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The Retreat #2

Schlachthaus

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Mit dem Lachen kommt der Tod …

Die rauchenden Trümmer von Boston hinter sich lassend, führt Oberstleutnant Harry Lee das Erste Bataillon des 55. Infanterie-Regiments auf eine gefährliche Mission zu ihrer belagerten Heimatbasis Fort Drum. Auf dem Weg liegen ganze Legionen kranker Killer auf der Lauer und die Soldaten müssen sich grauenvoller Angriffe erwehren. Lee kämpft verbissen darum, das Bataillon zusammenzuhalten und durch diesen Wahnsinn zu lenken.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2014

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Stephen Knight

37 books75 followers

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5 stars
208 (43%)
4 stars
179 (37%)
3 stars
75 (15%)
2 stars
12 (2%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Kaisersoze.
751 reviews30 followers
December 20, 2015
The follow-up to Pandemic sees Stephen Knight take the major reigns from Craig DiLouie and have to guide the reader through the often difficult second-book in a series.

Straight off, the best part of Slaughterhouse is how authentic it feels. Not the infected people who laugh like hyenas while they're trying to pull your larynx out through your ass, but rather the way in which the military characters in this book speak and behave screams believable. Not that I've ever been in the army, so I cannot accurately say, but compared to other books of this apocalyptic type, this one seems to be aiming to get it right.

Of course, that also works against Slaughterhouse insofar as making it a chore to read through the repetitive, technical nature of much of what is being described. But worse than that, is the way in which none of the characters - other than the single female POV character, Rawlings - seem to have any real depth to them. Instead they just felt like variations on military cliche. And as such, I cared barely at all when some of them died.

It's a shame, but this one just did not do it for me. I'm clearly in the minority looking at the other glowing reviews of Slaughterhouse online; which is a good thing because the third in the series is about to drop and I wish the authors every success with it.

I just won't be a part of it, because, sad to say, I'm going AWOL from this series.

2 Homicidal Maniacs Flying an Assault Helicopter for Slaughterhouse.
Profile Image for Angela Verdenius.
Author 66 books678 followers
February 5, 2021
Hooley dooley dooley! The proverbial hits the fan and spatters when Klowns starting freakin' flying planes!! What's worse than Klowns (aka murderous maniacs?) in general? Klowns that can think! is the world DOOMED???? I don't see how anyone could possibly survive this! I'm off to read the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Gerd.
557 reviews39 followers
March 22, 2018
Stephen Knights Fortführung der Geschichte kann nicht ganz mit Craig DiLouies Einstieg mithalten, liefert aber von kleineren Schwächen abgesehen immer noch lesenwerte Militäraction.
Knight unterscheided sich von DiLouie darin das er weniger auf seine Charaktere eingeht, und wo DiLouie eher Waffenvernarrt wirkt erscheint Knight ein Technikjunkie zu sein, so das wir dieses mal sehr viel über die militärische Fahrzeughardware erfahren.

Zu bemängeln gäbe es von mir das Knight zu gelegentlich unpassenden Momenten humoristische Passagen einbringt welche die bedrohliche Atmospäre unterminieren. Auch plagen den Text unnötige Wiederholungen:
Dekker würde einfach mit einem minengeschützten, leichtgepanzerten Landfahrzeug (kurz: MRAP) über sie drüberfahren.

Den markierten Satzteil bekommen wie ganze viermal um die Ohren gehauen, ehe der Autor sich sicher scheint dass wir nun wissen was ein MRAP ist.

Dass soll nicht heißen das ich die kurzen Erläuterungen zu der Unzahl von Abkürzungen für Militärhardware als Laie nicht begrüßt hätte, nur, einmal genügt in der Regel.


Die Übersetzung wurde wieder von Katrin Fahnert besorgt.
An dieser vielen mir zwei Dinge unangenehm ins Auge, zum einen wechseln manche Sätze die Zeitform und zum anderen "155zigstes" erzeugt eine unnötige Wiederholung im Wort, wörtlich ergibt dies nämlich "hunderfünfundfünzigzigstes", leider eine sehr hartnäckige Gewohnheit mit der man sich mehrfach im Text herumschlagen muss.
Profile Image for Joan.
1,135 reviews7 followers
June 14, 2017
After the horrifying battle against thousands upon thousands of Klowns at Fort Drum, Lt. Colonel Lee, Major Walker, Rawlings, Muldoon, the remaining Tenth Mountain Division and about one thousand civilians head for Philly to find the families from the fort. The Klowns are finding new ways to infect people by using balloons filled with infected piss, feces and other liquids by tossing them into crowds.
The group is learning the hard way that whatever knowledge the Klowns had before becoming infected remains. They know how to use weapons, set ambushes, use copters, planes and other means to eradicate or infect thousands more.
This non stop, action packed tale of survival against overwhelming odds is filled with blood, gore and despair but I couldn't put it down. A must read for people who love the horror/military genre. On to book three.
Profile Image for Christine.
14 reviews
January 12, 2017
Took me forever to finish it since military focused fiction is never my cup of tea. Every time I picked it up, it took me a good 5 to 10 minutes to work through the start. However, that being said, the story line is pretty good. It's not some super in depth book. It's a zombie virus survival from the eyes of soldiers. It delivers exactly what it claims to and does it suburb. It is a very quick read for anyone who doesn't mind the military aspect as much as I seem to. The third one is currently qued up on my kindle, though it has a couple books to wait behind. I am looking forward to reading more of the story and world that the authors have created!
Profile Image for Jeff Swystun.
Author 29 books13 followers
September 29, 2018
This second novella in the series is nonstop action. Headache inducing nonstop action actually. There is little nuance, plot, or character development. This is full-on guns blazing, hollow dialogue testosterone. So it is vacuous, apocalyptic fun. It could be so much better with a bit of intrigue into the virus that is blowing up the world. Perhaps that will come in the third entry, because once in awhile I need vacuous, guns blazing fun.
Profile Image for Jarryd Kalideen.
400 reviews7 followers
August 7, 2022
Brutal af

This series has become as engrossing as any. Flows from page to page, breathlessly taking you along for the ride. The sheer carnage, and ferocity of the enemy, coupled with the mind boggling (for a sane person) level of damage and evil is hard to even imagine. Brilliant book.
570 reviews3 followers
August 1, 2021
Definitely not a feel good book

If you like your stories bloody and dark. Without hardly a shred of hope. Then this series is for you. This book was well written and an engaging story.
Profile Image for Diego.
259 reviews3 followers
July 10, 2018
"Eles acabaram de arremessar a porra de um BEBÊ contra nós?" Soldado Weir gritou através de sua máscara.
Profile Image for Jonathan Swilper.
13 reviews
October 2, 2022
Book #2 of a very well written military/apocalypse series. A little different virus type, but brings a fresh take to the genre.
25 reviews
August 11, 2025
Great fun.

a little heavy on maneuver strategy at times but still a go to read. The authors have constructed one wild world to play in!
Profile Image for David Dalton.
3,082 reviews
August 1, 2014
I see that term used a lot in reviews: "Non-Stop Action", but in this case it applies. I was very impressed with the trio of authors on this exciting thriller. Wow! Okay, not zombies, but crazed laughing killer maniacs, that are actually more of a threat than just zombies. These maniacs can think and plan. They can fly helicopters, drive trucks/cars, and shoot! They throw out their body wastes in an effort to spread the bug.

The book is aptly names: Slaughterhouse. Tons and tons of blood & gore. No such thing as a peaceful quiet dignified death. The pace never slackened. I would rate this story right up there with the best of the Arisen series (which I love): Maximum Violence (Arisen, #4) by Glynn James
Profile Image for Lori.
79 reviews4 followers
June 23, 2016
I just kind of kept wondering what was going on with this second installment. The idea of the Killer Clowns is still compelling, but with this one, there was no clear main character to root for. There are three important characters, but none who seem to stand out as "the hero" to me. Unless the hero *is* the military machine? And nothing actually happened. The military fights their way across the state and nothing about the plot advances at all. Very confusing. I'm giving the last one a chance, but I was fairly disappointed in this one.
129 reviews8 followers
May 9, 2014
The Retreat Slaughterhouse is the second volume in an apocalyptic series written by three very good horror authors that pits an army battalion against the virus madden killer clowns. The action is non-stop and my only complaint is that it ended way to soon. I look forward to the next book in this series. Craig Dilouie, Stephen Knight, and Joe McKinney have done a great job.
Profile Image for Cathy Harris.
88 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2014
Good

Ok..Good read. There's a lot of details in the book in regards to the weaponry. I do not know anything about them. However, that being said, I think this one is better than the first one. It was worth reading and I look forward to the next one. I enjoy reading these authors work. Together was not a disappointment.
Profile Image for Johnathan Breeland.
250 reviews4 followers
October 25, 2023
A Slaughter of a book

Another five star book by the Kings of carnage,Stephen Knight did this book right Nonstop Action and Mayhem from start to finish I really can't wait to see where this series goes if you've read book 1 you'll definitely enjoy this one
Profile Image for Andrea Payne.
709 reviews6 followers
August 10, 2022
The Retreat #2

A short, quick read which is quite obviously written from by a different author than #1. This one is more complex, especially when considering the "fight" scenes which are detailed and accurate and are written in a voice of experienced fighters.
3 reviews1 follower
August 20, 2014
Good read

The best book of this type that I have read.Will the next be as good.No doubt given the fact that I.
Profile Image for William Siracuse.
139 reviews
October 1, 2017
Need more claymore ma!!

Boom!!!!! What was the last thing that went through the clowns heads? The ordinance inside the claymore lol. This book continues the ride of the 55th and doesn't disappoint. On to book three...liar. mwhahahahaha
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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