ZA book minus women's rapes

First thing to note is that this is an omnibus edition, which means that there are 3 "books" in here which were originally published (and presumably sold) separately. If you were to get book 1 only, you'd be very annoyed at where it stopped and where book 2 started as it just ends in the middle of the story (i.e. the transition to book 2 in this omnibus is invisible - if you weren't told it was a new book, you'd never know from the story itself). The transition from book 2 to book 3 is a little more noticeable (the tone of the story changes a bit too) so I could see how book 3 is legitimately separate from 1+2.

Now, to the story... it's actually an above average pseudo-military post-apocalyptic zombie novel. It's not an action novel - there are too many characters for that - but it's a decently fleshed-out zombie apocalypse with just enough shooting, zombie gore, and people being killed to keep you reading. No, there is no big twist here, no unexpected source of or behaviour by the zombies, but for a standardly plotted zombie novel, it's at least a 4 star... mainly due to the characters behaving normally and the scenarios being realistic. I've given it 5 stars because women are present and real, and they aren't only there to be raped and rescued (and vice versa).

I will be reading more by this author since it's nice to have a decent quality zombie novel minus the gun porn and women as mere rape objects. I might wait until they are packaged in another omnibus however, as I don't know that the stories are "separate" enough to justify being sold independently.

The narration is very good. There is a lot of swearing, some non-graphic but fairly gore-y zombie details and no sex. #Zombies #NoGunPorn #WomenNotVictims #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

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78 people found this helpful

Good macho military bang bang story

If you're looking for character depth, maybe you should stay away as this all about tough as nails disciplined special forces men and the obligatory just as tough female sniper. The beginning spends quite some time on the characters, but I actually fast forwarded twice, because they were all the same and their "depth" of how tough they were got tiresome. All the soldiers were the same to me. Except Predator because he is the toughest of them all. There are alot of acronyms, descriptive weaponry and tactics as you would expect In a military focused book. At this time the book was worth three stars.

A positive is that becuase they are tough and professional killers, there is no whingeing, whining, moral delimmas or doing of dumb things.

Halfway through, the story got me hooked and it's pretty interesting and well written. The SEAL team scavenges Europe for supplies and search research centres for the cure, the trail leading to an over run United States. The virus has mutated and there are a few fast and powerful zombies (Zulu Foxtrots) that will just slash people just to spread the virus, not to feed. Englishman Wesley is the most relatable character, being a civilian security guard. He got drafted and how that happened made me laugh. The story switches between Wesley and the gung-Ho special operators.

There are no raiders, cannibal sects or government conspiracies but there is a stupid kid which messes everything up, which is sadly so essential in many zombie stories.

I read this omnibus first because it was labeled 1-3, but there's another marked as 0.5 that I've just started and it's a totally different story, with new characters occurring before the apocalypse. I wish I read that one first, because right now I want to continue with the story I'm on. Two of the characters did something stupid and unexpected in the end.

The narrators rough voice fits the book but he's just great with all the voices.

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44 people found this helpful

RC Bray At His Best !!

I am a fan of the ZA genre, but I find that most ZA books follow a very similar
format. Something like bad ass ex-military guys try to survive through skill and guile while helping other survivors along the way...or...unlikely anti hero emerges and summons his inner McGyver, etc...

The story line(s) of the Arisen Omnibus trilogy is somewhat more sophisticated as it carefully intertwines several personal narratives within a broader survival story.

I clearly see that a Book 4 will be necessary to tie-up all the lose ends that the first three books leave behind.

So the story is worth 3 stars. The brilliant narration by RC Bray is worth at least an additional two stars! Simply put, Bray's narration elevates Arisen from good to exceptional.

Bray's narration of the Martian was very good, but I think Arisen is even more of a showcase for his talent.

Arisen Omnibus is one of those rare audiobooks that grabbed me immediately and never disappointed.

Well worth you time and credit!

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27 people found this helpful

Call of duty... With zombies!

Really enjoyed the series, very fast paced and more action packed than many but anyone who enjoyed 'The Remaining' or the 'surviving the dead' series of books will love it. Well narrated and written in a format that could easily be made into a great film or video game. Individually these books are relatively short but together the three make up a very worthwhile listen.

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19 people found this helpful

nonstop action from the moment you start listenin

This review refers to the first three volumes of the Arisen Omnibus series, (books 1-3).

The world has been overrun by zombies, the only exception is the large island of Great Britain, or now called Fortress Britain. This was a fortunate accident of timing; a foiled terrorist attack caused Great Britain to close its borders to air traffic at exactly the time when the zombie virus was spreading. There were and are pockets of infection, but awareness and warning allowed the British to move quickly to protect themselves, even going so far as to destroy the Chunnel (the tunnel linking England to France). As far as anyone knows, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas are completely overrun by the walking dead.

If they were just lumbering flesh eating zombies, protection wouldn’t be so difficult. But there are several different kinds; the first is the standard slow flesh eating zombie, referred to as Zulus in military parlance, and a quicker version called runners or Romeos; and now the recently emerging strain that are lightning quick, with no other goal but to infect the living. This new one is called Tango Foxtrot November, or “The F**king Nightmare.”

Arisen Omnibus is nonstop action. From the moment you start listening, zombie brain-stems are being pulverized by bullets, grenades, hatchets, clubs and swords. The story mostly follows the military elite group called Alpha Team, who are masterful at all things staying alive. They are perfect soldiers, brave, loyal, dedicated and lucky. Perhaps they are too perfect, but hey, they’re killing dead people who walk and eat flesh; you’d better have heroes up to the task.

The audiobook is performed by R.C. Bray, who gives a flawless performance. His deep resonant baritone vibrates in your ear giving just the right energy at just the right time. The accents and characters are easily discerned and sound right for each. You may want to listen to other books performed by Bray just to hear his performance.

If you enjoy military and/or zombie stories, Arisen Omnibus is a must listen. It is exciting, inventive, suspenseful and just plain gory fun. You will definitely look forward to the next installment of the Arisen Omnibus series.

Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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16 people found this helpful

Special forces save mandkind

The British point point of view makes this zombie story a little different. The introduction of a super zombie type keeps the pressure on for the characters. The use of special forces for all the hard and saving mankind missions makes sense. It also adds a vicarious feeling of excitement as they can do things that even athletes could not do. i liked the narrator and thought the plot was tightly written and kept my interest throughout the all of the books. The story ends with some loose ends leaving plenty of room for another book. My only complaint is that it is a little short for my tastes. I think that if you like JL Bourne and his daybyday Armageddon series you will really like this one.

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13 people found this helpful

Standout Zombie Horror Story

Would you listen to Arisen Omnibus Edition: Books 1-3 again? Why?

Might. It's a great beginning to a harrowing story full of diverse and rich characters. Going back to the beginning could be good fun to hear their initial development.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I've listened so far into this series - I might be listing some characters that come in later. That said, Predator has to take the top. Clearly drawn with wonderful depth.

Which character – as performed by R.C. Bray – was your favorite?

I think Sara comes in later - she's a Canadian - and his ability to present women characters as well as his mastery of a variety of dialects - even ones as subtle as Canadian - is pronounced in his depiction of her

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This is a sprawling story - so hard to say. I think most of my favorite moments come later in Maximum Violence (Gunny Fick) and Exodus (the re-emergence of the JFK's captain and subsequent disappearance). What I like most about the book overall is that all of the armed forces personnel are depicted in the best light. Many of these types of post-apocalyptic stories don't do that and I really enjoyed that they were shown as comrades in arms out to serve those that were not trained to be protectors. At the same time, they are show to be fully living and breathing 3 dimensional characters with missteps mingled with extraordinary skill. I am not in the armed forces and long past the age to do so. This book oddly made me appreciate their service in real time.

Any additional comments?

When I grow up (I'm 47) I want to be R.C. Bray.

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11 people found this helpful

Great series, the Best ZA series out there

This is a great series. As one of the characters says, it's not so much about the Zombies but how the humans who remain cope with the end of the world.

But, I have issues with the whole concept. I can imagine a virus that turns humans into raving lunatics who only want to bite the living (Rabies style) but:

(1) Defying the laws of physics - how can corpses who are literally rotted away still manage to move and kill the living. I can suspend disbelief with most Sci Fi because a lot of it is based on existing science or conceivable advances or a magic black box that promises some future scientific advance. But corpses that can still function when the body is rotted away seems a bridge too far.

(2) Zombies are drawn to sound and smell (apparently) so why doesn't the military set up a killing zone in an empty stadium or depression, lure the hordes with a sound machine (a la the thumpers in DUNE) and when you have a few thousand trapped in the killing zone drop some napalm on them?

(3) Thinking back on WW1 and the massive killing of tens of thousands of living, dodging and shooting soldiers while attacking fortified German positions; why doesn't the military set up to sweep hordes with massive machine gun fire at head height with secondary troops lined up to pick off the ones who squirt through the fire?

Just some thoughts. Still a great well written series if you can suspend disbelief of the above caveats.

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10 people found this helpful

Totally Fun Book, Terrific Narration

Overall this is a great listen, fun story with some great characters. Bray knocks it out of the park with his narration that brings people, plot and action to life.

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9 people found this helpful

I'm ruined.....

This is hands down the best zombie series I have read/ listened to! The narration is absolutely flawless and the story line is better that any other! In A perfect world, this would be the next great movie series....please, please complete this amazing story

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9 people found this helpful