itself, new directives and governmental factions start asserting control, forcing Bishop and Terri to navigate complex political waters.
6. Bishop's Song (2013): A more personal entry that delves deeply into Bishop's mindset, testing his survival skills and tactical knowledge under extreme pressure.
7. Phoenix Star (2014): A new settlement offers hope for restoration, but it also attracts dangerous factions wanting to exploit the region's resources.
8. The Directives (2014): The tension between local independence and central authority reaches a boiling point, challenging the characters' ideals of liberty.
9. The Salt War (2014): A high-stakes conflict erupts over access to salt—a critical resource for survival and preservation in a world without electricity.
10. The Toymaker (2015): Bishop and Terri face a cunning, shadowy antagonist who uses advanced tactics and psychological warfare to disrupt the peace.
11. Hearts and Minds (2015): The struggle shifts toward winning over local populations, highlighting the ideological battle of rebuilding a civilized society.
12. Copperheads (2016): Bishop is forced to deal with internal subversion and rogue agents trying to dismantle the fragile alliance of safe zones.
13. Renegade (2017): When lawlessness threatens to undo years of progress, Bishop goes on the offensive to track down organized bands of raiders.
14. Forest Mist (2018): Set in challenging environments, this entry focuses on wilderness survival and guerilla-style tactics against well-armed opponents.
15. Bloodlust (2018): A darker, action-heavy installment where the cycle of violence threatens to consume the characters and their friends.
16. Before (2019): A prequel set prior to the economic collapse. The story follows Bishop on an international security assignment in Ukraine, detailing his relationship with Terri and his tactical origins.
17. Vendetta (2020): Bishop sets out to settle old scores and neutralize a lingering threat that hits close to home.
18. Honor's Edge (2021): Bishop and his allies stand on the border of a new frontier, defending their community's sovereignty against external military forces.
19. Double Take (2025): The latest chapter in the saga. Bishop goes undercover to protect a friendly administration from a sophisticated smear campaign driven by artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry.

Chronological Order vs. Publication Order

If you prefer to follow the story chronologically, you would read the prequel, Before, first. This book details Bishop's work protecting corporate assets in Kiev and explores the early stages of his romance with Terri. However, most fans suggest saving it for later. Before has a very different tone—focusing on international espionage and corporate security rather than post-apocalyptic survival. Reading it in publication order (between Bloodlust and Vendetta) serves as a refreshing flashback that answers long-running questions about Bishop's skills and military background.

What to Know Before You Start

The series is set in an alternate near-future where a series of coordinated terrorist attacks and systemic financial failures trigger the second Great Depression, taking down the federal government and power grid. The author, writing under the pen name Joe Nobody, draws from his extensive background in systems engineering and firearms instruction. This technical expertise infuses the books with highly realistic survival tactics, firearms details, and prepper strategies.

Despite the heavy focus on tactical survivalism, the emotional anchor of the series is the relationship between Bishop and Terri. Unlike many post-apocalyptic stories that feature lone-wolf protagonists, Holding Their Own emphasizes partnership, mutual respect, and the domestic banter of a married couple trying to build a home in a chaotic world.

Collaborations and Connected Works

In retail listings and library databases, author E.T. Ivester (often identified as author Jo Ivester) is frequently credited as a co-author or editor on the series. Ivester's editing and collaboration helped shape the prose, pacing, and human elements of the books, making the relationship between Bishop and Terri feel authentic and warm. While Joe Nobody has written other standalone guides on survivalism and unrelated sci-fi novels, the Holding Their Own series remains his primary narrative universe.