The final instalment in The Remaining series, Extinction is an epic conclusion to an outstanding story. Drawing numerous threads together whilst leaving room for more, it’s a thrilling and intense book. Unrelenting and violent and truly gripping. As various factions and enemies begin to put their plans in motion, Captain Lee Harden is, once more, at the forefront. Desperate to fulfil his mission, his determination sees him go places that he never thought he would. Unsure who is friend and who is foe, he’s forced to put his trust in people he barely knows and in a plan with too many moving par ..read more

Continuing my journey into The Remaining, I jumped straight into book five without hesitation. A more measured story in some ways, it takes the series into new directions both in terms of plot and the internal logic powering it along. As dark and brutal as ever, Allegiance builds towards an even harder road. Having taken back the camp, Harden is once again on the defensive, hoping to stop the flow of infected pouring down from the north whilst finding ways to keep his people safe. With limited options, and with most of his team already on the road, he’s forced to reach out in the hope he can ..read more

My final read of 2023 (before I compile my best of the year list), book four in The Remaining series lives up its predecessors with a breathless and brutal story. Ferociously relentless and disturbingly realistic, it’s high octane from the outset. Living up to its title, Fractured, the narrative is split between different groups each on a mission to stop the massing hordes of infected invading the south. Captain Harden has split his most trusted men, LaRouche and Harper, sending each with a team to destroy some strategic bridges. However, that’s not all that has become split apart. With most ..read more

The third book in the series, Refugees is another, brutally realistic addition to this post-apocalyptic adventure. Less frenetic than it’s predecessors but no less breathless, it’s as action packed and intense as ever. Whilst the opening two books were set over a few weeks, Refugees is set months later. Lee Harden has recovered from his injuries and the camp has solidified its position both defensively against the infected but also as a haven for survivors. Using his bunkers to supply people with weapons and food stuffs, Harden is working tirelessly to fulfil his mission objectives. However ..read more

The third book in Adam Baker’s stunning sci-fi horror series, Terminus is a brutal and truly apocalyptic work of fiction. A tale of survival against all odds, it’s grim, vicious and absolutely gripping. Set after the events of Juggernaut, with the terrible infection having spread across the globe, Terminus feels like the endgame. Mere hours before a tactical nuclear bomb is to be dropped on New York, three convicts are set free. Handcuffed and kept in a basement as part of a desperate scientific experiment to try and understand the terrible virus ravaging the planet, the prisoners are lab rat ..read more

The second book in this stellar military zombie apocalypse, Aftermath is a breathless rollercoaster of a read. Terrifying action, brutal realism and very human characters, it’s a brilliant book. Set straight after the first novel, a mere four days since protagonist Captain Lee Harden emerged from his bunker with the mission to help reunite the people of America, Aftermath keeps its foot firmly on the pedal. Whilst Harden put his body on the line to save a mother, daughter and another young boy, his appearance at a survivor camp is met with suspicion and animosity. It’s not helped when a breac ..read more

I read the first book in this series in 2014 and it remains one of my favourite zombie novels. Outpost was nothing short of exceptional. What Adam Baker has done in Juggernaut is entirely different but just as brilliant. Taut, action packed and brutal, it’s a no-holds-barred military sci-fi horror that powers along at a breathtaking pace. Set in Iraq in 2005, Saddam Hussein’s former nation is in ruins; poverty and destruction are everywhere as Western forces decimate pockets of resistance and the country becomes a wild frontier for proxy wars and mercenaries. For Lucy and her crew of hard cha ..read more

An insightful take on the zombie apocalypse, Rot and Ruin has been a book I’ve wanted to read for some time. A fast-paced and well constructed story, it’s little wonder it’s so often touted as exemplary of the genre. Unexpectedly, Rot and Ruin is marketed as YA – not something I realised until beginning the book. And, whilst the opening chapter did pitch Benny, the main character, in the light of a spoiled brat, the book quickly picked up the pace and shed any clumsy elements behind. Benny, on the cusp of turning fifteen and required to find a job unless he is willing to forgo half his ration ..read more

Fascinated, as I am, by zombie horror, I heard that Carrie Ryan’s novel was a good addition to the genre, albeit at YA version. What I didn’t expect was how emotionally and intelligently well crafted it would be. Gripping, engrossing and thought provoking this is a book that will stay with me for a while. Set in a far, post-apocalyptic future, Mary’s village is an idyllic enclave in a sea of death and ruin. Fenced off from the forest from which the Unconsecrated (zombies) roam, the village is ruled by the religious order of the Sisters. Everything is controlled and disciplined and conditioned ..read more

After a hectic weekend, I decided to take some downtime and catch a film on Netflix. Maybe not the most relaxing choice but #Alive was certainly entertaining enough to keep my attention throughout. Dubbed into English, this South Korean movie starts with little preamble. A (probably spoilt) gamer wakes late in the morning to an empty apartment, a note from his mother telling him there aren’t any groceries. He sits down to play his favourite video game and, just like that, the news reports begin to flood in. People acting strangely, becoming sick, engaging in cannibalistic activities. Watching ..read more