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Exploring dark alleys. Discovering new nightmares. Revisiting the masters.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

12 Days of Keene: Day 10


Go back to the beginning of the end of the world...

Hell has come to earth as sadistic zombies rampage and massacre the human population. Reverend Thomas Martin has lost his congregation to the chaos but has found two wayward survivors to protect - Becky and John. The three of them have holed up in Martin's church in a desperate attempt for survival. But as supplies run low and civilization crumbles around them, Martin must come to a realization - God has abandoned them. But why?

Is there any chance of hope in this new world? Is there any chance for deliverance?

Modern horror legend, Brian Keene returns to his fan-favorite universe of The Rising with a tale of faith, loss, and zombies.

This special edition also includes two short stories that expand and explore The Rising mythos - "The Resurrection and the Life" and "The Siqqusim who Stole Christmas."


THE RISING: DELIVERANCE by Brian Keene offers some insight into the character, Reverend Thomas Martin, as well as what occurred inside the church before Jim showed up. However, Keene still keeps the specific fates of Becky and John secret, so this story would have been better off included in THE RISING, instead of being released as an afterthought. There's just not enough meat for readers to sink their teeth into.

THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE is Keene's version of the Book of John, complete with the inclusion of Ob. I enjoyed this story far more than the first one. Nothing like Ob taunting Jesus to create a dramatic biblical thriller.

THE SIQQUSIM WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS involves a couple of characters from THE RISING: SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD. As soon as I realized who Ob's host body belonged to, I laughed out loud. Readers can't truly appreciate Keene's twisted mind, until they've experienced his dark humor.

While I appreciate the creativity which went into the last two stories, and I love the cross-references and connections to Keene's previously published menagerie of horrors, I think the author is just milking THE RISING series for more money. I'm glad Keene moved on from this series. I look forward to finishing his Levi Stoltzfus series in 2019.

As always,
AstraDaemon


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