Plans Fall Through | AstraDaemon

PREPARATIONS by Mark Mills is a flash fiction piece about a young man who thought he had planned for every possible variable in a zombie outbreak. Unfortunately, you need to stick to the plan...any deviance can lead to all kinds of problems.

Mills delivers an action-packed worse case scenario with a touch of dark humor. Refreshing.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Death Rattle | AstraDaemon

THE DIGGERS by Jonathan Maas is very simple, and yet monumentally horrific. The dead have reanimated. All of them. Not just humans. Not just the recently deceased. Every creature which has ever lived on Earth has reanimated. Everywhere.

For thousands of years, we buried our dead...and now the ground trembles beneath our feet.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Halloween Reading | Toxic AF | AstraDaemon

THE UNDEAD RUINS by Eloise J Knapp is the final book in the Undead Situation trilogy. As I write this, the Kindle edition suddenly went missing from Amazon, so the link will connect readers to the paperback. I'm still recommending this series in any form.

There is a huge time jump of about five years, with a few Cyrus flashbacks to key moments. Cyrus seems to have reverted back to the same personality he had in the first book. Other characters don't seem to have changed at all, which is kind of ridiculous when you think of what they've endured and how much time has passed.

In any case, this installment has more action than the first two books combined, with battles against both undead and crazies. People are trying to rebuild and completely ignoring how quickly everything fell apart in the first place. History is about to repeat itself. Some people carry scars, others carry grudge, but the really insane ones carry both.

I'm going to miss Cyrus...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Halloween Reading: Undead Week | Kevin | AstraDaemon

 

THE UNDEAD HAZE by Eloise J Knapp is the second book in her zombie trilogy. The irony is I like Cyrus this time around (I despised him in the first book), but this sequel aggravated me, even more than the first installment. Cyrus would escape one mess, only to find himself in another, and, after a while, the same survive the "crazies" over and over.

There are plenty of plot twists to keep me hooked into this series, so I am still looking forward to the next book. However, I hope there are major changes with the characters because I don't know if I can take anymore of their negative attitudes. I'd like to see them stop blaming each other for everything that goes wrong, and take some personal responsibility.

To her credit, Knapp has some excellent zombie action...as much as I'm complaining, this story is definitely NOT boring -- just exhausting at times. I also like the way Knapp ended the book; the epilogue is much better than a cliff-hanger.

I'm looking forward to the confrontation between three of the main characters in the next book, and hoping to see some of the supporting characters again.

As always,

AstraDaemon

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for this week's autographed book series. The end of the contest will be delayed to Oct 27th, due to a family emergency.

Halloween Reading: Undead Week | V Stands For Vicious | AstraDaemon

THE UNDEAD SITUATION by Eloise J Knapp is a permutation of various elements of the human psyche: irrationality, detachment, and a degree of apathy I haven't read since David Moody's Hater. I don't have a problem with self-preservation in an apocalypse (makes perfect sense, really), but the character of Cyrus V. Sinclair is self-centered to the point of being sadistic. However, he undergoes a mild transformation, and he has a pet ferret.

The other few characters (Frank - mentor of Cyrus, Gabe - teen survivor & Blaze - former military) also have a peculiar nature to them. Some embodying the typical survivor clichés, others simply inscrutable which amplified the lack of emotion that pervades throughout the book...none of them too developed. The sudden and brief flip to Blaze's POV just to show readers something she did without the knowledge of the other three characters did nothing to give any real depth to her personality. Gabe is just there (taking up space), and Frank is more setup for the story than anything else.

The novel does have some gruesome scenes, although Knapp doesn't dwell on the visceral details much. Instead, she focuses on psychological horror, with frustrating people and exasperating circumstances to rub salt in the undead wound.

Overall, the deal breaker for readers will probably depend on whether they're accepting of Cyrus or not, but this is a story which centers more on the breakdown of society rather than characterization, so it's a pretty good zombie apocalypse.

As always,

AstraDaemon

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for this week's autographed book series.

Halloween Reading: Undead Week | No Rest | AstraDaemon

Zeke's been a zombie working the tent revival circuit with Reverend Thomas since his execution in jail, and he's getting a little tired of the bit-part business of the afterlife. He perks up when a new woman starts coming to the revival meetings.

ZOMBIES FOR JESUS by Nina Kiriki Hoffman hooked me right away with the zombies playing cards for actual fingers. This story is not at all what I was expecting. The characters all have dark secrets which would make a thrilling full-length novel.

As always, 

AstraDaemon

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for this week's autographed book series.

Halloween Reading: Undead Week | Survivor's Journal | AstraDaemon

ZOMBIES: A RECORD YEAR OF INFECTION by Don Roff does a great job providing another twist in the zombie genre. Unlike the survivor’s journal Day by Day Armageddon, this is more of a research journal complete with statistics, illustrations, and personal experiences. However, despite being well-documented, the survival information is more sporadic than the ZSG.

People fell ill, died, and reanimated. No scientific explanation. In some cases, infection spread without bites or any other obvious contact. Mobility/strength depends on the original physical fitness of the person and bodily damage, but variables like rigor mortis are unknown. While some of the personal accounts may remind you of other zombie-apocalypse stories (ex: pharmaceutical company may have had a hand in it), there are a few sick surprises that I haven’t come across in my zombie obsession.

I love that it takes place in the year 2012. I really feel I was reading someone’s notebook with drawings, rather than a graphic novel. There is no lack of gore, for those of you who prefer the gut-ripping undead. Even though the book is written from the doctor’s point-of-view, the other characters are believable, as far as their decisions, reactions, and so forth.

If you truly believe yourself to be a zombie fanatic (or your friends tell you to “shut up about zombies, already”), you definitely need to add this to your collection.

As always,

AstraDaemon

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for this week's autographed book series.

Halloween Reading: Undead Week | Day One | AstraDaemon

UNDEAD FREAKS by Jesse Bastide is a great story about the first day of an outbreak which left me wanting more. The zombies are a frightening combination of fast and thinking, and the survivors only have one small opportunity to escape their immediate area.

My only complaint is that Kelly is the only character with a developed background story, and yet most of the POV is told through a cop named Frank. As a result, I felt a disconnect with the survivors.

The ending is just open enough for a sequel, but it's still an entertaining zombie short.

As always,

AstraDaemon

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for this week's autographed book series.

Halloween Reading: Undead Week | Difficult Decisions | AstraDaemon

LEFT BEHIND by James Loscombe is a short story about a woman who is separated from her husband and daughters during an escape attempt. Her husband is the one who always told her one to do to survive, but now she must make decisions for herself.

First, she chooses to sacrifice her safety to make sure her husband and daughters are saved. Then she must decide whether or not she still wants to live. Last but not least, Samantha must decide if she can trust any of the other survivors she crosses paths with.

Not much zombie action, but filled with suspense and drama.

I also recommend BEACHES, another end of the world story by Loscombe.

As always,

AstraDaemon

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for this week's autographed book series.

Keep A Barf Bag Nearby

EVOLUTION OF THE DEAD by R.M. Smith is an unusual twist on the zombie trope: something locked away in our DNA is set free by a couple of scientists who think the anomaly is what should have been our natural evolution. The initial outbreak occurs in Orlando, Florida, just in time for the July 4th weekend, and the infection is spread by a mere touch. In other words, everyone is totally screwed.

Carmen has the ability to sense something bad about to happen, and when she gets one of her feelings, she can only watch as the domino effect takes the life of her boyfriend. Scott and Kim are the only two to escape a parking garage that has become a death trap for everyone else. Janet jumps in Nick's car, and the two barely break away from a hellish traffic jam. Eventually, the survivors converge on the same truck rental location for sanctuary, but the infection has already beaten them there.

The details of the infection are so graphic, I gagged through most of the story. As soon as I saw the word "worms," it was all over for me. Especially when the virus evolves to become more potent. The likelihood of becoming one of the dead is so high, I had little to no hope for the characters, especially when Carmen becomes severely injured, and the group turns on one another. If you read this novel, abandon all hope.

R.M. Smith gets points for setting up such a bleak and grotesque outbreak scenario, but he loses points for the lack of depth in his characters. Without proper character development, the story is a little flat, even with all the action. I would have liked to see Smith do more with Carmen's sixth sense and I think her hobbling around with broken bones isn't realistic (I had a broken foot once and there is no bloody way I could jump, climb, etc. the way Carmen does). Nick is a mystery; he talks about his pregnant girlfriend, while being a complete pig to the female survivors, not to mention the other horrible things that he does throughout the story...I would have liked to know why his personality is so dualistic. Janet didn't have much personality at all, and Scott and Kim are, well, Scott and Kim.

Considering how long the novel is, I think Smith has plenty of space to do more with his main characters. He also could skip the side stories with the supporting characters, and just focus on the core group.

All things considered, I have been entertained, and that's all I really ask for with my undead. Beware if you have a weak stomach, but enjoy otherwise.

New Day, New Enemy

AFTER Z DAY by Eric S. Brown is another one of his zombie shorts with an unusual twist. In this case, the author has a Lovecraftian surprise for his group of survivors. Some of the characters believe if they can fight the undead, they can fight their new enemy, but others in the group have nothing left to give.

Between the dialogue and the action, readers are sure to feel the exhaustion and desperation of Sparks and his companions.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dead Last

MARTIN KIER AND THE DEAD by Eric S. Brown begins with a great intro from Jonathan Moon (Children of God, Heinous), offering a little insight into this short story. Martin Kier, a genetically enhanced clone, offers the safety of his home to a group of survivors, while placing himself in harm's way.

This isn't really my cup of tea, as far as zombie stories go, but there is still a lot of entertaining action to be had.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Post-Apocalypse Chameleon

Advances in nanotechnology and medical 3-D printing have revolutionized healthcare worldwide, particularly organ transplantation. Until an experimental product line accidentally winds up in the global marketplace. Until people’s organs begin killing them...then bringing them back.

Pockets of humanity fight to subsist in skeletal cities and apocalyptic wastelands. The walking dead are a part of a daily fight for survival and many of the living have gone mad.

Andre and Claire are part of a group struggling to rebuild America’s infrastructure. In their way stand not only the hungry dead, but a conspiracy of various factions determined to retain what power they have. In a saga blending intrigue and deception with survival horror, the last good men and women combat their own extinction.

THE STRANGE DEAD by David Dunwoody is a great story, but it's part of a series, which, had I known, I wouldn't have read it. This novel was published in 2016, and it's not looking like the sequel will ever be written. As if that isn't bad enough, the story ends with one hell of a cliffhanger.

At first, I didn't think the nano-zombies were very original, but the twist with Claire and her secret is genius! The shocker concerning Andre caught me completely off guard...I didn't realize how significant his character truly is. The mystery surrounding the shrike is somewhat irritating, but adds to the overall intensity of Claire's situation. Eli is a real bastard, and, as crazy as the Maestro is, Eli seems far more unstable.

I'd love to see what results Tavia achieves with her confession to her father, the general, but I'd settle for any kind of closure. I hope Dunwoody will release a follow-up someday soon!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadly Dozen

ZOMBIES INSIDE by Rebecca Besser and Courtney Rene is a collection of twelve zombie stories by the two authors:

ADMIT ONE, UNDEAD - stupid teens wreck a carnival

THE WORLD OF ZOMBIES - a nod to a zombie classic

MY KIND OF WOMAN - a bad breakup

EVIL MOUNTAIN - mix of monsters

THE HEART OF HEROISM - special needs superhero vs zombies

HEROIC DREAMS - rescue of a sidekick

A DAY IN THE NEW WORLD - more like a moment in a dead world

TO WALK THE HALLS - extremely horrific

WHEN PLANS FAIL - a mother's difficult decision

HIGH PRICE FOR HOPE - a father's difficult decision

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS - zombies at the North Pole

THE POWER OF A GIFT - the sequel to the previous story

Quite a range of stories for zombiephiles.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday: Holiday of the Dead

38 holiday-themed zombie stories from new and established authors...

Over 500 pages crammed full of flesh-eating horror and dark humor from the cream of UK, US and Canadian talent. Theme parks, serial killers, seaside resorts, Christmas, Thanksgiving and fishing trips.

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HOLIDAY OF THE DEAD is this a great sampling of some of the best authors from the zombie genre, but an incredible showcase of what the horror sub-genre has to offer. Too many people think zombie stories are comparable to zombie movies, when, in fact, undead stories have evolved far more than the undead in the film industry.

This anthology exceeded my expectations...various locations, an array of holiday settings - everything from weekend getaways to major holiday celebrations, and some of the best zombie action I've ever read.

I would definitely put this collection in my top ten list for anthologies.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday: Christmas

A VERY ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS by Rebecca M. Senese is a shopping nightmare...with the undead.

Surprisingly, the first half of this story was written in a somewhat serious manner. Melissa is working at a department store, when a zombie outbreak begins in the shoe department. She witnesses one of the other employees get bitten and join the ranks of the infected, but she has a hard time convincing her co-workers that they have a zombie problem — everyone else just thinks it’s the customers acting crazy during their Christmas shopping.

The first person to believe Melissa is a young man named Danny who helps her gear up with what’s available (alas, no guns), and together they fight their way to the security room, where a few other survivors have managed to reach safety. During their search, the story takes a funny twist when Melissa realizes the zombies still have memories of shopping, and have retained their instincts to seek out a sale.

Perfect holiday tale for the horror fan in your life.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadlands: Book Two

THE DEAD WON'T DIE by Joe McKinney is the second book in the Deadlands series. The survivors from Arabella have arrived in Temple, only to be treated as criminals and mocked for their Code. While the first installment is a zombie horror novel, this book is a sci-fi crime drama, and the undead are just about the only thing the two stories have in common, aside from the three main characters. The writing style has changed so much, I wouldn't believe this to be a McKinney novel, if his name wasn't on the front cover.

I appreciate reminders of what happened in the previous book, but the author references the events in PLAGUE OF THE UNDEAD so often throughout this sequel, the pace of the story drags like the broken leg of a zombie. I'm also disappointed by how little takes place. There is a lot of action, but not much progress is made by the characters, and the ending is abrupt. I'm also shocked at how bad the editing is...more than once, a section of dialogue seems to be missing from a conversation.

I'm kind of sick of the characters at this point, as well. Jake keeps flashing back to having teenage sex with Kelly, Kelly barely shows any personality, and Chelsea is always screaming and crying. How in the hell they've managed to stay alive with all the noise they make is a mystery to me. Even for fiction, it's just ridiculous.

I hope McKinney returns to the style of writing he uses in the first book, otherwise, I don't see myself recommending this series. If you're expecting this to be anything like his Dead World series, you're going to be disappointed.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadlands: Book One

PLAGUE OF THE UNDEAD by Joe McKinney describes a post-apocalyptic world 30 years after a man-made plague with zombies. The town of Arbella can barely contain the population of ten-thousand people, offspring of the First Generation to survive the initial outbreak. A group has set out to see if it is possible to safely expand their borders; however, their decades of isolation has left them unprepared for First Contact.

The people of Arbella live by a strict Code, which has helped them survive and thrive, but a betrayal of trust will jeopardize the expedition. There is also the mystery of the exotic airships, which appear to be able to herd the undead hordes.

McKinney basically brought together science fiction and horror to create what I believe is one of his best stories. He ties in the cause of the plague to the reason there are still zombies three decades later, and provides one hell of an explanation for the movement of the hordes.

Last, but not least, McKinney includes four short stories that are extremely entertaining. They include a type of survivor called a Faker, which is devastatingly haunting.

You don't have to be a zombie fan to appreciate the sci-fi horror between these pages.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Savage Suspense

THE SAVAGE DEAD by Joe McKinney is more of a crime thriller than a zombie horror novel. The infected are just a small detail in a story about an assassination plot to take out a Senator who has been fighting against Mexican cartels. One cartel in particular attempts to use a biological weapon on a cruise ship to take out their target.

I really enjoyed all of the characters, as well as the mix of action and moments of introspection. Details about their personal issues adds extra suspense to every scene, wondering how their pasts will affect their decision-making and not knowing what each is willing to do to survive.

I'm satisfied with the ending, if this is a stand-alone, but I wouldn't mind a sequel with Ramon being hunted down.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Lame Ending to Great Series

MUTATED by Joe McKinney is the fourth book in his Dead World series, and the weakest one, in my opinion. I can't even believe McKinney wrote this. The writing style is nowhere near the same level of storytelling found in the first three books, and the characters leave a LOT to be desired.

In particular, Niki is a joke. Not only is she unrealistic, she is more suited to a campy comic book than a dramatic survival novel. Even the bad guy, the Red Man, is not as bad as the cheerleader turned terminator. There were so many quality characters (not to mention the variety) in the previous installments, I can't begin to imagine what McKinney was thinking when he decided to make Niki's mission the main storyline.

Not only is Niki a poor excuse for a character, just having someone like her in the story took away from the potential of the rest of the characters. The Red Man could have been more sinister, Ben could have been a bigger source of strength for the group, Nate and Avery could have had more of a relationship, and Sylvia should have been THE main character. Even Fisher and Stoler could have been more involved.

After having to put up with Niki and her over-the-top action scenes throughout the story, the ending is a disappointment as well...too simplified and rushed. If you love the series, do yourself a favor, and skip this one. Whatever you think happened to the group who escaped from Jasper will be better than what McKinney did to his survivors.

As always,
AstraDaemon