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Ravaged World #2
Ravage
FIRST PEOPLE GOT SICK. THEN THEY GOT VERY SICK..
Nick Adams is just a normal guy. He loves his family, appreciates his home, and covets his car. But he absolutely hates his job. Which is what makes it so difficult that not a single customer has come by his store today. It seems as though there’s a bug going around, something that has come out of nowhere and is keeping people at home. Still, it’s probably nothing to worry about. People get sick all the time.
And besides, things are finally starting to look up. Nick’s first customer of the day has just stumbled through the door…
HIS DAY IS ABOUT TO GET WORSE..
It won’t be long before Nick’s entire life is turned upside down, sending him on a frantic journey through a ravaged world that will ultimately lead him 500 feet upwards to a hilltop amusement park. Is it the last safe place on Earth, or are the monsters at the top of the hill even worse than the ones below?
WELCOME TO RIPLEY HEIGHTS. WHERE THE FUN NEVER STARTS.
Nick Adams is just a normal guy. He loves his family, appreciates his home, and covets his car. But he absolutely hates his job. Which is what makes it so difficult that not a single customer has come by his store today. It seems as though there’s a bug going around, something that has come out of nowhere and is keeping people at home. Still, it’s probably nothing to worry about. People get sick all the time.
And besides, things are finally starting to look up. Nick’s first customer of the day has just stumbled through the door…
HIS DAY IS ABOUT TO GET WORSE..
It won’t be long before Nick’s entire life is turned upside down, sending him on a frantic journey through a ravaged world that will ultimately lead him 500 feet upwards to a hilltop amusement park. Is it the last safe place on Earth, or are the monsters at the top of the hill even worse than the ones below?
WELCOME TO RIPLEY HEIGHTS. WHERE THE FUN NEVER STARTS.
435 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2013
About the author
Iain Rob Wright
89 books1,564 followersOne of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.
With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.
To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com
With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.
To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
October 8, 2014
Books about the impending zombie apocalypse are tough. There are a lot of them out there, and some very good ones. This makes it hard to avoid the cliches and stand out. Ravage, alas, does not stand out.
The book starts well enough. Nick Adams heads off to work and encounters a strange, sick man. One things leads to another and the very next day he is running for his life as modern Britain crumbles beneath the weight of the infected, ravenous horde. By the end of the week, Nick and a small band of survivors end up holed up together in an old amusement park/petting zoo.
It's about here that the story starts to sputter. Like most zombie stories, the real enemies are the survivors. The infected are a faceless, mindless menace lurking just over the horizon. A storm that needs to be prepared for and watched, but not necessarily a major factor (other than billions of dead and infected). The main villain is the ginger haired manager of the hotel who decides to seize the day and eliminate those who don't acknowledge his authority. He somehow forms an alliance with an ex-con and they start eliminating their enemies. It wasn't awful as a story line, it just wasn't that original. It's been done. Lots.
If you are dealing with a traditional Zombie-apocalypse story-line, you need to have characters that stand out. Believable characters that you care about. I think that I honestly cared more for the Orangutan family at the zoo than I did for these characters. Nick basically kills his own (albeit infected) son, and fights off his (infected) wife, and somehow stoically soldiers on? WTF? There is no real gap for mourning. I'll be honest. If I was in his shoes, I would be a train-wreck and probably not resist when my wife took a bite out of my neck. All the characters seemed cardboard and formulaic.
Two infected stars out of five. I was disappointed with the book. In the end I just wanted it over. Final analysis is that it was OK. Not great, but OK. Good for my creepy October reads, but I had really been hoping for something better. (On that note, a book that does stand-out by breaking the traditional zombie-apocalypse mold is The Girl With All the Gifts. Pick it up if you are in the mood for zombies.)
The book starts well enough. Nick Adams heads off to work and encounters a strange, sick man. One things leads to another and the very next day he is running for his life as modern Britain crumbles beneath the weight of the infected, ravenous horde. By the end of the week, Nick and a small band of survivors end up holed up together in an old amusement park/petting zoo.
It's about here that the story starts to sputter. Like most zombie stories, the real enemies are the survivors. The infected are a faceless, mindless menace lurking just over the horizon. A storm that needs to be prepared for and watched, but not necessarily a major factor (other than billions of dead and infected). The main villain is the ginger haired manager of the hotel who decides to seize the day and eliminate those who don't acknowledge his authority. He somehow forms an alliance with an ex-con and they start eliminating their enemies. It wasn't awful as a story line, it just wasn't that original. It's been done. Lots.
If you are dealing with a traditional Zombie-apocalypse story-line, you need to have characters that stand out. Believable characters that you care about. I think that I honestly cared more for the Orangutan family at the zoo than I did for these characters. Nick basically kills his own (albeit infected) son, and fights off his (infected) wife, and somehow stoically soldiers on? WTF? There is no real gap for mourning. I'll be honest. If I was in his shoes, I would be a train-wreck and probably not resist when my wife took a bite out of my neck. All the characters seemed cardboard and formulaic.
Two infected stars out of five. I was disappointed with the book. In the end I just wanted it over. Final analysis is that it was OK. Not great, but OK. Good for my creepy October reads, but I had really been hoping for something better. (On that note, a book that does stand-out by breaking the traditional zombie-apocalypse mold is The Girl With All the Gifts. Pick it up if you are in the mood for zombies.)
December 8, 2013
Only half way through and I really don't want to continue reading, which is a shame as I am a fan of IRW's other books. The writing and language is terrible. Everything is so correct 'do not, cannot, will not' that is seems so unrealistic as no body (apart from the queen of course) speaks like this. It's set out like a teenagers piece of coursework. For example the news broadcaster "as I report these words to you, it may seem like some kind of sick joke". Just seems to childish. It has the potential to be a good book and I'm probably being picky as to why I'm not finishing it, but this book really doesn't do it for me. And I'm a big zombie fan!
February 23, 2017
I can't recommend this book. I went into it with high hopes. The author has quite a few books under his belt, and this title came with good reviews. I'm very fond of apocalyptic tales and I was looking forward to the read.
What I liked about the book: Writing style is good. Very engaging. It could use another trip to an editor due to a few typos and grammar oddities, but nothing that can't be overlooked if one is enjoying the story.
What I did not like about this book: There were too many things in the plot that did not make logical sense. I will try to explain this without wanton spoilers, but I will speak of some plot points, so stop reading if this concerns you.
*********A few spoilers**************
The plot is a basic zombie story without enough differences to make it stand out in a crowd. The plot itself is full of things that are nonsensical. For example, early on, the zombie of a small girl in pigtails manages somehow to attach herself to the windshield of a bus. It remains unclear in the narrative how she reached it or what she clung to. She also manages to completely block the drivers sight, despite being only one small girl. Then she beats at the window until cracks appear throughout the glass. Despite this damage to the windshield, rather than breaking, it pops out as a complete piece, manages to turn itself in mid air to avoid the driver, and lands harmlessly in the aisle. In the author's mind, perhaps this made sense, but he was not able to convey this with any believability. I almost put the book down at this point, but reviewers said that it picked up past the 1/3 mark, so I stuck with it.
Another example of convenient but unbelievable plot device. The folks are holed up in a restaurant. There's lots of food in the freezer, but the power is already out, and the generator will only last two days. Weeks later, and they are still eating hamburger from the freezer. It's at least six weeks. There is talk amongst the characters of finding diesel fuel to put in the generator, but it isn't shown to happen. The characters are using candles and such and talking about the lack of power throughout the story. If the idea was that they refueled the generator only for the freezer, this is not made clear at all. It read as if they were eating rotten crap, and after weeks, it would be disgusting. But the characters don't describe it that way, only that they are tired of hamburger.
Those are only two examples of many. Character decisions and the laws of probability and physics seemed to be for no better reason than to further the author's plot. This is a broken world, where tiny zombies can fly, unrefrigerated meat lasts for six weeks, Glass with a million cracks doesn't break, and men who fall hundreds of feet can survive to add conflict. What bothered me most was that the author could have justified all of these choices by taking the time to explain them, or by making more believable choices in the first place. If this author can get his plot to the level of his writing style, then I would enjoy his tales, instead of feeling cheated by them.
What I liked about the book: Writing style is good. Very engaging. It could use another trip to an editor due to a few typos and grammar oddities, but nothing that can't be overlooked if one is enjoying the story.
What I did not like about this book: There were too many things in the plot that did not make logical sense. I will try to explain this without wanton spoilers, but I will speak of some plot points, so stop reading if this concerns you.
*********A few spoilers**************
The plot is a basic zombie story without enough differences to make it stand out in a crowd. The plot itself is full of things that are nonsensical. For example, early on, the zombie of a small girl in pigtails manages somehow to attach herself to the windshield of a bus. It remains unclear in the narrative how she reached it or what she clung to. She also manages to completely block the drivers sight, despite being only one small girl. Then she beats at the window until cracks appear throughout the glass. Despite this damage to the windshield, rather than breaking, it pops out as a complete piece, manages to turn itself in mid air to avoid the driver, and lands harmlessly in the aisle. In the author's mind, perhaps this made sense, but he was not able to convey this with any believability. I almost put the book down at this point, but reviewers said that it picked up past the 1/3 mark, so I stuck with it.
Another example of convenient but unbelievable plot device. The folks are holed up in a restaurant. There's lots of food in the freezer, but the power is already out, and the generator will only last two days. Weeks later, and they are still eating hamburger from the freezer. It's at least six weeks. There is talk amongst the characters of finding diesel fuel to put in the generator, but it isn't shown to happen. The characters are using candles and such and talking about the lack of power throughout the story. If the idea was that they refueled the generator only for the freezer, this is not made clear at all. It read as if they were eating rotten crap, and after weeks, it would be disgusting. But the characters don't describe it that way, only that they are tired of hamburger.
Those are only two examples of many. Character decisions and the laws of probability and physics seemed to be for no better reason than to further the author's plot. This is a broken world, where tiny zombies can fly, unrefrigerated meat lasts for six weeks, Glass with a million cracks doesn't break, and men who fall hundreds of feet can survive to add conflict. What bothered me most was that the author could have justified all of these choices by taking the time to explain them, or by making more believable choices in the first place. If this author can get his plot to the level of his writing style, then I would enjoy his tales, instead of feeling cheated by them.
September 5, 2013
This was one damn fine book.
Your basic zombies book, but with an actual REAL explanation to fast "zombies."
Starts out with a tragedy that no parent should ever go thru and ends with a slight chance at redemption.
I found the character of Lily a welcome addition to a zombie novel. I found Dash to be a bit unbelievable.
One of the really cool things about this book was the vignettes at the end, charting the progression of the virus from onset to the tragedy that befalls Nick, our hero.
Definite 4 stars and highly recommended
Your basic zombies book, but with an actual REAL explanation to fast "zombies."
Starts out with a tragedy that no parent should ever go thru and ends with a slight chance at redemption.
I found the character of Lily a welcome addition to a zombie novel. I found Dash to be a bit unbelievable.
One of the really cool things about this book was the vignettes at the end, charting the progression of the virus from onset to the tragedy that befalls Nick, our hero.
Definite 4 stars and highly recommended
August 17, 2013
As zombie books go, this one is up there in my opinion! From the first page the terror doesn’t stop. And just like in the real world, it isn’t just from the terror of being torn apart, but also by the people you meet along the way!
I really enjoyed how Iain Rob Wright set this up. Three parts to the book. So in the first you meet Nick and read about his story, then Anna, and in the third all hell breaks loose! The plot was very well paced and terrifying. I can easily see this as a movie, especially since zombies pop out at you from no where. But I never felt like it was JUST for the scare factor. There was always a reason for something to pop out. And it was in times where I was getting tense but wasn’t quite expecting it, brilliant!
The characters were also very interesting. Although the only thing that threw me was how clueless Nick was. So, if you are a die hard zombie reading fan I would take this with a grain of salt. Sure the characters talk about scary movies and such, but never is it mentioned what to do in a zombie film. These people do not know what zombies are, and it’s painfully obvious! I was yelling at multiple people when they were doing the stupidest things, but that is because I’ve read and heard about zombies for years. These people have not.
Paul nodded, rubbing at his hand and wincing. “Sounds good to me, governor. I’m sure things will be better tomorrow.”
Nick huffed. “They couldn’t be any worse.”
Even with that though, the plot was fast paced, the characters were totally believable. There were parts that were heart wrenching and Iain does things that most horror authors seem afraid to do. He just dives right in and drags you along for the ride. And it’s totally worth it.
A little bit slow in the beginning, but again I think that is because I kept expecting Nick to know what was going on. Loved every word though. Very good read. Love this author. I am a new fan!!
Some of my favorite quotes:
Better to fake sanity than to accept insanity.
Annaliese rubbed at her eyes and blinked. “Okay, I’m ready. I’ve had three hours sleep in the last thirty-six hours and I’m stuck in a low-budget horror movie, but I’m ready.”
“Fine, let’s just get moving, then. Quicker we find help, the quicker we can contact Kathryn’s family and tell them you just tried to smash her brains in.”
“It was more like he was trying to bash them out to be honest,” said Dash, giggling.
I really enjoyed how Iain Rob Wright set this up. Three parts to the book. So in the first you meet Nick and read about his story, then Anna, and in the third all hell breaks loose! The plot was very well paced and terrifying. I can easily see this as a movie, especially since zombies pop out at you from no where. But I never felt like it was JUST for the scare factor. There was always a reason for something to pop out. And it was in times where I was getting tense but wasn’t quite expecting it, brilliant!
The characters were also very interesting. Although the only thing that threw me was how clueless Nick was. So, if you are a die hard zombie reading fan I would take this with a grain of salt. Sure the characters talk about scary movies and such, but never is it mentioned what to do in a zombie film. These people do not know what zombies are, and it’s painfully obvious! I was yelling at multiple people when they were doing the stupidest things, but that is because I’ve read and heard about zombies for years. These people have not.
Paul nodded, rubbing at his hand and wincing. “Sounds good to me, governor. I’m sure things will be better tomorrow.”
Nick huffed. “They couldn’t be any worse.”
Even with that though, the plot was fast paced, the characters were totally believable. There were parts that were heart wrenching and Iain does things that most horror authors seem afraid to do. He just dives right in and drags you along for the ride. And it’s totally worth it.
A little bit slow in the beginning, but again I think that is because I kept expecting Nick to know what was going on. Loved every word though. Very good read. Love this author. I am a new fan!!
Some of my favorite quotes:
Better to fake sanity than to accept insanity.
Annaliese rubbed at her eyes and blinked. “Okay, I’m ready. I’ve had three hours sleep in the last thirty-six hours and I’m stuck in a low-budget horror movie, but I’m ready.”
“Fine, let’s just get moving, then. Quicker we find help, the quicker we can contact Kathryn’s family and tell them you just tried to smash her brains in.”
“It was more like he was trying to bash them out to be honest,” said Dash, giggling.
October 30, 2014
So I've just finished reading The Walking Dea......I mean Ravage! How did horror's Mr Wright go oh so wrong?!
I should mention now that this was a free review copy so I don't know whether it's been updated since, however the copy I had was absolutely littered with typos. Not only is there misspelt words, but there are also words missing in places making it quite difficult to read. I have discussed this with someone who bought their copy from Amazon and apparently it does have the same issue.
This is a real gripe I have with many Indie Authors, getting spellings right and making sure it makes sense is purely having pride in your work. If you expect someone to buy your work, for god's sake, at least run spell check!
The story starts ok, but as you read on it seems to lapse into American. A couple of times I double checked that it was indeed set in England.
Another gripe.. please, please, if you cannot write in accents..DON'T. The accents written in this book do not come across correctly. If you're going to try to write in an accent, sound it out first and then write it. The big problem is, if you get it wrong, you simply come across a bit racist.
There are no particularly likeable characters in this book. I really wanted to like them, but they are all decidedly horrible people on at least one occasion throughout the story. I realise that a zombie apocalypse would probably cause all of us to turn on at least one friend or acquaintance, the pressure is on to survive, tempers flare, people try to become the leader of the pack, I get that.
The only characters in this book who have unusual names are those with a shady past, I'm not sure if that was accidental or whether it was done on purpose. Even the other foreign people in this book have mainstream, English names.
I do realise that every author likes a plot twist, but this is the most ridiculous plot twist I've ever seen, the characters act like Bond villains and good god these people are hard to kill! In most zombie stories the people die very easily and the zombies take a bit of doing, but these characters just keep bouncing back!
November 12, 2014
This is Iain Rob Wright's first book in his series about a virus reeking havoc as it passes through the British population.
I sort of ruined it for myself a bit by reading Savage first which I did as a beta read for Mr Wright so I knew some things that were obviously not going to happen to some people as they were in the later story. not telling who though so you won't know.
The story starts in a mobile phone shop in a shopping center that is unusually quiet until a rather sick gentleman comes in. The manager Nick looks after him before closing up shop and going home to his wife and son. From here on in the virus spreads with a voracious speed. Within no time there are dead and undead everywhere. The rest of the story follows Nick as he meets up with others and they try to outwit the dead and struggle to survive.
As normal with Iain Rob Wright he is a master at creating characters that you can believe in from the outset. Ravage does not disappoint with this either. Some of them you will love. Some of them you will hate. Some you just want to cuddle at times. Some you just want to poke in the eye with a big stick. Either way,they all come together beautifully to make this a very free flowing story that will have you gripped from page one. Read this and I guarantee you will want to read the rest in the series.
No less than 5 stars again.
I sort of ruined it for myself a bit by reading Savage first which I did as a beta read for Mr Wright so I knew some things that were obviously not going to happen to some people as they were in the later story. not telling who though so you won't know.
The story starts in a mobile phone shop in a shopping center that is unusually quiet until a rather sick gentleman comes in. The manager Nick looks after him before closing up shop and going home to his wife and son. From here on in the virus spreads with a voracious speed. Within no time there are dead and undead everywhere. The rest of the story follows Nick as he meets up with others and they try to outwit the dead and struggle to survive.
As normal with Iain Rob Wright he is a master at creating characters that you can believe in from the outset. Ravage does not disappoint with this either. Some of them you will love. Some of them you will hate. Some you just want to cuddle at times. Some you just want to poke in the eye with a big stick. Either way,they all come together beautifully to make this a very free flowing story that will have you gripped from page one. Read this and I guarantee you will want to read the rest in the series.
No less than 5 stars again.
July 17, 2013
I found myself really enjoying this, and got irritated when I had to get off the bus!
People are getting sick, then aggressive, then craving blood, and then attacking anyone they see. It's some kind of virus, and it's spreading fast.
I really liked the pacing of this novel - the way it slowly built up, showing all the odd little incidents, until the story was racing along at breakneck speed. It demonstrated very clearly the way that society can either break down or pull together in the face of adversity - there was even a comment about the Lord of the Flies, and who was going to be Piggy - a reference which the younger members of the group didn't get.
I also really liked the chapters at the end of the main story, which showed the progress of the virus, almost like a six degrees of separation for the zombie virus - how it had travelled from the Mediterranean, until it infected the family of Nick, the main character.
Well written, well paced, and since it said To be continued, hopefully a sequel will not be far away.
People are getting sick, then aggressive, then craving blood, and then attacking anyone they see. It's some kind of virus, and it's spreading fast.
I really liked the pacing of this novel - the way it slowly built up, showing all the odd little incidents, until the story was racing along at breakneck speed. It demonstrated very clearly the way that society can either break down or pull together in the face of adversity - there was even a comment about the Lord of the Flies, and who was going to be Piggy - a reference which the younger members of the group didn't get.
I also really liked the chapters at the end of the main story, which showed the progress of the virus, almost like a six degrees of separation for the zombie virus - how it had travelled from the Mediterranean, until it infected the family of Nick, the main character.
Well written, well paced, and since it said To be continued, hopefully a sequel will not be far away.
July 25, 2013
Jesus Crust, it's like a high schooler wrote this. It's not that the plot itself is bad, but the sentence structure just... primitively simple. ""Something something something.' Nick said." Start a narrative like that in a 7th grade paper and its an automatic C; do that in a book and it gets 4 stars. ??? The fact that this apocalypse happens literally overnight and Nick is immune to the despite sleeping two inches from an infected who got sick just by being in the same house as someone who was bit... Something seems a tad bit off about that. Just a little bit.
September 27, 2017
In a world where it seems that a new zombie novel staggers into existence on a daily bases it is hard to create something new and original. Iain Rob Wright is no stranger to horror cliches and actually seems to thrive on them rather than avoid them. A bad thing? No, it isn't. While he is not exactly creating something entirely new, he is very capable of creating something exciting and entertaining. 'Fear on every page' is his decree and fear on every page it is. No slow trains all stops here. This one doesn't stop for anything and if you find yourself lucky enough to be on board you better hang on tight as Iain has no intention of slowing down - let alone wasting any time on stopping. Full steam ahead into zombieland. Enjoy the ride folks!!!
November 14, 2017
I read ‘Sea Sick’ by the same author and loved it but I just couldn’t get into this one and I’m not sure why. The story is full of zombie gore and tons of action and the characters are interesting even if they don’t stand out in any one particular way. The writing is good, the story compelling and the ending is great. If you’re a hard core zombie lover I think you’ll enjoy this book.
January 21, 2023
Loved this one. Diving straight into book 3,will be sad when it's over!
March 22, 2024
This is the second book in a zombie apocalyptic series. It began to drag a little for me so I decided
that I wouldn't continue the series after this book.
that I wouldn't continue the series after this book.
January 14, 2021
Fantastic book, really enjoyed it especially the wee stories at the end that told some more of how the infection had spread.
March 30, 2020
I liked this story and the continuation of the series but was disappointed in the editing. Lots of extra/double words and other errors. I had to knock off a star because this makes it harder to read.
August 21, 2021
It's crazy just how much your life can change in one day.
Nick and Anna are both forced to fight for their lives when a mysterious illness begins turning people into violent, flesh eating zombies.
But they are also about to learn that sometimes the non-infected survivors can be just as dangerous.
More of a typical zombie story compared to the cool twist added to the first book of this series.
I did love the characters and gory action. The theme park / zoo was a great setting as well to get a new take on the zombie apocalypse.
A solid 4 out of 5 flesh eating zombies!
Nick and Anna are both forced to fight for their lives when a mysterious illness begins turning people into violent, flesh eating zombies.
But they are also about to learn that sometimes the non-infected survivors can be just as dangerous.
More of a typical zombie story compared to the cool twist added to the first book of this series.
I did love the characters and gory action. The theme park / zoo was a great setting as well to get a new take on the zombie apocalypse.
A solid 4 out of 5 flesh eating zombies!
October 12, 2018
I must stress at the outset of this review (apologies for it’s length!) that my criticisms mainly concern the grammatical and similar text-related errors that occur throughout this trilogy and is the main reason for the low rating. (I do have a few other concerns which I’ll come back to).
Some might argue that any text or grammatical errors can be overlooked or forgiven if a story is good and engaging and that to criticise such mistakes is being too fussy or pedantic, but I feel that when you pick up a book to read, you simply want to sit back and enjoy the ‘ride’. For me, every error was like a bump in the road. OK, the odd one may be of little consequence, especially if an isolated case, but if the mistakes are a regular occurrence, it develops into an irritation and you almost start to look out for them and even come to expect them, by which time the ‘journey’ is ruined, no matter how good some of the ‘scenery’ may continue to be.
Broadly speaking, in this trilogy there are grammatical errors such as repetitious use of the same word within one sentence or paragraph (this drove me mad! Other synonyms are available!), badly constructed sentences (even quite meaningless on one or two occasions), clumsy sentences, incorrect words (e.g. ‘slither’, when, given the context, the author clearly meant to say ‘sliver’), the use of American words (e.g. ‘gotten’ was used ad infinitum!) or other American spelling or ‘Americanisms’, in a book by an English author set in the UK (e.g. ‘mommy’, although oddly the author did use ‘mummy’ later on) and to a lesser extent other mistakes such as mixed up past and present tense within the same sentence, missing words and various general text inconsistencies.
This is all especially galling when much of the writing was actually error free and perfectly good!
Regardless of the storyline or genre, I believe good writing is fundamentally important and I say that as someone who has worked in mainstream publishing for 34 years, much of that time in educational publishing. I’ve therefore spent most of my adult life working in and contributing to an industry largely concerned with presenting and caring about the written word, both fiction and non-fiction. Whilst language does evolve and change over the decades and centuries, at any given point in time there are fundamental or established rules that most writers naturally follow (obviously not including any deliberate slang, colloquialisms, local dialect, accent-related speech or popular culture adaptations etc. etc.). I do find it particularly sad and regrettable when a published author (albeit self-published) appears not to recognise how important it is to maintain basic standards of literacy, regardless of how many readers may enjoy their work. They assume a huge responsibility because the act of reading improves our ability to communicate, increases our vocabulary, enhances our language skills and develops fluency, allowing us to express our thoughts and ideas better.
With this in mind, although some people in their reviews (including those on Amazon) have made specific or passing reference to the author’s grammatical errors, clumsy sentences etc. and referred to the need for these books to be properly edited, I’m very surprised that many more reviewers seem not to have remarked on, questioned or noticed this. It is actually to that latter group that the author has possibly done his greatest disservice.
I would repeat that, in my humble opinion, Iain Rob Wright has done himself and his readers (existing and potential) a great disservice by not intercepting and amending these mistakes prior to publication and I’m bewildered as to why they weren’t ‘caught’ during his own final read-through (having said that, I am troubled by the fact that they’ve been made at all, certainly in such quantity and appear to have gone unnoticed as he wrote). I can’t understand why a proofreader, at least, was not employed, preferably in conjunction with an editor or copyeditor (the latter obviously being a less collaborative, less ‘invasive’ process, if this is something the author had concerns about).
It had originally been my intention to read the whole trilogy (simply to satisfy myself that I’d seen it through to the end), even though the grammatical flaws etc. prevented me from fully enjoying the experience. However, at a point three-quarters of my way through, when I reached “The Salvation Chronicles”, at Chapter 1, entitled “2389 Getting There is the Easy Part”, I encountered three other errors (i.e. non-grammar related) within the first section of this chapter that were collectively the proverbial last straw, so I simply could not progress any further. One was a reference to the ‘flux capacitor’ snapping inside one of the orbital stabilisers. (You’re joking, right!? You’ve got to be! I’m assuming here that everyone has seen ‘Back to the Future’!? Perhaps the author thinks we haven’t!). Another was the constant reference to United States/UK astronauts as being cosmonauts. ‘Cosmonauts’ is the title used by the Russian Space Agency. Finally, referring to the space organisation, as being “… all things astrological.” when I’m reasonably sure (!?) the author meant to say “astronomical”.
Had it not been for the grammatical and other text-related errors outlined above, I would have been ready to forgive many others. For example, the underlying premise in the first book did seem to be heavily influenced by the film Groundhog Day. I actually didn’t mind this really, although the author did lift one or two lines almost directly from the film. I also very much like the genre and was happy to widen the parameters of my ‘suspension of disbelief’ to overlook any shortcomings in the believability of certain story lines and I think the authenticity of the characters was reasonably good. Some of the factual elements of the book, such as certain medical and space travel technology references, for example, didn’t always come across as being entirely convincing, but, as I say, I could have forgiven much of this, as I did find the story basically engaging and enjoyable, so it makes the unnecessary grammatical errors all the more frustrating as they were totally avoidable.
Its like going for a meal in a restaurant where the food is perfectly decent but the table cloth is grubby, the cutlery hasn’t been cleaned properly and the waiter is rather rude. It doesn’t matter how good the food it, the dining experience is still ruined.
I do have one other gripe, however and that is to do with one or two implausible ‘background stories’ where these were given quite ill-considered and scant explanation. I could understand it if the author didn’t want to write reams in these instances or to go into great detail, taking time away from the focus of the narrative, but I feel that these were written with brevity and not always fully thought through. One such example is near the start of Book 2, ‘Savage’, second chapter, ‘Poppy’ and concerns the explanation for the presence of the pier on the south coast. One key sentence in particular reads, “The people who’d built the pier had planned on bringing lots of visitors and making the village so rich that it would grow into a town and have more shops and nice houses.” This is such a facile and over simplified premise. Aside from the possible implication here that the builders or planners were going to ‘bus’ people in (“attract visitors” at least might have been a better choice of words) it takes no realistic account of how such a colossal feat of engineering could have been undertaken in the most unlikely and unsuitable of locations. The enormous funding and investment required, the infrastructure that would need to be established and put in place first, the possible compulsory purchase of farmland and before any of that there would be planning restrictions to overcome, ecological considerations and studies, permitted development, contingency for population expansion around a small village etc., etc. I know it’s only a story and the explanation for the pier’s existence is largely incidental but there needs to be some basis in reality. Using the pier to function as a ‘stage’ for this part of the story was a really good idea, but the sentence I’ve quoted above, intended to explain and justify the entire thing, is way too glib and ‘throw away’.
I was going to give the author one more chance, as it were, and read his debut novel ‘Final Winter’, which has been praised by several author’s whose work I like and enjoy, however, I’ve just noted that some reviewers have again remarked on that story being littered with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes and how it spoilt the reading experience. ‘Final Winter’ will then, after all, be given a wide berth and so this is where the author and I part company. It’s a shame, as many of his books, from their titles and descriptions alone, look so promising and inviting.
As one person said in another review, “Seriously, if you like good writing – give this a miss.”
Some might argue that any text or grammatical errors can be overlooked or forgiven if a story is good and engaging and that to criticise such mistakes is being too fussy or pedantic, but I feel that when you pick up a book to read, you simply want to sit back and enjoy the ‘ride’. For me, every error was like a bump in the road. OK, the odd one may be of little consequence, especially if an isolated case, but if the mistakes are a regular occurrence, it develops into an irritation and you almost start to look out for them and even come to expect them, by which time the ‘journey’ is ruined, no matter how good some of the ‘scenery’ may continue to be.
Broadly speaking, in this trilogy there are grammatical errors such as repetitious use of the same word within one sentence or paragraph (this drove me mad! Other synonyms are available!), badly constructed sentences (even quite meaningless on one or two occasions), clumsy sentences, incorrect words (e.g. ‘slither’, when, given the context, the author clearly meant to say ‘sliver’), the use of American words (e.g. ‘gotten’ was used ad infinitum!) or other American spelling or ‘Americanisms’, in a book by an English author set in the UK (e.g. ‘mommy’, although oddly the author did use ‘mummy’ later on) and to a lesser extent other mistakes such as mixed up past and present tense within the same sentence, missing words and various general text inconsistencies.
This is all especially galling when much of the writing was actually error free and perfectly good!
Regardless of the storyline or genre, I believe good writing is fundamentally important and I say that as someone who has worked in mainstream publishing for 34 years, much of that time in educational publishing. I’ve therefore spent most of my adult life working in and contributing to an industry largely concerned with presenting and caring about the written word, both fiction and non-fiction. Whilst language does evolve and change over the decades and centuries, at any given point in time there are fundamental or established rules that most writers naturally follow (obviously not including any deliberate slang, colloquialisms, local dialect, accent-related speech or popular culture adaptations etc. etc.). I do find it particularly sad and regrettable when a published author (albeit self-published) appears not to recognise how important it is to maintain basic standards of literacy, regardless of how many readers may enjoy their work. They assume a huge responsibility because the act of reading improves our ability to communicate, increases our vocabulary, enhances our language skills and develops fluency, allowing us to express our thoughts and ideas better.
With this in mind, although some people in their reviews (including those on Amazon) have made specific or passing reference to the author’s grammatical errors, clumsy sentences etc. and referred to the need for these books to be properly edited, I’m very surprised that many more reviewers seem not to have remarked on, questioned or noticed this. It is actually to that latter group that the author has possibly done his greatest disservice.
I would repeat that, in my humble opinion, Iain Rob Wright has done himself and his readers (existing and potential) a great disservice by not intercepting and amending these mistakes prior to publication and I’m bewildered as to why they weren’t ‘caught’ during his own final read-through (having said that, I am troubled by the fact that they’ve been made at all, certainly in such quantity and appear to have gone unnoticed as he wrote). I can’t understand why a proofreader, at least, was not employed, preferably in conjunction with an editor or copyeditor (the latter obviously being a less collaborative, less ‘invasive’ process, if this is something the author had concerns about).
It had originally been my intention to read the whole trilogy (simply to satisfy myself that I’d seen it through to the end), even though the grammatical flaws etc. prevented me from fully enjoying the experience. However, at a point three-quarters of my way through, when I reached “The Salvation Chronicles”, at Chapter 1, entitled “2389 Getting There is the Easy Part”, I encountered three other errors (i.e. non-grammar related) within the first section of this chapter that were collectively the proverbial last straw, so I simply could not progress any further. One was a reference to the ‘flux capacitor’ snapping inside one of the orbital stabilisers. (You’re joking, right!? You’ve got to be! I’m assuming here that everyone has seen ‘Back to the Future’!? Perhaps the author thinks we haven’t!). Another was the constant reference to United States/UK astronauts as being cosmonauts. ‘Cosmonauts’ is the title used by the Russian Space Agency. Finally, referring to the space organisation, as being “… all things astrological.” when I’m reasonably sure (!?) the author meant to say “astronomical”.
Had it not been for the grammatical and other text-related errors outlined above, I would have been ready to forgive many others. For example, the underlying premise in the first book did seem to be heavily influenced by the film Groundhog Day. I actually didn’t mind this really, although the author did lift one or two lines almost directly from the film. I also very much like the genre and was happy to widen the parameters of my ‘suspension of disbelief’ to overlook any shortcomings in the believability of certain story lines and I think the authenticity of the characters was reasonably good. Some of the factual elements of the book, such as certain medical and space travel technology references, for example, didn’t always come across as being entirely convincing, but, as I say, I could have forgiven much of this, as I did find the story basically engaging and enjoyable, so it makes the unnecessary grammatical errors all the more frustrating as they were totally avoidable.
Its like going for a meal in a restaurant where the food is perfectly decent but the table cloth is grubby, the cutlery hasn’t been cleaned properly and the waiter is rather rude. It doesn’t matter how good the food it, the dining experience is still ruined.
I do have one other gripe, however and that is to do with one or two implausible ‘background stories’ where these were given quite ill-considered and scant explanation. I could understand it if the author didn’t want to write reams in these instances or to go into great detail, taking time away from the focus of the narrative, but I feel that these were written with brevity and not always fully thought through. One such example is near the start of Book 2, ‘Savage’, second chapter, ‘Poppy’ and concerns the explanation for the presence of the pier on the south coast. One key sentence in particular reads, “The people who’d built the pier had planned on bringing lots of visitors and making the village so rich that it would grow into a town and have more shops and nice houses.” This is such a facile and over simplified premise. Aside from the possible implication here that the builders or planners were going to ‘bus’ people in (“attract visitors” at least might have been a better choice of words) it takes no realistic account of how such a colossal feat of engineering could have been undertaken in the most unlikely and unsuitable of locations. The enormous funding and investment required, the infrastructure that would need to be established and put in place first, the possible compulsory purchase of farmland and before any of that there would be planning restrictions to overcome, ecological considerations and studies, permitted development, contingency for population expansion around a small village etc., etc. I know it’s only a story and the explanation for the pier’s existence is largely incidental but there needs to be some basis in reality. Using the pier to function as a ‘stage’ for this part of the story was a really good idea, but the sentence I’ve quoted above, intended to explain and justify the entire thing, is way too glib and ‘throw away’.
I was going to give the author one more chance, as it were, and read his debut novel ‘Final Winter’, which has been praised by several author’s whose work I like and enjoy, however, I’ve just noted that some reviewers have again remarked on that story being littered with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes and how it spoilt the reading experience. ‘Final Winter’ will then, after all, be given a wide berth and so this is where the author and I part company. It’s a shame, as many of his books, from their titles and descriptions alone, look so promising and inviting.
As one person said in another review, “Seriously, if you like good writing – give this a miss.”
March 25, 2014
Ravage was a book I had been anticipating for quite some time. I knew the Author was working on it and was pleased as punch when he asked me to review it for him. Ravage starts out like most Zombie books. Characters living life, doing the daily grind. However, unlike normal days where the store is packed with people, business was slow, no it was quite literally dead.
I really liked the build up to the story. In many ways it had a very Sean Of The Dead type feel to it. Yet, everything sort of just fell into place a bit to neatly. It does move the story along quickly but it would've been nice if Nick had seen more clues that things were souring before heading home.
As with most Zombie books when the plague hits the survivors are standing around in disbelief. I can forgive this because it must be quite a shock. However, Nick's refusal to accept that people were indeed turning into Zombies made the character quite unlikable. My theory is if someone is trying to eat you whether it be family, friend, someone young or old, you do whatever it takes to survive. You don't sit around on your moral high horse demanding they be treated as equals. Nick's actions cause many deaths and it's quite frustrating to read about. Thankfully he does eventually accept reality. Too bad it comes a bit late to do any good.
Midway through the books the story splits off and follows a second group of survivors. They do play a part in Nick's group being rescued so it wasn't all that surprising that the story caught you up on who they were. Personally, I found this second group to be much more interesting. Of course this could be because the lead female was so much more enjoyable then Nick. I'm also a sucker for animals in Zombie books and in this case we have a small zoo full of them. One of the saddest scenes in the entire book actually doesn't involve people at all but a family of Orangutans. I nearly cried at the end while Lily was wailing in grief.
When the two groups converge power struggles ensue. By this point I could see the direction the book was heading and even which characters would be involved in upcoming conflict. I would've been OK with this had I enjoyed the last 2/3 of the story. Instead I was left feeling frustrated with the characters and lack of Zombie preparedness they had taken. Even when major characters died I simply didn't care. I felt they earned their deaths for being so gullible.
Thankfully, by the end of the book the story did come back together. Nick might have been annoying but he did have some redemption in the end. Since the story is a cliffhanger of sorts I am assuming this isn't the last we've seen of the group. I'm definitely curious where the story is headed after everything that went down in the last few scenes. Plus I wouldn't mind seeing more from the world outside. It would be interesting to see if the majority of Zombies left in the wild were fresh or had they succumbed to death which turns them into the slow movie Romero kind.
Overall, while Ravage did have its ups and downs I did still find the story mostly enjoyable. Would I recommend it? Yes, the story is written well and I read through it quite quickly despite its length. If you like plague type Zombie stories then I suggest picking up Ravage and giving it a go. That being said, I will be rating Ravage by Iain Rob Wright ★★★.
I really liked the build up to the story. In many ways it had a very Sean Of The Dead type feel to it. Yet, everything sort of just fell into place a bit to neatly. It does move the story along quickly but it would've been nice if Nick had seen more clues that things were souring before heading home.
As with most Zombie books when the plague hits the survivors are standing around in disbelief. I can forgive this because it must be quite a shock. However, Nick's refusal to accept that people were indeed turning into Zombies made the character quite unlikable. My theory is if someone is trying to eat you whether it be family, friend, someone young or old, you do whatever it takes to survive. You don't sit around on your moral high horse demanding they be treated as equals. Nick's actions cause many deaths and it's quite frustrating to read about. Thankfully he does eventually accept reality. Too bad it comes a bit late to do any good.
Midway through the books the story splits off and follows a second group of survivors. They do play a part in Nick's group being rescued so it wasn't all that surprising that the story caught you up on who they were. Personally, I found this second group to be much more interesting. Of course this could be because the lead female was so much more enjoyable then Nick. I'm also a sucker for animals in Zombie books and in this case we have a small zoo full of them. One of the saddest scenes in the entire book actually doesn't involve people at all but a family of Orangutans. I nearly cried at the end while Lily was wailing in grief.
When the two groups converge power struggles ensue. By this point I could see the direction the book was heading and even which characters would be involved in upcoming conflict. I would've been OK with this had I enjoyed the last 2/3 of the story. Instead I was left feeling frustrated with the characters and lack of Zombie preparedness they had taken. Even when major characters died I simply didn't care. I felt they earned their deaths for being so gullible.
Thankfully, by the end of the book the story did come back together. Nick might have been annoying but he did have some redemption in the end. Since the story is a cliffhanger of sorts I am assuming this isn't the last we've seen of the group. I'm definitely curious where the story is headed after everything that went down in the last few scenes. Plus I wouldn't mind seeing more from the world outside. It would be interesting to see if the majority of Zombies left in the wild were fresh or had they succumbed to death which turns them into the slow movie Romero kind.
Overall, while Ravage did have its ups and downs I did still find the story mostly enjoyable. Would I recommend it? Yes, the story is written well and I read through it quite quickly despite its length. If you like plague type Zombie stories then I suggest picking up Ravage and giving it a go. That being said, I will be rating Ravage by Iain Rob Wright ★★★.
March 24, 2019
A post apocalyptic told differently
Enjoyed this book. Been on a zombie book craze lately! Had me glued the whole time. Characters I got attached to and ones that I hated as they were buttholes in the book. Did their job.
Enjoyed this book. Been on a zombie book craze lately! Had me glued the whole time. Characters I got attached to and ones that I hated as they were buttholes in the book. Did their job.
March 17, 2016
People start getting sick and believe there’s a bad cold going around...sneezing, coughing, aches, and pains—the flu maybe…
Nick Adams is an ordinary man with a wonderful wife and son and a job he hates as manager of a phone shop. He has always felt he was meant for something better, but, as we all know, life seemed to get in the way. It’s a very slow day at the phone store with only a single customer coming in. However, it's that customer isn’t looking to buy anything, in fact, he appears to be terribly ill, so much so, the small staff at Nick shop calls the customers wife for him. He’s too weak to do anything himself—what a depressing day. Nick closes the shop early and goes home to find his family has come down with the sickness as well. But it’s the next day that sends Nick’s life spiraling out of control. This can’t be happening, things such as this are fiction, and Nick's entire life is turned topsy-turvy. The events send sending him on a desperate voyage to the world that no longer resembles anything close to the norm. He will meet up with a few other survivors of this plague and they end up 500-feet upwards to a hilltop amusement park. The park appears to be the last safe place on Earth. Nick will soon contemplate if it the infected that are the most dangerous part of this new world or if it’s the human lust for power that will ultimately becomes his worst enemy.
I am a die-hard Walking Dead fan and zombie stories have not come close to the intense thrill of danger and death I experience when watching the show. However, I thought I’d take a chance and read this one—just to see what I’d get. I have to say I’m so glad I took the time. Iain Rob Wright has taken the zombie apocalypse twisted it to create a suspenseful thrilling story and still gives the reader the blood and gore of the idea of zombies. His writing keeps you on the edge of your seat as you are taken through the trials, death, and destruction of what some may go through if a zombie apocalypse ever did break out. Have you thought about what you might do to survive? I truly loved this book!
Nick Adams is an ordinary man with a wonderful wife and son and a job he hates as manager of a phone shop. He has always felt he was meant for something better, but, as we all know, life seemed to get in the way. It’s a very slow day at the phone store with only a single customer coming in. However, it's that customer isn’t looking to buy anything, in fact, he appears to be terribly ill, so much so, the small staff at Nick shop calls the customers wife for him. He’s too weak to do anything himself—what a depressing day. Nick closes the shop early and goes home to find his family has come down with the sickness as well. But it’s the next day that sends Nick’s life spiraling out of control. This can’t be happening, things such as this are fiction, and Nick's entire life is turned topsy-turvy. The events send sending him on a desperate voyage to the world that no longer resembles anything close to the norm. He will meet up with a few other survivors of this plague and they end up 500-feet upwards to a hilltop amusement park. The park appears to be the last safe place on Earth. Nick will soon contemplate if it the infected that are the most dangerous part of this new world or if it’s the human lust for power that will ultimately becomes his worst enemy.
I am a die-hard Walking Dead fan and zombie stories have not come close to the intense thrill of danger and death I experience when watching the show. However, I thought I’d take a chance and read this one—just to see what I’d get. I have to say I’m so glad I took the time. Iain Rob Wright has taken the zombie apocalypse twisted it to create a suspenseful thrilling story and still gives the reader the blood and gore of the idea of zombies. His writing keeps you on the edge of your seat as you are taken through the trials, death, and destruction of what some may go through if a zombie apocalypse ever did break out. Have you thought about what you might do to survive? I truly loved this book!
March 18, 2014
This is my first venture into the world of Iain Rob Wright and, based on this read, probably won't be my last. "Ravage" is a solid, if not predictable, story about a zombie apocalypse threatening England.
The book takes off quickly with little in the way of scene-setting (not necessarily a bad thing). Wright introduces the reader to a small band of survivors led by an unwilling hero named Nick who find themselves on the run from a country gone mad. As the band makes their way to what they believe will be sanctuary on a hilltop amusement park. Unfortunately, the book drags a little at this point and I found myself losing a little interest as it became nothing more than a "Walking Dead-Light" story.
The book did pick up considerably when Wright introduces the reader to another band of survivors led by a strong character named Anna. Anna's group is actually at the amusement park and eventually helps Nick's band flee from a zombie hoard through the use of the park's cable car system.
As the larger group of characters begin to interact with one another, the book becomes difficult to put down. From this point though, prevalent zombie themes become the focal points of the book. These include: "We're running out of food", "Who's going to be the boss?", and the ever-present, "I think we have more to fear from the living than we do from the undead".
Replaying these stereotypical themes keep this book from being anything more than a 3 1/2 star read. Readers won't find any new ground in "Ravage", but they will find a fairly enjoyable experience with solid characters from the keyboard of a promising author.
The book takes off quickly with little in the way of scene-setting (not necessarily a bad thing). Wright introduces the reader to a small band of survivors led by an unwilling hero named Nick who find themselves on the run from a country gone mad. As the band makes their way to what they believe will be sanctuary on a hilltop amusement park. Unfortunately, the book drags a little at this point and I found myself losing a little interest as it became nothing more than a "Walking Dead-Light" story.
The book did pick up considerably when Wright introduces the reader to another band of survivors led by a strong character named Anna. Anna's group is actually at the amusement park and eventually helps Nick's band flee from a zombie hoard through the use of the park's cable car system.
As the larger group of characters begin to interact with one another, the book becomes difficult to put down. From this point though, prevalent zombie themes become the focal points of the book. These include: "We're running out of food", "Who's going to be the boss?", and the ever-present, "I think we have more to fear from the living than we do from the undead".
Replaying these stereotypical themes keep this book from being anything more than a 3 1/2 star read. Readers won't find any new ground in "Ravage", but they will find a fairly enjoyable experience with solid characters from the keyboard of a promising author.
July 11, 2013
That Book was my first zombie-novel. I just finished reading it and ... woah, what did I think.
I thought this book was very, very thrilling. I could hardly put it down and had to force me stop reading to get some sleep.
I liked the characters. Most of them were just 'good people' while others were the bad ones a good story needs (besides the zombies). And this story had some good twists although in the second half I could sense were the plot would lead. The end was surprising nevertheless but I did not like it very much...
Of course it's a zombie novel and therefore unrealistic on its own terms but some story elements seemed a little bit impossible, like streets full of accidents and a bus driving nevertheless. But I lived with it and just enjoyed the tension. Because of the tension and the characters I give 5 stars (and maybe because it was my first zombie book and I have to admit it was horrenduos every now and then ^^)
There were some minor mistakes like double words or missing quotation marks. Nothing serious.
I thought this book was very, very thrilling. I could hardly put it down and had to force me stop reading to get some sleep.
I liked the characters. Most of them were just 'good people' while others were the bad ones a good story needs (besides the zombies). And this story had some good twists although in the second half I could sense were the plot would lead. The end was surprising nevertheless but I did not like it very much...
Of course it's a zombie novel and therefore unrealistic on its own terms but some story elements seemed a little bit impossible, like streets full of accidents and a bus driving nevertheless. But I lived with it and just enjoyed the tension. Because of the tension and the characters I give 5 stars (and maybe because it was my first zombie book and I have to admit it was horrenduos every now and then ^^)
There were some minor mistakes like double words or missing quotation marks. Nothing serious.
August 29, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Not your typical "zombie" book, especially since the word zombie is never mentioned even once. I realize that had to be a choice the author made but it seems a bit odd given that the book is filled will all sorts of pop references, but I guess he didn't want it just to be a zombie book, which it isn't.
The characters are, for the most part, interesting and fully realized individuals with back stories and complex personalities. There is even a non-human character who is a big part of the story too.
I was surprised at the unexpected and somewhat atypical end to the book. It was totally in keeping with the tone and story but not many authors would have the guts to finish that way.
All in all a quick, enjoyable read.
The characters are, for the most part, interesting and fully realized individuals with back stories and complex personalities. There is even a non-human character who is a big part of the story too.
I was surprised at the unexpected and somewhat atypical end to the book. It was totally in keeping with the tone and story but not many authors would have the guts to finish that way.
All in all a quick, enjoyable read.
November 30, 2013
Loved this. What an interesting take on the zombie genre.
It's nice to actually have a working theory, for once, as to exactly what causes people to instantly come down with cannibalistic rage, and then to literally come back from the dead; as opposed to the usual campy attitude of "we don't know what this is, or why, or how, or where, or when." (I mean, of course, the characters don't have a clue what's causing the melee, but we as the reader get a bit of backstory in the end, which is a nice change)
I literally couldn't put this down until I was finished.
And I loved the ending. It's not "happily ever after." In fact, it's not even close. But it ends in a tranquil and somewhat open-ended way, which I also enjoyed greatly.
Definitely a fun read. Highly recommended.
It's nice to actually have a working theory, for once, as to exactly what causes people to instantly come down with cannibalistic rage, and then to literally come back from the dead; as opposed to the usual campy attitude of "we don't know what this is, or why, or how, or where, or when." (I mean, of course, the characters don't have a clue what's causing the melee, but we as the reader get a bit of backstory in the end, which is a nice change)
I literally couldn't put this down until I was finished.
And I loved the ending. It's not "happily ever after." In fact, it's not even close. But it ends in a tranquil and somewhat open-ended way, which I also enjoyed greatly.
Definitely a fun read. Highly recommended.
August 19, 2013
Zombie virus
"Ravage" starts out with a simple "flu" bug and ends up spreading across the world. It hits fast and soon the affected are chomping on other humans and the dead are coming back for a snack.
There are no huge surprises with the story but it's written well and has engaging characters - good guys and bad guys.
One thing I especially liked was the bonus content at the end of the Kindle version of the book called "Path of Infection." It was really a prologue to the tale and explained where the infection came from. It rounded out the story very well.
If you like zombies, don't miss this blood-o-drama!
"Ravage" starts out with a simple "flu" bug and ends up spreading across the world. It hits fast and soon the affected are chomping on other humans and the dead are coming back for a snack.
There are no huge surprises with the story but it's written well and has engaging characters - good guys and bad guys.
One thing I especially liked was the bonus content at the end of the Kindle version of the book called "Path of Infection." It was really a prologue to the tale and explained where the infection came from. It rounded out the story very well.
If you like zombies, don't miss this blood-o-drama!
September 16, 2014
I think we’re well-past the time now when characters in zombie apocalypses should be aware of zombie basics. Chief among these is knowledge that bitten survivors are ticking time bombs that should be head-shotted immediately. We’re also past time when the poignancy of man’s inhumanity exceeding that of the undead monsters becomes a cliche. When Ravage succumbs to these shortcomings its especially frustrating because there are vast stretches of enjoyable, even touching storytelling. On the whole I have to say I enjoyed much more than I found fault with, but that makes the faults that much harder to ignore.
July 20, 2013
Another brilliant story from Mr Wright. I immediately loved Nick, the main character, and the fantastic storyline. A horror set in an amusement park, not to mention the weird and wonderful cast of characters that Nick finds himself with whilst fighting to survive - genius!
While it's no secret that I'm a big fan of this author's work, I really think that other readers will enjoy it, even if they are not neccessarily fans of horror books. Put it this way, if you enjoy The Walking Dead on TV you're gonna love this!
While it's no secret that I'm a big fan of this author's work, I really think that other readers will enjoy it, even if they are not neccessarily fans of horror books. Put it this way, if you enjoy The Walking Dead on TV you're gonna love this!
August 27, 2013
Books are better than movies. Here is a zombie book that proves it. In a blatant disregard to wholesomeness this book sports some of the creepiest child zombies I have ever come across. In the first few chapters I wondered why this zombie plague was upon the world and for the rest of the book I honestly couldn't care less as long as everyone kept fighting and dying as graphically as possible. If you are hanging to watch a good modern zombie movie....read this book instead.
November 8, 2015
Top of the line zombie novel with the unique twist of why the apocalypse is happening.
As an American, I encountered different idioms and topography than I am used to, but it was very easy to become completely absorbed in the world of Ravage. The author definitely wrote what he knew and I thank him for that!
I am emotionally attached to the survivors, including Lily, so I hope there is a sequel.
p.s. I am still upset about Nick and Jan.
As an American, I encountered different idioms and topography than I am used to, but it was very easy to become completely absorbed in the world of Ravage. The author definitely wrote what he knew and I thank him for that!
I am emotionally attached to the survivors, including Lily, so I hope there is a sequel.
p.s. I am still upset about Nick and Jan.
July 6, 2013
Iain Rob Wright is one of my favorite horror writers and, as usual, he told a good story. Unfortunately this book didn't put any new spins on the zombie apocalypse idea but it's still worth a read! The chaos of the early stages of the zombie plague were really fun, the last half of the book descends into bickering among the survivors.
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