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The Circle #1
Antioch
"Armageddon is arrived."
Threatened by an unnatural plague that raises the dead, an ancient order of mystics must choose between keeping its secrets and saving humanity.
Kind of like Star Wars with zombies.
Threatened by an unnatural plague that raises the dead, an ancient order of mystics must choose between keeping its secrets and saving humanity.
Kind of like Star Wars with zombies.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2012
About the author
William Harlan
4 books14 followersI live in Texas with my wife, son, mother-in-law and all our cats.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 19, 2013
I wrote this book, so I think I'll give it 5 stars.
January 9, 2013
I would give Antioch 5 stars even if the author wasn't my husband. It's a great fantasy adventure novel with plenty of sword fighting and monsters (zombies), but the heart of the book is its characters, complex story and clean, imaginative prose.
From the pious yet conflicted paladin Michael to the loudmouthed but lovable sailor Ditch, the characters in Antioch are multifaceted and unique. There are no stereotypes within these pages, yet through the use of humor and seamless dialog, the characters are relatable and believable. This is a rarity in books even by many seasoned authors.
The story begins with slaughter and mystery, then turns to small-town life under the shadow of fear as the citizens of Antioch prepare for Armageddon. Still, questions about the origin and nature of the plague remain and the eventual discovery of the answers is as exciting as the final showdown with death. My only complaint is that the story is left unfinished, and like everyone else who reads Antioch, I have to wait for the rest of the series to discover the final fate of my favorite characters and the answers to all my questions.
The writing in Antioch is clear and precise. I can testify that the author agonized over every word, and it shows in the careful phrasing and brilliant imagery of the story. This, in my opinion, is the mark of a not just a great book, but a great writer.
Highly recommended for any fantasy fan aged 14 or over.
From the pious yet conflicted paladin Michael to the loudmouthed but lovable sailor Ditch, the characters in Antioch are multifaceted and unique. There are no stereotypes within these pages, yet through the use of humor and seamless dialog, the characters are relatable and believable. This is a rarity in books even by many seasoned authors.
The story begins with slaughter and mystery, then turns to small-town life under the shadow of fear as the citizens of Antioch prepare for Armageddon. Still, questions about the origin and nature of the plague remain and the eventual discovery of the answers is as exciting as the final showdown with death. My only complaint is that the story is left unfinished, and like everyone else who reads Antioch, I have to wait for the rest of the series to discover the final fate of my favorite characters and the answers to all my questions.
The writing in Antioch is clear and precise. I can testify that the author agonized over every word, and it shows in the careful phrasing and brilliant imagery of the story. This, in my opinion, is the mark of a not just a great book, but a great writer.
Highly recommended for any fantasy fan aged 14 or over.
April 13, 2013
First of all, I'm no good with reviews. I will do my best to review and not bring in spoilers. I will say that I enjoyed this book. It's a good start for, I believe, a first time writer. Or least the first novel he has published. He brings a totally different take on the Zombie genre mixing elements of fantasy in. It begins fast and then slows down. And then speeds up again. All along the way I kept asking myself why this or why that. Nicely, the whys are not answered but more is given to the reader to satisfy the questions.
I have to say that I had issue with some of the dialogue. The book is what I would say dialogue heavy and reading this on my Kindle the type was a bit strange. It was double-spaced, or felt, and some of the indenting become wildly crazy. They made have been a reason of why I became lost with which character was speaking and when. Some of the sailor characters sounded a like, or when reading there wasn't a lot of differentiation in the narrative.
One thing that I really enjoyed was the circle in time that is the narrative takes. It's a bit like Tarrantino's Pulp Fiction movie but not necessarily to that extreme. The reader will find themselves progressing further, and by the time the book is over the reader is left with, not a closing of the circle, but a wanting of more.
I can't wait till book two. I want to find out more of what happened to the world to end up at the beginning of this story. In the middle of the story new characters are brought in and I'm wondering what that could mean for the world in this story. I think the author should be congratulated for starting a new way to the Zombie genre.
I have to say that I had issue with some of the dialogue. The book is what I would say dialogue heavy and reading this on my Kindle the type was a bit strange. It was double-spaced, or felt, and some of the indenting become wildly crazy. They made have been a reason of why I became lost with which character was speaking and when. Some of the sailor characters sounded a like, or when reading there wasn't a lot of differentiation in the narrative.
One thing that I really enjoyed was the circle in time that is the narrative takes. It's a bit like Tarrantino's Pulp Fiction movie but not necessarily to that extreme. The reader will find themselves progressing further, and by the time the book is over the reader is left with, not a closing of the circle, but a wanting of more.
I can't wait till book two. I want to find out more of what happened to the world to end up at the beginning of this story. In the middle of the story new characters are brought in and I'm wondering what that could mean for the world in this story. I think the author should be congratulated for starting a new way to the Zombie genre.
August 20, 2013
‘Antioch’ is William Harlan’s first novel, but you will be more than pleasantly surprised, because it doesn’t read like a first novel. It’s a post-apocalyptic novel with a fantastical twist. Michael is a paladin who has been trained to harness a power inside him and inside everyone else. He uses this and his fighting skills to kill zombies. As the zombie plague comes closer and closer to each town, Michael and the other paladins have to make a deadly choice. Will the paladins hold to the secrets of their order or follow the directive from one of their own thought dead for many centuries. Meanwhile, the plague is spreading and no one is truly safe…
‘Antioch’ is a very well-developed book, from the deep characters to the richly detailed plot. Mr. Harlan brought the reader through the story with precision and unveiling the mysterious plagues’ origin in teensy intriguing bits. I was drawn into the novel quickly as the characters tugged at your heartstrings. This is only the first book in “The Circle” series, and if ‘Antioch’ is any indication…this series will blow you away!
The Circle series: Antioch (1)
‘Antioch’ is a very well-developed book, from the deep characters to the richly detailed plot. Mr. Harlan brought the reader through the story with precision and unveiling the mysterious plagues’ origin in teensy intriguing bits. I was drawn into the novel quickly as the characters tugged at your heartstrings. This is only the first book in “The Circle” series, and if ‘Antioch’ is any indication…this series will blow you away!
The Circle series: Antioch (1)
March 29, 2013
I had a really hard time with this book. I made it almost halfway before I had to call it quits. From the start it felt a little disjointed. I was having a hard time understanding what was happening, but this is often the case with a lot of books for the first couple of chapters, so I decided to soldier on. Unfortunately, things didn't get better. I frequently had to keep going back to re-read paragraphs to understand what was happening. As all of my time reading was spent trying to understand what they were saying or doing, I didn't enjoy the story at all. It may be a good one in the end, but I just can't get there. Perhaps this is a book for those literary types who enjoy complicated sentence structures more than the story itself. I certainly didn't take the short yellow bus to school, but this was just too much for me.
January 16, 2014
I will definitely keep my eye out for the next book in this series. I like the world presented the book, I enjoyed the characters, and the bauran are an interesting new idea. I am looking forward to learning about the order's training methods (especially the difference in training between a child and a seasoned killer). This book made me want more.
February 5, 2026
It feels like Antioch is largely unknown, which is a shame, because it’s excellent. It’s a zombie story - a post-apocalypse story - but not in a lazy, ripe-for-sequels, boy-we-hope-this-franchise-takes-off kind of young adult fiction way. This is much closer in tone to something like The Walking Dead comics, where zombies and the end-of-the-world setting are really just set dressing: a catalyst that allows the author to explore deeper, more interesting questions.
Does doctrine allow for situational improvisation? How do people of faith balance piety against pragmatism? Can we ever escape or outpace trauma? What drives us to act on emotion versus instinct? Where does life end and death begin?
The author describes Antioch as ‘low fantasy’, but it feels far more literary in its delivery. Clever metaphor and careful character studies feed these questions to the reader organically rather than didactically. Alongside the larger themes, it’s also a story filled with vivid action, layered characters, and a well-paced, wrap-around plot that moves seamlessly between location, faction, and time period as the narrative demands, without ever losing momentum.
It would be very easy, when writing a book like Antioch, to take the blunt, black-and-white route - religion is bad. But at no point does it feel like Harlan's preaching. Instead, faith is explored through a range of deeply human positions: it heals and it harms; it galvanises and it isolates; it creates meaning and it justifies destruction.
Antioch is a fantasy novel, but only ever in a genre-adjacent way. At its core, it’s a book about faith, and how far those who believe are willing to bend, compromise, or break when belief meets friction.
Does doctrine allow for situational improvisation? How do people of faith balance piety against pragmatism? Can we ever escape or outpace trauma? What drives us to act on emotion versus instinct? Where does life end and death begin?
The author describes Antioch as ‘low fantasy’, but it feels far more literary in its delivery. Clever metaphor and careful character studies feed these questions to the reader organically rather than didactically. Alongside the larger themes, it’s also a story filled with vivid action, layered characters, and a well-paced, wrap-around plot that moves seamlessly between location, faction, and time period as the narrative demands, without ever losing momentum.
It would be very easy, when writing a book like Antioch, to take the blunt, black-and-white route - religion is bad. But at no point does it feel like Harlan's preaching. Instead, faith is explored through a range of deeply human positions: it heals and it harms; it galvanises and it isolates; it creates meaning and it justifies destruction.
Antioch is a fantasy novel, but only ever in a genre-adjacent way. At its core, it’s a book about faith, and how far those who believe are willing to bend, compromise, or break when belief meets friction.
March 27, 2018
I love it. Is there more!?!?!?
This book is beyond good. I really didn't expect to fall in love the characters the way I did. You've inspired me to pull out my first book and try to finish it. Is there a part 2???
This book is beyond good. I really didn't expect to fall in love the characters the way I did. You've inspired me to pull out my first book and try to finish it. Is there a part 2???
November 8, 2018
This was a really good book.
March 9, 2016
I enjoyed it very much. The author is very talented and one of the really great things about his writing is that I never got bored. He has that rare ability to write in a way to keep you wondering "what can possibly happen next". I do not like to be able to guess or worse, know what is about to happen. I don't write book reports so you won't get details of the story here only how I feel about the story and the writing. I hope that the next book will be published soon.
I am compelled to respond to one of the other reviewers comments. I actually contemplated replying to each statement that was made (aren't you glad I didn't, lol).
So only two points 1- reviewer hates the book (his word) and only finished because a friend recommended it. My thoughts: what a terrible reason. You took months to read according to your log here on Goodreads. It sounds like you either have a personal problem with the writer or you were in a bad mood to make what you referred to as constructive criticism so critical. I think if a reader has that much negative criticism, they should send an email not publicly slam an author.
2-It seemed to deeply bother you that you could not tell if this was earth and what the time frame might be. My thoughts: there are several hints that proved to me that is not located on earth. The most noted were the dates, for example Feb. 32. Also the statements about 'beyond the 3rd meridian'. I hope this helps you a bit.
I am compelled to respond to one of the other reviewers comments. I actually contemplated replying to each statement that was made (aren't you glad I didn't, lol).
So only two points 1- reviewer hates the book (his word) and only finished because a friend recommended it. My thoughts: what a terrible reason. You took months to read according to your log here on Goodreads. It sounds like you either have a personal problem with the writer or you were in a bad mood to make what you referred to as constructive criticism so critical. I think if a reader has that much negative criticism, they should send an email not publicly slam an author.
2-It seemed to deeply bother you that you could not tell if this was earth and what the time frame might be. My thoughts: there are several hints that proved to me that is not located on earth. The most noted were the dates, for example Feb. 32. Also the statements about 'beyond the 3rd meridian'. I hope this helps you a bit.
March 13, 2015
Antioch is a book with a good idea that falls down in the execution. The plot is interesting and has a lot of potential, but the structure of the novel is poor and I found the pacing very jarring - moments of action followed by pages and pages of content that didn't do much to advance the story or characters.
I found it really hard to stay focused on the characters and their journeys; my mind was constantly wandering as the text didn't keep me enthralled.
I think there is real promise here in terms of the ideas, but I would have liked a much tighter edit, trimming a lot of the fat off to get to the heart of the story.
I received this book as a review copy from the author.
I found it really hard to stay focused on the characters and their journeys; my mind was constantly wandering as the text didn't keep me enthralled.
I think there is real promise here in terms of the ideas, but I would have liked a much tighter edit, trimming a lot of the fat off to get to the heart of the story.
I received this book as a review copy from the author.
January 2, 2015
very average. I got bored very quickly
December 14, 2014
I would like to give this a higher rating due to the time put into it. Unfortunately, it suffered from major continuity issues from beginning to end. Decent concept but did anyone edit this??
July 31, 2016
Classic fantasy nuff said.
A great book. Classic fantasy fiction at its best. A Style similar to raymond feist and david eddings fantasy series.
A great book. Classic fantasy fiction at its best. A Style similar to raymond feist and david eddings fantasy series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews