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Reign of the Dead :

Reign of the Dead :

List Price: $17.95
Your Price: $12.21
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Needs a good editor
Review: I am really into the subject of the living dead. Movies, books, comics, you name it. Because of this I have a hard time disliking anything in the genre, including this book. To me, the idea is strong enough to carry most attempts, even if poorly executed. That is, unfortunately, the way I see this. book. A great story idea, but a very weak book.

The grammar is horrible, almost bad enough to not read the book. When I say the grammar is bad you may be thinking that I am being harsh and overly analytical, but I assure you that is not the case. The author has made grammatical mistakes that shouldn't be made after the second grade. We're not talking about simple misspellings (although there are plenty of them), but structural errors that caused me to have to reread sections two or three time to get what the author meant.
One other thing that got to me was the complete lack of research done. If you are going to take the time to write a book you really ought to take the time to read about the incidental subject matter covered in your book. Learn about how viruses work. Read up on the electron microscope if you are going to have one used in the story (electron microscopes don't show images of living, moving things. You have to coat what you're looking at in a silver solution, and everything is dead...thus, no evil diseases floating around).
Anyway, I do recommend the book if you like the living dead, and if you can tolerate bad writing in order to get to a really good story idea.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Series...
Review: I bought this book and Apocalypse End at the same time. I finished both books within 2 weeks. The books are worthy of the big screen and and would compare to DOTD on the screen. The plot keeps you glued and before you know it your half way through the book. I somewhat was disapointed at the end because of just that.. It was the END! I can't wait until the prequel next year set in NYC! For more info www.reignofthedead.com

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: I could barely put this book down, a definite thriller. I'm a big fan of horror and this book is awesome, looking forward to the follow-up book.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: TERRIBLE!!
Review: I don't know how this book made it to print. The characters are extremely one dimensional, dialogue is not like any real conversation you will ever here. This book is best billed as a "best of" compilation, the number of sources this story was stolen from are far too numerous to begin to list...all good stories that were borrowed from too. How do you borrow something good and not even try to carry over any of the "goodness"??? This book reads like it was written by a 12 year old boy that just watched Day of the Dead.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best horror book I've ever read.
Review: I got Reign around 3 days ago and I have about only 50 pages left and the only downfall to this book is it isnt long enough. I cant put it down. I cant wait for the next installment. I love how Len doesnt drag scenes out. He gets to the point but you really understand the situation. You will find that towards the end of the book you almost feel sorry for the dead. You will find that this book is more than just horror. It has romance, action, and drama. It is a must read for any Zombie nut or for that matter any fan of horror or fiction period. I still cant believe this is his first book. I cant wait to see where is writing carrer goes. I must say my favorite book of horror had been WET WORK but now I got a new favorite. Len cant wait for the sequel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!
Review: I got this book from a friend and thought it was just great! I'm ordering my own copy to keep as well as the sequel. I thought the characters had the kind of depth and realism that are often lacking in horror novels and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Don't miss this one.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Hackneyed Plot Elements of Amateurish Quality
Review: I have to admit that since the age of ten I have been a huge fan of the zombie sub-genre. To be quite honest, I will read or watch just about anything that is produced dealing with our favorite flesh eating ghouls. However, I am consistently disappointed with the lack of originality that writers and directs have for the possibilities that zombies offer a good story-teller. Reign of the Dead is no exception. Although I had great expectations for this novel, it became quite obvious by the second chapter that the author was an amateur writer. Specifically, several of his main characters are noticeable clichés and at times emotionally void. Furthermore, they serve relatively no purpose in advancing the plot. Although I was expecting a huge pay-off at the end of Mr. Barnhart's novel, considering the variety of his character's geographical and environmental backgrounds, I was completely disappointed with his flat conclusion.
I think that it would have been more prudent on Mr. Barnhart's part to have re-edited his novel. By removing some of the more incoherent ideas such as apocalyptic visions of holy retribution and political power struggles, while sticking to more solid ideas such as the suffering and horror the survivors face - specifically, his interesting take on the Romerian pseudo-science of zombification and the loneliness of desolate cities - Mr. Barnhart would have established not only the eerie atmosphere that he at times evokes early on the novel but a palpable feeling of despair with the reader.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An excellent novel!
Review: I have to say up front that I'm a sucker for zombie fiction. I admire the Romero films, and the concept that Romero created is a rich breeding ground for fiction.

That said, Len Barnhart has written one good book. It's hard to believe that this is his first novel. The characterisations are strong and well constructed. The novel moves at a heck of a clip, and I was never less than excited by the action. It's a very easy read, too, which is a rare achievement in a first novel. The story builds logically and the outcome makes sense and isn't drawn out of the hat, a poor trick pulled by many new authors.

The book does tread some familiar ground, but Barnhart has put together a great yarn that doesn't skip a beat. If you're a zombie fan, I can't recommend this book enough. If you're a horror fan, I urge you to pick up REGIN OF THE DEAD to see a new talent in horror fiction. If you just like an adventure story, then Barnhart has built you a good one.

Five big stars, and well deserved ones. I'm looking forward to the promised sequel.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It feels like you're in the book when you read it
Review: I liked this book alot. Im a big horror fan and this book kind of creeped me out alittle bit.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is a book for the zombie lovers
Review: I read some of the bad reviews written on these pages and I can see some of the points they are making, like the single dimensionality of the characters, half developed dialoges, and editing inconsistencies. On the other hand, I still love this book, because of its creatvity, story line, and the fact that it provided me with a good-old Romero type zombie survival book which is so hard to find for Zombie fans like myself. I think reviewing this book for its literary value is a big mistake.

Let's be honest... If you don't like the 1970-80's philosophy of zombies and horror/survival genre, the chances are this book will not mean much to you. This is not a Stephen King type thriller book. The targeted audience for this book are people who grew up with such movies as the Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead. People who like their zombies slow walking and easily killed with a bullet in the hand. People who fantasize over the idea of apocolyptic survival and self dependency. If you think you fit this demographic description, you will think that this was your best spent $15-20.

I do not know the author, I never read any bibliographic information on him, but yet I am almost sure that he belongs to this genaration of people. So I would like to thank him for providing me with 5-6 hours of joy of reading a highly entertaining Zombie book.

I am looking forward to his new book which I think takes place in New York and will be published in the Spring of 2005.


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