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Deadlocked #3
Deadlocked 3
The Deadlocked series continues as Billy heads into the city in search of his mother. During his quest, he will meet a strident military figure that will alter his journey and two brothers that will become his closest allies. However, his trip will endanger the family he has only just met, and he might not be able to save them. Billy's journey into the city will reveal many of the secrets of this penultimate novella. No characters are safe from the terror that has engulfed the city, and as the motives of those in charge begin to be revealed, the fate of all mankind will be in question.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 12, 2015
ABR's full Deadlocked 3 audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
A young man makes the journey into the city to find and rescue his mom. He has a lot of responsibility thrust upon him during this apocalypse – save his mother, save his friend and her daughters. He has to step up and do whatever it takes – including killing humans as well as zombies. Armed with a barb-wired wrapped baseball bat and his motorcycle, he drives off to his mothers. He encounters a horde of zombies held back by a fenced in area created by the military only to inadvertently release them.
He runs into Reagan, an older military man who is strictly by the book and two twin brothers who are an unlikely duo and friends. After several close calls and a couple of heart to hearts, Reagan encourages Billy to finish what he had started and he would protect him sending him help in the morning. The twin brothers join forces with Billy and attempt to return to the docks to save the mother and children from rogue cop like bad guys. On their journey they run into another horde but ingenuity and guts, the men take the zombies on.
There are some extremely sad moments that make even the strongest choke. They arrive at the docks and the military help arrive – one of the injured lives, the other does not.
While I have not read the others books in the series, after reading this one I will! The main character is very likable and draws the reader in to the story quickly. The bond between reader and characters is established quickly and continues.
This is a great zombie book – because of how it is written, there are lots of ways for this series to move – all of them very interesting!
The narrator, Christian Rummel, does an excellent job. He keeps the story flowing with a clear voice and with the correct amount of feelings in the right places.
The production version by Audio Studies was excellently done – no glitches.
Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.
A young man makes the journey into the city to find and rescue his mom. He has a lot of responsibility thrust upon him during this apocalypse – save his mother, save his friend and her daughters. He has to step up and do whatever it takes – including killing humans as well as zombies. Armed with a barb-wired wrapped baseball bat and his motorcycle, he drives off to his mothers. He encounters a horde of zombies held back by a fenced in area created by the military only to inadvertently release them.
He runs into Reagan, an older military man who is strictly by the book and two twin brothers who are an unlikely duo and friends. After several close calls and a couple of heart to hearts, Reagan encourages Billy to finish what he had started and he would protect him sending him help in the morning. The twin brothers join forces with Billy and attempt to return to the docks to save the mother and children from rogue cop like bad guys. On their journey they run into another horde but ingenuity and guts, the men take the zombies on.
There are some extremely sad moments that make even the strongest choke. They arrive at the docks and the military help arrive – one of the injured lives, the other does not.
While I have not read the others books in the series, after reading this one I will! The main character is very likable and draws the reader in to the story quickly. The bond between reader and characters is established quickly and continues.
This is a great zombie book – because of how it is written, there are lots of ways for this series to move – all of them very interesting!
The narrator, Christian Rummel, does an excellent job. He keeps the story flowing with a clear voice and with the correct amount of feelings in the right places.
The production version by Audio Studies was excellently done – no glitches.
Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.
June 22, 2015
The "Deadlocked" series keeps getting better and better for me. In this third installment, we get the perspective of Billy, who's left Laura and the two girls behind at the docks to go into the city to search for his mom.
The zombies are fast, and the action and gore are faster. In spite of this almost breakneck speed of splatter-friendly action, the characters are engaging and, dare I say, fun? I had some true laugh-out-loud moments with Billy and the twin brothers Levon, or 'Hero' as he prefers to be called, and wheelchair-bound metalhead Mark.
I'm very much looking forward to the conclusion of this story in the next installment. Very recommended for zombie fiction.
The zombies are fast, and the action and gore are faster. In spite of this almost breakneck speed of splatter-friendly action, the characters are engaging and, dare I say, fun? I had some true laugh-out-loud moments with Billy and the twin brothers Levon, or 'Hero' as he prefers to be called, and wheelchair-bound metalhead Mark.
I'm very much looking forward to the conclusion of this story in the next installment. Very recommended for zombie fiction.
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July 16, 2014I'm not sure I want to finish this series. I mean I have to so I can find out what's going to happen but I really would rather go on to another series. I love the Zombie books. Maybe I need to re read these another time in a different mind frame.
July 26, 2017
love this series.............i already started book 4. hopefully this will be the book where we get all the answers.
January 21, 2020
Oooh yeah this is a very good series, I'm liking the way it's building. Super engrossing and fast paced, heart in the mouth reading. Love it 🧟♂️!
October 28, 2013
Keeping with AR Wise's pattern for the Deadlocked series, Deadlocked 3 switches from Laura's POV to Billy. Billy is leaving Laura and the girls at the docks and heading into the city to find his mother. Billy's story and Laura's story (Deadlocked 2) actually take place simultaneously unlike Laura and David's story (Deadlocked) where Laura picks up where David left off.
Billy's a likable character. He's a good guy, and he's trying to hold onto that through this horrible new world he's found himself in, yet it's practically impossible when there are enemies on every side. And to be truthful, Billy isn't even sure who all his enemies are. It's kill or be killed. And Billy has to do what it takes to survive and make it back to the docks where Laura and the girls are.
The thing that I like about this series by AR Wise is that the characters don't just have everything handed to them because they're the main characters. Sometimes the main characters die. But situations like shooting a pad lock don't always work out for the main characters of Deadlocked. And truthfully you just never really know what will happen.
I did find Deadlocked 3 to be very much less gruesome than Deadlocked 2. Laura's story was brutal. And in some ways it seemed like Billy had it a lot easier than she did. But at the same time, not every character's experiences will be the same. Of course, like the other stories, Billy comes across other characters who have all kinds of intentions.
I wasn't sure about the addition of Levon and Mark. Levon seemed to be a play on a stereotype which I typically get annoyed with, but Mark balances him out I think. And then there's Captain Reagan who we're told will play an crucial part in Deadlocked 4.
As with the other books, I enjoyed the author's notes at the end. AR Wise explains his thinking process in a way that gives more meaning to the series. I sometimes wish all authors would do the same thing. There are just so many thousands of decisions authors make throughout the writing process that make the stories into more than they appear on the surface.
Deadlocked 3 does have a ton of cursing. There are f-bombs left and right. While I understand this is the apocalypse and people probably aren't all concerned about their language, I don't see everyone in the world suddenly developing a need to drop f-bombs like this. This also falls into one of my frustrations with authors who don't differentiate enough between characters. Not every character thinks, talks, or acts the same way. And I think a lot of times authors fall into the trap of writing only characters who behave and speak exactly the way the author themselves think, act, and speak. I imagine it's difficult to make each character unique in all aspects, but this is one that is important to me. While AR Wise's characters definitely have distinct personalities, I have picked up on them having too similar (for my taste) speech patterns.
All in all, I'd give Deadlocked 3 3.5 stars. It's a really solid zombie read, but not as intense as Deadlocked 1 or 2. Have you read Deadlocked 3? What did you think? Let me know!
For more reviews, check out Somewhere Only We Know.
Billy's a likable character. He's a good guy, and he's trying to hold onto that through this horrible new world he's found himself in, yet it's practically impossible when there are enemies on every side. And to be truthful, Billy isn't even sure who all his enemies are. It's kill or be killed. And Billy has to do what it takes to survive and make it back to the docks where Laura and the girls are.
The thing that I like about this series by AR Wise is that the characters don't just have everything handed to them because they're the main characters. Sometimes the main characters die. But situations like shooting a pad lock don't always work out for the main characters of Deadlocked. And truthfully you just never really know what will happen.
I did find Deadlocked 3 to be very much less gruesome than Deadlocked 2. Laura's story was brutal. And in some ways it seemed like Billy had it a lot easier than she did. But at the same time, not every character's experiences will be the same. Of course, like the other stories, Billy comes across other characters who have all kinds of intentions.
I wasn't sure about the addition of Levon and Mark. Levon seemed to be a play on a stereotype which I typically get annoyed with, but Mark balances him out I think. And then there's Captain Reagan who we're told will play an crucial part in Deadlocked 4.
As with the other books, I enjoyed the author's notes at the end. AR Wise explains his thinking process in a way that gives more meaning to the series. I sometimes wish all authors would do the same thing. There are just so many thousands of decisions authors make throughout the writing process that make the stories into more than they appear on the surface.
Deadlocked 3 does have a ton of cursing. There are f-bombs left and right. While I understand this is the apocalypse and people probably aren't all concerned about their language, I don't see everyone in the world suddenly developing a need to drop f-bombs like this. This also falls into one of my frustrations with authors who don't differentiate enough between characters. Not every character thinks, talks, or acts the same way. And I think a lot of times authors fall into the trap of writing only characters who behave and speak exactly the way the author themselves think, act, and speak. I imagine it's difficult to make each character unique in all aspects, but this is one that is important to me. While AR Wise's characters definitely have distinct personalities, I have picked up on them having too similar (for my taste) speech patterns.
All in all, I'd give Deadlocked 3 3.5 stars. It's a really solid zombie read, but not as intense as Deadlocked 1 or 2. Have you read Deadlocked 3? What did you think? Let me know!
For more reviews, check out Somewhere Only We Know.
May 21, 2013
A.R. Wise did it again. I just loved Deadlocked 3. I think out of all three books, the characters in this one were the most fun, and I adored getting to know them. This story was a bit more serious, and internal for me. There were parts in this one, that had me grieving with Billy, and Levon aka "Hero" it took great strength not to throw my kindle across the room, while yelling to the book Gods, "NOOOOOOO....WHYYYYYYY!!!!????" But for this reason, I love this series, like seriously love! I never thought in a million years that I would fall in love with a Zombie series this much. I can see myself reading these books over again, and still loving them just as much, if not more.
In the Deadlocked series one things for sure, no character, no one person is safe. You get to know these characters so well, you almost feel like you could see yourself sitting around hanging out with them, and having a beer. And all the while reading, you are BEGGING the author not to kill off your favorite character, which if you've ever read any of A.R. Wise's books you know that NO ONE is safe.And at any page, your best friend character could get eaten alive by a horde of Zombies. I have never read a series of books like this, and that's why I love them so much. Deadlocked is my secret addiction, my guilty pleasure. I look forward to reading number 4 in the series, but my heart is wrenching because I know that is the last one in the series. I don't want it to end! If A.R. Wise were to put out 20 more books in this series, it still wouldn't be enough! Yes, this is how amazing-ling awesome these books are. So stop reading reviews and read them for yourself!! I would recommend buying the book set( books 1-4) It would save you some money. I wish I did!
In the Deadlocked series one things for sure, no character, no one person is safe. You get to know these characters so well, you almost feel like you could see yourself sitting around hanging out with them, and having a beer. And all the while reading, you are BEGGING the author not to kill off your favorite character, which if you've ever read any of A.R. Wise's books you know that NO ONE is safe.And at any page, your best friend character could get eaten alive by a horde of Zombies. I have never read a series of books like this, and that's why I love them so much. Deadlocked is my secret addiction, my guilty pleasure. I look forward to reading number 4 in the series, but my heart is wrenching because I know that is the last one in the series. I don't want it to end! If A.R. Wise were to put out 20 more books in this series, it still wouldn't be enough! Yes, this is how amazing-ling awesome these books are. So stop reading reviews and read them for yourself!! I would recommend buying the book set( books 1-4) It would save you some money. I wish I did!
May 21, 2012
Interestingly enough, I was only asked to review the first book in the Deadlocked series. But it was so short (they're all novellas) and so good, that I had to read the rest!
Deadlocked starts off as your average zombie apocolypse story - although you learn pretty early on that the virus may have been may have been brought on intentionally as an act of bio-terrorism. I found the mystery to be exciting and thrilling - especially considering I could totally see see this happening in our world today! But of course, my favorite part were the...
ZOMBIES!
When it comes to the disgusting, man-eating creatures, A.R. Wise does not disappoint! His zombies move a little faster than others I've read about, they can walk underwater, and change within a matter of hours after death. It was great! LOL. Their ruthless pursuit of flesh makes every moment terrifying. Even as you read, you want to make the characters hurry up and you practically want to shout at them!
And speaking of the characters - I loved them all - every single one. There are only a handful that last throughout all four novellas and I love that Wise was not afraid to kill some of our favorites - it made the story all the more realistic. The character of Laura, a mom desperately trying to make sure her kids stay safe, is the most bad-ass character I've read in a long while. She lives through some crazy painful experiences just to keep her children from turning into zombies. Her risk-taking courage is actually quite inspiring.
5 out of 5 stars!
Deadlocked starts off as your average zombie apocolypse story - although you learn pretty early on that the virus may have been may have been brought on intentionally as an act of bio-terrorism. I found the mystery to be exciting and thrilling - especially considering I could totally see see this happening in our world today! But of course, my favorite part were the...
ZOMBIES!
When it comes to the disgusting, man-eating creatures, A.R. Wise does not disappoint! His zombies move a little faster than others I've read about, they can walk underwater, and change within a matter of hours after death. It was great! LOL. Their ruthless pursuit of flesh makes every moment terrifying. Even as you read, you want to make the characters hurry up and you practically want to shout at them!
And speaking of the characters - I loved them all - every single one. There are only a handful that last throughout all four novellas and I love that Wise was not afraid to kill some of our favorites - it made the story all the more realistic. The character of Laura, a mom desperately trying to make sure her kids stay safe, is the most bad-ass character I've read in a long while. She lives through some crazy painful experiences just to keep her children from turning into zombies. Her risk-taking courage is actually quite inspiring.
5 out of 5 stars!
August 30, 2017
I was worried about the hints about how this story was changing from the original straightforward zombie plot-and my fears werre realised when I started reading this one.
I like Billy so I had no issue with the book jumping to his story. I certainly understand why he had to know for sure what happened to his mother to get closure on some level, so I had no problem with that side of things either. But I did not like what the author had Billy do as it was so out of character for him. It left a very sour taste in the mouth. Billy would not be harming fellow humans when other choices were available to him and I did not like this plot device one bit.
The humans we meet in this book are not well written either. They are out to kill anyone seen inside the evacuation zone, trying to shoot Billy when it was obvious that he was human, not zombie. We then have Billy seeming to be unable to sneak quietly around the city to get the job done. Instead he has to bump into as many people as possible, resorting to kidnapping at one stage. It just all got a bit silly for me.
Then we get the scenarios of bad cops and mad military men, government conspiracy, viral contamination and cover up and the usual cliche evil government stuff which really bugs me in zombie books. It always seems to go into the same tired cliche plots that leave you rolling your eyes and thinking 'here we go again'.
By this stage all that interested me was what was happening back at the dock because as soon as I see that, I'll be stopping with the series.
I like Billy so I had no issue with the book jumping to his story. I certainly understand why he had to know for sure what happened to his mother to get closure on some level, so I had no problem with that side of things either. But I did not like what the author had Billy do as it was so out of character for him. It left a very sour taste in the mouth. Billy would not be harming fellow humans when other choices were available to him and I did not like this plot device one bit.
The humans we meet in this book are not well written either. They are out to kill anyone seen inside the evacuation zone, trying to shoot Billy when it was obvious that he was human, not zombie. We then have Billy seeming to be unable to sneak quietly around the city to get the job done. Instead he has to bump into as many people as possible, resorting to kidnapping at one stage. It just all got a bit silly for me.
Then we get the scenarios of bad cops and mad military men, government conspiracy, viral contamination and cover up and the usual cliche evil government stuff which really bugs me in zombie books. It always seems to go into the same tired cliche plots that leave you rolling your eyes and thinking 'here we go again'.
By this stage all that interested me was what was happening back at the dock because as soon as I see that, I'll be stopping with the series.
October 31, 2013
This third installment picks up with Billy, who you'll remember from book 2. He goes in search of his Mom who is trapped inside the city. Upon his search of his mom he makes some unlikely friends. As in the other books in this series, and most zombie books, it's so much more than just about a bunch of walking dead trying to eat you. It's about survival, and yeah, sometimes survival of the fittest. It's about what it means to be human, what it means to protect the ones you love and the lengths people go to when they are desperate. Everyone's trying to survive. Meanwhile the military is carrying out duties passed down to them from higher up decision makers and taking it on faith that they are the "good guys". Who really knows the truth of the matter.
This has so far been my least favorite of the 3 Deadlocked books. However, it was still a good read and definitely fills in some gaps of things that happened in book 2. If you want a great heart-pounding zombie horror book this series is definitely for you!
Final Rating - 3.5 stars
This review is also posted HERE.
This has so far been my least favorite of the 3 Deadlocked books. However, it was still a good read and definitely fills in some gaps of things that happened in book 2. If you want a great heart-pounding zombie horror book this series is definitely for you!
Final Rating - 3.5 stars
This review is also posted HERE.
August 19, 2012
The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I was given a copy of Deadlocked from the author for a review.
Book #3 tells Billy's story of his journey through the city on his way to his mother's home to rescue her and take her to safety. Along the way Billy meets a military man who gives him some inside info on how the zombie virus started. He also meets two brothers that were very close to each other. While growing up the two brothers only had each other that they could count on and that was always there for the other one.
Billy has to make some tough decisions and choices but he does what he has to in order to stay alive to survive the zombie apocalyptic catastrophe. Billy is a guy with a very big heart and kind of naïve who feels real bad about some of the things that he has to do to survive. He had to kill a couple of guys but if he hadn't killed them they probably would have killed him.
Book #3 tells Billy's story of his journey through the city on his way to his mother's home to rescue her and take her to safety. Along the way Billy meets a military man who gives him some inside info on how the zombie virus started. He also meets two brothers that were very close to each other. While growing up the two brothers only had each other that they could count on and that was always there for the other one.
Billy has to make some tough decisions and choices but he does what he has to in order to stay alive to survive the zombie apocalyptic catastrophe. Billy is a guy with a very big heart and kind of naïve who feels real bad about some of the things that he has to do to survive. He had to kill a couple of guys but if he hadn't killed them they probably would have killed him.
June 24, 2014
I liked it but... not as much as the first two novellas.
I find that the narrator, Billy, can't find his voice. or rather the author can't find Billy's voice, which is weird because he mentions in the postface that he identifies a lot with that young guy trying to find his mom (A. R. Wise mentions he started to write Deadlock the day he learnt his mother was sick).
Billy describes himself as a 20-something redneck but he sounds like a middle-age highschool teacher.
Apart from that, you have your usual actions, twists and turns. Three new interesting characters join Billy, and we learn more about what took place in the previous story.
The conspiracy aspect is developed but not everything is revealed yet.
I find that the narrator, Billy, can't find his voice. or rather the author can't find Billy's voice, which is weird because he mentions in the postface that he identifies a lot with that young guy trying to find his mom (A. R. Wise mentions he started to write Deadlock the day he learnt his mother was sick).
Billy describes himself as a 20-something redneck but he sounds like a middle-age highschool teacher.
Apart from that, you have your usual actions, twists and turns. Three new interesting characters join Billy, and we learn more about what took place in the previous story.
The conspiracy aspect is developed but not everything is revealed yet.
November 11, 2014
This instalment was really flat. The voice of the character wasn't particularly believable. I also found the scene where he finds out what has happened to his mother really unemotional - which surprised me when I read of the authors deep connection with that scene due to what had happened in his life. It was just all a bit - *shrug* so what. And it shouldn't have been like that, it should have been emotional, and there should have been more sorrow as he left the residents in the building to what must inevitably be a horrible demise.
I quite liked the character of Captain Reagan, and look forward to more from him, as the true story of what happened to cause the zombie apocalypse unfolds.
I quite liked the character of Captain Reagan, and look forward to more from him, as the true story of what happened to cause the zombie apocalypse unfolds.
May 23, 2012
I would actually rate this book 4.5 stars. I love how the author has written each story from one of the characters point of view. This one was told by Billy and he was on a mission to find his mother. Throughout the story you get a little bit more information on what has caused the actual zombie apocalypse. The author does do a good job making sure he does leave bits and pieces out. I loved the rawness of Billy's character and the other characters introduced in this story. Can't wait to find out what happens in the final book. Would recommend this book.
December 27, 2013
Hands down the best zombie series I have ever read. The Deadlock series 1-4 possessed every thing that I like in a zombie story.
Strong characterization - check
Fast paced with non stop action - check
Great story - check
Massive Conspiracy - check
Zombie Gore - Check
But most of all, this was very well written. The best complement I can give to the author is that I was so deeply moved that I shed a tear at the end of book 1. Kudos to you A.R. Wise. I've never heard of you before, but now I'm a superfan.
Strong characterization - check
Fast paced with non stop action - check
Great story - check
Massive Conspiracy - check
Zombie Gore - Check
But most of all, this was very well written. The best complement I can give to the author is that I was so deeply moved that I shed a tear at the end of book 1. Kudos to you A.R. Wise. I've never heard of you before, but now I'm a superfan.
November 14, 2012
Really enjoyed this one out of the series so far. Anticipation through out the book kept me up late...the later it got in my house, the quieter it got...the creepier I felt! I love horror books like this! Plus there was no shortage of laughter either, Billy and his friends are hilarious at times. Would definately recommend this series for the horror lovers out there. Very gruesome and so detailed....LOVE IT!
February 29, 2016
I just finished reading this book and I can't describe my feelings about it. First of all I loved it! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was so sad for Billy when he found out his mother had died just before he made it to her, at least she didn't turn into one of those zombies. On his trek to find his mom he finds a few friends to help him and him to help as well. This one was sad you hope no one has to die, but know in your heart it has to happen.
February 1, 2013
Nice continuation of a great storyline. I really like this series! This one added more depth to the questions and mystery surrounding the Event. A few new characters were added. Looking forward to wrapping up this story arc, then moving on to Broken Pieces Vol 2 and finding out the rest of Jimmy's story in The Body Farm!
May 9, 2024
Tear jerker...
I don't think I've ever read a story so fast that I can't wait to start D4. With Billy loosing his dad to the zombies then his mom to a gun shot from an a**hole to say he's been through a lot is an understatement. Now Levon loosing his brother to the zombies has made me cry again. I hope Laura is going to live and see not only Annie but Kim as well.
I don't think I've ever read a story so fast that I can't wait to start D4. With Billy loosing his dad to the zombies then his mom to a gun shot from an a**hole to say he's been through a lot is an understatement. Now Levon loosing his brother to the zombies has made me cry again. I hope Laura is going to live and see not only Annie but Kim as well.
March 26, 2019
This was a great addition to the Deadlocked series. It added new and interesting characters. It propelled the story in an exciting direction. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
July 16, 2012
Much better than the second one, it started off a little rough but around the halfway point it got really good. Not as good as the first one in terms of freshness but very close.
March 1, 2013
I actually enjoy these books
December 28, 2012
I wish I could stay up all night to finish the series!
January 29, 2013
I love this just as much as I love the first 2 installments!!!
July 5, 2013
This series is consistently entertaining, with well-developed characters, believable conflict, and great action scenes.
July 30, 2013
And i also finished this one today because it was so good. Reagan was an awesome character and I'm SO looking forward to reading more from him. I think I'll start book 4 right now!
July 2, 2014
Excellent sequel to the story. I really loved it! Gets better each time you're reading it.
January 10, 2014
Enjoyed
I really enjoyed reading the previous two books..I don't cry with every Zombie book I read, but if I do...you have done your job..the third book didn't disappoint me..
I really enjoyed reading the previous two books..I don't cry with every Zombie book I read, but if I do...you have done your job..the third book didn't disappoint me..
September 10, 2016
An epic third book to this Awesome series of horror!
March 2, 2014
Unlike a lot of series, I think this one gets better and better with each book! Love it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews