Review: If you like a good military driven story, then The Reaper is for you.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 15, 2014
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The Reaper begins with a news bulletin delivered on day one of the outbreak. The flu virus has caused fever induced violence and a large number of deaths causing the President has declared a state of National Emergency. Other reports state there have been deaths associated to the flu vaccine. Residents are urged to remain indoors and not open their doors for strangers or anyone appearing ill. Anyone with flu-like symptoms or medical emergencies are instructed to go to the hospital.That was thirty days ago. The virus is mutating. Once slow and shambling, the zombies have increased speed and now climbing abilities. But, at least being bitten does not spread the virus.Survivors have become fiercely territorial and will kill without pause to protect what’s theirs. Immediately readers are introduced to “the others”. The others may be among the living, but they’re devoid of humanity and commit “savage acts of evil”.Former Marine sniper Jason Scott, known as the “The Reaper” arrives home from work on the first day of the outbreak to find his family dead. With a vengeful rage, he kills every zombie in his path and believes God has given him a mission to eradicate not only the undead but the others as well. The Reaper vows to rid the world of “the evil minions of Satan”, both undead and marauder alike.The Reaper had some challenges I found difficult to get past. The book paces so fast that this reader had a hard time keeping up. So many characters and new groups are introduced, and taking into account the author calls people by multiple names (Jason. The Reaper. Reaper) it’s almost necessary to create an organizational chart to keep everything in line.While this reader enjoys a read that keep up an exhilarating pace, The Reaper left me with pages and pages of notes; making the read feel inorganic Also there were many times that something was told from one point of view, then retold from another. For example, we are told about a team parachuting from a plane from both the teams perspective as well as The Reapers perspective of watching them descend. It was detail and  description overload.The Reaper came off as a very masculine read. The entire story is focused on a series of military coups. Readers are given little, if any, zombie action or description. At times, I found the sentence structuring a bit odd. Random placing of words didn’t land their mark with this reader.“Those young futures cut short by the murderous acts of these others, was an evil unbelievable.”If you like a good military driven story, then The Reaper is for you. If you are expecting a book about the zombie outbreak, then you will be disappointed.