I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of this genre, having read very few military/Science Fiction novels. But I was really taken with the universe Brown and Faville have created in this entirely original and ambitious novel. When an author can create a vision and make it come to life on the page, it is truly an impressive feat.

The story moves along at different paces depending on the scene. At times the authors take pangs to describe the spacecrafts or provide detail about the weapon systems. On other occasions it zips along with heart-thumping action. I particularly found fascinating all the informative minutia that the authors provide to the reader. Null space intrigued me and I could envision these black holes in space where crafts could cheat distance and time. I also loved the description of the ceramic gun rails and ceramic projectiles and could imagine these bullets shattering opposing battle crafts in space. The incredible description in this novel makes this book stand out and shine.

The other aspect of this book that I really enjoyed were the varied and complex characters. The way the authors portrayed them very much impressed me. Many different characters appear in Homeworld and they are all richly drawn out, unique and have their own voice. But I have to admit that my favorites were the cold-blooded killer Drake and Captain Rachel Keil. It was commendable the way these authors were able to make each character stand out.

My only criticism of this novel is that it could have used better editing in the way of punctuation and trimming some of the run on sentences.

Although not my usual genre, these authors may have changed my mind about reading Military/Science Fiction. I would definitely read another book by these two talented writers and highly recommend this exciting and inventive new novel.

The second wave of the plague has struck with a brutal vengeance and a full-on zombie apocalypse has spread throughout every corner of the world.

Abandoned by her father, Dar has managed to set up a camp in the Boston Common. Surrounded by hordes of ravenous zombies, one person living inside the camp holds the key to their survival.

A few lucky people on Earth have developed a mysterious immunity from the plague. Known as ghosts, they are prized for their ability to walk among the dead and gather food and supplies without fear. The Boston camp harbors one such person, and President Roberts orders the Army’s finest soldier to bring their ghost to Washington, D.C. at any cost.

As the world descends into apocalyptic madness, the horde grows increasingly aggressive, threatening the wellbeing of every survivor in Dar’s camp. Boston Common becomes ground zero for a dramatic showdown, and Dar realizes that she must make a decision that threatens not only her life, but the survival of every person she’s been entrusted to protect.

“DARPOCALYPSE is on the short list for the best that zombie fiction has to offer… Highly recommended.”
–Michael Juvinall, MoreHorror.com

“[A] dystopian yarn unlike anything you’ve read before…”
–Jeroen ten Berge, artist

“Joseph Souza has a gift for story telling…”
–Michele Callahan, Indie Horror News

D’Orazio’s novel jacks you into the action from the start. The main character, Jeff Blaine, has lost his entire family to the zombie horde and must brutally fight for his life. The action here is riveting and disturbing, and has an immediate impact on the reader. Survival as a theme trumps all else in this book.

Blaine finds another survivor in his neighborhood, Megan, whose gritty personality clashes with his own. But they work together to escape the horde and flee their infected neighborhood. Her goal is to search for other survivors and in the process Jeff appeases her while at the same time becoming a zombie-killing machine hell-bent on winning an almost unwinnable war. Two other survivors join Jeff and Megan, and the four of them take up arms against the horde.

D’Orazio’s novel is short but compact. His descriptions are vivid and linger in the imagination long after the reader puts it down. This is the kind of novel that relies more on character and blood-pumping action rather than plot. The action delivers blood and gore at a non-stop pace, barely allowing the reader to catch his or her breath.

I really enjoyed COMES THE DARK and especially the action-packed writing. D’Orazio has split the book up and has added sections at the end that he cut out of the original novel, and these snippets give the reader a more detailed history on the characters’ past. My only critique is that the novel ends on a cliffhanger, which we presume will be answered in Book 2. I prefer more a traditional ending that wraps up the novel and provides closure to some degree, but that’s my own preference. I highly recommend COMES THE DARK and eagerly look forward to Book 2 in The Dark Trilogy.

DARPOCALYPSE SUMMARY

The second wave of the plague has struck with a brutal vengeance and a full-on zombie apocalypse has spread throughout every corner of the world. The United States, or what’s left of it, is in shambles and only a few outposts exist. Abandoned by her father, Dar has managed to set up a camp in the Boston Common, which she rules with an iron fist. Surrounded by hordes of ravenous zombies, one person living inside the camp holds the key to their survival.

A few lucky people on earth have developed a mysterious immunity from the plague. Known as ghosts, they are prized for their ability to walk among the dead and gather food and supplies without fear of reprisal. The Boston camp harbors one such person. Washington D.C., however, has recently lost their ghost, and now the city is running out of food and fuel. Millions of zombies parade outside the gates, waiting to rush in and feed from the human trough. If a ghost is not found soon, all of its citizens will perish, and with them dies the nation’s democratic ideals and elected leaders.

President Roberts orders the Army’s finest soldier to travel up to Boston and bring back their ghost at any cost. But when his chopper fails to return, she fears the worst and sends a convicted terrorist up there as a last resort, promising him the keys to the White House if he’s able to bring Boston’s powerful ghost back to the nation’s capital, thus saving it from ruin.

As the world descends into apocalyptic madness, the horde grows increasingly aggressive, threatening the wellbeing of every survivor in Dar’s camp. Boston Common becomes ground zero for a dramatic showdown, and upon meeting the infamous terrorist, Dar realizes that she must make a gut wrenching decision that threatens not only her life, but the survival of every person she’s been entrusted to protect.

The most intriguing character from Redux was a mad Russian scientist named Anatoly Reznikov. Reznikov makes his presence strongly felt in Apex, as evident by the canisters of Zulu virus he’d sold to Al Queda and shipped to the United States. The effects of this virus are monstrous and readers of Redux will no doubt remember the terrifying scene in that book when the citizens of a Russian city suffered from its cognitive backlash. Can you say zombies?

Apex, however, takes a different approach. The canisters end up in the hands of True America, a right wing political group aptly named and with two separate branches. The first, and the largest, takes shape as a legitimate grass roots political action group. The second branch is the more radical and shadowy of the two groups, working in militant fashion behind the scenes to effect change by any and all means possible. And if that includes viral poisoning then so be it.

A plot is set-up first by Al Queda and then by True America to unleash the virus on the American people, and it sets in furious motion the return of General Sanderson, a major source of intrigue in the BF series. In the previous novel, Sanderson’s rogue outfit and the government worked to reach a fragile truce. But this temporary pact is put to the limits by the domestic terror plot to infect Americans with the Zulu virus. Extra legal measures are required to uncover the truth, and only Sanderson and Petrovich possess the ability to bring about such answers before America is ruined.

Konkoly’s writing and pace have never been sharper, but what most impressed this reviewer about Apex is the keen, world-weary dialogue that takes place between longtime bureaucrats situated in high positions. It’s as almost as if the author worked in one of these agencies himself. Apex is his longest book and one that will lead the reader on a long, adventurous and breathless journey through the deepest secrets of American government and corporate culture. This book wins on many levels and will surely secure its status in the genre.

http://www.amazon.com/Black/-Flagged-Apex-ebook/dp/B00AR2VRPS

Gareth Wood’s new novel, AGE OF THE DEAD, is the follow-up to his successful predecessor RISE, which utilized a journal style format to tell the story of Brian Williams escape to safety during the zombie outbreak. While the journal style was an interesting plot device in its own right, though of a very limited narrative scope, Woods use of the 1^st person in this novel definitely expands and enriches the story architecture of this novel by integrating traditional story methodology with plot and dialogue.

I hesitate to regurgitate the entire plot, as it is easy enough to read the synopsis as well as the preceding reviews. But suffice to say that the author has created an exciting and adventurous tale of a salvage team’s rugged journey into the Rocky Mountains and beyond. He creates a vivid picture of the small towns and the undead that inhabit them. I particularly enjoyed the much richer development of his characters, including Williams and his crew as well as the ones he encounters along the way. His use of 1^st person narrative certainly facilitated the complexity of both his characters and the interpersonal dynamics between them. Even better, in my opinion, was the detailed descriptions of the Rocky Mountain locale, the isolated airport and of course Cold Lake. It allowed me to visualize the scenery and at times placing me smack dab in the middle of the action.

The undead make many dramatic appearances in this novel and will no doubt sate the appetites of the most blood thirsty horror fan. They make their presence known throughout many of the wilderness scenes, even brutalizing members of Williams crew. For me though, the most interesting part of the novel was the small community they discover living on a secluded mountain peak. The cast of characters that had been living on that mountain were all different in race, personality and temperament, and their reaction to Williams arrival engendered an interesting plot twist. Personally, I would have never left that self-sufficient compound, but Williams manages to convince a few of them to return back to base camp, and that journey propels the last part of the novel as we follow them on their harrowing journey home.

Woods has definitely stepped up his game with AGE OF THE DEAD, creating some very memorable characters while weaving them into horror-filled scenes of zombie gore and wilderness mayhem. My only criticism is that I believe the plot could have been improved with the use of a stronger story arc combined with enhanced character motivation. He easily could have expanded the scene where they returned to the scientist’s lab to recover the plague’s source, and made that the central mission the novel’s plot. But other then that minor quip, I found myself fully engaged in Woods’ novel and eager to return with Williams and his crew to the bloodied and battered Rocky Mountains, or wherever the next installment takes me, although strictly as a reader.

I’d rate AGE OF THE DEAD 4.5 out 5 Stars.

http://www.pressherald.com/life/audience/horror-read-suspenseful-from-start-to-finish_2012-11-11.html

By davidnjoku / October 8, 2012 / Uncategorized / Leave a comment

indieauthorland.com/

http://wp.me/p2oRbX-6g

Tell us about The Reawakening.

A series of terrible things begin to happen when a scientist with a dark past resumes his genetic experiments in a small Maine town. The animals suddenly become aggressive for no apparent reason, attacking anyone within sight, including Rick’s wife. After slaughtering his diseased herd, Rick realizes to his horror that they have come back to life. Soon the farm is under siege by the deranged animals, and a small group of refugees who have assembled in the farmhouse must hunker down and defend themselves against the terrible onslaught of cannibals.

The entire town soon becomes filled with the human flesh-eaters, threatening the farmhouse and the survivors within it. But they all have the same message before they reawaken: they are seeking the chosen ones. The onset of winter provides a temporary defense against the army of the dead, but with supplies running low, the survivors realize they must formulate a plan before the arrival of spring and the dreaded melt-off. And as the world outside them descends into total madness, a surprising leader emerges from the group who will hopefully lead them to safety.

What genre is it?

THE REAWAKENING fits squarely in the horror genre. It is much more then just a living dead, apocalypse novel, which is why so many zombie purists have taken issue with it, but why lovers of horror fiction have come to love it. This novel steps outside the normal boundaries and takes risks with the genre. It asks political, theological and philosophical questions, which will both challenge and terrify the reader.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?

Readers who love Stephen King’s work should enjoy THE REAWAKENING, which takes place in northern Maine. Anyone who enjoys good writing and is open-minded about the subject should be able to take something from it.

How much of the next 2 books of your Living Dead trilogy have you got mapped out in your head and can you tell us what to expect?

DARPOCALYPSE, Book 2 of the trilogy is complete and just waiting to be published. This novel is my opus and a riveting follow-up to THE REAWAKENING, and I anticipate that it will have major crossover appeal.

Tell us about your short fiction. You have won awards for it, haven’t you?

I won the Andre Dubus Award from the University of Southern Maine for my short story “Loss Prevention” and had it featured in their literary journal Words&Images. I also won Honorable Mention for the Al Blanchard Award for my short story “The Stone Walls of Lebanon” and had it presented to me at Crimebake, New England’s biggest and most prestigious crime convention.

You’ve written crime fiction and with The Reawakening you are moving into zombie fiction. Are there any other genres you’re planning to explore?

I would say I’m moving into Horror fiction rather than zombie fiction, with an emphasis on the apocalypse scenario. As far as other genres, I’m currently happy sticking to these two for the time being. But who knows what the future will bring.

Writing a book is never easy, but other than that, what has been the toughest part – editing or marketing?

Like most writers, I too find the marketing aspect of writing the most difficult. You have to completely separate the spheres of your brain and know when to shut off the creative from business. Answering interview questions like this, however, is a real treat and I find I have a lot of fun with the various questions interviewers have in regards to my work.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up near Boston in a working-class environment. Reading has always been a great pastime of mine. I earned a BS from Northeastern University and MA’s from Northeastern and the University of Washington.

I’ve had so many jobs I’ve lost count. I’ve been a teacher, laborer on the docks of South Boston (when Whitey Bulger controlled Boston’s rackets), cab driver, editor, dishwasher, researcher, intelligence analyst in the Organized Crime unit of the DEA, social worker, bouncer, paralegal (where I worked on the case that became the basis for the movie A Civil Action starring John Travolta), truck driver, just to name a few.

I’m married and live in Maine—Stephen King country—and have two great kids and a 17 year old pug. I love to run, cook and play a little golf when I get the chance.

Have you got a blog where readers can keep up with your work?

People can read an excerpt, reviews or view my bio at www.josephsouza.net. They can also drop me a message there if they like. People can also reach me on twitter at  @josephsouza3.

What’s next?

Well, there’s been a lot of great press for THE REAWAKENING and the Living Dead Trilogy, as well as anticipation for DARPOCALYPSE, Book 2 in the series. The response has been so great that I recently signed a three-book deal with an option for three more with the highly respected horror publisher Permuted Press. The books will now be available on every format, including Nook, Kindle, ePub, paperback, Sony and Audible. In addition, THE REAWAKENING has been an Amazon best seller, having broken Amazon’s top 100 in Paid Horror. I anticipate great things for the follow-up novel, DARPOCALYPSE, which is a much more ambitious work in scope and breadth. Currently, I’m 2/3 through the first draft of Book 3 in the Trilogy. So as you can see, I’ve been quite busy as of late.

I’d like to thank Indie Author Land for this great interview and letting me talk up THE REAWAKENING. This was a lot of fun!

*******

You can buy The Reawakening on Amazon: USA – UK - Canada.

http://indieauthorland.com/2012/10/08/interview-with-joseph-souza-author-of-the-reawakening/

By davidnjoku / October 8, 2012 / Uncategorized / Leave a comment

http://indieauthorland.com/2012/10/08/interview-with-joseph-souza-author-of-the-reawakening/

Tell us about The Reawakening.

A series of terrible things begin to happen when a scientist with a dark past resumes his genetic experiments in a small Maine town. The animals suddenly become aggressive for no apparent reason, attacking anyone within sight, including Rick’s wife. After slaughtering his diseased herd, Rick realizes to his horror that they have come back to life. Soon the farm is under siege by the deranged animals, and a small group of refugees who have assembled in the farmhouse must hunker down and defend themselves against the terrible onslaught of cannibals.

The entire town soon becomes filled with the human flesh-eaters, threatening the farmhouse and the survivors within it. But they all have the same message before they reawaken: they are seeking the chosen ones. The onset of winter provides a temporary defense against the army of the dead, but with supplies running low, the survivors realize they must formulate a plan before the arrival of spring and the dreaded melt-off. And as the world outside them descends into total madness, a surprising leader emerges from the group who will hopefully lead them to safety.

What genre is it?

THE REAWAKENING fits squarely in the horror genre. It is much more then just a living dead, apocalypse novel, which is why so many zombie purists have taken issue with it, but why lovers of horror fiction have come to love it. This novel steps outside the normal boundaries and takes risks with the genre. It asks political, theological and philosophical questions, which will both challenge and terrify the reader.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?

Readers who love Stephen King’s work should enjoy THE REAWAKENING, which takes place in northern Maine. Anyone who enjoys good writing and is open-minded about the subject should be able to take something from it.

How much of the next 2 books of your Living Dead trilogy have you got mapped out in your head and can you tell us what to expect?

DARPOCALYPSE, Book 2 of the trilogy is complete and just waiting to be published. This novel is my opus and a riveting follow-up to THE REAWAKENING, and I anticipate that it will have major crossover appeal.

Tell us about your short fiction. You have won awards for it, haven’t you?

I won the Andre Dubus Award from the University of Southern Maine for my short story “Loss Prevention” and had it featured in their literary journal Words&Images. I also won Honorable Mention for the Al Blanchard Award for my short story “The Stone Walls of Lebanon” and had it presented to me at Crimebake, New England’s biggest and most prestigious crime convention.

You’ve written crime fiction and with The Reawakening you are moving into zombie fiction. Are there any other genres you’re planning to explore?

I would say I’m moving into Horror fiction rather than zombie fiction, with an emphasis on the apocalypse scenario. As far as other genres, I’m currently happy sticking to these two for the time being. But who knows what the future will bring.

Writing a book is never easy, but other than that, what has been the toughest part – editing or marketing?

Like most writers, I too find the marketing aspect of writing the most difficult. You have to completely separate the spheres of your brain and know when to shut off the creative from business. Answering interview questions like this, however, is a real treat and I find I have a lot of fun with the various questions interviewers have in regards to my work.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up near Boston in a working-class environment. Reading has always been a great pastime of mine. I earned a BS from Northeastern University and MA’s from Northeastern and the University of Washington.

I’ve had so many jobs I’ve lost count. I’ve been a teacher, laborer on the docks of South Boston (when Whitey Bulger controlled Boston’s rackets), cab driver, editor, dishwasher, researcher, intelligence analyst in the Organized Crime unit of the DEA, social worker, bouncer, paralegal (where I worked on the case that became the basis for the movie A Civil Action starring John Travolta), truck driver, just to name a few.

I’m married and live in Maine—Stephen King country—and have two great kids and a 17 year old pug. I love to run, cook and play a little golf when I get the chance.

Have you got a blog where readers can keep up with your work?

People can read an excerpt, reviews or view my bio at www.josephsouza.net. They can also drop me a message there if they like. People can also reach me on twitter at  @josephsouza3.

What’s next?

Well, there’s been a lot of great press for THE REAWAKENING and the Living Dead Trilogy, as well as anticipation for DARPOCALYPSE, Book 2 in the series. The response has been so great that I recently signed a three-book deal with an option for three more with the highly respected horror publisher Permuted Press. The books will now be available on every format, including Nook, Kindle, ePub, paperback, Sony and Audible. In addition, THE REAWAKENING has been an Amazon best seller, having broken Amazon’s top 100 in Paid Horror. I anticipate great things for the follow-up novel, DARPOCALYPSE, which is a much more ambitious work in scope and breadth. Currently, I’m 2/3 through the first draft of Book 3 in the Trilogy. So as you can see, I’ve been quite busy as of late.

I’d like to thank Indie Author Land for this great interview and letting me talk up THE REAWAKENING. This was a lot of fun!

*******

You can buy The Reawakening on Amazon: USA – UK - Canada.

Although zombie stories are a dime a dozen these days, there’s always an eager audience waiting to devour the next to come along. Right now that’s The Reawakening (The Living Dead trilogy book 1) by Joseph Souza, a zombie novel that deviates from the well-worn path trodden by other zombie fiction authors and makes the effort to stand out from the crowd.

As stated, The Reawakening doesn’t fit the usual zombie story blueprint but doesn’t completely discard it either. We’ve got an isolated farm, a genetic scientist with a questionable history, an unprepared group of survivors and hordes of bloodthirsty zombies – all staple elements in a good zombie story. The biggest difference is that the zombies are slightly more than zombies; there’s a supernatural element that allows the plot to move in new and interesting directions.  Spirituality and religion are explored and create some fascinating interactions between characters.

The novel begins by introducing us to Thom Swiftley and his depressed seventeen year old daughter Dar. Thom is a well-known author who has enjoyed a successful career and lives with his family in Boston. He and Dar are preparing to go and visit Thom’s brother Rick in northern Maine for a few days, to get away from the city and give Dar a change of scenery. Upon arrival, it’s clear that all is not as it seems. There’s something wrong with the weather and the animals; birds are acting strangely, swarming in terrifying numbers and Thom spies coyotes savagely attacking and killing one of their own. Is it just nature at its most strange and brutal or something else entirely?

That question is answered soon enough, and in horrifying fashion. Thom, Dar, Rick and others are soon barricaded inside the farmhouse, fighting desperately to withstand the relentless onslaught of the nightmarish creatures outside.

Brought together by the end of the world as they know it, the characters are as varied as you’d expect in a motley group of survivors. Thom and Rick, although brothers, are opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to faith; Rick believes wholeheartedly in his science, convinced that there’s an answer to everything while Thom concerns himself more with religion, seeking answers and a meaning to the madness. The character of Dar is slightly confusing. The author’s intention with regard to her transformation from depression to empowerment is clear, yet her portrayal and interactions with the others is over the top to the degree that it sometimes detracts from the novel. While unpleasant characters are often fun to read (and no doubt write), they need to be believable within the context of the story and unfortunately Dar doesn’t always seem to fit. Other characters are secondary for the most part, yet aren’t insignificant and certainly have roles to play.

It’s clear Joseph Souza is a talented author; his style of writing drives the novel forward, presenting the reader with vivid descriptions and haunting imagery – the zombies in the snow are particularly memorable. He does not shy away from the more visceral side of things either, with graphic descriptions of the various bloody and brutal encounters throughout the book. You’ll be able to taste the blood in the air and hear every splatter, crunch and squelch.

The Reawakening is worth a read for fans of the genre. Its exploration of elements not usually seen in a zombie story shouldn’t discourage readers from picking it up. Indeed, some of the best stories are born of experimentation and the exercising of creative license. It’ll be interesting to see what book 2 of the trilogy brings.

The book is available now from Amazon.

Johnson and a classmate have made a startling discovery that will have a dramatic effect on the Embargo War, a war that pits the Western Alliance against the Mid-Asian Consortium. Using his friend’s senior project of carbon fiber doped in silicon, Johnson realizes that his friend’s formulated fibers completely absorb microwaves. “Coat them on a stealth plane and they will prevent radar detection.” The development, Johnson realizes, will give the Western Alliance a huge advantage in their war against the Mid-Asian Consortium.

What follows in the novel is to be expected in this genre. The Mid-Asian Consortium, through their spy network, manage to get their hands on this new technology as Johnson enters the Air Force as a fighter pilot. When an international incident pushes the two sides to the brink of war, an unfortunate and tragic decision by the US President triggers an all-out attack. Johnson is assigned to Alaska, where he meets up with a long lost girlfriend. There, he realizes to his delight, the girl he has always loved had given birth to his child while he’d been attending MIT. The reason she never told him? She didn’t want to ruin his career.

Books has penned a tight, lightning quick techno-thriller in his first outing. He effortlessly weaves dense technological and scientific information into the plot of the story without losing the reader’s interest. The writing is spare and economic, and at no time does this author stray far from his well-thought out plot. The political posturing between the two hostile sides is handled with deft and much skill in the capable hands of Books. By the time the war is waged, we have fully bought into the tragic sequence of events that have led to this apocalyptic crisis.

This is Books debut novel, or should I say novella, and it is fine start. The only criticism I had of The Sky Between Two Worlds is that I wished the characters had been further expanded upon. While I enjoyed reading about each one, I think had he fleshed-out the sections about his main characters and made the book longer, this would have pushed this book over the top. Knowing this is his first novel, I fully expect Books to only improve his craft with future works.

The Sky Between Two Worlds is a first-rate techno-thriller, sci-fi novella that should be read by all fans of this genre. Books, who has an impressive science and academic resume, is an author readers should keep an eye on.

We start off BLACK FLAGGED REDUX in stunning fashion, with Petrovich in Argentina with the order to “kill everyone on-site.” From that point on this novel veers in so many breathtaking directions that one has to stop and catch their breath, especially when perversely amoral villain Anatoly Reznikov enter the picture. Throughout the novel we find ourselves jettisoning back and forth between continents and players as the plot of the story thickens.

Steve Konkoly is a talented and best selling writer, as evidenced by his previous two novels, The Jakarta Pandemic and Black Flagged, and knows how to tell a compelling story that engages the reader. The action here is non-stop and his characters are as memorable as they are unpredictable. Much of the appeal of Konkoly’s work as a novelist is unraveling the true motives of each character, and as one would expect, they’re never quite what they seem to be on the surface.

General Sanderson is back and he’s craftier and more duplicitous than ever. Without ruining the plot, let’s just say that his manipulations of the US government is masterfully done and a revelation to this reader. Whether you love or hate Sanderson, his character is complex and single-minded, with his goal being to fight terrorism. Of course that goal is never reached in a direct path, the end always justifying the means.

Petrovich, the character we are led to the water with, is lured back into the spy life. But it’s his wife who steals most of the scenes, and I found her character far more interesting, especially considering her undercover past from the first novel. The scenes of her practicing her knife skills are breathtaking and fully demonstrate that she’s on par with Petrovich, if not superior to him in many ways. The two of them together make for a lethal combo, and one has to wonder if Sanderson would rather.

But the most compelling character in Black Flagged Redux, hands down, is Anatoly Reznikov, the rogue Russian scientist determined to poison the world with his biological weaponry. Reznikov is something out of a CIA agent’s nightmare and a profoundly fascinating villain. Criminally insane from the environmental pollution endured as a young boy growing up in one of Soviet Union’s industrial wastelands, Reznikov suffers from a specific mental illness that makes him sociopathic. His intelligence and lack of empathy make him a villain you won’t soon forget. My only criticism of the novel is that I wanted more of Reznikov. The scenes with him in it literally jump off the page and grab you by the throat. And the city he poisons, by polluting the water supply, turns the majority of citizens into brain-damaged zombies.

I eagerly look forward to reading the next installment of the Black Flagged series and can only hope that Reznikov makes future appearances. The last part of the book, where we see Petrovich tracking down Reznikov before the Russians find him first, are some of the most thrilling sections of any novel I’ve read this year. Konkoly seems to warming up to the task of this Black Flagged series, and they get better with each installment

Steve Konkoly is a talented and best selling writer, as evidenced by his previous two novels, The Jakarta Pandemic and Black Flagged, and knows how to tell a compelling story that engages the reader. The action here is non-stop and his characters are as memorable as they are unpredictable. Much of the appeal of Konkoly’s work as a novelist is unraveling the true motives of each character, and as one would expect, they’re never quite what they seem to be on the surface.

General Sanderson is back and he’s craftier and more duplicitous than ever. Without ruining the plot, let’s just say that his manipulations of the US government is masterfully done and a revelation to this reader. Whether you love or hate Sanderson, his character is complex and single-minded, with his goal being to fight terrorism. Of course that goal is never reached in a direct path, the end always justifying the means.

Petrovich, the character we are led to the water with, is lured back into the spy life. But it’s his wife who steals most of the scenes, and I found her character far more interesting, especially considering her undercover past from the first novel. The scenes of her practicing her knife skills are breathtaking and fully demonstrate that she’s on par with Petrovich, if not superior to him in many ways. The two of them together make for a lethal combo, and one has to wonder if Sanderson would rather.

But the most compelling character in Black Flagged Redux, hands down, is Anatoly Reznikov, the rogue Russian scientist determined to poison the world with his biological weaponry. Reznikov is something out of a CIA agent’s nightmare and a profoundly fascinating villain. Criminally insane from the environmental pollution endured as a young boy growing up in one of Soviet Union’s industrial wastelands, Reznikov suffers from a specific mental illness that makes him sociopathic. His intelligence and lack of empathy make him a villain you won’t soon forget. My only criticism of the novel is that I wanted more of Reznikov. The scenes with him in it literally jump off the page and grab you by the throat. And the city he poisons, by polluting the water supply, turns the majority of citizens into brain-damaged zombies.

I eagerly look forward to reading the next installment of the Black Flagged series and can only hope that Reznikov makes future appearances. The last part of the book, where we see Petrovich tracking down Reznikov before the Russians find him first, are some of the most thrilling sections of any novel I’ve read this year. Konkoly seems to warming up to the task of this Black Flagged series, and they get better with each installment.

This book was a hilarious and heartfelt novel filled with laughter and romantic zaniness. Any writer or any person using Twitter will totally relate to Norwood’s description of social media and the way we communicate using Twitter and Facebook. A thoroughly modern take on romance, Norwood’s ingenious and witty prose does something that goes beyond just the comedic; it delves into the modern soul and helps bridge the gap between technology and our most urgent desires. I burst out laughing many time while reading this book. Her clever use of VCR tapes in lieu of imagination is both funny and ironic; who in this age uses a VCR tape? This literary device is an apt metaphor for the old fashion-style romance that still persists despite the deluge of technology threatening to dull our most intimate desires. Norwood brings these semi-erotic daydreams to life–until the VCR in her overly-filled mind abruptly stops the narrator and the reader in his or her tracks. We are brought to the brink of erotica only to have it crash down upon us because of the narrator’s bumbling wit. The scene in the van where she meets Mr. Rascal is funny and climactic. There is the best-selling author, hilariously named Butt, who constantly refers to himself in the 3rd person. While Norwood writes very witty and funny prose, it is her ability to get to the deeper matters of the heart that really impressed this reader the most. Glad to discover this talented writer and look forward to reading more of her works in the future.

Rudiger,

Katie Dolan arrives just in the nick of time, and in hot bikini to boot, to pique his interest. Fresh from U.S Attorney’s Office, she is there to make a deal with Rudiger, or Conklin in his previous life. Yes, she’s beautiful and yes, she’s in need of money as well, and willing to do anything (wink, wink) to get it. Her father and brother, ex-firefighters and first responders to 9/11, had become sick from breathing in the toxic blast air. Her brother died years ago from his ailment, but her father is still alive. Although he doesn’t have much time left on the planet, Katie is determined to make his last days comfortable. On the surface, Katie seems the perfectly perk U.S. Attorney, resolute and with high moral standards. But on the inside she is burning with righteous indignation at the lack of medical care her brother and father received after the World Trade Center terrorist attack. Yes, she has a plan, which includes playing both sides. If only she can gather up enough money to make her dad’s last days peaceful, she’ll feel as if she’s done him right. Or will she?

What happens next is fairy obvious genre machinations, but in the hands of talented author such as Lender the details come to life. Dolan and Rudiger make a deal, as expected, although even the most unsophisticated reader realizes that any deal struck with Rudiger is merely a vehicle to achieving his ends. Dolan knows that making a deal with a criminal like Rudiger is about as binding as dealing with the devil.

The return to New York energizes Rudiger and we can see that it is not so much the money that fulfills him but the churning machine of capitalism and all its glorious substrata.

Despite a few details that seem rather implausible, but necessary to moving the story along, Lender gives us an engaging albeit dark story in which no one can be trusted and personal ethics are fluid. Rudiger, on the surface, seems a glib cool cat concerned with little else other then pleasing his monstrous sense of self. And yet we know that his wife is missing, presumed murdered, and that he’s undergone plastic and weigh loss reduction surgery in order to escape arrest and extradition. Rudiger seems to me not just a harmless white-collar criminal but a soulless monster willing to do anything to get what he wants and sate his unchecked ego. And sadly enough, Dolan succumbs to the same pernicious attitude, though it is rationalized by the righteous indignation of her father’s condition. Sadly, she’s in it for the dough too.

The ending is predictable, but the ending is not the point. What seems on the surface to be a harmless caper about stealing back stolen fortunes, it is really a moral tale about the contagious nature of greed and the corruptibility of the human psyche. The heart and soul of American capitalism resides as much in the human heart as in its grandest city.

The Reawakening begins with the narrator, Thom Swiftley, a famous novelist, taking his seventeen year old daughter, Dar, up from their Boston home to his brother’s farm in northern Maine.  Rick, his brother, was a highly respected geneticist who decided to leave his prestigious career behind to get away from the rat race to grow crops and milk cows, or so it seems.  Dar has suffered from numerous mental issues in her life, and has been suicidal throughout much of her teenage years.  Thom thinks it would be a good idea for her to see her uncle and favorite aunt before she goes off to college.

Almost immediately things start going wrong on the farm.  The cows are acting strange, and so are the birds.  Fearing Mad Cow Disease, Rick puts the cows down with his rifle, only to find them back up and trying to kick their way out of their stalls.  Rick’s dog has gone mad as well, and so have the pigs.  When Rick’s wife gets bitten by one of the cows, she gets a fever, dies, and transforms into some sort of hybrid creature.  But before she does that, right after she dies, she speaks of an afterlife and the goal of finding the chosen ones.

More mayhem ensues and when Thom and Dar try to leave the farm, things go even worse for them when she is assaulted at a general store ten minutes from the farm and they have to return.  By now, they realize that people are turning into flesh eating monsters (those that are bitten by animals take on some genetic characteristics of the animals that bit them, while those who die in a ‘normal’ fashion become the more traditional slow moving zombies).  Rick dives into the mystery of how this happens with scientific zeal as they stay tucked away, safe on the barricaded farm.  They are joined by others: one of Rick’s neighbor’s family and a passing biker named Thorn.

The sudden and abrupt changes happening to everything around them transforms Dar dramatically.  In particular, the assault she is forced to endure at the general store is the seeming catalyst to a total mutation in personality.  It almost seemed as if everyone who has been bitten or dies has reawakened into something different, but even though she hasn’t been bitten, she has been altered as well: into a hate machine.  She not only hates the reawakened monsters, but everyone and everything, including her father, who she blames for her life up to this point.

This tale is an intriguing variation on the traditional zombie apocalypse storyline, with the transformed becoming something significantly different than the zombies we have come to know and fear.  I am always up for a different approach to the formula, and this one certainly veers in a different direction than you might expect.  The mystery here is whether this transformation is genetic, which Rick adheres to or if the transformation is more of a supernatural process, given how the undead initially react before becoming ravenous flesh eaters, as Thom suspects.  The brother’s clash on this subject endlessly, as well as on other topics.

Fair warning: this book does not provide the reader with much in the way of characters to identify with or root for.  I found it difficult to have much sympathy for anyone but a couple of secondary characters given how everyone seems to transform into loathsome people as things got worse around them.  This applies in particular to Dar, whose transformation into a kick-butt undead slayer brought with it a lot of hate, spite, and anger.  Essentially, a suicidal teenager unleashes the hatred she had for herself onto the entire world.  Not just on those who have been reawakened, but everyone who is still alive.  And somehow everyone seems to willingly accept her abuse without question and meekly follow her lead.  That her father falls in line with how she acts and Rick, his brother, seems to encourage her ravenous lust for destruction of the undead, are only part of the reasons why I found both of those characters repugnant.  Thom is a wimp and Rick has plenty of even more despicable traits.

While this commentary may seem like harsh criticism of the book, it isn’t.  Loathsome characters are often some of the most interesting ones in literature.  I did feel that Dar’s transformation seemed a bit over the top, thought it becomes more plausible given the environment she resides in throughout the book: with a bunch of people unwilling to say or do anything to stop her-especially her father.  Given how much of a spineless cur he was, it made what she became a bit more believable.  Still, her transformation seemed extreme, especially given the fact that everyone seemed more than willing to follow this eighteen-year-old’s lead into danger.

Overall, this was an intriguing tale, with a wild new slant on the undead apocalypse.  There are some interesting twists and turns and since this is only the first of a planned trilogy, there are naturally quite a few loose ends left unraveled.  It will be interesting to see where things go from here for Thom, Dar, and the survivors.

The story has an eerie, lingering effect on the reader.
You will be lying in bed at night wondering if you have what it takes to survive. You will remember the passages from the Bible about the dead roaming the earth. You will reconsider the conspiracy theories that plague our government. But the most haunting thought of all? Will you be prepared for… The Reawakening.

Michele Callahan

Indie Horror News Rating:
(5 out of 5 skulls!)

Purchase the book HERE

The story is told through the eyes of Thomas Swiftley, a famous novelist who is travelling with his teenage daughter, Dar from Boston up to his brother’s farm in rural Maine to get away for the weekend.   Dar is dealing with depression, trying to cope the best she can.  Thomas thinks a weekend away from the city on his brother’s farm will do her some good.   Leaving his wife and son behind in Boston, Thomas hopes to reconnect with Dar as she is becoming more distant by the day.

Rick Swiftley was a genetic scientist, renowned in his field until one day he mysteriously quits his job, telling nobody why, suddenly buying a farm and moving out to the country.  Rick and his wife Susan now raise livestock and pigs, farming the land as well.  Thomas has always questioned why his brother suddenly gave up his scientific career, but Rick has never talked about it.  Thomas and Rick have always been at odds with one another, each jealous of the other.   Thomas is jealous of his brother’s academic achievements and Rick is jealous of Tom’s literary success.

Soon after arriving at his brother’s farm, Thomas and Dar notice the animals acting strangely, becoming very aggressive and violent, attacking anyone that gets close.  Rick believes it could be rabies or even worse, some form of mad cow disease.   Deciding to contain the situation before things get out of hand, Rick has to put down his entire herd of cows.  Soon afterwards to their horror, the group is shocked to learn that the cows have seemingly come back to life and have a hunger for more than grass.  The situation worsens when they notice other animals exhibiting the same symptoms as they begin to attack the humans.

The deadly disease affects all animals, then as the unthinkable happens, it jumps species to humans.  The surrounding community becomes affected by the unknown disease, first killing its victims, then raising them from the dead with an insatiable lust for human flesh.  The disease is transferred by bite, soon spreading at a rapid rate, its victims multiplying exponentially.

Thomas, Dar and a small group of survivors become trapped in Rick’s farmhouse, trying to survive the onslaught of the undead creatures.   Luckily, Rick had already fortified his farmhouse in preparation for any emergency situation, but his supplies were only for two, limiting how long a larger group can hold out.  In a terrifying revelation, Thomas and Rick discover that as each victim is reawakened from death; they all seem to convey the same cryptic message warning of what is to come before they turn into the mindless, flesh-eating, living dead.

As their supplies run out, the group must decide where to go and how to survive as the world they once knew crumbles around them.  Thomas discovers that his brother Rick has not halted his genetic experiments and begins to wonder if something he has done may have dire consequences for the entire world.

I was completely caught up in this story, its 350+ pages were a real page turner, I literally couldn’t put it down and finished in just a couple of days, very few novels have that effect on me.   Souza has incorporated the one thing into his story that I’ve been looking for, for a long time in a zombie novel that nobody has given me, until now.   I’ve always asked myself in novels and movies, why is it that only the recently dead are reanimated?  There are so many graveyards and cemeteries in the world; wouldn’t it be far more frightening if those dead began to come back to life too?  Well, the time is now as Souza has addressed this issue of mine in The Reawakening.

The characters are so well written and thought provoking the reader can’t help but care what happens to each and every one.   Some are more likable than others; the narrative is seen through the eyes of Thomas, he is of course the one reader’s will likely relate to the most.   For me though, it’s Dar that shines brighter than anyone in this narrative.   Her character changes almost completely from start to finish.  Dar begins the story as a depressed teenager, unsure of herself in every way, by the end of the novel; she turns into a real badass knowing exactly where her place is in this new apocalyptic world.  Nothing or no one will stop her from doing what she knows has to be done.   At first, I was a little put off by Dar’s newfound confidence and how she practically disowned her father, but then realized all those emotions and connections are what were holding her back from reaching her full potential as the group’s savior.

For fans of zombie novels, The Reawakening certainly will not disappoint.   It has taken the classic “Romeroesque” zombies of old and infused them with twists and turns that will leave the reader gasping in shock.  It pulls elements right out of today’s headlines, making you wonder if this could really happen.  This is one book you won’t be able to put down.   Souza is now on my radar and definitely one to watch, he has me salivating for the next two installments of the series.  Joseph Souza has written a mind-bending tale of a zombie apocalypse and turned the sub-genre upside down with his blood-soaked tale, The Reawakening. 

Purchase book HERE

Review originally posted at: http://www.darkriverpress.com/the-reawakening.html

I hold pen in hand and prepare to write something down. But I have a case of writer’s block. The trip has been disappointing beyond belief.

Off in the distance I see a massive cloud tower forming in the flits of light. In it are the various striations, which I have come to recognize from Frank’s lectures. The cloud towers are giant columns of air in which super cells develop. I open my vegetarian Wintburger and lift it off the wrapper. Underneath, where the patty sat, is a puddle of grease. Scribbled in the grease it says, “We’re with you, weenie. Be one with the land.” I devour the vegetarian burger and fries. They taste wonderful. Someone in the underground movement must be watching out for me.

Hours later, I wake from a nap and notice the sun-lit sky. We’ve been chasing a monster storm all night, Frank informs me. Destiny turns and winks seductively; Fujita’s bitch. The clouds look vicious and threatening. Phineas informs me that we have been straddling the Nebraska-Kansas border for most of the night. Rain splatters against the windshield and the wipers arc frantically to keep pace. Off in the distance lightning strikes in jagged bolts and the booming sound of thunder resonates in my bones. ‘Amazing Grace’ plays over the speakers. We don’t stop in any of the small towns we pass, but as we delve deeper into the heart of Tornado Alley, I increasingly notice billboards along the side of the road with pictures of Frank with a white mustache. Underneath his picture it says, Got Tornado?

And then I see it and it is everything Frank has described—and more. My first twister. It drops so daintily to the ground that for a moment it looks harmless. It dances on the plains for a few seconds before finally taking hold of the earth’s surface. I hold pen in hand but realize words would not do it justice. It is an event of such immense beauty that in the rearview mirror I notice tears streaming down Frank’s cheeks. The funnel cloud appears long and thin, and sweeping majestically from side to side like Fred Astaire. The sky appears a brutal shade of turquoise and dirty debris shoots up through the air.

Frank screeches the van to a halt opposite a seedy looking Tradre Innä and jumps out. Destiny follows behind him humping a video camera and tripod. The two of them set up the equipment along side of the road and begin to film the storm.

“Don’t think I’m not onto you, weenie,” Phineas turns and says to me in sinister, southern accent. “You think you can just come in here and destroy everything we’ve worked for?”

“You’ve pegged me all wrong, Phineas,” I say, keeping my eyes on the twister.

“Do I? You come crawling to us with this shallow existence of yours, demanding a good story. How pathetic! You swallow eighty-seven Valiums and then have the gall to interview Frank about his relationship with his mother? You live in a two-hundred square foot apartment in Manhattan and eke out this neurasthenic existence writing about guns, beer and picking up whores.”

“Let’s get something straight,” I say, turning angrily to face him. “I never write about guns! And I write about chicks not whores.”

“Sure, boy. But what is it inside you that makes your motor run?” he says, poking his thick finger into my chest. “Where is the powerful vortex into your own soul?”

“I don’t really know.”

“At least we have the tornado on our side. It’s our personal instrument of destruction. What do you have? Suicidal panic attacks? Writer’s block? Constant rejection in bubble bars? Vertigo?”

“We all have our issues.”

“And do you think that little vixen cares one iota about you? Ha! She’ll screw anything with a pulse. Did you know that in her last film she took on five construction workers in one scene? And they had to do three takes. Poor dudes. It must’ve felt like stickin’ it in a damn manhole by the second shoot.” Phineas laughs and then pulls out a vial of pills and starts to pop them in his mouth. “Did you know that our little wind vixen gained celebrity as an infant when she was swept from her crib in a F3 storm?”

“Save your breath, Phineas, because she told me all about it.”

“Oh she did, did she? And I suppose that hussy mentioned that she was known as the Tornado Baby for years after. Then she got older and less cute and couldn’t deal with rejection. That’s why the little lady likes to tell everyone she’s sixteen. But don’t all them little ladies like to fib about their age?” He laughs.

“Look, she’s told me all about your background in psychological combat. So I’m onto you, Phineas.”

“Damn, you’re sharp, boy.”

“I know a lot more than you think.”

He pops two more pills and stares over at Frank, still busy filming the storm. Just then two smaller tornados touch down on either side of the main tornado, all three spinning away like a child’s pinwheel. Phineas slides closer to me on the seat and wraps his deceptively strong arm around my shoulder.

“You listen here, boy. For the last fifty years a secret branch of the U.S. government has been experimenting with a psychotropic drug. We’ve discovered something amazing. That there’s an almond-shaped region in the brain that if properly stimulated induces hallucinogenic effects similar to religious ecstasy. Why do you think I take all these pills, boy? For my dagdamn health? It’s this part of the brain that makes us ponder our existence. It’s this sphere of the cerebral cortex that requires answers to questions such as: why am I here in this conversion van chasing killer storms throughout Tornado Alley? Some scientists believe it’s a spiritual receptor. Others theorize that it is a coping mechanism to deal with death-consciousness. In the course of such debates our research has determined that life-threatening events stimulate this region of the brain as much as any psychotropic drugs. Further more, we now understand that this stimulation causes people to spend their hard-earned cash like drunken sailors. See, boy, once you believe that there is life after death money becomes meaningless.”

My heart races and I’m palpably excited. Phineas’s face is maybe an inch from my own and his breath reeks of prune juice and medicinals. I wish he would just stop all the gabbing and watch the damn tornados.

“Picture this, weenie: prosperity and crime-free living. Think product enhancement and brand identity. Envision punishment meted out by the threat of killer tornados. It’s virtually a gated community without the gate. Sure, boy, a few lives will be sacrificed in the process. But then again doesn’t every great revolution require sacrificial lambs?”

“Look, Phineas, I really don’t care what you do or how you do it. Rule the world, for all I care. My main goal is to write an interesting story for my magazine. Do you know how boring this trip has been up until now? I’ve not had one good thing to write about. In the absence of tornados, my future consists of how-to-pick-up-chicks and guns.”

“Picking up chicks is easy, boy; just let the tornado do all the heavy lifting.” He laughs, his face still close to mine. “Work with me here, boy. There are any number of products we can develop using the power of cyclonic technology. Already we’re a billion dollar industry and we haven’t even scratched the surface.”

I sit staring at the approaching tornados, watching as debris lifts into the air, wondering what the hell is he talking about?

“We tried it with earthquakes once in the mid-seventies but it didn’t work. There’s just too much damn time between intervals and I don’t have five hundred years to spare. But tornados have an annual season that you can set your watch to. So the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. The people here are salt of the earth, and through a reign of terror I aim to keep em that way.”

The trio of twisters dance and groove, swaying side by side. In a matter of seconds the winds kick up around us, spiraling viciously. I want Frank and Destiny to get back in the van and not get left behind in Tornado Alley, but they are too busy filming for scientific study.

“Revolutions fizzle, boy. It’s an inevitable fact of history. Take the French Revolution. The American Revolution. The Sexual Revolution. What we have here in Tornado Alley is an opportunity to build a new society from the ground up; a society built on conspicuous consumption, spirituality and Old Testament-style retribution. The cyclone is a strong and vital symbol for our people; the power of centrifugal motion. The vitality of cyclonic action in people’s every day lives. It’s what we in Corporate refer to as Branding Enrichment. Our goal is to attain synergy through fear.”

I reach over and lay on the horn but Frank and Destiny continue to film. The tornados sweep nearer and seem close to merging as one unified storm. The wind starts to pick up and the van now rocks from side to side.

“Frank is a dupe. Frank has come to believe he is more powerful than the movement. Corporate wants him downsized. And the people in Corporate are powerful men. Who do you think owns your sorry magazine?”

“The new editor is one of you?”

“Of course that good ole boy is one of us,” he says, massaging his temple. “Problem is, Yankee Frankie has come to believe he has the power to control mother nature. He thinks he can drop a funnel cloud on a dime if he so desires. The good people of Tornado Alley labor under this mistaken assumption as well. And this, boy, is a good thing, although you may not think so. Rest assured, terror is a very efficient management system. But Yankee Frankie has gone too far. He’s usurping the power invested in the tornado for his own selfish interests. E pluribus tornado, boy, and all that good shit, but not at the expense of Corporate. That is why we called you in; because your personality is so spectacularly shunted.” He pauses for a second. “It’s the Peter Principle at work: people are promoted to their level of incompetence and remain there indefinitely.”

I’m frantic. I’m not even listening to Phineas now. I start the engine and lay on the horn. Frank and Destiny have no choice but to pack up their equipment and head back into the van. Phineas is driving me nuts with all this psychobabble and mumbo-jumbo about cyclonic activity, synergy and Corporate Entity. All I want to do is live to see another day, maybe even write an article for Vortex about how-to-pick-up-chicks.