One of the best zombie novels I've come across
594651
A great zombie/apocolypse thriller. I found myself quite invested in the main characters, and really rooting for them throughout the book. The writing and editing was better than I expected, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The main character experiences an immense amount of growth throughout the story, going from a stand-offish high school boy, and eventually turning into a tough young man. His heartbreak over losing his girlfriend is true to the loss of a first love, without being super boring or cliche.

Definitely a good read if you're looking for something new in the genre.
2809956
Jason Kristopher blew me away with The Dying of the Light: End. It's a standout novel in this genre and I enjoyed it immensely.

While zombie narratives are well-trodden affairs, this story feels fresh, the characters come alive (no pun intended) and the pace is as close to perfect as I could hope for. Additionally, I think it's worth noting that the depth of research Mr. Kristopher engaged in is evident and, I might add, appreciated. You can, on occasion, "feel" the editing within the story, but it didn't detract from my overall experience.

He notes in the afterword that this is his first novel and, honestly, it's so good I almost don't believe that claim. I cannot wait to read more from this talented author. Keep up the great work!
2176092
One of the better books in the Zombie genre!  I'm sorry there isn't a sequel yet . . . Who knows?
1928319
I have recently started reading Zombie novels and I really enjoyed aftermath - particularly as I live in Australia and it is set here.  The characters were well developed and the writing top knotch.  I can't wait to read where the story goes from here and how they survive
3423314
I haven't read many zombie novels because, honestly, I'm not that interested in them. So I'm quite happy to say that PRAY TO STAY DEAD by Mason James Cole is more than just a zombie novel. It's filled with characters that I actually cared about, moments that made me squirm, and several that actually made me on edge. This novel is definitely a horror novel, by the truest definition of the word. It's not a horror novel because of the zombies, or the messed-up family &aacute; la TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, or the revenge streak in it reminiscent of 1970s revenge flicks (I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE came to mind), but because the characters are actually people you care about who have bad things happen to them. Colleen, Cardo, Sally, and Reggie are going to be people with me for a little while. Set in 1974, it evokes the feel of movies from that time period.

For first novel that is a horror/zombie/revenge story, I don't think you can get better. For a first novel, it's damn good.
2701968
I went into this book thinking it was going to be an epic zombie novel. And while there were zombies, this book was so much more than that. It had adventure, mystery, zombies, spirits, a necromancer, Spirit Hunters, and lots of awesome Victorian conventions. And I absolutely loved all of it!

Dennard does a fantastic job building Eleanor's world. When I was reading, I felt like I was completely immersed in a world where the dead wake up and wander the streets. Like this could even have happened. Ok, maybe not in the 1800s we know, but maybe in a parallel universe where the only difference is that the dead have suddenly risen.

Eleanor is one of the best female heroines I've seen in a YA novel in a while. She's independent, smart, brave, and she cares enough about her family that she'll do anything to protect them, even if trying to save them puts her in grave danger. But she's also willing to give up everything she knows to save the world. She also tries to see the best in everyone, and while that can get her into trouble, I don't think it's a terrible trait to have. At least she's optimistic about the people who surround her, instead of being paranoid and distrustful. I loved how she grew over the course of the novel - slowly, but surely. Oh, and I loved, loved, loved the way Dennard uses a play on words with Eleanor's name. I didn't even pick up on it until Eleanor does, and it definitely made me smile. Because it's definitely fitting.

I assumed from the gears in the background and the Victorian dress that the model on the cover wears that this would be set in a steam-punk reality. That isn't entirely wrong, but it's more of just the time period, where technology and steam engines are just starting to become more popular. The incorporation of the Centennial Exhibition was a very nice touch, and I think it's interesting to see how people imagine things like that would have been like.

Without giving too much away, I thought that the way Dennard ties all of the characters and all of the seemingly pointless information and all of the random story lines tied together. It was actually kind of incredible how, at the end, it all just fits into place. It makes me want to read the book again just to see what all I missed on a first read through.

Something Strange and Deadly was definitely one of my favorite books this year. Probably even my second favorite debut, right after&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Cinder/dp/0312641893/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Cinder</a>. So, I would rate this a 5/5 and recommend it to anyone who is looking for something completely different. Anyone looking for a really good mystery and/or fans of paranormal/supernatural novels would most likely enjoy this. I also think that fans of Cinder would enjoy Something Strange and Deadly as well, but that might just be my own bias. I really think everyone should pick up this book and read it, because I think there's something in it for everyone. I can't wait to read the next installment!
381270
This is probably one of my favorite zombie novels written because I like the premise of the story and how the action keeps to wanting to turn the page.  Brian Keene brings something different to most storytelling with an African American gay man as the protagonist of the story which I thought was really interesting although his characters do tend to be a bit stereotypical with the cop on the boat being one-dimensionally evil and the professor being philosophical.  Other then that it's an awesome read and I definitely recommend it to zombie lovers.
2854402
Let me start by saying this isn't your average zombie book. It doesn't start by some bio- hazzard or virus, it's from a meteor storm. There are several characters I really like but I have to say my favorite is "Silent". He is the epitome of the strong silent type. When the zombies rise everyone heads to an island in the middle of the lake for protection. It's all good until winter when the lake freezes, then it gets really interesting. Dont get me wrong along the way there are attacks and losses but the survivors keep on going. This is definitely a book for the zombie aficionado and I give it 5 fangs and will definitely read more from the author.
3308562
I am hooked on Zombie books.  This is one of the best reads I've found.  It has a plot, great characters and action.  This is an awesome book.  The Spencer family has a difficult time realizing that this could be indeed the end  of the world as they know it.  When they finally wake up the book is near the end, but a lot happens in between.  I am going to look for the next season now cos I have to see what happens.
2312200
I've read many of the self published zombie apocalypse novels circulating on Amazon the past few years. Many are illiterate rubbish, a few of them rise to the spartan style and sophisticated world building of Day By Day Armageddon, or echo the geopolitical realities of World War Z.

The Remaining is one of the best - definitely worth a read but NEEDS a sequel to round our the story.
2317174
I picked this book up as a fan of zombies in general.  I had read Brian Keene's "The Rising" and was a little disappointed, and I was reluctant to read any more zombie fiction, but I found this novel at my local bookstore and decided to pick it up.

"Risen" is an incredible novel.  The story adds a new twist to the standard zombie plotline, and you actually care about the characters.  It's fast-paced and gripping, and gives you that whole-town's-gone-to-hell feeling masterfully captured in novels like "Salem's Lot."

Highly recommended.
301707
It is difficult to find a good zombie novel these days after The Walking Dead has taken off.  One thing that you always need is a strong set of and dynamic characters and When the Dead has them both.  I love how the characters grow and you start to feel for each and everyone of them as that is something that is lacking in several zombie novels.  A good page turner and a great read for anyone that is looking for something more than head shots and guts being spilled all over the floor. (although that happens in here as well).  This is perfect book when you are in need of a zombie fix.
1377671
This was a spectacular post-apocalyptic zombie read.  I am honestly a bit burned out on this genre, but I loved this book.  It has a more philosophical tone to it than a lot of zombie books out there.  I really enjoyed the characters, the world, and the just the way the book was written in general.

I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it.  The narrator graspes the mood of the book very well and does a good job with all the different character voices.

Benny Imura is fifteen and it is time for him to choose his trade.  If he doesn't find a job his rations will be cut.  Benny lives in a world where most of humanity has been wiped out by/turned into zombies.  He lives in the small fenced in community of Mountainside, where most people do their best to ignore the world beyond the fence.  Benny lives with his brother, Tom.  Tom is one of the few bounty hunters who venture outside the fence into the Rot and Ruin.  And...well...Benny is about to find out what Tom really does.

This was a really well done post-apocalyptic zombie read.  Tom is really what makes this whole book.  Tom has this samurai-like way of looking at the world.  He is noble, incredibly tough, and ridiculed by those who don't understand him.  Tom sees the zombies and the Rot in Ruin in a way that is wise, sympathetic, and contemplative.  Tom is determined to make the zombie-hating Benny see what he sees.

Benny is a brat.  He hates zombies and wants them to die, he hates Mountainside and doesn't understand why the people in Mountainside won't reclaim some of the land.  He is an all around fifteen year old know-it-all.  But as he spends more time with Tom that starts to change.

Nix is the heroine in the story and she has led a rough life.  Unfortunately for her it's about to get rougher.  Some old grievances between her mother and a bounty hunter named Charlie Pink-Eye are about to come to light.

As the story progresses we find that the evil in the world is more about certain people that inhabit it than the zombies.  Benny learns the hardest rule of all, which is that there are no laws in the Rot and Ruin.

The book was incredibly well written and very interesting read.  I enjoyed the zen-like samurai warrior feel that Tom brings to the story.  It was easy to engage with the characters and I really felt Benny's pain as he learned the truth of how the world works.  The pace is somewhat deliberate, slowly building tension until things explode into danger and action.

Overall I loved this book.  It was an incredibly well done zombie book.  It has good action and excellent characters, but also an introspective quality to it that many zombie books lack.  Highly recommended to fans of post-apocalyptic zombie books.  I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, Dust and Decay.
4672580
As an author in this genre (though I do not know Kate L. Mary), I read a lot of zombie fiction. Some is great, some is awful, and some is so badly edited I can't get past the first five pages, so I didn't know what to expect when I started this series. I was very, very pleased to discover that not only do I like the series a lot, each book gets better, something that's hard to pull off four books into a zombie series.

The development of the main characters is complex and well-crafted. The sense of danger is intense and realistic. The progression of events makes sense, realizing that a certain amount of "luck" is important in these novels. It would be boring if the characters sat in a cave for a year, or spent all their time running. You have to give them plausible havens occasionally, so they can rest and re-group, and you can get to know the characters rather than just watching them run and fight all the time. Kate L. Mary gives us a diverse set of characters, some you'll like, some you won't, and some are sort of neutral and okay for zombie fodder. (Because you know you need zombie fodder!)

I have only pre-ordered perhaps five or six books in my life, but this was one of them, and it was worth it. This is my favorite so far in the series. I loved the locations chosen for this book, and allowing the group to be not always be together works, and I'm very pleased with the addition of Gretchen and Brady in this installment. I'm really looking forward to book 5...and I'll even pre-order it as soon as the listing is up on Amazon.
372351
Dead of Night is a zombie horror novel that succeeds where other zombie tales fall short. There are many things in this novel that are not the norm in the flood of 'living dead' books and anthologies that have been flooding the market lately.
The usual zombie novels stay away from such things as: giving a reason for why the dead are rising and attacking the living and devouring them, having 'intelligent' zombies who can think and talk, and even the insight as to what the zombies themselves are experiencing as they hunt to feed 'the hunger'.
These elements usually fail, so the reason for the risings is left unknown, in the belief that it adds to the horror, making it unknowable. This book proves that is not the case. The story and the characters behind how the dead are rising is well done and a major element to the complete picture.
The intelligent zombie angle is also well done and ties into the novel in an integral way. It is not some novelty to have a zombie that can think and talk, but part of the very basis of the novel.
Also the insight of how the living go from regular people, then being attacked, then the re-animation is fresh and frightening to those whom suffer this fate.
The characters are all well developed, from the 'heroes' to the 'bad guys' and even the people lost in confusion in the chaos around them is handled in a way where its amazingly accurate and adds to the horror.
Simply put this is not your regular 'dead are rising to consume the living' horror novel. It goes way beyond that. It is well written, action packed, gore filled, and even full of events that make you care for the characters as if they were real people.
If you are a fan of horror novels and the zombie genre, this is a must read book.
And please, let this book be followed up by another, as the ending is excellent and leaves you saying "Oh no, now what happens...?".
1597398
Apocalypta Z is not your typical zombie novel.  It offers moments of bloody violence, poignant loss and sorrow and genuine humor, and what's more, a good part of the story is told from the point of view of a small, very opinionated french poodle.
Madddie is on the road with her two poodles when the Zombie apocalypse hits.  The dogs go nuts and she stops at a rest centre to give them a stretch break and pitstop. Cienna, the younger and smaller of the two dogs breaks away from her and runs off to explore.  Maddie is trying to catch her when several  shambling and unresponsive strangers come shambling from  the toilets.  Forced to make a choice between saving the puppy or saving herself from the zombies, Maddie is forced to abandon her young puppy, but she promises to come back for her once she has reinforcements.
With the help of her friend Nick, Maddie and Cienna are eventually reunited and our merry band become the centrepiece of the Star Rock survivors colony as they struggle to come to terms with their new world.
Before long, they begin to discover there are changes to much more than just their physical environment and little Cienna may be the most changed of them all.
Maer Wilson is the award winning writer of several science fiction novels and novellas, and Apocalypta Z is exactly the sort of carefully laid out, impeccably written and thoroughly entertaining story you would expect from such a talented writer.  I loved this story and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a zombie novel with a difference.
2385367
If you're into zombie novels, this is one of the best.  Can't wait for the next installment.