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The Hunger #2
Consumed
Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains and dissected by three rivers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is an idyllic city. It's quiet, the traffic is nonexistent, and floating down the Allegheny River on a boat is peaceful and serene.
It's perfect… as long as you can ignore the mindless monstrosities roaming the streets, vampires ruling the night, and the insane, power-hungry human survivors. Mankind has devolved, mutating into mindless horrors. Only weeks ago, they built skyscrapers and traveled to space. Now they attack anything with flesh, driven by the never-ending desire to consume.
Lance York, and his unlikely companion Cass, have survived the apocalypse. Much to their surprise, that was the easy part. They've fled the city, struggling to find food and shelter, fighting against the nightmarish infected and the militant living, willing themselves to endure through each day.
The world has collapsed, but the fight has just begun.
It's perfect… as long as you can ignore the mindless monstrosities roaming the streets, vampires ruling the night, and the insane, power-hungry human survivors. Mankind has devolved, mutating into mindless horrors. Only weeks ago, they built skyscrapers and traveled to space. Now they attack anything with flesh, driven by the never-ending desire to consume.
Lance York, and his unlikely companion Cass, have survived the apocalypse. Much to their surprise, that was the easy part. They've fled the city, struggling to find food and shelter, fighting against the nightmarish infected and the militant living, willing themselves to endure through each day.
The world has collapsed, but the fight has just begun.
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2013
71 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
About the author
Jason Brant
35 books280 followers"JASON BRANT" is an anagram for Bas Trojann, a former Bigfoot hunter who, after being abducted (and subsequently returned) by aliens, decided to hang up his ghillie suit and enter the world of professional arm wrestling. Despite back-to-back first place finishes in the South Dakota World International Championship League, Bas receded from athletics to invent cheese and give Al Gore the initiative to create the internet.
Nearly a decade after writing the bestselling self-help series, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese (Cut into Four Pieces) for the Soul, Bas has left his life of notoriety and critical acclaim behind him to write existential, erotic poetry.
His wife washes their clothing on his abs.
Nearly a decade after writing the bestselling self-help series, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese (Cut into Four Pieces) for the Soul, Bas has left his life of notoriety and critical acclaim behind him to write existential, erotic poetry.
His wife washes their clothing on his abs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 2, 2017
I used the lure of this book to drag my bootie to the gym and the reclining bike after the non-stop excitement of book one, Devoured. It certainly worked in terms of heart rate elevation and distraction. However, in terms of brain-stimulation, I was a little disappointed it focused more on the human threat from fascists militia-types. It's pretty freaking obvious that people are the real threat (just listen to the news!), so for me, this wasn't as interesting as I had hoped.
As our troupe of merry misfits seeks to provide for themselves, they debate whether or not they should head to a safe camp. I felt some of the dialogue and action was overdone from the more personal balance of the first book. You like that banter from book one? We have mohr! You want militants? We have even mohr! You want blood-sucking monsters? We've got mohr, mohr, mohr! It worked out, I suppose, especially when balanced by a peaceful interlude, but still, I am generally annoyed by the amped-up phenomenon. Yeah, I know I'm reading a monster book. Shuddup.
Speaking of, we have monsters, which is absolutely fine and scary, but then we also have srsly Too Stupid To Live Moments. The heroes are self-referential enough to acknowledge the "don't go into the basement by yourself" phenomenon, but then split up to search an armed encampment. They refuse help from someone more prepared then they are, which will clearly lead to them ending up in a disastrous situation. Later, they take someone new to them, high, stupid and literally unaware of the apocalypse Of course that provides the match strike for the metaphorical firestorm. Of course. Because why write it as if our heroes had any sense and normal bad luck provides the trigger? Then there's the personality overhaul of the doctor, who goes from dedicated, disbelieving, cringing helper to Massive Spoiler. I'm all in favor of spontaneous personality overhauls--I wish a certain President would undergo one--but I kind of like to have reasons, you know? I know--monster book. Shuddup.
On a personal note, I think I dislocated my eye when --mild spoiler-- Serious eyerolling. I don't even know why we went there, because the reasons for striking back at the monsters were always in the making, and foreshadowed frequently. So why? Why must you torture me with these Lifetime drama moments in a monster book??
It did have a fast-n-furious pace, with a steady and predictable variety of conflicts. In short, it was basically a good, solid Walking Dead episode where we discover people are the real assholes (of course).
As our troupe of merry misfits seeks to provide for themselves, they debate whether or not they should head to a safe camp. I felt some of the dialogue and action was overdone from the more personal balance of the first book. You like that banter from book one? We have mohr! You want militants? We have even mohr! You want blood-sucking monsters? We've got mohr, mohr, mohr! It worked out, I suppose, especially when balanced by a peaceful interlude, but still, I am generally annoyed by the amped-up phenomenon. Yeah, I know I'm reading a monster book. Shuddup.
Speaking of, we have monsters, which is absolutely fine and scary, but then we also have srsly Too Stupid To Live Moments. The heroes are self-referential enough to acknowledge the "don't go into the basement by yourself" phenomenon, but then split up to search an armed encampment. They refuse help from someone more prepared then they are, which will clearly lead to them ending up in a disastrous situation. Later, they take someone new to them, high, stupid and literally unaware of the apocalypse Of course that provides the match strike for the metaphorical firestorm. Of course. Because why write it as if our heroes had any sense and normal bad luck provides the trigger? Then there's the personality overhaul of the doctor, who goes from dedicated, disbelieving, cringing helper to Massive Spoiler. I'm all in favor of spontaneous personality overhauls--I wish a certain President would undergo one--but I kind of like to have reasons, you know? I know--monster book. Shuddup.
On a personal note, I think I dislocated my eye when --mild spoiler-- Serious eyerolling. I don't even know why we went there, because the reasons for striking back at the monsters were always in the making, and foreshadowed frequently. So why? Why must you torture me with these Lifetime drama moments in a monster book??
It did have a fast-n-furious pace, with a steady and predictable variety of conflicts. In short, it was basically a good, solid Walking Dead episode where we discover people are the real assholes (of course).
May 30, 2015
4.5 Kill the Minutemen Stars
So, Lance and Cass are back again and this time with a vengance for survival.
They are still being comical in their banter when up against the Vladdies...Ralph is still a threat...some questions are finally answered for Lance.
And there may be a few surprises along the way!
Even though this ends in a cliffhanger (sort of) - I love the ending as it is!
So, Lance and Cass are back again and this time with a vengance for survival.
They are still being comical in their banter when up against the Vladdies...Ralph is still a threat...some questions are finally answered for Lance.
And there may be a few surprises along the way!
Even though this ends in a cliffhanger (sort of) - I love the ending as it is!
October 26, 2014
Another fantastic, gore and blood filled story about the end ... of Pittsburgh and the all of human civilization. Consumed picks up right on the heels of the previous book. And that's OK. The author has spun a pretty cool end of the world story.
The plague is several weeks old. The last vestiges of the US government and organized resistance have collapsed. All that's left are Lance, Cass, Doc Borwn, and Eifort - and hordes of bloodthirsty, mutated infected. Being a quasi-undead apocalypse story, the worst enemies are your fellow survivors. The small group finds themselves dogged day and night by the nut job survivalist Minutemen led by the unsavory Ralph. The story ends with a final confrontation between Lance and Ralph on the streets of Pittsburgh.
The book was good, lots of fun, but I found myself struggling to believe at several points in the story. There were too many last minute OMG survival moments. Everyone gets one free ticket, but Lance and Cass got several. They should've died several times but they did not. Still, I liked the book. It was a load of fun. Parts of it felt like I was watching "Aliens" but that's OK. It's a great flick.
Four stars out of five. I had to take it down a notch simply because I think the author had to intervene to save his characters one or two too many times.
The plague is several weeks old. The last vestiges of the US government and organized resistance have collapsed. All that's left are Lance, Cass, Doc Borwn, and Eifort - and hordes of bloodthirsty, mutated infected. Being a quasi-undead apocalypse story, the worst enemies are your fellow survivors. The small group finds themselves dogged day and night by the nut job survivalist Minutemen led by the unsavory Ralph. The story ends with a final confrontation between Lance and Ralph on the streets of Pittsburgh.
The book was good, lots of fun, but I found myself struggling to believe at several points in the story. There were too many last minute OMG survival moments. Everyone gets one free ticket, but Lance and Cass got several. They should've died several times but they did not. Still, I liked the book. It was a load of fun. Parts of it felt like I was watching "Aliens" but that's OK. It's a great flick.
Four stars out of five. I had to take it down a notch simply because I think the author had to intervene to save his characters one or two too many times.
August 15, 2014
Consumed is the second in Author Jason Brant's apocalyptic series The Hunger. The first being Devoured.
Continuing the story of self-proclaimed loser Lance York and his wild-card partner Cass: the two have gained two new friends in Doc Brown and Eifort and are still trying to survive the Xavior virus that has turned millions into blood-thirsty monsters.
Things become even more complicated when the Minutemen (introduced in the first novel) become more of a threat. Lance and his crew are rushed to find shelter before it all comes down on them. By day they worry about the maniac leader of the Minutemen, Ralph, and by night come the Vladdies - the infected. Things are not looking well for Lance, but he's determined to keep fighting until the end. Through a series of unfortunate events, Lance and co. find themselves in a camp where things could potentially be much worse than dealing with the infected.
It's going to take all of Lance's strength, courage, and smartass comments to survive this adventure.
Jason Brant brings to us yet another brilliant novel full of gust-busting humor, nail-biting thrills, and scream-worthy horror. His blend of all three of these things make Consumed a very unique novel that's worth the read.
Throughout the book I never once got bored. I actually finished reading it within a single day, that's how enthralled I was in this world of mutant vampires. The action is well done and the story is paced perfectly, never a lull. Jason's ability to create suspense and tension is magnificent and worthy of more recognition.
A noteworthy fact is that this novel was based on a short story previously written by Jason Brant titled LOTION. It was published in Apocalypse: An Anthology by Authors and Readers and featured characters in the very same apocalypse. In Consumed Jason was able to weave the two stories together in an interesting way that you'll have to read to see for yourself.
All in all, Consumed was an amazing book that all lovers of the apocalypse genre should read!
Continuing the story of self-proclaimed loser Lance York and his wild-card partner Cass: the two have gained two new friends in Doc Brown and Eifort and are still trying to survive the Xavior virus that has turned millions into blood-thirsty monsters.
Things become even more complicated when the Minutemen (introduced in the first novel) become more of a threat. Lance and his crew are rushed to find shelter before it all comes down on them. By day they worry about the maniac leader of the Minutemen, Ralph, and by night come the Vladdies - the infected. Things are not looking well for Lance, but he's determined to keep fighting until the end. Through a series of unfortunate events, Lance and co. find themselves in a camp where things could potentially be much worse than dealing with the infected.
It's going to take all of Lance's strength, courage, and smartass comments to survive this adventure.
Jason Brant brings to us yet another brilliant novel full of gust-busting humor, nail-biting thrills, and scream-worthy horror. His blend of all three of these things make Consumed a very unique novel that's worth the read.
Throughout the book I never once got bored. I actually finished reading it within a single day, that's how enthralled I was in this world of mutant vampires. The action is well done and the story is paced perfectly, never a lull. Jason's ability to create suspense and tension is magnificent and worthy of more recognition.
A noteworthy fact is that this novel was based on a short story previously written by Jason Brant titled LOTION. It was published in Apocalypse: An Anthology by Authors and Readers and featured characters in the very same apocalypse. In Consumed Jason was able to weave the two stories together in an interesting way that you'll have to read to see for yourself.
All in all, Consumed was an amazing book that all lovers of the apocalypse genre should read!
September 10, 2013
After reading Devoured, I was very happy with the way things ended. Our heroes were in a safe place, safe from everything and everyone wandering the streets of the cities and out in the countryside. It was a huge relief. But that relief was to be short lived.
Consumed started off with a bang, and the action and suspense did not let up until I put the book down. It was an intense read, filled to capacity with terrifying scenes of mindless daywalkers - always on the lookout for their next victim; militant Minutemen wanting to take over the world - and loving the new world thrust upon them; and the vampires - who owned the night.
Not in my worst nightmares could I have come up with a monster like these vampires, they are absolutely terrifying.
Jason Brant has spun a story based on the end of the world as we know it, filled with horror and terror and things that go bump in the night. But, at the heart of all this chaos is Lance, Cass, Doc and Eifort, they together will take on this new world and make a place for themselves, and other survivors.
It is a bloody and violent story at times, but at the core it is about those who stand up to fight the fight, it is about heroes with compassion and it is about love. At times, when the suspense got too much, Jason Brant's humor came into play, making me laugh instead of run.
It is incredibly well written and moves at a phenomenal pace - there is no time to breathe while reading this book.
Great book – scary as heck, but very, very good.
Consumed started off with a bang, and the action and suspense did not let up until I put the book down. It was an intense read, filled to capacity with terrifying scenes of mindless daywalkers - always on the lookout for their next victim; militant Minutemen wanting to take over the world - and loving the new world thrust upon them; and the vampires - who owned the night.
Not in my worst nightmares could I have come up with a monster like these vampires, they are absolutely terrifying.
Jason Brant has spun a story based on the end of the world as we know it, filled with horror and terror and things that go bump in the night. But, at the heart of all this chaos is Lance, Cass, Doc and Eifort, they together will take on this new world and make a place for themselves, and other survivors.
It is a bloody and violent story at times, but at the core it is about those who stand up to fight the fight, it is about heroes with compassion and it is about love. At times, when the suspense got too much, Jason Brant's humor came into play, making me laugh instead of run.
It is incredibly well written and moves at a phenomenal pace - there is no time to breathe while reading this book.
Great book – scary as heck, but very, very good.
September 9, 2013
"The sigh that escaped Lance's lips would have given anyone within earshot the wrong impression of what he was doing."
The perfect opening line, especially considering a pair of clean socks is a luxury in Lance's "new world".
I'm having a tough time putting into words just how much I enjoyed this installment of The Hunger series. Maybe it's still the book-high talking, but this story was even better than the first. The relationships shared between Lance, Cass, Doc Brown, and Eifort add to this action-packed story, leaving you holding your breath with each turn of the page.
Also, if you've read Jason's short story, Lotion (featured in the Apocalypse Anthology), then you'll definitely want to pick up both Devoured and Consumed.
Fast-paced action and raw violence have you cheering the characters on as you follow their adventure through a world full of monsters and corruption they never thought they'd have to experience in their lifetime.
Here are just a few lines that had me chuckling out loud:
"You're going to eat that thing the first time you try to shoot it." Cass shook her head at him. "Make sure you let me know when you're going to fire it so I can watch."
How the hell were they supposed to spot a pine tree in the middle of the woods?
Lance put his window down and leaned out. "Hey, Doc?"
"Yeah?"
"When this baby hits eighty-eight miles an hour, you're going to see some serious shit."
The perfect opening line, especially considering a pair of clean socks is a luxury in Lance's "new world".
I'm having a tough time putting into words just how much I enjoyed this installment of The Hunger series. Maybe it's still the book-high talking, but this story was even better than the first. The relationships shared between Lance, Cass, Doc Brown, and Eifort add to this action-packed story, leaving you holding your breath with each turn of the page.
Also, if you've read Jason's short story, Lotion (featured in the Apocalypse Anthology), then you'll definitely want to pick up both Devoured and Consumed.
Fast-paced action and raw violence have you cheering the characters on as you follow their adventure through a world full of monsters and corruption they never thought they'd have to experience in their lifetime.
Here are just a few lines that had me chuckling out loud:
"You're going to eat that thing the first time you try to shoot it." Cass shook her head at him. "Make sure you let me know when you're going to fire it so I can watch."
How the hell were they supposed to spot a pine tree in the middle of the woods?
Lance put his window down and leaned out. "Hey, Doc?"
"Yeah?"
"When this baby hits eighty-eight miles an hour, you're going to see some serious shit."
March 17, 2019
So we are back with much of the same issues
They could have easily grabbed the gun from the body in the house while they were escaping
After making several points about the vladies avoiding the water it would have been interesting to have some details about something happening to their bodies when they get tossed into the water to justify why they’re avoiding it or at least point out, then, that it's more a matter of that they can't seem to swim (for some reason).
We spent an obscene amount of time having it shoved down our throats that lance got a boo-boo on his foot all through the last book and was one of the first things brought up at the start of this book but not a mention or even altered behavior (like trouble running or holding things) for Doc after he was JUST SHOT through the shoulder.
The evidence of the author having little-to-no understanding of women is evidenced by the fact that they never pick up any sanitary supplies for the women while on a supply run.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: He says that Lance would have just used google maps a month ago and then that he only met his companions a week ago. Then once they anchor and the vladies come out of the sewer he says Lance heard the shrieks hundreds or thousands of times of the past several weeks. Then mentioned they defeated a vladie on the boat last week but that was just a couple of days before. At this point we're led to believe that it's really only been a little over a week but the writer is all over the place with the timeline.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Even small amounts of time seem to confuse the writer. First they’re watching the sunset. They lay down and lance finally falls asleep. Bomb goes off and suddenly it’s nearly dawn already?
Why would they not set up a routine of someone staying up to watch, taking shifts, through the night especially with the creatures so very close. They know nothing of the creatures to simply assume they would figure out a way to get to the boat.
If the plan was to just blow the ship then the bad guy could have easily put the bomb on while he stayed in the water and left and no one would have been the wiser until it blew. Also, if they were all in the same area when the guy sneaked on board and had Lance when the bomb went off how come Iford is the only one with hearing issues?
Freeport to Greensburg takes roughly an hour on a regular day. Even going slow and even moving cars out of the way it wouldn’t take all day and definitely wouldn’t take half a tank of gas especially if they were going slow and easy. They would have been there with plenty of time before sundown especially since they left not long after sunrise. So, again, the author is just being utterly lazy and FORCING scenes again. He's screwing with the course of time (not like he seems to have any grasp of how time works anyway) just to force the characters into the next situation.
Nothing like making a total racket peeling out and skidding in the car. While there might be fewer vladies it doesn’t mean there aren’t any, especially if there are houses nearby. And there's no telling what people are still around. By all means, draw as much attention to yourselves as possible. And if he was digging around the house for the keys was there no food, guns, clothes (theirs sank and they all would still be wet or at least damp and uncomfortable) or anything useful?
What idiot would lock away their weapon!?! Why would Cass put her ax in the trunk when there’s no telling when she’d need it and now doesn’t have immediate access to it. Considering no one has any other weapons that is just stupid upon stupid.
Lance has repeatedly said his knife was too short. Yet everything he picked up in the barn that was long was “too long” so he went back to looking at short items. What was the point?
SEXISM ALERT: Cass makes the mace yet, like a typical male, says “impressed with what THEY made.”
Not only could they have made it to Greensburg in a couple of hours the fact that they stopped early enough to scavenge, have sex, dig a grave big enough for two people, and then haul those people out and bury them is ridiculous. If they had that much time they should have kept going - not that it would have mattered because, again, they should have already been to Greensburg.
Again, stupidity reigns supreme that they still haven't established a sleeping/guarding routine after they just were attacked.
Doc says they covered 30-40 miles in the car. Even if they stayed at 30 mph they’d cover that distance in roughly one hour. Even if we figure it was a couple of hours so they could move cars and avoid problems. Either way 30-40 miles is NOTHING and won’t take all day. The author, once again, is FORCING the story
Oh my god!!!! We get it, Cass wears short and tight clothes. Is the author a prude? Not that many people, even in the country areas, would care how she’s dressed especially in the middle of the apocalypse. Enough already!
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Are we to seriously believe they’re having a conversation and trading sarcastic remarks in the middle of the night with vladies attacking the camp? The author explicitly states that the “lights went out.” “Darkness washed over the field” and “the only light was from the stars and rising moon.” There is no way they’d be dawdling. Which also means it’s pointless that the writer then says that Lance is holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright lamps.
Why wouldn’t Lance point out to Doc that the sick baby is Teddy? Doc knows who that is.
Are you honestly saying that after Doc makes sure he checks everyone out and has JUST checked Lance, who says he’s fine, but then asks for a bandage and Doc is just like “sure, here you go” and doesn’t stop for a second to ask: “why? What’s injured?”
SEXISM ALERT: The author makes it a point to say that everyone’s priorities are “monumentally out of whack” and that people probably wouldn’t get offended any more if someone doesn’t remove their hat indoors but by all means let’s bring up that Cass is dressed in skimpy clothes constantly across multiple books. And, not just bring it up but always equate a woman dressing in such a manner as being a hooker.
Why make sorting out who was good/bad complicated? Just ask the women who were the rapists and who were the good people. Problem solved.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Again the timeline is screwed when Nathaniel says they’ve been radio silent for the last few weeks so Ralph wouldn’t hear but it’s been just over a week roughly, maybe closer to two weeks at the most.
What kind of radio are they using that allows someone to cut in overtop someone already speaking? CB's and Walkies don’t work that way.
There is no way they found what was left of Mullins in the woods after a vladie dragged him there. It’s still night time and there are no lights. They would not be searching in the dark woods at night.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Even though it’s been roughly just over a week Lance just says he’s been with Doc nearly two weeks (close enough) but then right after that wonders how many weeks ago was it that he was hit by the car. NEARLY TWO WEEKS!! Then, when Lance sees Liz, he says it’s been a few weeks (typically meaning three or more) since the hospital incident. Then he immediately talks about the anger and hate he felt for Liz and Don “a month ago.” He didn't know about them until part-way through the hospital situation (not that the author didn't make it GLARINGLY obvious at the very beginning of the first book).
DRAMA-LLAMA ALERT: So Lance can carry Cass around the corner and evade a horde (first book) but can’t carry a bag of supplies a few feet around before being so fatigued? The author keeps writing Lance like a major drama queen.
SEXISM ALERT: Did Lance seriously just say; “what if you tripped” to Cass after taking out just two daywalkers after everything she’s done on her own so far?
Cass says they’ve been running for their lives for weeks. No, they haven’t. Even if we figure it's been nearly two weeks, large portions of it were being holed up rather than actually "exercising" (running) with only sporadic bursts of running and fighting. Some improvement is expected but likely nothing noticeable.
Are Cass, Lance, Adam, and Greg honestly having a casual chit chat in the dark underground tunnels that the horde of vladies live in and especially after one vladie already tried to get them?
Anyone worth a lick of sense wouldn’t just arbitrarily announce there’s a camp until the guy proves he’s safe.
How does her pedometer tell her how much further until they’re under the water. All those do is track how many steps you’ve taken. It doesn’t measure projected distance.
If the vladies are afraid of water or at least know they can’t swim in it why in the world would they be trying to dig from the tunnel into the water above then?
Lol wait what!?!? Lance DROPS the spotlight to shoot wildly at a vladie instead of using the light. Then he throws the gun away!?!? Only to pick up the damn spotlight and use it on the second vladie!?!?
How in the world did lance manage to pull out a knife from his back?
Why would Ralph kill one of his guys but not the other two that were bitten?
Well, on to the next one in the series...
They could have easily grabbed the gun from the body in the house while they were escaping
After making several points about the vladies avoiding the water it would have been interesting to have some details about something happening to their bodies when they get tossed into the water to justify why they’re avoiding it or at least point out, then, that it's more a matter of that they can't seem to swim (for some reason).
We spent an obscene amount of time having it shoved down our throats that lance got a boo-boo on his foot all through the last book and was one of the first things brought up at the start of this book but not a mention or even altered behavior (like trouble running or holding things) for Doc after he was JUST SHOT through the shoulder.
The evidence of the author having little-to-no understanding of women is evidenced by the fact that they never pick up any sanitary supplies for the women while on a supply run.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: He says that Lance would have just used google maps a month ago and then that he only met his companions a week ago. Then once they anchor and the vladies come out of the sewer he says Lance heard the shrieks hundreds or thousands of times of the past several weeks. Then mentioned they defeated a vladie on the boat last week but that was just a couple of days before. At this point we're led to believe that it's really only been a little over a week but the writer is all over the place with the timeline.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Even small amounts of time seem to confuse the writer. First they’re watching the sunset. They lay down and lance finally falls asleep. Bomb goes off and suddenly it’s nearly dawn already?
Why would they not set up a routine of someone staying up to watch, taking shifts, through the night especially with the creatures so very close. They know nothing of the creatures to simply assume they would figure out a way to get to the boat.
If the plan was to just blow the ship then the bad guy could have easily put the bomb on while he stayed in the water and left and no one would have been the wiser until it blew. Also, if they were all in the same area when the guy sneaked on board and had Lance when the bomb went off how come Iford is the only one with hearing issues?
Freeport to Greensburg takes roughly an hour on a regular day. Even going slow and even moving cars out of the way it wouldn’t take all day and definitely wouldn’t take half a tank of gas especially if they were going slow and easy. They would have been there with plenty of time before sundown especially since they left not long after sunrise. So, again, the author is just being utterly lazy and FORCING scenes again. He's screwing with the course of time (not like he seems to have any grasp of how time works anyway) just to force the characters into the next situation.
Nothing like making a total racket peeling out and skidding in the car. While there might be fewer vladies it doesn’t mean there aren’t any, especially if there are houses nearby. And there's no telling what people are still around. By all means, draw as much attention to yourselves as possible. And if he was digging around the house for the keys was there no food, guns, clothes (theirs sank and they all would still be wet or at least damp and uncomfortable) or anything useful?
What idiot would lock away their weapon!?! Why would Cass put her ax in the trunk when there’s no telling when she’d need it and now doesn’t have immediate access to it. Considering no one has any other weapons that is just stupid upon stupid.
Lance has repeatedly said his knife was too short. Yet everything he picked up in the barn that was long was “too long” so he went back to looking at short items. What was the point?
SEXISM ALERT: Cass makes the mace yet, like a typical male, says “impressed with what THEY made.”
Not only could they have made it to Greensburg in a couple of hours the fact that they stopped early enough to scavenge, have sex, dig a grave big enough for two people, and then haul those people out and bury them is ridiculous. If they had that much time they should have kept going - not that it would have mattered because, again, they should have already been to Greensburg.
Again, stupidity reigns supreme that they still haven't established a sleeping/guarding routine after they just were attacked.
Doc says they covered 30-40 miles in the car. Even if they stayed at 30 mph they’d cover that distance in roughly one hour. Even if we figure it was a couple of hours so they could move cars and avoid problems. Either way 30-40 miles is NOTHING and won’t take all day. The author, once again, is FORCING the story
Oh my god!!!! We get it, Cass wears short and tight clothes. Is the author a prude? Not that many people, even in the country areas, would care how she’s dressed especially in the middle of the apocalypse. Enough already!
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Are we to seriously believe they’re having a conversation and trading sarcastic remarks in the middle of the night with vladies attacking the camp? The author explicitly states that the “lights went out.” “Darkness washed over the field” and “the only light was from the stars and rising moon.” There is no way they’d be dawdling. Which also means it’s pointless that the writer then says that Lance is holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright lamps.
Why wouldn’t Lance point out to Doc that the sick baby is Teddy? Doc knows who that is.
Are you honestly saying that after Doc makes sure he checks everyone out and has JUST checked Lance, who says he’s fine, but then asks for a bandage and Doc is just like “sure, here you go” and doesn’t stop for a second to ask: “why? What’s injured?”
SEXISM ALERT: The author makes it a point to say that everyone’s priorities are “monumentally out of whack” and that people probably wouldn’t get offended any more if someone doesn’t remove their hat indoors but by all means let’s bring up that Cass is dressed in skimpy clothes constantly across multiple books. And, not just bring it up but always equate a woman dressing in such a manner as being a hooker.
Why make sorting out who was good/bad complicated? Just ask the women who were the rapists and who were the good people. Problem solved.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Again the timeline is screwed when Nathaniel says they’ve been radio silent for the last few weeks so Ralph wouldn’t hear but it’s been just over a week roughly, maybe closer to two weeks at the most.
What kind of radio are they using that allows someone to cut in overtop someone already speaking? CB's and Walkies don’t work that way.
There is no way they found what was left of Mullins in the woods after a vladie dragged him there. It’s still night time and there are no lights. They would not be searching in the dark woods at night.
AUTHOR FORGETS ALERT: Even though it’s been roughly just over a week Lance just says he’s been with Doc nearly two weeks (close enough) but then right after that wonders how many weeks ago was it that he was hit by the car. NEARLY TWO WEEKS!! Then, when Lance sees Liz, he says it’s been a few weeks (typically meaning three or more) since the hospital incident. Then he immediately talks about the anger and hate he felt for Liz and Don “a month ago.” He didn't know about them until part-way through the hospital situation (not that the author didn't make it GLARINGLY obvious at the very beginning of the first book).
DRAMA-LLAMA ALERT: So Lance can carry Cass around the corner and evade a horde (first book) but can’t carry a bag of supplies a few feet around before being so fatigued? The author keeps writing Lance like a major drama queen.
SEXISM ALERT: Did Lance seriously just say; “what if you tripped” to Cass after taking out just two daywalkers after everything she’s done on her own so far?
Cass says they’ve been running for their lives for weeks. No, they haven’t. Even if we figure it's been nearly two weeks, large portions of it were being holed up rather than actually "exercising" (running) with only sporadic bursts of running and fighting. Some improvement is expected but likely nothing noticeable.
Are Cass, Lance, Adam, and Greg honestly having a casual chit chat in the dark underground tunnels that the horde of vladies live in and especially after one vladie already tried to get them?
Anyone worth a lick of sense wouldn’t just arbitrarily announce there’s a camp until the guy proves he’s safe.
How does her pedometer tell her how much further until they’re under the water. All those do is track how many steps you’ve taken. It doesn’t measure projected distance.
If the vladies are afraid of water or at least know they can’t swim in it why in the world would they be trying to dig from the tunnel into the water above then?
Lol wait what!?!? Lance DROPS the spotlight to shoot wildly at a vladie instead of using the light. Then he throws the gun away!?!? Only to pick up the damn spotlight and use it on the second vladie!?!?
How in the world did lance manage to pull out a knife from his back?
Why would Ralph kill one of his guys but not the other two that were bitten?
Well, on to the next one in the series...
March 1, 2014
This Book Consumed Every Free Moment I Had
Wow, after reading this book I just have one word to describe it: HolyFreakingAmazingBatmanBalls.
Seriously, this book rocks and I had such an amazing time reading it. It's earned Jason Brant his own folder on my Kindle because I plan to snatch up the rest of his books as fast as I can. I really try hard to make myself wait a day before posting a review that way the story has enough time to sink in but I couldn't wait for tomorrow so I've just decided to throw caution to the wind and write the review now.
What I love about this book:
1. Awesome mutant zombies or Vladdies as they're called in the book. Get it Vladdies as in Vlad The Impaler! They're mean, super strong, fast and are like these giant zombie gorilla flesh eating vampire monsters. I know it sounds odd but trust me it's very cool and totally works. These things are mean. You know how you get when someone disturbs you when you're in the middle of a great book? Yeah, they're that kind of mean.
2. Awesome Characters that you can relate to: There are so many great characters. Lance is not your ordinary hero. In fact he was a bit of a loser before the mutant zombie gorilla apocalypse happened. Okay they're not really gorillas but their knuckles do drag the ground at times so they're getting called gorilla's by me. Where was I? Oh yeah Lance, he's just your average guy. He was down on his luck, couldn't hold a job, his wife hates him and he doesn't have a lot of confidence anymore. But once all hell breaks loose he's exactly the kind of person you would want on your side. He's a great guy. He's not super strong nor really fit or anything and he's not a very good fighter but he does his best and cares about people which is something I can totally relate to and once Cass entered the picture his confidence shot through the roof. He might not be the best zombie killer out there but he is the best kind of person to have as a friend during the apocalypse.
Doc Brown (Gonna go back in time) is a great character too. I love how can just take charge and gain control of a situation. He thinks about everyone along with every situations from all angles. He also happens to be one of the last doctors left in the US if not the world.
Eifort who is ex-military (since there is no more military, at least not around these parts) is a wonderful character too. She's small but deadly with a rifle. All of the characters have an incredible amount of depth to them especially considering how action packed these books are. They're an unlikely group of heroes who have become family to each other (and to me) in such a short amount of time. I simultaneously look forward to and dread the next books. I can't wait to read them but I don't want to lose any of these characters. I care about them too much which is just a testament to Jason Brant's skill as a writer.
3. Cass: Yes I know she should be covered under Awesome Characters but she's just so awesome that she gets her own number. I love the fact that the main badass of the tale is a woman. She's in shape, has a giant medieval battle axe (how cool is that?), can use a bow and arrow and dresses like a weird prostitute with a Mohawk. Hey who cares about fashion, it's the end of the world. Social conventions no longer have any meaning. Time and time again she saves Lance or as she likes to call him: "dumbass". I love their interactions. I love how she seems to bring out the best in him and even though I think she should have chosen me over Lance I still really dig her character. I mean I wasn't even really in the book so I can't blame her for that. Besides Lance is pretty cool. He does end up saving her quite often too, well maybe not as much as she saves him but you get the idea. They're really good together and the two of them are the heart and soul of this series.
4. Lots and lots of action. The book is action packed. If there was anymore action in this book then .... well I can't really come up with a good line for this one but you can imagine if I did. it would have been awesome.
5. Great Book Covers: These book covers rock. The art work is just amazing.
6. Stupendously Spectacular Suspenseful Storyline: (Hey, I was going to throw sequel in there too so you got off lucky) The story-line is nothing short of incredible. I'm all about the little things in a storyline. Most of my favorite scenes in books aren't the big action sequences or the big reveal or the big moments but the little things. I love it when a good author does those little things well. A great author can turn anything into a plot device. A shower, having a meal, a friendly conversation by the fire, etc. Jason Brant not only does the little things very well but he manages to wrap them around the action so that the big things and the little things are all linked into one big smorgasbord of awesomeness. (I'm really big on that word)
Things I disliked about this book!
1. It Ended: I want to keep reading this forever. Why did it have to end?
2. Cass chose Lance over me: Hopefully I'll be in the next book and she'll make the right decision :)
3. Uhm, that's it: Oh yeah, I didn't like Ralph. I really hated his character. I really hope they get him in this book (I can't tell you if they did, that would ruin it). But I guess that's not really a dislike since he's the badguy. So I guess I like Ralph. Now I'm very confused!
This series became an instant favorite of mine. I cannot wait to read the next one and it never ceases to amaze me how Jason Brant was able to write about a zombie apocalypse which let's face it has been done a billion times and make it feel so completely new and unique. I cannot recommend this series enough. It's one heck of a ride and I think this book will pretty much appeal to anyone who likes good dialogue, plenty of action while still having a great deal of depth to the characters, lots of fun and funny moments and lastly but most importantly Cass. Really, she's something else. Plus if all of that isn't enough to entice you then Jason Brant included the short story Lotion as an added bonus which is a hilarious tale of post-apocalyptic proportions. He wrote it and it was published in an anthology a while back and several people contacted him asking if he could expand the world and write some more books and he decided to do just that. The rest is pure awesome reading goodness.
http://jamiesbookblog.com/consumed-ja...
Wow, after reading this book I just have one word to describe it: HolyFreakingAmazingBatmanBalls.
Seriously, this book rocks and I had such an amazing time reading it. It's earned Jason Brant his own folder on my Kindle because I plan to snatch up the rest of his books as fast as I can. I really try hard to make myself wait a day before posting a review that way the story has enough time to sink in but I couldn't wait for tomorrow so I've just decided to throw caution to the wind and write the review now.
What I love about this book:
1. Awesome mutant zombies or Vladdies as they're called in the book. Get it Vladdies as in Vlad The Impaler! They're mean, super strong, fast and are like these giant zombie gorilla flesh eating vampire monsters. I know it sounds odd but trust me it's very cool and totally works. These things are mean. You know how you get when someone disturbs you when you're in the middle of a great book? Yeah, they're that kind of mean.
2. Awesome Characters that you can relate to: There are so many great characters. Lance is not your ordinary hero. In fact he was a bit of a loser before the mutant zombie gorilla apocalypse happened. Okay they're not really gorillas but their knuckles do drag the ground at times so they're getting called gorilla's by me. Where was I? Oh yeah Lance, he's just your average guy. He was down on his luck, couldn't hold a job, his wife hates him and he doesn't have a lot of confidence anymore. But once all hell breaks loose he's exactly the kind of person you would want on your side. He's a great guy. He's not super strong nor really fit or anything and he's not a very good fighter but he does his best and cares about people which is something I can totally relate to and once Cass entered the picture his confidence shot through the roof. He might not be the best zombie killer out there but he is the best kind of person to have as a friend during the apocalypse.
Doc Brown (Gonna go back in time) is a great character too. I love how can just take charge and gain control of a situation. He thinks about everyone along with every situations from all angles. He also happens to be one of the last doctors left in the US if not the world.
Eifort who is ex-military (since there is no more military, at least not around these parts) is a wonderful character too. She's small but deadly with a rifle. All of the characters have an incredible amount of depth to them especially considering how action packed these books are. They're an unlikely group of heroes who have become family to each other (and to me) in such a short amount of time. I simultaneously look forward to and dread the next books. I can't wait to read them but I don't want to lose any of these characters. I care about them too much which is just a testament to Jason Brant's skill as a writer.
3. Cass: Yes I know she should be covered under Awesome Characters but she's just so awesome that she gets her own number. I love the fact that the main badass of the tale is a woman. She's in shape, has a giant medieval battle axe (how cool is that?), can use a bow and arrow and dresses like a weird prostitute with a Mohawk. Hey who cares about fashion, it's the end of the world. Social conventions no longer have any meaning. Time and time again she saves Lance or as she likes to call him: "dumbass". I love their interactions. I love how she seems to bring out the best in him and even though I think she should have chosen me over Lance I still really dig her character. I mean I wasn't even really in the book so I can't blame her for that. Besides Lance is pretty cool. He does end up saving her quite often too, well maybe not as much as she saves him but you get the idea. They're really good together and the two of them are the heart and soul of this series.
4. Lots and lots of action. The book is action packed. If there was anymore action in this book then .... well I can't really come up with a good line for this one but you can imagine if I did. it would have been awesome.
5. Great Book Covers: These book covers rock. The art work is just amazing.
6. Stupendously Spectacular Suspenseful Storyline: (Hey, I was going to throw sequel in there too so you got off lucky) The story-line is nothing short of incredible. I'm all about the little things in a storyline. Most of my favorite scenes in books aren't the big action sequences or the big reveal or the big moments but the little things. I love it when a good author does those little things well. A great author can turn anything into a plot device. A shower, having a meal, a friendly conversation by the fire, etc. Jason Brant not only does the little things very well but he manages to wrap them around the action so that the big things and the little things are all linked into one big smorgasbord of awesomeness. (I'm really big on that word)
Things I disliked about this book!
1. It Ended: I want to keep reading this forever. Why did it have to end?
2. Cass chose Lance over me: Hopefully I'll be in the next book and she'll make the right decision :)
3. Uhm, that's it: Oh yeah, I didn't like Ralph. I really hated his character. I really hope they get him in this book (I can't tell you if they did, that would ruin it). But I guess that's not really a dislike since he's the badguy. So I guess I like Ralph. Now I'm very confused!
This series became an instant favorite of mine. I cannot wait to read the next one and it never ceases to amaze me how Jason Brant was able to write about a zombie apocalypse which let's face it has been done a billion times and make it feel so completely new and unique. I cannot recommend this series enough. It's one heck of a ride and I think this book will pretty much appeal to anyone who likes good dialogue, plenty of action while still having a great deal of depth to the characters, lots of fun and funny moments and lastly but most importantly Cass. Really, she's something else. Plus if all of that isn't enough to entice you then Jason Brant included the short story Lotion as an added bonus which is a hilarious tale of post-apocalyptic proportions. He wrote it and it was published in an anthology a while back and several people contacted him asking if he could expand the world and write some more books and he decided to do just that. The rest is pure awesome reading goodness.
http://jamiesbookblog.com/consumed-ja...
September 18, 2013
(I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest, unbiased review)
Wow. Where do I begin? This book takes off exactly where Devoured (book 1) ends. This is not really a stand alone, so I recommend that you read the first in the series before this one. Actually, the awesomeness of this book doubles when you read Jason’s short story, Lotion, that was in Cynthia Shepp’s Apocalypse Anthology. Lotion was the story that started this entire series, introduced us to this world, and to a couple of the characters. This latest installment in this series does not disappoint!
The action was intense and pretty much nonstop throughout the book. That’s not the only great thing about this story. This book is well-balanced. What I mean by this is that the characters are written beautifully and grow through the story, the action is intense, the horror is vividly real, and there is just enough humor and even the occasional “Awww” moment to keep the scary stuff from overwhelming the reader. This book has it all!
When this book starts off, Lance and Cass, Eifort and Dr. Emmett Brown (haha), are living on the Duchess, a boat, in the middle of the Allegheny River to avoid the victims of the Xavier virus. These vampire-like once humans have taken over the night and have infected or eaten the majority of the population. When their boat is destroyed, they have to move on and find another safe place to hide out from the monsters.
To make matters worse, a militia-like group of survivalists headed by a psychopath named Ralph are on a mission to wipe them out, too, thanks to Lance unwittingly angering Ralph in a restaurant in the previous book. This just adds to the horror, as the group of four can’t seem to avoid one nightmare encounter after another.
There are several moments of hilarity in this book. The banter between Lance and Cass had me laughing even through the scary moments, the Doc Brown and Back To the Future references and jokes made this geek giggle, and the daily ham radio reports from the Wild Man of Monroeville. The Wild Man seemed to know exactly what was going on in the Pittsburgh area from his seemingly impenetrable hidden location, and his descriptions of the people and events had me literally laughing out loud.
There are some serious developments in this book that I didn’t see coming, and wow… that’s all I can say about that without giving away spoilers. The end of the book had the stories coming full circle, with characters from the short story Lotion making their appearance, and the ending really threw me for a loop! I didn’t want to put this book down, and re-read several sections after I finished because I simply was not ready to be done with these wonderful characters in this frightening but realistic world!
Wow. Where do I begin? This book takes off exactly where Devoured (book 1) ends. This is not really a stand alone, so I recommend that you read the first in the series before this one. Actually, the awesomeness of this book doubles when you read Jason’s short story, Lotion, that was in Cynthia Shepp’s Apocalypse Anthology. Lotion was the story that started this entire series, introduced us to this world, and to a couple of the characters. This latest installment in this series does not disappoint!
The action was intense and pretty much nonstop throughout the book. That’s not the only great thing about this story. This book is well-balanced. What I mean by this is that the characters are written beautifully and grow through the story, the action is intense, the horror is vividly real, and there is just enough humor and even the occasional “Awww” moment to keep the scary stuff from overwhelming the reader. This book has it all!
When this book starts off, Lance and Cass, Eifort and Dr. Emmett Brown (haha), are living on the Duchess, a boat, in the middle of the Allegheny River to avoid the victims of the Xavier virus. These vampire-like once humans have taken over the night and have infected or eaten the majority of the population. When their boat is destroyed, they have to move on and find another safe place to hide out from the monsters.
To make matters worse, a militia-like group of survivalists headed by a psychopath named Ralph are on a mission to wipe them out, too, thanks to Lance unwittingly angering Ralph in a restaurant in the previous book. This just adds to the horror, as the group of four can’t seem to avoid one nightmare encounter after another.
There are several moments of hilarity in this book. The banter between Lance and Cass had me laughing even through the scary moments, the Doc Brown and Back To the Future references and jokes made this geek giggle, and the daily ham radio reports from the Wild Man of Monroeville. The Wild Man seemed to know exactly what was going on in the Pittsburgh area from his seemingly impenetrable hidden location, and his descriptions of the people and events had me literally laughing out loud.
There are some serious developments in this book that I didn’t see coming, and wow… that’s all I can say about that without giving away spoilers. The end of the book had the stories coming full circle, with characters from the short story Lotion making their appearance, and the ending really threw me for a loop! I didn’t want to put this book down, and re-read several sections after I finished because I simply was not ready to be done with these wonderful characters in this frightening but realistic world!
July 20, 2015
ABR's original Consumed audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
If you liked “Slow Burn” by Bobby Adair and “Mountain Man” by Keith C. Blackmore you are going to love this series.
Recap from Devoured (book 1). Lance, (a down on his luck, out of work and demoralized man) tried to help a deranged woman walking down the street. He got hit by a car trying to save her. Wakes up in the hospital. The hospital was crawling with, blood thirsty flesh eating, monsters. Managing to escape, with the help of Doctor Emmett Brown, Lance made it back to his apartment. That was an easy day, it got worse.
Consumed (Hunger Book 2)
Lance, Cass, Doc Brown, and Eifort are still on the river. The have decided to stay in the boat as long as they can. Making short trips into towns for supplies. However, the Minuteman leader, Ralph, has other ideas. He wants Lance dead so he sends a man to bomb the boat. They all survive the sinking boat but lose most of their supplies. Opting to maneuver through the flesh eating monsters, vampires and power hungry humans, they find a vehicle and decide to try for Greensburg. Lance, Cass and the others strive to survive each day – one hour at a time. You will have to find out the rest for yourself. I think this book is even better than the first one.
I really love this series. I have listened to book 1 and 2 twice. When Lance met Cass the real fun started. The banter between them is so funny. It’s the comic break needed in this type of story. She is constantly amazing him with her skills. She is a vampire slaying Zena, with a double edged ax. He loves it.
The pace is fast; the action and violence will keep you on the edge of your seat. You “need” to turn the page to find out what happens next. There are a lot of surprises in this installment. You won’t want to miss out. I hope book 3 comes out soon. Perhaps there will be answers to who/what/where the virus came from, perhaps the “vladdies” (vampires) will die out from lack of human blood and perhaps we’ll see who is behind the flying jets that grace the sky occasionally.
Wayne June is doing his superb rendition of reading again. I could listen to him for hours. Wait, I do listen to him for hours. He has that kind of voice and he really gets into his characters.
Wayne June and the production team are great together. Excellence shows.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
If you liked “Slow Burn” by Bobby Adair and “Mountain Man” by Keith C. Blackmore you are going to love this series.
Recap from Devoured (book 1). Lance, (a down on his luck, out of work and demoralized man) tried to help a deranged woman walking down the street. He got hit by a car trying to save her. Wakes up in the hospital. The hospital was crawling with, blood thirsty flesh eating, monsters. Managing to escape, with the help of Doctor Emmett Brown, Lance made it back to his apartment. That was an easy day, it got worse.
Consumed (Hunger Book 2)
Lance, Cass, Doc Brown, and Eifort are still on the river. The have decided to stay in the boat as long as they can. Making short trips into towns for supplies. However, the Minuteman leader, Ralph, has other ideas. He wants Lance dead so he sends a man to bomb the boat. They all survive the sinking boat but lose most of their supplies. Opting to maneuver through the flesh eating monsters, vampires and power hungry humans, they find a vehicle and decide to try for Greensburg. Lance, Cass and the others strive to survive each day – one hour at a time. You will have to find out the rest for yourself. I think this book is even better than the first one.
I really love this series. I have listened to book 1 and 2 twice. When Lance met Cass the real fun started. The banter between them is so funny. It’s the comic break needed in this type of story. She is constantly amazing him with her skills. She is a vampire slaying Zena, with a double edged ax. He loves it.
The pace is fast; the action and violence will keep you on the edge of your seat. You “need” to turn the page to find out what happens next. There are a lot of surprises in this installment. You won’t want to miss out. I hope book 3 comes out soon. Perhaps there will be answers to who/what/where the virus came from, perhaps the “vladdies” (vampires) will die out from lack of human blood and perhaps we’ll see who is behind the flying jets that grace the sky occasionally.
Wayne June is doing his superb rendition of reading again. I could listen to him for hours. Wait, I do listen to him for hours. He has that kind of voice and he really gets into his characters.
Wayne June and the production team are great together. Excellence shows.
Audiobook provided for review by the author.
September 29, 2013
Jason Brant is on FIRE and at his very BEST with this second installment of THE HUNGER.
Firstly, there's the unexpected and magnanimous honor that he bestows upon some of his fans (who merely commented on a particular Facebook post of his). That honor being that he includes said fans in CAMEO APPEARANCES within his novel! And what's more, he KILLS them! (My ignominious demise is recorded on page 63!)
Secondly, this sequel to DEVOURED is action-packed, full of surprises, and suspense. I am particularly pleased with the plot's premise. Instead of sticking with the supernatural scenario so familiar to fans of modern fantasy, Jason provides the most plausible of apocalyptic possibilities: Humans behaving inhumanly! Terror that transforms the world....
Jason invents individuals with which we can easily identify as they flee and fight across post-apocalyptic Pennsylvania; not only dealing with "Daywalkers" and vying with "Vladdies", but also alternately avoiding and attacking the un-infected, but power-mad, militia of "Minutemen". If you like the TV series, THE WALKING DEAD; the movie, WORLD WAR Z; and the video game, THE LAST OF US...then all you need to complete the four basic entertainment groups is the book, CONSUMED!
CONSUMED is a hundred-mile-an-hour, white-knuckles-on-the-wheel, boots-beating-on-the-floorboard-'cause-the-brake-lines-are-cut, breathless read that'll bring you crashing to the conclusion, concussed and convinced that that burning sensation you've got in your gut isn't indigestion at all...rather, it's the feeling that all fans of Jason's fiction find upon finishing that final page: that horrible, hollow HUNGER...for MORE!
Firstly, there's the unexpected and magnanimous honor that he bestows upon some of his fans (who merely commented on a particular Facebook post of his). That honor being that he includes said fans in CAMEO APPEARANCES within his novel! And what's more, he KILLS them! (My ignominious demise is recorded on page 63!)
Secondly, this sequel to DEVOURED is action-packed, full of surprises, and suspense. I am particularly pleased with the plot's premise. Instead of sticking with the supernatural scenario so familiar to fans of modern fantasy, Jason provides the most plausible of apocalyptic possibilities: Humans behaving inhumanly! Terror that transforms the world....
Jason invents individuals with which we can easily identify as they flee and fight across post-apocalyptic Pennsylvania; not only dealing with "Daywalkers" and vying with "Vladdies", but also alternately avoiding and attacking the un-infected, but power-mad, militia of "Minutemen". If you like the TV series, THE WALKING DEAD; the movie, WORLD WAR Z; and the video game, THE LAST OF US...then all you need to complete the four basic entertainment groups is the book, CONSUMED!
CONSUMED is a hundred-mile-an-hour, white-knuckles-on-the-wheel, boots-beating-on-the-floorboard-'cause-the-brake-lines-are-cut, breathless read that'll bring you crashing to the conclusion, concussed and convinced that that burning sensation you've got in your gut isn't indigestion at all...rather, it's the feeling that all fans of Jason's fiction find upon finishing that final page: that horrible, hollow HUNGER...for MORE!
March 8, 2015
Okay, so I thought that Devoured was great, well Consumed was GREAT!!! I love it when an author keeps upping the ante in a series and making me reset my rating standards. Whenever I had to put Consumed down (yes, I did have to put it down occasionally for things like work and sleep), I could not wait to pick it back up again and continue with the story.
In Consumed, Lance advances and grows as a character into the man that I hoped he could become. Cassie also grows as a character, becoming less of a Vladdie killing machine and more of a softer caring human. I do believe that she would kick my butt for saying so…and she still is a kick- a$$ Vladdie killing machine. These two are a great character combination.
The story itself was so well done, the action flowed and was described perfectly. Sometimes battle scenes don’t flow nicely, but Brant does an excellent job with these scenes. In the last half hour of the book, I could not stop reading! The battle scene was executed perfectly and I eagerly went from one page to the next to make sure that Cassie’s mission was a success.
The epilogue…Jason Brant, you nearly made me “ship my pants” (oh wait, that’s K-mart)!!! I hate/love it when an author does this to me. What is it? What happens? You’ll have to find out for yourself!
The next book that I read will have a very hard time following this series!
http://www.2bookloversreviews.com/hom...
In Consumed, Lance advances and grows as a character into the man that I hoped he could become. Cassie also grows as a character, becoming less of a Vladdie killing machine and more of a softer caring human. I do believe that she would kick my butt for saying so…and she still is a kick- a$$ Vladdie killing machine. These two are a great character combination.
The story itself was so well done, the action flowed and was described perfectly. Sometimes battle scenes don’t flow nicely, but Brant does an excellent job with these scenes. In the last half hour of the book, I could not stop reading! The battle scene was executed perfectly and I eagerly went from one page to the next to make sure that Cassie’s mission was a success.
The epilogue…Jason Brant, you nearly made me “ship my pants” (oh wait, that’s K-mart)!!! I hate/love it when an author does this to me. What is it? What happens? You’ll have to find out for yourself!
The next book that I read will have a very hard time following this series!
http://www.2bookloversreviews.com/hom...
June 12, 2018
I'd say 2,5 stars. I prefer the first book, when it was all about bad vampire/zombie creatures...
This book focuses on the militia and Ralph instead. They're the bad guys of the situation, even worst than the zompires. They destroy Lance's boat and they hunt everybody down to kill them. What worse, they have these weird ideas of repopulating the world and they use every . Disgusting!
So, this book is not only about Lance and Cass, Doc Brown and Eifort joined the band. They sailed down the river and then they drove across the country to reach a safe zone, controlled by the militia. Less zombires, more crazy people.
You know, when Lance and Cass started sleeping together in the first volume and he said that he had lazy little guys and that she wouldn't need protection, I thought: «She going to get pregnant soon!».
If in the first book Cass seemed to be a male fantasy, in this second book she's still a male fantasy, not a real character. And come on, if my partner keeps insulting me every time I speak, let him go and find someone else.
Ready to delve into book 3.
This book focuses on the militia and Ralph instead. They're the bad guys of the situation, even worst than the zompires. They destroy Lance's boat and they hunt everybody down to kill them. What worse, they have these weird ideas of repopulating the world and they use every . Disgusting!
So, this book is not only about Lance and Cass, Doc Brown and Eifort joined the band. They sailed down the river and then they drove across the country to reach a safe zone, controlled by the militia. Less zombires, more crazy people.
You know, when Lance and Cass started sleeping together in the first volume and he said that he had lazy little guys and that she wouldn't need protection, I thought: «She going to get pregnant soon!».
If in the first book Cass seemed to be a male fantasy, in this second book she's still a male fantasy, not a real character. And come on, if my partner keeps insulting me every time I speak, let him go and find someone else.
Ready to delve into book 3.
January 18, 2016
4 Platypires for Consumed by Jason Brant
I was provided a free digital copy for an honest review.
Oh wow this was a lot of fun. I thought the second novel in the Hunger series was just great. I like how the action didn't stop and the story kept going. The story continues with the group still trying to survive and coming to battle with the Minutemen (An evil group who just wants to make things worse.) A lot of these scenes are nail-biting to the point where I had to put down the book a few times because I was actually nervous for the characters.
I would recommend reading the short story Lotion before reading Consumed. While not a necessary read, it does come into play in Consumed. Actually it was pretty neat to see how the characters from Lotion make an appearance.
Overall this was a great read and I can't wait to read the next book.
I was provided a free digital copy for an honest review.
Oh wow this was a lot of fun. I thought the second novel in the Hunger series was just great. I like how the action didn't stop and the story kept going. The story continues with the group still trying to survive and coming to battle with the Minutemen (An evil group who just wants to make things worse.) A lot of these scenes are nail-biting to the point where I had to put down the book a few times because I was actually nervous for the characters.
I would recommend reading the short story Lotion before reading Consumed. While not a necessary read, it does come into play in Consumed. Actually it was pretty neat to see how the characters from Lotion make an appearance.
Overall this was a great read and I can't wait to read the next book.
December 9, 2013
I really struggled to get through this one. I found the banter between the two main characters was tired and their accomplishments throughout the story were undeserved.
December 30, 2018
mala som trochu obavy, kedze trilogie sa zvyknu zacat bombovo a potom to ide do stratena, ale kniha ma nesklamala.
Lance a Cass utecu z mesta na vidiek, chvilu sa skryvaju v dome v lese, kym ich vsak nenapadne skupina militantov a nezajme ich dvoch kamaratov. Lance a Cass sa vyberu ich hladat, zhodou okolnosti natrafia na mladu mamicku, ktorej pomohol utiect a na jej po zuby ozbrojeneho uja, najdu tabor patriaci militantom a pokusia sa oslobodit ich kamosov.
nebude to lahke, Lanca uhryzne nakazeny muz. Premeni sa Lance, alebo nie? Stretne svoju exmanzelku? Podari sa im prezit?
Skvela, niet co dodat. Tesim sa na finale.
Lance a Cass utecu z mesta na vidiek, chvilu sa skryvaju v dome v lese, kym ich vsak nenapadne skupina militantov a nezajme ich dvoch kamaratov. Lance a Cass sa vyberu ich hladat, zhodou okolnosti natrafia na mladu mamicku, ktorej pomohol utiect a na jej po zuby ozbrojeneho uja, najdu tabor patriaci militantom a pokusia sa oslobodit ich kamosov.
nebude to lahke, Lanca uhryzne nakazeny muz. Premeni sa Lance, alebo nie? Stretne svoju exmanzelku? Podari sa im prezit?
Skvela, niet co dodat. Tesim sa na finale.
May 26, 2020
I loved the series, they kept you wanting to find out what was going to happen next. It kept me reading until it was done and straight onto the next to pick up where it left off, I couldn't put them down once I had started
January 20, 2021
I like the characters in this series. Of course with zombie/ vampire books, you never know when you might lose someone you like. I like how we keep bumping into characters that we met in book 1. Of course some of them are characters we hate. Well done. I’m moving onto book 3 next.
May 13, 2019
This just gets better and better
November 29, 2020
An entertaining and enjoyable read, carries on smoothly from book 1, with some great plot twists and lively characters. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 25, 2022
This was awesome I look forward to reading more from this author I have to say I really hated Ralph LOL
April 7, 2017
2nd in Post-Apocalyptic series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2023
This is a 3.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
March 17, 2015
Book 2 picks up about 1 week after Book 1 ended. Our heroes, Lance York and Cass of the War Axe, are on a boat in the Allegheny River outside of Pittsburgh. Dr. Emmett Brown and soldier Meghan Iverson are still with the duo, providing cover fire and medical treatment as needed. The world continues to devolve in to mutated monsters that roam night and day and militant, power-hungry humans. Yet, the river seems the safest….at least until they lose their boat.
If you read my review of Devoured, Book 1, then you know I really enjoyed the start to this series. Book 2 does not disappoint in continuing the tale. In fact, I will say it is even better because Lance worked through a lot of his issues with his e-wife in Book 1 and we don’t have that slowing down the story line of Book 2. Our main characters are a unit, swiftly reacting to each other. Our plot is moving forward at a good clip. The scenery continues to devolve, creating more traps for our heroes. All the elements are present for a great zombie story, which this is. I enjoyed this book all in one day, coming up with additional chores to keep me in the kitchen or folding laundry, just so I would have a bit more listening time.
Cass continues to be my hero. I want to grow up to be her and do shots with her. She’s very practical in how she tackles this new world, taking axe to monsters and human threats as needed. Plus, I like the way she dresses, even if many of the side characters think it strange. I expect as the world continues to circle the toilet, we’ll see more and more folks dressing as they like instead of according to supposed societal norms.
As Lance spends more time with her, he comes to realize that he isn’t nearly as adept at dispatching foes as Cass is, and this bothers him a little bit. I loved that he was aware of his feelings of inadequacy, and how silly that was with the world as we know it ending and all, and yet he struggled with it. It created some humor and made Lance very human.
Brown and Iverson become more prominent in the story and we get some back story to each of them. Of course, the Back to the Future jokes continue with Dr. Brown’s name, but they are sprinkled throughout the tale and don’t become annoying. Also, we learn the source of the Xavier Virus name – which I won’t spoil here. It is a little joke for geeks and nerds. It made me chuckle.
All in all, this was an excellent continuation of the The Hunger series. Book 2 closed off a few smaller story arcs while opening a larger one. I am very much looking forward to Book 3!
Narration: Wayne June is a great voice for Lance, who is a pretty average guy. Wayne brings Lance to life with his emotions and his humor. I can’t imagine another narrator portraying Lance. Wayne also has a variety of voices for the ladies and other men. He does a great gruff old geezer and a crazy radio codger.
If you read my review of Devoured, Book 1, then you know I really enjoyed the start to this series. Book 2 does not disappoint in continuing the tale. In fact, I will say it is even better because Lance worked through a lot of his issues with his e-wife in Book 1 and we don’t have that slowing down the story line of Book 2. Our main characters are a unit, swiftly reacting to each other. Our plot is moving forward at a good clip. The scenery continues to devolve, creating more traps for our heroes. All the elements are present for a great zombie story, which this is. I enjoyed this book all in one day, coming up with additional chores to keep me in the kitchen or folding laundry, just so I would have a bit more listening time.
Cass continues to be my hero. I want to grow up to be her and do shots with her. She’s very practical in how she tackles this new world, taking axe to monsters and human threats as needed. Plus, I like the way she dresses, even if many of the side characters think it strange. I expect as the world continues to circle the toilet, we’ll see more and more folks dressing as they like instead of according to supposed societal norms.
As Lance spends more time with her, he comes to realize that he isn’t nearly as adept at dispatching foes as Cass is, and this bothers him a little bit. I loved that he was aware of his feelings of inadequacy, and how silly that was with the world as we know it ending and all, and yet he struggled with it. It created some humor and made Lance very human.
Brown and Iverson become more prominent in the story and we get some back story to each of them. Of course, the Back to the Future jokes continue with Dr. Brown’s name, but they are sprinkled throughout the tale and don’t become annoying. Also, we learn the source of the Xavier Virus name – which I won’t spoil here. It is a little joke for geeks and nerds. It made me chuckle.
All in all, this was an excellent continuation of the The Hunger series. Book 2 closed off a few smaller story arcs while opening a larger one. I am very much looking forward to Book 3!
Narration: Wayne June is a great voice for Lance, who is a pretty average guy. Wayne brings Lance to life with his emotions and his humor. I can’t imagine another narrator portraying Lance. Wayne also has a variety of voices for the ladies and other men. He does a great gruff old geezer and a crazy radio codger.
March 6, 2015
think author Jason Brant chose the title for each book in the series based on his perception of how readers will feel after finishing the story...Yep, I'm "Consumed"!
First I was "Devoured" for free and then immediately purchased the next two books in the series. This story starts right up where the first story ends; Brant doesn't spend several pages retelling his earlier work to bring people up to date.
At Heinz Field, Lance reunited with Dr. Brown and SSGT, Eifort from his stay at the hospital. Together with Cass, the foursome had escaped the attack by commandeering a large boat owned by Ralph's militia group - the same one used to unleash the Vladdies upon the safe zone . They've survived the next couple of weeks floating on the river and foraging for supplies on land during the day. The undead fear the water, but the militia could swim and one member successfully scuttles the ship, forcing its occupants into the dark river fighting for their lives.
There is a "crazy" kind of guy that comes across the radio everyday at noon providing updates to the survivors around Pittsburgh. His information is helpful to their survival, but he refuses to aid any one group - stating that he is neutral like Switzerland. I also believe in the saying, "What goes around comes around" for both acts of kindness and violence. The foursome finally locate a farm up in the hills that has plenty of supplies and no signs of the undead. Life is great for a few days until Ralph's militia group finds them! Lance and Cass get away, but Doc and Aifort are taken prisoner. First priority: get them back alive!
Going forward, "Consumed" keeps readers on the edge of their seats, anxious and fearing for the safety of the main characters who seem to face insurmountably odds against both the living and the dead. There isn't a good place to stop reading - plan on starting early in the day or you'll be up way into the night.
Great job Mr. Brant! Thank you for keeping my heart beating and especially for losing so much sleep during these two books. Looking forward to starting #3, but will wait until Saturday morning! Highly recommended! One of the best zombie series I've read to date.
John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel
First I was "Devoured" for free and then immediately purchased the next two books in the series. This story starts right up where the first story ends; Brant doesn't spend several pages retelling his earlier work to bring people up to date.
At Heinz Field, Lance reunited with Dr. Brown and SSGT, Eifort from his stay at the hospital. Together with Cass, the foursome had escaped the attack by commandeering a large boat owned by Ralph's militia group - the same one used to unleash the Vladdies upon the safe zone . They've survived the next couple of weeks floating on the river and foraging for supplies on land during the day. The undead fear the water, but the militia could swim and one member successfully scuttles the ship, forcing its occupants into the dark river fighting for their lives.
There is a "crazy" kind of guy that comes across the radio everyday at noon providing updates to the survivors around Pittsburgh. His information is helpful to their survival, but he refuses to aid any one group - stating that he is neutral like Switzerland. I also believe in the saying, "What goes around comes around" for both acts of kindness and violence. The foursome finally locate a farm up in the hills that has plenty of supplies and no signs of the undead. Life is great for a few days until Ralph's militia group finds them! Lance and Cass get away, but Doc and Aifort are taken prisoner. First priority: get them back alive!
Going forward, "Consumed" keeps readers on the edge of their seats, anxious and fearing for the safety of the main characters who seem to face insurmountably odds against both the living and the dead. There isn't a good place to stop reading - plan on starting early in the day or you'll be up way into the night.
Great job Mr. Brant! Thank you for keeping my heart beating and especially for losing so much sleep during these two books. Looking forward to starting #3, but will wait until Saturday morning! Highly recommended! One of the best zombie series I've read to date.
John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel
April 2, 2019
Better than the first, but not all entirely there. In the second book, the zombies are progressing, evolving and becoming more of a threat. I know they're called Vlads, but I think it's a ridiculous name to call them and refuse to call them such.
Lance begins to grow a bit of a backbone here, people act the way you would expect them to act in an apocalypse, Cass kicks some ass, Brown kicks his own ass, and Iverd (can't remember how her name is spelt) is incredibly useful as she should be.
If you're craving more zombie action, go ahead and read this book or as I did, listen to it on youtube. However, the series takes too long to become good in my opinion, and Lance still is weak.
Lance begins to grow a bit of a backbone here, people act the way you would expect them to act in an apocalypse, Cass kicks some ass, Brown kicks his own ass, and Iverd (can't remember how her name is spelt) is incredibly useful as she should be.
If you're craving more zombie action, go ahead and read this book or as I did, listen to it on youtube. However, the series takes too long to become good in my opinion, and Lance still is weak.
September 10, 2013
From its opening line describing the near orgasmic sensation of new socks in this destroyed world to its final one, this book is a definite page turner. The first book, Devoured, covered the slow descent into the apocalypse and this one picks up soon after and quickly jumps into the action. There's no lack of gore and intensity, but what really makes this book stand out is the undercurrent of humor, hope and even a little romance. I love Cass and Lance's banter and how their relationship progressed. Lance has certainly come a long way and Brant did a good job showing his personal growth from a jobless loser to something much more. Cass is just as strong and kickbutt in this book as she was in the first, but there's also an underlying vulnerability to her character that makes her more realistic. The little twist in her relationship with Lance and her resulting actions showcase that vulnerability well. Overall, a very enjoyable read that I'd recommend to any horror novel fan.
*I received a free copy of this book as a beta reader.
*I received a free copy of this book as a beta reader.
July 3, 2025
Sigh, this book was only so-so. It was so predictable! Lance was horrible in his decision making. Whenever he went out, you knew how it was going to play out. Someone would sneak up on him, and threaten to kill him!!! The same scenario played out MULTIPLE times in this book. So much so that I had to force myself to continue to listen. Plus the fact that Cassie seemed to be the Jack of all trades. Like how is she so proficient in EVERY tool/weapon she gets her hands on? Her character was overhyped unnecessarily. I had already made up my mind not to continue on with book 3, but the ending of this book turned around and made me change my mind. We'll see how part 3 plays out. Hopefully it will not continue the Lance and Cassie "Show".
Second listen July 2025. I liked the book better this time around
Second listen July 2025. I liked the book better this time around
September 10, 2013
Another heart pounding, nail biting novel by Jason Brant! Consumed is a sequel to Devoured in the Hunger series. We join Lance, Cass, Doc Brown, and Eifort shortly after we left them in this novel. The foursome are fleeing Pittsburgh which has been wiped out by the Xavier virus. They continue to fight off the daywalkers and Minutemen during the day, and vampire like Vladdies at night.
I read the complete book in less than 2 days, and the built up laundry proves it. I had to keep turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.
At the end of the novel was a short story called Lotion that originally appeared in Apocalypse: An Anthology. This is the story that gave birth to this amazing series.
I read the complete book in less than 2 days, and the built up laundry proves it. I had to keep turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.
At the end of the novel was a short story called Lotion that originally appeared in Apocalypse: An Anthology. This is the story that gave birth to this amazing series.
April 28, 2014
Coming into Consumed, The Hunger 2, I was already excited as I've read the first in the series. The plot thickens as the characters face nightly reins of evil and daily doses of the rotten core in man. Lance and Cass struggle to save their friends and get far enough away to avoid the monsters in the dark. They can't hide out forever though, and the cities are running out of food. The creatures will be moving their way, if they don't stop them. They have a plan, but it's dangerous. They are going to destroy the nest, or die trying. I highly suggest reading the first novel, as it leads you in to these characters and situations. The action never stops, and Brant has a way of convincing you that just one more chapter won't hurt. Pick up this book. It's fun, fast, and frightening.
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