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The Third State: Project Lazarus
Not yet published
Expected 10 Feb 26A secret US government research project codenamed Lazarus.
A small group of world-renowned scientists sponsored by big pharma.
A single goal: developing a formula to reverse death.
Instead, they fabricated the end of the world: a third state between life and death.
Only one of them remains to undo it – Dr. Milton Hayes. At least, if he can survive on the road from D.C. to Atlanta.
On his journey through the post-apocalyptic Southeast, Milton encounters both the living dead – and survivors who might be willing to help.
Like Dax O’Hara and his sister Kim, whose neglectful, conspiracy-obsessed father taught them one main skill: survival at any cost.
But in a world where death is not the end, survival is only the beginning…
[The Third State – Project Lazarus is the first part in The Third State trilogy, a post-apocalyptic zombie horror series with queer romance subplots in the later installments.]
A small group of world-renowned scientists sponsored by big pharma.
A single goal: developing a formula to reverse death.
Instead, they fabricated the end of the world: a third state between life and death.
Only one of them remains to undo it – Dr. Milton Hayes. At least, if he can survive on the road from D.C. to Atlanta.
On his journey through the post-apocalyptic Southeast, Milton encounters both the living dead – and survivors who might be willing to help.
Like Dax O’Hara and his sister Kim, whose neglectful, conspiracy-obsessed father taught them one main skill: survival at any cost.
But in a world where death is not the end, survival is only the beginning…
[The Third State – Project Lazarus is the first part in The Third State trilogy, a post-apocalyptic zombie horror series with queer romance subplots in the later installments.]
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 10, 2026
2 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Ambrose
5 books1 followerC.L. Ambrose is a queer author of LGBTQ+ slow burn novels. Encouraged by their schoolteachers, they have been writing fictional stories from an early age on. Although first choosing an entirely different career path to make a living, involving numbers and statistics rather than words and books, now they want to make this childhood dream become a reality.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC of The Third State: Project Lazarus in exchange for an honest review.
This book pulls you in quickly with a strong premise and keeps the tension high throughout. The worldbuilding is immersive without slowing the story, and the sense of unease, about power, control, and survival, lingers long after each chapter ends.
What really stood out to me was the moral complexity. Characters are forced to make difficult choices, and the story doesn’t offer easy answers. The pacing is tight, especially as revelations build and the stakes escalate, making it difficult to stop reading once things start to unravel.
If you enjoy dystopian or speculative fiction that blends action with deeper ethical questions, The Third State: Project Lazarus is well worth your time. I’m definitely keen to see where the series goes next.
This book pulls you in quickly with a strong premise and keeps the tension high throughout. The worldbuilding is immersive without slowing the story, and the sense of unease, about power, control, and survival, lingers long after each chapter ends.
What really stood out to me was the moral complexity. Characters are forced to make difficult choices, and the story doesn’t offer easy answers. The pacing is tight, especially as revelations build and the stakes escalate, making it difficult to stop reading once things start to unravel.
If you enjoy dystopian or speculative fiction that blends action with deeper ethical questions, The Third State: Project Lazarus is well worth your time. I’m definitely keen to see where the series goes next.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Horrors in society can look like a lot of things. What better than zombies? C.L. Ambrose has given readers a terrifying look at what could happen if the wrong thing gets out of a lab and no one speaks up until it's too late. Dr. Milton Hayes has been working on a top secret government project when suddenly everything he thought he knew crumbles. Dax and Kim O'Hara are adult siblings who have only ever had each other and the knowledge their prepper father gave them. The world building and characters are so well done. Both male leads are queer, but this installment doesn't include romance. They just are who they are. This is the first book in the trilogy and I can't wait for the rest! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’m obsessed with this book. I’m on chapter 14, I’m sat and ready to loose my shit. I already know I will be invested in Milton and Dax’s relationship until the very end. I’m already excited for the next two books.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews