Book Review “Reaperlands Part 1” Roy Burdine

After the apocalypse, there’s a whole world to reclaim…

It’s been a decade since the Viral plague that brought the dead back to life with a hunger for living flesh. The survivors have long since fled the big cities and resettled in the countryside, mountains, and plains, building a network of fortresses and cavernous sanctuaries.

As civilization rebuilt and reshaped itself in this nightmarish new world, there arose an overwhelming demand for the supplies and riches left behind in the remains of the old one.

A system of trade and barter formed around the market of these goods, a macabre economy for a dead world. Those brave or foolish enough to seek out treasure among the wastelands became known as the Reapers.

Gus and Oscar are a two-man reaping crew, facing down the horrors of a shattered world in search of its hidden wealth. But more dangerous than the undead Virals, and their various deadly strains, are the others like themselves, cutthroat scavengers bent on plundering the riches of the Reaperlands…

First Lines: I’ve heard mankind referred to in many ways in my time. Mostly Negative. When I was young, this species, which created language, civilization, science,and the arts, decoded and overcame many, hell, most of nature’s mysteries to become the dominant species of a harsh and unforgiving planet, had come to view itself as a self-destructive blight on the very world it had risen up and conquered.

First things first, let me go ahead and prepare you by saying that after reading Reaperlands  you’re going to want more. I want more. So, so much more! Roy Burdine’s writing is addictive.

I’ll be real with you for a moment and admit that horror / zombie is not really my main genre. The books I pick to review from this genre are few and far between. I was hesitant to read Reaperlands until a blogger friend of mine read it. She recommended it so I took a shot and don’t regret it at all. Even though I had a horrible nightmare I was actually in the Reaperlands world, I’m still regret free. The runners are terrifying though….they really are.

Honestly, if your story was so good that I’m actually having nightmares  about it….Bravo man…Bravo!

Usually improper sentence structure drives me insane but, Roy Burdine arranges his prose exactly right to overcome this pet peeve.

I can’t believe I am saying this but his shortcuts actually enhanced the tension and drama of the story. It made every event or piece of dialogue more colorful and raw. It felt really authentic. It was comparable to a Tarentino film.

The contrast between Gus and Oscar is marked however it does add a delightful amount of intrigue to the story. I want to know how they came to work together. I want to know the whole story.

This was a brilliant beginning to what I hope continues to be a captivating story.

I’ll go ahead and give a bit of a warning though. If graphic novels and comic books aren’t your thing, I don’t know that this book will be a hit for you. It’s a bit gritty and unapologetic.

I, however, LOVED it. Which is really saying something for me and zombie books.

Solid 5 stars.

Did you know? “Reaperlands” is a Fort Bookworm double-dip. Both Lilyn from ScifiandScary and I have reviewed this book. (She loved it!) Click here to be taken to her review!)

Title: Reaperlands | Series: Reaperlands #1 | Author: Roy Burdine  | Publisher: We Built It Publishing | Publication Date: 3-21-2016 | Pages: 35 | ASIN: B01DAO9LMA | Genre(s): Science Fiction / Horror | Language: English  | Date Read: 5-20-2016 | Source: copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.