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Atrum Terra: Dark Lands
What will it be like when the world really ends? Do you think that your Doomsday television shows and your Survival internet forums have prepared you for what is really coming? Do you think you will be able to keep your sanity with no cellular phone, no automobile, and no electricity? Will you be able to steal to stay warm, eat the family pet so you do not starve, or kill another human being to stay alive? You do not really want the world to end, not like this.
Atrum Terra: Dark Lands tells the story of two people from different sides of the nation that struggle to survive after a devastating attack breaks the back of the United States. It is a journey in which the whole world is sent spiraling towards a dark future where humans are an endangered species.
Jonathan Fisher is an average man living in Minnesota whose very sanity is tested when everything about his normal life is ripped away in an instant. He is left to survive in a new world full of victims, brigands, and a man made plague that turns its victims into violent, mindless cannibals.
Miguel Alverez is a Marine recruit trainee in California when the attack begins. He is thrown into active duty and must overcome the terror of a war from two sides as a biological weapon turns America's citizens against one another while enemy forces close in on the nation's borders.
3/23/2015 - Atrum Terra, the entire 3 part trilogy has been picked up by GraphicAudio audiobook company and part one will be released sometime in the early part of 2016 using a full cast of voice actors, full cinematic sound effects, and a soundtrack. The fate of the books in their original novel form is still unknown while I (the author) tries to find them a good home with a reputable publishing house. Thanks everyone for your interest and I hope you like it. In the mean time, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please email me at atrumterra@gmail.com
Atrum Terra: Dark Lands tells the story of two people from different sides of the nation that struggle to survive after a devastating attack breaks the back of the United States. It is a journey in which the whole world is sent spiraling towards a dark future where humans are an endangered species.
Jonathan Fisher is an average man living in Minnesota whose very sanity is tested when everything about his normal life is ripped away in an instant. He is left to survive in a new world full of victims, brigands, and a man made plague that turns its victims into violent, mindless cannibals.
Miguel Alverez is a Marine recruit trainee in California when the attack begins. He is thrown into active duty and must overcome the terror of a war from two sides as a biological weapon turns America's citizens against one another while enemy forces close in on the nation's borders.
3/23/2015 - Atrum Terra, the entire 3 part trilogy has been picked up by GraphicAudio audiobook company and part one will be released sometime in the early part of 2016 using a full cast of voice actors, full cinematic sound effects, and a soundtrack. The fate of the books in their original novel form is still unknown while I (the author) tries to find them a good home with a reputable publishing house. Thanks everyone for your interest and I hope you like it. In the mean time, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please email me at atrumterra@gmail.com
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 5, 2013
The apocalypse has hit and hit hard. This book takes a look dark and unfiltered look at a post-apocalyptic united states through the eyes of two groups. The characters are well written and likable, and the author does a good job of mixing in a lot of action and good story telling of what is happening around them. The book is good for both post apocalypse and zombie lovers alike. A few typos kept this from a 5 star book, but I can’t wait for the next installment it will certainly be on my reading list!
March 30, 2013
Well written zombie apocalypse thriller that cries out for a good editor. However, once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down regardless of the distracting grammatical and formatting errors.
Addendum: Since my purchase, the author has informed me that he has updated his work and corrected the grammar and format questions. I have, therefore, upped the rating from three to four stars.
Addendum: Since my purchase, the author has informed me that he has updated his work and corrected the grammar and format questions. I have, therefore, upped the rating from three to four stars.
May 23, 2019
A zombie apocalypse I can get behind. 🧟♂️
Etrum Terra offers a different way to look at the zombie apocalypse, in the sense that the majority of the story is told from the perspective of the military. Now some might say, “almost every zombie story has a military presence,” true, but I implore you think about this for a second. Yes, there is almost always some kind of military presence in one way or another, due to the nature of the situation, but there's hardly ever a military focus.
Majority of zombie stories are told in a very narrow scope, following a single person, or group of people, and showing the outbreaks impact through the eyes of the average person. I’m going to make a bold claim, and say that this is not a creative decision, but a tactical decision (albeit one that works). It’s an artifice that relies on pre-established staples of zombie lore. By focusing on the general public, it allows the story and characters to become more relatable to the average person. And just like any zombie story, the assumption is that it’s happening everywhere, even if you can’t see it. This allows the story to maintain its smaller, more intimate (as they like to call it) focus, and only every now-and-then allude to the state of the world at large with lines like, "For all we know, this could be happening everywhere" (how many times have we heard that?). This comes in especially handy for movies and tv in order to save money.
But Etrum Terra goes in a slightly different direction. There are two different story lines being told here: one following the military; one following an average person. But it's about a 70:30 split, majority of the book focuses on the military responding the outbreaks across the country. This allows for two great things to happen that are atypical of zombie stories:
1: A reprieve from the overused perspective of following an average person trying to survive and locate their loved ones (while there is a "loved ones" aspect to the non-military story arc, it's VERY different).
2: The scale of the outbreak isn't left to assumption. You actually get to see the scope of the situation, and the attempts being made, not just to survive it, but to stop it.
Etrum Terra offers a different way to look at the zombie apocalypse, in the sense that the majority of the story is told from the perspective of the military. Now some might say, “almost every zombie story has a military presence,” true, but I implore you think about this for a second. Yes, there is almost always some kind of military presence in one way or another, due to the nature of the situation, but there's hardly ever a military focus.
Majority of zombie stories are told in a very narrow scope, following a single person, or group of people, and showing the outbreaks impact through the eyes of the average person. I’m going to make a bold claim, and say that this is not a creative decision, but a tactical decision (albeit one that works). It’s an artifice that relies on pre-established staples of zombie lore. By focusing on the general public, it allows the story and characters to become more relatable to the average person. And just like any zombie story, the assumption is that it’s happening everywhere, even if you can’t see it. This allows the story to maintain its smaller, more intimate (as they like to call it) focus, and only every now-and-then allude to the state of the world at large with lines like, "For all we know, this could be happening everywhere" (how many times have we heard that?). This comes in especially handy for movies and tv in order to save money.
But Etrum Terra goes in a slightly different direction. There are two different story lines being told here: one following the military; one following an average person. But it's about a 70:30 split, majority of the book focuses on the military responding the outbreaks across the country. This allows for two great things to happen that are atypical of zombie stories:
1: A reprieve from the overused perspective of following an average person trying to survive and locate their loved ones (while there is a "loved ones" aspect to the non-military story arc, it's VERY different).
2: The scale of the outbreak isn't left to assumption. You actually get to see the scope of the situation, and the attempts being made, not just to survive it, but to stop it.
January 1, 2022
I would’ve loved this story. You know? I mean I was excited to have read about it and the positive reviews. I’m a picky reader. So when I began the story, it was really exciting. iI contained good action & fleshed out characters that really supported the overall story. I mean genuinely got into it & loved it. I hadn’t read something this exciting in quite a while. So as I continued to read further on. But then when I least expected it except that I’m SICKENED by the unnecessary death of main characters! Are u kidding me? I loved listening to the Graphic Audio version which made it come alive more than I imagined it would. As this is a trilogy, I finished the first two. While I was deeply involved in the book & saddened by a few deaths that seemed a bit too much. But I realised that in an apocalyptic story like this, if a character is not a primary or main protagonist, that can happen. So I was happy to see that John & Lt Miquel Alvarez had made it through the last Russian attack that killed everyone. After all, Alvarez was part of the story from the beginning just as John was there from the beginning. They were the perfect protagonists. But then the 3rd part of the trilogy, the story was almost over, maybe 20 minutes left, the stupid writer kills off Lt Alvarez!! For no freaking reason! I’m a horrible way. I was so pissed of because they were almost to the man AND to have such detail about his hanging upside down with unimportant redneck idiot characters explaining why they needed to do so, it was a waste and RUINED EVERYTHING!! I mean, seriously, I RARELY if ever give anyone negative reviews. But this series shook me so deeply & disgusted me so much I couldn’t make excuses for it. Then, the very end of the story where John has to sacrifice (no spoilers) oh, I was literally sick to my stomach, I just cannot or will not accept how this story went from a thrilling edge of your seat story to one of the worst endings ever!! EVER! So for the first time ever I will have given low Stars and explanation here on Goodreads. I still cannot believe the ending of such an amazing series.
February 4, 2024
Don't let the bad cover fool you, Dark Lands is a fine zombie tale that manages to stand out with its well thought out characters and decently believable tale of the apocalypse. In a subgenre as filled as the zombie one, it can be difficult to be a memorable entry. Brenton Cox takes time to let you appreciate the surprisingly loveable characters before things go to Hell. Before taking you along their ride for survival.
Dark Lands doesn't shy from being a gritty and dark take on an apocalypse. Cox's writing is enjoyable (with editing issues long fixed since the original edition). Descriptive enough and immerses you in the setting. It also is pretty broad in perspective. Rather than following one person or a group it centers on the military's response to the catastrophe and an everyday man attempting to survive.
Miguel is whisked from basic training and has to adapt fast to a changed landscape from when he left to join the military. This point of view comprises a majority of the novel. The military jargon seemed accurate from what I could tell. There is a lot of attention to detail in these sequences. There's some tough moral situations the author thrusts Miguel and co. into. Jonathan on the flip side teams up with a neighbor to help protect him and his wife. He quickly learns there is evil in this world when the apocalypse creates bandits of some people. I never felt frustrated with Jonathan as for the most part he doesn't do stupid things; a trope that plagues some other zombie fiction with everyday Joes.
Dark Lands delivers a solid 4 out of 5 star experience for fans of the zombie genre. A fun first book in this trilogy.
Dark Lands doesn't shy from being a gritty and dark take on an apocalypse. Cox's writing is enjoyable (with editing issues long fixed since the original edition). Descriptive enough and immerses you in the setting. It also is pretty broad in perspective. Rather than following one person or a group it centers on the military's response to the catastrophe and an everyday man attempting to survive.
Miguel is whisked from basic training and has to adapt fast to a changed landscape from when he left to join the military. This point of view comprises a majority of the novel. The military jargon seemed accurate from what I could tell. There is a lot of attention to detail in these sequences. There's some tough moral situations the author thrusts Miguel and co. into. Jonathan on the flip side teams up with a neighbor to help protect him and his wife. He quickly learns there is evil in this world when the apocalypse creates bandits of some people. I never felt frustrated with Jonathan as for the most part he doesn't do stupid things; a trope that plagues some other zombie fiction with everyday Joes.
Dark Lands delivers a solid 4 out of 5 star experience for fans of the zombie genre. A fun first book in this trilogy.
October 31, 2017
Like any zombie story, it helps to keep one's suspension of disbelief at the door (like somehow the military's equipment - all of it - isn't affected by EMPs). Fun for what it is - I usually wish in post-apocalyptic fiction that there'd be more small details (like how survivors are purifying water, keeping their clothes clean, getting enough food, etc.) but that's a personal thing.
April 26, 2013
Atrum Terra By Brenton J Cox
Atrum Terra: Dark Lands tells the story of two people from different sides of the nation that struggle to survive after a devastating attack breaks the back of the United States. It is a journey in which the whole world is sent spiralling towards a dark future where humans are an endangered species.
Jonathan Fisher is an average man living in Minnesota whose very sanity is tested when everything about his normal life is ripped away in an instant. He is left to survive in a new world full of victims, brigands, and a man made plague that turns its victims into violent, mindless cannibals.
Miguel Alverez is a Marine recruit trainee in California when the attack begins. He is thrown into active duty and must overcome the terror of a war from two sides as a biological weapon turns America's citizens against one another while enemy forces close in on the nation's borders.
Atrum Terra follows the two parallel storylines of Jonathan and Miguel, two men on opposite sides of the country when a terrorist attack throws the United States into a state of emergency as millions of people suddenly turn into flesh crazy maniacs. I can’t think of any particular reason of why Cox does this. The men never meet nor are they related in anyway; Jonathan is a typical citizen caught in the madness whilst Miguel a young pacifist, is forced to fight for his life on the front line (despite his protests against been forced into combat, Miguel becomes a hero and is constantly applauded for his bravery and promotions are bestowed upon him in a comical Catch 22 fashion). Perhaps Cox wanted to show that the battle field extends to more than the front line, but hey it works. Both stories are gripping, one focusing more on explosions and action whilst the other centres more on the emotional biting side of death and destruction.
A few negatives do stock up against the solid story, as littered throughout are a massive amount of spelling errors (e.g.- site instead of sight) which somehow slipped past the editors red pen. But this schoolboy error can be forgiven as I enjoyed the story.
The military detail is impeccable throughout; this attention shows a clear devotion to experience and research of all things war and weaponry. Cox’s description of social disorder following a terrorist attack is excellent as well. If you enjoy pacing thrillers as well as apocaliterature, you’ll find much to devour in these pages as the situation gradually gets worse and worse as the body count piles up. I thoroughly enjoyed Atrum Terra. Shocking, thoughtful and with enough action and prose to satisfy almost any reader I pray that the end of the world doesn’t turn out this way.
Atrum Terra: Dark Lands tells the story of two people from different sides of the nation that struggle to survive after a devastating attack breaks the back of the United States. It is a journey in which the whole world is sent spiralling towards a dark future where humans are an endangered species.
Jonathan Fisher is an average man living in Minnesota whose very sanity is tested when everything about his normal life is ripped away in an instant. He is left to survive in a new world full of victims, brigands, and a man made plague that turns its victims into violent, mindless cannibals.
Miguel Alverez is a Marine recruit trainee in California when the attack begins. He is thrown into active duty and must overcome the terror of a war from two sides as a biological weapon turns America's citizens against one another while enemy forces close in on the nation's borders.
Atrum Terra follows the two parallel storylines of Jonathan and Miguel, two men on opposite sides of the country when a terrorist attack throws the United States into a state of emergency as millions of people suddenly turn into flesh crazy maniacs. I can’t think of any particular reason of why Cox does this. The men never meet nor are they related in anyway; Jonathan is a typical citizen caught in the madness whilst Miguel a young pacifist, is forced to fight for his life on the front line (despite his protests against been forced into combat, Miguel becomes a hero and is constantly applauded for his bravery and promotions are bestowed upon him in a comical Catch 22 fashion). Perhaps Cox wanted to show that the battle field extends to more than the front line, but hey it works. Both stories are gripping, one focusing more on explosions and action whilst the other centres more on the emotional biting side of death and destruction.
A few negatives do stock up against the solid story, as littered throughout are a massive amount of spelling errors (e.g.- site instead of sight) which somehow slipped past the editors red pen. But this schoolboy error can be forgiven as I enjoyed the story.
The military detail is impeccable throughout; this attention shows a clear devotion to experience and research of all things war and weaponry. Cox’s description of social disorder following a terrorist attack is excellent as well. If you enjoy pacing thrillers as well as apocaliterature, you’ll find much to devour in these pages as the situation gradually gets worse and worse as the body count piles up. I thoroughly enjoyed Atrum Terra. Shocking, thoughtful and with enough action and prose to satisfy almost any reader I pray that the end of the world doesn’t turn out this way.
February 28, 2015
In some ways this book is better than the majority of zombie books that have been published recently. It's an entertaining enough story and has a reasonably plausible reason for the outbreak in the form of a military strike (a virus accompanied by an EMP attack). There are essentially two stories, both of which are interested in their own right, featuring reasonably well described characters (except a couple of clichés) and interesting situations. So far, so good.
However, the paper copy of the book I have it littered with spelling mistakes and poor grammar. I believe this has been looked at in the current electronic version, but I can't verify that, or be sure that all the mistakes have been addressed. Aside from that, why are there two stories that are never related in any sense? More importantly, why do the stories just stop? There's no real conclusion, so I presume a sequel is planned, but I'm not sure I enjoyed this book enough to look for it.
If you're not too picky about things like editing and you like zombies then this book is pretty good. It's not an amazing book when judged against every other book in existence, which is why my score is average.
However, the paper copy of the book I have it littered with spelling mistakes and poor grammar. I believe this has been looked at in the current electronic version, but I can't verify that, or be sure that all the mistakes have been addressed. Aside from that, why are there two stories that are never related in any sense? More importantly, why do the stories just stop? There's no real conclusion, so I presume a sequel is planned, but I'm not sure I enjoyed this book enough to look for it.
If you're not too picky about things like editing and you like zombies then this book is pretty good. It's not an amazing book when judged against every other book in existence, which is why my score is average.
July 29, 2013
I enjoyed this zombie novel and find myself curious about whether or not it's the start of a series. I may have even rated it at 5 stars, had the ending been a little more defined. It just seems to kind of stop and you never get to know where the main characters end up. Having said that, I would definitely buy the next book if there's going to be one. I liked the characters, all the attention to detail the author put into building the setting and the reasons behind the epidemic, and the "realistic" tone.
August 12, 2013
Really enjoyed this! It flowed well and I fell easily into the story. I thought it was a very realistic take on the apocalypse. Not everyone can be a hero or know exactly what to do in grave situations...and even though there weren't many crazy, intense zombie killing scenes, I was still very much able to get lost in it. I would definitely read another if this ends up being a series. I'd love to see where they end up, I was hoping the two (Jon & Alvarez) might meet up somehow.
April 25, 2013
A fantastic read. Believable characters within an expanding and involving plot. I couldn't read this quick enough. A few annoying grammar and spelling mistakes pepper the kindle version, though this doesn't spoil anything. A sign of a good author is wanting to read more. I really hope a sequel or new stuff is on the horizon. Great stuff.
October 20, 2013
This was a good book to read. Had some very interesting characters and the plot was great, but a bit frightening as well. My only beef was the number of typos that I came across while reading. It could have used a final proofread before being published.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews