Revenge of the Living Dead

SURVIVAL is the fifth book in the Undead Rain series by Shaun Harbinger. I've been following this storyline for five years. I also interviewed Harbinger in October 2015, in which he mentioned a spin-off series in the works.

The Undead Rain books follow the POV of a young man named Alex. He's hiking with friends in Wales when the outbreak arrives in their area. After much misfortune, Alex decides to look for his family, and joins another group of survivors. The group discovers a hybrid mutation and raid a government lab for a vaccine. However, the vaccine turns out to be a wild card, with various possible outcomes, depending on application.

Survival's storyline begins about a month after Alex discovers the fate of his family. His group picks up a distress call over the radio, and they decide to intervene, knowing some of the UK military have gone rogue. Meanwhile, Lucy is having personal issues and her impaired state of mind could be placing the group in additional danger. Their new quest also brings them into contact with Brigadier Gordon, who is looking to dish out some deadly payback.

Unlike the previous installments, Survival is more of a novella, and Harbinger ends the fifth storyline with back-to-back catastrophic events. Obviously, there will be another book, but I'm wondering how the dock scene at the beginning of this one will factor into the rest of the series. Perhaps readers were given a glimpse of the jumping point for the spin-off?

In any case, I enjoyed this story as much as Wildfire, but I'm a little disappointed in Alex. After everything he's accomplished, he's still putting himself down inside his head. I think his character development needs a work over to properly reflect what he's been through. He may have begun this journey as a Eugene (The Walking Dead), but now he's a Daryl (TWD).

Can't wait for the sixth story!!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Only Took Me Four Years

SPOILER WARNING: This review is for the fourth book in a series. I've tried to avoid revealing key details, but if you click on the author's name, you will find an interview with Harbinger as well as brief reviews of the first three books.

I've finally managed to read all four books in the Undead Rain series by Shaun Harbinger. I began the series in 2014, so I had to reread the first three. I've read hundreds of zombie stories over the years and I've seen a lot of repetition within the genre. However, this series has always managed to stand out, due to Harbinger's unique twist on the undead.

Wildfire, the fourth book in the series is the best one yet. I am so impressed with this series, I would love to see it become a television show. Alex is an outstanding character who has adapted both physically and mentally to his new reality. The hybrids are a thrilling way to amp up the danger factor. Last but not least, the effects of the vaccine on the various virus mutations creates several possible outcomes for all involved. Harbinger has thought of everything: horror, suspense, drama, mystery and even a touch of science fiction.

I feel sorry for Alex. While he still struggles in certain situations, he never half-asses anything, yet he's the one who often bears the brunt of everyone's frustration and anger. Anyone can be a hero when everything is going your way and everyone loves you, but Alex insists on doing the right things in the worst circumstances, often with others undermining him...a hero in the purest sense.

Even when he discovers the fate of his family, Alex decides to keep fighting. I'm excited for the fifth book...new characters, a change in setting and the promise of a terrifying battle of species. I hope Harbinger doesn't go soft in the end.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Huggins Will Rip Out Your Guts [Interview]

Beyond Isaiah by Paul S Huggins follows several survivors throughout a zombie outbreak in the United Kingdom. The POV switches are a great way to pull readers into the chaos and emphasize how an entire country is caught off guard by such a swift and devastating event. However, as the timeline progresses, this novel feel less like one continuous story and more like a collection of stories set in the same undead apocalypse. The characters do cross paths, so their individual experiences eventually merge, but the deeper connection between the survivors is lacking.

Don't misunderstand me, I enjoyed reading Beyond Isaiah...just don't expect to find any comfort in this story. Huggins takes his readers to the ground and rips their guts out...the way a horror author should.

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I managed to grab Huggins for a few minutes in the Lair...

Q. How big is the zombie genre in the UK? Do zombiephiles over the pond think they will fare better or worse than the United States?

The UK zombie genre seems to go in fits and starts, there was a major recurrence around 2004 to 2005 that coincided with Worldwide fascination. There was a bit of a dead patch (excuse the pun) but more recently there does seem to be a resurgence, in the last year or so.

Our saving grace in the UK is that we are an island, our downfall would be that we are quite overpopulated. On the plus side we have been fighting off attacks for many centuries, as such the mechanics for defense are already in place, a great many castles. I don’t think the central areas would fare very well, the midlands, London etc. But more remote places like Scotland and parts of Wales are quite remote with rocky terrain, these places would have pockets of survival zones I am sure. If it happened, I don’t think anywhere would fare any better or worse, every part of the globe would be decimated.

Q. Where did the idea for Beyond Isaiah come from?

I was a fan of both David Moody and Iain Mckinnon. Many years ago, I built up a great online relationship with and have subsequently met them on numerous occasions. They gave me the drive to be more proactive with my writing. I had always been a fan of the zombie genre since I first saw that wonderful film ‘Dawn of the Dead’ in the early eighties. It was merely imagining what it would be like here in the UK, as most of my inspiration came from US movies and books.

Q. Why did you choose the format with multiple POVs?

I put a little of myself in every character, I imagine how I would react and what I would say. It wasn’t something that I did on purpose, but it did seem to work out well and fitted over the long timescale. I think it injects a lot more empathy for each character, whether they are good or bad.

Q. What are some of the other horror genres you write about?

The supernatural always peaks my interest and I have written quite a few ‘Ghost’ stories over the years, I also like witchcraft, not surprising as I grew up in a village renowned for a famous case of it.

Q. What can readers expect from you in 2018?

I intend to be very busy. My entire back catalogue is currently being or has been produced for Audible. I’m writing quite a few short stories, I have a half-finished novel which adds witchcraft, ghosts and revenge as the main subjects, tentatively called ‘Past Life Aggression’. I have also been asked to write a zombie related novelette, thankfully I have the time, energy and ideas to keep me very active.

Big thanks to Paul S Huggins!

As always,

AstraDaemon