September Shorts: Day 1

When the crew of an oil platform off the coast of Virginia rescue a survivor from a lifeboat adrift at sea, they unknowingly bring a zombie virus aboard their rig. Before long, a few crew members are infected and reanimate. As the crew is rapidly transformed into the living dead, Captain Jason Clark must find a way to stop the infection before it can reach shore, even if that means sacrificing everyone on board.

DEAD WATER by Scott M. Baker is a thrilling quick read! The author wastes no time diving into a sea of blood. The crew does try to use caution, but it's too little too late.

I think this would make a good action movie. Highly recommend this one!

As always,

Astra Daemon

Barbarian Badass | Kindle Vella Review | AstraDaemon

In 2022, I began reading stories on Kindle Vella and I am surprised how much I enjoy the format. The following is the first serial story I completed...

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ISLAND OF THE DEAD by Brian Keene features a captured barbarian forced to row in a war galley. After he is shipwrecked with a few other prisoners and soldiers on an unchartered island, the barbarian soon finds out the ship was transporting the undead. Unfortunately, the zombies are the least of the survivors' problems.

I think Keene was channeling Robert E. Howard a bit for this one. The author mixes dark fantasy with science fiction, and soaks them in blood and guts for an action-packed horror serial. Every episode gives readers a reason to continue onto the next installment, particularly the cast of characters.

I'm recommending this to both horror and fantasy readers.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday | February Book Video | Recommend Reading | AstraDaemon

"The charm of horror only tempts the strong." ~Jean Lorrain



As always,

AstraDaemon

Zombie Western | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

The year is 1868.

Sheriff Jeremiah Sharpe has successfully maintained the peace in the small silver mining town of Sterling Ridge and has even made the collar of his career with the capture of the notorious Bell Gang, accused of murdering a deputy in another nearby town. And he has welcomed a new school teacher, Evelyn Randall, from the East Coast to help establish the growing town’s first schoolhouse.

But Evelyn isn’t the only new thing to Sterling Ridge. After blasting begins in a previously untouched area of the mines, the workers return to the town afflicted by a never-before-seen horror, one that threatens to destroy Sterling Ridge as Jeremiah knows it.

The Deadening: Collapse is part one of a five-part serialized novel that follows the events of the Massacre of Sterling Ridge in 1868.

COLLAPSE by Jessica Meigs is far better than I expected from a zombie western. Most of the story is an overall setup for this mini-series, but absolutely necessary to feel the full impact of the horror which stumbles upon Sterling Ridge. The cast of characters is quite an interesting mix, with just enough background details to stir up concern for the residents of the mining town. The foreshadowing is also well-written: nothing too obvious, but dark enough to let readers know when to expect the nightmare to begin.

Towards the end, as the outbreak unfolds, the various one-on-one scenes highlight the contrasting reactions of the characters, and kept me hooked right up to the cliff-hanger.

I should point out, this was released in 2019, and we all know what happened in 2020. Meigs also re-released the Becoming series one at a time, not to mention publishing her new series The Unnaturals.  Needless to say, the author has valid reasons for the delay of LAMENTATION, the next installment of THE DEADENING series.

Here's hoping Meigs will finally be able to return to Sterling Ridge.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Lopez On My Radar | Zombie Horror Review | AstraDaemon

TIL DEATH DO US PART by A. Lopez Jr. is a terrifyingly tragic apocalypse story. After all hell breaks loose at their workplace, Alex and Ian are both desperate to make their way back to their families. The outbreak spreads so quickly, the news stations don't even have time to speculate about the sudden violence.

There is one detail which continues to drive me quite mad: when Alex speaks to his wife Kelly on the phone, what she describes and what he sees do not line up. I will always wonder if Kelly exaggerated events and overreacted to the situation.

In any case, I love this undead thriller, and I hope there's a sequel following Ian's POV.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Undead Train Trap | Horror MOVIE Review | AstraDaemon

I have a limited amount of free time, so I almost always choose books over movies. However, there have been many great horror releases in the last five years or so, and I've been trying to catch up with my watch list. I am happy to say, I finally viewed TRAIN TO BUSAN and everything about this film is awesome!

First of all, the Infected and the speed of the virus are frightening. I've always enjoyed zombie films, but this one managed to give me nightmares. Second, the train is a great setting because you have the feeling of being trapped, while showing glimpses of what is happening around the country...so much better than showing the usual news clips in the background. Last but not least, the characters are the perfect mix of survivors.

While there are a few obvious stereotypes such as the evil executive and the clueless parent, some of the others really stole the scenes they were in. For example, Dad-To-Be is like a freaking super hero, throwing down to save others, instead of just saving his pregnant wife and himself...he also provides comedic relief...definitely the kind of person I'd want in my survivor group. The baseball player and the cheerleader gave a coming-of-age touch to the situation, transforming from hormonal teens to responsible adults and rising to the occasion instead of giving up.

One of my favorite scenes is the face-off between the two groups of survivors: the ones who don't give a damn about anyone but themselves and the ones who refuse to leave anyone behind without a fight (not to be confused with survivors who throw away their lives in a wasted effort).

If you haven't watched this movie yet, you really need to make the time. I truly think this is the greatest zombie film ever made!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Run | AstraDaemon

FORBIDDEN FRUIT by Calvin Demmer is a short story centered on a group of three poachers in Africa. As rangers close in on them, they run into a region they do not recognize. Their guide tries to warn the other two about the area they are passing through, but the men ignore him.

Eventually, one of the poachers realizes the hunt has gone terribly wrong. The descriptions are quite creepy. While the story is entertaining, the setup is too long. I wish the author had writte more action scenes instead.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Beach Bodies | AstraDaemon

SPRING OUTBREAK by Calvin Demmer is a short story about a young woman trying to get over a breakup by vacationing with a friend. The author spends a lot of time in the character's head, which is completely unnecessary. This story would've been better as flash fiction, especially if more emphasis had been placed on the action. Unfortunately, the best scenes are limited to only a few pages. What could've been a great outbreak story is more like a bad breakup with some zombies tossed in.

As always,

AstraDaemon

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

Journey Into Hell | AstraDaemon

DYING MEMORY by Ben Black is a short story which takes place in the apocalypse of his novel, PESTILENCE REIGNS. A woman and her elderly mother are trying to get to one of the safe zones, not fully understanding what is happening to the infected.

The two women face one setback after another, on their way to the marina. The ending is devastating.

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.

Halloween Reading: Undead Week | DEAD TIDE | AstraDaemon

The DEAD TIDE series by Stephen A North is kind of like a zombie soap opera: lots of characters, a rotating POV, and plenty of dramatic scenes...with the undead. I never knew who was going to live or die, and I never knew what particular obstacles each character would face.

This week, the giveaway prize will be autographed copies of Books 1-3 in North's series (RAGE, Book 4, is currently undergoing a revision process).

In order to enter, just leave a comment on one of the Undead Week posts. A winner will be chosen the evening of October 27th (later than usual), due to a family emergency.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Halloween Reading: Consumption Week | The End of Eaters | AstraDaemon

EATERS: RESURRECTION by Michelle DePaepe is the third book in a zombie trilogy with a blend of horror and science fiction. Cheryl began this nightmare as an insurance agent, returning from a camping trip to discover a waking nightmare unfolding around her. From one book to the next, she adapted and evolved, much like the infected, but Cheryl continued to struggle between what she wanted for herself and what she wanted for her fellow survivors.

In this third and final installment, the storyline picks up moments after the escape from Sedona. The secrets of O.N.E., as well as the secrets of several main characters, are revealed across emotionally devastating scenes. Cheryl and her group hit rock bottom and lose hope, after they discover they have been betrayed and lied to by more than one person throughout their journey. Some of the remaining survivors are so traumatized, they remain broken, and the fate of the infected is one of the most disturbing outcomes I've ever read.

This book series deserves far more props than it has received, and I encourage both zombiephiles and horror fans in general to read these novels before 2020 delivers another throat punch. Seriously, if you're looking for something to set the mood for Halloween or just looking for a way to get your mind off everything else, this is the way.

As always,
AstraDaemon

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

The Final Phase

END OF THE ROAD by C. Dulaney is supposed to be the final book in the Roads Less Traveled series, and I'm sincerely hoping I can convince the author to write one more full-length novel. (There is also the possibility fans may be able to read some short stories set in the RLT world.) There is a form of conclusion in this novel, which amounts to the main characters learning to accept the new world order. However, readers are never offered a POV from Isabel or Sam, both supporting characters with extremely significant roles in the series, who could possibly offer a true completion to this apocalyptic saga.

Compared to the previous four books, many more lives are lost in some of the most devastating battle scenes ever written, while the few survivors left have formed a new family of sorts. The characters have learned to put quality of life over quantity of life span, but Kasey's group are making a living doing some truly dark deeds in exchange for supplies, becoming anti-heroes in the process. Essentially, they get their hands very dirty, so everyone else can pretend they're still "good" people.

Brad's group can barely keep their heads above the blood pooling around them. Wherever they go, people are slaughtered, and they feel responsible for the body count. After suffering an agonizing humiliation at the hands of deviant bandits, the tiny group of PSIs decide to seek out Kasey's group to join forces, but it's too little, far too late.

The story arc is amazing and unlike any other end-of-the-world scenario I've ever read, but the evolution of the characters is what really stands out. So often, I read apocalypse series where the survivors remain basically the same, no matter what they go through, which is BS, even in the horror genre. Dulaney digs into her creations, tears them into pieces and scatters their remains across each novel, much like her "terminators," resulting in an absolute genocide of epic proportions.

I encourage fans of the series to show their support for Roads Less Traveled by leaving reviews. As for those who haven't yet begun this series, I highly recommend you join the rest of us in Dulaney's apocalypse.

As always,
AstraDaemon