Joel Kelly and Jackson Creed have managed to settle down in Oregon with both old and new friends. Having rescued a man named Erik Tragger, and his girlfriend Katherine from the clutches of a nest of shufflers, they learn that an offensive to take back the area is being organized in Portland.
The stakes have never been higher as the entire land mass is about to go up in flames, thanks to a massive incursion by the shufflers. If Joel and Jackson can't break free, they may very well join the ranks of the undead.
Z-RISEN 5: BARRIERS follows the events of BEYOND THE BARRIERS: GHOULS, however, the books can be read independently of each other.
When not sitting around watching Rick and Morty reruns in a bathrobe, Timothy W. Long writes stuff. He has a predilection for weird literature and sometimes drinks Coke for breakfast. Don't tell his mom.
Tim is the author of over 30 novels in genres ranging from cozy/Isekai, to all manner of post-apocalyptic because no one has managed to take away his word processor.
Tim is an active member of SFWA, HWA, and Thriller Writers. He recently signed a three-book deal with Aethon Books for his Dark Lord Reborn Series.
After their literal flight across country from San Diego to Oregon (nr. Portland) the intrepid foursome and Frosty search for a suitable place to reinstate Fortress. They find their new base in the form of an isolated farmhouse complete with one solitary cow.
Exploring the local area brings new challenges as well as some encounters with living breathing humans, unsurprisingly it’s not all rainbows and kittens.
This is book 5 in the Z-Risen series detailing a Zombie Apocalypse Military Edition as told by Machinist Mate Jackson Creed. It’s a well written book on a topic that will hopefully forever remain fiction. Regardless of that so many of the interactions written about are disturbingly predictable. Never underestimate humanity’s warped need to control others or their capacity to senseless violence. Well worth reading.
The fifth book in the Z-Risen series...or is it the sixth? Barriers is a direct link to Beyond The Barriers, the "prequel" to Z-Risen. You don't have to have read Beyond The Barriers to follow along this book, but there are references to the earlier work. Basically this book takes up during the last chapter of Beyond The Barriers. You're seeing the same scenes from different perspectives. As with all the books of this series, it's the characters that pull you in and keep you engaged. Yes there is plenty of zombie smack downs so don't worry about a lack of action. The energy doesn't stop. The only con is the editing in some places is clearly lacking. But not so much to detract from the story. I'm typically not a zombie book reader but I highly recommend this series because of how well the characters are written.
The story telling and character development has gotten much better since the beginning of the series, however, the editing has gotten worse. There are many times when the wrong character name is used when that character is supposed to be off doing something else. Additionally. There are times when words repeat within a sentence. This makes it frustrating to follow the story, and is why I only gave it 2 stars. If the editing issues were fixed it would be a solid 3, maybe even a 4.
When does the 6th book come out??? I really hope sooner. This series is truly one of THE BEST I have read for a long time! The characters are so, well, lovable for lack of a better word. The storyline is just non-stop excitement. On the edge of your seat excitement. Do yourself a huge favor and read this series!
Starting book six next. I went through them unexpectedly fast. For me, Zombie novels are more about the characters and the adventures they get into, the narrow escapes, the friendships, and realistic survival skills. The dog and wacky Marine vs Navy vibe are a nice touch. (Squids and Jarheads playing nice when it counts!)
I have to say that Z-Risen series is one of my favorites in this genre. I understand people bitching about spelling and punctuation but I don't have a problem with such a minor thing, and it is very minor. I love following our two main characters from the beginning up to this point where they finally have hope of the world getting a little better for them. I highly recommend the book as well all the previous books of this series for excitement, fear, rage, sadness and hope as our characters struggle to make a life for themselves in a very hostile new world where everyone wants to kill you.
It was AWESOME to finally see the joining of the two sets of characters. It's now 2023, approximately six years after I first read the Z-Risen series. I saw Book 6 has now been released! So EXCITED!
Timothy Long!! I'm so glad you are back and healthy again. I sure missed you and your books. This one was outstanding as always. Highly recommend your books. I'm a big fan.