Dead Rage: A Zombie Apocalypse is the third book from Nicholas Ryan and it sees him building on the zombie stories he has written so far. Ryan has been compared to writers such as Max Brooks and many of his readers appreciate his descriptive style. His choice of genre is definitely daring, given it has been used by so many authors over the last couple of years. But after the first two books it seems like Ryan has become somewhat of a zombie guru and he doesn’t have a problem keeping readers entertained.
It all starts with a fishing boat called Mandrake, making its way back to the small town of Grey Stone. On the boat is a group of fishermen under the command of Steve Bannon and their return is fueled by his suspicions that something is not right back at home. After losing complete communication with Grey Stone harbor he doesn’t want to take any chances. Not all the crew members agree with his decision, but follow his orders nonetheless.
As Grey Stone comes into view Bannon realizes his suspicions were correct and after taking a closer look with his binoculars he sees the town burning. However, his true fear is whether he is going to find his wife alive. What Bannon doesn’t suspect is that he and the rest of his crew will be stepping into a war zone filled with flesh eating zombies. Apart from just finding his wife, Bannon has to stay alive and endure unforeseen betrayal. As fate would have it Bannon ends up in a military camp where he receives help on his search, but is there something he doesn’t know about his new found helpers?
After the first page it’s obvious why other readers are raving about Ryan’s descriptive style. He likes to go into detail about small things, which helps to give him a tone of authority about what he is writing. It’s more like reading a witness account instead of just a fictional book. It also helps the reader to create a very vivid picture, but it can get a bit much at some points. I couldn’t help feeling that it really slowed down the pace of the book unnecessarily at times. However, some readers might really enjoy this aspect.
In terms of the plot there are several incidents that will leave the reader shocked. Even though a lot of gore and terror come from the undead roaming the streets, the real suspense can be found within the living characters. The characters might not always be relatable, but their development is very realistic. Ryan knew the purpose of each character and he placed them strategically.
For a genre that has been reinvented so many times Ryan still manages to bring something fresh to the table. He has really mastered the approach he uses to bring the undead to life and one can only guess where he will be going from here. His research regarding military operations and the life of a fisherman really added some depth, but some readers might find the originality of the book lacking. For horror and zombies fans this is definitely a must read. For readers looking for something completely different and out of this world then this might not be the book for you.
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Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.