Let’s back up here for just a second. We don’t want our zombie fan cards revoked. We don’t have a problem with blood and guts. You can’t write a good zombie book without them. Too many writers use gore as a crutch. It’s so common when an author offers to send us their book for review, we’ve come to expect much gore and little content.

When author CJ Grant asked if we would like to review her new zombie themed book, she didn’t provide us with a lot of details. We were intrigued but expected the same old song and dance. Kit’s Rebellion was different from the very beginning.  

When this first crossed our desk, we were skeptical. It didn’t look like what we’re used to. We heard, “Isn’t this supposed to be a book about zombies?” more than once. The cover isn’t over the top. No guns. No blood. No zombies. No hazmat suits or flashy biohazard symbols. If you were casually browsing for a zombie novel, you’d likely walk right by this one on the bookshelf. If you did flip it over to read the back cover, you’d only see a couple references to zombies.

We opened the book up and read the first sentence, “I witnessed my first execution when I was six years old.” At that point we got it. This isn’t going to be a book about zombies. We were correct.

Unlike so many other undead themed books, the story here isn’t zombies. There are plenty of encounters with the walking dead; they just aren’t the central focus. The real story resides with the characters and their unique struggles. This is a book about humanity, relationships and survival. Above all, Grant pens a tale about the struggle to have the courage and conviction to stand up for what is right in the face of adversity. Kit’s Rebellion doesn’t even start where most of zombie tales start.

Kit’s Rebellion Plot Synopsis

It opens in April of 2043, long after the initial outbreak. As a reader you don’t learn much about the actual beginning. Instead you’re thrown into the lives of survivors many years after the outbreak.

Most of civilization is gone and the world has reverted to a more primitive time. What is left of humanity is scattered into groups of survivor camps. Necessities like food and supplies are limited. Ammunition is a precious commodity and most of the encounters with shamblers are handled via bow and arrow or knives when possible. When survivors aren’t fighting off flesh eating monsters they’re dealing with the unique challenges of this harsh world. At best they’re trying to coexist with themselves and other survivors. At worst they’re defending themselves against desperate and violent bands of raiders while surviving among the walking dead.

Our protagonist, Kit O’Brien , is a twenty year old who grew up as an orphan in one of these groups of survivors, Camp Kraft. A rising member of the militia, Kit is also one of the camp’s most skilled fighters.

A brutal form of mixed martial arts style fighting is now the main source of entertainment. These fights generally end up with bad bruises, broken bones and very sore bodies. Fighters are battered but they live to fight another day. That is, until the camp’s leader, Governor Garret Kraft, decides to up the ante and raise the stakes for his own amusement.

When Governor Kraft announces he’s going to be starting gladiator style matches where competitors fight to the death, people start to talk. While on a supply run Kit and other members of the militia discover a dark secret. To make matters worse, Garret throws some special and very dangerous surprises their way during gladiator matches. This coupled with witnessing a questionable execution or two causes Kit and other members of the militia to grow concerned about their leader.

As this book’s tagline says, sometimes loyalty means rebellion. Kit and the other members of the rebellion must choose loyalty to their camp’s leader or loyalty to one another and the greater good. As if juggling all of this isn’t enough, along the way Kit and the others must deal with the same things most of us worry about in normal life: friendship, relationships and the struggle to find ourselves and our place in the world.

Will Kit and the others decide to overthrow the governor? Will they find a way to lead their camp without losing all sense of right or wrong? How? You’ll have to read Kit’s Rebellion from CJ Grant to find out.

PROS:

• A unique angle on the zombie genre with enough familiarity to satisfy zombie fiction addicts. This one is good for die hard zombie fans or general fans of fiction.
• Relatable and well-developed characters.
• Zombies, gore and violence are the side dishes and not the main course here.
• The author doesn’t delve too deep into the main cause of the outbreak. As a reader you’re thrown into this new world and you deal with it as it happens. We enjoyed this and it made us more immersed in the story. This small touch made it feel like we were part of the story instead of an outsider looking in.
• Length of 305 pages is good.  Avid readers could consume this in a single sitting or over a light weekend. More casual readers will enjoy the book’s pacing and length.
• Grant concludes the story in a good place. There are no agonizing anxiety provoking cliff hangers here. She wraps things up nicely while leaving the option to continue the story wide open.

CONS:

• Some Zombie aficionados may find this one needs more undead gore.     
• There are a few moments involving mature situations. The author doesn’t go into vivid detail, but some adult language is used. Intercourse is used as a rite of passage and to repay debt in this new world. As a result, the topic is broached multiple times. This may be less than ideal for younger readers and unsettling to those easily offended. Most details are implied but we felt it is still worth nothing.

Conclusion:

With Kit’s Rebellion, author CJ Grant manages to tackle the zombie genre without telling the same old tired tale. That’s no easy task. Many undead dystopian novels use violence and gore to hide a barren manuscript devoid of personality. Grant takes the opposite approach. She creates an engaging plot told through relatable characters. Instead of relying on the obvious threats she focuses on the human side things. There’s still plenty of carnage along the way. Flesh craving monsters are components and not the main product.

If you removed zombies and replaced them with almost any other threat, this would still be a great read. If you’re looking for a unique zombie book (or just an excellent book in general) we highly recommend checking this one out.

The post Zombie Book Review: Kit’s Rebellion by CJ Grant appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

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.

Zombie Book Review

The Hunt Chronicles Volume 1: Awakening by J.D. Demers

We read a lot of zombie books and J.D. Demer’s take on the zombie genre is right up there with our favorites.  While it isn’t perfect, it does provide a refreshing twist in a category of fiction that sometimes seems as stale and dead as the zeds themselves.

The Hunt Chronicles Volume 1 Awakening is presented in a unique journal style.  The presentation isn’t all that original and it has been done many times in zombie fiction, but Demer does it better than most.  Each chapter starts with a section title and a date.  The main events in the book are sandwiched between a short prologue and a concluding epilogue. We’ll get to more on that later.  For now it’s enough to say the prologue and epilogue hint at Christian being stuck in a grim situation over a year after the main events described in this novel. It may sound confusing but it really isn’t. Trust me when I say J.D.’s writing style suits this manner of presentation very well.  Everything flows along nicely and the dates and timelines are a guideline that assist you rather than being a distraction as is so common in other works of zombie fiction. You can easily read this book without needing to dwell on dates.  Time doesn’t jump forward and back like it may in other books.

This zombie novel tells the story of a hero that isn’t so much of a hero most of the time.  Our zombie slaying protagonist, Christian Hunt, is an ex Army man but he’s not the hardened soldier you might expect. Christian was a supply clerk that didn’t see much first hand battle.  He’s really a bit of newbie when it comes to survival and killing.  The awkward main character is one of the reasons I enjoyed this book.

Christian makes mistakes. He hesitates. He’s scared at times. Not every shot he takes is a head shot. He misses. Sometimes he makes the same mistakes again. He’s willing to learn and has the heart to continue on.  Overall he’s believable and that’s why I enjoy his character. Of course it’s difficult to survive on your own when you don’t have a very good survival skill set.  Christian could use some help and he gets it from some pretty cool characters.  No zombie book would be complete without a cold, calculating, zombie-killing bada** that has ice water flowing through his veins. This book gives you just that with a character nicknamed, “Fish.”

Fish is an ex military sniper that saw a ton of action in Afghanistan. He knows how to efficiently kill when the situation calls for it and he does it without hesitation or much remorse. Basically he’s the polar opposite of Christian Hunt and it creates a mild amount of tension and a great story in itself.

Along the way Christian Hunt also scores perhaps his most valuable asset of all, “Boomer”,  a German Sheppard with police dog genetics. After rescuing this canine it hangs around and Christian soon learns it has the ability to sense the dead long before he does. “Boomer” saves Christian’s neck many times.

Watching Christian progress from a naive and hesitant fool to a perfectly capable survivor in a short amount of time is what makes this such a great read.  When the book ends Christian is still far from perfect but you can definitely see the progression of his character and it is one of the highlights of the story.

I don’t want to reveal many plot spoilers since I feel this is a book worth your time. We’ll cover the basics here and let you read for yourself to fill in major plot action.  As I mentioned previously, the story begins with a short 4 or 5 page prologue that provides some basic background information on the main character. We learn Christian is holed up in a two story office building surrounded by about a thousand zombies.  It’s over a year after the outbreak started and over a year after the events that are described in this novel.  We have no idea how Christian got himself in this situation and at the end of the book you still won’t know.  It’s a bit frustrating but definitely leaves you very interested in reading future installments in this series.

The main events in the novel are basically a journal accounting of Christian’s experiences in the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. It describes both Christian’s literal and figurative awakening to the world that lays before him and probably to the same extent an awakening to his own self, his immunity and his ability to survive. Through a relatively short amount of time (the dates span from March 19th through April 22nd) we see how the zombie plague likely started, how Christian survived the initial events, how he came to believe he’s immune and how he worked with others to survive.  We get to see Christian progress from a scared and tentative loner with just enough survive instinct to keep himself alive to part of a duo. From there he becomes part of a larger group that unexpectedly needs to relocate their base due to an attack.  The main events and the concluding epilogue leave the reader with a mild double cliff hanger. It’s a bit frustrating but it’s well done and definitely leaves you eager for the next book in the series.

At the conclusion of the book we know where the group is heading but we’re left wondering whether they’ll make it there and if things will work out even if they do.  We’re also left wondering what’s troubling a normally unshakable Fish.  After an epic final battle with a special type of zombie known as a “Scab” something clearly has Fish distracted and off his game. It could be the harshness of the final battle with the undead, but it’s unlikely this hardened vet would let a little undead bashing shake him up.  I have a feeling I might know what it is, but I’ll have to wait for a future book to know whether I’m right.  As the book wraps up we come back to the realization that Christian is possibly writing his final thoughts on paper as he’s alone and surrounded by the undead. He’s cornered over a year later than the events that transpire in Volume 1: Awakening. What’s happened in the past year? Did Fish, Boomer and the others become Zombie food? How did Christian get himself in this situation and will he get out? We’ll have to bide our time until the story continues and I can’t wait to find out!

What We Loved

• A very well written book with little to no grammatical or typographical errors. (That’s not so common in the world of zombie fiction)
• The chronological journal style presentation of the main plot is done well and not distracting.
• The prologue and epilogue create even more drama and cliff hanger tension.
• Contains just the right amount of violence and gore without being overly gratuitous.
• The zombies have a unique twist without being so unique it will anger purists.
• Special Zombies called “Scabs” add a new level of terror and suspense without being too much.
• The main character is real and believable.
• The military jargon is clearly explained for non-military minded readers which isn’t always the case.
• We love the addition of the dog to the story. As a reader you find yourself keeping your fingers crossed that Boomer doesn’t become zombie chow.
• The author doesn’t need to resort to sexual content like so many author post apocalyptic authors feel the need to do.
• The book concludes with just enough of a resolution that the reader doesn’t feel cheated but it also leaves plenty unresolved for future installments.

Meh. What We Didn’t Love So Much:

The end is a bit frustrating. An author definitely wants to keep you on the edge of your seat as they prepare you for the next book in their series and I understand that. As a reader I can’t help but feel I’d like a few more loose ends tied up while I wait for the next book.

Final Verdict:

4.25/5.0

The Hunt Chronicles Volume 1 Awakening is one of our favorite zombie novels to date. While it isn’t perfect, we did put it down without thinking “I’ve read this before.” That’s something we can’t say often. Awakening has just enough of a unique twist to the zombie genre to make it seem unique without offending zombie purists. Overall it’s a great book we definitely recommend reading!

NOTES:

We received an early copy of this book and the cover art has been changed.  You can see the new cover art and purchase The Hunt Chronicles Volume 1: Awakening below.

The post Zombie Book Review – The Hunt Chronicles Volume 1: Awakening by J.D. Demers appeared first on ZombieGift.com Zombie Blog.

Here are some of the curiosities you’ll encounter within the pages of Clive Riddles zombie novel, The Burning Z:

• Zombies at Burning Man Festival
• Zombies that enjoy the taste of fresh urine
• Zombies drawn to the delicious aroma of porta-potty toilets
• Heroes clad in plastic Storm-trooper costumes
• Zombies attacking a fictitious Alamo while trampling life sized Pee-Wee Herman cardboard cut-outs

Don’t worry all of the crazy cooky aspects of the book we mentioned above will make perfect sense if you read this unique zombie novel. Now that I’ve got your attention, it’s safe to say The Burning Z  definitely isn’t your typical zombie book. That’s one of the reasons we enjoyed it. We know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. It’s not another one of those zombie books. I was skeptical at first to.

When HealthQuest Publishers contacted us asking if we’d be interested in reviewing their zombie book, we honestly weren’t sure what to expect. We read their plot synopsis and knew it sounded unlike anything we’ve read before and that’s half the battle when it comes to books in the undead genre.

This isn’t your run of the mill zombie apocalypse survival story which is a good thing. I was worried the whole Burning Man scenario would mean endless references to drug use and other depraved acts. I was wrong! The festivities of Burning Man are certainly central to the story but this book isn’t dominated by it and there’s a lot more substance and meat to sink your teeth into. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s take a brief look at a summary of the main story. While the following section does outline some major plot points, it shouldn’t contain any major plot spoilers should you decide to pick up a copy for yourself.

Plot Synopsis:

Normally this is a point in the review I hate. So much so that sometimes I leave it out entirely.  This is the part where I normally struggle to write a plot summary because the author and publisher of the book failed to compose any sort of plot synopsis. Not so with The Burning Z. Flip the book over and right there on the back is a near perfect summary of the book’s main storyline.  Call me lazy, but it describes things so well that I don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel. There’s no need for me to debate on how much detail I should go into or if I’m spoiling things for future readers.

ZOMBIES GO TO BURNING MAN: Zombies invade the Black Rock desert, while a flawed hero tries to rescue his rekindled love.

The Burning Z takes us back to the source of a zombie outbreak – a pre-zombie apocalypse world  – but one in which a passing zombie might not merit a second glance: the annual Burning Man festival in the Black Rock desert. A mysterious meteor slams into the Black Rock desert and soon a growing number of zombies are on the loose.

Bruce and Conner – hometown friends who experience sudden success early in their careers, followed by a long downward trajectory encounter the z’s and embark on a quest across the desert to save Conner s recently rekindled high school love who is attending Burning Man. Alan Gorman – the steadfast, retired Air Force physician with expert marksmanship and a prosthetic lower limb – endures his own odyssey trying to alert the authorities to the escalating zombie menace. It all leads to a climatic, costumed battle of the Alamo, inside Burning Man’s Black Rock City.

Do Bruce, Connor and his love survive? What do meteors have to do with zombies?  Zombies like urine? Really? How can that be helpful? Why a Stormtrooper costume? Do the humans triumph and defeat the undead? You’ll have to read The Burning Z to answer these BURNING questions. (Bad pun intended). One thing we can tell you is Mr Riddle definitely left the story open for a sequel. We can’t wait!

Onward to our thoughts! Now that we’ve finally had a chance to read The Burning Z, let’s break it down and take a look at what we liked and didn’t like about this unique zombie book.

What’s Great:

High Quality Paperback: Once we held the book in our hands for the first time many fears of this being a bad book were erased. The book just exudes a sense of high quality. The crisp, glossy heavy weight  front and back cover sandwich 373 pages that feel equally superb.

Cover Art:   It’s a mantra you’ve heard me chant over and over again: the zombie book genre is full of horrible cover at. Fortunately The Burning Z is an exception to the rule.  The true aesthetic beauty of this book is in the cover art, designed by Ellen Dykes. The cover has a beautiful blood stained, cracked map of Burning Man and the Black Rock Desert. The design, font and quality of the cover material itself all work together very well. I accidentally spilled some water I was drinking while reading my copy and I messed up the back cover. I was genuinely upset because I like this cover so much!

The Plot: You can’t totally judge a book by its cover. The Burning Z has an engaging and unique zombie plot that keeps you coming back. Zombies and gore are part of the story and not the plot in its entirety. Too many zombie books rely on the same old tired undead clichés. Author Clive Riddle leaves you hanging at the right moments. He throws in changes of perspective and new chapters just as you think you’re beginning to get things figured out. While the plot did slow down slightly for me at a couple points, overall it kept me  eager to read on.

Well Written and Someone Actually Proofread:  While this shouldn’t be such a welcome change, the truth is it is. We read a lot of zombie books. We see a lot of undead novels with hordes of mistakes. Fortunately, Mr. Riddle’s zombie tale had no distracting typos or grammatical errors that seem to be so prevalent in other works in this category.

The Ending:  The conclusion of The Burning Z left us feeling an odd combination of satisfaction and anger. We won’t give it away here, so relax. About three quarters of the way through the book it was pretty apparent the chances of a full resolution to the problems at hand just wasn’t likely. After finishing the last paragraph that realization hits home pretty hard. While the final pages of this zombie narrative resolve some immediate situations satisfactorily, the book’s concluding pages leave you with the agonizing revelation the story is probably just getting started. Worse yet you’re left hungering for a sequel that you can’t be sure is ever coming. Da*n you Clive Riddle!

Accompanying Website:  There is a nifty website to accompany this book: BurningZ.com. This website allows you to read more on Burning Man and surrounding areas and provides links to tons of other fun and entertaining information. You can even read the first 10 pages of The Burning Z !

Meh. What’s Not So Great:

::SIGH:: This is the other dreaded aspect of publishing reviews. Part of the job of anyone publishing a fair and impartial review is to list the bad with the good. Let’s all put on our big boy undies, roll up our sleeves and get to it. Fortunately there isn’t much to dislike about this zombie book.

A Little Too Much Info on Burning Man: The author is obviously passionate and knowledgeable about Burning Man and the Black Rock Desert areas that serve as the stage for his zombie tale: sometimes to a fault. At certain points in the book, particularly in the first half, the author goes off on a bit of a tangent and going into great detail about the layout of Burning Man and the related Black Rock Desert area. Mr. Riddle knows about this stuff and he’s not afraid to show it.  I personally found some of these points in the book to be distracting to me as a reader and others I shared the book with tended to agree.

While this isn’t anything that tarnishes the book , there is just a little too much local love and too much detail about Burning Man in some points. I’m confident the author felt these detailed descriptions were necessary for the reader to fully appreciate the setting and story but that didn’t make me like these sections any more.  One example I keep finding my mind drifting back to is a small section entitled, “Mapping BRC.”

While this little chapter is only about 3 pages long, it’s a good example of some of the Burning Man detail that left me scratching my head.  In one part Riddle explains the street layout and naming convention for Black Rock City. I’ll spare you the details but it left me a little confused.  I couldn’t help but feel like I was delving into an introductory college course on the history of Burning Man. Although the section is beautifully written, for some reason it just didn’t sink in.   I found myself puzzled and chose to simply move on rather than making an attempt to re-read the section in order to understand it more completely.  (Unfortunately for the author, this reader has a short attention span.) I will say my choice to move on without a full grasp on the intricacies of the design layout of Black Rock City didn’t seem to affect me at all. It’s just one complaint that otherwise doesn’t detract from a really good read.

 The Ending: We told you we both loved and hated the ending. We’re only complaining here because we want to read the sequel. NOW!

 The Final Verdict:

4 out of 5 stars: Pick up a copy to add to your zombie book collection today!

The Burning Z is a welcome and refreshing new approach to the sometimes stale and saturated zombie novel market.  Author Clive Riddle  obviously spent some time on The Burning Z and as a result he has composed an enjoyable zombie novel written in a compelling and concise style that’s a pleasure to read.While not perfect, we definitely recommend picking up a copy. There were some slow points in the plot for me, but by the time the action really started  picking up in the second half of the book I was excited to read on to see how things unfolded. The story ended in an abruptly open  manner that definitely hints there will likely be at least a sequel in the works. To Clive we have only this to say, “Hurry up and write the sequel!”

The Burning Z is available at Amazon in both Paperback and Kindle e-versions:

The post Zombie Book Review: The Burning Z by Clive Riddle 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

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By the Kindle Version Here:

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