Die trying by Nicholas Ryan Book Review

Die trying by Nicholas Ryan

Best selling author of Ground Zero

Blurb

Trapped amidst the horror of the zombie apocalypse, three men hear the sound of a helicopter overhead and know it represents their last desperate hope to survive the terror and reach safety.
But survival comes at a cost - and the undead hordes that ravage the world are
not the only lurking evil the men must face.
But for Mitch Logan, his brother, Jed, and their friend, Clinton Harrigan, there is no choice.
They must fight to survive - or Die Trying.

Yay another great zombie read. This was the 2nd book I've read from Mr Ryan and it was another heart stopping read from page one. Nick creates fantastic believable characters introducing Harrison a big burly Christian man and 2 brothers Jed and Mitch who are on the run fighting for survival from humans infected with the jaws virus. With a clever addition in that the dead not only turn into flesh eating zombies, but can hunt their prey successfully too.

What makes this book more unique is that it centers around a helicopter crash and the rescue of its occupants. When Harrison and the brothers discover Clive Walker and his daughter Millie alive with a dead pilot, things are definitely not what they seem.
But as with any zombie apocalypse it's not just the zombies that you need to fear; with a brilliant parallel twist running through the plot with Jed; who after 10 yrs in one of the toughest prisons is seeking revenge on his brother Mitch, keeping us all gripped.
I grew to really like Mitch and Harrigan's character's but felt I wanted more from Millie.
This brilliant fast paced creative action-fest is delivered in dramatic detail and plenty of gore to keep every zombieholic happy. Offering clear vision to whats going on so you can almost smell that rotten flesh. This was so fast paced I found myself holding my breath a few times.The ending is just fantastic and didn't see it coming, loved it.
A Die Trying 2 would be fab, but its also a great stand alone read too.


Amazon US
Amazon UK
Goodreads

Check out my review of Nicholas Ryan's best selling Ground Zero zombiefest too.

Time of Death Book 1 Induction and Book 2 Asylum by Shana Festa Book Reviews.

 Time of Death Book 1 Induction and 

Time of Death Book 2 Asylum
By Shana Festa

I just discovered Shana Festa through her amazing site The Bookie Monster and she kindly sent me both her Time of Death books to read.

 One of my all time favorite authors Mark Tufo also recommended this book and wrote a great forward to Book 1 Induction; Shana's very first book and of course he was absolutely right.

Blurb
When no one or nowhere is safe, where do you go to escape the monsters?

In a few short days, 37 year old Emma Rossi’s hard work will finally pay off. She will don her cap and gown and graduate with a degree in nursing, but not before she loses her first patient and is confronted with a new reality. In Cape Coral, Florida, a storm approaches. The dead are coming back to life.

And they’re hungry.

Infection ravages the Eastern Seaboard with alarming speed while attempts to contain the spread of infection fail. Within days, a small pocket of panicked survivors are all that remain of civilization. Fighting to survive the zombie apocalypse alongside her husband Jake and their dog Daphne, Emma comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare.
Relying on snarky wit and sheer determination, she is forced to commit atrocious acts to protect her family and avoid joining the ranks of the undead.

The difference with this read is you finally have a female main character that is a kick ass, dog loving student nurse after my own heart with a great sense of humor. Emma Rossi is a brilliant well defined character who is definitely the female version of Mike Talbot from Zombie Fallout (those of you that are zombie-aholics will not need anymore explanation). Like Mike in ZF I found myself laughing out loud with her witty wisecracks and fab sense of humor; but also feeling the fear and sorrow in others, its the sign of a great writer to make you feel so many emotions. You can tell Shana's own medical knowledge as she allows Emma to show her medical expertise throughout. Emma is so realistic and reminds me of me when I was nurse training with their jokes with certain patients.
Daphne the Yorkie is another fab character...yes a dog can have character...before you all yell at me...sheesh! Shana has named the dog after her own pet dog at home; which of course I love but I have been living in fear of her being eaten alive...every time I turn the page... Shana...what you doing to me eeep!
My only niggle was I found Jake to be the weaker, more annoying character so I hope we get to see him step up more in book 2.

So what starts as a familiar day as a student nurse; turns into a apocalyptic chaos with Emma and Jake her husband fighting for their survival. If zombies ar'nt enough they have a hurricane to worry about too.
We get to see them reunite with other members of the Rossi family and also have to act on horrific acts to stay alive which would have been unthinkable the day before. Its a fast paced convincing, realistic gory read you simply cannot put down to the end. They found sanctuary on Sanibel Island where they all finally found safety and could relax without fear; but it only takes 1 person to change everything!
I'm just about to start book 2 as I just cant stop reading, I need to know what happens next...right now!

Time of death Book 2 Asylum

Blurb
Surviving the journey is just the beginning.
The last two months have brought nothing but death and destruction for Emma Rossi. She survived the initial zombie outbreak with her husband, Jake, and their dog, Daphne, but the cost was steep: Sanibel has fallen.

In a world where the only constant is change, the group is pushed to their limits before reaching the gates of Asylum, a coastal stronghold in Sarasota, Florida.
Once again, Emma must navigate an apocalyptic wasteland filled with relentless hordes of the undead and other menacing horrors that threaten her survival.

Only thing is certain. No one is safe from what lurks on either side of Asylum's gates. Asylum may offer more than just safety.
Sanity will be tested; and many won't live to tell the tale.


The Rossi's have only just escaped Sanibel and find themselves back to life on a boat. More deaths more very close shaves as they continue to fight for their lives Daphne included...phewey....thank goodness.

We get to meet some new fab characters. Striker a tough cop who helps them get to safety or is it....? The Asylum is a large group of survivors who are living together, run by creepy Mack the self promoted president of US who Emma discovers has the basement off limits. Yeah it'd drive me nuts too but curiosity killed the cat an all...it maybe the best idea to leave it alone but....hey it wouldn't be an exciting, scary e-read if you weren't yelling at the screen....don't do it.
I love this book as Shana isn't scared to kill off popular characters...loving the shock value; she has alot of new characters that stand well by themselves making it so realistic as we are swept along on a compelling and intriguing read too. Why do only some parts of the Asylum have electric, why are the men separated to work during the day.
Those of you that love Walking dead will find this on a similar line to Woodbury or The terminus you know something is wrong but don't know what...yet...!
I'm also gutted Em and Jake are at loggerheads as he is working with the other guys; so hopefully book three brings them back together...I'm gagging for book 3 now with a brilliant cliffhanger; what have Em and Meg have stumbled across and have they been rumbled too; is Jasper friend or foe....so many questions...I cant wait!

I would highly recommend reading book 1 Induction first so you can appreciate Asylum so much better and you would get to know the characters more deeply too. Its so refreshing to have a female main character as most authors seems scared to go to there with horror and you've made it work beautifully with a great balance of toughness and femininity.

Keep up the fab writing Shana..Im hooked!

Author Bio

Shana Festa was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on October 17, 1976 and grew up in Northboro, Massachusetts. She currently lives in Cape Coral, Florida with her husband and two dogs, Daphne & Casey.
Shana is a registered nurse with clinical experience in mental health, geriatrics, HIV and substance abuse. In addition to her clinical background, Shana possesses over 15 years of experience with project management and data analytics.
She has been heavily involved in the collection and dissemination of the ICD-10 clinical and coding analytics across multiple projects including the NCHICA ICD-10 Pilot, the HIMSS WEDI ICD-10 Pilot and commercial testing programs.
Under her alter ego, The Bookie Monster, Shana reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis on (but not limited to) zombie fiction. With a background in Psych Nursing, Shay brings her unique perspective to the online reading community.

All my thanks goes to the lovely Shana for sending these books for this review.

My views and opinions are my own.

Review coming soon.

Children of the After: Awakening, Revelation, Evolution Book #1 #2 #3 by Jeremy Laszlo Book Reviews

Children of the After: Awakening
Children of the After: Revelation #2
Children of the After: Evolution #3
 by Jeremy Laszlo

I was lucky to get book 1 when it was free on Amazon UK and have been hooked on this series ever since; plus I thought Id keep the whole series together in one large review as they are so quick to read being novellas.

Children of the After: Awakening

Blurb

 It has been six months since their father locked them in the security vault with a promise to return. But he never came back. With supplies running out and vital life support systems failing, Jack, Samantha, and Will have no choice but to ignore their father’s warnings and leave the vault. With no knowledge of what befell the world outside, or what they might expect once the door is opened, they find themselves in a world they do not recognize.

Thrust into the remains of the world they remember, how will they survive on their own, not knowing what or who else remains amongst the ruins?

I dont often read Young adult books but there was something about the blurb that caught my imagination and attention and the book was FREE what had I to lose.

I read this book in one sitting as its in between a novel and novella and I simply couldn't put it down. Its perfect for the teens but some adults may enjoy this too. I loved the 3 separate characters of the kids and showing so clearly the different ages. Its well written and has brilliant character development as the kids have to to start fending for themselves. We watch them grow as scared children to becoming pretty sensible when needed even the youngest Will whose 14 year old sister Sam has taken to her "Mum" role perfectly and Jack is the brilliant older brother we all want to have. 

I love the extremely close bond they have between them and Jeremy most certainly has experience with kids to write with such detailed and childhood understanding. The childlike terminology brings this book together and kids will love this read....all wanting to be Jack Im sure.

Locked in their home's vault by their Dad for safety, running out of food they have to leave before they starve; and to their shock discover utter devastation; their home and city destroyed but who is following them; who is the older man on a horse and the even stranger monkey-like beings?

I would have loved for this to have been much longer as I prefer novels and getting completely immersed into a read. I finished this compelling read within 2.5 hours and went onto buy the second immediately as I simply NEED to know what happens next as it ends on a sort of cliffhanger.

A good start to this series and I'm now off to download book 2...watch this space!

Buy yours from
Amazon UK
US
Goodreads

Children of the after revelation # 2

Blurb

Having learned of the destruction of their world, Jack, Sam, and Will are forced to flee the security of their Grandparent’s home with blood thirsty beasts hot on their trail. Leaving the dark rider and the answers he likely had behind, they again are forced to fend for themselves as they are pursued relentlessly.

It isn't until they begin to see signs of life that hope is rekindled, but with the beasts gaining on them, will they reach what surely must be salvation, or will they fall victim to the creatures that destroyed the world they once knew.
Book 2 of this series is an even faster paced read than the first which I actually enjoyed more.
Will Jack Sammy find Tammy a mute friend who saves their lives several times.
Finding the safety of a resistance camp they discover more about her and the aliens attacking.

Despite being a teen read I actually enjoyed this more than the first book and I whisked through this read in under 3 hours thoroughly enjoying the unexpected twists and turns although like other reviewers I wish it were longer.
 The story has really grown on me and is so intriguing. Its been written with such a realistic child's point of view which will really appeal to the kids out there. I would say its definitely a teen read but some adults may still enjoy it like me as Jeremy has created a good balance between teen and adult reads.
I'm loving the realistic character development of the three kids; especially Will who is having to grow up fast. The author is clearly a parent as he's nailed the different reactions from the kids and how they deal with things slightly differently according to age.
Tammy is a fab new character and not only is she great for girl power; the author is making a valid point that just because someone is different it doesn't mean they are bad...showing humans can be cruel with things they don't understand....high five Mr Laszlo.

What makes this read slightly different from other alien reads is the fact they are dealing with a variety of aliens not just the one; plus you don't know if its an alien standing next to you.....
The gore and horror is toned down quite a bit as a teen read; but the excellent storyline makes up for this. I hope Mr Laszlo will turn to more adult novels as I personally prefer more horror and gore but I love his writing style. I did however chose to download these books already knowing it was YA.
Overall another compelling, engaging read and I cant wait for book 3.

Now off to checkout Book 3!

Buy yours from
 Amazon UK
 US
 Goodreads

Children of the after: Evolution #3
 by Jeremy Laszlo

Blurb

Having stolen the pickup, Ole Bessy, from the Resistance, Jack, Samantha, and Will find themselves on the run once again. Pursued by those who had once kept them as captives, they are forced to flee into the unknown.

Now that Tammy’s secret has been exposed, she reveals to her friends a prophecy of her people, further complicating the web of fate the siblings find themselves in.

Finding both new allies and new foes, revealed secrets will lead them all to ‘The City of Angels’ to face the ultimate threat by the invaders themselves.

Being a complete apocalypse junkie I powered through Evolution book 3 after enjoying the other 2 so much; but annoyingly didn't find it as compelling as the first two in the series. But Im sure this is just a slight slow down maybe ready for book 4? I understand you cant keep up the fast pace or it could get too samely.

Saying that I thoroughly enjoyed the three kids practicing their new superpowers and I'm really loving little Will's brilliantly developing character. Its wonderful to see him becoming a huge part in keeping the group safe especially his new pet....!

Just to say Im well above the age group of this series...eeep...young at heart though...but still enjoyed this read and will be reading book 4 ASAP hoping its picked up!

Author Bio

First and foremost I am a father and a husband. I work full time as a civilian employed by the US army, and have also been known as a welder, electrician, carpenter, roofer, writer, painter, CNC machinist, and amongst many other things a romantic. I also belong to the eternal fraternal brotherhood of the United States Marine Corps, having served 8 years that showed me a much broader perspective of the world at large serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, The war on Terrorism, and the humanitarian effort in Liberia.

I currently live in southern Louisiana with my wife and children, though I grew up in Michigan, graduating high school in Mason MI. I also spent time living in North Carolina, Florida, and California during my time in the United States Marine Corps. I have always dreamed of publishing my work, and seeing it on a bookshelf in a store, however with the huge shift to digital media I finally realized that the dream was in my own hands. I tell my children that they can live their dreams, and I believe in leading by example.

I enjoy writing across several different genres from poetry, to children's stories, to full epic fantasies. Creating new characters for my readers to connect with, new worlds for them to immerse themselves in, and new ideas to wrap their minds around is an amazing if not humbling experience. I hope that all my readers can take something away from each of my books, and enjoy reading them just as much as I have enjoyed putting them in print.

Prior to writing this novel, I hadn't published a single thing my own girls could read. It was with that in mind that this new series was created, and I couldn't write this first novel fast enough for them. They were ravenous in its consumption, reading each chapter right after I had it completed. It feels like a wonderful achievement to create something your children appreciate and enjoy. Inspiring a child's imagination is the most humbling thing in the entire world, for they are unrestrained and can see what others miss. Thank you all for your wonderful support and feedback. I hope you have all enjoyed reading this first installment as much as I have in writing it.

Jeremy Laszlo