Plague Risers

by Anthony Ergo

When night falls, they will come...

The year is 1544 and the two rival kingdoms of England and France battle for supremacy. The Black Death has decimated both armies and wiped out half of the population of Europe. But a new enemy is about to rise...

Hal is a conflicted young English archer - a reluctant soldier who is accompanying his father’s army in a siege against a French castle. When attacked by the reanimated corpses of plague victims, Hal is saved by a mysterious French girl known as Le Diable Rouge. As sworn enemies whose countries are at war, they are thrust together, battling to survive the threat of the Risers.

“Game of Thrones meets The Walking Dead!”

“A truly unique take on modern zombie fiction, set in a brutal medieval world.”

Unknown Binding

About the author

Anthony Ergo is a YA author of 'Dystopia', 'Hysteria' and 'Porphyria'.

After graduating from University with an English Literature degree, Anthony wrote several children's short stories before embarking on his first venture into the Young Adult genre.

"The idea for Dystopia all started with Sasha, the main character, and in particular an image which provoked several questions that I wanted to explore. Sasha is not your typical 'strong female lead' - she's weak, flawed and unsure of herself in many ways. She starts the story willing to exist in a world of paranoia; a single event changes everything and forces her on a journey of self-discovery.

Following the publication of Dystopia in July 2014, Anthony released the follow up novel, Hysteria, on 31 October 2014 and the third instalment in the series, Porphyria, in 2018.

Anthony lives in Lancashire, England.

Reviews

[Sian Roullier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to get this book. 1 it was written by Anthony Ergo and I loved his other books. 2 it mixed zombies with medieval.

I got this at YALC and read it on the train home, I read it on and off and loved every bit of it.

Julietta is a feisty girl, who can look out for herself and relies on no one. She becomes friends with Hal and Lars and have to fight a zombie plague.

I loved the fast paced action and the villain Guy and his band of immortal zombies.

[BookzBookzBookz · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, the cover of this book is EPIC! I happened across an Instagram page and found one of my buddies had received a physical, ARC copy of this book, Plague Risers by Anthony Ergo. I salivated! I had to have a copy of the book! Sadly, copies were available (only across the pond

[zaheerah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Ergo writes in a straightforward style—each chapter highlighting a specific character whom the reader follows throughout the entire book, similar to his previous novels. Though each chapter is written in first-person (I'm very picky with this POV), the characters were developed with depth. Unlike some characters in first-person narratives, these have a feeling of authenticity because of their multiple layers.

In most narratives, protagonists and antagonists are generally archetypical. But this story is far from formulaic, and caught me off guard at a variety of moments.

However, the only thing I disliked was the character Lars, I felt like the development between him and Hal was too short. However, his death was a shock but i would have felt more sympathy if their relationship flourished more.

The book plays off as historical fiction—until the fantasy/ zombie elements come into play.Though readers who enjoy fantasy fiction would thoroughly enjoy this book.

Plague Risers is certainly something different, and I anxiously wait for the sequel.

[Jules Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plague Risers is a great read! And that's coming from someone who doesn't read that much....! I usually prefer audio books and sometimes struggle to finish normal books, however, I had the pleasure of meeting the author Anthony Ergo at YALC last weekend and was instantly drawn to the the Plague Risers tag line "game of thrones meets the walking dead". I mean, what more do you want?

This book is set in France in 1544 and it really works, the writer has clearly done his homework on that period of history and it shows. It also allows for some great battles and gory well thought out fighting throughout.

The story has two kick ass protagonists in Hal and Julietta and a well rounded villain as well as a bunch of other interesting supporting characters.

The action and plot are fast paced and it keeps you wanting to read more. Like I said, I'm not much of a reader and I finished it in a week (that's fast... for me)

I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Dominique Goodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Mr. Ergo's debut novel, Dystopia, I decided I wanted to learn more about this author. Upon attending London Film and Comic Con, I found that not only had Dystopia's sequel, Hysteria been released - but he'd also released another novel! Plague Risers isn't your normal zombie book! Instead, it takes place during a historical time of importance. I loved how he developed the characters of Lars, a Viking-esque character, and Hal, the son of an English lord. You get the feeling that Hal is a disappointment to his father - he lacks the killer instinct needed in war. This book was honestly one of the best zombie books I read, containing romantic prodding here and there, shocks, pain and yet - still remaining authentic to the time period. So engrossing I actually almost missed my stop on the train!

[Ellie Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get hold of an ARC copy of this book at 2015 YALC event. In short, it was the best YA book I read in the whole of last year. It definitely stands up against the other popular YA fantasy reads like Throne of Glass. Ergo combines epic fantasy within a real historical context. Throw in zombies and a thrilling plot with characters you'll route for and this is destined to be a classic.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I mean 16th Century Zombie apocalypse is totally my thing. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and really really desperately want to find out what happens next!!