Book Review: Undead Reckoning

Media Type: Print Book
Title: Undead Reckoning
Author: Mike Slabon
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: Paperback; 455
Release Date: December 15, 2011
Source: Author
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Intended Reading Group: Adult
Genre: Horror / Satire?
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HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers who don’t mind violence in their books, and are okay with a lot of plot hopping.

Add it on: Goodreads / Amazon / B&N

When Eddie Griffin becomes the youngest NFL rookie to win the Super Bowl, little does he realize it will save his life. The day he pays a post-Super Bowl visit to the troops stationed at Ft. Hood, 98% of the world’s population drops dead. And 99% of those people rise up as flesh-crazed
zombies!

Luckily, Eddie ends up safe and sound in the confines of an Emergency Services Bunker. But as bunkers fall prey to undead hordes, Eddie is selected to accompany Lt. Jim Shrike on a secret mission. Together, they enter a world filled with roaming zombies, desperate survivors, crazed lunatics, mighty warriors and depraved demons.

Guided by an ancient prophecy, their mission leads them into the mystical world of Nabisusha, where they not only attempt to save humanity, but discover the very nature of the universe.

I’m honestly not sure where to begin when talking about Undead Reckoning. It’s hard to pin down to just one genre for it, because this book hops all over the place. Eddie Griffin starts out in a zombie apocalypse, just like any other. Dead roaming the streets, terror, the standard. I was comfortable in this world, ready for some epic fighting, and then…all hell broke loose. Green men, knights in shining armor, crazy undead motorcyclists. The list goes on and on. There are so many pieces to this book that it’s kind of like putting together some type of crazy puzzle.

That’s not to say that it’s not entertaining. Mike Slabon has a very descriptive form of writing, and if you’re a fan of violent deaths then you’ll be sitting pretty! Eddie Griffin is a hilarious character, and one that’s very easy to connect with. He’s brave, funny, and smart. Along the way he meets so many different types of characters and they bring new facets to his personality. I liked Eddie. He’s honest. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, and he’s funny as hell.

My real problem with this book was just the craziness of the plot. A mix of fantasy and zombie book it was truly difficult for me to figure out exactly what was going on. The parts of it that I understood kept me reading. Eddie’s personality kept me reading. At the end of the day though I was just too confused for words at the end of the story. I can’t even honestly tell you half of what happened, because I’m still trying to figure it all out.

The nice thing is that Undead Reckoning doesn’t take itself too seriously. It has the spark that needs to be there to keep you reading. It has hilarious scenes, and epic fights. The absurdity of some of it will make you laugh out loud. I’m not entirely certain how to explain this to you any better, so I’ll leave it at this. Give this a shot if you’re looking for something different. Something enjoyable. Something new.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.