The Gathering Dead

The Gathering Dead #1

by Stephen Knight

The Horde Is Always Hungry... The zombie apocalypse has begun, and Major Cordell McDaniels is given the most important mission of his career: lead a Special Forces team into New York City to rescue the one man who can stop the ghastly virus that reanimates the dead. But as a growing army of flesh-eating corpses takes over the streets and a violent storm renders airborne extraction impossible, McDaniels struggles to find a way out of the Big Apple. The odds of anyone getting out alive plummet further when slaughtered members of his own Special Forces team join the ranks of the gathering dead... with their military skills intact!

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Apocalyptic, Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia

276 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2011

Reviews

[Tracy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! Went by so fast, it seemed like I had just started and I was hearing: "Audible hopes you have enjoyed this program." Plan on exploring more of Mr. Knight's work.

[Gilliam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many paragraphs consisting of gadget acronyms and equipment inventories—so much so I thought I was perusing an Army Surplus catalogue. With little in the way of writing style or narrative pull to persuade me I finally said: "**** it" and moved on to my next read.

[Stacy Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be honest in saying that it took me a few chapters to get into this. Not because of any fault of the author, this was my first zombie book and getting accustomed to it and the military jargon took a few chapters.

With that said, once I got the military jargon down and understood what a zombie actually was this book sucked me in and got my adrenaline running so many times, I felt like I had been a true part of it. The story was full of action from the first page to the very last.

The author did an amazing job of building his characters to real life. You felt their pain, their horror and their agony as the story progress. Major McDaniels was an incredible character with strengths that I know I would want backing me in any time of war.
The storyline of the book was well thought out and filled you in on each and every detail that you would need to complete the picture in your mind.

I was serious when I said my adrenaline was running, there were times when I was so into the story I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, reading as quickly as I could to see what was going to happen next.

For anyone who enjoys books on zombies, you gotta read this one. Those of you who love to read the military books, well you need to pick this one up and have a go at it, zombie lover or not, you’ll understand the camaraderie between the soldiers and the details they must endure for the love of their country!

To Stephen Knight… Hooah! You rocked this one out!

[Vincent Hobbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first zombie story I've ever read, so I don't have much to compare it to. I found the writing was fast-paced, and quite enjoyable. Good story about a team of civilians and soldiers trying to make it to safety in New York, surrounded by millions of zombies. The ideas weren't necessarily all that original, but the author paints a vivid picture, and it was a page-turner.

I definitely suggest if you like zombie stories.

-Vincent

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! A+. The Gathering Dead is one of the most exciting books I have ever read. The story follows a special ops team attempting to get a group of survivors out of NYC. I'm not kidding when I say there was never a dull moment. Non stop carnage page after page. I'm really looking forward to book #2.

[Shawn Manning · Rating 2 out of 5]

The one thing this book has going for it is the use of military jargon. The problem is that it is saturated in it to the point of distraction. I really didn't have strong feelings about any of the characters and felt I had seen them and the plot many times before.

[Jairus Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great zombie novel!! Picking up the sequel asap

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy smokes, this was an intense zombie ride.
Lots of military jargon, action and dying. I will definitely read #2.

[Mkittysamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow amazing!

I loved reading about the Special Army Unit and their mission to get a scientist out of NYC! (My terminology prob sucks, sorry about that, I have almost no knowledge of army/gun terminology.. even after reading tons of zombie books lol). Anyways I was scared, happy, sad, I felt for all the characters! I’ve been reading Steven Knight’s work for awhile and I always know that I’m gonna be entertained! This is a must read for Zombie fans! And there’s more to read woo hoo!

[chucklesthescot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The zombie apocalypse has hit New York and the military are evacuating the important people while the ordinary people are left to the mercy of the zombies. McDaniels has two teams in two helicopters to evacuate a scientist and his daughter who may have the basis for a cure. When one helicopter is overrun and the other crash lands, the survivors barricade themselves into a building with a few civilians to wait for help to arrive. But the zombies outside include the other half of the team and they are plotting a way to get inside...

I'm always a fan of seeing the start of the zomie apocalypse in books so I wasn't sure if this book was going to be for me, but the author drops you right in the middle of the chaotic evacuation and it works really well. It is exciting to see the rush to get to the helicopters as the zombies and humans break through into the evacuation zone. The crash and scramble to get to safety is also really interesting. It gets you right into the plot and gives the book a really fast paced start. I liked that! I hate slow starting zombie books so this does not disappoint.

The characters interest me. McDaniels is a strong soldier and leader who has a historically difficult relationship with his senior soldier Gartrell. Gartrell believes in the mission at all costs even if the civilians are expendable because a cure is vital to human survival. McDaniels refuses to sacrifice civilians for the mission as he is a humanitarian. The thing is, you can understand both sides of this. Without the rescue of these scientists, eventually everyone will die by zombie so the cure is top priority-but you like the civilians-Earl the janitor and his daughters, so you want them to be saved. We find out that the two soldiers faced a similar dilemma in Afghanistan where McDaniels put civilians ahead of the mission and it cost lives so in my own way, I liked and had sympathy for both men. I didn't greatly like the scientists but the main focus is on the soldiers which meant my dislike, especially of snotty Regina, didn't stop me enjoying the story.

I think the tension is there throughout the book as the soldiers keep watch for signs of the zombies breaking into the building, while they wait for a rescue. The helicopter that is to come for them will have to brave a bad storm which puts them in danger. The soldiers in the city are too far away to get over there to help them. The river banks are teeming with zombies which would make river rescue dangerous. All of these scenarios add a lot of drama to the plot and you just know that the zombies will not stay outside the building forever. I love all that pent up tension throughout the plot.

Now the interesting element is the introduction of smart zombies. Let me be clear, I hate books where the zombies can talk and do all kinds of things like using guns and driving cars-they are just not zombies for me, they are advanced corpses or something! I was nervous at the thought of smart zombies in this book but I found myself loving the twist. The team whose helicopter was overrun by the dead have found their way to the building and are remembering enough of their military training to plan how to break in. As you watch their plan slowly unfold, you get really nervous for those inside the building, and again, the author just ramps up the drama. I really enjoyed this addition to the story because it sort of felt believable. I could see a newly turned zombie retaining some of its intelligence, especially military men with a massive tactical brain. Excellent!

There are things in this book that I don't normally like in this genre but I felt that the author did an excellent job of introducing these plot devices in a way that I really enjoyed. It is an action packed, tension filled plot, with great characters, twists and some very scary zombies! There isn't much more you can ask for in this genre. I've already read the next one in the series which is a novella and I enjoyed it, so I'm excited to see where the series goes after that-and I've already bought the series in paperback ready to go!

[Dear Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this the other day and man, I finished it in one sitting! This was a really good zombie book for me. It may be as good as 187 - Almost Hell by Eric Lowther. I enjoyed it so much that the ending blew me away, which is not something that happens very often. I felt sad, but happy at the same time. It wasn't exactly the best ending, but it's the kind of ending that leaves you with a fuzzy feeling, an ending that makes you think and really feel for the characters. I swear that by the of the book, I felt myself feeling a bit tear-eyed.

Story - 4.5 / 5
You're introduced to Major Cordell McDaniels, who in the midst of the world ending and succumbing to the walking dead, finds himself given one of the most important missions of his life and of mankind: escorting Wolf Safire, a research scientist who holds the key to creating a vaccine and even a cure, out of the hells of New York city. But it isn't a walk in the park, as they get trapped in a sky scraper and the only way to get out of there is to seek help from air and water transportation. The question is - will they be able to hold out before the swarm of zombies get to them first?

I like the concept. Reading about the zombie apocalypse from the military point of view is very refreshing, and not something you see very often in this kind of genre. Escorting an important man was a good idea, too, and it was very fun and thrilling to read as they faced obstacles one after another. No doubt that I had moments where my heart was about to burst from excitement or suspense.

One thing I like about my zombies is that they have to be traditional. I've read some books where some authors decided to "experiment" and made them "smart", "strategic", and even "comedians who can sprout poetry" /coughMarkClodicough/ and I don't really like that. But I found Stephen Knight's zombies acceptable, even though they aren't completely traditional. In fact, I thought his zombies made things spicier. At least they don't crack jokes with each other!

Characters - 5/5
I found the characters well-though and nicely developed. Major McDaniels is a man who knows his job and makes sure he completes it, period. But unlike others who's totally nazi about it, he still has a soft side for civilians, which can be noticed from a flashback later in the book of a particular incident in Afghanistan. His other alpha male counterpart is First Sergeant Gartrell, who, like Major McDaniels, knows the implications and importance of the mission they have at hand and makes sure that it gets done pronto. You see that they have some tensions at the very start, but this will be explained later on and justified.

I found myself attached to the characters very quickly. The kind and honest Earl, his little kid Zoe, even the sarcastic Wolf Safire. I loved them all, and when of course some had to go (this is to be expected in any book of this genre), I felt as if a friend of mine departed as well. That is the impact the characters of this book got to me. So the ending totally blew me away! Positively? In a way. Negatively? Kinda, but it's a positively negative kind. Ha ha!

Writing - 5/5
The book is extremely well-written. The action scenes are nice, the settings are well-described without feeling like it's becoming a drag. The transitions are well-thought out, too. And anyway, how could the characters get to me if the writing was bad? The impact left on me already speaks for itself! J'aime ce livre!

Overall: 5/5

I love this book very much! I automatically became a fan of Mr. Stephen Knight. When I found out there was going to be a sequel in the form of a novella, I was ecstatic and bought it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my kindle reading Left With the Dead! :)

[Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

*SPOILER ALERT*

“Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.” - George Eliot. The Gathering Dead by Stephen Knight, this book is about a group of soldiers who are sent into New York to rescue Dr. Safire who knows how to cure a disease that turns people into zombies.This books is very interesting, there are parts that make it awesome. Yet there are still parts that are very frustrating.The Gathering Dead is an interesting story due to its intense/ frustrating action scenes, dialogue, and somewhat over exaggerated moments.

In The Gathering Dead there are numerous action scenes. All unique in some way. Stephen Knight really knows how to get a readers blood pumping in anticipation for what will happen next. What is really frustrating though is zombies….. With guns, night vision goggles, grenades, military tactics, and other military equipment that they died with. This part doesn’t stick with the zombie “rules” and is very annoying. Another bothersome part is how someone drops something while getting attacked and all of a sudden they magically have it in their hands! There is no transition from the M4 assault rifle 10 feet away from a character, then to his hands.

The dialogue in The Gathering Dead is interesting. It never justs sits around and says anything boring. Always during calm moments there is something interesting they talk about. Its very intriguing how Stephen Knight came up with all of these flashbacks that the characters have. McDaniels dream about what happened in Afghanistan for instance; that was very suspenseful. A somewhat frustrating part that Stephen Knight seems to do somewhat often is skip slightly important parts in these flashbacks. How did McDaniels end up getting out alive when everyone on his special forces sniper team die except for himself and one other person? There are some gaps in the text like this. Although some other gaps can be figured out by viewing the context carefully.

A very frustrating part about this book is that Stephen Knight tends to over exaggerate a lot. The population of Manhattan (where the story takes place) as of 2012 is 1.619 million people. In the book he tends to use the word thousands of zombies very freely. Whether it is tens of thousands of zombies in a stairwell or thousands chasing after their van, its bothersome. If there are 1.619 million people in Manhattan there wouldn’t be exactly 1.619 million zombies. People would be evacuated and some people could be surviving. Another astonishing past of this book is the huge stairwells in this book. Also like action movies such as Resident Evil: Retribution, they talk about running out of ammunition, yet they only do when they need it most. Reloading only happens once in a while which is not logical with a 30 round M4 mag.

The action scenes wraps this story all together and puts a bow on top. Plenty of books have action scenes but not many have action scenes as intense as these. The dialogue helps by stitching the action scenes together and give you something to think about. While the over exaggerated parts are frustrating, they make you think “How can there be that many zombies? How many people were there?” Stephen Knight did a decent job with this book.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 3 out of 5]

For starts it is your typical zombie story, some unknown antigen is sent into the general population and only one person has the cure and the military is sent to save that person.

The book starts off with the epidemic that has already spread and the military is trying to stop it from spreading outside of New York City. The book has some graphic scenes and some strong language but again it is a Zombie book and if it wasn't graphic I would be very shocked. I have to admit the first few pages had me thinking what I would have done in that situation. I don't want to ruin the story for you.

I really enjoyed the author pulling two elite military groups together and how they need to work together to survive and get the man who has a cure to safety.

The author gives the two lead military men McDaniel’s and Gartrell a back story that follows them though out the book. The author makes the military guys a walking cliché but he made most of them likeable so it didn't annoy the reader. Like most Zombie stories the little band find themselves stuck at the top of a New York City Sky Scraper with danger lurking around every shadow in hopes of being rescued from the top instead of having to fight their way out on the streets of New York City where the dead walk\run. Have you seen the way people run to a buffet? That is how he makes the zombie see the living.

The doctor who they are saving and his daughter, I personal hated and even though they have the cure I couldn't help but want one to get bitten to show a little humanity toward the walking dead.

The author added a interesting element to Zombies that I really quite enjoyed. Most stories have the zombie only dead with the desire to eat but they cannot function unless food "the living" is nearby and for the most part they just wonder around looking for food. He has zombies using the basic skills we all were taught or use every day like opening doors, using keys, shoot guns, and climbing. I like that element because it makes the zombie a little more scary.

Stephen Knight also wrote a Novella Left for dead that follow Gartrell and what happens after most everyone they were transporting is moving to a "safer facility." He is left in the city alone trying to find food and a way out when he meets up with a woman and her autistic son. Again the author used the basic skills of life we learn from young age and gave them to the zombies to make it a bit more frightening. It was a very quick read and it made me think IF it happened and the world was overrun with the dead would I want to survive even though every day would be a fight and my family would never be safe? Would I rather die peacefully if I could, yes.

Review by Guest Blogger Heidi…thanks Heidi for you imput.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

***minor spoilers***

Stephen Knight's The Gathering Dead is an exciting tale about a group of special forces members trapped in a zombie-ridden New York City. Their chopper goes down while trying to extract a VIP, Dr. Wolf Safire, who has valuable knowledge of the zombie virus and may be able to produce a cure. They are forced to hole up in an office building while they try to figure out another plan to get Dr. Safire and his daughter, Regina, out of the crumbling city.

For the most part, I found the book very entertaining, fast-paced, with well-rounded characters and tensions between them. Even those more "stock" characters one often finds in a-team-of-military-men fiction each had some trait that made you root for them and made them stick out in your mind. However, the book could have greatly benefited from a solid editor. There are quite a few grammatical errors, some repetitive phrasing, and even one or two inconsistencies in continuity (at one point a soldier trades guns with another, then his old one is described in his hand a sentence later, then its back to the new one he just acquired.) But these, for me, did not distract from the page-turning enjoyment of this book. It may bother other readers, but I'm not distracted by the occasional typo. If it bothers you, this book could be irksome.

The detail in the story's technical aspects is what I enjoyed a lot. All the military weapons and gear is well identified and used properly, the tactics of the soldiers seem well thought out and realistic (not being a soldier myself, though, I can't speak to their accuracy; it just made sense to me as a reader,) and the layout of New York was solid and lent itself to an easy visual of the setting. There are also some really original scenarios presented. The scene when the team must descend 26 stories down an elevator shaft I found riveting, as well as the ensuing battle out in the streets. One presented idea about soldiers who have been reanimating retaining some of their training was a nice twist, something explored a bit in the film Day of The Dead. Still, the idea of the intelligent zombie hasn't been fleshed out much, and I think Knight handled it was a pretty solid plausibility.

All in all I enjoyed this book, and it was action-packed enough that I could easily picture it as a solid zombie movie. I recommend The Gathering Dead for the casual reader and fan of zombie and survival fiction.

[Sokufamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this book (2 days, much quicker than my last book, The Heroes, though not better...just different). Another zombie survival story, this one is centered around an elite military unit whose mission is to extract the sole surviving researcher who might have something of a cure for the zombie plague. Throughout the book, they're always under pressure, so it doesn't ever really let up on the tension. I still think my favorite zombie book to date is World War Z, but this one did a really good job of keeping my attention.

Since I read everything on Kindle now, I'm not sure if some of the grammatical errors I noticed are just bad conversion to e-book, or if it was a direct transfer from the regular publication. Nothing too bad, and it shouldn't ruin the flow of the story, but it could have been a little smoother if one more editor went through it.

Anyway, just found a novella based on this book, called "Left With The Dead." It's about 80 pages, so it'll be a quick read, so it'll give me a little bit more time before I have to choose which book I'm tackling next.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read some reviews and got this book. i really enjoyed it. the story is about a group of soldiers trying to save some people from new york while there are millions of zombies everywhere. the group get caught in a builing and have to fight off the zombies and hopefully make it to safety. very good writing but i did notice a few editing errors but nothing major. this book was nonstop action and i think everyone should read it if you like horror and zombies.

[LeisureSuitLarry · Rating 3 out of 5]

When zombies in uniforms start showing up you will really have to suspend your disbelief, but they're Stephen Knight's zombies and he can make them do whatever he wants. It was still good enough that I didn't want to put it down. This was neither the best nor the worst zombie book I've read this year.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love Zombie movies you will enjoy this book it reads like a movie. I love the slight twist that takes the Zombies to a whole new level. I have to admit I wanted the most of the Army guys to survive but I knew it wasn't going to happen. I thought this book was fun for being my first Zombie book.

[Tim Petersik · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you like solid action zombie novels with the shallowest of character development, then this book is for you. I liked it for the adrenalin rush(es), but didn't care all that much about the major players in the story. nonetheless, there was some plot here--an effort to save the one man who may be able to stem the zombie plague.

[Elliot · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too heavy on both military jargon and random sexist nonsense. I stopped reading when he started describing in too-intimate detail the only female character's immediate sexual arousal for no reason when a mildly cute soldier says two words to her. Didn't even get as far as the intelligent zombies or what the fuck ever.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for 99 cents. It wasn't bad. It was a little slow at the start for me, but didn't take long to get hooked. I fell into the characters even though it was more military than anything. I gave it 4 stars based on the price and content wasn't half bad either.

[Robert Breault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book and the novella were very well done. Easy read and really pulls you into the story line as if you were there. Being former military, the "jargon" was easy to follow. Very enjoyable. Can't wait for the next edition...

[Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical zombie book. Zombies eat people and people try to get away. However since for some unkown reason I love the zombie genre so I thought this was a great book and the start to a great series.

[Thalarctos · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is basically the zombie apocalypse told from the view of the military, as a military operation. Not much for character building. Lots of military lingo. Maybe it's just for a different audience, but I didn't like it.

[Michelle Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written zombie vs. military strike force story. Both interesting and exciting to read, I will definitely be reading more of Stephen Knight!

[Diane Berry Yakel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many books in this genre are poorly written and trite, but not this book. Fast paced, suspenseful, and great characters make this an awesome read.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great zombie book. Plenty of zed action. After finishing this, I immediately downloaded the follow up novella to my nook. Gotta find out what happens to Gartrell!

[JasonH · Rating 5 out of 5]

suggested by an author friend. best zombie book ive ever read.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading "The Gathering Dead." Talk about a nail biter! I now am in serious need of a manicure.

[Keith Blackmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

My full review is on amazon.com, but this was better than "World War Z" in my opinion.