​July 4th, five years after the Exes started to bring terror to the nation, the group at the Mount sets up a celebration for the survivors that are housed within the complex’s walls. St. George and Stealth sit upon the wall watching as their wrath partner Zzzap puts on a fireworks display just outside of the atmosphere. The celebration is not only about their independence, but the group’s survival from the last battle with the Seventeens along with their ex-counterparts that were controlled by their fallen leader, Peasy. 

A majority of the Seventeens moved into the Mount after their defeat and had agreed to work within the system put in place by the Heroes, but some of them do not feel as if they are being utilized to their fullest capacity yet. Like young Caeser, the Driver, who is able to meld into any vehicle that has an engine and take control. This sparks a heated discussion about the usage of their new arrivals between St. George and Stealth, why not utilize these young fighters on their scavenger runs and on the walls to protect the city? Stealth is still not sure, and as being the leader of the Mount, she has little trust for anyone that has not proved themselves yet, at least to her.

The group heads out onto their next scavenger run and everything seems to be going fine, until they notice a Predator Drone overhead that seems to be tracking the movements of their group. Zzzap follows the drone back to its base and reports back to the Mount with the news. It returned to an active military base. Excited about the news that there are more survivors and a possibility to receive some help, the Hero group wants to relay the news to the rest of the community in the Mount, but Stealth still remains hesitant. What if this is a trap? What if they come in and take our power away? What if they want to remove us altogether? Stealth’s worries for everyone’s wellbeing in the Mount may be noble, but she is losing her fanfare with survivors.

Helicopters move over the Mount, filled with soldiers from Section 456, lovingly called the Unbreakables, led by Captain Freedom. These are the biggest, fastest, strongest men any of the Heroes have encountered outside of super humans. The Unbreakables came out of the latest super solider program called Project Krypton, improving normal men into unbeatable, super strong soldiers that would only do right for the country and its values. Although the project was shut down when the country collapsed, this group has stayed together with the help of a liaison named John Smith.  Smith looks around the battered living areas of the Mount and is taken back to see that one of his past contacts, Cerberus, has been living in the Mount since the outbreak. Earning a bit of trust, Smith convinces the team to come visit the base and see what help he and his band of super soldiers can provide for their future. But his real intentions for offering ‘help’ will not be revealed until it is far too late.

In Peter Clines second installment, Ex-Patriots takes you on more of a ride than Ex-Heroes. You are already bought into the heroes, so now you are thrown into their upcoming challenges to keep their survivors alive and prospering. Any help should be good, but with a government entity coming into their home, they have no reason to trust or respect the call of martial law that is laid down before them. The super soldiers, followed by their creator Dr. Sorensen are looking to rebuild the country with the help of the heroes, or at least one. The base is being also manned by Exes with little control units called Nests created by the good doctor, but what is unknown by everyone is the deal the doctor made to make this invention work. 

Another fun zombie novel by Clines. You are able to get your action, adventure and comedic feel from this book and you would not want it any other way. Following the hero’s along with the wise cracking Zzzap, you are willing to keep the pages turning to find out what will happen with their resistance to the man, the exes and a fallen leader. Sit back and enjoy as zombies get taken out, but don’t you worry, there are always enough left for another sequel. 

Welcome to Los Angeles, the City of Angels, the land of movies, super stars, Superheroes and yes, Zombies. A band of superheroes have joined forces to secure the Paramount movie studio to provide safe haven for those in the city that have not been infected by the virus. The affectionately named ‘Mount’ has living and farming quarters to house a number of survivors left in the city, but there is not enough food or supplies on hand to sustain this way of life. Supply runs become vital to the community and with Heroes at their backs, the people feel secure in all of their ventures outside of the walls.

On the group’s latest supply run, they encounter something that they have never seen before, road blocks with cars piled six to eight high. Dismissing this as an act of desperation from the other non-dead group that inhabits Los Angeles, St. George, aka the Mighty Dragon tears the detour apart so the group can continue on their run without being attacked by the undead. The zombies are called Exes, from the last presidential address concerning the outbreak, and since they were referred to as Ex-Living or Ex-People, the term was adopted. Besides the unexpected road block, the supply run goes according to plan, until their return home.

The other undead group in L.A., the Seventeens hit the supply group by disabling their truck and using a signal jammer to cut off any communications back to the Mount to call for reinforcements. The group battles the Seventeens and the Exes and tries to survive until any type of help will arrive. St. George is impervious to gunfire and bites, and with his super strength, he leads the charge in protecting the group. Cerberus, a woman in a cybernetic suit takes up arms against the attackers as well utilizing her strength to battle off the Exes while her suit still contains a charge, or until help arrives.

When help finally arrives, the big guns are drawn out and the attacking Seventeens and Exes are mowed down in the streets. Upon the group’s retreat back to the Mount, they manage to obtain two survivors from the Seventeens to be held for questioning. The two are not very helpful in the long run, as they both commit suicide in their holding cells. When they reanimate however, they do not respond as normal Exes, instead of trying to bite and kill, they only want to relay a bone chilling message from their leader; a villain with super powers who is also a member of the undead.

Ex-Heroes will take you on a thrilling ride through post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, complete with two groups battling for survival, dominance and revenge.  Following the group from the Mount, you see the battle unwrap from the eyes of the superheroes that only want to protect the living. We meet the leader of the group, Stealth, a smart, attractive and athletic woman who is rarely wrong, and we spend time with St. George, who has the power of flight and super human strength, and there’s Zzzap, who can only be qualified as a very tiny G-Class star and Gorgon, who can drain the energy from his intended by making eye contact with them. Trying to survive the attacks from the undead and now the Seventeens, Gorgon has a price on his head from embarrassing the Seventeens’ leader before the world changed. There will not be peace between the two groups until this superhero is turned over to the group and their revenge has been served.

Superheroes versus Zombies, who could ask for anything better? This is just a fun read that takes you into battle with those you believe to be invulnerable and see how they handle the destruction and protection of a city. You also get battles with Super Villains, undead Super Villains that have embraced their change and fight for their type of justice. Comic book fans out there, it is not DC or Marvel, but you get some great young characters in this book and their battle with the undead is just a joy to read. Picking this book up will not disappoint but may leave you longing for the next one. Happy Reading.

​It has to be difficult for orphans when they are growing up, not knowing where they came from. The search for their history can lead them in wildly different directions than they originally thought when they first set out on their quest, but once they find out about their origins, are they happy that they have done so? Knowing where you come from is something that many of us take for granted, but if we were put into the same situation, would we want to know about our family’s past, or would we be content following in the footsteps of our guardians?

Sir James Monmouth has been traveling the world in the footsteps of his hero, Conrad Vane. Without knowing much about his history, Monmouth is looking to put the missing pieces together in his travels. Being brought up by a guardian when he was a young man, he tried to find someone different that he could emulate later in life, and after finding the diaries of Vane, he has never looked back.  

With his next trip taking him to England, James is looking for the old book store Vane spoke about in one of his adventures. After meeting the owner, Monmouth is invited to dinner and although the family seems nice enough, they seem to want the man to stop with his hunt for information on the old traveler. Being told that there was a dark side to Vane’s story that no one is willing to tell outright, Monmouth is more intrigued than ever on his hunt. Thanking the family for their hospitality, Monmouth moves on to the place where he is guaranteed to find some information, Vane’s old school.

Meeting with the Dean of students, Monmouth is welcomed with open arms and given all of the access to anything that has a listing with Vane’s name on the grounds, but his quarters seem out of the ordinary. When arriving in his room that he will be staying in until his studies are done, Monmouth notices that the mirror will not show his complete reflection. Thinking that it has to do with the cold weather outside, he continues his hunt on information about the old adventurer. On the first night however, Monmouth has a hard time sleeping and follows the sounds of a weeping boy into the library. Not being able to pinpoint where the sound is coming from, he then discovers that he is not alone in the old building, but there is someone walking on the levels above him, wielding a lantern. Once again, Monmouth believes this is a normal person, perhaps the school's porter making his rounds, but when leaving the library, he finds that the only footprints in the snow are his own.

As Christmas rolls around, Monmouth has received an invite from the Quincebridge family to be their guest for the holiday. With no family of his own to speak of, Monmouth decides to attend and finds that they are very happy to receive him. Although they do not have much information on Conrad Vane, they too try to deter his studies into the old man, saying that only evil follows what he has touched. When saying at their home, Monmouth falls ill and has to stay with them for some time. As the weeks turn into months, Monmouth wants to get back on his feet and continue his investigation of Vane’s life. But a letter comes in from a family friend that is out in the country informing him that there is possibly another person from his family line living in a further away town. With them having the last name Monmouth, James turns his gaze from the adventurer to a possible family member who may be able to tell him something of his original heritage. 

Susan Hill is able to suck you into the story by giving you some subtle scares before tying it all together in the end. Although you get detoured, just like your main character, you are not able to see what is hiding around the corner. I really enjoyed how this book starts to pull you in on this one main storyline but takes a different turn altogether once you think you have figured it out. I could almost feel the pain of Sir James as he is only trying to find out the truth about his hero, then his family, both elements in his life that have been lost in time, with nobody willing to give any insight. Stay Scared.

​Love can be a very powerful emotion, as it causes us all to do crazy things. When you are not able to control what it does to you, you can find yourself in more trouble than you have bargained for. But when you are able to keep it contained enough to not do anything foolish, you will find that its power can help you move mountains and anything else that stands in your way.

Adam Senft, a writer, is looking to create this next masterpiece. After his first novel hit it big, he decided to pursue his new career. Although his following novels were not as successful as the first, he has gained plenty of followers that read his books religiously and with his wife’s help, he is able to concentrate purely on his writing and nothing else. Even though Tara is continuing to work to keep a steady flow of income coming into the household, she is proud of her husband and his success.

But not everything in the household is as good as it seems. After Tara has suffered two miscarriages, the couple is moving further and further apart. With very little intimacy between them, spring is in the air and that always has an effect on people in their community. When walking his dog, Big Steve, Adam runs into one of his cute, young neighbors in the local forest. Thinking very little of the meeting, Adam starts to hear a Shepard’s pipe playing over the breeze, but what he sees next will change his life forever. Seeing his young neighbor servicing a statue satyr in the hollow, he sees the half goat, half man come to life right before his very eyes. Thinking he has lost his mind, Adam runs back home and tries to come up with some sort of explanation of what he has just witnessed, and deciding that his neighbor has a freaky side, he believes that she was experimenting with her new boyfriend in the woods.

Not being able to get the sight out of his mind, Adam talks with his neighbors about what he has just seen, asking them if they knew anything about the young woman’s relationships. Although the men had no idea about her, they do come clean about not going near the woods at any cost, as it is a haunted place. Learning about a family that lived near the middle of the woods, the LeHorn’s seemed to get along just fine, but when news of the mother of the household being killed surfaced, the woods seemed to gain a mind of their own. With stories about hellcats, ghosts and trees moving on their own, the other men bide their time when entering the area. Although Adam did not know anything about the history of these woods, he did recall hearing something in the woods back in his teenage days when trying to get his date to give him some loving, now he fears that he knows what it was...the satyr.

Before the men can get too drunk while talking about the woods’ tainted past, they notice a large amount of police activity down the street and come to find out that their neighbor’s wife has gone missing. Hearing the Shepard’s pipe play again, all of the men find themselves being aroused by the tune. After giving each other a hard time about the situation, they all go their separate ways when a new detective in the area comes knocking at their doors. Telling him what they know, the group is feeling good about themselves, but when going on a search through the woods to find the missing women, the place where the satyr once sat is now missing and the pathway has completely changed. Knowing something is not right about the situation, Adam has a crazy dream about the satyr standing outside of his window and playing his pipe. Although he believes it is just a dream, his wife had the same image in her head and when checking the backyard, and Adam is astonished to find hoof prints in the grass. When his neighbor Dale comes back with information about what the satyr’s purpose was in ancient times, the men figure out that they are in for a more dastardly fight, as the half man, half goat is able to woo women with its pipe and will take their affections at all costs.

Dark Hollow follows Adam Senft and his friends as they try to figure out what is going on in the local woods. With all kinds of rumors flowing around about them being haunted, the men find out that it has a much more sinister past. With people losing their lives and going missing in these woods, the group finds out that it has to do with a farming family that lived there twenty years ago. Finding out the secret behind the LeHorn’s tragedy, the men start to understand what they are up against and try to come up with a way to end it before the satyr comes back into the neighborhood and takes their women as well. With their only clues being locked in an old chest in the abandoned LeHorn house, the forest starts to move in on them and will stop at nothing to delay the men’s passage back home, in order to let the satyr work his magic once again.

This is a great read from author Brian Keene. I am a huge fan of his zombie stories and this is the first book of his outside of that genre that I have really gotten into. With the novel focusing on the relationships between the characters as much as the monster that is lurking in the woods, it is a great balance that keeps you intrigued until the end. With great interaction between the neighbors and laughs coming in handfuls, it is easy to picture yourself standing next to the group, as they seem to be just like your own friends. Stay Scared.

Author M.C. Planck has a brand-new book out entitled, Black Harvest and we had the distinct honor of being able to sit down with M.C. and discuss his new book and the craft of writing.

Nerds That Geek - What can you tell us about your new book 'Black Harvest', without giving anything away?
M.C. Planck - It’s the last in the series, so many things are resolved. The stakes have gone up with every book – in the first one he’s responsible for several hundred peasant soldiers and by the fourth one he has the weight of a crown on his head – but this book reveals just how much is really on the line.

It also contains a sentence I’ve been dying to write for ten years, which I can go ahead and tease you with – “I’ll have that second apple now.” I love that I can use a line like that to completely tie up my epic story, explain the reason for everything that’s happened, and make a literary allusion at the same time.

Also, almost everyone gets their own happy ending – though not, perhaps, the ones you expected.

NTG - What are you most excited for readers to discover in this story?
M.C. - The answers to a lot of questions. The entire series is from a single character’s perspective; I like the close view this gives of the world, but it does mean that the protagonist (and the reader) only see the edges of the vast conspiracy that surrounds his existence. In this book he finally reaches a level where he can see all the gears turning and comes to understand the events he’s lived through.

NTG - What is it that got you into creative writing?
M.C. - I ran out of things to read. Seriously, I’ve read a staggering amount of books, and back in the days before the explosion of self-published ebooks created an inexhaustible wealth of literature, I just ran out of good SF&F. At some point I took a short-story writing class at community college. I cranked out a few pieces that I am still pretty proud of. Then I sat down to write a story about a paladin. But I found I was spending more time wondering what it would be like to live in that story than I was in writing the story. I was constantly talking to myself about what it would feel like to live in that world… and three months later I had a novel. Writing the stories down is the only way to get them out of my head.

NTG - Is there a particular type of story that you're eager to write?
M.C. - What is sometimes disparagingly called “competence porn.” That is, characters who are really good at what they do and very effective at solving problems. I’m not terribly interested in characters who make stupid decisions or simple mistakes. Instead, I want my drama and conflict to come from characters who do all the right things… and discover it still isn’t enough. (The Martian is an excellent example of this genre.)

NTG - What's next for you after the release of 'Black Harvest'?
M.C. - I have another SF book looking for a publisher right now – Orion’s dog, a sort of Frankenstein-ish story set amid climate change in contemporary Georgia. I love the main character, Angie Carmona, because she’s brilliant and strong and effective. She’s also the most complex character I’ve ever written. It’s kind of a depressing book, though, so it might be an acquired taste.
​
I’m also working on another novel set in the World of Prime. This one takes place before the current series (as will become obvious when you finish Black Harvest) and is my version of the classic Disney tale: a princess trapped in a tower by a horrible monster. It’s also Arthurian, in that it’s about a young woman who finds her destiny. But most of all the story is driven by my desire to think about what it would actually feel like for a young woman to be raised in a tower guarded by a horrible monster, in world where people actually can be destined to rule. It will probably be called Princess of Iron, unless my wife thinks of a better title.

To learn more about M.C.’s other works, or to purchase your copy of Black Harvest, visit his website, here.

​For some people, finding out where they have come from is one of the most important things for them to do as they would like to become an expert when it comes to their family’s legacy. Sometimes they find things out that leave them ashamed of what has been carried on in the family’s name but at the same time, they will do anything to change the way their family has been looked upon. Orphans have to do much more research to figure out their heritage, but once they do, they feel much more fulfilled as they never really had a chance to know any of their relatives. 

Joseph Barkeley, a rare book dealer and examiner and brother Bern, a priest, are both orphans who were moved to America after their father committed a murder/suicide in their home country of Romania. Joseph has made a fine name for himself, delivering some of the rarest editions that he can possibly get his hands on to some of the finest buyers. Running his shop online, Barkeley hardly ever gets to meet his clients face to face, but when he does, he sees their eyes lighting up upon his special deliveries. 

Receiving a phone call from Arthur Ardelean, Joseph is intrigued in what his next task will be. The original manuscript of Bram Stoker’s Dracula will be on display at the Chicago museum and the family is looking to auction it off. Arthur’s client is very interested in the rare edition and would like for Joseph to test its authenticity before he attempts to buy it. The second thing that Joseph is tasked with is to make sure that the missing chapters are included in the package. Not knowing what these two chapters would include, Joseph does his research on the famous Dracula novel along with Stoker himself to make sure that he is not going into the situation blind. Finding out that the original printings of this novel were all destroyed in a fire along with this being the only definitive work Bram Stoker ever published, Joseph is on his way to check out the manuscript.

Upon his authentication process, Joseph finds that the two chapters deviated from what is in the novel he is reading today and they included a large battle leading to the defeat of Dracula, with names of places and directions to where crypts were kept. Satisfied with the results, Joseph’s client has him purchase the manuscript and deliver it to Romania by hand. Joseph, knowing his roots to a point is a bit frightened to return to his native land, but takes solace in the fact that he will be greatly rewarded for completing his task. He arrives and is escorted to Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) to meet with his new client and give advice on how to display his new purchase. Little does Joseph know that the man he is serving will require much more out of him than just delivery as a mystery starts to unwind about his origins and new master.

Stoker’s Manuscript follows Joseph Barkeley as he is tasked with finding the hidden grave of his new master’s wife. Dalca is wanting to find the resting place of his wife but is not able to go hunting and survey landmarks during the day, just like his father. Joseph keeps at his research to find the grave site, along with keeping his head attached when he cannot deliver the results Dalca requires. Being helped by a Gypsy woman in town, Sonia, Joseph finds that he is in for the ride of his life as he had never believed in the vampire lore before but is caught in the middle of it now. With finding out that his mother was also part of the group that he is serving, Joseph looks to find a way to protect himself, the adjoining town and possibly the world from a new outbreak of the undead. Finding allies is not an easy task in a distant land, but finding that Dalca has an enemy nearby, Joseph comes up with a plan to defeat them both. 

Author Royce Prouty hits a home run for anyone that has taken the time to do some background research on the lore of Dracula. As he runs through all of the myths surrounding the classic vampire, he also delves into the history of the main character, Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) of whom the novel was written about. Tying together the history of a classical ruler with an intriguing storyline makes it just that much more believable. With a strong story and not too much bloodshed, this is great novel that could give you a little more information into the classical story of Dracula, along with a slight history lesson into where his story actually came to light. Happy reading.

Over the years, I have always found that family reunions are anything but dull. After all, there are Uncles sitting back and talking about football, or what the government is doing wrong, and Aunts that enjoy catching up on the latest gossip from their different states and young cousins playing basketball in the back yard, talking about nothing of any importance. You think that these days could be the worst of times on occasion while growing up, but as you get older you learn to appreciate all that your family has to offer, make sure to treasure these times.

The same thing is about to happen in a small house in Illinois, since the Elliot Family is planning a large family reunion for All Hallows Eve. Not being a normal family by any means, young Timothy is talking to his Great Grandmere about his family history after she rises from an ancient slumber. Although this may seem normal, Timothy’s Grandmere is a mummy who stays in the attic of the house and is only to be awakened upon special occasions. Knowing this, Timothy is allowed to bypass this rule, since the family is coming to town and they must all prepare for the festivities ahead.

A family of Witches, Mummies, Gargoyles, Ghosts and anything else that goes bump in the night is coming to Illinois to celebrate this Halloween and all must be made perfect before their arrival. Timothy, a normal child who was left on the door step of this house years ago is still looking for his supernatural gift, and he is excited to see his extended family and hopes to find his true calling in this undead family. But problems persist as the family arrives, such as an Uncle that is not willing to put his wings away and cousins that are looking to visit insane asylums along with his Grandmother and Grandfather who will not put up with any mischief that the family will bring to town with them.

From The Dust Returned is a fantastic telling of how family chooses to stay together as everything starts to hit the fan. Trying to find ways to keep the undead from being lost in a purgatory of sorts, the elders take the lead to find a place for any of the lost souls so they can survive and carry on. Cecy, a wandering witch, seems to take over the great tale as she is able to jump from one person's mind to another, and she is able to control them, offer them suggestions and most importantly, teach them how to dance. Cecy also has the ability to house the minds of lost spirits for a time, which comes in rather handy as fires take place on Hallows Eve.

Another glorious read from Ray Bradbury. Taking the family dynamic and introducing a way of how the ‘others’ live just makes it fun. This novel takes you through several different stories involving how the family arrives, what happened in the past and what is happening in the present, from the perspective of each character. Not being able to hit on everything that this novel goes through, and just hitting on what I took to heart, Bradbury seems to have a love for his family gatherings, along with traditions. Two of the greatest things that should always be remembered for; is that your family loved you and did anything to protect you and that you taught people that tradition is more than love, it is one of the ways you can honor yourself, your family and most of all, others.  

The wild west may not have seemed too wild to some people, but when the truth comes out about why the migration took so long after the Civil War ended you would understand the resistance. Swillers, Hobgoblins and Werewolves roamed western territories after the war making it uncomfortable for the settlers to travel, much less find a place to live. That is where men like Uriah Zane come into play. A ghoul hunter of great notoriety in the west, even the ones he hunts know his name as he cleanses campsites, and clears out caves full of these cadavers.

While a large prison had been constructed by the country's higher ups to house the really bad hobgoblins, the werewolves were truly the scourge of the west, they could be defeated, but if you killed one in human form, he would haunt you for the rest of your days. Hellsgarde was built for the worst of the worst and they always have room for more. Charlie Hondo is the legendary prisoner in this dungeon, a werewolf shipped over from Russia who was the leader of the Hell’s Angels before his incarceration. His reach is greater than anyone could have known, by having a Mexican witch on his side that helps to plan his escape from the awful prison. Werewolves changing in daylight and a fire breathing dragon hit Hellsgarde by surprise, springing Hondo so he can execute his next task, to become the most powerful of his breed.

Zane has been on the heels of many of these types, always delivering on what he promised for the right amount of cash. Being a ghoul bounty hunter is far from glorious work, but it pays well. Zane always prefers to work alone, but when he hears about the breakout of Hellsgarde, he knows he will need to take on a partner or two to help with the hunt. He runs into Angel out in the Colorado Territory, but with a lot of history between them, they try to keep each other at arm’s length, but neither are able to control their bloodlust when it comes to a common foe. Angel is a loner as well, but a very strong, very attractive hunter and one of the few women who Zane can trust will make it back every time with her bounty. The two move west in search for Hondo and run into another old friend, Al Hathaway who may be a little slow, but is just as deadly as the other two.

Dust of the Damned takes you back into the old west, where you have more to fear than just the Native Americans, you have a different and deadly breed running over the plains. Zane and friends take to the trail and try to locate these Hell’s Angels before they are able to find a way to become more powerful. Although the Hell’s Angels are run by Hondo, the witch Ravenna is truly in control of the group, increasing their powers, heightening their senses and providing protection from the sky in the way of a dragon. Meeting opposition at every path, Ravenna tells the group to keep it cool while in the towns so they do not get noticed, but once they run in to the James-Younger gang, she is unable to follow her own direction. Jessie James joins the fight and heads off with Zane’s crew to put an end to the terror the Hell’s Angels are trying to put together.

Books like Dust of the Damned just make me smile.  A retelling of history is always fun to get into and leaves you saying, ‘what if?’ This book does not fail in this aspect, by having the Union Army calling in the help of ancient evil to help win the Civil War and exploring what would happen once the war was over. Where would all of the ghouls go? Out west of course, where there is nothing to keep them from doing what they wanted to do all along, live and eat people. Author Peter Brandvold also gets you wrapped up with what outlaws would do if they did not want to get captured by the army, becoming ghoul hunters to keep money in their pockets and whiskey in their stomachs. The Wild West has never been so wild, and I hope it does not come back to bite us in the neck. Stay Scared and Happy Reading.

Everyone should have fond memories of their parents, be it the help they provided you with over the years, the fun times you had as your father coached your baseball team, or your mother just teaching you how to do the laundry, so all of your socks don’t come out of the dryer with a pink color. It is your parents that make up these memories for you, even if you did not ask for them. Royce Bruyere is one of these parents that did not want to miss a second with his son Colt, using everything in his discretion to make sure his son turned out to be a great man when he got older. Now Royce was very well off in his financial situation, being able to capitalize on the internet bubble before it burst and he was going to make the most of it. Taking his son surfing was one of the highlights of his week living on the coast of California. If the waves were not big enough, Royce would watch the news and find out where he needed to go to make the day feel complete.  

On their latest trip to find the best surf, Royce and Colt fly down to Mexico and enjoy the day with great conversation and even greater waves. Although Royce had been told not to fly in the dark, he ignored this and took off when the day came to a close and headed back up the coast to San Diego. A strong wind hits the plane as they are landing, causing the plane to tumble down the runway. Colt is badly injured, but his father Royce is dead on arrival. Being very well off, Royce had signed up for Cryogenics, just in case he was taken before his time. The response time by the company he paid for this service is astounding, and it ends up changing his life forever.

The year is 2047, thirty-five years since the crash. Royce awakens in a small white room with people in lab coats looking over him, speaking what he thinks is Chinese. Thinking that there is a joke being played on him, a young American lab tech named Alex takes pity on the man and explains what is going on. The world has changed, American soil from New York to the Mississippi River has been taken over by the Chinese. The restrictions that the Chinese have put into place have made it impossible to figure out what has happened on the other side of the continent. Besides that, Royce is now a medical anomaly, being the first person in the history of cryogenics to be revived. With this success, the Chinese plan to work on reviving more people, to show the world their medical dominance, and lack of foresight.

Half of America being under China’s rule is only the first problem Royce gets to encounter in these future times. The second is much more troubling as three more people are revived from cryostasis and start biting their doctors. Cryonic gives you a look into the future as medical advances and world dominance are the primary worries for the hybrid country that is America/China. Royce gets thrown into a drastic situation as his new world is getting eaten up, person by person. Joining a group of Alex’s friends, Royce is able to see where technology has advanced in the future, but only in the medical side with lasers that can slice through human tissue like a hot knife through butter and faster healing techniques. As these biters get loose and the current government does not know how to cure them, the biters are shipped to different medical facilities across the globe. The infection gets out of hand, and only Royce and his group of survivors have an idea of how to stop it, but not being able to contact anyone due to the restrictions placed on their side of the river, they will need to fight to get across to America and pass their knowledge on.

This is another zombie novel that is a joy to read. Author Travis Bradberry is able to play upon your fears of the nation being run over by another, then adding the threat of zombies to that puts you into a state of shock. Your main character Royce is as strong as he should be, fighting off the oppression of the Chinese, the zombies and taking lead of his group on his way to get back home.  With the strong morals this man possesses, you will be cheering him on and hoping that nothing gets in his way as he fights with all of his heart to see what has happened to his family. Great zombie kills are also added in this novel, with the classic bullet to the head, but those that fight also have a bayonet attached to their rifles, along with a flesh cutting laser that seems to work wonders on the hordes of zombies that come their way. Just be happy we are still many years away from seeing what will really happen when someone gets out of cryogenic slumber, but once you hear on the news that Walt Disney is being defrosted, be ready to run!

Who am I? Am I still me? Are these questions you should still be asking yourself after you take a vacation? I would hope not, but if you are, you must really need to get away, maybe a bit further than usual. This is the question a group of college friends have been left to ask themselves after a long-deserved vacation to Cancun.  Upon their arrival to the resort, they are able to befriend a group of heavy drinking Greeks who go by Mexican names and a German named Mathias. Although the group does not know what to expect from these friendships, they are ready to just have a great time.

Amy and Jeff, long time sweethearts from their early college days, are traveling along with Stacy and Eric, their love is by no means a long-term relationship, but enough to stay with each other and not sleep around. After their long and satisfying stay at the resort, Mathias comes to the group and asks if they have seen his brother recently. The group has not and remembers that a couple days prior the brother had hit it off with a very pretty local girl and had run off somewhere with her. Mathias had found a note along with a hand drawn map of the location where his brother should be. The group, still on their vacation high decide to go along with the German on a little adventure.

When arriving at the location shown on the map, the group stumbles on to a little Mayan village on the outskirts. The locals do not seem to mind the outsiders in their village but keep a close eye on the group and their movements. They take pictures and try to communicate with the locals, but they only know some broken Spanish, and not enough to make sense with locals. Finding the correct path to what appears to be a dig site, the group moves to some bare earth and onto a hill that only seems to be covered by beautiful flowers.

The group moves up to the plateau of this hill and notices the majestic view, along with the lack of any other plant life. Feeling a bit out of place, the group moves back down the hill, but is surprised to find a group of Mayans from the town, armed and guarding an invisible barrier, not allowing them to exit the ancient land. This is just the beginning of their problems, as they stumble across the body of Mathias’ brother who was shot in the chest and left to die on the hill. The group also finds an abandoned dig site, one devoid of people, but all of their belongings remain. Along with that, Pablo, one of the Greeks that decided to tag along on this adventure fell into a shaft and broke his back. But these are the least of their problems, for the hill has a secret of its own it is about to reveal.

Welcome to The Ruins, one of the reasons I will never go down to Mexico for fear this will happen to me. Scott Smith has a fabulous imagination and is able to put it down on paper just the way he intends. This book is full creepy, disturbing and downright wrong thoughts of what would happen if you were left to die on a hill with a bunch of your friends. Worrying about the safety of your group, your future, lack of water, starvation, a group that will not let you leave, along with a hill that is able to…come alive, you worry for the group and what will be their best escape from this treacherous place. 

This is a fantastic read. Smith keeps the story flowing from their arrival to the hill, to when they all…well…let’s just leave it at that. With all that is going on with the group and their fight for survival, Smith is able to keep some moments of levity, that is until it all hits the fan. Pick up this book, make sure your plants are happy and watered and keep a light on. This book is guaranteed to take you places you never really wanted to go. Stay Scared and Happy Reading.