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After the Fall by Ellis Grayson
224 pages, Paperback
Published August 14, 2025
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Grayson
13 books7 followersHi I'm Ellis Grayson a fresh voice in post-apocalyptic fiction, driven by a lifelong love for the zombie apocalypse genre. With no formal background in writing, I've stepped into the world of storytelling purely out of passion.
I am based in the UK, I spend my free time thinking up ideas and plots for my next book and mapping out the next nightmare for his growing cast of characters.
I write for readers who love high-stakes tension, flawed but fearless survivors, and stories that explore what it really means to endure not just the end of the world, but everything that comes after.
I am based in the UK, I spend my free time thinking up ideas and plots for my next book and mapping out the next nightmare for his growing cast of characters.
I write for readers who love high-stakes tension, flawed but fearless survivors, and stories that explore what it really means to endure not just the end of the world, but everything that comes after.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 10, 2025
this was a fantastic read i couldn't stop.reading it so desperate to find out what happened next this new author is defo one to.watch out for.and if you love zombie stories then this one will.defo.float your boat xx
August 12, 2025
2.25/5
This book was sent to me by the author to review. The opinions presented are mine and mine alone. It has not been swayed by the author.
After the Fall, let's just say that it is a mixed bag. It starts with a really good introduction that draws the reader in, containing enough action to make you curious. The overall plot and storyline are good, they show a lot of promise. Then you start noticing the unpolished, seemingly unedited work. Paragraphs that cut off midsentence and pick up in a new paragraph to finish the sentence. Commas and periods that are missing or misplaced. Paragraphs where 4 or more people are speaking in one, when each person speaking, should be a new paragraph. Its editing that could really help make the book better.
On the character front, it has a great villain, which is a huge plus. As for the rest of the characters, they are very shallow, not deep. I struggled to connect with any of them. No real background is given, nor description for the characters that would allow an image to form. Another thing that was distracting, was that every time a flashback, change of venue, or perspective happened, it was announced as "Flashback" "Someone's Perspective" "Outside this place". As an author this is not necessary, let the change or shift happen and be explained through the writing itself, the shift should be obvious enough or explained well enough that it is clear.
It did also have some good twists along the way and a great climatic moment. After the climax, it dragged on, when it should have been condensed, and been winding down. Some parts of the book were a bit cheesy as well, not really seeming to fit how a person would act, or speak.
Overall, I see promise, but a lot of work is needed to polish it and make it seem complete.
This book was sent to me by the author to review. The opinions presented are mine and mine alone. It has not been swayed by the author.
After the Fall, let's just say that it is a mixed bag. It starts with a really good introduction that draws the reader in, containing enough action to make you curious. The overall plot and storyline are good, they show a lot of promise. Then you start noticing the unpolished, seemingly unedited work. Paragraphs that cut off midsentence and pick up in a new paragraph to finish the sentence. Commas and periods that are missing or misplaced. Paragraphs where 4 or more people are speaking in one, when each person speaking, should be a new paragraph. Its editing that could really help make the book better.
On the character front, it has a great villain, which is a huge plus. As for the rest of the characters, they are very shallow, not deep. I struggled to connect with any of them. No real background is given, nor description for the characters that would allow an image to form. Another thing that was distracting, was that every time a flashback, change of venue, or perspective happened, it was announced as "Flashback" "Someone's Perspective" "Outside this place". As an author this is not necessary, let the change or shift happen and be explained through the writing itself, the shift should be obvious enough or explained well enough that it is clear.
It did also have some good twists along the way and a great climatic moment. After the climax, it dragged on, when it should have been condensed, and been winding down. Some parts of the book were a bit cheesy as well, not really seeming to fit how a person would act, or speak.
Overall, I see promise, but a lot of work is needed to polish it and make it seem complete.
August 15, 2025
After The Fall - Ellis Grayson
I want to start this review by saying that I am a fantasy/romanticy/dark romance girl through and through. Saying that I will read anything once but I found myself struggling to like it, but I'm putting that down to a lack of descriptions. I'm coming from fantasy to post-apocalyptic, it was a transition and a half, because within fantasy there is much to describe whether it is the world around the characters or the characters themselves.
I had found that within the first handful of chapters I had been dropped into this world and it was like "oh hey look it's a zombie apocalypse" and that was that, there was no explanation of what was going on, no real descriptions of the world around, or what the people looked like ot even thought.
I'll put the lack of descriptions aside for now, the pacing of the book is consistent, even though there are a couple of flashbacks, its main focus is on the present day for the characters. I did take notice that there were a couple of spelling mistakes and there were a couple of parts that didn't feel like they flowed all that well, it almost felt forced. Not just plot-wise wise but character development and character interactions
I won't go into too much detail but I found myself questioning the characters more than usual. This is my personal opinion here, Derek and Jillian? I don't see a reason for that to happen.
But even as I say all this I find it easy to put the book down but I keep coming back to it, almost like I've found an itch I can't scratch. Now I am a firm believer that for every book that is written then there is at least one person who thoroughly enjoys it, and I will stand by that statement, this book has all the makings of an interesting read.
I want to start this review by saying that I am a fantasy/romanticy/dark romance girl through and through. Saying that I will read anything once but I found myself struggling to like it, but I'm putting that down to a lack of descriptions. I'm coming from fantasy to post-apocalyptic, it was a transition and a half, because within fantasy there is much to describe whether it is the world around the characters or the characters themselves.
I had found that within the first handful of chapters I had been dropped into this world and it was like "oh hey look it's a zombie apocalypse" and that was that, there was no explanation of what was going on, no real descriptions of the world around, or what the people looked like ot even thought.
I'll put the lack of descriptions aside for now, the pacing of the book is consistent, even though there are a couple of flashbacks, its main focus is on the present day for the characters. I did take notice that there were a couple of spelling mistakes and there were a couple of parts that didn't feel like they flowed all that well, it almost felt forced. Not just plot-wise wise but character development and character interactions
I won't go into too much detail but I found myself questioning the characters more than usual. This is my personal opinion here, Derek and Jillian? I don't see a reason for that to happen.
But even as I say all this I find it easy to put the book down but I keep coming back to it, almost like I've found an itch I can't scratch. Now I am a firm believer that for every book that is written then there is at least one person who thoroughly enjoys it, and I will stand by that statement, this book has all the makings of an interesting read.
December 4, 2025
Please remember my reviews are just my opinion and yours may differ. 😊
This sequel leaned heavily into The Walking Dead territory. The Governor/prison storyline is swapped for a school, but the parallels are hard to miss: a tracker named Daryl (odd choice for Scotland), a Maggie, and even group dynamics that echo the show. Scotland isn’t that big, yet the way characters moved around made it feel vast and unrealistic, which broke immersion.
Even the prison was described with barred doors — more like an American TV cliché than anything you’d find in Scotland, where modern prisons use solid doors. That added to the sense that the book was borrowing imagery rather than building an authentic setting.
The biggest surprise was the villain literally being named Ellis — the author writing themselves in as the bad guy gave me distracting self‑insert vibes and pulled me out of the story. On top of that, Derek cheating on his wife Jennifer with her sister Jillian felt like wasted space and made him unlikeable.
While the pacing is quick, the lack of originality and atmosphere made this feel more like it was recycled than a fresh zombie apocalypse tale. Disappointing, because I love the genre, but this didn’t bring anything new.
⭐ My rating: 1.75 stars ⭐️
This sequel leaned heavily into The Walking Dead territory. The Governor/prison storyline is swapped for a school, but the parallels are hard to miss: a tracker named Daryl (odd choice for Scotland), a Maggie, and even group dynamics that echo the show. Scotland isn’t that big, yet the way characters moved around made it feel vast and unrealistic, which broke immersion.
Even the prison was described with barred doors — more like an American TV cliché than anything you’d find in Scotland, where modern prisons use solid doors. That added to the sense that the book was borrowing imagery rather than building an authentic setting.
The biggest surprise was the villain literally being named Ellis — the author writing themselves in as the bad guy gave me distracting self‑insert vibes and pulled me out of the story. On top of that, Derek cheating on his wife Jennifer with her sister Jillian felt like wasted space and made him unlikeable.
While the pacing is quick, the lack of originality and atmosphere made this feel more like it was recycled than a fresh zombie apocalypse tale. Disappointing, because I love the genre, but this didn’t bring anything new.
⭐ My rating: 1.75 stars ⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2025
I definitely think you need to read the first book in this series before delving into this one as it gives some much needed back story and character development needed to truly immerse yourself in this one.
I enjoyed seeing how the characters would fare in the world now more over-run with the un-dead than in the first book.
I would have liked to see the villain in this story ramp it up a bit, but I enjoyed the way the story played out overall.
For me, the Scottish setting makes this book stand out from the usual apocalyptic settings in the US and I enjoyed the changes in dialect and colloquialism that this setting brought to the story.
I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out in book number 3.
I enjoyed seeing how the characters would fare in the world now more over-run with the un-dead than in the first book.
I would have liked to see the villain in this story ramp it up a bit, but I enjoyed the way the story played out overall.
For me, the Scottish setting makes this book stand out from the usual apocalyptic settings in the US and I enjoyed the changes in dialect and colloquialism that this setting brought to the story.
I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out in book number 3.
November 9, 2025
Thank you to Ellis Grayson for my copy of this book.
I really enjoyed continuing on with this story and how things have developed. I enjoyed the introduction of new characters and old friends. I found myself invested in the developing storyline between Jillian and Derek, despite Jennifer being Derek's wife and Jillian's sister!
I loved that Stephen found his children through the help of Derek and the others and I like that although Ellis was killed, the big bad is not over, as revealed at the end, this was just the first phase.
The story is giving walking dead vibes which I absolutely love, with a slightly different take on it.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys apocalyptic style reads and the drama involved in them.
I really enjoyed continuing on with this story and how things have developed. I enjoyed the introduction of new characters and old friends. I found myself invested in the developing storyline between Jillian and Derek, despite Jennifer being Derek's wife and Jillian's sister!
I loved that Stephen found his children through the help of Derek and the others and I like that although Ellis was killed, the big bad is not over, as revealed at the end, this was just the first phase.
The story is giving walking dead vibes which I absolutely love, with a slightly different take on it.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys apocalyptic style reads and the drama involved in them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
This series will hook in everyone because most of us will have a sense of familiarity with it 😷 You must read to understand
❤️ What I loved
- The start hooking me in and not letting go
- The characters
- The suspense
- The unknown
- Found Family
- Twists and turns
- Fun villian that worries you
❌️ What I didn't love
To be honest, nothing really. Slow at times but that's part of the world building which was quite good.
I have become one of the members of New Haven, apart of this found family.
❤️ What I loved
- The start hooking me in and not letting go
- The characters
- The suspense
- The unknown
- Found Family
- Twists and turns
- Fun villian that worries you
❌️ What I didn't love
To be honest, nothing really. Slow at times but that's part of the world building which was quite good.
I have become one of the members of New Haven, apart of this found family.
August 17, 2025
The author reached out to me to read and review this book. That being said, all opinions are my own.
I will start by saying that I lean towards fantasy, romantasy, and dark romance. This was one of few ventures into science fiction for me, hence the rating.
That being said, I did find this to be a fun and easy read with a great villain. I firmly believe that not all books are written for all readers, and I feel that those who love sci-fi will thoroughly enjoy this book.
I will start by saying that I lean towards fantasy, romantasy, and dark romance. This was one of few ventures into science fiction for me, hence the rating.
That being said, I did find this to be a fun and easy read with a great villain. I firmly believe that not all books are written for all readers, and I feel that those who love sci-fi will thoroughly enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews