This is Colin M. Drysdale’s third installment in the For Those in Peril series. We’ve been lucky enough to review each book in the series and to this point we hadn’t been disappointed. When Mr. Drysdale and Pictish Beast Publications offered to send over a complimentary copy for review many months ago we happily agreed. So did the third book in this series live up to our expectations or does this one fall flat like so many other tertiary tales have in the past?

“The third is always the worst.” It may be a bit undeserved but the third offering in many popular series is often scorned. Whether you’re referring to a movie, video game or book, number three is often scoffed at and disregarded. We tried not to come into this review with any bias or preconceived notions. With that in mind, we have to admit this probably isn’t our favorite novel in the trio. That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy nearly every page, because we did. It’s sort of like declaring your least favorite pizza or your least favorite super-model.

The Island at the End of the World is penned with the lean, concise storytelling and clean editing we’ve grown to expect from Drysdale’s works. This book does a great job of tying together the stories from the first two novels. I know what you’re probably thinking and you’re wrong. You’ll find no lengthy chapters going over plot points you’ve read in past books. Yes. There is a refresher paragraph thrown in here and there to recap major points but only when necessary. There is no beating a dead horse here. Drysdale deftly weaves together the “For Those in Peril” series without using the need to rehashing old material as a crutch.  Many authors in the genre aren’t so adept at summarizing and it can often feel like you’re reading the same material twice.

Any concerns you might have about how well the stories work together should be laid to rest. The different characters and story arcs from the first two books seamlessly flow into this one. Nothing feels forced or out of place and it genuinely seems like Drysdale started out with a purpose way back in the beginning with “For Those in Peril on the Sea.”  The novels in this series do a great job of standing on their own. While starting out at the beginning might be the preferred method, you can easily pick up any of the three novels and jump into the series at any point without feeling lost.

Overall we really enjoyed this book. It does a great job of progressing characters and story development from the first two novels. (For those who aren’t familiar check out the links to our reviews of the first two books at the conclusion of our review.) For now, just know these books are essentially post-apocalyptic zombie survival at sea. Drysdale’s use of real world locations and the nautical theme persist here and it is a unique approach we truly appreciate.

The Island at the End of the World radiates a slower , calmer and more hopeful vibe compared to the first two books in this series. The main focus here is on rebuilding, learning to live as a survival community and retaining hope for the future of humanity. This slower pace allows the characters, and the reader, time to acknowledge emotional and social aspects of life the frantic survival pace didn’t allow up to this point. This does lead to some slow points in the storytelling but they are few and far between. There’s still plenty of infected killing, close calls and loss, albeit to a lesser degree. This one doesn’t feel like a big ball of tension and anticipation building to a major final conflict at the conclusion. If that is something you need as a reader you may be disappointed. Instead conflict and tension ebbs and flows throughout until the open ended conclusion where I was left a bit sad, satisfied and hopeful for the future.

We won’t be summarizing any major plot points this time so no worries about spoilers! What we will do is run down a list of what we like, and didn’t like, so much about this book.

PROS:

• Easy to Read:     Mr. Drysdale and his editing team always turn out a finely polished and easy to read finished product. Spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and the like are virtually non-existent. That’s not all that common in the zombie or post-apocalyptic fiction genre. We receive many books that could be run past an editor another two or three times.

• Seamless Storytelling:     This third installment does a great job of tying together the first two novels. He briefly touches on key points from the first two novels when necessary but he does it briefly without boring fans of the series.

• Can Be Read and Enjoyed On Its Own:     While we definitely recommend reading the first two books in this series, you can easily read this one on its own. Reading the first two isn’t necessary but it will definitely enhance your appreciation of characters and certain plot points. You could easily pick up this book and then go back and read the first two if you chose to work backwards.

• Appropriate Length:     Our review copy came in just under 300 pages. This falls right in our personal sweet spot. It isn’t too long and it feels just long enough. You could easily bang this out in an afternoon if you like to binge read. On the other hand if you can only squeeze in 10 pages at a time it won’t take you months to get through.

• The Ending:     This one leaves us with a soft conclusion. There’s no anxiety inducing cliff hanger that leaves you wanting to tear your hair out. There’s a bit of disappointment, uncertainty and loss at the end but it is balanced with acceptance, serenity and hope. The story doesn’t end up fully resolved but as we turned the last page we were left with an strange feeling of calm satisfaction. There is definitely more story waiting to be told but Drysdale could easily walk away from the series at this point without leaving fans disappointed. In our humble (and worthless) opinion Drysdale made a great decision with the conclusion of The Island at the End of The World.  If he continues the series that would be fantastic. If he doesn’t, he leaves the reader in a position where they can feel satisfied and where they can imagine what happens to the characters in the future.

CONS:

• The Cover:     Don’t judge a book by its cover. Mr. Drysdale’s covers are often simple and without gaudy flair. This is actually one of our favorite covers in the series but if you’re a fan of showy covers that the story never lives up to, you’ll be disappointed.

• A Bit Slow at Times:     This book is a bit slower and more deliberate than others in the series. It’s partly out of necessity.  This story is more about humans coming together and learning how to survive. There’s a lot of planning and rebuilding which not everyone will appreciate. There seemed to be less conflict and violence in this installment which makes sense. There’s still plenty of shooting, head bashing and tension but it all seems to be fewer and further between compared to the first two novels. That being said, the author seems to balance the story well. Just as you feel things may be starting to stall a bit he revs up the plot with some conflict on a supply run for fuel or some other run-in with the infected.

CONCLUSION AND RATING:

4 Out of 5 Brains

Get your copy here:

Experience the rest of the For Those in Peril series and other books by Colin M. Drysdale:

Read our review of For Those in Peril on the Sea. (Book #1)

Read our review of The Outbreak (Book #2)

 Disclaimer: The author or publisher provided us with a review copy of this book in exchange for our honest and unbiased review.

The post Zombie Book Review: The Island at the End of the World by Colin M. Drysdale appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators: Curse of the Zombie Omelet (Volume 1) Book Review

We’re always happy to check out new additions to the zombie fiction genre. The problem is, some of them start to sound like the same old story over and over again. So much so that we’ve been turning down many zombie book review requests in the past couple years. It may sound crass. It may sound like we’re turning into zombie hipsters. The truth is we are tired of reading the same repackaged and retitled zombie fiction over and over again from different authors.  Fortunately author Grivante helps break the undead monotony with the first book in The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators series.

Every so often we’re contacted with a synopsis of a zombie novel that sounds like something so different and so fun we can’t pass it up. Such was the case with The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators: Curse of the Zombie Omelet (Volume 1). With a title like that who could resist? If the title doesn’t immediately get your attention let’s glance at some highlights.

• A quiet suburb built over an ancient Indian burial ground becomes the source for an undead zombie outbreak

• A temperamental 1950’s Chevy pickup that needs some transmission help.

• A magic 8-Ball shift knob that seems to predict the future. It can also please the ladies . . . but that’s a different review for a different day.

• A hot redhead female protagonist with a pink revolver

• A pair of zombie exterminating brothers, one of which appears a bit less capable than his sibling.

• A toothless tied up pet zombie/former client

• A puppy named Xanadu that displays magical powers when you fling him into the air and scream his name. Oh yeah (spoiler alert) he also poops diamonds.

The novel’s text is so concise we feel like we’d be giving away too much if we delved too deep within the plot. Glance at the plot summary on Amazon and you’ll have everything you need to recognize this for the fun and unique zombie book it is:

“This is the first story featuring the Zee Brother’s in which they meet the love of their lives, JJ and her magical puppy, Xanadu. They uncover the secrets of an ancient indian curse involving a zombie omelet, wait, amulet. They fail to rescue their first client of the day and end up keeping him as a pet instead.

All of this takes place in the small gated community of Winter Oaks, AZ, built atop the tribal burial ground of the Pakatini Tribe and right next to the county dump. Awakened when the obnoxious president of the home owners association disturbs an ancient artifact, the zombies return from their graves to reclaim their amulet.

Arriving in their extermination truck loaded with weapons and their strangely premonitory Magic 8-ball shifter, the brothers quickly get to work. Bodies and brains explode as they seek the answers to end the ancient zombie curse before it leads to a full on Zombie Apocalypse.

Before it is over, Jonah, Judas & JJ teach us about Zombie Bondage, Zombie Dental Hygiene & The Wonders of Orgasms and Chocolate, all while surviving being the target of an ever growing number of newly awakened undead.

Aided by JJ’s mysterious dog, the brother’s manage to get the amulet, but not before Jonah is marked for death by the Pakatini’s High Priest. It is going to take more than their really big gun, that they affectionately refer to as DeeDee, to get them out of this one.

Filled with nods to zombie pop culture, this book will keep you entertained and leave you smiling.”

Our Review:

Overall we loved the first installment of the Zee Brothers series. It was a blast to read and we genuinely hope the author delivers more in the future.  Although the book is on the short side, we can’t say that’s all bad. There are times when reading 800 pages of convoluted plot twists and sub plots gets more than a little annoying. It was nice to read this book over a few thirty minute sessions. Thanks to the author’s concise, linear storytelling we were able to pick this up after a few days without reading and immediately remember where we were in the story.

We loved the balance of humor, suspense and gore. There is a sparse spattering of sexuality but it is done without going too far like so many horror authors seem to do. You could easily toss this to a teenager and not be a horrible parent for letting them read it.

That being said, we can’t help but feel like there was room for a bit more turmoil in the plot. Although the zombie exterminating brothers, JJ and her puppy do encounter plenty of issues along the way, it almost seems like rectifying the situation was too easy for them. Then again this is just the first volume and the author left plenty of room for growth in the future. Another 50 to 100 pages would have been nice.

Do we recommend it? Yes! If you can pick up the color illustrated version for around $10 to $15 it’s worth it. Otherwise the non-illustrated or kindle versions are probably your best value.  Regardless of which format you prefer, we highly recommend checking this one out. If you enjoy a quick read this one is sure to please. If you’re someone who needs hundreds and hundreds of pages of character development and a slow, methodical built to a plot climax you might be left feeling cheated. This one doesn’t beat around the bush and gets straight to the point, which we actually found refreshing in a way.

PROS:

• A quick read of right around 100 pages. (Our color illustrated review copy contained 103 pages of story text).
• The action starts quickly and hooks you in from the start.
• The subtle pop zombie culture references included are a nice touch for real fans of the genre.
• Just enough of a twist on the zombie genre to make things interesting.
• The author’s linear writing style takes you through the story in a non-distracting style.
• There a few illustrations throughout the text that help bring the story to life for the reader.
• A good balance of gore, humor, and suspense with a dash of sexual tension sprinkled in.
• Large easy to read text
• Cover art, cover and paper stock are all good quality

CONS:

• A bit too short. While the shorter length is nice, I can’t help but feel there could have been more meat to the story. It feels like the characters should have had a bit more conflict along the way.
• What’s the deal with Toothless Larry? I felt like this tied up pet zombie was going to end up being a much more important part of the story than he ended up being.
• Pricing fluctuates and that is one of the reasons we avoid placing too much emphasis on it in a review. I do feel cost is worth mentioning for the version we reviewed. The paperback color illustrated edition of this book is currently priced at $24.99 on Amazon. Yikes. Even with free 2 day factored in that seems a bit pricey for a 100 page zombie novel that can be read in a single sitting of a couple hours. We’ve seen this priced at $15 to $20 previously and in our opinion that’s a bit more realistic. The good news is you don’t need to pony up for the beautiful color illustrated version if you don’t want to.  A non-illustrated version with a white cover Is available; at the time of this review it is priced under $10. Kindle and audio book versions are available for even less if you prefer those formats.

Final Verdict:

We give this one a 4 out of 5 and we can’t wait to read future additions to the series. You know the deal. The truth is our opinion really doesn’t mean squat. Go check it out for yourself and let us know what you think in the comment section below!

Where to Buy:

Grab your copy at Amazon.com and be sure to visit www.thezeebrothers.com for merchandise and more information.

The post The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators Curse of the Zombie Omelet Book Review appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

We receive a lot of zombie products for review. Many of them are just so-so, but every so often our trusty postal carrier delivers one so cool that we can’t wait to share  our initial thoughts with all of you. That very scenario played out today when we received our copy of Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema by Jamie Russell straight from the publisher. We’ll be doing a full review in the near future, but here are our initial thoughts:

• Substantial Amount of Information Packed in 376 pages
• Suggested Retail Price of $24.95 is Much Cheaper Than We Anticipated. (Given the size we’d normally expect a $30-$40 price tag.)
• Seems like a good balance of background information on the zombie film genre and zombie movie listings
• Approximately 137 pages of zombie film listings and summaries alone!
• Short, concise reviews and summaries.
• Covers zombie films from blockbuster major motion pictures to the obscure and  horribly bad  Z movies.
• Over 300 new zombie movies are listed in this updated volume.

This hit our desk and when we saw the size we couldn’t help but flip through it quickly and snap some photos. Our initial impression of Book of the Dead is this is a high quality zombie movie encyclopedia worthy of a spot on any zombie lover’s bookshelf. Look for a full detailed review here on our blog in the very near future.

 Buy Your Own Copy Today!

The post Sneak Peek: Upcoming Zombie Book Review – Book of the Dead The Complete History of Zombie Cinema appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

The Outbreak introduces a new set of characters and provides a stunning first person accounting of what it is like to watch a city become overrun by a zombie infection. Watching the resulting turmoil is as frightening as it is entertaining.

This zombie novel follows the story of Ben, the seasoned captain of a whale watching vessel. Much of the harrowing tale takes place his forty-five foot sailboat, but there is plenty of terrifying land travel along the way.  Before the real story begins Drysdale lays out a little background via a prologue.

Yes. This book begins with the often abhorred prologue. I, like many readers, often feel the urge to skip prologues. Fortunately this is one of the rare situations where a prologue works extremly well. The content contained within it would have seemed orphaned as a chapter of its own. Forcing the material into the existing first chapter would have made for awkward reading.   As much as I hate to admit it, a prologue was the perfect solution here. The author doesn’t waste any time with it and manages to weave a wealth of vital information into a relatively short amount of space.

Within his eleven page prologue Drysdale manages to educate the reader on the origins of the mutated rabies virus and how the outbreak itself started. Just as important, readers also learn how serious the situation is and how bleak the future looks when they observe a heated discussion between the Prime Minister and his top General. Heading into the first chapter the reader knows Miami has been overrun and the United Kingdom is fully aware they’ll likely be overtaken soon. The military is prepared to seal all off all borders and to do the unthinkable if people attempt to get in or out. Simply put: It’s on!

The initial few pages of Chapter 1 introduces two main characters: Ben and Tom. Tom and Ben are good friends that met shortly after Ben graduated from college with a degree in marine biology. Tom is a street performer who helped Ben earn some money after college by turning his hobby of juggling into a job as a street entertainer.  After a couple years juggling for money Ben decides he should put his degree to use and takes a job out of town as an expert for a whale watching company. He discovers he’s found his purpose in life and works to build enough experience to open his own company.

As his own boss, Ben enjoys splitting his year up into two parts. He spends his summer months showing tourists on the west coast of Scotland whales and other local sea and wildlife. He does much the same around the Canary Islands in the winter. Every spring and autumn Ben stops in Glasgow to meet visit Tom. Little does he know his last visit will go very wrong. All hell breaks loose and Ben quickly discovers the viral outbreak has reached Glasgow.

It is very apparent early on; Drysdale doesn’t intend to dawdle. Within the first 20 pages of this novel, Tom and Ben are running for their lives. They quickly determine they need to get off of land and back to Ben’s yacht if they have any hope of surviving. In the process they pick up a variety of other survivors. Some examples include a waitress, a young man named Daz and a Doctor Claire and her two children: Jake and Sophie.

The remainder of the story follows the group of survivors as they attempt to find a safe haven. They desperately search for a location that is remote enough to be untouched by the virus. On their journey they battle a variety of foes including the infected, fellow survivors, the military and mother nature. The tale concludes with a rather open and unresolved ending sure to leave readers hungry for a future novel in the series.

What’s Great:

This one Made Us Eat Our Words:   The author’s writing continues to mature and improve with each his successive works we review. In The Outbreak Drysdale has eliminated nearly every complaint we had with the first book in this series.

Drysdale’s Writing is Lean and Efficient:   There’s nothing but clean, lean and easy to ready storytelling here. There is no fluff or fill and every word seems written with purpose.

Simple and Engaging Plot:   Many zombie novels we review just try to do too much at once. Attempting to follow five subplots and ten different characters can be exhausting and distracting. Reading should be an escape, not a chore.  Fortunately The Outbreak gave us just what we love with just the right amount of plot twists and surprises to keep us guessing.

Ideal Length:   Sometimes we just aren’t in the mood for a 800 or 1,000 page novel, especially when a third of it is pointless fill. Our review copy of The Outbreak came in at 347 pages which we found ideal. If you’re a quick reader with free time don’t be surprised if you blow through this one in a day or two, it really is that good!

Feverish Pace:  Drysdale pulls no punches and advances The Outbreak at a blistering speed. Impatient readers will definitely approve of this one.

The Return of The Clingers:  We like the concept of the infected lacking the ability and coordination to swim. The safety of the water is offset by the fact that the infected are smart enough to cling to debris floating in the water. First seen in, For Those In Peril On The Sea, These silent killers return in this novel. They float around waiting to climb aboard and feast at the most inopportune time for the crew.

Believable Characters:  The characters are incredibly real and believable. Absent are the superheroes or unbelievably skilled survivors that plague other books in the genre. Ben, Tom, Claire and the others are initially awkward and scared.  They don’t kill with ease and the violence and ruthlessness of their new world seems to wears on them. They all come from different walks of life and each character struggles to cope while growing into their new roles. Watching Claire, Ben, Daz and Sophie mature along the way was incredibly entertaining. The authenticity of the characters leads the reader to become emotionally engaged with each and every one.

Even the military presence in this book is realistic. They’re prepared to follow orders until the end and they do so. Sometimes the military is called upon to make tough decisions to protect the overall good.

The apocalypse isn’t pretty. Sometimes surviving humans present more danger than the infected. The author throws in just enough human conflict and from non-infected to keep things genuine.

No Character is Safe: While there are many moments where characters manage to cheat death, the fact that no one is safe is continually driven home. Just when you think a main character is going to be untouchable for the duration of the novel, they are brutally taken out.

The Ending:   The Outbreak’s conclusion left us feeling both cheated and craving more. We felt cheated because we selfishly wanted all the loose ends tied up. Instead, the story reaches just enough of a resolution to let you know where the characters stand in the present moment. It also leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat wondering what their fate will be in the near future. You’ll be left praying Mr. Drysdale continues the series.

MEH. (What’s Not So Great):

We strive to bring you open and honest reviews. This means we have to point out things we weren’t so fond of. Fortunately this was a very tough job with this book. Our complaints ended up being a list of very minor nitpicking. Here are some areas where The Outbreak rubbed us the wrong way.

Not The Most Original Title:  While The Outbreak does give you a great idea what the book is about, the title seems a little boring. The vanilla title doesn’t just doesn’t seem worthy of the great story it is perched upon.

The Cover Could Be Better:   We’ve bashed Drysdale for his cover art in the past. It’s never personal, but we’re always left thinking his stories deserve amazing covers that equal the quality of his writing.  Things are improving, but we’re still slightly disappointed to see a less than perfect cover on a story that is nearly perfectly written.

This time around, we’re not complaining too much about the cover art.  We will waste a few minutes of our time whining about the quality and durability of said cover. The paperback cover on our review copy of The Outbreak just didn’t have a hope of surviving our clumsy ham-fisted ways. The cover creased and curled far too easily. Worse yet the matte finish lamination easily scratched and began peeling away slightly in spots at the corners. We’re not sure a high quality durable cover would be worth the additional expense it would cost the author or readers; we’re simply making an observation. If you don’t mind your books looking well used when you’re done with them, have no fear.

UK/British Specific References:   We’re always slightly annoyed by the differences between U.S. and UK/British spelling of words. Thinks like “organize” vs. “organise” and “color” vs. “colour” aren’t too distracting, but they do tend to stick out to American readers.

Our biggest complaint was the frequent appearance of the word, “leant”. We don’t really use the word often here in the U.S., so it always felt  a little harsh and awkward when read. We “lean” or “leaned” on something, not “leant”.

Another complaint in this area was a few references to something called Balamory. At one point the characters mention an area being the setting for Balamory.  As an American I was pretty clueless just what it was. I was smart enough to guess it was likely a children’s television program but my curiosity forced me to stop reading and Google it.  Balmory was indeed a children’s Scottish/British Television show that aired from around 2002 to 2005. We’re not self centered or arrogant Americans here so we didn’t let these minor details sully our review. We just thought these minor annoyances were significant enough for us to mention.

If all of this sounds like captious grumbling we’d be inclined to agree with you. Truth be told, there really isn’t much to dislike this time around!

The Final Verdict:

4.75 out of 5 Stars (Brains)

Drysdale has vaporized every minor complaint we had with his first narrative in this series. The Outbreak is an engaging and highly entertaining novel in a series that continues to breathe original new life into the sometimes stale and saturated undead genre.
 
We can’t wait to follow this series as it continues to unfold; the wait between books is almost as agonizing as the chasm between seasons of The Walking Dead.

 Disclaimer: The author or publisher provided us with a review copy of this book in exchange for our honest and unbiased review.

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Zombie Book Review: ZombieGift.com Review of Coldbrook

We love zombie books and we receive a lot of requests to review them.  While  that sounds great on paper, the problem is many zombie themed novels are the same old recycled story.  At a certain point it all becomes the same tired tale retold with different characters. Many zombie authors work so hard on penning gore and horror they lose sight of the big picture and fail to find a way to make their story unique and distinctive.  It’s understandable.  With so many zombie themed books flooding the market, standing out from the crowd is no easy task.  Finding a unique approach to the zombie genre can sometimes seem more difficult than surviving an actual zombie apocalypse.  Fortunately there are always exceptions to the rule. Take, for example, Tim Lebbon’s zombie novel Coldbrook.

When Titan Books emailed us with a plot synopsis of Tim Lebbon’s Coldbrook and offered to send us a review copy in exchange for our honest opinion we just couldn’t say no.  It sounded like it had some distinctive qualities to separate it from the rest of the horde. Boy were we right! Coldbrook is a horror, zombie and science fiction mash-up that leaves you hungry for more.

The book takes its title from the name of the secret laboratory where many events of the story take place. Hidden deep within the Appalachian Mountains, Coldbrook is a facility where scientist may have bitten off a little more than they were prepared to chew.  I know what you’re thinking; let’s get things clear from the start. This is not your typical experimental virus mutation and release plot.

Coldbrook Plot Synopsis: (May contain some minor plot spoilers)

The root of the outbreak in Lebbon’s unique zombie tale  isn’t an experimental virus at all. That would be far too easy. The author packs much more into this undead masterpiece. There are many more layers to the Coldbrook plot. Coldbrook scientists do accidentally unleash  something upon the earth and their mistakes end up being much worse than releasing a simple virus.  Instead they create a portal that allows a plague to be unleashed from an alternate world.  It’s a twist that many zombie readers haven’t seen before.

Coldbrook scientists have created a gateway to a new world; a portal to an alternate universe if you will. Things start out nice enough, but like many secret laboratories things end up going very wrong. The problem with portals and windows is they offer movement in two directions. Things can enter and exit. Coldbrook took precautions against unwanted and unknown species entering our world. A trusty “eradicator” was built to kill and contain any living thing that attempts to come through the gateway. It’s unfortunate someone didn’t consider how the eradicator would work should something undead decide to shamble through the gateway from another world. Then again, who could possibly have known a group of mysterious unknown entities would deliberately unleash an infection and send hordes of zombies (or “furies” as they’re often referred to in this book) out to destroy every other alternate world.

That’s the crux of the story, a portal to another world unleashes a plague of infected zombies into our world. That’s bad enough. Fortunately Coldbrook was designed to lock down and contain any such disasters. Problem solved right? Not so fast.  Instead of being contained to the secure underground secret laboratory, a scientist decides to flee the facility in the heat of the moment to be with his family. Upon making his escape to the surface he also leaves a path for the contagion and the infected furies to find their way out.  That’s unfortunate because this infection spreads fast and creates that zombies really only have one central motivating factor: to bite and infect as many people as fast as they can.

As with many zombie stories, there may be a cure and that cure lies with one woman with a mysterious disease and a genetic immunity to the infection that quickly spreads to pandemic proportions.  Someone just needs to find her and escort her to a facility that knows what to do with her and a sample of her blood.

If that plot sounds a little too straight forward, sparse and vaguely familiar you’ll be glad to hear it is only the tip of the cold, dead iceberg.  Coldbrook is chock full of subplots and character development to keep you bouncing around. You’ll definitely find at least one character you’ll latch on to.

One of the first characters we meet is Jonah, the head of Coldbrook.  At seventy six years old Jonah’s health is failing but his mind is still sharp.  He continues to struggle with the loss of his wife years ago but his sorrow and grief are balanced with an admiration and curiosity for exploring the wondrous possibilities the breach might offer.  Jonah becomes trapped by himself within the facility’s secondary area and must struggle to find a way to attempt to save himself, his surviving colleagues and maybe the world.

Another character, Vic Pearson, is the source for an additional story arc or two. Vic has a wife and family. Unfortunately he also has a former girlfriend and mistress in his Coldbrook coworker, Holly.  Vic broke off his affair with Holly when he found out his wife, Lucy, was pregnant.  Although that decision doesn’t quite make Vic a noble man, it does speak to the core of Vic’s character.  We learn early on he is a man that struggles between right and wrong.  Although he may not always make the right decision he is a man that wants to do the right thing deep down inside.  In fact we see Vic struggle to make the right decision when the Science Fiction and Zombie stuff hits the fan in Coldbrook.

Although he still loves Holly, Vic flees Coldbrook just as the facility is being overrun by the furies.  He abandons his fellow co-workers in a desperate attempt to get to his family.  He manages to climb out a ventilation duct maintenance shaft to the surface. In the process Vic leaves an escape path for the infected zombies to exit the sealed and secured Coldbrook.  Poor Vic can’t seem to do anything right!  By choosing to run to his family and get them out of town, Vic ends up doing even more damage. He later realizes this and does what he can to right the wrong.

Holly is another source for fast paced and nail biting subplot action. When faced with a Coldbrook facility overrun with zombies, Holly decides to take her chances. She flees through the breach itself and into the alternate universe she’s only watched from the safety of the other side.  Once on the other side she quickly discovers there is much more to this new world and soon discovers the truth behind what lies beyond the breach.

As if all that wasn’t enough to follow, we’re introduced to yet another major character and subplot about 80 pages in.  Jayne Woodham is a 22 year old young woman with a rare and debilitating disease that causes extreme muscle pain and paralysis. The only thing that seems to help or offer any relief are daily and prolonged deep tissue muscle massage sessions.  Thankfully her better half, Tommy, is there to faithfully help massage her back to life each and every morning. Unfortunately he can’t do much to help with her fainting spells and blackouts. It turns out Jayne is immune to the zombie infection that has afflicted the world. Someone just has to safely escort her through the zombie apocalypse and to a facility that can actually help.

Still not enough action? You’ll definitely want to learn about what the heck the Inquisitors are and just how the infected zombies came to be. It’s a pretty interesting twist few readers will see coming.

I know what you’re thinking but no worries. Believe it or not, all of these stories end up intertwining to create one fantastic zombie fiction tale by the time you’ve turned the last page.

Does Jayne end up being the source for a cure or is there another potential cure already being explored in an alternate universe?  How does Jonah end up being forced into making the ultimate sacrifice to hopefully end the spread of the plague once and for all? How do all these separate stories end up meshing as one by the end of the novel? Is there any hope for humanity? You’ll have to read Coldbrook to find out! Rest assured some questions will be answered and many more raised.

This zombie book culminates with an abrupt cliff hanger of an ending that leaves you somewhat satisfied but very eager for a sequel to answer all your burning questions.

If you love zombies, horror, or the Science Fiction genre you’re sure to enjoy Lebbon’s Coldbrook.  If you happen to like all three fiction genres you’ll definitely have a hard time putting this one down.

What’s Great:

A Unique Approach To The Zombie Genre:  Tim Lebbon doesn’t take the easy way out with the same old mutated rabies virus release plot and we appreciate the extra effort.

Believable Characters and Character Development:   Readers will no doubt find themselves rooting for many of the characters in this zombie novel.  It’s hard not to find someonone to identify with or to become invested in.  The characters are flawed, human and act in generally believable ways. Tiny bits of believability like these work well to balance the fantastic fantasy of zombie assassins being unleashed from the multiverse.

Lebbon Doesn’t Waste Much Time:   One of the qualities we admired about Lebbon’s Coldbrook is he didn’t waste much time getting started.  Within the first 30 or so pages Lebbon quickly and effectively builds the back story and arms the reader with an understanding of Coldbrook and what the main characters are about.  Around 40 pages in the first zombie strolls through the breach and the real gore and action begin.

Changing Point of View and Character Bouncing Help Build The Story:  Coldbrook is a long book following the story of several key characters. Changing point of view and bouncing to another character’s story is necessary. While this practice is a necessary evil it is often poorly done and even abused by many authors. That probably explains why the practice annoys many readers.

Fortunately we found this wasn’t the case with Coldbrook.  Lebbon actually does a great job in this area. He carefully shifts point of views at just the right point to both build tension and progress the story naturally. The novel is told from a third person multiple point of view perspective that flows about as seamlessly as any seasoned veteran author could hope for.

The Ending We Loved to Hate: “Ugh.” That’s the word, or sound, we found ourselves muttering when read the last few sentences  of this novel.  We both loved and hated the ending of Coldbrook. That’s always much better than being indifferent toward it!

Without giving too much away, Coldbrook ends abruptly and a little unresolved.  I was left with a mix of emotions. There’s a hint of resolution and  a glimmer of hope left lingering.  The questions left unanswered mean many readers will be longing for a sequel.

I felt a little satisfaction because Jonah makes a sacrifice he’s somewhat forced into accepting. He knows it is for the greater good and since he’s aging and in ill health he manages to accept his fate. However he does so only after getting some questions answered while raising many more for the reader.

Meh. What’s Not So Great.

Asking for an honest opinion means pointing out the good and bad qualities. While there was a lot for us to rave about, there were also a few things we didn’t like about Coldbrook.

It’s a Little Long:  Our copy of Coldbrook wrapped up in just over 508 pages.  While that may not be all that long for a Horror or Science Fiction novel, it is quite a bit longer than the typical zombie novel we see.  There are only a few points where Coldbrook seemed to drag on a bit.  There are only a few areas of the novel where Lebbon could potentially trim the fat and thin the novel down but that’s not to say his writing style isn’t efficient and engaging. It definitely is.

It’s a fast read and the second half definitely seems to fly by faster than the first. Maybe it’s because we’re not used to reading 500 page zombie novels, but we found ourselves able to put the book down and walk away for a few days at times on a couple different occasions.  This typically happened toward the middle of the novel. Maybe it was simply psychological knowing we still had to get through another 200 pages or so to see any sort of conclusion. It’s difficult to put a finger on exactly why. . . but Coldbrook just seemed a little long and allowed us to lose focus at times.  If you prefer your zombie action combined to 250 to 300 pages you may not enjoy Coldbrook. Although we certainly recommend giving it a chance since you’re rewarded with a great story by the time you finish.

Character and Point of View Shifts:  Coldbrook essentially follows multiple characters and their stories. Due to the depth of the story that means readers will need to tolerate some changing and bouncing from character to character. The author does a great job of shifting to a new character at the beginning of a chapter and that prevents confusion. We’re simply issuing a warning.  If you’re the type of reader annoyed by one chapter abruptly ending in suspense only to yield to a new chapter about an entirely different character in a new situation, prepare yourself.

The Conclusion You Might Only Hate:  I’ve said we both loved and hated the ending.  I’ve covered what we liked about the ending so let’s take a look at what we didn’t like about Coldbrook’s conclusion.

We were left feeling a little angry because Coldbrook’s conclusion leaves you hanging. In a way it leaves you feeling a little cheated because many problems are left unresolved. It’s agonizing in a way.  The plan is carried out to completion but readers don’t actually get to see the outcome. You’re left wondering what ends up happening and whether or not the plan works.

As a reader you have a suspicion Lebbon will be writing a sequel but a fear that he could just decide to leave things a mystery.  Honestly he could do either and call it a success and that pi$$es us off because we want a sequel. Will there be a sequel or will Lebbon leave well enough alone and leave us to form our own conclusions? Only time will tell.

The partially unresolved ending of Colbrook is made a little easier to swallow because you see it coming. It becomes painfully obvious about three quarters of the way through the book when you realize it’s going to be nearly impossible for the author to wrap up all the loose ends by the end of the book.

The Final Verdict:

4/5 Brains

REVIEW SUMMARY

Book:

Coldbrook

Synopsis: Scientists at a top secret laboratory  hidden deep underground in the Appalachian Mountains create a gateway to a new world.  With this amazing new discovery comes a plaque unleashed from a parallel universe.   Billions of the undead walk the earth and the only cure is genetic immunity.  One young woman just might hold the key to humanity’s salvation. . . if someone can get to her in time.

Author: Tim Lebbon

Published by: Titan Books (A Division of Titan Publishing Group Ltd)

Date published: April 8, 2014

ISBN: 978-1781168783

Format: Paperback

 

Review Summary: Coldbrook is an engaging and exciting new approach to the zombie genre.  Lebbon masterfully blends Science Fiction and Zombie/Horror into an exciting tale of a zombie pandemic of otherworldly origins.  The conclusion of Coldbrook definitely leaves you yearning for more!

Reviewed by: ZombieGift.com

Book Title: Coldbrook

Date of Review: 09/04/2014

Rating: 4 / 5 Brains

The post Zombie Book Review: Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

Introduction:

Nearly a year ago we had the pleasure of reviewing the zombie book, and author Colin M. Drysdale’s debut novel, For Those in Peril on the Sea. Evidently Colin has been writing a lot since then because he’s released a collection of zombie and apocalyptic themed short stories. He was nice enough to provide a review copy of this compilation entitled, Zombies Can’t Swim And Other Tales of The Undead.

This book is a collection of nearly two dozen short stories. Many of them were previously published on the author’s blog but some are unique to this book. I’m typically not a fan of short stories and before we go further I should probably explain why.

It’s probably not fair, but whenever I hear the words “short story” I tend to think “hastily written” or “poorly developed.”  I’m certainly no scholarly author myself, but I’ve read enough ill-conceived short stories (zombie or otherwise) to know “short story” is often a synonym for “lazy” or “incomplete.” It’s not that writing a short story is easy (composing an engaging brief undead tale is probably sometimes more difficult than writing a full-length zombie novel) it’s just the short story is often used as crutch for those unable to craft a respectable novel.

Fortunately none of the above apply to Zombies Can’t Swim and Other Tales of The Undead. With that in mind, here are my thoughts after reading Colin M. Drysdale’s latest offering from cover to cover. On with the review!

Zombies Can’t Swim And Other Tales of The Undead Review:

I was worried the short stories would also be short on detail, short on gore or simply lacking enough meat in the plot to keep me interested.  Those fears proved to be unfounded. The majority of the terse tales in this collection are so well written and so engaging they leave you yearning for more. There’s at least a few stories in this compilation I’d love to see expanded into full length novels.

I found these stories more realistic than many zombie novels I’ve read. I really liked the fact that Mr. Drysdale acknowledges the fact that the good guy doesn’t always win, especially when it comes to the apocalypse and the days of the undead roaming the earth. Things don’t always work out for the best. Sometimes the most logical or easiest conclusion to  a zombie story isn’t always the prettiest or most desirable for the protagonist.

One of the wonderful aspects of the short story genre is it affords authors the freedom of abruptness. When space is limited we don’t need to develop characters throughout many chapters. There’s no need to worry about lengthy back stories; no need for foreshadowing. This freedom allows the reader, and the author, to focus mainly on the present moment or the immediate future.  Since readers don’t spend hundreds of pages getting invested in a character, this freedomt also permits the story teller to end things on their terms. I found this to be pretty refreshing and it is just one of the reasons I loved this book.

What’s Great:

Perfect for Reading in Short Bursts:      A collection of short zombie themed stories is perfect for busy zombie fans that don’t have a ton of time to read. This is also the ideal solution for those with a short attention span.  I loved being able to pick up this book and read a short story or two when I needed a break from my daily activities. While I could have easily sat down and read through this in a single session, I loved the option to pick up with a new story later on. The fact that there was no need to flip back through chapters in an effort to recall what happened three days ago when I last had time to read was simply icing on the cake for me.

Well Written:     Short doesn’t mean uninteresting in this case. These are all concise short stories that will suck you in. They are so delightfully descriptive and painfully pithy you’ll have a burning desire to read to the end of each one before putting the book down.

Author’s Notes:    The end of most stories in this book features an “Author’s Notes” section.  It’s a very cool little blurb where Mr. Drysdale provides some deeper insight on things such as  why a story was written, how the idea came about or simply a way to provide more information on a topic.

Great Proof-Reading and Editing:  I found no mistakes or glaring content issues with this novel that could detract from the reader’s enjoyment. That sometimes seems like a welcome exception to the rule in the world of zombie themed fiction.

Meh. What’s Not So Great:

There really isn’t much that displeases me with this zombie book. That being said, few things are perfect and Zombies Can’t Swim is no exception.

Cover Art:     It’s not that the cover art for Zombies Can’t Swim is terrible, it’s just not great. The blue, black and yellow color scheme is certainly attention grabbing but the artwork just doesn’t match the quality of the content within this compilation of zombie short stories.  Hiring a professional to design your book cover isn’t cheap but we think it would be a good idea here.  We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but many people do.  We fear many people might pass on this book and miss the wonderfully written zombie content simply because it has a boring cover.

The Pain of Partiality:     Some of the short stories in this book leave you hanging.  Many don’t exactly end with a clear black and white conclusion. Readers are left with an imagination running wild and a hunger for a complete full length version of the tale so we can have the resolution our brains so desperately seek.

Final Verdict:

4.75 Out of 5

Zombies Can’t Swim was a great read and we highly recommend fans of the zombie and post-apocalyptic fiction genres pick up a copy of their own. The shorter stories are perfect for busy zombie fans to digest in several sessions.  While the cover art wasn’t up to par with the great content between their pages, it certainly isn’t a reason for not owning this fantastic zombie book.

About the Author: For more information about Colin M. Drysdale visit his official site at www.forthoseinperil.net.

Disclaimer: The author provided a copy of this book for purposes of critical review and for a promotional product giveaway. While this didn’t impact our opinion of the product(s)in any way, we felt obligated to mention this potential material connection. Please see our Review Policy and Terms for information and complete details on the policies regarding our reviews.

The post Zombie Book Review: “Zombies Can’t Swim and Other Tales of the Undead” By Colin M. Drysdale appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

I grew up around boats and marinas. My father has always had an intense love, no…obsession, for boating.  My dad doesn’t share my obsession for zombies but he does always joke  the perfect way out of a zombie apocalypse would be on a boat on open water. That’s why when Colin M. Drysdale approached ZombieGift.com requesting a review of his zombie novel, For Those In Peril On The Sea, I was more than willing to oblige.

For Those In Peril On The Sea tells the story of a group of four characters hired to deliver a newly built catamaran sailboat. The task seems simple enough; just sail the newly built vessel across the Atlantic from South Africa to Miami.  Mother nature has different plans and the boat gets pretty banged up and drenched in a viscous squall. The storm floods the boat nearly sinking it and soaks the electronics, cutting off all communication to the outside world. The crew decides to head to a lighthouse to use the radio there to notify the boat’s new owner of their location and the trouble they encountered.  They soon discover worrying about the boat’s new owner being upset is the least of their concerns.

There is absolutely no lighthouse keeper in sight. There’s a vehicle with broken glass and a bloody mess, but no humans anywhere. There are barricaded doors and evidence of bloody struggles in the houses near the lighthouse but no sign of life anywhere. That is until the survivors on shore decide retreating back to their boat is a good idea. Just as they’re leaving they are pursued by a man with a machete. Is he friend or foe? They don’t stick around long enough to find out which is probably a good thing.   As they’re fleeing to safety they witness the machete wielding man mauled by zombies.

The boat of survivors weighs their options and decides to head on to Florida to report what they’ve seen.  After a six week journey at sea the crew is excited to finally reach Florida. When they return to civilization they realize something is terribly wrong.  Miami appears to be in flames and the shore is crawling with more infected.

They make the decision to push father into port and head more inland.   They’re greeted with a grim scene and the stark realization that the whatever this crisis or outbreak is, it envelops the world on a much grander scale than they originally imagined.  They make the only logical decision and retreat back to the safety of the sea.

Eventually they discover they aren’t earth’s sole survivors and they meet up with another group of survivors that have formed a floating community of boats just off shore in the relative safety of a harbor.  The remainder of the book tells the story of how this group survives and what eventually ends up tearing them apart and separating them.

What We Liked

Good Range of Characters:

There is a wide variety of personality types in this story. There are innocent children, hardened survivalist/ ex-military types, motherly figures, leaders, and more.

Character Development: 

Drysdale does an amazing job of getting you invested and involved in his characters.  Watching characters adapt, evolve, grow, regress and mature some more brings a great deal of realism to this novel.  Watching the character CJ evolve from a seemingly weak female into a strong supporter, fighter and nurturer was a pleasure.  Watching the main protagonist, Rob, grow from a lost wayward man to a successful, albeit reluctant at times, leader was one of the main highlights of this experience.

No One is Safe:

Much like the most beloved fictional works of our times,  it seems no one is safe in Drysdale’s world.  Just as you start to really like a character and enjoy reading of their successes they can be taken from you.

Unique Take on Zombies:

The “zombies” in this book aren’t typical zombies. They’re more your 28 Days Later infected variety of ravenous killer.   These former humans have been infected by a mutated rabies virus that spreads much faster than it can be possibly be contained.  The infected in this book, which we’ll still refer to as “zombies” since the line between the two has blurred so much in recent years, are both fast and slow. When no prey is around they simply shamble around in an almost dormant state. As soon as they sense a meal they leap into action and possess almost superhuman speed.  It’s a creepy combination of slow and fast zombies that works very well.

Unique Setting:

For Those In Peril On The Sea takes a fresh and unique approach to the typical zombie story. The characters aren’t just using the sea to get from one location to another.  They’re living on the water to take advantage of the fact that the infected won’t tread into deep water to pursue them.  They rely on the sea and become part of a floating community that depends on the resources the sea provides while simultaneously struggling to overcome the  obstacles it throws their way.

The Author Has Truly Impressive Knowledge:

The author’s knowledge of boating and the real life locations he thrusts his characters into is very impressive.  This knowledge makes the story that much more enjoyable to read.

Some Very Scary Scenarios:

There are plenty of gory and horrific encounters in this book. There is just the right amount of gore and blood without it being gratuitous.  One of my favorite aspects  when reading this book was being drawn in by the mistakes characters make when escaping from the infected.  Like a good horror movie this novel has a  few “why on earth would you do that!?” moments that leave the characters trapped and facing certain death. Two of my absolute favorite moments are when characters are trapped in a beached shipping container and a lighthouse. These are truly vivid scenarios. You can almost feel, hear and see the infected clawing to get at the characters.  These moments keep you turning the pages and extending your reading time to “just a few more pages.”

The Concept of “Drifters”: 

Anyone that has spent any time boating, even on small inland lakes, knows there is always some sort of debris floating around.  This is even more true after a major storm.  Growing up boating on the Great Lakes of the U.S. I know it isn’t unusual to encounter coolers, logs, pieces of driftwood,submerged trees and even entire picnic tables bobbing just at the surface. When you’re dealing with something as vast as the Atlantic Ocean it’s only magnified.

Mr. Drysdale holds true to the classic zombie canon with his assertion that the infected can’t swim. He does however give them enough wherewithal to cling to floating debris should they find themselves in deep water.  He labels these unlucky infected, “drifters” and they are one of the biggest hazards for the survivors at sea. Drifters bob around clinging to debris.  They can be found clinging to objects, floating in life jackets they were wearing when they turned, or even pacing around in the life raft they were sheltered in when they turned. These zombies are dangerous because they can approach an anchored vessel nearly silently and have the ability to crawl on board in search of their next feast of flesh.

Meh. (What We Didn’t Like)

There aren’t too many zombie novels that are perfect in our opinion and For Those In Peril On The Sea is no exception.  While there honestly wasn’t much to dislike about this book, it did have a few flaws.  In the interest of a fair and honest review, let’s discuss some of the aspects of this book we didn’t like so well.

The First Half Moves A Little Slowly:

I’m difficult to please and I’m a reader with a short attention span.  For this reason a couple points in the first half of the book moved a little slowly for me at times.  It’s nothing significant and there is in no way any needless filler in there that shouldn’t be.  The necessary first half of the book naturally builds the plot and sets the scene for the action packed second half.  There were a few lulls in the story for me but they served to build tension and help keep the reader on their toes because trouble is never far off.

The second half of this novel moved much more quickly for me and I found it much more difficult to stop reading. If it weren’t for the fact that most of my reading is done late at night when I’m exhausted I would have probably finished the book in a sitting or two.

Lack of Human Conflict:

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of personality conflict in this tale.  The characters have passionate arguments and heated debates but that’s about it for the first ¾ of the book.  Just as I was beginning to wonder if Drysdale’s view of post-apocalyptic humanity is a little too optimistic he redeemed himself.

Toward the end of the story the reader learns of the evil deeds of one of the characters that was always suspicious.  As a reader you always suspect he’s capable of evil but he consistently seems to avoid crossing the line.  In the end you realize just how far the character was willing to go to get his way.  Even with this conflict and tragedy I still can’t help but wonder if this is too rosy of a picture for society.

Whenever there is tragedy, chaos and society with no law there is someone there to take advantage of it. Perhaps it was just too early in the outbreak, but I’m surprised the survivors didn’t encounter any bands of roving pirates or other non-infected willing to take what they want or needed by force.  In dire situation like this I’m not sure humanity would work together so well, even with small groups of survivors.

Typographical Errors

They were a handful of typos in this book. These were frequent enough to be noticed but they weren’t frequent or severe enough to detract from the story.  Most errors were simply omitted words or words that ended up appearing in duplicate. I’ve read many zombie novels and some of them are so poorly edited you can barely read them.  In fact there have been a couple books in my own hands that I’ve simply had to stop reading and refuse to review.  For Those In Peril On The Sea is nowhere near this bad and just could have used another pass from a fresh set of editing eyes.

Rating and The Final Verdict

 We gave For Those in Peril On The Sea a 4.25 out of a best possible 5 star score.  In all honesty the book is probably close to warranting a 4.5 or slightly higher but due to missed typos and other minor issues we decide a 4.25 was a fair rating. In the end that’s our useless opinion. We  highly recommend it and encourage you to pick up a copy and judge for yourself!

The Final Word:  For Those in Peril On The Sea is a welcome and refreshing take on the zombie genre.   Drysdale’s novel does a fantastic job of taking the same old zombie story, keeping the right elements and putting just the right spin on the core survival tale elements.  The book has a near perfect balance of gore, horror, personal struggle, character development and suspense.  It doesn’t bombard you with the typical zombie clichés nor does it use the shambling undead as a crutch.  You could easily substitute zombies for another threat on land and the story would be just as engaging.  It’s a great read whether or not you’re a fan of zombies and I highly recommend checking it out.

About the Book: 

Official Website:  http://www.ForThoseInPeril.net  (Full of fun facts, interactive maps, zombie fun and more!)

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Pictish Beast Publications; 2 edition (March 9, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0956897479
• ISBN-13: 978-0956897473

Buy the Paperback Here:

By the Kindle Version Here:

Disclaimer: The author provided a copy of this book for purposes of review and product giveaways. Please see our Review Policy and Terms for information and complete details on the policies regarding our reviews.

The post Zombie Book Review: For Those In Peril On The Sea by Colin M. Drysdale appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

This book review is actually long overdue. It’s honestly not my fault this time. You see, when we receive a good zombie book for review it usually disappears. Someone picks it up, flips through it and then borrows it. Then coworkers lend it friends and family and so on.  I can always tell when I’m going to enjoy a review copy of a zombie book when I have to track it down to repossess it, or purchase another copy. Such was the case with This Dark Earth.

I was giddy with zombie delight when author John Hornor Jacob’s publicist emailed us offering to send a copy of  his zombie novel, This Dark Earth, for review. Well, I should be completely honest here. It was a mix of delight and dread. You see there are a LOT of zombie books out there. There are also a LOT of authors seeking a review of their zombie book. We receive many requests from authors asking us to review their best zombie literary efforts. Some of them are great. Many of them aren’t. There’s always a smattering of fear that you’re going to get stuck reading a horrible zombie book. Worse yet, there’s the fear you’ll have to publish your negative review online for all to see. Fortunately both fears were totally unfounded with this book.  To my relief, This Dark Earth is actually a great read. With that in mind lets’ get to my thoughts on this zombie novel.

One of the  the first things I noticed about this book was the cover art. It’s not amazing but I really like it. Maybe it’s because I usually expect the worst.  Zombie books are notorious for having terrible cover art. Fortunately this was a paperback copy from a well known publisher so the cover art has to have some innate level of competency. Check it out below:

The cover definitely doesn’t take the “in your face” approach that many zombie novels do. Aside from the phrase “A Zombie Novel” in small font on the cover you’d probably have no idea this was even a zombie novel at first glance. The low key cover art would make it very easy to pass over this book if you were a zombie lover just browsing at the book store. That would be a shame.

Fortunately there’s a good balance of bland and bold with this cover. Despite it’s simplicity (or perhaps because of it) something about it drew me in.  The title “This Dark Earth” intrigued me. The wonderful grey skull on the cover lacks a mandible. Something about this eerie skull commands your attention. Upon closer inspection I noticed there’s a a lightly colored likeness of the United States within the skull. Here at ZombieGift.com we’ve affectionately named it a sklobe. (A skull globe.) In addition to the skull you’ll notice you a machete and the baseball bat with nails. Then you see the bones. Finally you see the tag line mixed within those elements. “GRAB YOUR HEADKNOCKER AND GET READY FOR SOME WET WORK IN THE MURDERHOLE.”

That was enough to peak my curiosity. While I had a pretty good idea what a headknocker was used for (it is a zombie novel afterall) I still had to know what a murderhole is all about. My initial thoughts were it was a place to kill zombies. Why call it a murderhole though?  Is there something more sinister to a murderhole? Does this term mean something more ominous in this new world, this Dark Earth? You’ll have to read the book to find out! Or at least read until the end of this review.

Plot Summary:

While I do discuss a major overview of the plot and some major plot details I wouldn’t worry. I don’t post any major plot spoilers that would affect your enjoyment of the book here.

So what about the plot? The main plot is honestly nothing special or unique. It’s really just the time tested post-apocalyptic zombie plot. The same old zombie virus outbreak survival story. I guess that’s why I enjoyed the book so much. It’s believable. There’s nothing too far fetched or so far out of the realm of reality that you cringe in disbelief.

Here’s the plot synopsis from the back cover:

The land is contaminated, electronics are defunct, the ravenous undead remain, and life has fallen into a nasty and brutish state of nature.

Welcome to Bridge City, in what was once Arkansas: part medieval fortress, part Western outpost, and the precarious last stand for civilization. A ten-year-old prodigy when the world ended, Gus is now a battle-hardened young man. He designed Bridge City to protect the living few from the shamblers eternally at the gates. Now he’s being groomed by his physician mother, Lucy, and the gentle giant Knock-Out to become the next leader of men. But an army of slavers is on its way, and the war they’ll wage for the city’s resources could mean the end of mankind as we know it.

Can Gus become humanity’s savior? And if so, will it mean becoming a dictator, a martyr . . . or maybe something far worse than even the zombies that plague the land?

On the most basic level this book is about a somewhat cold and anti-social physician/pathologist named Lucy, her son Gus, and a kind-hearted (but not to be messed with) trucker named “Knock-Out”. We follow their struggle to survive while clinging to some small sense of community and society.

The book doesn’t waste any time getting started. It opens in a hospital emergency room waiting room. Many residents of the community come to the hospital seeking relief for strange conditions and illnesses. Their odd neurological conditions rapidly deteriorate before Lucy’s eyes in the waiting room. Of course the scientist within Lucy has to figure this out.  As a reader you can feel her pain and frustration. She wants to diagnose and cure these patients. So much so that as a reader you’re sucked into thinking perhaps the first half of the book will be about Lucy working with the CDC in a stark lab somewhere before it all goes terribly wrong. Things move much more quickly than that.

The reader quickly discovers this is some sort of serious outbreak of pandemic proportions that the government seeks to contain. So much so that they don’t have time to worry about doing it discretely or quietly. Soldiers storm the hospital and began shooting the infected and those exposed. Lucy escapes with a coworker and they flee in his SUV in an attempt to get to  their homes. It’s not that easy.

Lucy’s partner doesn’t quite make it. It seems the government has helicopter gunships ready to mow down anyone that tries to flee. Lucy watches her colleague and friend disappear into a pink mist due to helicopter gunfire.  She escapes and proceeds on foot. It doesn’t take long to know this outbreak is serious. As a reader you quickly come to terms with the fact that you don’t know what caused the outbreak and probably never will. With all the action going on you don’t have time to worry about the etiology anyway.

Lucy manages to avoid being chewed up by machine gun and helicopter mini-guns.  She eventually meets a brawny trucker affectionately named “Knock-Out”. He helps Lucy get home to her young son, Gus. The remainder of the story outlines  how this trio eventually meets a group of surviving soldiers and their Captain who isn’t always a nice guy. Instead of shooting Lucy they decide a medically trained physician in their group could be beneficial.

After one of the members of decides to end the Captain’s life in a slow and painful poisoning (you’ll have to read the book to know how and why), we start to see the prodigal nature of Gus. After burying the Captain in the median of what used to be Interstate-540, the group holds a make shift memorial service the best they can.  A young 11 year old Gus looks up at a bridge overpass in the distance. He tells Knock-Out they need to talk to the lieutenant because he has an idea. You just know the young man has something good in mind and something bigger in store.

Young Gus has an epiphany and realizes this part of what used to be Arkansas would make a perfect place to set up camp. It turns out he’s right. The group forms “Bridge City”. It’s part fortress, part zombie safehouse and the last resemblance of community and safety in this new world.  The remainder of the book tells the tale of how Bridge City came to be and outlines the ups and downs of the struggles Lucy, Gus, Knock-Out and their community experience. The reader learns just what murderholes are and how they’re used to contain, control, and exterminate the undead.

How does this community cling to humanity? What safeguards do they have in place to ensure the dead don’t devour them in their sleep? How does an 11 year old boy end up coming up with Bridge City and eventually grow into the leader that is essentially humanity’s last hope? You’ll have to read the book. In a post-apocalyptic world everything good and safe comes with the danger of rogue survivors that want to take it for their own. This book ends with an army of slavers launching an all out attack to bring down bridge city and the valuable resources it holds. Do Gus, Lucy, and the family and community survive? Just what becomes of Bridge City? You’ll have to pick up a copy of This Dark Earth and find out for yourself. The book ends with issues partially resolved. It’s a situation that leaves the reader begging for a sequel!

What I Liked:

Like I said, the basic plot is nothing new. It’s the standard tale of how humanity survives after an apocalyptic event. The heroes, villains and the struggles Mr. Jacobs have penned are nothing revolutionary. That’s not to say this is a boring book however. Far from it. The real beauty of this book is in the details.

– This book is extremely well written. The plot is engaging. The characters are well thought out and the reader can really identify with them.

– Perhaps more importantly, proofreaders and editors did their job on this one. You have no idea how important that is. I’m certainly not perfect.  This post likely has more than a few mistakes.  Trust me when I say it still can’t rival the modern amateur zombie novel. Some of the zombie books and e-books we receive are so riddled with errors, typos and mistakes they border on unreadable. This Dark Earth stands in stark contrast. It is so well written and eloquently composed I’d like to send a copy to aspiring zombie authors. Perhaps they could use it as an example for what a well written zombie book looks like from both a literary and technical standpoint.

– I really enjoyed the way John Hornor Jacobs frequently switches point of view. It’s just often enough to keep you engaged and interested while being properly executed so it all doesn’t confuse the reader.

– Believe it or not I actually have a background in healthcare.  That’s one reason I was sucked in early. I really enjoyed the opening chapter. It’s loaded with medical jargon and terms that many readers may have trouble pronouncing, let alone understanding. It isn’t so technical that it’s distracting, but it certainly shows Mr. Jacob did his homework when writing the opening chapter. I think it serves to make the whole zombie virus outbreak scenario more believable. When you’re presented with actual names for actual conditions that produce conditions and symptoms similar to those infected in this story, it makes it all seem much more credible and tangible.

– Ultimately I enjoyed This Dark Earth because it examines an age-old question. When the stuff hits the fan would there be enough good left in the world to continue humanity on the right path or would the desperate need to survive turn our planet into a dark and savage place? I really enjoyed the way this book explores all aspects of humanity and the challenges we’d face as a society trying to survive during a zombie apocalypse.  Society is a balance of good and evil and any event of apocalyptic proportions will only serve to magnify those two events. This theme rings true in This Dark Earth and it’s probably one of the reasons I enjoyed the book so much. This story isn’t so much about zombies as much as it is about mankind in general. The events in this book could just as easily have been brought about by any catastrophic event: an earthquake,terrorism, a natural plague, famine or floods. Little separates our comfortable and controlled daily lives from utter chaos. Sure we have laws, law enforcement and moral codes to help keep things in check.  What happens when some apocalyptic event strips those barriers away?

What’s Not So Great:

I honestly enjoyed reading this book, but it wasn’t perfect. I do have a few complaints. None of them are serious flaws and honestly, none of them offer any reason to NOT check out this book. That being said I always give my honest and complete opinion on zombie products when asked to do a review…so here we go!

– There are a couple of plot details and story arcs that just seem a little out of place. They generally aren’t too distracting but they feel either incomplete or forced. While well written and enjoyable to read, I’m left with the impression that they just didn’t need to be in the book.  One example is part of the story where Gus and some other members of the community go to procure a steam locomotive.

Now if I recall correctly the main idea was to get the train, strap a tank to it and defeat the army of slavers that is bothering them one and for all.  Perhaps my first problem with this chapter was believing it.  While the thought of a zombie apocalypse isn’t something I have trouble believing, for some strange reason I have dfficulty believing this group of men could manage to fire up a steam engine and figure out how to get it rolling before every walker in the area showed up and had them for lunch. Then again maybe I have trouble believe a group of men smart enough to actually do this would actually be dumb enough to attempt it.

The other problem I have with the chapter is it doesn’t work. Tiny spoiler alert here: the train ends up crashing. Gus’s partner on this excursion, Klein, dies and turns into a zombie. The chapter ends with Gus coming to. He vows to kill himself before he ever allows himself to become a shamble but first he hints that he must shoot Klein to end his short time as a zombie. It ends there and the next chapter is the final chapter of the book. That chapter starts with Gus helping to prepare Bridge City for the final battle with the Slavers. We’re left to figure out on our own that Gus survived the whole train ordeal. Just how or why is left to us. Don’t get me wrong it’s an entertaining chapter to read, but it just doesn’t really need to be there.  In my humble opinion it does little to nothing to advance the story.  The entire chapter just doesn’t fit well with the book as a whole.

I think the whole train chapter would have been much better had we seen some epic struggle by Gus to escape and make his way home.  Even better if it all could have tied in to the main plot in some important way. Instead it ends flat and unresolved. I was left scratching my head wondering why that part of the book wasn’t simply scratched completely. Maybe I’m dense and missed something in the mix. Could be. Although it didn’t seem vital to the plot, this chapter did serve a purpose for me.  It got my guard down and my mind thinking on a completely different track so to speak. By now the reader knows this final battle with slavers is coming. I was expecting it. However, I wasn’t expecting it to be on the pages immediately following the train chapter. The very next chapter thrusts you into the heart of a final war and the conclusion of the book. It is all a little confusing, but still effective.

– Another unexplained gap is my other main complaint about this book. As a reader you jump from Gus’s comments about having an idea for Bridge City to the next chapter where he’s older and the City has long been established. It happens at about the halfway point and it’s a tad confusing.  In a movie this would be the perfect spot to cut to black and then show “Several years later…” on the next scene.  It takes a few minutes to realize we’ve made the jump. It also leaves you feeling like you were cheated out of part of the story. Some of the details of how Bridge City cam to be are revealed later in the story so in the end it doesn’t feel as chopped up or unresolved as it sounds.

– I have one final complaint. This book ends and leaves you hanging.  The possibility of  a sequel is definitely there!

 The Verdict:

I really enjoyed This Dark Earth and highly recommend it. No it isn’t a revolutionary new take on the zombie genre. It has some of the same old clichés and expected plot elements. It is also a well written and engaging story that is about as believable as a zombie novel can be!  It isn’t perfect and few books in this genre are.  What it IS is a zombie book that is a pleasure to read and certainly worthy of any zombie fan’s time.  I’m left dying to know what happens in the future!  I gave it 4.5 out of 5 brains because of the 2 minor complaints I had.

About the Book:

Get your own copy here:

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (July 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451666667
• ISBN-13: 978-1451666663
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches

Read or listen to an excerpt here:  http://www.johnhornorjacobs.com/this-dark-earth-excerpt/.

About the Author:

John Hornor Jacobs was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for his debut novel, Southern Gods, which The Onion AV Club called “sumptuous” and proclaimed “beautifully probes the eerie, horror-infested underbelly of the South.” Having worked in advertising for the past fifteen years, John is also an artist, a musician, and the author of This Dark Earth (2012 Gallery/Simon & Schuster) and The Twelve-Fingered Boy (2013 Carolrhoda Labs/Lerner Books). He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnHornor and on facebook.  Be sure to read his lively ramblings at www.JohnHornorJacobs.com.

The post Zombie Book Review: This Dark Earth by John Hornor Jacobs appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

A Darkness Shattered: The Darkmind Saga

Zombies are a hot topic these days.  It seems every aspiring author wants to write a zombie eBook. There are endless amounts of mediocre, bad and just plain terrible zombie ebooks floating around the internet. Thankfully, A Darkness Shattered  by Bruce Clothier is none of these things.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a little jaded when it comes to the topic of zombie books.  While I’ve never taken the time to validate this assumption, my personal experience leads me to believe the number of badly written zombie eBooks probably far outweighs the number of them worthy of a spot on a zombie fan’s virtual bookshelf.  I have to admit I went into reading this book without expecting much.  Mr. Clothier totally proved me wrong.

From the very first chapter I was captivated by this fast moving zombie story.  A Darkness Shattered is the first book of the collection to be known as  The Darkmind Saga.  As the reader you  are immediately thrown into the world of Michael Nelson, a 16 year old boy suddenly cast into the world of the zombie apocalypse.

One minute he’s playing video games and the next the world is unraveling around him.  After receiving a frantic telephone call from his father warning him NOT to leave the house, Michael learns the world as he knows it is over.  He barricades himself in his home and waits for nearly a week clinging to the hope that his parents will arrive and whisk him away to safety.  After coming to the realization that his parents aren’t coming for him, he knows he needs to make a move to ensure his survival.  He decides to head from Kansas to Illinois to see if his Grandparents are ok on their rural farm.

Michael sets out on foot into a world of uncertainty.  The moment he walks out the door of his family home for the last time he starts his rapid journey into manhood. It is this journey that is one of the most exciting  parts of this zombie tale.

A Darkness Shattered is much more than a zombie story.  Sure there are plenty of zombies. There’s also plenty of bloody zombie kills and disgusting gore to keep the most hardcore zombie horror fan interested. These are just the tip of the iceberg and basically icing on the zombie cake.  Although the zombie content is plentiful, Mr. Clothier has mas managed to make them a part of the bigger picture rather than the dominant theme of the book. What else is there? Plenty!

A Darkness Shattered tells the tale of a young man with a sometimes dark and depressed mood that must rapidly ascend into manhood in order to survive. While he rescued his neighbor’s dog that has accompanied him on his trek, he can’t avoid human contact for long. Along his journey he meets a very special young lady. Yep there’s a love story buried within this awesome zombie eBook!

When I first discovered this I was fearing the worst. I didn’t want a sappy romance novel with my zombies. I was very happy to find this isn’t your typical love story. This is Michael’s first real experience feeling something special for the opposite sex. It’s understandable because she truly is unique. She and Michael rapidly begin to care about and protect each other with a very special bond.  There’s something very special about this young lady.  She’s able to perfectly balance Michael on many levels. I don’t want to reveal any major plot spoilers for you so you’ll have to read A Darkness Shattered to learn what special gift Michael’s lady, Abby, possesses.

Michael proceeds on his journey to his grandparents house with Abby at his side. Along the way they meet a man out hunting who takes them to his camp.  A large group of survivors has managed to create a sort of rustic zombie-safe fortress. This tight community cares for one another in a true communal sense. You find out toward the end of the story there’s something very special about someone in this camp as well.

So far I sound like I have nothing but nice things to say about this zombie tale.  There were actually very few things I disliked about this book. That being said, in the interest of a fair and honest review I should discuss some of the things I felt weren’t so great.  One of the things I didn’t like about this book was the cover art. I don’t say this to offend the author or the artist responsible for the cover. It’s not that I think the cover is terrible; I just think it misses the mark. It does little to clearly tell you what the story is about and just what a great book this is.

Secondly there are a handful of typos within the text of this book. These aren’t huge errors but Mr. Clothier’s zombie tale is so well written that these minor mistakes are easily noticed and distract slightly from the story.

Neither of these complaints are anything major. They certainly aren’t a reason to miss out on this awesome zombie story.

Final Word:

Overall I loved this zombie eBook. I was pleasantly surprised. This is so much better than I had anticipated it would be. I’m truly impressed that first time author Bruce Clothier came to the zombie genre with such a well written story. It’s a very interested read that just happens to have zombies in it. Along the way I was able to personally identify with the main character, Michael. I could see myself in him and that made the story so much more enjoyable to read.

Bruce Clothier has a wonderfully descriptive writing style that brings this zombie story to life  in your mind.  He also has a knack for balancing tense action with calmer happier moments in the story.  Shockingly, zombies were just one of the things I loved about this book.

While I digged reading about killing zombies, I enjoyed the underlying love story expertly woven into this tale just as much.  I’m somewhat shocked and ashamed to say I found myself reminiscing to my first love, the powerful feelings involved and how special true unconditional love is even in the post-apocalyptic world. This story helped reaffirm for me every man can only be made better with a little faith and a strong and devoted woman at his side.

I highly recommend this book. I’m not a huge reader, so sometimes I get bored easily. I ripped through this book in a matter of a few nights which is highly unusual for me. I kept suffering from what I like to call OMCS (One More Chapter Syndrome).  I truly had a difficult time putting down my e-reader.  I’m so excited to see what happens next as The Darkmind Saga continues to unfold.

How does Michael, a young man thrust into adulthood, handle the stark realization that sometimes fellow man is a much bigger threat than the walking dead? What is the secret gift Abby possesses? Are Michael’s Grandparents safe from harm out on their rural farmland? What is the cliff hanger ending that will have you waiting for the second  addition to the Darkmind Saga? You’ll have to read A Darkness Shattered to find out!

Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Where to Buy:

Dying to read this awesome zombie eBook? Check out some of the places to grab it below!

On Amazon.com:

Smashwords.com:    Get, A Darkness Shattered (The Darkmind Saga) at Smashwords.com by CLICKING HERE.



GoodReads.com:        Get, A Darkness Shattered (The Darkmind Saga) at GoodReads.com by CLICKING HERE.

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