Dead of Winter
by Robert J. Duperre
Genre: Zombie Apocalypse Horror
Publication: December 20, 2010 by Createspace
Kindle copy purchased by reviewer
Amazon (Paperback, Kindle), Barnes & Noble, Indiebound
Synopsis from goodreads
Winter arrives, and with it the Storm. Snow piles up, turning the landscape into a white prison. The survivors of Wrathchild’s plague struggle to survive. With loneliness and doubt creeping in, they must choose: stay in isolation with their dwindling resources, or journey south, taking a chance in a realm where the undead walk. This is the terror facing the characters in Dead of Winter, the sequel to The Fall by Robert J. Duperre. With darkness all around them and the mystery of humanity’s unraveling growing deeper each day, they must delve deep into their reservoir of strength to move forward.
The coast of Florida lies hundreds of miles away, and with it the possibility of salvation.
Review
Dead of Winter is the second book in the Rift Series (you can see my review of that AMAZING book here) and it picks up essentially where the first one left off: the world as we know it has ended and those dubiously lucky souls who have survived the “Rat Flu” plague that turned humans into monsters must now go about the process of surviving. It’s no small task and one has to wonder if the rag tag group of friends and strangers who have bonded together in the previous story are up to the task.
Josh has a lot of growing up to do. Even as much as I loved his character in The Fall, even as much as I wanted to smack him in that book too, he has SO much to learn! He’s such a kid in so many ways and the harsh new world around him has but one use for the weak: fodder for the monsters. Plus, whether he likes it or not, whether he wants to admit it to himself or not, there’s something special about him, something that just might save not only his friends but the world.
Even as we rejoin our old friends, full of trepidaton and dare I say hope, we meet some fascinating new characters and learn more about the source of the plague and the coming war. There’s Marcy, a girl who perhaps even more than Josh is critical to the puzzle of just what the evil is that is taking over the planet and might be the key to defeating it. There’s William, brilliant and damaged and more powerful that he suspects. And then there’s Corky, who despite the crack in his soul, is the source of so much unconditional love, a rare trait indeed in these desperate times.
As much as I loved the characters in The Fall, I loved these new characters too! I don’t know how Robert does it, how does he make people of such incredible depth and humanity? They’re imperfect to be sure but their flaws make me enjoy them all the more, rooting for them page by page as I race to see what happens next.
And, as you might expect from the genre, it’s not all sunshine and lollipops for these characters. Sam is still out there, gathering an army of truly terrifying proportions, corrupting those weak enough to be lured into his siren song of power and survival, destroying those whom he can’t corrupt. And when Sam and his children get angry…well….it isn’t pretty!
Bottom Line
This book will have you crying and cheering simultaneously (and just might give you a nightmare or two) but it’s definitely worth it! If you haven’t started the journey with The Fall, you’ll definitely want to read that first to see just how these folks got themselves into the messes their in, but you’ll love reading ever page of these fantastic books!!!
Final Notes
As I said above, Dead of Winter is the second book in The Rift Saga, a quartet of books by the brilliant Robert J. Duperre. The third book, Death Springs Eternal just came out and I’m thrilled to be reviewing that one next Wednesday, February 1st. Please stop by to see my thoughts on how this saga continues (*spoiler alert* DSE is pretty FREAKING AWESOME!!!).
Also, the made-of-win, Robert Duperre, will have a pretty amazing surprise to announce on that day as well, so definitely stop back to see what wonderful tricks he has up his sleeve!
Now go and get lost…in a book!
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Great review! I don't remember this one from the previous review! It sounds frightening, addictive and just way too possible. I keep telling my kids, the zombie thing could happen with all the genetic stuff that goes on and one mishap and oops! we've got zombies! Or at the very least some funky looking humans.
I like the sound of this series and book three just releasing is even better. The characters sound great, though I don't know about this Sam person. Might just have to get my hands on this series.
Thanks for the review, Pushy!
Heather
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