Unknown's avatar

Alpha Zombie

I was expecting something totally different then what I got from this. The story was beyond slow, it meandered around without any real life. This is a zombie story and you see one at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end but nothing really ground breaking. The characters are about the same as they have always been and I would have expected some growth since the last time but they seem a bit stagnant. There are some new locations which are interesting and the situations are new enough to at least keep you moving forward. The main problem is that things just seem to be moving at a snails pace and it drags to much.

The massacre at the manor house has left everyone with a desire to not be in one place. In order to facilitate their desire to be out in the open Kyle and Al go and find the perfect vehicle, a retro travel bus which they name Basil. During her time online, before the Botnet, Ven had come across Sec UK which is a company that provided weapons and survival gear to not only countries but to individuals as well. She and her cohorts along with baby Tomas and Bos Bos the dog go there to stock up.

While they are doing this something strange happens that transforms a man into an entirely different type of zombie. This zombie has found them and cannot decide whether to eat them or beg them for help. This zombie can think and that is not good for anyone.

While I was not completely happy about how things went here I am still hoping the next one will be better. If you read the first two books you have to read this to continue the story and move on to the next.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Unknown's avatar

Scattered Screams

This starts out fairly slow and so it took me a couple of days to get through just the prologue then it picks up the action. The characters are a little vague but mostly likeable, though some more than others. The writing can seem a little repetitive with a point being made over and over throughout the narrative, like the fact that a character is a friend, as if you could have forgotten already. There are problems throughout with character names being used incorrectly by switching them for another within a conversation. There are some mistakes in spelling and word usage that kind of slows down the progress sometimes but you can get past it.

Marcus Nelson is a University Professor in New York who has gone to California for a conference. He decides to take his son Ali and his friend Vic along with him so they can tour some college campuses. While on the Stanford campus they experience an earthquake along with a bright flash of light which seems to start a killing frenzy among some of the people. As the insanity starts to escalate Marcus can only think of two things, protecting the boys and getting home to his wife. When he finds more survivors he hopes that they can all get out and find safety or at least a way to head west.

This was not the best story I have read but it was entertaining. You will have to suspend reality in order to follow and believe some of it, or at least I did. There is never an explanation given for what has happened and nobody seems very curious about it. I hope that some answers will be given in the next book to clear up some things. This may not be for everyone but I think some will at least like it. Give it a read and see for yourself, I would recommend it to those who like zombie like creatures.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Unknown's avatar

Don of the Living Dead

don of the living deadDon of the Living Dead
by Robert DeCoteau

 

This was supposed to be an extension or so I thought of the Primrose Apt novellas that came before. They made one reference to the fact that he lived at those apartments and moved on quickly, I had thought they were going to play a part in this novel, not. I would have given this 5 stars but it didn’t hit all the marks for me when it comes to my zombies, but it came pretty darn close. I would have liked to have gotten more with some of the characters since they were there and gone so quickly they did not have a chance to fully register before they were zombie chow. I liked the idea behind how these zombies came into existence but it would have been nice to give a little more information since it was mentioned. Our main character was written with great detail and definitely elicited a number of reactions both good and bad.

Don is a guy who does his job well but is not going to go out of his way for it or anything or anyone else, or so he tells himself. On this day, which starts out like any other, Don has had to track down the sandwich girl and now he is going for his after lunch dump on company time when things get strange. While not the best way to get caught when the dead start to walk at least he has a door between him and them. It takes some time for Don to figure it out but he realizes he is trapped in the bathroom with zombies and has to get out in order to try and get his son and ex-wife away from the madness. What happens next is complete craziness with some heroics by a guy you would not expect it from.

I was totally ready to hate Don because he seemed like a sexist, racist, annoying, full of himself jerk. He hooks up with people who are also survivors and at first seems not to like them and in a blink he is professing to think of them as friends. Long story short Don turns out to be a good guy and even though a lot of the people he started out with do not survive he manages to keep it together even though he may not make it. Nice ride with a few laughs and some serious gross out moments. Good zombie fun!

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

Unknown's avatar

Zombie Tales

zombie tales 205Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 205
by Robert DeCoteau

This is one of three short stories set in the Primrose Court apartment complex. The story centers on a man with agoraphobia who has not left his apartment for ten year. We get his full background and the story of why he ended up there, and how he feels about his neighbors. What you do not have is any amount of zombies here really. Only on the last few pages do you get even a glimpse of zombie action.

If you want a tale of zombies running around eating people, do not read this. On the other hand if you like a narrative with limited carnage you may enjoy it.

All the books have a few chapters from the book “Don of the Living Dead” which is set in the same locale. They can be seen as a lead in to the major story. These books can be read in any order but I would say start here because it introduces you to the next characters you will meet.

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

 

zombie tales 305Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 305
by Robert DeCoteau

 

Ok, this time I knew what was coming. The story here centers around a couple, their marital problems and how they play out. You have the same lack of zombies until the end of the story but a nice bit of karmic justice. There is not a lot to say about this since it has no major scenes of carnage or zombie rampage.

The story is good for what it is.

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

 

zombie tales 502Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 502
by Robert DeCoteau

I liked this story more than the others because Tommy seemed so sympathetic. This placed you more directly into the world of the novel and gave a view of the start of the zombie onslaught from above. I say enjoy the short and go for the main event. I think it may be interesting to read the full length book.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

Unknown's avatar

The Lost Journals of Private Kenji Yoshida Part 1 & 2

the lost journal of private kenji yoshidaThe Lost Journal of Private Kenji Yoshida (Secret Apocalypse #1.5)
by James Harden

 

This was a nice short read that leads you into what caused the tragedy in Australia in the first place as well as letting you get to know one of the main characters from the Secret Apocalypse series. The story flows forward giving you information enough to understand what is going on. The language works for the character and the situations that he is in. This is not an adrenaline rush type of thing but more of a gradual build with a narrative that overlays all.

Kenji Yoshida was shipped off to military school by his parents and because he was so angry he did not say goodbye to the girl he had feelings for. He runs away from the school and joins the Marines even though he is underage and becomes a marksman. Having been deployed when he returns he has trouble adjusting and the doctor suggests that he keep a journal so that he does not continue to internalize his feelings. That journal details his deployments and the final deployment to Australia to help at an immigration center. What he learns there spurs him to go and find Rebecca and warn her about what is happening.

I’m not going to say it’s riveting but it’s like being in the mind of someone while they debate with themselves. A nice addition to the series.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dear Rebecca. I’m sorry I left. I was an idiot. I should’ve told you. I miss you. Please forgive me. Do you want to get some pizza?

 

 

the lost journal of private kenji yoshida part two
by James Harden

 

Private Kenji Yoshida continues his adventures in Australia with Jack and Maria since he was able to get Rachel to safety outside the country. This is simply the journal entries he made after Rachel and Kim escaped but before she made her reappearance in the country. It is actually pretty nice since it fills in some of the questions that I had when reading the novels.

They are trying to evade the hoards of zombies which are running the streets of Sydney as well as the military troops who have been tasked with containing the contagion. Unfortunately that means killing everyone they see without checking to see if they are infected. The main goal of this trio is to get Maria to safety because she is special and possibly could save them all.

This is a good series and definitely takes you to places that no other has ever done. The Secret Apocalypse series has a young cast but they are very good at this survival thing.

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

Unknown's avatar

Trudge / Soldier On

trudge

Trudge (Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse #1)

Zombie novels can easily become generic in nature. This one held my attention and made me like the main characters in a short amount of time. You have the usual carnage but also a story of family and loyalty and survival.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a good sequel to the first book. I don’t want to loose anyone else because I have become so invested in their survival. The pace was a bit slow for me but it got me to where it needed. Great writing!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Unknown's avatar

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse

18182495

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse (White Trash Zombie #3)

by Diana Rowland (Author), Allison McLemore (Narrator)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Angel Crawford is back with her group of friends, family, and almost boyfriend. As is to be expected this was another great read with humor, mystery, revelations, and death. The story was fun and fast paced with enough new characters and old to keep things more than interesting. The plot is continuing to advance with new elements being added with each telling as we get more information on the characters and the forces they are aligned against.

They are making of all things a zombie movie in town at the high school with lots of extras. Before things even get going well there is a death on the set and Angel goes out to collect the body. But things are never as simple as they seem and soon Angel finds herself in the middle of another mystery that she will need to solve or risk losing her freedom or life.

I went through this quickly because I was engrossed in the story and wanted to see what would happen next to this girl who has made such changes in her life. Zombies have more of a life than a lot of people in this town. You have to read this series!

Unknown's avatar

What Zombies Fear: A Father’s Quest

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What Zombies Fear: A Father’s Quest (What Zombies Fear #1)

I give this 4.5 stars for being an interesting take on zombies. I have never read anything by this author before and was pleasantly surprised to get a zombie tale that was at least at little different from the usual, though I do remember something somewhat similar. The characters were interesting if a bit less fleshed than I would have liked, I see room for them to gain more personality and life as the series moves forward. While the first chapter didn’t bring me fully in, by chapter two I was ready to settle in and read as long as I could to find out what would happen next.

Victor Tookes, rhymes with kooks, starts out his day like any other by going to the office. This is no ordinary day however and he finds himself in the middle of the end of civilization. It has been 12 years and he is going to tell us how he has managed to protect his son, Max, who is being sought out by the zombies for some reason. While Victor was able to save his son, his wife did not make it in those first days. This left him with a 3-year-old boy in a hostile world. Max was bitten but did not change like so many others and seems to have some type of 6th sense about the zombies.

This has a good story, really good ending, great zombies, and even better hero’s. I will be continuing to follow this story as long as it lasts.

Unknown's avatar

First Days

The First Days (As the World Dies, #1)The First Days by Rhiannon Frater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First things first, I’m giving this 4 1/2 stars for the narrator as well as content. The narration was fantastic and added to the feel of the action by giving a voice to the characters.

Going into this I had no idea what to expect but I have to say that it was a pleasant surprise. Instead of the usual male hero we have two women who are strong, capable, and do not require rescuing by a man. In fact they do a lot of the rescuing themselves of the male characters.

The action starts on what is expected to be a typical weekday morning. Katie is heading into work (she is a prosecuting attorney) when she is attacked and saved by a man who is himself killed. She returns home to find the worst has happened and speeds away and becomes lost. She spots Jenni (an abused housewife) running out of her home being chased by her young zombie son and takes her into the truck she is driving. They head off not knowing where they are going but determined to survive what is happening in their town and around the country.

The bond between these women is strong but it is tested when they reach a final safe haven by a man they both want. So there will also be a measure of romance/lust injected. It is not however distracting to the main plot, which is the zombie apocalypse.

If you want strong female leads who do not faint at the sight of blood and gore, this is the place to look.