VOODOO PLAGUE 1: UNLEASHED by DIRK PATTON: A Guest Review

Bookaholics we have a guest reviewer today. She read something scary or rather Halloween-ish just in time for this holiday. The book is about zombies! Yay! If you're a book reader and also a fan of the TV series, The Walking Dead, then this book is for you! 

Hope you're all having fun with your celebrations! Read on!

TITLE: VOODOO PLAGUE 1: UNLEASHED

AUTHOR: DIRK PATTON

PUBLICATION DATE: DECEMBER 2, 2013

AMAZON

GOODREADS

SUMMARY: 

John Chase has just arrived in Atlanta on a business trip when America experiences the worst attacks in history. Nuclear bombs destroy cities and the widespread release of nerve gas sends the majority of the surviving population into a murderous rage. Rescuing a woman who survived the attacks he must lead her to safety as Atlanta burns, raging infected roam unchecked and society disintegrates into savagery.

REVIEW

Vampires have been the focus of the fictional spotlight for the past few years.  A lot of people became fascinated with the blood, fangs and the whole sparkling shebang. This film and literary phenomenon may not be completely over yet, but these days, someone else is seriously giving them a run for their money.

Zombies. Walkers. Undead. Whatever you call them, they are the new hit. Although, it is frustrating how with every ten zombie films, only one is passable. Sometimes you’d have to go through fifty zombie book recommendations in Goodreads before finding one worth purchasing in Amazon. Not to mention, The Walking Dead goes into hiatus and admit it, the George Romero remakes suck.

Once you have double-tapped the awesome ones, zombie apocalypse tends to be a viciously boring cycle. Eat, kill, repeat… Until John Chase.

It was just an ordinary business trip for John Chase, one he’s been making at least thrice a month, he already had a routine in place. Board the plane, fasten your seatbelt and then land. Grab the luggage, drive to the hotel, then crash. Everything seemed normal, until police cruisers started appearing one after another, phone lines stopped working and the internet connection failed. Never mind the mist forming after sundown! After all, one cannot succumb to Stephen King-induced fears all the time.

But not being able to reach his wife’s phone disconcerted John, and the lack of news from the TV and radio had put him on edge. A man like Chase learned to never ignore his instincts. That one time he attempted to do so? He woke up to the news saying “America Attacked – Millions Dead”.

Nothing will stop John Chase from returning to his wife. Even if it means fighting his way from Atlanta to Phoenix on foot with thousands of infected on his heels.

Unleashed, the first book in the Voodoo Plague series, begins with John Chase’s journey back home amidst the chaos prompted by multiple attacks in the US. It gets even more complicated when people started biting and tearing limbs off a friend, neighbour and random strangers they ran into, after a nerve gas that was released after a series of nuclear bomb explosions turned the a significant part of the population to flesh-eating savages on a rampage.

It may be a tad difficult to rely on someone else when people are busy running for their own lives, but it could also be a great opportunity for forging bonds that will last a lifetime.

Exhibit A: Rachel Miles

Exhibit B: Dog

Yes! John will not be alone in his journey for too long and he’ll meet two brave souls that will prove great addition to the story. People will find it physically impossible to resist Dog! Not loving him is totally unheard of. Also, readers with the shipping tendencies may also have a slight dilemma on where their loyalties must lie, what with the noticeable chemistry that forms between John and Rachel. Despite what Rihanna said, it may be a little hard to find love in a hopeless place.

Spoiler alert! There might be some shipper-squealing moments on the later part of the series (Can you say slow burn?) but the amazing thing is those scenes don’t take away the focus from the vital parts of the plot.

And even if it’s incredibly easy to fall in love with the supporting characters, getting too invested in their well-being may be a potential problem. The author, Dirk Patton, kills the characters he created like it’s nobody’s business. So like what Max Black always says in Two Broke Girls, “Don’t get attached.” Then again, blame the author for making it extremely hard not to.

So what makes Voodoo Plague different? Almost all zombie-centric stories came up with their own version of Oops-I-Spilled-World-War-Z-Chemicals, but what sets the book apart is how gripping the post-apocalyptic experience was written from the eyes of the main character.

It is truly commendable how this indie author managed to write a fast-paced, action-packed story that will just leave you wanting for more. Dirk Patton has a very refreshing writing style! It is a gift to paint a vivid picture with words, without overly doing so.  The readers will not be choking on details nor suffer through long whiny flashbacks that will test a saint’s patience. Less is more, huh?

All good things come to an end. Or not! One obvious problem readers have is reaching the last page of the book, which is typically followed by the long agonizing wait for the next one. Yep! There are tons of amazing authors who have the tendency to leave you hanging. The great thing about the Voodoo Plague series is that as of October 2015, the tenth book is already available for pre-order and will be released on December. So after completing Unleashed, you can jump right on to the next one!

And then the next one after that… And the one after that… Then the one – you get the point.

Happy reading and have an awesomazing Halloween!

RATING

5 Fairy Wings

Guest Reviewer: Joyce Gabionza

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustMeJoycey 

Joyce has a sweet tooth and may very well be your next Chocoholics Anonymous seatmate. Spending most of her free time on books, music and TV series, she'll always and forever be a Klaroline shipper and an unapologetic fangirl.