Two: Dark Fervor

Empire of Rust #2

by V.J. Chambers

The court intrigue of Game of Thrones, the pulse-pounding danger of The Walking Dead, and the complicated, compelling sorts of characters you’ve come to expect from V. J. Chambers.

Two hundred and fifty years after the zombie apocalypse, the surviving humans live under the rule of a regime which denounces technology and knowledge as the source of the Scourge…

One: Necromancer Rising
In the southern capital city of the empire, Ezekiel, son of the regent of Caroly, has come to confront the emperor about the accidental death of his sister. Her body was not returned to her family, as is custom. Ezekiel is here to retrieve it. But no one seems to have seen her body or know where it is, least of all her former fiancé, the emperor’s son Gabriel. No, Gabriel’s moved on, already married to another woman.

Ezekiel is beginning to suspect what happened to his sister was no accident.

In the northern wilderness, Darius lies chained to a wooden plank while another man tells him that he has changed him. He’s turned him into a necromancer—a man who can control the revenants, who can gather a revenant army.

This man wants Darius to lead such an army to the capital.

All the while, the revenants surround the empire, tearing at fences, pounding on walls, their jaws open and gaping. Hungering. For flesh.

Empire of Rust is a serial novel being published in six parts. This first part is approximately 20,000 words or 62 printed pages.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic

68 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 2014

About the author

V. J. Chambers writes about being inexplicably attracted to the dangerously alluring. Her works span mundane settings and fantastic ones. She writes about serial killers, cult leaders, werewolves, witches, for-hire assassins, zombies, space pirates, and regular everyday people.

She lives in Shepherdstown, WV, with her boyfriend Aaron and their cat Isis.

Reviews

[audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An apocalypse brought on by revenants, feral reanimated corpses, has caused society to denounce technology and embrace a strict religious order with an imperial political structure. Darius has been transformed into a necromancer, a powerful revenant able to think and speak. Darius struggles to endure the ravenous hunger as he is introduced to Michal, the emperor's daughter, selected to test his control by becoming his wife. Meanwhile, a treacherous political plot begins to take shape with revenants amassing around the capital. This part is roughly 79 pages and is the second of six installments. It includes chapters six through eleven for the serial novel Empire of Rust.

I enjoyed reading this second installment of the serial novel though some story elements still seem rough around the edges. I liked that this portion focused on developing the world and characters more. There was a nice mixture of background story and suspenseful forward progression leading up to a dramatic cliff hanger.

I enjoyed reading about the society, social customs, and traditions. I felt this installment gave me a better understanding of the world being post apocalyptic. It illustrated how much technology and knowledge was lost or suppressed by the dominant regime.

I liked that Darius, Michal, Leah and other supporting characters were developed more. I'm still not a fan of Ezekiel or Gabriel but this installment enabled me to better understand their personality and motives.

In this second installment of the Empire of Rust, the world and characters are developed more while the story begins to build up towards the unveiling of a deadly ploy.