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Epiphany
It was just another murder, but before the police can haul away the bodies it becomes obvious that sinister forces are at work. Carnage erupts from the crime scene like a firestorm. Who knew that the end of the world would start with some jilted ex killing the old wife and the new boyfriend?
Phil Pierson passes the crime scene and senses a sinister chill that follows him home—a foreboding that is soon proven true by news reports of spreading chaos. Within a few short weeks, the earth is a ravaged planet, denuded of life by a rage plague called “the Madness” by the few, sane survivors. More mysterious than origin of the Madness is its transmission; it seizes instantly upon anybody who behaves maliciously or becomes angry. None know where the threshold between sanity and the Madness lies. All walk the razor-thin line never knowing when they might fall. A massive firefight between gangs of rage plague victims drives Phil from his home, but he soon links up with a small group of survivors. Their hope is muted by reports of a new menace—black shrouded wraiths lurking in the night, murderously fierce, frightfully strong, and absolutely evil. They bring with them that same chill that Phil knows too well, something he now realizes is a sentient wickedness that has targeted him even as it seeks to destroy the last of the survivors.
Daily existence for the survivors has been reduced to fighting off the marauding bands of insane brutes who lash the land with their pointless, pandemic rage. Still, it is not the fighting that frightens the survivors. Rather, it is the malevolent gaze of the predator Madness that terrifies them all. It is truly a fate worse than death—and a fate that seeks to possess Phil.
Phil Pierson passes the crime scene and senses a sinister chill that follows him home—a foreboding that is soon proven true by news reports of spreading chaos. Within a few short weeks, the earth is a ravaged planet, denuded of life by a rage plague called “the Madness” by the few, sane survivors. More mysterious than origin of the Madness is its transmission; it seizes instantly upon anybody who behaves maliciously or becomes angry. None know where the threshold between sanity and the Madness lies. All walk the razor-thin line never knowing when they might fall. A massive firefight between gangs of rage plague victims drives Phil from his home, but he soon links up with a small group of survivors. Their hope is muted by reports of a new menace—black shrouded wraiths lurking in the night, murderously fierce, frightfully strong, and absolutely evil. They bring with them that same chill that Phil knows too well, something he now realizes is a sentient wickedness that has targeted him even as it seeks to destroy the last of the survivors.
Daily existence for the survivors has been reduced to fighting off the marauding bands of insane brutes who lash the land with their pointless, pandemic rage. Still, it is not the fighting that frightens the survivors. Rather, it is the malevolent gaze of the predator Madness that terrifies them all. It is truly a fate worse than death—and a fate that seeks to possess Phil.
548 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2011
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208 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 11, 2012
What do you want in a book of fiction? While your mileage may vary, arguably you want a good story that grabs you and moves you along.
I won J.D. Riley’s Epiphany in a Goodreads giveaway. It is a good gripping story--so much so that I lost sleep one night reading a good part of it. The world faces a spreading menace to all human life. It’s not Ebola, zombies, vampires, rogue comets. No, it’s rage. Humans get angry and stay angry.
It’s different from the anger you and I feel when a careless driver cuts you off. I and maybe you too, hit the steering wheel, curse, wave a single finger, and then move on. Instead, this rage is anger dialed up to murder and then it never dissipates. Victims give up homes, jobs, and families. They grab weapons to join loose mobs that kill anyone in their way.
Some humans are able to keep rage at bay. A small band of them barricades a suburb and tries to survive. Opposing them are mobs and a much smaller group who inflame mobs to their own nihilistic ends. The survivors call them banshees. The banshees are full of hate and want only to create terror before killing with knives or fire. Guns are too civilized for them.
The story centers on Phil, who meets Carl and other survivors. Phil is constantly fighting the temptation to give into the rage. Carl is a veteran police officer who has developed a calm center thanks to years of abuse from arrestees. There is no omniscient narrator in Riley’s story. We never learn why the rage arose although a murderous rampage in Phil’s and Carl’s city seems to have been the epicenter.
So, Epiphany has a great story that makes up for one small thing. Riley is an independent author (as am I) who has edited the book quite well. I saw only a couple of misspellings--no more than I’ve noticed in mainstream books. However, Riley has a grammar quirk that took me out of the story each time I stumbled on it. This sentence on page 107 is only one example, “Phil lie under the fender of the truck and aimed at the group.” Please review the use of lie, lay, laid, etc. This quirk does not affect my rating, but did bother me and I am not a grammar maven.
Give it a read, but if I may be so bold as to give advice to the author, think ebook and a lower price point.
I won J.D. Riley’s Epiphany in a Goodreads giveaway. It is a good gripping story--so much so that I lost sleep one night reading a good part of it. The world faces a spreading menace to all human life. It’s not Ebola, zombies, vampires, rogue comets. No, it’s rage. Humans get angry and stay angry.
It’s different from the anger you and I feel when a careless driver cuts you off. I and maybe you too, hit the steering wheel, curse, wave a single finger, and then move on. Instead, this rage is anger dialed up to murder and then it never dissipates. Victims give up homes, jobs, and families. They grab weapons to join loose mobs that kill anyone in their way.
Some humans are able to keep rage at bay. A small band of them barricades a suburb and tries to survive. Opposing them are mobs and a much smaller group who inflame mobs to their own nihilistic ends. The survivors call them banshees. The banshees are full of hate and want only to create terror before killing with knives or fire. Guns are too civilized for them.
The story centers on Phil, who meets Carl and other survivors. Phil is constantly fighting the temptation to give into the rage. Carl is a veteran police officer who has developed a calm center thanks to years of abuse from arrestees. There is no omniscient narrator in Riley’s story. We never learn why the rage arose although a murderous rampage in Phil’s and Carl’s city seems to have been the epicenter.
So, Epiphany has a great story that makes up for one small thing. Riley is an independent author (as am I) who has edited the book quite well. I saw only a couple of misspellings--no more than I’ve noticed in mainstream books. However, Riley has a grammar quirk that took me out of the story each time I stumbled on it. This sentence on page 107 is only one example, “Phil lie under the fender of the truck and aimed at the group.” Please review the use of lie, lay, laid, etc. This quirk does not affect my rating, but did bother me and I am not a grammar maven.
Give it a read, but if I may be so bold as to give advice to the author, think ebook and a lower price point.
April 26, 2016
This was a good read. It is fast-paced and interesting. As a fan of the genre, I always like to see a new look and a new reason for things going awry. J.D. Riley does an excellent job of getting you hooked. I think I read about 15% of the book before I realized I had been reading for a while. That is a good sign! I enjoyed it and have recommended it to some friends. I recommend it to you!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews