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Adrian's Undead Diary #5-8

The Adrian's Undead Diary Omnibus: Volume Two

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Collected here are the final four novels in the Adrian's Undead Diary epic.

Book Five: Wrath
Good and evil play their game to determine whether humanity gets a second chance, and their pawns are the living and the dead.

Book Six: In the Arms of Family
Adrian Ring and evil don't get along. When he can't be corrupted, turned, or forced to give up, evil targets those around him, including the family he had thought was dead.

Book Seven: The Trinity
A full year of blood and tears has passed for Adrian Ring. As the dead remain hateful, the living are more desperate than ever: winter approaches and supplies are dwindling. Meanwhile, the conflict with the monsters at the Factory is reaching a boiling point.

Book Eight: Cassie
One last test.

One last quest.

Adrian and the men and women who love him head deep into the city in search of the one thing that may save Adrian's soul, and the entire world.

"Well-rounded and intriguing story arcs, three dimensional characters, and the perfect blend of humor and horror create the exquisite amalgam that is Adrian's Undead Diary. Philbrook earns his place in The Bookie Monster's hall of fame best reads." SHANA FESTA, THE BOOKIE MONSTER & AUTHOR OF TIME OF DEATH

"A realistic account of the zombie apocalypse that sucks you right in. A great series!" T.W. Piperbrook, author of the Contamination series.

"Walking Dead < Adrian's Undead Diary. The End." J.C. Fiske, author of The Renegade Series

Adrian's Undead Diary series is a must have for your zompoc collection. The only time I only put it down was when the battery on my Kindle died. Adrian is the kind of hero I want on my zompoc team. Ben S Reeder, author of The Zompoc Survivor Series

1388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2015

98 people are currently reading
61 people want to read

About the author

Chris Philbrook

80 books443 followers
About Chris Philbrook

I am the creator and author of Tesser: A Dragon Among Us as well as Elmoryn's The Kinless Trilogy, Colony Lost, Adrian's Undead Diary and the Darkness of Diggory Finch.

I've gone to a LOT of college. I've got a Business degree as well as a Psychology degree, and I've done the full program at the school of hard knocks. I've been a printing press operator, bouncer, purchasing agent, bodyguard, customer service representative, mental health counselor, and more. I can write about weird shit because I've done weird shit. Trust me.

I call the wonderful state of New Hampshire my home, but I love to travel. I love to read, write, play role playing games, miniatures games, video games, and Magic: The Gathering. When I find the time to be active, I like to hike, play basketball, and play football. I am married to a wonderful woman, and together we have two wonderful daughters.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for J.M. McKenzie.
Author 17 books8 followers
January 14, 2022
Epic!
I have finally got my life back and made a start on tackling some of the other books on my “to be read” list, after finishing the first eight books in the epic zombie apocalypse series Adrian’s Undead Diary.
I came across the author, Chris Philbrook, through the various zombie apocalypse social media groups I am a member of, and decided to give the books a go after being impressed by him when he was the guest speaker on a live Facebook writer’s event I took part in.
The books are largely written in a journalistic style and, as you might expect, tell the story of how a man called Adrian survives and thrives after a global zombie apocalypse. At first glance, Adrian appears to be an outwardly calm and capable, but otherwise remarkably ordinary, ex-military bloke who works nights as a sort of caretaker in a private residential school and lives with his long-term girlfriend, Cassie.
It turns out that our hero is not as “ordinary” as he seems. Not only is he extraordinarily resourceful and resilient, with a remarkable knowledge of guns and ammunition and a, bordering on unhealthy, obsession with recording every minute detail of his daily life during the apocalypse, but he turns out to be a central figure in the battle between good and evil and the survival of what is left of the entire (living) human race itself.
What I liked:
The addictive nature of the story. I literally could not put this down, reading for hours in the early mornings on my kindle in the dark before my husband was awake, and again at night while he was asleep. It disrupted my sleep patterns, my work patterns, my reading patterns, and my life in general. Thank goodness I started reading it in late November on a short holiday to celebrate my birthday, and that the couple of months it took me to get through all eight books included a couple of weeks over the Christmas holidays and a 10-day period of isolation due to Covid.
The journalistic style. The journalistic style was a big part of what made the book so compelling. When Adrian and his people were building up to a big event it was more than I could bear to read the start of each diary entry to find out how it went. Equally, the opening few words of each entry were the first indication of whether anything awful had occurred or not, and I always felt the need to read “just one more” to see how the group were progressing.
Adrian. I really liked (or should I say “like” as his story continues) Adrian. He was (is) a complex but likeable character. He does what has to be done to ensure his own survival, but also tries to help others when he can. He is strong and brave but not without fear. He constantly doubts himself and his decisions and beats himself up over his perceived mistakes. He is funny and irreverent and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He is not ashamed or embarrassed to talk about his sexual needs and desires and even about his bowel habits, however disgusting.
The other characters. For a very long time Adrian was the only person in his world. However, other characters are gradually introduced, and we slowly get to know and love them as we see them through Adrian’s eyes. I loved the way they develop and change as they get to grips with their new reality. I particularly liked Abby and Gilbert. I love the patient way that the number of survivors in Bastion and the extended community slowly builds at first from one, to two, and then a small handful, Then, in the last few books, how it increases exponentially to around one hundred people by the end.
The surprises. I liked some of the unexpected plot twists and turns. I actually don’t want to mention them specifically here because, if you do go on to read the books after reading this review, they would be spoilers of monumental proportions. Suffice to say, there were some things that happened and some things that were revealed that I would never have expected in a million years.
The non-journal chapters. The books are peppered with chapters that are not part of Adrian’s diary. While the first one took me by surprise, I came to enjoy them immensely as they provided insight into some of the other characters and their back stories and the plot in general, sometimes giving the reader forewarning of things to come. This contributed to the addictive nature of the read. Once you have read a chapter where something occurs that Adrian does not yet know about, you find yourself rushing through the next few journal entries until the unsuspecting hero catches up. The fact that throughout the books there are things that the reader knows that Adrian does not, is a very effective page-turning and tension building technique.
The level of detail. I was undecided at first whether I liked the excessive amount of tedious and monotonous detail in the books or not. I have come down on the side of “liked” as this is a key component of Adrian’s character and his role in the “Trinity” and the books would not be the same without it. It plays a key part in the complex world building process which enhances reader engagement and immersion and makes the books come alive. Nevertheless, I’m not going to lie and pretend that I didn’t skim over some of the endless accounts of everything they scavenged from all the buildings they raided, and the pages and pages of stocktaking of food and fuel, and don’t even get me started on the guns. Pages and pages and pages devoted to descriptions and pros and cons of different guns and their ammunition, all of which meant absolutely nothing to me.
The big spiritual good versus evil plot element. Somewhere along the road the book gets very spiritual, verging close to religious. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked this, as it is an usual and controversial explanation for the zombie apocalypse. However, it was managed well in my opinion. It didn’t go too far beyond the realms of plausibility – after all, how plausible is a zombie apocalypse in the first place? It was different, interesting, and original and gave the book a very Stephen Kingesque feel at times, almost reminiscent of The Stand.
What I didn’t like.
Repetition. There is not very much that I didn’t like about these books but sometimes the amount of repetition irritated me a little. When something happened in a non-journal chapter, it was often repeated by Adrian in his corresponding journal entry. When I was desperate to find out what happened next in the story, I found myself skimming these sections in frustration. This was linked to the fact that the books are very long. Well, the individual books are probably not very long, but reading all of them in two omnibuses took a long time and there were a lot of pages which involved the detailed accounts of stocktaking and scavenging mentioned above, as well as a fair bit of repetition.
Typos. There were few typos and missing or incorrect words which was a minor irritation and distraction.
The end! I loved the end but was a little dismayed when I realised that Adrian’s story is still not over, and that Chris Philbrook is still writing books about what happens to him next. Much as I’d like to, I am reluctant to read any more of them at the moment as there are other things I need to do and other books I want to read!
Adrian’s Undead Diary is at the top of the pile in the independently published zombie apocalypse category, and I would definitely recommend.
4 reviews
March 17, 2020
Interesting concept

First, let me start off with I'm sick as hell of authors chosing Africa as the birthplace of tons of different horrors. I think it illuminates a huge flaw in the way some people still feel about black people. In spite of that flaw, I did enjoy the story. The plot was engaging. The only things that I didn't like was there was way too much revisitation of prior happenings for my taste. I felt like it just extended the story needlessly. I also found and noted waaaaay too many typos. That was very irritating. It was still a good story that I don't regret reading.
Profile Image for Jaime Griffiths-paiva.
4 reviews
July 31, 2021
Best series I’ve read and that’s saying something because I go through a lot of books in a week
I have read/listened to the whole series over and over in fact I put it on my iPad at night before I got to sleep (don’t judge some folk listen to music I list to AUD) I love the fact that other authors have sideline story from the series I also love the Carl Mathers books because Lockey & Nate are awesome and since I’m English it reminds me of home.
I want more I am hoping since we don’t have the full story yet (see last book) there will be more to come I hope so because I will devour it when it comes out)
So if you’re looking to get lost for several days in a brilliant book series try these you won’t be disappointed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,167 reviews79 followers
June 4, 2018
Didn't enjoy as much

Honesty compels me to say the first four books are better.
Don't misunderstand, the story is still great. I just didn't like the entire good vs. evil tangent the book went to.
I am not a strongly religious person, this half of the series felt to me super religiously.
I also found the ending to be super cheesy.
I still recommend this entire series though as it is well done, other than my personal dislikes.
Zombie lovers should have this in their collections. If they don't, they aren't a true zombie fan!
182 reviews5 followers
August 13, 2018
This was an excellent ending to the series. Like i sad in my review of the first omnibus I found the website that these stories were posted on while working overnights and got engrossed in them.

I was really excited to find the Kindle versions of the stories as the writings on the website had been moved behind a paywall.

The way Chris finished the series was much more gratifying in the books. There was finally a sense of closure.

Profile Image for Lisa Parker Clark.
5 reviews
July 10, 2023
Worth the read

So, I've read this entire series. I have to say, I've enjoyed every minute of it. These books are a zombie fans delight. The characters are charming and are given great back stories and development. The only thing that would of made it better is if there were more of them. Lol. There were some grammar and wording mistakes, but for me, that just added to the imperfection of the main character.
Profile Image for Meghan Gallagher.
27 reviews
February 22, 2023
HotDamn!

Woah. This is as good as a collection can come!! Chris Philbrook is a genius and had my heart racing in every single book!! But the final one, Jesus……..gonna grab a drink now….
16 reviews
May 30, 2024
Couldn't put it down

I loved this story from the very beginning. It's scary but funny. My only criticism is the author needs a proofreader. There are many errors and missing words. Unless they are on purpose because it's a journal. But I think they're just mistakes.
469 reviews4 followers
August 8, 2024
A different twist on zombies

A trinity, the three who will save the world. One who makes his living protecting. One who studied faith. And one who was always trying to be a better person in a harsh world. So many layers to go through. A good read. It has a lot if typos though.
21 reviews
September 14, 2024
really great series

Unique approach to the classic zombie genre. Really refreshing to read, and I lost a few nights’ sleep powering through some of the chapters so I could see what was coming out the other side.
31 reviews
March 23, 2025
fantastic story

Wow. Just finished these books and felt like I was taken on quite a journey. Great story and characters, lots of humor with bits of sadness mixed in. Highly recommend.
2 reviews
April 17, 2025
Great Read

Great shootemup, with a nice spiritual and thoughtful underlying theme. Zombie Apocalypse with a hip twist. Wish a few more black folks could have made it through but Great Job, Mr Philbrook! Gonna try you again!
26 reviews1 follower
August 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this series. Sometimes a bit rough as proofreading was sketchy, but the plot could be motion picture material.
Profile Image for Angie Anderson.
584 reviews7 followers
June 16, 2020
Awesomeness!

O have loved this series from day one. Chris Philbrook takes the Lompoc genre and adds a delightful twist. I highly recommend you read this series.
5 reviews
December 27, 2023
Brilliant

I loved the style of writing and fell a little in love with Adrian!

Great story and will be following the author for sure.

15 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2024
Love love love these books!

Well written. What a great story. Loved the charactes and their development. Just go ahead and but the books. Do it! 😊
65 reviews
January 27, 2024
i enjoyed Volume One and Volume Two. The story was long but made a person feel like they were there. I was sad to see some favorites go but I guess no-one could survive this mad world. There were quite a few spelling mistakes, but didn't really take away from the overall story. I'm looking forward to the next books by Chris. Maybe not so much on bedtime theatrics and cursing. I just ignore that and continue past it.
Profile Image for Sean Hammond.
24 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2016
I read a TON of Zompoc. This is absolutely the best series I have ever read. Trust me when I say these books are worse than Pringles. Once you pop the top, there's no stopping until you hit the bottom of the can (or the last page of book 8 in this case).

Adrian is an amazingly complex character that you will grow amazingly close to - along with many other characters - as his journey unfolds. As with many zompoc novels, it isn't really about the dead. It's about the living, the bonds they form with other survivors and the lengths they will go to keep themselves and those they grow to love in the wake of unthinkable circumstances safe and alive. What makes this different is what lays beneath the surface. There is much more going on here which separates this series from all the others and the most original origin story to date is just the beginning.

This is books 4-8 so if you haven't grabbed the first one, do it now! Clear your schedule and hold on...Philbrook has his foot firmly on the gas and isn't slowing down. You aren't going to want to put this one down for even a second!
75 reviews5 followers
May 25, 2016
Heart stopping

With these characters you are with friends you root for them you cheer them on you cry with them a must read I could not put it down
Profile Image for Shaun Isaacs.
16 reviews
May 10, 2020
It’s nice having them all together. It lasts longer that way!
Profile Image for Pamela.
18 reviews2 followers
November 19, 2022
I loved these books

Adrian Ring is the perfect hero. Even if he doesn't think so. I loved reading these books and would highly recommend them to others.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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