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  • Plague of the Dead

  • Morningstar Strain
  • By: Z. A. Recht
  • Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
  • Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (291 ratings)

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Plague of the Dead cover art

Plague of the Dead

By: Z. A. Recht
Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
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Summary

The end begins with a viral outbreak unlike anything mankind has ever encountered before. The infected are subject to delirium, fever, a dramatic increase in violent behavior, and a one-hundred percent mortality rate. Death. But it doesn't end there. The victims return from death to walk the earth.

When a massive military operation fails to contain the plague of the living dead it escalates into a global pandemic. In one fell swoop, the necessities of life become much more basic. Gone are petty everyday concerns. Gone are the amenities of civilized life. Yet a single law of nature remains: Live, or die. Kill, or be killed. On one side of the world, a battle-hardened General surveys the remnants of his command: a young medic, a veteran photographer, a brash Private, and dozens of refugees, all are his responsibility-all thousands of miles from home. Back in the United States, an Army Colonel discovers the darker side of Morningstar virus and begins to collaborate with a well-known journalist to leak the information to the public...The Morningstar Saga has begun.

©2006 Z.A. Recht (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Plague of the Dead

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great fun if familiar

Really enjoyed this book - it wasn't challenging and was familiar but I looked forward to listening to it. Recommended.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Original no. Good story nonetheless . . . Yes!

I really enjoyed this book. It was neither original nor ground-breaking but it does the most important thing a good zombie story should and keeps you interested by building decent characters and making you care about them . . . while of course putting them through various stages of hell one earth!

Even then it's not perfect, the early part uses e-mail exchanges to build the background which would be a neat idea if not for the long repetition of the e-mail addresses etc that accompanied each such interlude. I'd also believe that not all stressed American soldiers sound like Shaggy out of Scooby Doo either.

Those things aside though this is a fine audiobook, the narrator does do a good job with it such that characters are easily distinguished for the most part and the story moves long at a good pace.

If you like good stories with zombies then this is as good a book to spend your credits on as most in the genre.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Repetitive and poorly edited.

The plot is quite interesting. However, character development is not good and the writer repeats whole sentences at regular intervals, which should have been edited out.

The behaviour of so-called experts like the general is not very convincing. The sections with Anna are better than those with the soldiers.

It had potential, but didn't really deliver.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Took me into their world

the narrator was so good I could close my eyes and feel like I was in a room with them talking around me.

the story has always been great, I've read and re read the books for years.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great zombie epic

This book (and the second and third books in the series (Thunder and Ashes, and Survivors)) is a really great zombie epic, charting the trials and tribulations of a various survivors with interlocking story-lines. Spanning the course of about six months after case 'zero' - the first recorded human infection - this story documents how the world fell apart, and how the survivors worked toward finding a cure. Well worth a listen. It is packed with action, emotion and, of course, zombies! This has a very real feel to it, and is not like others I have listened to which felt amateur. This is clearly written by a pro.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Slow start but stick with it!

Well after the first 10 minuets it was driving me wild with the repeating of email addresses but after that it was worth the wait. As a fan of the walking dead, this runs on a similar path though with goverment agencies and the military.
Gripping stuff and you dont want it too end.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic

it was slow to start but after a couple of chapters it was really good recommend it to anyone who likes zombies

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

slightly above average zombie story.

While I enjoyed the performance and parts of the story most of it fell off againest tired charater types and forgettable set pieces.
Liked the two part infection felt it was under utilised and enjoyed the idea of large scale qurantine efforts.
Disliked most of the characters particularly Brewster.
I don't think I would follow the rest of the series and the wait his book closes didn't leave me wanting more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant zombie horror.

Love this audio book. The narration is superb, the writing is superb, I highly recommend anyone who likes a horror novel should download this. The story isn't completely original but it can't be because of the genre. It's the first book in a trilogy and second book is even better. Unfortunately the author died before the third book was released, which is devastating because this guy is super talented. (although there is talk of the third book will get released). R.I.P Z.A. Recht.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Oliver Wyman narration bring the story to life!

Plague of the Dead is a good zombie novel, a little over dramatic at times, but has a solid story and likable ( and hate-able ) characters.

Oliver Wyman's narration turns a good book into a great book and is up their with WWZ and We're Alive in my all time favorite zombie listens.

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