Review: Great Potential - Anti-climatic Abrupt Ending
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2013
This is easily one of the better zombie novels and is a first-rate new entry to the field. I gave it 4 stars because of this but it's not without its soft spots, so no 5's.  It's a fast read and I blitzed it easily in an afternoon as a Kindle download.On the Plus Side:1. The solidly Chris Ryan opening involving the infection hitting an airliner over the Atlantic - absolutely brilliant. If the entire book had kept up this level of detailed action, this novel would be a Formula One contender, no question.2. Coverage of the main story touch points: character introductions, the port refuge being overrun, etc.  Great stuff!Could Be Better:1. The sudden slackening of pace after such a sprint beginning. This drop in intensity is most marked towards the end, where key actions are going on but are only handled in a relatively cursory way as if the author was running out Book One's word budget.In Passing:1. Minor typos and technical faux pas - but nothing distracting.  (For example, British Airways call sign is "Speedbird ###", air traffic control would have picked the plane up well outside British airspace and in the current environment fighter interceptors would have been scrambled at the first sign of trouble.)2. The typically huge (for the zombie genre) cast of characters make it difficult to keep track of them all and pose a huge logistical problem for the author since it is tough to flesh them out and make them "relatable". It's also hard as a reader since just when you are getting to know a personality, one of those darn zombs cruelly jumps out and slots them.  (Personally I'd advise zombie writers to stick with four core characters instead of filling the stadium with a Ben Hur-sized cast of cameos and dress extras: but that's just me.)I didn't find anything to object to in the author's writing style or his use of italics.  (In fact I rather prefer italics to denote when a lead character is doing some 'deep thinking' or reflection.)I recommend this book and look forward to buying the second stanza.Having said that, I do so wish that zombie authors would write a complete book and charge me 10 bucks rather than adopt the current practice of drip-feeding Book 1, 2, 3 sequences out in penny packets at bargain bin prices.  This may be some ostensibly super-clever marketing wheeze, however I find it jolly irritating.