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Pandemic Z #1
The First Night
A relentless virus. A desperate fight for survival...
It begins without a normal night shattered by an outbreak that transforms ordinary people into bloodthirsty maniacs.
In a matter of hours, the country disintegrates. Riots engulf cities, law and order collapses, and survivors scramble for refuge in a world turned violently chaotic.
Brian, a dedicated police officer, is on the night shift when the outbreak erupts. Witnessing the brutal mayhem firsthand, he must escape the city center and find his loved ones before the infection spirals completely out of control.
With the virus spreading at an alarming rate and violence reaching new extremes, Brian faces the ultimate test of survival. Each step is fraught with danger as he navigates through a city teeming with rage-fueled killers and desperate survivors.
Does he have the strength to save himself and protect those he cares about? Or will the relentless virus destroy everything he holds dear?
Pandemic Z is a gripping and electrifying post-apocalyptic saga from the acclaimed author of The Infected Chronicles and Dead Days. Dive into a relentless thrill ride where every decision is a matter of life and death, and discover what it takes to survive when civilization falls apart.
It begins without a normal night shattered by an outbreak that transforms ordinary people into bloodthirsty maniacs.
In a matter of hours, the country disintegrates. Riots engulf cities, law and order collapses, and survivors scramble for refuge in a world turned violently chaotic.
Brian, a dedicated police officer, is on the night shift when the outbreak erupts. Witnessing the brutal mayhem firsthand, he must escape the city center and find his loved ones before the infection spirals completely out of control.
With the virus spreading at an alarming rate and violence reaching new extremes, Brian faces the ultimate test of survival. Each step is fraught with danger as he navigates through a city teeming with rage-fueled killers and desperate survivors.
Does he have the strength to save himself and protect those he cares about? Or will the relentless virus destroy everything he holds dear?
Pandemic Z is a gripping and electrifying post-apocalyptic saga from the acclaimed author of The Infected Chronicles and Dead Days. Dive into a relentless thrill ride where every decision is a matter of life and death, and discover what it takes to survive when civilization falls apart.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2024
619 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Ryan Casey
163 books181 followersRyan Casey is the author of over a dozen novels and a highly successful serial. He writes gritty post-apocalyptic fiction, throwing normal people into devastating situations and exploring how they react and adapt. He has also written several detective mysteries and thrillers. Across all genres, Casey's work is renowned for its rapid pacing, unforgettably complex characters, and knockout twists.
Casey lives in the United Kingdom. He has a BA degree in English with Creative Writing from the University of Birmingham, and has been writing stories for as long as he can remember. In his spare time, he can be spotted walking his West Highland White Terrier, has a passion for cinema and television, and probably spends a little bit too much time in the pub.
For more information on Ryan's books, visit http://ryancaseybooks.com/
Want to be notified about new releases? Sign up for the new release mailing list & get free books and other goodies!
http://ryancaseybooks.com/fanclub
Casey lives in the United Kingdom. He has a BA degree in English with Creative Writing from the University of Birmingham, and has been writing stories for as long as he can remember. In his spare time, he can be spotted walking his West Highland White Terrier, has a passion for cinema and television, and probably spends a little bit too much time in the pub.
For more information on Ryan's books, visit http://ryancaseybooks.com/
Want to be notified about new releases? Sign up for the new release mailing list & get free books and other goodies!
http://ryancaseybooks.com/fanclub
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
dnfed
October 10, 2024DNF adjacent finish. Brian's mind was an exhausting and boring place to be, and it resulted in a story that felt like things were happening at a glacial pace as we had to endure his commentary on everything.
We get it Brian is older and grumpy, he thinks young people are stupid and that police brutality isn't a big deal (because the people that he beats up, as a cop, presumably have it coming) and he likes the word fuck and its various iterations, a lot, there's 414 instances of the word in this book which is 274 pages long according to Goodreads, that means there's at least one per page. I get what the author was going for, I think, but the pacing really didn't work with all the commentary and flashbacks and repetition.
No rating.
We get it Brian is older and grumpy, he thinks young people are stupid and that police brutality isn't a big deal (because the people that he beats up, as a cop, presumably have it coming) and he likes the word fuck and its various iterations, a lot, there's 414 instances of the word in this book which is 274 pages long according to Goodreads, that means there's at least one per page. I get what the author was going for, I think, but the pacing really didn't work with all the commentary and flashbacks and repetition.
No rating.
September 28, 2024
The fact that most chapters started with or contained "Detective Constable Brian Harper" was entirely aggravating. It felt like the author was trying to get to a specific word count. For the first few chapters, I kept expecting a new character. It was not. It was the same person being introduced over and over again for some reason. Then each chapter contained very little new information and was mostly a rehash of either this night, the fire, or his estranged daughter. This book could have been half as long and maybe would have then been entertaining.
October 21, 2024
Nearly DNFed this book which I hardly ever do but pressed on hoping something would happen to lift it. Sadly not. The first major issue was that the character of Brian, who is the protagonist, is on patrol in Preston on a Saturday night as a beat cop yet is repeatedly referred to as 'Detective Constable'. This is completely wrong; a DC would be a plain clothes officer assigned to investigations. He is obviously meant to be in uniform as drunken idiots repeatedly insult him and certainly recognise him as a policeman whereas a real DC would not be dressed any differently. So he should be a Police Constable.
The second major issue was the constant repetition. It was as if the writer was being paid by the word. Every chapter's ending was repeated at the beginning of the next. There were also constant lists of people he wanted to get back to including his ex-wife, daughter Abigail and current partner Kelly who it seemed was having relationship problems with him. He constantly dwelled on an incident where he'd failed to save a child in a burning building and again this didn't really fit - a firefighter would be a person put into this situation, not a police officer.
The reason behind the zombie apocalypse seemed to be a dodgy batch of 'e' distributed through nightclubs. A novel explanation but the actual narrative had no suspense or drive. Action sequences were written as if the characters were wading through treacle. Homicidal maniacs were running at Brian constantly yet they seemed take about half an hour to reach him - certainly he had plenty of time to consider his options, ponder, go over and over his obsessions again and again. It just made the whole thing very boring. It was impossible to engage with Brian and the other characters were not really developed. So all in all, I can only give it one star as I didn't enjoy it.
The second major issue was the constant repetition. It was as if the writer was being paid by the word. Every chapter's ending was repeated at the beginning of the next. There were also constant lists of people he wanted to get back to including his ex-wife, daughter Abigail and current partner Kelly who it seemed was having relationship problems with him. He constantly dwelled on an incident where he'd failed to save a child in a burning building and again this didn't really fit - a firefighter would be a person put into this situation, not a police officer.
The reason behind the zombie apocalypse seemed to be a dodgy batch of 'e' distributed through nightclubs. A novel explanation but the actual narrative had no suspense or drive. Action sequences were written as if the characters were wading through treacle. Homicidal maniacs were running at Brian constantly yet they seemed take about half an hour to reach him - certainly he had plenty of time to consider his options, ponder, go over and over his obsessions again and again. It just made the whole thing very boring. It was impossible to engage with Brian and the other characters were not really developed. So all in all, I can only give it one star as I didn't enjoy it.
August 21, 2024
not what I expected
Unfortunately this story is not very good, far too many flashbacks to the same memory ( at least once every chapter) not enough zombie action. Not enough urgency in the characters in harrowing situations. The characters in general are pretty flaky. The zombies are also pretty flaky they seem to see people and run at them but take forever to get there. Overall I found this book very disappointing. That said I will still read the 2nd edition in the hope it improves.
Unfortunately this story is not very good, far too many flashbacks to the same memory ( at least once every chapter) not enough zombie action. Not enough urgency in the characters in harrowing situations. The characters in general are pretty flaky. The zombies are also pretty flaky they seem to see people and run at them but take forever to get there. Overall I found this book very disappointing. That said I will still read the 2nd edition in the hope it improves.
October 10, 2024
Painful
A lot of repetitiveness. Felt like half of it was flashbacks that weren't necessary. The story moved so slowly. I considered DNF but I pushed through in the hope it would improve. There was no character development and I was not invested in any of them. I'm not tempted to continue the series.
A lot of repetitiveness. Felt like half of it was flashbacks that weren't necessary. The story moved so slowly. I considered DNF but I pushed through in the hope it would improve. There was no character development and I was not invested in any of them. I'm not tempted to continue the series.
May 26, 2025
I found Pandemic Z to be one of the most frustrating reads I’ve ever had. The story itself isn’t bad, but the way the author tells and writes it makes it impossible to enjoy the reading, constantly repeating the same things, over and over, stretching the seens endlessly and I mean "endlessly". The opening scene alone spans three chapters, and at one point, the character is standing in front of a door. Because of the endless repetition and the way it’s written, it takes him four chapters just to enter that door. An example: the main character keeps obsessively thinking about his daughter and whether he really wants to see her, a theme that’s repeated so often it becomes maddening. There are dozens of moments like this throughout the book. Every chapter seems to end with a cliffhanger like “and then he heard or saw something,” only for half of the the next chapter retelling that exact same moment. This should build tension and excitement, but instead it’s baffling and tedious — like watching a Netflix series and being forced to watch the recap every episode with no option to skip. It feels almost like he hadn't enough material.
I managed to finish the first book — which, unsurprisingly, is called First Night, as its 274 pages only cover that first night. However, I couldn’t bring myself to finish the second book in the nine-book series. I started skipping lines just to see if anything new would happen in the next chapter. Eventually, I gave up on both the book and the series
Overall, Pandemic Z feels bloated and overdone despite having a promising premise.
I managed to finish the first book — which, unsurprisingly, is called First Night, as its 274 pages only cover that first night. However, I couldn’t bring myself to finish the second book in the nine-book series. I started skipping lines just to see if anything new would happen in the next chapter. Eventually, I gave up on both the book and the series
Overall, Pandemic Z feels bloated and overdone despite having a promising premise.
April 14, 2025
High quality, fast paced opening of zombie series!
Pandemic Z: The First Night is the first in a new series of zombie survival thrillers by Ryan Casey. The book takes off at a breakneck pace and never slows down. Despite the pace, the writing and plotting are excellent, something not always the case in the genre. The characters are flawed, believable and, for the most part likeable, very detailed considering the pace. This is a highly promising opening chapter in what could end up being a great series. 5/5 stars, zombie aficionados and fans of high paced won't be disappointed!
Pandemic Z: The First Night is the first in a new series of zombie survival thrillers by Ryan Casey. The book takes off at a breakneck pace and never slows down. Despite the pace, the writing and plotting are excellent, something not always the case in the genre. The characters are flawed, believable and, for the most part likeable, very detailed considering the pace. This is a highly promising opening chapter in what could end up being a great series. 5/5 stars, zombie aficionados and fans of high paced won't be disappointed!
November 18, 2024
Writing was good but.....
The writing was decent. Very descriptive, and I felt like I was with the with the characters. However, it was almost maybe too descriptive? Because every time it was described was how close the "angry pricks" were, I felt like they were inches of even a few feet away. But then the author would detail how they get away, and it would imply that the infected were far enough away for the escape. Made it harder to follow, and it was frustrating enough that in not reading the next book.
The writing was decent. Very descriptive, and I felt like I was with the with the characters. However, it was almost maybe too descriptive? Because every time it was described was how close the "angry pricks" were, I felt like they were inches of even a few feet away. But then the author would detail how they get away, and it would imply that the infected were far enough away for the escape. Made it harder to follow, and it was frustrating enough that in not reading the next book.
February 13, 2025
Average
Story is fine and interesting but main character and timeline is quite a fuzz. If there'd be merely seconds in action there wouldn't be time to think and memorize things no matter how many ghosts you have in past. It is frustrating. Or if you're running away then turn back and grab someone from ground when you have mean f*ckers only meters away running full speed at you...
Story is fine and interesting but main character and timeline is quite a fuzz. If there'd be merely seconds in action there wouldn't be time to think and memorize things no matter how many ghosts you have in past. It is frustrating. Or if you're running away then turn back and grab someone from ground when you have mean f*ckers only meters away running full speed at you...
March 10, 2025
I can’t.
I can’t.
This book.
It’s horribly written.
The author.
Likes to put a lot of sentence fragments together.
Instead of in a paragraph.
The action.
It’s so slow and repetative.
I got to like chapter 15 and he’s still in the first scene of the book.
It’s dragging.
So slowly.
I can’t.
Finish.
It.
I can’t.
This book.
It’s horribly written.
The author.
Likes to put a lot of sentence fragments together.
Instead of in a paragraph.
The action.
It’s so slow and repetative.
I got to like chapter 15 and he’s still in the first scene of the book.
It’s dragging.
So slowly.
I can’t.
Finish.
It.
September 4, 2024
Pandemic z
This book had a great story line. Having said that it was only half a book since it repeated itself so much. I never thought it was possible to say the same thing over and over and it still be a different sentence. How ever it was still a good read.
This book had a great story line. Having said that it was only half a book since it repeated itself so much. I never thought it was possible to say the same thing over and over and it still be a different sentence. How ever it was still a good read.
Read
January 13, 2025Didn’t completely finish. Super repetitive, sometimes I had to go back because it felt like I read the same thing over and over. Random thoughts and flashbacks that didn’t make sense. Not finishing with the series
April 3, 2025
Ok. This book series has potential but holy crap is it hard to get into. I was fully prepared to give this a lower rating but the last like 10 chapters saved it. I almost put this in my “dnf” multiple times
June 5, 2025
VERY repetitive!
I was so sick of hearing about Sue, Abigail and Kelly every few pages! Zombie graphics were good but the writing was waaay to slow. I'm not even reading any more in this series and I hardly ever do that. If you like a fast pace Zombie book...this isn't it!
I was so sick of hearing about Sue, Abigail and Kelly every few pages! Zombie graphics were good but the writing was waaay to slow. I'm not even reading any more in this series and I hardly ever do that. If you like a fast pace Zombie book...this isn't it!
September 12, 2024
Started very good. I'm American so the British vernacular was different from me but still a great zombie book and I can't wait to read the next.
September 21, 2024
goo
Fast pace, heart thumping escape for our survivors. Read about a virus escaping and turning people into mindless bloodthirsty zombies
Fast pace, heart thumping escape for our survivors. Read about a virus escaping and turning people into mindless bloodthirsty zombies
November 19, 2024
Strong 28 Days Later vibes. Some of the writing gets super repetitive, but I'm invested now and want to read the sequel.
December 10, 2024
Book
Great Book!! Would love more !! Really really good job as it is a different take on the zombie apocalypse .
Great Book!! Would love more !! Really really good job as it is a different take on the zombie apocalypse .
December 29, 2024
Fantastic!!!
Fantastic first book of the Pandemic X series !!! Loads of action, blood, guts and excitement !!!
Going straight into book two now !!!!
Fantastic first book of the Pandemic X series !!! Loads of action, blood, guts and excitement !!!
Going straight into book two now !!!!
March 17, 2025
Pandemic z
Good story. I appreciate the character development. Like the part about the girls face getting ripped off. Well see what happens next.
Good story. I appreciate the character development. Like the part about the girls face getting ripped off. Well see what happens next.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews