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Title: Plague of the Dead (The Morningstar Strain) |
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Review of Plague of the Dead (The Morningstar Strain)
- The end begins with a viral outbreak unlike anything mankind has ever encountered before. The infected are subject to delirium, fever, a dramatic increase in violent behavior, and a one-hundred percent mortality rate. Death. But it doesn't end there. The victims return from death to walk the earth. When a massive military operation fails to contain the plague of the living dead it escalates into a global pandemic. In one fell swoop, the necessities of life become much more basic. Gone are petty everyday concerns. Gone are the amenities of civilized life. Yet a single law of nature remains: Live, or die. Kill, or be killed. On one side of the world, a battle-hardened General surveys the remnants of his command: a young medic, a veteran photographer, a brash Private, and dozens of refugees, all are his responsibility-all thousands of miles from home. Back in the United States, an Army Colonel discovers the darker side of Morningstar virus and begins to collaborate with a well-known journalist to leak the information to the public... The Morningstar Saga has begun.
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Comments for Plague of the Dead (The Morningstar Strain)
- Posted on 2008-06-30
A refreshing take on the zombie genre...
This book is the first in a series of three about a virus outbreak that turns people into "zombie like" hosts for the virus. This was a very good book. I really like the story premise and the author's take on the zombie genre. There wasn't as much gore as I thought there would be in a zombie novel but there was still tons of action.
Since this is the first in the series the plot and story telling is a little bit slower than a lot of the other zombie books out there because the author knows he has three books to work his story into. In the book you get a good introduction to the main characters for the saga but one thing I didn't like is that there were almost too many characters for the author to work with and I don't really know a lot about any of them and there just really isn't the "main character connection" that really draws you into caring about who dies and who doesn't.
This is one of only a few zombie genre stories, books or movies, that doesn't make the military look like a bunch of power-hungry jarhead rapists. The group that the story focuses on is very down to earth and humble which is really refreshing for me since I'm almost to the point of hating any movie/book that goes the bad military persona way.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the saga and this book set-up a good story base for those that follow.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-06-23
An amazing read!
I have been a huge fan of re-animated dead since, George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, and for awhile I thought that was the only way I could get my zombie fix, via movies or video. Imagin my joy when I found out people were writing full length re-animated dead novels!
I researched alot of the differnt Zombie novels and I settled on Plague of the Dead The Morning Star Strain. What can I say this book, it was so well written, the research put into this book and the well thought out plot lines were done so amazingly well you forget that this is a story about re-animated dead people. We have virologists, military people deserted towns, gun fights, the story moves fast and leaves you wanting more. I recommend it, The Plague of the Dead does not disapoint. Its not a teeny bopper story, with nothing but blood and guts, this story is written for mature readers I know,, I am 41 and this is for adults to have a great time reading about how a virus kills then re-animates.
Score: 4 - Posted on 2008-06-18
Very poorly written but there is a great game you can play with it ;-)
Ok this book is poorly written and theres no other way to say it, the characters are totally useless plus there are a number of times when i lost what was happening. I mean they stop in the Philippines for a bit then they leave and i kinda missed that happening?! Theres also a hilarious bit with a magnet gun that i think the author had bigger ideas for but then he seemed to dump it, after all he made great pains to introduce it and then *poof* it was gone.
The game you can play though is called 'guess the movie', there are probably over 50 times when i could name the movie and even the character that delivered that exact line in a film! Aliens, The Terminator and a whole host of others, i would urge you not to buy this book but maybe get it from the library, read a third of it and then if you still like it go and buy a copy. Anyone giving this tripe more than 3 stars is either retarded or works for the publisher ;-)
And yes before you all jump down my throat, its alot better than i could hope to write yadda yadda and i like the fact he mixed shamblers and sprinters, im a shambler purist so at least he got a positive mark from me on that. Which incidentally is the reason this gets 2 stars.
Go and read World War Z if you haven't already its a much better investment of your time and money.
Oh and before i go i have to mention this, theres a scene thats just too priceless. It involves a hoard of zombies about 2 minutes away from killing 3 main characters and an evil government agent shows up, ooooo. Our hero has a gun and 2 people to protect from imminent 'death by zombie' but he decides to have a fist fight with this guy as its the honorable thing to do *rolls eyes*. It was hysterical, i actually laughed out loud reading it in bed, the description of the fight is then the most hideous piece of teenage masturbatory material ive ever read. Bravo.
Score: 2
- Posted on 2008-06-14
well balanced and well written zombie novel
After reading "Plague of the Dead" you will want to read the sequel. That is not so bad tho because the sequel is equally good. A rare enough thing in any series.
"Plauge" starts what I believe, will be a at least a three part series. The book starts out with some sketchy explanations of types of virus's (mostly African) and how they spread via some emails between a general (Sherman) and a military scientist (Rebbecca) who is studying a new strain but.. that doesn't mean that the book doesn't get right to the action. The action builds quickly as does the character development.
That brings me to the characters.. They are believable and interesting, they cause you to either like or respect them or both. The story follows two basic sets of characters as they try to get to a lab from opposite ends of the continent.
I have to interject politics here. I am new to the zombie book genre but, like in most of the "end of the world as we know it" genre I have noticed two basic themes. On the one hand, the author will be a socialist and the zombies will not be the real terror.. really.. just like us but... different, more needing of understanding than anything.. no, to them the real terror in their zombie novels is that the government has broke down. No government to run to is the most terrifying thing they can think of and salvation only comes from a re-established government.. even with the help of blue helmeted UN soldiers.
The other type is the more individualist type.. the zombies are dead. they feel nothing and are motivated by the desire to eat you or, in the case of "Plague", spread their strain. The government is either evil or impotent and the individual has to fend for himself or in small groups.
I much prefer the latter. "Plauge" strikes a good balance I believe. A realistic balance where not all government is evil but individuals need to fend for themselves. Where the zombies are the real terror and people are on their own or banding together in small groups.
One thing.. I love firearms and cars. Nothing turns me off more in a book than talking about guns that don't exist or couldn't work the way the author says. Recht did some research... his guns and use of them is almost flawless. The only nit I wish to pic is that there never was a Winchester lever action in 45 colt. I know, a minor thing. Also, even tho I am not a military man, Sherman seems to get caught in some real bad military blunders. Some of this can obviously be attributed to the fact that the enemy is like nothing anyone has ever seen tho.
All in all.. one of the better of the dozen zombie books I have read so far and deserving of five star. The "flaws" are just me being nit picky and do nothing to detract from the book(s).
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-06-05
LOVED IT!!!
Plague Of The Dead is one of the best novels I have read in the zombie genre. I have read a lot zombie fiction before, so there is nothing here that is brand new, but overall, this is a story that actually works. The characters, for all their strength and weaknesses, are decently fleshed out (though I can see, quite a few reviewers will not agree with me). The action moves along at a clean, fast pace. The few holes that exist in the plot and the somewhat unsatisfying conclusion are the only real problem areas, but these are to be expected in this genre. Overall, I definitely recommend it.
Score: 5