I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The sole survivor of a zombie outbreak in a small town must work with an elite unit to face an even deadlier threat in author Jason Kristopher’s “END”, the first in The Dying of the Light series.
The Synopsis
When 1,500 people die in Fall Creek’s zombie outbreak—including his fiancée—bookseller David Blake becomes the sole survivor. His escape catches the attention of AEGIS, an elite military unit that’s been secretly fighting the undead since 1873.
The truth is terrifying: walkers have been here for over a century. The government has been lying. And now the infection is evolving—turning victims in minutes instead of hours.
Recruited as a civilian consultant, David joins Major Kimberly Barnes and her squad of hardened soldiers. But as outbreaks multiply and humanity teeters on the edge, he discovers the walking dead might be the least of their problems.
The Review
I am a big fan of zombie apocalypse, dystopian-level horror novels, and this book was such a unique and compelling new direction to take the genre. Immediately, I was drawn into the massive world-building that the narrative takes, sharing a creative direction of taking the outbreak of zombies back hundreds of years, and showing the sudden evolution of the virus that brings about the apocalypse. How government agencies have tried to hide this outbreak for years added a fun conspiracy element to this horror thriller that will stay with readers.
The depth of character development really was the driving force behind this story. The chemistry between the two protagonists, David and Kim, and their individual losses and traumas from their experiences made this such an emotionally driven narrative, and it helps balance out the novel with the heavy action sequences and horror elements. The detail the author poured into this story, too, from the different outbreak classifications and military systems, to the differing types of zombies and how the virus reacts in other people, made this feel like a cinematic quality experience in novel form.
The Verdict
Intense, character-driven, and entertaining, author Jason Kristopher’s “END” is a must-read zombie horror meets conspiracy thriller novel and a grand first entry in the Dying of the Light series. The twists and turns the story takes, the heartfelt and emotional balance to the action, and the unique ending that is both bleak and yet hopeful in many ways, make this a compelling zombie horror novel to get lost in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Jason Kristopher is the award-winning author terrifying readers with zombies in THE DYING OF THE LIGHT, thrilling them with 1940s noir in LOCO MOCO, and harrowing them with boy-meets-gryphon-meets-robot adventure in WHEN IRON WAKES. With the love of his life and the dog that rescued him by his side, he plots his next traumatizing stories from Florida beaches.
