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Z-Risen #0.5
Beyond the Barriers
When the dead rise, Ex-Special Forces soldier Erik Tragger flees to the mountains to wait out the end of the world. Cut off from civilization for months, he returns to find cities ruined and ruled by the walking dead.
Tragger reluctantly joins a group of survivors with a plan: flee to Portland where humanity is carving out a stronghold. But along the way they face opposition at every turn—the dead, rogue military forces, looters... and a new enemy more dangerous than any they have yet encountered.
Among the stumbling, mindless zombies walk the ghouls. The ghouls are living dead creatures that not only strategize and plan, but also possess the ability to guide their shambling brothers.
With weapons and supplies dwindling, Erik and his companions will faceoff against millions of the dead who have but one goal: complete eradication of the last of the living.
Tragger reluctantly joins a group of survivors with a plan: flee to Portland where humanity is carving out a stronghold. But along the way they face opposition at every turn—the dead, rogue military forces, looters... and a new enemy more dangerous than any they have yet encountered.
Among the stumbling, mindless zombies walk the ghouls. The ghouls are living dead creatures that not only strategize and plan, but also possess the ability to guide their shambling brothers.
With weapons and supplies dwindling, Erik and his companions will faceoff against millions of the dead who have but one goal: complete eradication of the last of the living.
422 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2011
28 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
About the author
Timothy W. Long
62 books152 followersWhen not sitting around watching Rick and Morty reruns in a bathrobe, Timothy W. Long writes stuff. He has a predilection for weird literature and sometimes drinks Coke for breakfast. Don't tell his mom.
Tim is the author of over 30 novels in genres ranging from cozy/Isekai, to all manner of post-apocalyptic because no one has managed to take away his word processor.
Tim is an active member of SFWA, HWA, and Thriller Writers. He recently signed a three-book deal with Aethon Books for his Dark Lord Reborn Series.
Tim is the author of over 30 novels in genres ranging from cozy/Isekai, to all manner of post-apocalyptic because no one has managed to take away his word processor.
Tim is an active member of SFWA, HWA, and Thriller Writers. He recently signed a three-book deal with Aethon Books for his Dark Lord Reborn Series.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 11, 2024
Beyond the Barriers is a what I categorize as a rough 'n' tumble, authentic zombie book. Excellent characters combined with lots and lots of zombie carnage. Timothy Long wrote an exciting, non-stop nail-biter and was a fun, satisfying revisit.
Narrator Christian Rummel delivers in spades. Excellent listen.
Narrator Christian Rummel delivers in spades. Excellent listen.
October 15, 2024
I thought this one was a bit too long, like it should have been split in more than one book but I can understand why Long kept it to a single one. Unfortunately, the main character wasn’t super memorable to me and I really struggled to get invested in him which is too bad because his adventures were pretty interesting. The love interest got on my nerves a little bit too.
3.5 rounded up.
3.5 rounded up.
July 18, 2013
I only recently discovered the works of Timothy Long, and I'm so happy I did. In BEYOND THE BARRIERS, we follow former Special Forces soldier Erik Tragger's 1st person POV, and Tim deftly instills a sense of immediacy and emotion by sharing Tragger's experiences and thoughts during the onset of a zombocalyptic outbreak. Although Tragger has military training, he's very much 'human' in his actions, reactions, fears, and motivations. He's a damaged hero, suppressing deep personal issues as the world crumbles around him, but despite all that he never loses grasp of who he is at his core. While some folks give in to the beast and devolve into monsters, Tragger retains his humanity throughout the novel, willing to make personal sacrifices--even his own life if need be--to save humankind, and that's what makes BEYOND THE BARRIERS so moving.
This is the first in a series and leaves us with a cliffhanger, so I really hope sales pick up on it so Tim is able to put out the next volume sooner rather than later. The only thing I can think is impeding sales is the book's packaging. The cover is adequate, but I don't feel like it does enough to seal the deal; additionally, I wonder if Tim had called this first book GHOUL and put a grim hero's close-up behind bars with slightly green-glowing eyes would have been a better choice.
Cover aside, this is a five-star read for me. I loved it, and I'd really like to see more zombie books written at this high level. Well done, Tim! And well done, Permuted Press.
This is the first in a series and leaves us with a cliffhanger, so I really hope sales pick up on it so Tim is able to put out the next volume sooner rather than later. The only thing I can think is impeding sales is the book's packaging. The cover is adequate, but I don't feel like it does enough to seal the deal; additionally, I wonder if Tim had called this first book GHOUL and put a grim hero's close-up behind bars with slightly green-glowing eyes would have been a better choice.
Cover aside, this is a five-star read for me. I loved it, and I'd really like to see more zombie books written at this high level. Well done, Tim! And well done, Permuted Press.
December 8, 2011
Timothy W. Long does a fantastic job with this Apocalypitic Horror Thriller. I place this book proudly alongside greats like J.L. Bournes "Day By Day Armageddon" and Z.A. Rechts Morningstar Saga. Very well written and thought out plus characters that are believeable make this book a real winner. Timothy W. Long is an up and coming force to be reckoned with in the horror genre! HIGHLY reccomend this book.
August 18, 2017
My tolerance for the huge wave of weak, and gutless zombie apocalypse books that wouldn't be out of place on the Hallmark channel, has reached its breaking point.
I actually do a search of the book for the F word. It there isn't any instances, the book will be instantly ditched.
A ZA i can imagine would be the ultimate in horror, and terror, in which people of all social backgrounds will cross paths, all desperately fighting for their very survival.
So to publish a book which is as frightening as an episode of The Waltons, with characters so self righteously upstanding, grits my patience. I've no tolerance for rubbish like that.
Fortunately Timothy W. Long falls a huge distance from that kind of garbage.
This is grown up's ZA.
Horror, bad language, and sheer terror combine to make Beyond The Barriers an absolutely superb book.
This is an author who should be given attention by any serious post apocalypse fan.
I actually do a search of the book for the F word. It there isn't any instances, the book will be instantly ditched.
A ZA i can imagine would be the ultimate in horror, and terror, in which people of all social backgrounds will cross paths, all desperately fighting for their very survival.
So to publish a book which is as frightening as an episode of The Waltons, with characters so self righteously upstanding, grits my patience. I've no tolerance for rubbish like that.
Fortunately Timothy W. Long falls a huge distance from that kind of garbage.
This is grown up's ZA.
Horror, bad language, and sheer terror combine to make Beyond The Barriers an absolutely superb book.
This is an author who should be given attention by any serious post apocalypse fan.
October 19, 2011
Erik is a man witnessing the beginning of the apocalypse. As he watches the world crumble on his television, he decides that his best bet is to gather up some supplies and head out to a friend’s remote cabin in the woods. He can hunker down there, live off the land, and hope that somehow, mankind figures out a way to defeat the undead that have been devouring the living. After a harrowing trip to the local WalMart where he sees the undead starting to pop up all over, Erik manages to make his escape.
Months later, out of food and desperate to find out what has happened to the rest of the world, Erik returns home, only to have his worse fears realized, and far worse…because the zombies aren’t the only thing that have it out for humanity. There is a whole new breed of the undead that have risen from the ashes of the apocalypse: ghouls. And these creatures aren’t only ravenous for human flesh; they are intelligent and devious as well, having become the leaders of the mindless zombie hoards in their quest to destroy humanity. But there are still survivors, and Erik hooks up with a group of them. His journeys grow more harrowing with every step he takes, and the ghouls are there at every turn, plotting his, and everyone else’s, demise.
Tim Long has upped the ante on the traditional zombie novel with Beyond the Barriers. He has created a new breed of undead and a new form of terror for fans of the genre to come to grips with. The ghouls are an enemy with more than just a mindless desire to kill, but a twisted, evil desire to create a hell on earth. I just wish that as intelligent flesh eaters, one or two might be able to resist their all encompassing need to annihilate all that they once were-human. For now, they all seem uniform in their desire to destroy, but I know that the author plans at least one more book, which may reveal more behind the meaning of this new form of undead, and also reveal how evil they truly can be.
As I always try to do, I like to be fair and point out any quibbles I might have had with a particular book. The book, which is a first person narrative, has Erik contemplating and pondering on the horrors that surround him more than I felt was necessary. The nightmarish images of the world around him and the endless terrors he faces speak to those horrors loud and clear, and were far more compelling than his words on the subject, which crop up with a good frequency. Even so, his reactions to this insane world felt natural. I would probably act no different...that is, assuming I lasted all that long and didn't go mad with fear. And again, this is just a minor quibble, but one I felt it only fair to point out.
Even with this slight criticism in mind, this is a fast paced, entertaining read, and I look forward to the next book in this series.
Months later, out of food and desperate to find out what has happened to the rest of the world, Erik returns home, only to have his worse fears realized, and far worse…because the zombies aren’t the only thing that have it out for humanity. There is a whole new breed of the undead that have risen from the ashes of the apocalypse: ghouls. And these creatures aren’t only ravenous for human flesh; they are intelligent and devious as well, having become the leaders of the mindless zombie hoards in their quest to destroy humanity. But there are still survivors, and Erik hooks up with a group of them. His journeys grow more harrowing with every step he takes, and the ghouls are there at every turn, plotting his, and everyone else’s, demise.
Tim Long has upped the ante on the traditional zombie novel with Beyond the Barriers. He has created a new breed of undead and a new form of terror for fans of the genre to come to grips with. The ghouls are an enemy with more than just a mindless desire to kill, but a twisted, evil desire to create a hell on earth. I just wish that as intelligent flesh eaters, one or two might be able to resist their all encompassing need to annihilate all that they once were-human. For now, they all seem uniform in their desire to destroy, but I know that the author plans at least one more book, which may reveal more behind the meaning of this new form of undead, and also reveal how evil they truly can be.
As I always try to do, I like to be fair and point out any quibbles I might have had with a particular book. The book, which is a first person narrative, has Erik contemplating and pondering on the horrors that surround him more than I felt was necessary. The nightmarish images of the world around him and the endless terrors he faces speak to those horrors loud and clear, and were far more compelling than his words on the subject, which crop up with a good frequency. Even so, his reactions to this insane world felt natural. I would probably act no different...that is, assuming I lasted all that long and didn't go mad with fear. And again, this is just a minor quibble, but one I felt it only fair to point out.
Even with this slight criticism in mind, this is a fast paced, entertaining read, and I look forward to the next book in this series.
January 24, 2013
A great zombie book. It reads like a journal by a man who ran to the woods at the start and later makes his way down to reconnect with society. Along the way he has to fight zombies, zombie human hybrids and other humans. The main character is someone who is easy to connect with as he feels bad for killing the zombies and humans alike. The story is action packed and written to make you feel a part of the action. I can't wait for the second book!
March 24, 2012
(Audiobook) Everything you want from a zombie book. This is book one.
November 27, 2016
When the end of civilization came at the hands (and teeth) of hordes of zombies, former soldier Erik Tragger wasn't ready. We meet him just as he decides to make a break for a remote cabin. Along the way he encounters desperate civilians, neighbors in denial, ominous militia men and of course plenty of walking dead. When he finally decides to see what the rest of the world has become, Tragger encounters a totally new kind of horror.
Zombie 411 - For the most part, these are the basic Romero-style zombies. Long soon introduces a new threat in the form of ghouls - infected humans who remain intelligent and can control zombies mentally. I prefer the plain vanilla undead, but I have to say this was an interesting twist.
Where Beyond the Barriers really works are the characters - all of which are memorable, three-dimensional and believable, and the fact that Long never really lets readers get a chance to pause and catch a breath. It's got a fast pace and the sense that catastrophe is always a moment away helps propel you towards the end.
Where the book stumbles a bit is that the plot seems to wander as aimlessly as the main character at times. By the third time Tragger headed for the same cabin in the woods I wanted to yell at him to make up his mind. Some of his travels and encounters with the increasingly-sadistic militia leader Lee seem like they were thrown in impulsively, regardless of how they fit the story. The dialogue also got pretty unbelievable at times, especially Tragger's romantic musings.
While not without flaws, Beyond the Barriers is an enjoyable post-apocalyptic tale that should appeal to most zombie fans. If nothing else, it never gets boring, and the potential is definitely there for future installments.
Zombie 411 - For the most part, these are the basic Romero-style zombies. Long soon introduces a new threat in the form of ghouls - infected humans who remain intelligent and can control zombies mentally. I prefer the plain vanilla undead, but I have to say this was an interesting twist.
Where Beyond the Barriers really works are the characters - all of which are memorable, three-dimensional and believable, and the fact that Long never really lets readers get a chance to pause and catch a breath. It's got a fast pace and the sense that catastrophe is always a moment away helps propel you towards the end.
Where the book stumbles a bit is that the plot seems to wander as aimlessly as the main character at times. By the third time Tragger headed for the same cabin in the woods I wanted to yell at him to make up his mind. Some of his travels and encounters with the increasingly-sadistic militia leader Lee seem like they were thrown in impulsively, regardless of how they fit the story. The dialogue also got pretty unbelievable at times, especially Tragger's romantic musings.
While not without flaws, Beyond the Barriers is an enjoyable post-apocalyptic tale that should appeal to most zombie fans. If nothing else, it never gets boring, and the potential is definitely there for future installments.
January 3, 2024
Mixed feelings. Whilst the story was enjoyable, there was something off with the flow of writing. There was a lot of unnecessary recapping, which made the book read disjointedly. It read as if originally released in segments…”last week, on ‘Beyond The Barriers!’ style, as if it was a weekly episode instalment. This flow issue made the reading cumbersome. I really enjoyed the main Z:Risen series so wanted to love this book more than I did. Absolutely worth reading as a prequel, but not a smooth read.
September 1, 2024
Beware of any book where the protagonist is a former special forces member who was to much of a badass for the army to contain lol.
Its not bad, its not offensive. This book was by the numbers. It needed a stronger hook and a little more structure. I would not be surprised if the author has done better in the time since.
Its not bad, its not offensive. This book was by the numbers. It needed a stronger hook and a little more structure. I would not be surprised if the author has done better in the time since.
September 16, 2024
Great book beside the instantly fall in love crap, other than that, great book
April 22, 2015
ABR's full Beyond the Barriers audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
“No one plans on the end of the world” no truer words spoken!
Recognizing signs that the end of the word is coming to an end, Erir Tragger, flips off the CNN News and heads off to the local Wal-mart to shop for supplies before heading off to a friends cabin in the mountains. Relying on his special forces training, Tragger feels confident he can survive the impending change.
Tragger connects with a group of survivors wanting to travel to Portland and thus begins his journey into a brief love relationship with a woman abused and nearly broken by life, a strong friendship with another special forces member and an arch rival named Lee.
Tragger finds that his special training instincts are rusty but given time he’s confident they will come back. After stopping at Walmart to gather supplies, Trigger escapes to the mountains removing himself from the end. However, his supplies dwindle driving him towards his home where more supplies are hidden.
Connecting with a group of survivors who plan to move to Portland, Tragger finds himself falling for a woman who is strong yet broken by life. He also connects with Scott another military member.
One would think that looters and zombies would be all the survivors would need to contend with but no … a new twist on the zombie genre generates green-eyed ghouls who use telepathic skills to control the zombies.
Forced to move on by another horde attack after his girlfriend is injured, he connects with others … including the snake-skin boots owned by Lee. A fierce looter with little regard to others and only out to be the biggest, baddest man around who takes what he wants.
Escaping from a ghoul camp, and another encounter with Lee has Tragger questioning his humanity – can he kill a ghoul who is nearly human or even kill his arch rival? The fate of his arch enemy who was left near deaths door in the ghoul camp is unknown but there are suspicions … an end to an excellent book! An excellent start to the next one – where is Lee??? And will his loyalty and faith in humanity get him killed – it has already blinded him, putting his and others lives in jeopardy.
During Traggers struggles, readers are naturally connected to the story and characters because of their down to earthiness and a general shared feeling of right vs wrong.
The author uses rich vocabulary to pain details for every event capturing the reader.
The audio book production was flawless. Audio Studies did an excellent job of producing this audiobook.
The narrator, Christian Rummel was excellent! He made listening to the book nail biting – he ability to project anxiety, fear, terror, and other feelings was amazing. Also his pronunciation was clear and concise.
I highly recommend this book – it captures and holds the reader mesmerized from beginning to end. The down-to-earthiness makes it more real leaving one rooted in the story. While there are common zombie behaviors, the twists in this plot makes it exciting and engrossing.
I can’t wait to read the next one!
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
“No one plans on the end of the world” no truer words spoken!
Recognizing signs that the end of the word is coming to an end, Erir Tragger, flips off the CNN News and heads off to the local Wal-mart to shop for supplies before heading off to a friends cabin in the mountains. Relying on his special forces training, Tragger feels confident he can survive the impending change.
Tragger connects with a group of survivors wanting to travel to Portland and thus begins his journey into a brief love relationship with a woman abused and nearly broken by life, a strong friendship with another special forces member and an arch rival named Lee.
Tragger finds that his special training instincts are rusty but given time he’s confident they will come back. After stopping at Walmart to gather supplies, Trigger escapes to the mountains removing himself from the end. However, his supplies dwindle driving him towards his home where more supplies are hidden.
Connecting with a group of survivors who plan to move to Portland, Tragger finds himself falling for a woman who is strong yet broken by life. He also connects with Scott another military member.
One would think that looters and zombies would be all the survivors would need to contend with but no … a new twist on the zombie genre generates green-eyed ghouls who use telepathic skills to control the zombies.
Forced to move on by another horde attack after his girlfriend is injured, he connects with others … including the snake-skin boots owned by Lee. A fierce looter with little regard to others and only out to be the biggest, baddest man around who takes what he wants.
Escaping from a ghoul camp, and another encounter with Lee has Tragger questioning his humanity – can he kill a ghoul who is nearly human or even kill his arch rival? The fate of his arch enemy who was left near deaths door in the ghoul camp is unknown but there are suspicions … an end to an excellent book! An excellent start to the next one – where is Lee??? And will his loyalty and faith in humanity get him killed – it has already blinded him, putting his and others lives in jeopardy.
During Traggers struggles, readers are naturally connected to the story and characters because of their down to earthiness and a general shared feeling of right vs wrong.
The author uses rich vocabulary to pain details for every event capturing the reader.
The audio book production was flawless. Audio Studies did an excellent job of producing this audiobook.
The narrator, Christian Rummel was excellent! He made listening to the book nail biting – he ability to project anxiety, fear, terror, and other feelings was amazing. Also his pronunciation was clear and concise.
I highly recommend this book – it captures and holds the reader mesmerized from beginning to end. The down-to-earthiness makes it more real leaving one rooted in the story. While there are common zombie behaviors, the twists in this plot makes it exciting and engrossing.
I can’t wait to read the next one!
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
Read
December 19, 2011Good storyline, but the inconsistencies kill it for me.
~he's not sure there's a generator at the cabin, but as soon as he gets there he thinks about firing up the generator that he hasn't even scoped out yet?
~is it 4 months or 6 months that he holed up in the cabin?
~the guns at the Walmart are woefully uncared for/cleaned, yet that is what Katherine is used to doing to occupy her time?
~he has a watch at Walmart but a week later it's been months since he had a watch?
~why is he surprised a ghoul could have shot Katherine with just a few weeks earlier he came across ghoul-soldiers who aimed and fired at him?
~the rhododendrons were dying off and it was fall/near fall and he spent most of winter in the cabin but when he came back to town all the rhododendrons and vines have overgrown?
~he's not sure there's a generator at the cabin, but as soon as he gets there he thinks about firing up the generator that he hasn't even scoped out yet?
~is it 4 months or 6 months that he holed up in the cabin?
~the guns at the Walmart are woefully uncared for/cleaned, yet that is what Katherine is used to doing to occupy her time?
~he has a watch at Walmart but a week later it's been months since he had a watch?
~why is he surprised a ghoul could have shot Katherine with just a few weeks earlier he came across ghoul-soldiers who aimed and fired at him?
~the rhododendrons were dying off and it was fall/near fall and he spent most of winter in the cabin but when he came back to town all the rhododendrons and vines have overgrown?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2014
I hoped that this was going to be as good as, 'Among the Living.' However I was left sorely unsatisfied.
It should have been so much better, instead it felt tired and perhaps a little dated. At times unbelievable... not in a OMG zombies have taken over the world way, but in a, I don't know why you're doing that! Why would anyone do that!?
I can't say it was bad- i've read much worse, and there were sone great ideas in it, but the characters always left me flat. I had no empathy for any of them. I didn't care what happened to them, i still don't.
It's worth a read though, just don't expect too much, especially if you have read a Mark Tufo book.
It should have been so much better, instead it felt tired and perhaps a little dated. At times unbelievable... not in a OMG zombies have taken over the world way, but in a, I don't know why you're doing that! Why would anyone do that!?
I can't say it was bad- i've read much worse, and there were sone great ideas in it, but the characters always left me flat. I had no empathy for any of them. I didn't care what happened to them, i still don't.
It's worth a read though, just don't expect too much, especially if you have read a Mark Tufo book.
August 10, 2016
Another corker by Timothy W.Long with the added twist of ghouls, creepy lot them as they are sort of like thinking zombies and they can communicate with dinner. The main hero isn't all gung ho like some that I've read, and there are times he does hesitate to do what needs to be done, but it all finished up quite nicely and looking forward to book 2.
March 21, 2023
Beyond the Barriers: A Zombie Novel
Timothy Long has quite the imagination and to the best of my knowledge, his series is the only one with... well, you'll see. The action scenes are amazing. The characters ROCK! The storyline is fast paced and really engaging. Looking forward to book 2!
Timothy Long has quite the imagination and to the best of my knowledge, his series is the only one with... well, you'll see. The action scenes are amazing. The characters ROCK! The storyline is fast paced and really engaging. Looking forward to book 2!
January 3, 2012
It's not often I accidentally stumble over a book (especially a zombie one) I've never heard of and it turns out to be a great read. It didn't drag, kept my interest and leaves you wanting more. Great way to start 2012.
March 30, 2015
This is one of the better post-apocalyptic undead tales, with plenty of action, and a likeable enough main character, although his companions tend to be a little one dimensional.. Kept me interested and I found the 'ghoul' deviation from the normal zombie novel made the book even better
January 16, 2024
I was disappointed. It’s entertaining, but I didn’t love it. Zombies could talk, and had their own base. The zombies held the humans in jail. Wasn’t my vibe at all. I don’t think I’ll continue with this series 😕.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2011
Another great book by Timothy Long. Plenty of zombie killing action. Also has an interesting twist, ghouls! Looking forward to book 2.
July 11, 2013
This was a pretty good book, nice creep factor, and the ghouls were a nice touch!
January 13, 2014
The story was fine, but a little too many close calls for my taste. He should have died many times over the book, but survived anyway.
January 17, 2014
not what you'd expect in a zombie book.
Read
January 31, 2015Couldn't finish it. Just wasn't into it at all.
April 19, 2016
Very Good Zombie story. Might be a little predictable in places, but a solid, fun telling
May 6, 2023
Good series
Ghouls who can control the regular zombies. Whose main goal is to turn humans into more Ghouls. Will the human race survive?
Ghouls who can control the regular zombies. Whose main goal is to turn humans into more Ghouls. Will the human race survive?
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews