William Esmont

The very idea of zombies is the stuff of nightmares. Is it possible for the entire world to be blanketed within days by a virus that not only kills its victims but reanimates them and turns them into voracious killers, craving human flesh? It is the gritty reality of William Esmont's world. Not only do the characters in this story have to avoid the undead in order to survive, but lines are being drawn among the living that are actually scarier than the possibility of being bitten by a show more zombie. This book is most unsettling. It positively undulates with tension and sets the stage for what I believe will be one hell of a battle. Eat or be eaten, both literally and figuratively...

I look forward to the next segment in this tale of survival. show less

A quick read, both because it is relatively short and because I just had to keep reading to see what happened next! It’s a very plot driven book that focuses on the way a few people deal with the aftermath of an unknown large-scale disaster and illness. The focus is very small scale (and very tense) and I do wish we had gotten to see what happens on a larger scale at the end but really the only way to accomplish that would be to have this book be the first in a series and I honestly kind show more of enjoy that it is not. Overall it didn’t strike me as a very hopeful book but more realistic and it definitely made me wonder what I would do in a similar situation. show less

My full review: http://coffeecookiesandchilipeppers.blogspot.com/2012/12/fire-by-william-esmont....

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book free from the author via a Librarything Member Giveaway, in return for an honest review.

When I saw the synopsis for this title, which seemed to be centered on Megan Pritchard, a prostitute, I was hopeful that her profession was more of an interesting character back-story than a way to force some gratuitous sex into the plot. I am pleased to say that show more this proved to be the case, although we begin the book with a rather distasteful description of her encounter with her last ‘John’. Megan proves to be a surprisingly engaging heroine, although one would expect that anyone who engages in prostitution would need a lot of mental toughness. She is resourceful and surprisingly lacking in the usual ‘too stupid to live’ gene that is so prevalent in heroines. Supplying me with a female lead that is not a damsel in distress will always get extra credit from me! show less

An understated adventure on the Arctic Ocean. Something has happened to the world, Emmett is alone at his workstation when the electricity goes out and the system AI goes silent. Emmett spends weeks alone trying to stay alive. When he comes close to an ocean liner he manages to climb aboard. On the ocean liner almost everyone has fallen sick, many have died.
On the ship there are many cruel things done by Oscar, the self-proclaimed leader, with no thought and no empathy. It’s a dangerous show more and traumatic sail.
The action is written in a direct, almost matter-of-fact way, that doesn’t detract from the horrors and traumatic attempts to survive. This was a riveting book from start to finish. show less