Yes, I have another zombie review, although I don’t think the word “zombie” is mentioned. This is the story of a team of British military men who are unacknowledged by their government nor anyone else. While they are quite handy for off-the-books operations, that means they are on their own when the job goes wrong. Then, when zombies roam the earth, everything goes wrong and it is every man for himself.
The story begins with the present and quickly jumps back to twelve years before. They are on a top-secret operation to bring down one of the worst terrorists the world has ever seen. They perform perfectly, due to all their training as career soldiers, and head home to relax and prepare for their next assignment. This time the job takes them to Africa and…zombies! So far no one is even speaking of zombies, but there are some very strange characters running around on this op, and as soon as they get a look at the team, they are suddenly quite ravenous. This is rather unexpected, especially as they are sent in to rescue a doctor, which they do manage, but he is so messed up in the head – consumed by thoughts of zombies – that they cannot get any information out of him. The crazy doctor isn’t the only one who needs rescuing, but at the last-minute, they are saved along with the nutty doctor. When they get home, they discover no one will acknowledge the fact that there might be some pretty scary and disgusting stuff happening out there.
Before you know it, nearly every country has fallen victim to the zombies. Britain, of course, is one of the last to go, but it does fall. The government has moved to the Isle of Wight, hoping from there to find the protection needed to research and find a way to rid the world of zombies. Unfortunately, the team has been sent to rescue a family whose lineage is close to England’s throne. They are dropped off by helicopter only to discover, due to zombie infestation, the family is a mix of zombie and zombie leftovers. The attempted rescue is a bust, and after some clean-up, they take up temporary residence in the palatial estate, while they await the return of the chopper. They wait and they wait. Then they wait some more. After realizing no one is coming for them, they commandeer the run-down Volkswagen bus in the garage. Needless to say, many zombie adventures happen, as they attempt to make their way to the airport, so they can hop on the chopper and head to the Isle of Wight.
There is more than just the team that make up the cast of this story, and as it progressed I grew to know and appreciate them all. Even the characters who do not play as big a role are still fascinating and a lot of detail is given to each one. The action is non-stop, but there are also scenes that invoke emotion and prove that these manly men are not just macho meatheads, but macho with a side of softie. Those moments are refreshing, as I like to think that inside everyone there is at least a small amount of empathy and concern for others. There are instances that made me laugh out loud. I won’t spoil it, but I believe most readers will find them just as entertaining. So, to wind this up, I will tell you that I read it in two days and did not want to put it down. The story is so well put-together and engrossing, without any unnecessary weight to drag it down, that it flowed flawlessly. I hate to say that not everyone survives in the typical zombie book, but this one is definitely not set up as a tear-jerker. Enjoy this wonderful book.
The rating:
- Genre and reading age – Apocalyptic, military, and zombies. This one is great for older teens and adults.
- Level of sexuality – Very low.
- Is there graphic language? Amazingly low for this type of story. It could have been really ugly, but the author was quite controlled.
- Did I cry? No.
- Did I laugh? When appropriate, I sure did.
- Is this part of a series? Yes, it is book one of The Dead Walk the Earth series, every book entitled the same, but with the corresponding number. So, make sure to continue with The Dead Walk the Earth book two.
- Level of character development – Fantastic right from the get-go. The characters are very different, each with highly developed personalities.
I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars. My suggestion is to pick it up today.
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