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brandondorf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
badseedgirl's review against another edition
4.0
If a reader enjoys [a:Jonathan Maberry|72451|Jonathan Maberry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1512594942p2/72451.jpg] Joe Ledger series, they will enjoy this story. This is a wonderful summer read. Unfortunately, I had already started reading this book before I realized that my library does not have anymore books in the series!
terminalfin's review against another edition
5.0
Where to begin with this fantastic story. As someone who grown to be addicted to Nick's writing, I can say that, without a doubt, this story kept up the tradition of drawing me in and leaving me wanting more. I am writing this review based on the audible omnibus edition (which included books 1 through 3, but my review for this portion only includes material, I am hoping, from book one).
While I will admit that the story started out a bit slow for my taste, I stuck through it as I have not been disappointed by Nick in the past. Man, am I glad that I did. What happens when a secret military experiment goes awry and results in mutations that seek to feed and spread? That is where this story takes you. Starting out with an experiment set back during the Vietnam War, the story gradually unfolds with what is clearly well researched science and thought. Reed Beckham leads Team Ghost through a mission to recover a sample from a gone-silent medical research facility as USAMRIID (pronounced u-sam-rid, minor nit-pick on my part as it is spelled out phonetically quite frequently during the narration).
As someone intimately familiar with Fort Bragg, I loved the details about the base as Reed leads his team to search for survivors throughout the now overrun base. The roads and locations called out easily helped me to picture what was going on and Nick clearly did his homework with regards to the base. Likewise, the details which go into Kate and Ellis's research into curing the infected fro the initial outbreak. All of the details make this story feel very real and help draw you in to the various situations which impact the human condition of each of the characters in the story.
The details on the infeced and variants definitely give this a very unique feel (not typical zombies, not resident evil mutations, but a good and scary mix which also reminds me of a creature from an X-Files episode).
I am very glad I invested in this story as, like Hell Divers and Trackers, this story has me as another hooked reader (listener in my case). Great work and highly recommended!
While I will admit that the story started out a bit slow for my taste, I stuck through it as I have not been disappointed by Nick in the past. Man, am I glad that I did. What happens when a secret military experiment goes awry and results in mutations that seek to feed and spread? That is where this story takes you. Starting out with an experiment set back during the Vietnam War, the story gradually unfolds with what is clearly well researched science and thought. Reed Beckham leads Team Ghost through a mission to recover a sample from a gone-silent medical research facility as USAMRIID (pronounced u-sam-rid, minor nit-pick on my part as it is spelled out phonetically quite frequently during the narration).
As someone intimately familiar with Fort Bragg, I loved the details about the base as Reed leads his team to search for survivors throughout the now overrun base. The roads and locations called out easily helped me to picture what was going on and Nick clearly did his homework with regards to the base. Likewise, the details which go into Kate and Ellis's research into curing the infected fro the initial outbreak. All of the details make this story feel very real and help draw you in to the various situations which impact the human condition of each of the characters in the story.
The details on the infeced and variants definitely give this a very unique feel (not typical zombies, not resident evil mutations, but a good and scary mix which also reminds me of a creature from an X-Files episode).
I am very glad I invested in this story as, like Hell Divers and Trackers, this story has me as another hooked reader (listener in my case). Great work and highly recommended!
vikingwolf's review against another edition
5.0
Delta Force Team Ghost are being sent to a facility in California where contact has been lost with scientists who were working on a cure for a new Ebola outbreak. To make matters worse, the team are told of a supersoldier vaccine experiment VX99 that took place in Vietnam and went wrong, and it may be linked to this facility going dark. Beckham's orders are to breach the facility, rescue anyone alive and find the cure if one exists but what they find in the dark is from their worst nightmares...
Can I say that I loved this book as much as the Arisen series that I rave about? This is another series that rolls along at breakneck speed with action and horror all over the place, and characters that you give a damn about. And there are lots of zombies to enjoy!
Beckham is the leader of the group, stong, capable and loyal to his team. He is not happy at the lack of information that they are receiving from the army guides who are briefing him but is resigned to doing his job and getting in and out of the facility as quickly as possible. When they go inside and find dead bodies infected with both Ebola and VX99 viruses, it is clear that something bad is going to be lurking down in the dark. It reminds me of a Resident Evil video game as they move through the dark facility, waiting for something to jump out at them. I was as tense as they were! It was an exciting mission to read as they face monsters trying to kill them. Lets just say that those who came out alive were darn lucky to do so, and it gets the book off to an explosive start.
The infection of course is not going to be contained as an infected scientist leave the facility before lockdown occured, and he is about to turn on an aircraft landing in Chicago. The city is soon falling to the monsters while other planes start spreading the infection through the country. When the infection hits Atlanta, two scientists, Kate and Michael, are stranded there as they try to work on a cure before the zombies take over everywhere. They are pretty much the planet's last hope and the remains of Beckham's team are sent to the CDC to rescue them and get them to safety. Beckham has serious doubts about fighting his way into the building with so many infected to find the scientists, never mind getting them safely out of the city...
I liked the prologue of the book where we see the utter failure of the experiment in Vietnam which Brett's team were told would keep the troops safe from chemical warfare weapons. Instead as the men inject themselves, the agony of the injection causes them to feel compelled to kill and they turn into violent psychopaths and turn on each other until only Brett is left alive. We last see him in the jungle seeking out other people to kill. Brett suspected he was being used as a guinea pig and he was right-VX99 was actually designed to create super soldiers but turned out to be too lethal and was discontinued. Until the scientists try to use it to kill the Ebola virus and create something worse...
It is also interesting that the man in charge of the army base on Plum Island, Gibson from USAMRIID, was the man who wanted to create a virus that would stop the need for US soldiers going abroad to die after the death of his own son in the military. Instead, they created something too powerful and contagious and now it is on the ramage and will kill millions. I found myself feeling sympathetic to his aims but of course he is the man to blame for the situation. I like the fact that it is more complex than a bad guy releasing a virus kind of thing.
The zombies in this book are lethal and pretty dang scary! They are not the actual living dead as they are humans who suddenly mutate into monsters but their behaviour is so zombie like that that is what I call them. It is their blood which infects and that is how the plague spreads. They are also constantly evolving through the book which keeps things interesting. You're never quite sure what was coming next and I love a book that throws up twists and surprises. The action is full on with several critical missions that put our characters into danger, all of which are well written, tense and heart in mouth. The characters are well written and developed and you very much care every time they are in danger, which is vital to me in a book. This series looks to have everything I want from a zombie apocalypse and I loved the book.
It really is a rollercoaster ride for zombie fans.
Can I say that I loved this book as much as the Arisen series that I rave about? This is another series that rolls along at breakneck speed with action and horror all over the place, and characters that you give a damn about. And there are lots of zombies to enjoy!
Beckham is the leader of the group, stong, capable and loyal to his team. He is not happy at the lack of information that they are receiving from the army guides who are briefing him but is resigned to doing his job and getting in and out of the facility as quickly as possible. When they go inside and find dead bodies infected with both Ebola and VX99 viruses, it is clear that something bad is going to be lurking down in the dark. It reminds me of a Resident Evil video game as they move through the dark facility, waiting for something to jump out at them. I was as tense as they were! It was an exciting mission to read as they face monsters trying to kill them. Lets just say that those who came out alive were darn lucky to do so, and it gets the book off to an explosive start.
The infection of course is not going to be contained as an infected scientist leave the facility before lockdown occured, and he is about to turn on an aircraft landing in Chicago. The city is soon falling to the monsters while other planes start spreading the infection through the country. When the infection hits Atlanta, two scientists, Kate and Michael, are stranded there as they try to work on a cure before the zombies take over everywhere. They are pretty much the planet's last hope and the remains of Beckham's team are sent to the CDC to rescue them and get them to safety. Beckham has serious doubts about fighting his way into the building with so many infected to find the scientists, never mind getting them safely out of the city...
I liked the prologue of the book where we see the utter failure of the experiment in Vietnam which Brett's team were told would keep the troops safe from chemical warfare weapons. Instead as the men inject themselves, the agony of the injection causes them to feel compelled to kill and they turn into violent psychopaths and turn on each other until only Brett is left alive. We last see him in the jungle seeking out other people to kill. Brett suspected he was being used as a guinea pig and he was right-VX99 was actually designed to create super soldiers but turned out to be too lethal and was discontinued. Until the scientists try to use it to kill the Ebola virus and create something worse...
It is also interesting that the man in charge of the army base on Plum Island, Gibson from USAMRIID, was the man who wanted to create a virus that would stop the need for US soldiers going abroad to die after the death of his own son in the military. Instead, they created something too powerful and contagious and now it is on the ramage and will kill millions. I found myself feeling sympathetic to his aims but of course he is the man to blame for the situation. I like the fact that it is more complex than a bad guy releasing a virus kind of thing.
The zombies in this book are lethal and pretty dang scary! They are not the actual living dead as they are humans who suddenly mutate into monsters but their behaviour is so zombie like that that is what I call them. It is their blood which infects and that is how the plague spreads. They are also constantly evolving through the book which keeps things interesting. You're never quite sure what was coming next and I love a book that throws up twists and surprises. The action is full on with several critical missions that put our characters into danger, all of which are well written, tense and heart in mouth. The characters are well written and developed and you very much care every time they are in danger, which is vital to me in a book. This series looks to have everything I want from a zombie apocalypse and I loved the book.
It really is a rollercoaster ride for zombie fans.
beingshort's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
beingshort's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
akoobra's review against another edition
5.0
I don't normally write reviews but in this case I couldn't resist. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat which for a guy my age isn't a good thing. I thought it took me about 30 minutes to read the entire book but when I checked the clock I had spent a good few hours in his world. It moved along well and with great characters. What can I say, read it.
beingshort's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
samanthabean's review against another edition
1.0
DNF. I'm giving up on this one. I like the premise of this book, and I'm not especially bothered by the fact that it's a bit unoriginal in its plot. What I can't get over, however, is how incredibly dull the characters are. In particular, the female CDC research scientist is so devoid of personality that I found her sections completely boring.
[Tiny spoiler ahead]
And I'm sorryyyy, but even I know that you can't just stroll off a black hawk covered in contaminated blood and Ebola goo. Why do we need to endure complaints from every character (including the CDC scientist!) about what seems to be a perfectly reasonable decontamination procedure?
That's the only scene I'm going to mention, but trust me when I say that I found myself questioning just how "elite" this Delta Force Team really is more than once.
[Tiny spoiler ahead]
And I'm sorryyyy, but even I know that you can't just stroll off a black hawk covered in contaminated blood and Ebola goo. Why do we need to endure complaints from every character (including the CDC scientist!) about what seems to be a perfectly reasonable decontamination procedure?
That's the only scene I'm going to mention, but trust me when I say that I found myself questioning just how "elite" this Delta Force Team really is more than once.