 |
| Visit the Official Website at: www.reignofthedead.com The website features samples of Reign of the Dead and Reign of the Dead 2 as well as a fan fiction page in which my story, "187" resides. It is a great site with plenty of information on the book, please go and check it out. Or e-mail the author at: [email protected] |
| Reign of the Dead A Review Reign of the Dead is the published debut of Len Barnhart. Set in his hometown of the Shenandoah Valley it tells the tale of a worldwide plague, which is causing the dead to get up and walk to attack the living. The nightmare is real and just as close! In the tradition of George A. Romero we are thrown into the situation as abruptly and as dramatically as the lead character is on his return from a vacation in the mountains. Jim is a strong man who is tough and always has a steady head on his shoulders, but on his arrival in a new world where the dead walk, he is momentarily stunned as he is rescued from a gas station, escaping the clutches of the dead that have suddenly appeared all around him. He arrives at a local rescue centre, a grotty shelter where the few remaining survivors of the town huddle in each other�s arms, fearing the walking stench of death that surrounds them. The situation is desperate and they all know that soon, the dead will come stumbling towards them up the hill to attack and feast on their flesh. A plan is then concocted to move them all to a nearby prison with better facilities and a safer perimeter, making this a place not to dissimilar from a welcome refuge in a time of war. Meanwhile, a religious zealot makes preparations to rid the earth of the evil ones his God has amongst his flock, the plague of the undead sent down to combat the corruption in the world. Eventually he finds himself the leader of a rag tag band of young men who have assembled at an old school in the hills, and it is his plan to take over their situation and guide them on a mission to rid the evil ones from their midst and begin his 1,000 year reign. Surrounded on all sides, the Valley is a ticking time bomb of death and as the nearby towns, one of which is Winchester, become ever more dead by the day, the situation again grows stale from the stench of approaching death. Survival is almost non-existent and hope is hanging on by a mere thread in a world where the dead walk and all sensibilities of lives left behind are just a mere memory. It is in this setting that a small band of survivors must fight their way to freedom as their time runs out and as the enemy numbers grow and grow day and night, never stopping to rest, a unstoppable army just in the distance waiting to pounce. If you�re a fan of the living dead films of George A. Romero then you will love this book and enjoy discovering the odd references littered about this book�s content. The atmosphere is similar of Romero�s work, however, it is skilfully expanded upon as the scenery changes and as the characters become more deep and realistic amidst their hopelessly dreadful situation. The settings are both intriguing as well as inspired, particularly that of the prison where the metaphor of sanctuary becoming a prison is actually put into practice. The characters bounce off each other as a tense atmosphere rides alongside a sense of doom spotted with the occasional moment of levity and human interaction. Love is found amidst this chaos as well as the lowest of the low as they sink to their snivelling depths from their high and mighty positions in their past life. As the situation grows increasingly desperate and as food and ammunition runs low, it soon becomes apparent that there is no safe haven and this is only highlighted further by the strange dreams a young woman and a girl encounter in their disturbed sleep. The pace of the book is fast and furious making this both an exciting read as well as a particularly eventful one. The horror of the situation is described wonderfully in its fullest level of detail as the menace of the undead residents of the Valley shamble on in their quest to find food somewhere amidst the scene of chaos, confusion and cruel intentions. Finally the book contains a strong element of unconventionality about it. As with a lot of zombie stories I have read, some elements are reused over and over until they become stale and almost a clich� in terms. However, Reign of the Dead contains the classic fundamentals of a great living dead story as well as aspects either never explored or never even thought of. I have often wondered �what if� as I have both read and written many zombie stories, but with Reign of the Dead I can say that I finally know what if. Reign of the Dead is a tight story with realistic characters that interact with each other as well as their landscape as one would in real life. The narration is compact and straight to the point, never daring to describe the horrific nature of the subject in all its blood splattered and entrail-dragging detail. The story itself is attention grabbing and never ever lets go of your jugular as it visciously tries to tear off your skin. Your imagination runs wild in this fertile and well constructed exploration of the world where the dead walk the earth and where the living shall be judged. A fantastic read that you will never want to put down and read again and again when you reach the action packed, dynamite ending that has never been witnessed ever before. You will never regret reading this book and I can vouch for that in blood if you so wish. I loved this book and I never wanted to put it down and as I sit here writing this review, I am desperately clawing at the bookshelf trying to take the book out again and start all over to experience every last terrifying moment that thrilled, enthralled and consumed me throughout my time reading it. |