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Five Days Dead
The Earth Rages and Humanity is Hunted.
In the New Age of Discovery, there are those who say the Earth has grown tired of humanity. She is cleansing herself of us. It is called the Rages.
The Rages are Mother Nature at her worst, or her best, depending on your perspective. Drought, fire, pestilence, super storms and wildlife that stalks and kills, the Wilderness is no place for Man. Yet there are those who would rather live in the Wilderness than the utopia of the Hubs, where life is whatever you dream and just as fleeting. They are called Pilgrims and Neands, those few who have no interest in the collective society of the Link and the wonders of the Digiverse.
The Rages of nature are not the only terrors in the Wilderness. There are the Wrynd, flesh eaters who prey upon those who dare to venture into the Wilderness. Society calls them zombies, but they are something worse. Warped by a drug that makes them more and less than human, they are a plague on both nature and humanity.
And then there is Harley Nearwater. A man with little to no redeeming qualities and chaos running through his veins. He knows something of the nature of fear; he has been the victim of it and he has been the cause of it.
Humanity has cured its ills but lost its soul and that suits Harley fine, just fine. He takes what he wants, kills when it suits him and answers to no one.
Until the day his murder of a Federation soldier and compassion toward a father and his children alters his course forever.
Pursued by the lunatic Wrynd, hunted by Federation Marshals, and fleeing the ravages of the Rages, Harley Nearwater is quite sure things can’t get any worse.
But his deviation from his true character has drawn the attention of forces more powerful than he can imagine.
The Rages are nature's answer to mankind's dominion, and Harley's actions have put pieces into play before their time. He has upset the delicate balance between good and evil and nature itself. For that, there will be a reckoning.
The end of everything is about to begin.
In the New Age of Discovery, there are those who say the Earth has grown tired of humanity. She is cleansing herself of us. It is called the Rages.
The Rages are Mother Nature at her worst, or her best, depending on your perspective. Drought, fire, pestilence, super storms and wildlife that stalks and kills, the Wilderness is no place for Man. Yet there are those who would rather live in the Wilderness than the utopia of the Hubs, where life is whatever you dream and just as fleeting. They are called Pilgrims and Neands, those few who have no interest in the collective society of the Link and the wonders of the Digiverse.
The Rages of nature are not the only terrors in the Wilderness. There are the Wrynd, flesh eaters who prey upon those who dare to venture into the Wilderness. Society calls them zombies, but they are something worse. Warped by a drug that makes them more and less than human, they are a plague on both nature and humanity.
And then there is Harley Nearwater. A man with little to no redeeming qualities and chaos running through his veins. He knows something of the nature of fear; he has been the victim of it and he has been the cause of it.
Humanity has cured its ills but lost its soul and that suits Harley fine, just fine. He takes what he wants, kills when it suits him and answers to no one.
Until the day his murder of a Federation soldier and compassion toward a father and his children alters his course forever.
Pursued by the lunatic Wrynd, hunted by Federation Marshals, and fleeing the ravages of the Rages, Harley Nearwater is quite sure things can’t get any worse.
But his deviation from his true character has drawn the attention of forces more powerful than he can imagine.
The Rages are nature's answer to mankind's dominion, and Harley's actions have put pieces into play before their time. He has upset the delicate balance between good and evil and nature itself. For that, there will be a reckoning.
The end of everything is about to begin.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2014
1 person is currently reading
498 people want to read
About the author
James L. Davis
12 books52 followersJames L. Davis lives with his wife in Spanish Fork, Utah, in a home infested with children and animals, where he is very happy and not altogether sane.
The characters in his head, screaming at his brain, keep him up at night. But sometimes they have "intrestin" thoughts.
The characters in his head, screaming at his brain, keep him up at night. But sometimes they have "intrestin" thoughts.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 6, 2015
Please note that this is a modified version of the review that appears on my blog After The Last Day.
THE PREMISE
With the Rages upon mankind - the Earth itself rebelling against the presence of mankind in the shape of unpredictable storms and almost all of the animal kingdom hunting and killing humans, you'd have to be a crazy person to leave the Hubs where humanity is safe.
Come and meet a few of them.
WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT IT?
Not every book features a cow ambush before you're ten pages in, and for that Five Days Dead had me hooked in early. Having read many efforts at the genre in my time writing this blog, none have stood out so clearly so soon after beginning to read.
I hesitate to say that it's unlike anything that I've read before, because usually someone points out some contradicting evidence, but the original ideas in Five Days Dead are not only fresh, they make logical sense and perfectly suit the universe in which they're written. Probably this comes with the author's statement about the long gestation of the storyline, but it comes with the kind of self-assured writing on display here too. It's a testament to the author's story-telling that I never once failed to do anything but believe in the reality of his created world even when the most ludicrous events were occurring.
The pacing of the novel works very well, and while there does seem to be a little bit of concept-cramming in Five Days Dead that can be blamed on being a prelude to a march larger series. This is the reader's foundation and it serves that function very well. It never fails to captivate and aside from the opening chapter, the exposition is handled extremely well.
The characters are well-drawn and fit well within the world created here. There are no good guys here - good guys stay home or they lose - but the characters within the pages of the book remain sympathetic all the same, and true to character (though some are far too enigmatic to tell).
WHAT'S NOT SO GREAT ABOUT IT?
The magic and outright adventure of the novel do start to wane about half-way through, where it starts to become more of a fairy-tale than gritty survivalism, though it doesn't jar the story too much. There are plenty of signposts that the story is headed in this direction. The good writing never lets up.
Also I was disappointed with the ending. For obvious reasons I can't tell what the ending is, but I feel that the author softened some of the impact - particularly from the revelations in the final act - by ending Five Days Dead in the way he chose to end the story. It moves the story thematically in the right direction but doesn't have the impact and stay-with-you-ness that I had hoped for during the buildup to the climax.
RECOMMENDED BY CAPTAIN DOOMSDAY
There are a multitude of novels focused on the Apocalypse and what comes after; seldom is there a novel written before the Apocalypse that reads like it is set after. Five Days Dead brings new concepts and some very different ideas to the genre and should be lauded for doing so.
This and the remainder of the series should be something to watch out for and should appeal to those who like their apocalypse different and written in a style that draws a reader in - and keeps them in.
THE PREMISE
With the Rages upon mankind - the Earth itself rebelling against the presence of mankind in the shape of unpredictable storms and almost all of the animal kingdom hunting and killing humans, you'd have to be a crazy person to leave the Hubs where humanity is safe.
Come and meet a few of them.
WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT IT?
Not every book features a cow ambush before you're ten pages in, and for that Five Days Dead had me hooked in early. Having read many efforts at the genre in my time writing this blog, none have stood out so clearly so soon after beginning to read.
I hesitate to say that it's unlike anything that I've read before, because usually someone points out some contradicting evidence, but the original ideas in Five Days Dead are not only fresh, they make logical sense and perfectly suit the universe in which they're written. Probably this comes with the author's statement about the long gestation of the storyline, but it comes with the kind of self-assured writing on display here too. It's a testament to the author's story-telling that I never once failed to do anything but believe in the reality of his created world even when the most ludicrous events were occurring.
The pacing of the novel works very well, and while there does seem to be a little bit of concept-cramming in Five Days Dead that can be blamed on being a prelude to a march larger series. This is the reader's foundation and it serves that function very well. It never fails to captivate and aside from the opening chapter, the exposition is handled extremely well.
The characters are well-drawn and fit well within the world created here. There are no good guys here - good guys stay home or they lose - but the characters within the pages of the book remain sympathetic all the same, and true to character (though some are far too enigmatic to tell).
WHAT'S NOT SO GREAT ABOUT IT?
The magic and outright adventure of the novel do start to wane about half-way through, where it starts to become more of a fairy-tale than gritty survivalism, though it doesn't jar the story too much. There are plenty of signposts that the story is headed in this direction. The good writing never lets up.
Also I was disappointed with the ending. For obvious reasons I can't tell what the ending is, but I feel that the author softened some of the impact - particularly from the revelations in the final act - by ending Five Days Dead in the way he chose to end the story. It moves the story thematically in the right direction but doesn't have the impact and stay-with-you-ness that I had hoped for during the buildup to the climax.
RECOMMENDED BY CAPTAIN DOOMSDAY
There are a multitude of novels focused on the Apocalypse and what comes after; seldom is there a novel written before the Apocalypse that reads like it is set after. Five Days Dead brings new concepts and some very different ideas to the genre and should be lauded for doing so.
This and the remainder of the series should be something to watch out for and should appeal to those who like their apocalypse different and written in a style that draws a reader in - and keeps them in.
February 14, 2017
I received my copy of Five Days Dead as a winner of a Goodreads Apocalypse Whenever book giveaway.
Short version of my review: I liked this book. It’s a different kind of apocalypse in which the world is spinning to pieces just as humanity is achieving its utopian dream (albeit a socialist utopia). The story is about Harley Nearwater and his navigating through this increasingly controlled and chaotic world. The apocalypse is the complicating factor in Harley’s struggle to define himself, to decide which path he will follow.
The world in Five Days Dead is bizarre and dangerous outside the utopian urban centers known as “the hubs”. Most people live in the hubs, where they can spend their government-paid RTI (right-to-income) money on whatever they want, order it up via “the link”, and have it delivered by “stork” drones in a matter of minutes. They can escape reality in Matrix-like alternate realities, or have new body parts “printed” and augmented.
However, the world outside the hubs isn’t so tame. Nature has gone berserk. Animals and the weather have turned homicidal in a freak phenomenon called “the Rages.” Drug-crazed cannibal mobs prowl the wilds, attacking the “neands” who refuse to move to the hubs and join the technological utopia. I won’t give too much away about the book, except to say that after reading Five Days Dead, I was glad that it was only fiction. I closed the book, relieved that I didn’t live in a world in which most people are absorbed by electronic entertainment and altered reality; a phony, government-controlled war-on-drugs is being waged, and government-controlled faux terrorism is being employed to drive the resistant into the arms of a socialist “utopia”. Thank goodness it was only a novel, because living in a world like that would be terrible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2014
I won this book through goodread's giveaway program.All in all the book was entertaining and a realistic take on an apocalyptic future world.I liked the idea of mother nature and animals taking on a roll of saving Earth from further destruction by us.The "rage" was an interesting concept I have not seen in other books on the topic that I have read.The first half I read through pretty quickly and it got my attention,however about halfway it lost my attention.Though it was a good read I think somethings got jumbled between the old man with supposed powers,the "Wrynd" king Orrin,and the Gray Walker.I do look forward to reading the rest of the series and hoping for more involvement of the Hubs.Overall a good book I'd say about 4 stars worth.And I give it credit for broadening my horizons in the future with post apocalyptic books.And my last comment would be that the writer has a really good flow with words and descriptions of the world the book is set in, I could really picture this story in my mind which is always a good thing for a book.
November 13, 2014
I received the book in a goodreads giveaway. It would be difficult to give a review which did not reveal some pretty major parts of the plot. Would it entice a reader if I was to write that the book features the undead? No surprise there - but the book manages to breathe some new life into the old undead tropes. It is a post-apocalypse that manages to give a genuine sense of making the familiar unfamiliar. I am reminded of the early stories of Tim Lebbon by the quality of the writing and the strange, threatening quality of this work causes it to rise well above run-of-the-mill horror story and the 'mainstream' end-of-the-world scenario.
Would I recommend it? Definitely. It is unsettling, atmospheric and well crafted. As often the case with this sort of publishing, a final objective edit would have eliminated some of the more leaden prose, but this does not detract from what is a rattling good story, well told. Have a look!
Would I recommend it? Definitely. It is unsettling, atmospheric and well crafted. As often the case with this sort of publishing, a final objective edit would have eliminated some of the more leaden prose, but this does not detract from what is a rattling good story, well told. Have a look!
November 6, 2014
I received this book through Goodreads' First Reads program and am glad I did. I usually stick to authors I've already read or have come recommended from friends.
Five Days Dead has an imaginative setting that is a very believable amalgamation of existing futuristic ideas. I believe the book description sells the story short. It is an original, imaginative, and memorable story. There is a lot of story crammed into the book, but it is designated as a prelude so its understandable. The story takes a big detour about halfway through, but it's not a bad change.
All in all, a good story. Don't be put off by the description, thinking it is going to be another zombie book (it's not).
Five Days Dead has an imaginative setting that is a very believable amalgamation of existing futuristic ideas. I believe the book description sells the story short. It is an original, imaginative, and memorable story. There is a lot of story crammed into the book, but it is designated as a prelude so its understandable. The story takes a big detour about halfway through, but it's not a bad change.
All in all, a good story. Don't be put off by the description, thinking it is going to be another zombie book (it's not).
January 10, 2015
Part dystopian, part futuristic, part post apocalyptic, part supernatural. This book was an absolute treat and I want more!!!
The world set up by the author was unique and imaginative. The notion that the apocalypse was an event deliberately driven by "Mother Nature" against humanity was an interesting twist. The supernatural element shows up in the latter half of the book and was an unexpected surprise.
The book is written in plain, simple language but the story never gets dull. There is immediate excitement to pull you in right away, and the story was consistently interesting from start to finish.
Five Days Dead is supposed to be a prelude to a nine part series. I certainly hope so!
The world set up by the author was unique and imaginative. The notion that the apocalypse was an event deliberately driven by "Mother Nature" against humanity was an interesting twist. The supernatural element shows up in the latter half of the book and was an unexpected surprise.
The book is written in plain, simple language but the story never gets dull. There is immediate excitement to pull you in right away, and the story was consistently interesting from start to finish.
Five Days Dead is supposed to be a prelude to a nine part series. I certainly hope so!
November 3, 2014
Five Days Dead - James L Davis
I enjoyed this book and it stayed in my mind when I had finished. It was an intriguing opener to what will apparently be a long series. I liked the disturbing vision of the future and also the more mysterious 'characters' whose nature is gradually being revealed. I want to know what happens next so that is a good sign. Not one for the squeamish or fearful I guess but I like a good dystopic tale with zombies and mystic elements :)
I enjoyed this book and it stayed in my mind when I had finished. It was an intriguing opener to what will apparently be a long series. I liked the disturbing vision of the future and also the more mysterious 'characters' whose nature is gradually being revealed. I want to know what happens next so that is a good sign. Not one for the squeamish or fearful I guess but I like a good dystopic tale with zombies and mystic elements :)
March 20, 2015
Wow. Fast paced book. Very imaginative and different. I really enjoyed it.
April 15, 2015
This is really not my kind of book. It has the flavor of The Dark Towers series. I believe if you like the Dark Towers series you would like this book.
The main character is an interesting character - who sometimes bad ... and sometime not. It is set in a future time when earth is tired of humans. An interesting concept
The main character is an interesting character - who sometimes bad ... and sometime not. It is set in a future time when earth is tired of humans. An interesting concept
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews