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Desolate #1-3
Desolate - The Complete Trilogy
Desolate - The Complete Trilogy contains all three books of the best selling Desolate series.
Howard Bell thought he hit rock bottom the day he returned to his former employer with a loaded gun. Instead of putting a scare into his ex-boss as he intended, things quickly get out of hand, and he kills five people. Howard is sentenced to life at an experimental prison camp off the coast of Antarctica, and he soon learns the true definition of "rock bottom." Prison life at the remote island involves back-breaking work in the illegal mine run by the corrupt warden and his abusive guards. After a mysterious object is discovered deep in the mine, the inmates and staff start dying from an unknown infection. Howard is lucky to find himself one of the few survivors immune to the pathogen, but he and his fellow inmates learn something far more sinister and terrifying also has emerged from the mine. The truly lucky ones are already dead.
This book is intended to be read by adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17. Contains indecent language and descriptions of graphic violence.
Howard Bell thought he hit rock bottom the day he returned to his former employer with a loaded gun. Instead of putting a scare into his ex-boss as he intended, things quickly get out of hand, and he kills five people. Howard is sentenced to life at an experimental prison camp off the coast of Antarctica, and he soon learns the true definition of "rock bottom." Prison life at the remote island involves back-breaking work in the illegal mine run by the corrupt warden and his abusive guards. After a mysterious object is discovered deep in the mine, the inmates and staff start dying from an unknown infection. Howard is lucky to find himself one of the few survivors immune to the pathogen, but he and his fellow inmates learn something far more sinister and terrifying also has emerged from the mine. The truly lucky ones are already dead.
This book is intended to be read by adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17. Contains indecent language and descriptions of graphic violence.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 6, 2013
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854 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 3, 2013
The individual books in this trilogy have been lurking on my to read list for a while now. I bought the first book and then later the third book was on free promo so I picked that up as well. Then -BAM- the trilogy comes out and I grab the whole thing for free! Such a deal!
Anyhow, I say that to declare that this review is for the entire trilogy, read in one mouthwatering lump, not piecemeal with an agonizing, twitchy wait in between installments.
I was expecting a very grim read, like 'The Road' only without all the happy bits. That's what kind of kept it on the tail end of my reading list for so long (I loved The Road, by the away - but it demands a certain mindset of me to wallow in what it delivered during the course of the read)
But in any case, I was ready: The sky was blue. The grass was green. Life hummed outside the window, and I could take full immersion in a vat of post-apocalyptic battery acid.
That's not what I got! From the beginning, this was a well wrought tale of one man's struggle for survival. At first from mundane, though extremely disturbing events and tragedy, and then from world wide wrath of god type crap ('dogs and cats living together!' To paraphrase Ghostbusters).. ok not wrath of god, but I ain't telling you what the lowdown on the showdown is, so there!
Our hero is Howard, and he is a real guy, well I don't know him personally, but Robert Brumm writes him as sort of an everyman. He is no slouch in fallability, but neither does he bemoan his fate for pages on end. Howard meets many other survivors on his journey through a war scorched wasteland--wait, no, there I go again misleading you. Scratch that war scorched wasteland out and fill it with me humming, cuz I ain't tellin'.
The people Howard meets feel real and genuine, some are shallow, some are cliche, but I got news for you: I know real life people that if ever they got into the pages of a book would read as completely improbable entities (you know who you are, my friends).
So what have you learned from this review? Not much? Well its a very good story. Howard is a very good character. He meets some other very good characters. The writing is clean and doesn't wallow in inner turmoil. And I ain't telling anyone a damn thing about what happens. OK maybe it involves a massive loss of life on a global scale and extraterrestial stuff, but that's ALL you are getting out of ME!
Anyhow, I say that to declare that this review is for the entire trilogy, read in one mouthwatering lump, not piecemeal with an agonizing, twitchy wait in between installments.
I was expecting a very grim read, like 'The Road' only without all the happy bits. That's what kind of kept it on the tail end of my reading list for so long (I loved The Road, by the away - but it demands a certain mindset of me to wallow in what it delivered during the course of the read)
But in any case, I was ready: The sky was blue. The grass was green. Life hummed outside the window, and I could take full immersion in a vat of post-apocalyptic battery acid.
That's not what I got! From the beginning, this was a well wrought tale of one man's struggle for survival. At first from mundane, though extremely disturbing events and tragedy, and then from world wide wrath of god type crap ('dogs and cats living together!' To paraphrase Ghostbusters).. ok not wrath of god, but I ain't telling you what the lowdown on the showdown is, so there!
Our hero is Howard, and he is a real guy, well I don't know him personally, but Robert Brumm writes him as sort of an everyman. He is no slouch in fallability, but neither does he bemoan his fate for pages on end. Howard meets many other survivors on his journey through a war scorched wasteland--wait, no, there I go again misleading you. Scratch that war scorched wasteland out and fill it with me humming, cuz I ain't tellin'.
The people Howard meets feel real and genuine, some are shallow, some are cliche, but I got news for you: I know real life people that if ever they got into the pages of a book would read as completely improbable entities (you know who you are, my friends).
So what have you learned from this review? Not much? Well its a very good story. Howard is a very good character. He meets some other very good characters. The writing is clean and doesn't wallow in inner turmoil. And I ain't telling anyone a damn thing about what happens. OK maybe it involves a massive loss of life on a global scale and extraterrestial stuff, but that's ALL you are getting out of ME!
May 12, 2013
Freebie. Quick read - dystopia/post-apocalyptic fun. What do convicts, aliens, and water have in common? Howie.
November 15, 2017
I could not read it all, I got to that part where he said homeles guy 5 times in a small paragraph, and then decided it was enough for me. Apart from that the premise is kinda good.
August 5, 2017
This was a pleasantly surprising read - I found that I actually wanted to finish the series to see what would happen to the lead. I didn't much like him at first, but by the third book he really came through.
June 7, 2021
Great story
I really enjoyed this trilogy. The story was great, I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I haven’t read many end of civilization type books, so this was a bit different for me.
I really enjoyed this trilogy. The story was great, I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I haven’t read many end of civilization type books, so this was a bit different for me.
November 13, 2017
Interesting!
Nice twist of the dystopian theme and good character development. Does leave you wanting to hear more about the 3 story lines.
Nice twist of the dystopian theme and good character development. Does leave you wanting to hear more about the 3 story lines.
July 31, 2019
Good read
good book aliens and all, survival some time is left to luck, skill and stubborness.i enjoyed the book and look forward to more from this author.
good book aliens and all, survival some time is left to luck, skill and stubborness.i enjoyed the book and look forward to more from this author.
January 6, 2014
For a book that was written to the theme of post apoplectic and did not have any form of undead, non humans or zombies running around killing and moaning,, it was well, ok :-)
Though I did get to a time when I was "sighing" and "rolling my eyes" over the continuous bad luck that the main male character " Howard" had... poor guy, if he didnt have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all ...LOL and I think in this case ( with the book) no luck + bad luck = THE SAME
It did have aliens though.... when author ( or character in book) was describing the creature, couldnt help but see the one we are all familiar with " Aliens" w/ Sigorney Weaver.
Either way .. it was ok :-)
Though I did get to a time when I was "sighing" and "rolling my eyes" over the continuous bad luck that the main male character " Howard" had... poor guy, if he didnt have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all ...LOL and I think in this case ( with the book) no luck + bad luck = THE SAME
It did have aliens though.... when author ( or character in book) was describing the creature, couldnt help but see the one we are all familiar with " Aliens" w/ Sigorney Weaver.
Either way .. it was ok :-)
September 3, 2014
Wow, this book has it all, Alien spacecraft a la Tommyknockers, a deadly plague, alien babies a la Aliens and redemption. But this was just so much fun, so much!
Well written, fast moving and a great main protagonist in Howard, extremely down on his look but given the chance of redemption.
This was so very nearly a 5 star read, the only thing that knocked it down were the interludes describing the section on the alien spacecraft. Just don't think they were needed. Otherwise, this was brilliant. Hands down one of the most fun books I have read this year.
Well written, fast moving and a great main protagonist in Howard, extremely down on his look but given the chance of redemption.
This was so very nearly a 5 star read, the only thing that knocked it down were the interludes describing the section on the alien spacecraft. Just don't think they were needed. Otherwise, this was brilliant. Hands down one of the most fun books I have read this year.
August 4, 2013
I'm so glad I got the trilogy complete. Brumm is a master at creating characters that we come to care deeply about, even through their flaws. We feel the same thing the main character, Howard, feels as he encounters one extreme dramatic situation after another.
This trilogy does a good job of communicating palpable danger, and heart-pounding thrills. And yes, even love, and honor born from places you'd least expect.
A highly recommended read!
This trilogy does a good job of communicating palpable danger, and heart-pounding thrills. And yes, even love, and honor born from places you'd least expect.
A highly recommended read!
September 5, 2016
Although this is a "complete trilogy," it's comprised of novella length stories, so the entire thing is about the length of one normal book, yet reads at the quick, novella pace. I enjoyed the fast paced style and the simple characters, however, anyone with any knowledge of the Aliens universe will very quickly see where this is going--essentially it's Aliens set on Earth, with the author's own twists put on the story. Still, this didn't deter me from enjoying it.
June 30, 2014
Not my usual genre but I really became engrossed in the entire story. Howard's story could happen "to any man" if certain circumstances lined up in just such a way as did to Howard. Howard was quite likeable. He met up with rather interesting people. I'm glad I'm the sort to sit all the way through the credits of a movie. Great Ending Mr. Brumm! I would look for more on Howard (don't call him "Howie") Bell!
July 16, 2015
The Desolate trilogy was a little weird but it was unique, I liked that the author put a lot of thought and creativity into it even with the few flaws and the added oddness. I was glad for the lack of zombies because I am zombied out to the max. I do wish that we'd gotten more fleshing out but it was interesting and new compared to what I've been reading lately so I was happy with what the author had to give. I do think that Robert has some potential to create some great stories in the future.
April 21, 2015
“I started this book with low expectations...to start, it was free. The first book I read through in less than two hours. A killer alien AND a virus??? I had a good laugh over it with a co-worker (waiting for the sci-fi channel movie to come out.) The two sequels really start to get into the story and by the end of it all I was pleasantly surprised with the story.
June 3, 2013
Reminiscent of the movie Alien based on Earth. Interesting premise but not executed as well as I would have liked. The characters were not fully developed before they were killed off. I would have also liked the experiences to be more detailed. It was a quick one-two and then it moved on. Still fun and easy and I love the cover art.
June 26, 2013
Quite good post-apocalyptic, zombie free, (but don't get too comfortable) joy ride. This was an easy, fast-paced, enjoyable read. I was going to say that I'd be reading more of his work, went to check, and found that I had already read another of his books, Windigo Soul. Also excellent. Needless to say, I hope to see more from Mr. Brumm in the future.
July 9, 2013
Howard Bell, convicted murderer, drunkard, and least likely candidate to survive prison, suddenly finds himself one of a handful of people to survive a global pandemic. Oh, and he's being hunted by aliens too. Nice easy read. Plot line seemed to meander, but kept my interest and was entertaining.
April 30, 2014
ok so this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be about. I thought it was going to be about zombies. nope. plus for a three part book it is very short. overall story was ok. kept your interest though.
March 12, 2014
If you like end of world stuff get this book
a rather unique story that continues to surprise and delight. the concept is simple but really cool. the characters keep doing things that will surprise you. I would like to know how the admiral makes out with the alien creatures.
a rather unique story that continues to surprise and delight. the concept is simple but really cool. the characters keep doing things that will surprise you. I would like to know how the admiral makes out with the alien creatures.
August 4, 2014
Can still see the aliens in my mind
Can still see the aliens in my mind
That makes for a amazing writer and story. More please! I love a story that keeps me turning the pages. That is what this story does. Read it! It's scary possibly could happen real!
Can still see the aliens in my mind
That makes for a amazing writer and story. More please! I love a story that keeps me turning the pages. That is what this story does. Read it! It's scary possibly could happen real!
January 17, 2016
I definitely like these books more the further I read; and the epilogues and notes from the author were a nice addition. I want to like this series more than 3 stars but feel the overall story was a bit jagged somehow.
May 29, 2013
Very enjoyable read. Fast paced action with believable characters.
December 7, 2013
Interesting premise, but only an okay read. It was thin on character development and had some holes in the plot line. An easy summer read.
September 14, 2013
You take your chances when you download a free e-book. An amateur first effort in my opinion.
October 7, 2013
I finished the trilogy! I will not read any more books by this author, and I wouldn't recommend it to other readers.
December 26, 2013
Ok read but nothing really new.
November 7, 2013
A refreshing take on the whole post-apocalyptic genre that, at 3 books' long, still felt to be lacking something. Still worth reading though.
September 29, 2015
Another enjoyable read by Robert Brumm. Scientifically, it's rather inept, but the storyline flows decently well and was moderately engaging. Would give a 3.5 if I was able to.
September 2, 2018
Prison, pandemic, and pandemonium
Howard Bell is justly sentenced for life to the International Experimental Rehabilitation Facility located on a small island off the coast of Antarctica. While there the inmates are forced to mine platinum for the Warden of the facility.
Howard is working in the mine when he and his fellow inmates uncover a strange artifact and soon being on a prison island isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to Howard.
I'm glad I got this book as a trilogy and was able to read all three books. I bought the book because of the Antarctica connection - I love books about freezing climes for some reason. The Antarctica aspect was skimmed over, however, so I was disappointed about that.
This is a fast read with quite a few characters. The only one that was really fleshed out was Howard. But I still enjoyed the books and recommend it to people that like to read about pandemics and alien lifeforms.
Howard Bell is justly sentenced for life to the International Experimental Rehabilitation Facility located on a small island off the coast of Antarctica. While there the inmates are forced to mine platinum for the Warden of the facility.
Howard is working in the mine when he and his fellow inmates uncover a strange artifact and soon being on a prison island isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to Howard.
I'm glad I got this book as a trilogy and was able to read all three books. I bought the book because of the Antarctica connection - I love books about freezing climes for some reason. The Antarctica aspect was skimmed over, however, so I was disappointed about that.
This is a fast read with quite a few characters. The only one that was really fleshed out was Howard. But I still enjoyed the books and recommend it to people that like to read about pandemics and alien lifeforms.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews