What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Tide Rising #5
The Valley of Shadows
From his corner office on the forty-fourth floor of the Bank of the Americas tower on Wall Street, Tom Smith, global managing director for security, could see the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park—and a ravening zombie horde.
Officially, Smith was paid to preserve the lives and fortunes of employees, billionaires, and other clients. And with an implacable virus that turned the infected into ravenous zombies tearing through the city, the country, and the world, his job just got a lot harder.
Good thing Smith, late of the Australian special forces, isn’t a man to give up easily. But saving civilization is going to take more than the traditional banking toolbox of lawyers, guns, and money. Smith needs infected human spinal tissue to formulate a vaccine—and he needs it by the truckload. To get it, he will have to forge a shady alliance with both the politicians of the City of New York and some of its less savory entrepreneurs.
But all of his back-alley dealing may amount to nothing if he can’t stave off the fast-moving disease as it sweeps across the planet, leaving billions dead in its wake. And if he fails, his only fallback is an incomplete plan to move enough personnel to safe havens and prepare to restart civilization.
What’s more, there are others who have similar plans—and believe it or not, they’re even less charitable than a Wall Street investment banker. Sooner or later Smith will have to deal with them.
But first he has to survive the Fall.
Officially, Smith was paid to preserve the lives and fortunes of employees, billionaires, and other clients. And with an implacable virus that turned the infected into ravenous zombies tearing through the city, the country, and the world, his job just got a lot harder.
Good thing Smith, late of the Australian special forces, isn’t a man to give up easily. But saving civilization is going to take more than the traditional banking toolbox of lawyers, guns, and money. Smith needs infected human spinal tissue to formulate a vaccine—and he needs it by the truckload. To get it, he will have to forge a shady alliance with both the politicians of the City of New York and some of its less savory entrepreneurs.
But all of his back-alley dealing may amount to nothing if he can’t stave off the fast-moving disease as it sweeps across the planet, leaving billions dead in its wake. And if he fails, his only fallback is an incomplete plan to move enough personnel to safe havens and prepare to restart civilization.
What’s more, there are others who have similar plans—and believe it or not, they’re even less charitable than a Wall Street investment banker. Sooner or later Smith will have to deal with them.
But first he has to survive the Fall.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2018
169 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
John Ringo
101 books1,830 followersJohn Ringo is a prolific author who has written in a wide variety of genres. His early life included a great deal of travel. He visited 23 foreign countries, and attended fourteen different schools. After graduation Ringo enlisted in the US military for four years, after which he studied marine biology.
In 1999 he wrote and published his first novel "A Hymn Before Battle", which proved successful. Since 2000 Ringo has been a full time author.
He has written science fiction, military fiction, and fantasy.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
In 1999 he wrote and published his first novel "A Hymn Before Battle", which proved successful. Since 2000 Ringo has been a full time author.
He has written science fiction, military fiction, and fantasy.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
December 24, 2018
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
I've been devouring these books since they appeared. In fact, I MAY have so thoroughly and rapidly devoured them, that I missed writing reviews for some of them, which I may attempt to rectify.
HOWEVER, this one went live in November, and has been on my TBR&R list since then.
A bit of a rant, first, but I will attempt to be accurate, precise, and not launch into ad hominem attacks:
1. A sizable contingent of reviewers appear to have grabbed the book without reading enough (or any) of the blurbs & publisher descriptions.
"There are no stories about Faith!" They express profound disappointment that this book centers on the actions of Tom Smith, the banking security brother of Steve Smith.
Well, you didn't do your homework. If you had just read what's on the Baen website, or what is on the Amazon website, you discover that the FOCUS of this book is on the efforts of Tom Smith to get all of the necessary people off the island. His appearance is VERY limited in the first installment, "Under A Graveyard Sky," and we get NO information about the maneuvering of the principle players in the disintegrating city. At 384 pages, there was no room for that exposition in "Graveyard Sky;" it leaves us knowing essentially nothing about the guy who set it in motion, saving their lives, and perhaps civilization, by sending a text alert to Steve.
Read that sentence again. It's pretty clear that the narrative supports the idea that the actions of the Smith family in doing boat rescue, etc, provide the spark (and that image is milked for all it's worth in the orientation film) that turns the rest of the survivors from shivering items in the outdoor zombie pantry, into a foundation to rebuild civilization. And yet, they would have died on the streets and classrooms, just like everyone else, if Tom doesn't send the text.
This volume provides some back story about the bug-out plan, what sending the text might have cost Tom, and how ELSE he spent his time when he wasn't trying to save his family (and keep Faith away from zombies). It also gives some new character arcs to explore.
2. They say "There is too much talking, and not enough action!"
Children, let's play nice. There is more to a story than gun-play; besides that, I didn't notice anything LIKE an absence of action. BUT: Missions are not accomplished because I have my six-shooter, and gun the bad guy down on the street. You got to have bullets and beans; you have to have them in place, at a particular time, or they do you no good. I am NOT yielding the field to those who state there is no combat, but I am saying that THIS book tells you about the massive amount of details that have to be coordinated to make anything work. That's ESSENTIAL, in any response to disaster.
3. They complain: "It's not John Ringo; it's Mike Massa." I have no idea what percent of this book is pure Ringo, and what percent is pure Massa. From the bio of Massa, though, I'm gonna point out that he has a LOT of expertise in doing the things that Tom Smith had to do. The ONLY place I thought I could identify as non-Ringo was the references to tinnitus from loud sustained noise and the sharp reports of gunfire. I don't think I have seen that emphasized in prior Ringo series. I also don't recall Ringo ever pointing out the significance of taking the boss' salt. It's an old military reference, and some emphasize it; haven't seen Ringo do that. (David Drake does, in the Raj Whitehall of Bellvue series).
Mostly, though, I couldn't stick a knife blade in between what Massa wrote and what Ringo wrote. Even if I could though: IT WAS ALL GOOD WRITING! !!
Concerning the alleged tension between describing logistics and describing combat: I loved Tom Clancy's earlier writings, because he gave attention to details. In the book "Sum of All Fears," Clancy describes in precise detail the sequence of events leading up to the detonation of a nuclear device. I LOVED that sort of detail! He wasn't describing how Jack Ryan ties his shoes, or how much time he spends picking out his clothes. He describes items significant to the plot. And whether it was Massa or Ringo (and I REALLY can't tell), that's what gets described here. It's a feature, not a bug.
Hereby Endeth the Rant!
As Faith was going through her zombie fighting in the beginning of the book, I had "Under a Graveyard Sky" at hand; I'd read the way it's described there, then switch back to this text. I just did that for my own enjoyment, but the two merge VERY nicely indeed.
With the release of "Strands of Sorrow," I was rather afraid this Ringo series would have ended. Not so, not so! There are SO many more stories to be told. For one, what is that psycho OEM Director got planned? Will Risky get frisky with Tom? And will I EVER stop flashing to the "Freehold "Universe, thinking about Kendra Pacelli, when THIS Kendra gets mentioned? (I was glad I finally identified the reference, though, because it was bugging me.) Will Ghost figure in what's going to happen next? I liked the linking of Ghost at two points: first, the liberation of the women from the brothels, including a young Risky, and secondly, having them as a source of vaccine. I'd actually like to find out if that lone Siberian tiger gets to repopulate the range, so Ghost's people can go back to collecting rugs.
Buy the book; then, buy the next one in March. And buy WHATEVER comes our way!
I've been devouring these books since they appeared. In fact, I MAY have so thoroughly and rapidly devoured them, that I missed writing reviews for some of them, which I may attempt to rectify.
HOWEVER, this one went live in November, and has been on my TBR&R list since then.
A bit of a rant, first, but I will attempt to be accurate, precise, and not launch into ad hominem attacks:
1. A sizable contingent of reviewers appear to have grabbed the book without reading enough (or any) of the blurbs & publisher descriptions.
"There are no stories about Faith!" They express profound disappointment that this book centers on the actions of Tom Smith, the banking security brother of Steve Smith.
Well, you didn't do your homework. If you had just read what's on the Baen website, or what is on the Amazon website, you discover that the FOCUS of this book is on the efforts of Tom Smith to get all of the necessary people off the island. His appearance is VERY limited in the first installment, "Under A Graveyard Sky," and we get NO information about the maneuvering of the principle players in the disintegrating city. At 384 pages, there was no room for that exposition in "Graveyard Sky;" it leaves us knowing essentially nothing about the guy who set it in motion, saving their lives, and perhaps civilization, by sending a text alert to Steve.
Read that sentence again. It's pretty clear that the narrative supports the idea that the actions of the Smith family in doing boat rescue, etc, provide the spark (and that image is milked for all it's worth in the orientation film) that turns the rest of the survivors from shivering items in the outdoor zombie pantry, into a foundation to rebuild civilization. And yet, they would have died on the streets and classrooms, just like everyone else, if Tom doesn't send the text.
This volume provides some back story about the bug-out plan, what sending the text might have cost Tom, and how ELSE he spent his time when he wasn't trying to save his family (and keep Faith away from zombies). It also gives some new character arcs to explore.
2. They say "There is too much talking, and not enough action!"
Children, let's play nice. There is more to a story than gun-play; besides that, I didn't notice anything LIKE an absence of action. BUT: Missions are not accomplished because I have my six-shooter, and gun the bad guy down on the street. You got to have bullets and beans; you have to have them in place, at a particular time, or they do you no good. I am NOT yielding the field to those who state there is no combat, but I am saying that THIS book tells you about the massive amount of details that have to be coordinated to make anything work. That's ESSENTIAL, in any response to disaster.
3. They complain: "It's not John Ringo; it's Mike Massa." I have no idea what percent of this book is pure Ringo, and what percent is pure Massa. From the bio of Massa, though, I'm gonna point out that he has a LOT of expertise in doing the things that Tom Smith had to do. The ONLY place I thought I could identify as non-Ringo was the references to tinnitus from loud sustained noise and the sharp reports of gunfire. I don't think I have seen that emphasized in prior Ringo series. I also don't recall Ringo ever pointing out the significance of taking the boss' salt. It's an old military reference, and some emphasize it; haven't seen Ringo do that. (David Drake does, in the Raj Whitehall of Bellvue series).
Mostly, though, I couldn't stick a knife blade in between what Massa wrote and what Ringo wrote. Even if I could though: IT WAS ALL GOOD WRITING! !!
Concerning the alleged tension between describing logistics and describing combat: I loved Tom Clancy's earlier writings, because he gave attention to details. In the book "Sum of All Fears," Clancy describes in precise detail the sequence of events leading up to the detonation of a nuclear device. I LOVED that sort of detail! He wasn't describing how Jack Ryan ties his shoes, or how much time he spends picking out his clothes. He describes items significant to the plot. And whether it was Massa or Ringo (and I REALLY can't tell), that's what gets described here. It's a feature, not a bug.
Hereby Endeth the Rant!
As Faith was going through her zombie fighting in the beginning of the book, I had "Under a Graveyard Sky" at hand; I'd read the way it's described there, then switch back to this text. I just did that for my own enjoyment, but the two merge VERY nicely indeed.
With the release of "Strands of Sorrow," I was rather afraid this Ringo series would have ended. Not so, not so! There are SO many more stories to be told. For one, what is that psycho OEM Director got planned? Will Risky get frisky with Tom? And will I EVER stop flashing to the "Freehold "Universe, thinking about Kendra Pacelli, when THIS Kendra gets mentioned? (I was glad I finally identified the reference, though, because it was bugging me.) Will Ghost figure in what's going to happen next? I liked the linking of Ghost at two points: first, the liberation of the women from the brothels, including a young Risky, and secondly, having them as a source of vaccine. I'd actually like to find out if that lone Siberian tiger gets to repopulate the range, so Ghost's people can go back to collecting rugs.
Buy the book; then, buy the next one in March. And buy WHATEVER comes our way!
December 22, 2018
This wasn't a bad book per se, but it wasn't as good as the prior books, I felt.
I expected this book to largely be about what happened to Tom Smith (and bankers etc) after they left New York, and what happened in their refuges.
Sadly, it was just more detail about the entire New York operation that was the very beginning of the first book of the original series. Kind of too much detail in my mind.
I can't even tell from the way it ended, if there's going to be any sequels that does what I expected this book to do in itself; namely WTF happens to Tom Smith and his banker buddies after the fall? The way it ends that could easily happen, but maybe Ringo just wants to end on that note.
Basically you never know what any series will end with Ringo. I love the author, but he has a truly _horrible _ record with finishing series. I can think of three off the top of my head that he just seemed to grow bored with, and decide to move on to new stuff. I suppose I should just be happy that he basically finished this series tolerably well after 4 books, though then he reopens the series with this parallel-to-book-1 book.
I imagine I'll never see a sequel to the Troy Rising series before I die, to name one. Hell, that series in the far future where everything goes to hell and their magical technology dies will obviously never be finished either. Oh well, enough on that. I just guess I have to hope that Ringo gets around to a new series sooner rather than later, since other than some co-authored stuff with Corriea (sp?), he hasn't done crap in like 3-4 years.
I expected this book to largely be about what happened to Tom Smith (and bankers etc) after they left New York, and what happened in their refuges.
Sadly, it was just more detail about the entire New York operation that was the very beginning of the first book of the original series. Kind of too much detail in my mind.
I can't even tell from the way it ended, if there's going to be any sequels that does what I expected this book to do in itself; namely WTF happens to Tom Smith and his banker buddies after the fall? The way it ends that could easily happen, but maybe Ringo just wants to end on that note.
Basically you never know what any series will end with Ringo. I love the author, but he has a truly _horrible _ record with finishing series. I can think of three off the top of my head that he just seemed to grow bored with, and decide to move on to new stuff. I suppose I should just be happy that he basically finished this series tolerably well after 4 books, though then he reopens the series with this parallel-to-book-1 book.
I imagine I'll never see a sequel to the Troy Rising series before I die, to name one. Hell, that series in the far future where everything goes to hell and their magical technology dies will obviously never be finished either. Oh well, enough on that. I just guess I have to hope that Ringo gets around to a new series sooner rather than later, since other than some co-authored stuff with Corriea (sp?), he hasn't done crap in like 3-4 years.
November 8, 2018
Very good read!
Seeing the story from the point of view of other characters was cool. Especially since a lot of what happened in this book was going on in the background of the first book in the series. Nice to find out what was really going on.
The book was well written and pretty exciting from the git go. Kept on with it too. Right up till the end, which came too soon.
I want more!!
Seeing the story from the point of view of other characters was cool. Especially since a lot of what happened in this book was going on in the background of the first book in the series. Nice to find out what was really going on.
The book was well written and pretty exciting from the git go. Kept on with it too. Right up till the end, which came too soon.
I want more!!
August 29, 2018
Not bad, but, not as good as the other Black Tide Rising books.
July 8, 2019
Every bit as good as the original story arc!
I was VERY intrigued by the off-stage references to the Kildar and his merry band. Does this mean we can look forward to more stories about them, IN THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?? God, I hope so!
I was VERY intrigued by the off-stage references to the Kildar and his merry band. Does this mean we can look forward to more stories about them, IN THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?? God, I hope so!
November 11, 2018
This wasn't as good as the previous stories of the series! It was interesting to discover what was going on in the background of the first story!
April 5, 2019
A look at the beginning of the end, a bit of the story has been in previous stories. Can they keep NYC alive and running? You know it didn't happen but you still get sucked into their efforts. If groups had not been so short sighted, would it have work? We'll never know, but maybe.
September 29, 2019
This is the most boring 'zombie' book I've ever read. It's full of board room meetings, business strategy planning sessions and talking. (I know that sounds implausible, but believe me its true.)
I could care less about the main characters - in fact I was kind of hoping they would all get eaten by zombies, so i could end the misery of reading this book. I had to quit reading this book just over halfway through, so I wouldn't turn in to a reading zombie.
So far most of the book takes place inside the bank of America, while all the exciting action I can only presume is happening outside. I give up. Maybe it gets better in the second half. I'll never know. I really don't care.
I could care less about the main characters - in fact I was kind of hoping they would all get eaten by zombies, so i could end the misery of reading this book. I had to quit reading this book just over halfway through, so I wouldn't turn in to a reading zombie.
So far most of the book takes place inside the bank of America, while all the exciting action I can only presume is happening outside. I give up. Maybe it gets better in the second half. I'll never know. I really don't care.
December 18, 2018
I very seldom just do not finish a book once I start it. This one is probably the 4th or 5th of those non-finishers.
I have read the other four entries into this series, all written by Ringo. They ain't fun books, folks! But they move along and have characters and action and interaction.
The Valley of Shadows...I got more than 1/2 through it, and I just couldn't find a story. There were characters - a lot of them. Viewpoints...lots. But I just could not get interested in the story. I had to quit.
Maybe I'll pick it up again in a few years.
I have read the other four entries into this series, all written by Ringo. They ain't fun books, folks! But they move along and have characters and action and interaction.
The Valley of Shadows...I got more than 1/2 through it, and I just couldn't find a story. There were characters - a lot of them. Viewpoints...lots. But I just could not get interested in the story. I had to quit.
Maybe I'll pick it up again in a few years.
November 13, 2018
This book is not written by John Ringo but edited by him. The author is an up and coming author writing in the Black Tide/Zombie series. WELL worth picking up. It's mostly about Tom Smith and how he deals with the start of the zombie infection and what happens next. Really liked this! Definitely recommend it!
January 2, 2020
This book goes back to the first days of the coming zombie apocalypse to follow the other Smith brother—Tom—who runs global security for the Bank of America and (in book 1) was responsible for producing the anti-zombie vaccine that was so important to his brother Steve (and Steve’s family’s) survival in books 1-4. It is a refreshing read because after spending three books fending off zombies in a gutted world, I had forgotten how tense the situation was as the world first started to fall apart. It makes me want to go back and reread the entire series.
So while the growing threat they pose drives all the action of the book, this is not really a novel about the undead, but about the practical politics necessary to motivate politicians and other influential people to recognize the true extent of the threat and act to save the planet. Most people are simply unable to mentally accept how dangerous and out of control the situation is growing. And then there are those who see this as an opportunity to increase their wealth and power. Add in those driven insane by the apocalypse and you have an incredibly exciting novel.
There is an Easter Egg buried in this book for those who have read others of Ringo’s novels. Ghost from the Paladin of Shadows series is on the edges of this book. I’d love to see Ringo write a novel about how Ghost and the Keldara dealt with the zombie apocalypse.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
So while the growing threat they pose drives all the action of the book, this is not really a novel about the undead, but about the practical politics necessary to motivate politicians and other influential people to recognize the true extent of the threat and act to save the planet. Most people are simply unable to mentally accept how dangerous and out of control the situation is growing. And then there are those who see this as an opportunity to increase their wealth and power. Add in those driven insane by the apocalypse and you have an incredibly exciting novel.
There is an Easter Egg buried in this book for those who have read others of Ringo’s novels. Ghost from the Paladin of Shadows series is on the edges of this book. I’d love to see Ringo write a novel about how Ghost and the Keldara dealt with the zombie apocalypse.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
February 21, 2019
In Under a Graveyard Sky, Faith and Sophia spend some time on Manhattan helping out their uncle Tom Smith. This book is the full story of how Tom and his security team at a major Wall Street bank handled the zombie apocalypse, from the first reports to the total collapse of civilisation.
Far from just filling out the story of a side character, Mr. Ringo and Mr. Massa tell a compelling story, firmly establishing Tom Smith as a major protagonist in his own right. While he naturally shares character traits with his brother Steve, he is not a carbon copy.
The story takes place against the backdrop of Wall Street, and the authors have really captured the feeling of the environment. Investment bankers tend to be smart, driven, and analytical. The response to a zombie apocalypse is rational, but also mired in internal politics. Inevitably, the situation devolves, meaning more action and less analysis, but that is not a bad thing. The action scenes are excellent and some of the ZAMMIEs (Zombie Apocalypse Moments) are hilarious.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2019/01/...
Far from just filling out the story of a side character, Mr. Ringo and Mr. Massa tell a compelling story, firmly establishing Tom Smith as a major protagonist in his own right. While he naturally shares character traits with his brother Steve, he is not a carbon copy.
The story takes place against the backdrop of Wall Street, and the authors have really captured the feeling of the environment. Investment bankers tend to be smart, driven, and analytical. The response to a zombie apocalypse is rational, but also mired in internal politics. Inevitably, the situation devolves, meaning more action and less analysis, but that is not a bad thing. The action scenes are excellent and some of the ZAMMIEs (Zombie Apocalypse Moments) are hilarious.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/2019/01/...
March 30, 2021
We follow Tom Smith, brother of Steven Smith from the first books, on his journey through the zombie apocalypses. He is the head of security for the Bank of Americas. Officially he is paid to preserve the lives and fortunes of its employees, especially the top brass. Unofficially he is trying to keep the gears turning within the cities infrastructure to "keep the lights on" as long as possible.
Tom's perspective on the fall of New York and more detail about how the top players worked to keep some semblance of law and order, more importantly the money moving as much as feasible.
However the other power players in New York; a political climber, an old school mob boss and his moll, the police chief, the head of the BERT squad, and the head of the Jamaican mob, make Tom Smith's best efforts a Sisyphusian struggle.
Tom's perspective on the fall of New York and more detail about how the top players worked to keep some semblance of law and order, more importantly the money moving as much as feasible.
However the other power players in New York; a political climber, an old school mob boss and his moll, the police chief, the head of the BERT squad, and the head of the Jamaican mob, make Tom Smith's best efforts a Sisyphusian struggle.
January 3, 2019
He did it again! OMFG, did he do it again! This is a GREAT read. If you're a true fan of Ringo's, you'll notice the reference to The Council War series in this book (which is unfair since he's said he's not going to finish the series). I am upset that I finished so quickly, and now I have to wait until the next installment of this series. Hopefully the next book will have more about the Georgian crew and the brewmistress of their group. Please write faster (if possible) Mr. Ringo! I absolutely love your books.
I would recommend this book to any and everyone. The story telling gets better and better with every book. Thomas "the Train" Smith needed for his story to be told too.
I would recommend this book to any and everyone. The story telling gets better and better with every book. Thomas "the Train" Smith needed for his story to be told too.
February 6, 2019
This book left me wanting more......While I appreciate the attempt to flesh out more details of the fall of the civilization from the Tom Smith perspective, it felt too cautious, too unexciting because the bare bones were already published in the original novel by John Ringo.
The original short story by Massa in the collection of short stories I found much more entertaining. While there are decent starts to some of the characters in this book, it was either too long as an attempt to rehash various stories, or too short to truly develop the characters to care whether they lived or died.
I am hoping that book 2 by this author in the continuation of the story steps it up. This is really the first book of the extended world that I have been somewhat disappointed in.
The original short story by Massa in the collection of short stories I found much more entertaining. While there are decent starts to some of the characters in this book, it was either too long as an attempt to rehash various stories, or too short to truly develop the characters to care whether they lived or died.
I am hoping that book 2 by this author in the continuation of the story steps it up. This is really the first book of the extended world that I have been somewhat disappointed in.
October 25, 2019
This is a new entry in the Black Tide Rising series, dealing with Tom Smith, brother to Steve, brother in law to Stacey, and uncle to Faith and Sofia. He's the head of Security for the Bank of the Americas. As such, he's made plans for the zombie apocalypse, but the bank is reluctant to activate his plans. This means weeks and months are spent exploring what happens in Manhattan as humanity slowly falls victim to the zombie virus.
While Faith, Steve, Sofia and Stacy all make cameos, this is Tom's story, along with some of his security staff. Some of the story was covered in the short story "Battle of the BERTs" by Mike Massa in the Black Tide anthology, which is how this book now exists.
I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
While Faith, Steve, Sofia and Stacy all make cameos, this is Tom's story, along with some of his security staff. Some of the story was covered in the short story "Battle of the BERTs" by Mike Massa in the Black Tide anthology, which is how this book now exists.
I look forward to reading the next one in the series.
December 11, 2020
Author John Ringo works with co-author Mike Massa, a former Navy SEAL, to make an excellent retelling of his first book of his zombie series, 'Under A Graveyard Sky'.
Rather than using the point of view of Faith Smith, a lanky and irrepressible 13-year-old, he tells of the worldwide zombie outbreak from the viewpoint of Tom Smith, a bank security officers and former military man.
Mixing the NYPD, mobsters, bank, and city officials together, the authors make a tangled plot line as the world unravels. All the while Tom Smith is waiting for the word from his CEO to bug out of New York City to his carefully prepared refuge.
Will the evacuation call come in time for anyone to get out? Because New York falls into chaos in a single night.
Rather than using the point of view of Faith Smith, a lanky and irrepressible 13-year-old, he tells of the worldwide zombie outbreak from the viewpoint of Tom Smith, a bank security officers and former military man.
Mixing the NYPD, mobsters, bank, and city officials together, the authors make a tangled plot line as the world unravels. All the while Tom Smith is waiting for the word from his CEO to bug out of New York City to his carefully prepared refuge.
Will the evacuation call come in time for anyone to get out? Because New York falls into chaos in a single night.
December 2, 2018
Another awesome book in the Black Tide Rising universe!
John Ringo and Mike Massa hit it out of the park with this addition to the Black Tide Rising universe, telling the story of the other Smith, the fall of NYC, and the adventures of the National Guard troops that assisted the Smiths out of Washington Square Park. Well written, well paced, and full of good background information about the disease, the fight against it, and the preparation, or lack thereof, that everyone had. Great characters, both good, bad, and in between, Risky and Astro are great! Callbacks to another series are fun as well. I highly recommend this book.
John Ringo and Mike Massa hit it out of the park with this addition to the Black Tide Rising universe, telling the story of the other Smith, the fall of NYC, and the adventures of the National Guard troops that assisted the Smiths out of Washington Square Park. Well written, well paced, and full of good background information about the disease, the fight against it, and the preparation, or lack thereof, that everyone had. Great characters, both good, bad, and in between, Risky and Astro are great! Callbacks to another series are fun as well. I highly recommend this book.
January 27, 2019
An alternative view to the beginning of the series.
This book deals basically with the events at beginning of the first book, but seen from the perspective of the other characters (Tom Smith, the NYPD, the mob, and a few others we barely saw). It makes for an interesting read, since we know where this is going to end, and mostly how. Filling the gaps with stories and a handful of other characters is the challenge, mostly achieved.
I still say mostly because even if you try to keep the suspense up until a kind of cliffhanger, we really know how it ends, even if the ending is off-book. Definitively worth a read if you liked the rest of the series.
This book deals basically with the events at beginning of the first book, but seen from the perspective of the other characters (Tom Smith, the NYPD, the mob, and a few others we barely saw). It makes for an interesting read, since we know where this is going to end, and mostly how. Filling the gaps with stories and a handful of other characters is the challenge, mostly achieved.
I still say mostly because even if you try to keep the suspense up until a kind of cliffhanger, we really know how it ends, even if the ending is off-book. Definitively worth a read if you liked the rest of the series.
March 19, 2019
If you haven't read any of John Ringo's zombie series, then this one is an excellent place to start, since it fills in a whole lot of background skipped in the other volumes in the series. If you have already read the rest of the books in the series, then this one will fill in a whole lot of gaps in the various timelines. If you're just a fan of zombie stories, then this book isn't a bad one to read, although without the others in the series, you're missing out on some serious zombie action. If you're not a fan of zombie apocalypse books, that's ok too, this book might still entertain you sufficiently for the read anyway.
January 14, 2020
Pros:
-A new book set in a universe I've come to really, really enjoy
-Astroga
-Good action scenes
-References to other Ringo books and series (Kildar and There Will Be Dragons come to mind)
-Astroga
-Backstory and fleshing out of what happened during The Fall
-Some interesting new characters, primarily Astroga
Cons:
-This was a Mike Massa book, not a John Ringo book
-Faith and Sophia, when they appeared, did not act like Faith and Sophia (though to be fair Ringo struggles with that sometimes)
-Slow-paced in some places
-Doesn't really contribute substantially to the universe Ringo created
-A new book set in a universe I've come to really, really enjoy
-Astroga
-Good action scenes
-References to other Ringo books and series (Kildar and There Will Be Dragons come to mind)
-Astroga
-Backstory and fleshing out of what happened during The Fall
-Some interesting new characters, primarily Astroga
Cons:
-This was a Mike Massa book, not a John Ringo book
-Faith and Sophia, when they appeared, did not act like Faith and Sophia (though to be fair Ringo struggles with that sometimes)
-Slow-paced in some places
-Doesn't really contribute substantially to the universe Ringo created
July 18, 2020
Both a "how to," and a "how not to..."
...plan for, prepare for, and carry out a disaster response. What makes the BTR series compelling is that it's a ZOMBA where the focus is not on the zeds, not is it body horror or torture pr0n of cannibalism. It's actually refreshing because there's only so many ways to eat and destroy a human body, and frankly I think Tom Savini covered most of them already.
Massa's take on how the system would come apart, and where, is pretty compelling, especially if you've ever worked in a disaster response event or are involved in emergency management. I think this puts BTR much more in the side of the ZOMBA genre that Max Brooks shows
...plan for, prepare for, and carry out a disaster response. What makes the BTR series compelling is that it's a ZOMBA where the focus is not on the zeds, not is it body horror or torture pr0n of cannibalism. It's actually refreshing because there's only so many ways to eat and destroy a human body, and frankly I think Tom Savini covered most of them already.
Massa's take on how the system would come apart, and where, is pretty compelling, especially if you've ever worked in a disaster response event or are involved in emergency management. I think this puts BTR much more in the side of the ZOMBA genre that Max Brooks shows
November 20, 2018
Good
I was so excited to see a new Black Tide Rising book from John Ringo that I could barely contain myself. That was until I started reading the book. Then the excitement was tempered with reality. There was no Faith Smith to carry story with her unique sense of over the top craziness. No Sophia as a counter to Faith with rational thoughts. No fun in the book. This book lacked a certain something that made the other books difficult to put down once you started reading them.
I was so excited to see a new Black Tide Rising book from John Ringo that I could barely contain myself. That was until I started reading the book. Then the excitement was tempered with reality. There was no Faith Smith to carry story with her unique sense of over the top craziness. No Sophia as a counter to Faith with rational thoughts. No fun in the book. This book lacked a certain something that made the other books difficult to put down once you started reading them.
April 30, 2019
although a good book and still in the same time and place as the first book this book is about the start of the plague from the view of Tom Smith. also this book is more about the political side than the survival side. I really Hope that John Ringo will go back to the main family from the first 4 books Steven, Stacey, Sophia and Faith. as i prefer those characters. however it was interesting finding out what happend to the brother after they left and what he was dealing with behind the scenes.
June 17, 2019
So, I am just a sucker for John Ringo's zombie books. I've actually read quite a few zombie books, over all, and I really enjoy these ones by John Ringo. Reading this one almost makes me want to get out and reread the other ones. We'll see.
This book is set at the same time as the first book in the series, but is from the point of view of Tom, instead of Steve. It includes the canon events from that first book, but from the other point of view. I really enjoyed this and have the next one on hold right now.
This book is set at the same time as the first book in the series, but is from the point of view of Tom, instead of Steve. It includes the canon events from that first book, but from the other point of view. I really enjoyed this and have the next one on hold right now.
December 16, 2019
I don't know why it took me so long to read this book. I absolutely loved the first 4 in this series. This title basically starts back over at the beginning of the Zombie Plague with the focus on Steven's brother Tom. The man who sent that fateful text message warning of the coming plague in the first place. Yes! I loved the little we got to know about Tom in the first 4 books. He is a great character and getting this deep dive into the NYC scene was really fun. So if you enjoyed the first 4 books in this series then you gotta pick this one up.
June 14, 2020
Turns out writing a zombie novel about douchey wall street assholes interested in finance over human life is still a novel about douchey wall street assholes.
The action is fine, but don't expect much of it as the cover implies. It again has the trend of zombie novels that are mindless-shoot-em-ups, which wouldn't be so much of an issue if the main characters didn't come across as violent psychpaths completely willing and excited to kill infected people.
I'm tired of people pretending the zombie apoclypse would be cool. Let's be honest, it'd be shitty, try and treat it like it.
The action is fine, but don't expect much of it as the cover implies. It again has the trend of zombie novels that are mindless-shoot-em-ups, which wouldn't be so much of an issue if the main characters didn't come across as violent psychpaths completely willing and excited to kill infected people.
I'm tired of people pretending the zombie apoclypse would be cool. Let's be honest, it'd be shitty, try and treat it like it.
October 2, 2024
Changeup
The book is good, but different from the four previous. In book four I remember thinking; what happened to Tom Smith, well, book five answers that. John Ringo’s attention to detail can be a double edged sword, like book one where he went into too much detail on how a vaccine is made and works, book five detailed how the bank of the Americas worked and planned operation Zeus. There wasn’t as much killing zombies but there’s a pretty good firefight. And a new set of interesting characters. Still a great series.
The book is good, but different from the four previous. In book four I remember thinking; what happened to Tom Smith, well, book five answers that. John Ringo’s attention to detail can be a double edged sword, like book one where he went into too much detail on how a vaccine is made and works, book five detailed how the bank of the Americas worked and planned operation Zeus. There wasn’t as much killing zombies but there’s a pretty good firefight. And a new set of interesting characters. Still a great series.
November 15, 2018
This reads as if it weren't written by john Ringo. It's set in the BTR universe, and it's about how Tom gets his people out of NYC. There's not a lot of action, and the dialogue isn't particularly snappy. It reads to me as if it were written by someone who has mostly done expository, analytical writing. JR's cowritten books are an uneven bunch in general, and this is not a bad book, it's just not a particularly good one.
November 30, 2018
Another amazing book by John Ringo. Since discovering this author I have read through his books voraciously. Great character development and a new look at this series.
Amazing book by an amazing author. His use of imagery is second to his plot development. He has created a world that draws you in n and makes you want to cheer for the not so good guys. He makes that. Characters human and does not foist his politics in his writing.
Amazing book by an amazing author. His use of imagery is second to his plot development. He has created a world that draws you in n and makes you want to cheer for the not so good guys. He makes that. Characters human and does not foist his politics in his writing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews