Review: Great Story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 24, 2013
Red Dust: The Fall is a short story collection of the first trilogy of books in the series. Included in this collection is The Lost Party, Feud, and The Last Rider.I've individually reviewed the first two short stories, The Lost Party and Feud, but happily accepted the chance to review The Last Stand as part of the collection. So my focus here will be on The Last Stand, which I consider to be, possibly, the best of the lot.I'm a history buff and enjoy a good Western. I equally despise Zombie stories. Always have, always will. Until I discovered this series, I never thought I'd even glance at any Zombie books beyond the few I've checked out in the past. What separates this series from any other Zombie story--and incidentally, one of the few reasons that I keep coming back--is the quality of the storytelling, as well as its wonderful milieu. I love the focus on the historical elements as well as the wonderful prose style the authors use to deliver the story. It's very rich, and vividly describes its 19th Century setting.The Last Stand thrusts us right in the middle of America's bloody Civil War. However, in the pages of this book, the Union and Confederate soldiers have more to worry about than just falling prey to the each other's guns and cannons. There's a deadly plague that has caused the dead to rise and their unholy hordes ravage the land, indiscriminately killing everything in their path.Enter Isaac, a mail courier, charged with the task of delivering a package right in the heart of Zombie country. Isaac, knows it's a fool's errand, and accepts that his chances of successfully carrying the package are dim. However, he is determined to see the job through even if it means his death. And so, he heroically rides alone on his trusty mare, Clarice, through enemy lines toward an uncertain fate.The series, as a whole is quite intriguing, with plenty of drama and action, although it is only during the final page of the The Last Stand that the reader gets a sense that this collection of stories are connected by more than just the setting. The Last Stand ends with a dramatic conclusion that leaves me enthusiastically wondering what will happen next.I wouldn't be honest if I didn't mention this. But there are some noticeable editing issues that I wish hadn't gotten through. The authors write terrific prose that is quite haunting and beautiful at times. However, the errors (typos, missing words, punctuation, etc.) spoils what would otherwise be solid writing. I hope the authors will revisit this series and give them a good scrubbing or and hire a good editor to help give this series the spit shine it deserves. Even so, the errors aren't so egregious to stop forgiving readers from enjoying this series. The story here is ultimately what counts. And a damn fine story it is.3.9 Stars for an intriguing series with an interesting twist on a familiar genre.Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.