REVIEW: City of the Dead by Brian Keene

City of the Dead by Brian Keene

Synopsis

Where can you go when the dead are everywhere? Cities have become overrun with legions of the dead, all of them intent on destroying what's left of the living. Trapped inside a fortified skyscraper, a handful of survivors prepare to make their last stand against an unstoppable, undying enemy. With every hour their chances diminish and their numbers dwindle, while the numbers of the dead can only rise. Because sooner or later, everything dies. And then it comes back, ready to kill.

About the Author

Brian Keene is the author of over twenty horror, crime, and dark fantasy novels and short story collections, including Castaways, Dead Sea, Unhappy Endings, Dark Hollow, Urban Gothic, and many more. He also writes comic books for Marvel, DC and others. The winner of two Bram Stoker Awards, as well as several other literary awards, Keene’s work has been translated into German, Polish, French, Spanish, and Taiwanese. His novel, The Rising (published in early 2003), is often credited (along with Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later) as ushering in the current resurgence of zombies in pop culture. Several of his works have been optioned for film and other media. His short story The Ties That Bind was released on DVD in July 2009 as a short independent film. Also in 2009, his novel Terminal debuted as a limited release stage play.

Keene also operates the successful Books For Troops program, which provides free, unlimited books to members of the U.S. Armed Forces. He was honored for this in 2006 by the 509th Logistics Fuels Flight group from Whitman Air Force Base, home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Keene is also a prolific public speaker, and spends much of the year addressing schools, libraries, writer’s groups and civic organizations. The Central Intelligence Agency frequently has him speak at their headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Keene’s work has been featured/praised in such diverse places as The New York Times, The History Channel, CNN, The Howard Stern Show, Fangoria, and Rue Morgue Magazine.

Keene lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, two sons, two cats, and dog.

Check out Brian's blog here.

My Thoughts

This book was a powerhouse of action. You hardly had a moment to catch your breath in between the attacks and battles. As fun as the first one, The Rising, but even more brutal and graphic. Full of good characters fighting the good fight, and with a healthy dose of unscrupulous and mentally unstable characters alike, you never know what's going to happen next.

This book picks up where The Rising left off. Jim has just made it to his son's home, and the zombies are closing in outside. The book opens at the home of his ex-wife, while you wait to learn whether or not Danny is found alive and whether they make it out alive, and it ends at the Ramsey Towers in New York, where survivors are holed up against the zombies milling around outside.

One thing I should note: This book is not suitable for children. It is extremely violent, vulgar and there are many moments of graphic sexuality, including zombie sex and multiple accounts of genital mutilation. Please be forewarned.

Overall a fun story, but a little sad and depressing at times.



My Rating: 7.5 out of 10