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Welcome to the Silent Zone: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller
Film rights instantly sold before publication
Soon to be a feature film in cinemas or streaming
WHAT IS THE SILENT ZONE? Find out the truth!Years after the outbreak of a mysterious pandemic, hardly any survivors are left in the quarantined wasteland of North America. Hunger and the menace of man-eaters are nothing compared to the ferals – those who were infected and mutated by the virus.
Two survivors, the pregnant Megan and her brother David, leave a deserted colony to seek a safer haven. A huge pack attacks them on the way, and they only manage to escape in the last moment with the help of two hunters. Cassius and Abigail have roamed the wasteland since the Breakdown, and even as they bicker over whether to take in more strays, they realize that there is something strange about the siblings and that the ferals will not rest until they are caught.
The group heads to a riverside colony where Megan can safely give birth to her child. None of them could have predicted the dangers that await them on their journey – or that the ferals might not be the biggest peril.
Top100 in Dystopian Science Fiction (for nearly half a year in 2023)
Top100 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (for nearly half a year in 2023)
Top10 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (August 2023)
Amazon bestseller in the UK (October 2023 - Alternative History)
Firebird Award winner (2023)
BookLife Award Bronze medalist (2023)
Reader's Favorite Award Bronze medalist (2023)
Readers are saying...
★★★★★ "Heart-stopping..."
★★★★★ "Exciting and immersive story, I recommend it for those who like the post-apocalyptic genre."
★★★★★ "Kept me wanting to read more and loved the twists!"
___________________________________“You are hunted by the most dangerous animal on the planet.”
"Silent Zone manages to blend the best of the zombie genre with characters you care about and wonderful twists. Be careful when you start it, you may not be able to stop!" — Declan Hannigan, writer/actor
"Author Viktor Csák has crafted a chilling paranormal action thriller with so much depth and so many surprises that it’s hard to know where to begin the praise. The atmosphere was a constant standout feature for me, depicting desolate wastelands and desperate survivors huddled together in cloying, festering conditions. The work goes beyond the cinematic to give you a visceral feel of the pain, hunger, and hardship of the cast, which endears them to you and makes you even more invested in their survival." — K. C. Finn, Reader's Favorite
Soon to be a feature film in cinemas or streaming
WHAT IS THE SILENT ZONE? Find out the truth!Years after the outbreak of a mysterious pandemic, hardly any survivors are left in the quarantined wasteland of North America. Hunger and the menace of man-eaters are nothing compared to the ferals – those who were infected and mutated by the virus.
Two survivors, the pregnant Megan and her brother David, leave a deserted colony to seek a safer haven. A huge pack attacks them on the way, and they only manage to escape in the last moment with the help of two hunters. Cassius and Abigail have roamed the wasteland since the Breakdown, and even as they bicker over whether to take in more strays, they realize that there is something strange about the siblings and that the ferals will not rest until they are caught.
The group heads to a riverside colony where Megan can safely give birth to her child. None of them could have predicted the dangers that await them on their journey – or that the ferals might not be the biggest peril.
Top100 in Dystopian Science Fiction (for nearly half a year in 2023)
Top100 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (for nearly half a year in 2023)
Top10 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (August 2023)
Amazon bestseller in the UK (October 2023 - Alternative History)
Firebird Award winner (2023)
BookLife Award Bronze medalist (2023)
Reader's Favorite Award Bronze medalist (2023)
Readers are saying...
★★★★★ "Heart-stopping..."
★★★★★ "Exciting and immersive story, I recommend it for those who like the post-apocalyptic genre."
★★★★★ "Kept me wanting to read more and loved the twists!"
___________________________________“You are hunted by the most dangerous animal on the planet.”
"Silent Zone manages to blend the best of the zombie genre with characters you care about and wonderful twists. Be careful when you start it, you may not be able to stop!" — Declan Hannigan, writer/actor
"Author Viktor Csák has crafted a chilling paranormal action thriller with so much depth and so many surprises that it’s hard to know where to begin the praise. The atmosphere was a constant standout feature for me, depicting desolate wastelands and desperate survivors huddled together in cloying, festering conditions. The work goes beyond the cinematic to give you a visceral feel of the pain, hunger, and hardship of the cast, which endears them to you and makes you even more invested in their survival." — K. C. Finn, Reader's Favorite
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2023
362 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Viktor Csák
3 books6 followersViktor is a Marketing Diamond Award-winning copywriter, a scriptwriter for international commercials, and has contributed to a number of non-fiction books.
Welcome to the Silent Zone is his first novel. The film rights sold prior to publication, so be sure to catch the forthcoming film in theaters or streaming.
Viktor lives in Hungary, and runs a small creative company.
Be sure to follow Viktor on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vikto...
Welcome to the Silent Zone is his first novel. The film rights sold prior to publication, so be sure to catch the forthcoming film in theaters or streaming.
Viktor lives in Hungary, and runs a small creative company.
Be sure to follow Viktor on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/vikto...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 1, 2024
Fast paced, short chapters, constant (if predictable and routine) danger and barely escaping death and disaster. I was entertained, but there's nothing new or genre shocking here.
January 9, 2024
Liked
This book was a good paced post apocalyptic thriller….. I enjoyed it and will def look for other books by this author.
This book was a good paced post apocalyptic thriller….. I enjoyed it and will def look for other books by this author.
March 15, 2024
Silent Zone is an entertaining romp through an apocalyptic world, where a virus has transformed most humans (and many animals) into primal savages. Those with the virus mutate into huge and vicious creatures whose sole purpose is to cause harm and spill blood. The two main characters, an older man and a young girl, he has taken under his wing, travel through the wilderness surviving and avoiding both the creatures and other people as much as possible. The man tries to teach the girl his survival skills with luck in some areas and resistance in others. On occasion, they travel with others and even find themselves in human settlements but the man doesn't trust anyone and prefers to stay away from strangers. For the most part his fears are well founded, as groups of humans attract the creatures. The two narrowly escape a number of encounters with humans and the creatures until a final climax battle aboard a city of boats anchored in a river. Overall a fun read.
I listened to the Audible version. Cons are that at times it reads like it might have been written in Japanese and translated into English. The pace and word choices often sound like an Anime cartoon. Aside from mispronouncing words on occasion, the narrator does a good job with the material.
I listened to the Audible version. Cons are that at times it reads like it might have been written in Japanese and translated into English. The pace and word choices often sound like an Anime cartoon. Aside from mispronouncing words on occasion, the narrator does a good job with the material.
October 17, 2024
After reading subpar and boring thrillers lately, this was a breath of fresh air. Even though it's the same story, we've all read before.
I still loved it.
I still loved it.
January 16, 2024
This was an excellent book, but there were some issues with it which prevented me giving it 5 stars.
The story is good and has a twist to the "virus infecting humanity" genre with the infected (ferals) evolving into different stages. The book revolves around 2 people, the main man, Cassius, is a focused and meticulous planner and fighter and thinks everything through to avoid conflict. His partner, a young girl called Abigail, is the compete opposite. Every single issue that they came across was because of her acting on feelings and screwing everything up, then blaming it on Cassius. They get into a situation (thanks to the girl...) which provides the driving force of the story and have multiple battles and events along the way. Such as finding the "man eaters" - cannibals that have taken over the major city in the area. Culminating in a battle in a boat town.
The author does a really good job at creating a tense and scary atmosphere, but then ruins it with a teenage girl who thinks that because she's in a strop, then the ferals won't attack. Frustrating.
A bit of a cliché and anticlimactic ending was also a bit disappointing, and it felt like the author just gave up towards the end just to get it done. There are also a few mistakes, but in a book this size, I can't hold that against him. If he wrote a book that just contained Cassius surving in the wasteland, then that would be fantastic.
A great story with some great points, only let down by including a 16 year old girl who only seemed to be there to cause problems. Still worth a read though.
The story is good and has a twist to the "virus infecting humanity" genre with the infected (ferals) evolving into different stages. The book revolves around 2 people, the main man, Cassius, is a focused and meticulous planner and fighter and thinks everything through to avoid conflict. His partner, a young girl called Abigail, is the compete opposite. Every single issue that they came across was because of her acting on feelings and screwing everything up, then blaming it on Cassius. They get into a situation (thanks to the girl...) which provides the driving force of the story and have multiple battles and events along the way. Such as finding the "man eaters" - cannibals that have taken over the major city in the area. Culminating in a battle in a boat town.
The author does a really good job at creating a tense and scary atmosphere, but then ruins it with a teenage girl who thinks that because she's in a strop, then the ferals won't attack. Frustrating.
A bit of a cliché and anticlimactic ending was also a bit disappointing, and it felt like the author just gave up towards the end just to get it done. There are also a few mistakes, but in a book this size, I can't hold that against him. If he wrote a book that just contained Cassius surving in the wasteland, then that would be fantastic.
A great story with some great points, only let down by including a 16 year old girl who only seemed to be there to cause problems. Still worth a read though.
October 23, 2023
I'm a fan of zombies and dystopian, post apocalypse stories. I've been on a kick reading them. Sometimes they are real gems, the last series was one of those. This one was well rated. This was not one of those.
The dialog was odd, and exclamation points used as widely as periods. The story flow was disjointed. Stupid decisions, especially by the young woman who, when given a choice, always made the wrong one and then felt bad about it. They never learn. The characters weren't one dimensional, but they were... thin, I suppose. There wasn't much meat to them. The car maze left me confused as to its purpose when the enemy regularly leap or knock over cars, and then it being full of "traps". Or rigging the claymore to blow when they get near. How was that done, by the way, with some wire?
Have you ever actually seen a REAL zombie? You're welcome! PA Zombie Response Team, Sector Three Captain
The dialog was odd, and exclamation points used as widely as periods. The story flow was disjointed. Stupid decisions, especially by the young woman who, when given a choice, always made the wrong one and then felt bad about it. They never learn. The characters weren't one dimensional, but they were... thin, I suppose. There wasn't much meat to them. The car maze left me confused as to its purpose when the enemy regularly leap or knock over cars, and then it being full of "traps". Or rigging the claymore to blow when they get near. How was that done, by the way, with some wire?
Have you ever actually seen a REAL zombie? You're welcome! PA Zombie Response Team, Sector Three Captain
Read
February 26, 2024DNF pg.56
March 21, 2024
DNF'd
There are some post-apocalyptic/zombie/creature books that are more about shooting guns than about story/character development, and this was one of them. Couldn't hold my interest.
There are some post-apocalyptic/zombie/creature books that are more about shooting guns than about story/character development, and this was one of them. Couldn't hold my interest.
July 14, 2024
Did not finish. It was boring and the writing style was foggy… idk. Just not for me.
November 9, 2023
Cassius is a born survivor and considerably happy being a lone wolf. That's until he meets Abigal, an orphaned child who has attached herself to him in more ways than one. They bicker like father and daughter and work together like a well oiled machine whenever danger lurks near, but only when Abigal's teenage angst isn't getting in the way. They run into siblings Megan and David who have lived sheltered lives since the outbreak and know little about protecting themselves in the harshlands. Cassius reluctantly brings them into his fold after Abigal goes against his decision to go it alone. This proves not so easy a task as vulnerable Megan is heavily pregnant. What transpires is a dangerous journey being hunted by mutant zombies, cannibals and humans that can't be trusted.
Cassius is a great character and is exactly who I would want to have my back in a zombie apocalypse. But there is disparity between his way of thinking and Abigals where she often puts them in danger. Abigals teenage antics become a little annoying after awhile. However, it's clear the author has done this on purpose because this story is also about coming of age.
This is not your typical zombie apocalypse book simply because of how the mutants continue to evolve and how epic the book became towards the end. There is one particular scene with Cassius I didn't see coming, it gets a bit sad and emotional, but I hope that other character is revisited in book 2. I can't help but make comparisons with Frankinsteins monster here.
Overall this book is definitely worth reading if you are a zombie fan, aswell as those that just want to get stuck into a good action/thriller book. I can see why this book is being made into a film.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cassius is a great character and is exactly who I would want to have my back in a zombie apocalypse. But there is disparity between his way of thinking and Abigals where she often puts them in danger. Abigals teenage antics become a little annoying after awhile. However, it's clear the author has done this on purpose because this story is also about coming of age.
This is not your typical zombie apocalypse book simply because of how the mutants continue to evolve and how epic the book became towards the end. There is one particular scene with Cassius I didn't see coming, it gets a bit sad and emotional, but I hope that other character is revisited in book 2. I can't help but make comparisons with Frankinsteins monster here.
Overall this book is definitely worth reading if you are a zombie fan, aswell as those that just want to get stuck into a good action/thriller book. I can see why this book is being made into a film.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 3, 2023
Enjoyable! good action
So I thought the author painted a pretty good picture even if he went about it a different way with the different perspectives. Some of that I didn’t really need. I didn’t really like abigale but debating if that was the point. Make me wonder if I would act up living in that world or if I would stay true to my soldier dad. I’m pretty sure I’d obey my dad for a while and as a Vietnam vet he wouldn’t take the crap she dealt out especially after soooooo many failures! She didn’t learn from her mistakes well which was annoying. It would be tough to only care about survival though.
So I thought the author painted a pretty good picture even if he went about it a different way with the different perspectives. Some of that I didn’t really need. I didn’t really like abigale but debating if that was the point. Make me wonder if I would act up living in that world or if I would stay true to my soldier dad. I’m pretty sure I’d obey my dad for a while and as a Vietnam vet he wouldn’t take the crap she dealt out especially after soooooo many failures! She didn’t learn from her mistakes well which was annoying. It would be tough to only care about survival though.
April 2, 2023
I haven’t read a zompoc story quite like this one. The story begins 7 years after the apocalypse began. I really like the world that we are introduced to and both of our lead characters. Cassius and Abigail, quite an unlikely duo. This is their journey trying to find their way to a a place of safety to start rebuilding a world. The different people they meet along that journey will play a significant role in that outcome.
I very much enjoyed reading The Silent Zone and look forward to reading more from this author.
I very much enjoyed reading The Silent Zone and look forward to reading more from this author.
October 22, 2023
Expertly checks off in all the right places!
Absolutely fantastic! Quick paced action, non-stop thrills, fleshed out characters, detailed scenes... what more could you ask for? How about a fresh new take on the apocalyptic style human turned monster book? Well, check off that box as well. This book has it all!! I just wish there were more that just the one book, but that's just me. Everything was wrapped up at the end, yet left open just a smidge to leave the reader with a hopeful smile on their face.
Absolutely fantastic! Quick paced action, non-stop thrills, fleshed out characters, detailed scenes... what more could you ask for? How about a fresh new take on the apocalyptic style human turned monster book? Well, check off that box as well. This book has it all!! I just wish there were more that just the one book, but that's just me. Everything was wrapped up at the end, yet left open just a smidge to leave the reader with a hopeful smile on their face.
July 9, 2023
amazing apocalyptic book!!
This book was amazing it had me hooked! It gave backstory to even some of the monsters. It was seen from different peoples point of views, other then the main characters. I would recommend this book to anyone.
It really hooked me from the get go. It was rarely slow at all. Hoping maybe a second book is in the plans because this one was so good!!
Just read it! You will not regret it!
This book was amazing it had me hooked! It gave backstory to even some of the monsters. It was seen from different peoples point of views, other then the main characters. I would recommend this book to anyone.
It really hooked me from the get go. It was rarely slow at all. Hoping maybe a second book is in the plans because this one was so good!!
Just read it! You will not regret it!
July 29, 2023
A better movie
I had a really hard time getting into this book. And once I did, I was frequently at a loss as the timeline kept flipping around and the characters being focused on changed. There was a lot I liked, and several places where it was absolutely amazing, but I really believe it would make a better movie than book.
I would recommend this book. There is no intimate scenes but there's cursing and - it's a zombie apocalypse, so - lots of violence. ;-)
I had a really hard time getting into this book. And once I did, I was frequently at a loss as the timeline kept flipping around and the characters being focused on changed. There was a lot I liked, and several places where it was absolutely amazing, but I really believe it would make a better movie than book.
I would recommend this book. There is no intimate scenes but there's cursing and - it's a zombie apocalypse, so - lots of violence. ;-)
August 26, 2023
Phenomenal
I could rave about this book for hours, and I have. I am hoping for a book 2 because this one was so well written. A small twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but it was so well written that even without that little twist, I would've loved it fine.
Fun change to zombies and the regular scaries, this book was fun, scary and really well thought out. I recommend it to anyone that wants a good creepfest.
I could rave about this book for hours, and I have. I am hoping for a book 2 because this one was so well written. A small twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but it was so well written that even without that little twist, I would've loved it fine.
Fun change to zombies and the regular scaries, this book was fun, scary and really well thought out. I recommend it to anyone that wants a good creepfest.
September 30, 2023
[cassius & abigail] unique, well-crafted world and thrilling storyline. started to fall off towards the end d/t cliches. gruff, bossy guy and willful, contradictory girl who constantly gets them in trouble. finding a "safe" place but it turns out to be a trap. reaching a town and it being quickly wiped away. stereotypic cliches of the genre that brought down the plot.
every other aspect was novel and fascinating, but could have been written with a more unique storyline
every other aspect was novel and fascinating, but could have been written with a more unique storyline
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2024
Not Zombie Fan But . . .
I'm not a fan of Zombie books or movies. It's just not my gene but for some reason I downloaded this book and I'm glad I did. This is more than a book about zombies or even about survival; it's a book about resilience, hard choices, and the limits of our humanity. And it's a page turner. Its a book about relationships but it is not some silly teen romance. I highly recommend it.
I'm not a fan of Zombie books or movies. It's just not my gene but for some reason I downloaded this book and I'm glad I did. This is more than a book about zombies or even about survival; it's a book about resilience, hard choices, and the limits of our humanity. And it's a page turner. Its a book about relationships but it is not some silly teen romance. I highly recommend it.
August 9, 2025
A completely serviceable zombie novel. I listened to the audio, which was read by someone who slaughtered a lot of really common words in creative ways. At first I found that irritating, but then I started to look forward to it. There’s a unique plot twist toward the end involving an evil scientist and I felt like there were some plot lines that left things open for a sequel, which I would not read. Is there a sequel? I don’t care enough to look it up, but this book was decent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2023
Unexpectedly good, but cliffhangs
This book is set seven years after a virus mutates and turns people into ferals. There really isn't any explanation for this until about the ninth chapter. They're not undead, more like vampiric mutations. The story mostly centers around survivors looking for loved ones and trying to find a safe place to live.
This book is set seven years after a virus mutates and turns people into ferals. There really isn't any explanation for this until about the ninth chapter. They're not undead, more like vampiric mutations. The story mostly centers around survivors looking for loved ones and trying to find a safe place to live.
December 13, 2023
Quite an enjoyable read. I almost didn’t select this one to read, to be honest. I am glad I did with one caveat: it’s one of the few books that I have read where I was quite disappointed there isn’t sequel.
January 18, 2024
Are we happy? Yes we are!!!
Not my usual genre but I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and the adventure! Bit of an emotional roller coaster! Don’t get too attached to the characters cuz boy do we lose a lot… but I guess I should have expected that lol
Not my usual genre but I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and the adventure! Bit of an emotional roller coaster! Don’t get too attached to the characters cuz boy do we lose a lot… but I guess I should have expected that lol
September 16, 2024
DNF. Such an annoying book, has no structure, keeps jumping between things, and whatever is happening could not care about it at all. Was just hoping every human will be killed right away so this book is over.
December 17, 2025
Wow
This is one wild ride. I picked up this book planning to read a few chapters before bed. Yeah, that didn't go the way I planned. This story is so engaging and so intense I forgot bed. Terror rips through these pages and grabs you. Good luck putting it down before it's over.
This is one wild ride. I picked up this book planning to read a few chapters before bed. Yeah, that didn't go the way I planned. This story is so engaging and so intense I forgot bed. Terror rips through these pages and grabs you. Good luck putting it down before it's over.
May 25, 2023
Twist and turns
I can't wait to see this as a movie. The book was so good. Twists and turns throughout. You never knew what was going to happen next.
I can't wait to see this as a movie. The book was so good. Twists and turns throughout. You never knew what was going to happen next.
December 16, 2023
Spoiler alert
The author doesn't mind killing off dogs. I quit reading when the German shepherd died.
Otherwise, it was probably a good book.
The author doesn't mind killing off dogs. I quit reading when the German shepherd died.
Otherwise, it was probably a good book.
February 29, 2024
Really good and exciting. Kept me engaged. Just needs some technical refinement.
April 17, 2024
😁fab fab fab
absolutely fantastic book . didn't want to put it down 😁😁 easy story to follow. wish it was a film would be a blockbuster x
absolutely fantastic book . didn't want to put it down 😁😁 easy story to follow. wish it was a film would be a blockbuster x
May 3, 2024
Thrilling
I absolutely loved this book. I read it in a few days as I couldn't put it down I'm sad to have finished it. Here's hoping book two won't be long.
I absolutely loved this book. I read it in a few days as I couldn't put it down I'm sad to have finished it. Here's hoping book two won't be long.
October 21, 2024
welcome to silent zone
One of the best zombie books I’ve read, can’t wait for the next book!would be a great movie! Great book
One of the best zombie books I’ve read, can’t wait for the next book!would be a great movie! Great book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews