A great start to a series

4.5 out of 5 stars

I can't tell you how long I've had other Konkoly books sitting on my to be read shelf.  He just seems to pick genres and topics that I really want to read.  I finally bit the bullet when he started writing a bio-thriller based novel.  Hot Zone borrows the name of one of my all-time favorite novels and does a pretty nice job showing what would happen if a rage-like virus would sweep the midwest. 

The virus itself plays the main character through most of Hot Zone -- allowing the reader to get familiar with it and what it's doing to people.  I like that Konkoly based it on seemingly real things.  It reminded me a bit of the virus from 28 Days Later -- but a little more docile.  People still went crazy, but they weren't crazy all the time. It made it a little scarier to me.  I just can't imagine sitting across from my wife who was fine one minute and attacking me with a fireplace poker the next. 

The story revolved around a few different people who were all from different aspects of life.  A cop, a couple who worked at a biotech company, a mercenary, a doctor, and a researcher.  The story bounced around from person to person but ended up weaving into a really nice full story by the end. 

The end -- this burned me a little.  It dropped it from a 5-star book to a 4.5. It just kind of ended.  I know that it had an "ending" but it had a "there is going to be more than one book" ending. Sure, the story was good, the character development was one of the best I've ever read, and the virus was well thought out and explained in a way that made sense -- but the story just kind of stopped.

I will be continuing on with this series (especially if it's on audio).  So I think in the end it'll be a wash.  But I was genuinely shocked when the story ended. 

Overall, a great book that kept me reading.  I didn't want to put it down. 

15 people found this helpful

C’mon...

Can’t be same guy who wrote Perseid Collapse series — which is fantastic. And, this narrator overacts the characters — turns them into a parody of the regional dialects he’s trying to portray. C’mon, give us another Jakarta Pandemic.

12 people found this helpful

Zombie Story without Zombies?

Is it possible to write a zombie apocalypse story without zombies? Perhaps. but this isn't the book to accomplish that. I got the distinct impression the author wanted to write a ZA story, but didn't want to jump on the zombie bandwagon. I get it, the ZA genre can be cliche, but there is a reason it's a popular genre.

Overall, it was a good story, and it pulled me into all three books in the series. Decent action with an interesting plot and good characters. Even though a mob of crazies can still kill you, it lacked the zeal of the walking dead hungry for your flesh.

I've read some reviews on the narrator making the character voices cliche or caricatures. While I think this is true in some sense, I thought the narrator did an excellent job of making all the main characters have a distinct and easy to recognize voice.

5 people found this helpful

Unknown virus takes out population.

A Rage Virus has been turned loose in several metropolitan cities and it is spreading at an alarming rate. People turned violent attacking each other without understanding why. The news media reported flu-like symptoms and neglected to mention the scope of the infection or the violent reactions. Those who worked in the specific field knew better though and suspected a modified weaponized virus had been released on the population. The unanswered questions in their minds were how large is the affected area and who is behind it. The story transitions through several individuals or groups of survivors recounting their travels and the hardships they encounter during the crisis. The characters are well-defined and likable.

4 people found this helpful

Entertaining yarn marred by narration

I had high hopes for this book, I really did - I am a fan of Steven Konkoly and the post apocalyptic thriller genre, so perhaps I was setting myself up for a fall.

Ok I admit that I still get slightly baffled by weapon / gun fetishism , but I now take the "Evil Big Government" view in my stride. ( They may have means and opportunity but what the hell is the motive?)

I couldn't however get past the Narration - some characters in parts sounded to my ears like out takes from a Yogi bear cartoon, and I just could not immerse myself in the story.

That said, the plot is entertaining enough ( not a patch on Steven Konkolys previous books though, perhaps getting just a little too formulaic) however I do not think I will be returning to hear of the survivors progress .

9 people found this helpful

Guilty pleasure

I bought this book in error. Trying to get the hot zone that was the true story about Ebola. I generally read real science books and biographies. But I figured since I already got it I would give it a listen. I feel ashamed to say that after the first hour or two the book got a little addictive. Working in medicine I know that there are some wild in accuracies in how this virus works, and how the hospital workers/hospital itself work… But it seems that the author has some military background as he seems to have a very in-depth knowledge of how a lot of military procedures would go.
Ashamed to say that I kind of loved the action and suspense and I actually enjoyed myself during this book and...I guess I’m going to get the next one.

3 people found this helpful

Another Awesome Read

While I found some of the narrator's accents a little odd, it did nothing to derail a great story. Wonderful to read a story with a believable premise that didn't include an EMP, my usual preferred method of the EOTWAWKI.

3 people found this helpful

Good book cringe- worthy accents

The book has a good premise and I will listen to the second one. When the narrator is doing a normal middle aged man’s voice he is great but for some reason he gives one couple these southern accents that make the book almost too difficult to listen to. And there is a boy who is supposedly 17 and heading to the marines and he reads him like a 10 year old baby-it’s so odd! Otherwise he is good- just those two and it’s frustrating! Book is decent- waiting for it to pick up some in the second installment!

1 person found this helpful

Enjoyable

I don't understand why some people knocked this book. It was fast-paced, dangerous/thrilling, and I enjoyed it. The lack of zombies was actually a plus for me, although the virus-damaged people were scary enough. A group of strangers banding together to survive. I knocked the rating down on the story because it ended abruptly, and now I have to go buy the next one. I think books -- even in a series -- should be intact within themselves, and not end suddenly in the middle of things. But, I'm excited for the next book!

1 person found this helpful

Took awhile

Story okay. Narration fine until the accents. Then it was pretty offensive . I needed three more words 😐