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The Plague: Judgement Day

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Anyone who has ever attended church, Sunday school, or frankly watched a late-night 1970’s horror film has heard of the Judgement Day. For many years, the concept has been used to instill fear into people, either through a fiery sermon at a Sunday church service or in a 3:00 am horror movie. What if it was real? What if Revelation wasn’t just a Vatican fairy tale but a real prophecy given to us by a greater intelligence? Okay, take away the four horsemen and the brimstone, but keep the end of days and the concept of humanity as a whole being judged. Welcome to The Plague, Judgement Day. Such is the situation for Mike Polson, a middle-aged family man, who finds himself in a weird situation when he starts having strange and violent dreams. As a result, he ends up in an unusual clinic in a dark part of town when what seems to be a plague erupts. After being trapped in the clinic for the better part of two weeks, a group of those trapped, led by a former Special Ops unit commander, finally breakout, only to find themselves in Dante’s Inferno and facing the possibility of Judgement Day. So, what would you do? Find your family in hopes that they may have survived or stick with the group, the best chance for your survival? Welcome to Mike Polson and the world’s dilemma. Enjoy. This is book 1 of the Apocalyptic Series

205 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2020

84 people are currently reading
13 people want to read

About the author

Sean O'Neil

19 books15 followers
Who hasn't had dreams about becoming a writer? The image of great writers and the vision of their success, and more so, their freedom in life, appeals to many people, and it certainly appealed to me.

Writing wasn't where I thought I would be at this point in life. I'm an MBA Grad and former CEO, but I left the executive world behind to ultimately opt for a life of adventure and writing, and I am so glad I did.

I've spent the last twenty years journeying the world and finding human stories that spark my own stories. I look beyond the standard sites and tourist traps; I look for the human side that is hidden behind them and the stories that others simply don't find. I was gifted with the ability to connect with people, no matter their background. I have friendships stretching from the Philippines to India, to the Middle East to Central America. I have worked and lived on four continents, and wherever I have been, I've found the path less traveled.

I write quick, simple read books. I don't try to complicate things; I just focus on making the reading fun. I don't pretend to be the next Stephen King. I write books that I hope readers find entertaining.

I specialize in writing thrillers in three sub-genres:

My first sub-genre is Supernatural Thrillers with novels such as The Comatose Diaries, my Grindhouse series, and The Chosen to name a few. I write these in the old school style, heavy on the story build and the suspense. They are along the lines of great 1970s legends such as The Exorcists and The Omen. I often incorporate concepts such as nature as an active participant in this world, as well as God, Gaia, and the Devil, and the incredible spiritual capabilities of our Native Canadians. I don't do slasher books. In my opinion, it is simply low-brow writing.

The second sub-genre is apocalyptic/dystopian. I don't write the traditional zombie or Walking Dead stories. Mine are creative and take unique takes on the apocalypse and are really told through the characters in my stories. My novels, The Plague: Judgement Day and Demons: Judgement Day, are both best-sellers.

My final sub-genre is my smallest but very popular. I write dark romantic thrillers, including Parminder's Journey trilogy and the multi-award-winning film noir thriller, Jhill.

In all genres, I focus on quick, enthralling reads. My books are typically between 220 and 270 pages. A temporary break from reality for less than the price of a coffee.

The books are intended to draw you in and provide an escape from the world outside for a brief period of time. I do it through deep and realistic characters, complex plots with the odd twist, and a pace that makes it hard to put the book down.

I write from the heart and soul. I'm a natural storyteller. I do this because I want others to find the same joy in reading as I did when I was young. In my youth, my first book was Lord of the Rings, a gift from my father. From the day I picked that book up, I never stopped reading. I had always hoped that one day I could inspire someone to feel the same way about reading as I did then.

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5 stars
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17 (19%)
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8 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
3 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2020
Fantastic riveting thorough enjoyable ride

I’m typically not a reader of thrillers but this book had me spell bound. I started by chancing a chapter and before I knew it I was six chapters in and biting my nails. Oh boy here I am in the midst of a pandemic and I’m reading The Plague. Do yourself a favor read a chapter or six and you too will be hooked. Fantastic book!
Profile Image for Kim.
11 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2025
This book immediately hooked me by taking a familiar idea Judgement Day and stripping it of the clichés. Instead of leaning on religious fear or overused apocalypse tropes, The Plague: Judgement Day asks a far more unsettling question: what if the end wasn’t symbolic, exaggerated, or myth but real, calculated, and unavoidable?

Following Mike Polson, an ordinary family man, made the story feel grounded and personal. His strange, violent dreams slowly blur the line between nightmare and reality, and that tension carries through the entire book. The clinic setting is claustrophobic and eerie, and once the breakout happens, the story shifts into something darker and more intense. The outside world feels like chaos incarnate less fire-and-brimstone spectacle and more psychological dread. What stood out most was the moral weight of survival: choosing between finding loved ones or staying with the group that offers the best chance to live.

This isn’t just an apocalyptic thriller it’s a story about fear, choice, and what humanity becomes when judgment feels imminent. The pacing is strong, the atmosphere is heavy, and the ending leaves you wanting answers without feeling cheated. A solid and compelling start to an apocalyptic series that feels both familiar and refreshingly different.
2 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day takes a concept we think we understand Judgement Day and turns it into something far more disturbing and believable. This isn’t about sermons or ancient warnings meant to scare; it’s about what happens when the end feels organized, intentional, and terrifyingly real.

Mike Polson is an easy character to connect with because he’s not a hero or a prophet he’s a regular man with a family, suddenly caught in a nightmare he can’t explain. The strange dreams, the unsettling clinic, and the slow realization that something is very wrong build an atmosphere of constant tension. When the group finally escapes, the world they encounter feels like a modern-day inferno, chaotic and unforgiving, where every decision could be the wrong one.

What really stayed with me was the emotional conflict: survival versus loyalty, fear versus hope, and the impossible choice between searching for family or sticking with the group that offers safety. The story doesn’t rush these questions it lets them sit with you.

Dark, gripping, and thought-provoking, this book feels less like a typical apocalypse and more like a judgment of humanity itself. A strong opening to what promises to be an intense series.
9 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2025
This book feels like the kind of apocalypse that could actually happen not loud at first, not obvious, but creeping in through confusion and fear. The Plague: Judgement Day starts by unsettling the reader rather than shocking them, and that approach really works.

Mike Polson is a relatable lead because he reacts the way most people would: denial, fear, and a desperate need to protect his family. The strange clinic, the violent dreams, and the sense of being trapped create a constant tension that never fully lets up. When the characters finally make it outside, the world they find is brutal, chaotic, and deeply unsettling, without feeling over-the-top.

What stood out to me most was the emotional weight behind every decision. The story isn’t just about surviving a plague it’s about the cost of survival and the impossible choices people face when the rules of the world collapse. The idea of Judgement Day is handled in a way that feels more psychological than religious, which makes it hit harder.

This is a strong opening to an apocalyptic series that focuses on humanity as much as disaster. Dark, engaging, and thought-provoking from start to finish.
6 reviews
December 22, 2025
I went into this expecting a standard apocalyptic story, but The Plague: Judgement Day surprised me by how personal it feels. Instead of focusing only on the collapse of the world, the story centers on the fear, confusion, and choices of ordinary people caught in something far bigger than they understand.

Mike Polson feels real a middle-aged family man thrown into chaos without warning. The strange dreams and the time spent trapped in the clinic create a sense of dread that builds slowly and never fully disappears. When the group finally escapes, the outside world isn’t relief it’s a harsher, more dangerous reality that feels almost hellish in its unpredictability.

What I found most compelling was the dilemma at the heart of the story: stay with the group that offers safety, or risk everything to find the people you love. That question lingers throughout the book and gives the apocalypse an emotional core, not just a destructive one.

This isn’t a flashy end-of-the-world novel it’s a tense, unsettling exploration of survival, fear, and judgment. A solid and engaging first entry that made me curious about what comes next.
Profile Image for Sean O'Neil.
Author 19 books15 followers
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November 24, 2020
The first in my Apocalyptic Series. This one centers around the concept of a plague of the soul and the world seemingly breaking down as part of a biblical revelations event. The story is focused on a group of people who battle to survive in an apocalyptic world following a locked down in a medical facility.

The series, which takes a variety of views at the end of time, will have five books in total. Book two is out already and is called Love in the Time of EMPs. In that book, the apocalypse is brought about by a series of EMPs caused by massive solar flares. Book three, Demons Judgement Day, is also out and is the sister book to the plague. In Demons, the story is similar to The Plague whereby in this case a group of vacationers is trapped in Las Vegas, Sin City as the world begins to break down around them.

The final two books will come over the next year. The fourth is to be called 254 and will be the story of an apocalypse brought on by runaway technology while In the Footsteps of God will be a prequel to the entire seriesl
Profile Image for Marika Lenee Kerr.
369 reviews3 followers
September 8, 2020
It starts with the dreams then you get a rash, then become a monster. The world is also going crazy and people are infected. The sun has stopped shining is this the revelations the bible foretold? Mike Polson started having the dreams and is stuck in this clinic with the real Judgement Day begins. After two weeks of being locked in the clinic the group breaks out to find the world very different than before. Some want to find their family in hopes that they have survived while others are heading to Big Sur where they hear it is better. The journey will end with a twist. Definitely plan on reading the next in the series.
Profile Image for Emma Raynor.
11 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day reimagines the apocalypse without relying on religious spectacle or cheap horror. Through the eyes of Mike Polson a middle-aged family man plagued by violent dreams the story builds quiet dread before erupting into chaos when a mysterious plague traps him in a dark, secretive clinic.

Once the survivors break free, the novel shifts into a bleak, unforgiving world where survival depends as much on moral choices as strength. At its core, this is not just an end-of-days story, but a question of loyalty, sacrifice, and what truly matters when humanity itself may be facing judgment. A strong, unsettling start to the Apocalyptic Series.
Profile Image for Story Spotlight.
9 reviews
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day takes a familiar apocalyptic idea and makes it feel unsettlingly personal. What begins as disturbing dreams for Mike Polson, an ordinary family man, spirals into a full-scale collapse marked by a mysterious plague and confinement in a shadowy clinic.

As the survivors escape into a world that feels closer to hell than salvation, the story focuses less on spectacle and more on impossible choices stay with the group to survive, or risk everything to find family. Dark, tense, and thought-provoking, this first book sets the tone for an apocalyptic series driven by human decisions rather than religious fear.
Profile Image for Dani Loves.
9 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day turns the idea of Judgment Day into something chillingly plausible. Instead of sermons or superstition, it delivers a slow-building sense of dread through Mike Polson, an everyday man whose violent dreams foreshadow a world unraveling under a deadly plague.

Confined to a shadowy clinic and later thrust into a nightmare landscape, the survivors must choose between safety in numbers and the pull of family and conscience. Tense, bleak, and sharply human, this first installment sets a solid foundation for an apocalyptic series driven by choice, consequence, and survival.
Profile Image for Jeff D..
121 reviews1 follower
January 4, 2021
Not a great book - writing style is simplistic but the concept is good. Conversations between characters are painful at times the author uses the characters names way way too much - doesn't give the reader credit that they can follow a 2 person dialog without naming who said what after each line. I was never scared - not a tense page turner type book..its just sort of..there. May try another of his books just to be fair but definitely not this series. Only 200 pages worth a shot but don't get your hopes up
Profile Image for Thompson.
164 reviews5 followers
August 15, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day takes the “end of the world” concept and gives it a gritty, fresh spin. Sean O’Neil pulls you right into Mike Polson’s unsettling dreams and traps you in the tension of survival, faith, and impossible choices. The pacing keeps you hooked, and the mix of psychological suspense with apocalyptic dread makes this a standout in the genre. If you like your thrillers with depth, danger, and a dash of Revelation-inspired chills, this is one to grab. Can’t wait to see where the series goes next!
Profile Image for Violett Blais.
10 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day offers a dark, grounded take on the end of the world, trading religious theatrics for psychological tension. Following Mike Polson, a regular family man haunted by violent dreams, the story escalates quickly from quiet unease to full-blown collapse when a mysterious plague takes hold.

Trapped, then forced to escape into a world that feels brutally unforgiving, the survivors face a central question: survival at any cost, or loyalty to those you love? Grim, fast-moving, and morally charged, this is a strong and compelling opening to the Apocalyptic Series.
Profile Image for Grace Holloway.
9 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day presents an apocalyptic scenario that feels disturbingly close to home. Through Mike Polson, a family man caught in the early stages of a mysterious plague, the story builds unease through confinement, fear, and unanswered questions rather than spectacle.

When escape finally comes, it leads not to relief but to a harsher reality, where survival demands painful choices and leadership is tested at every turn. Dark, suspenseful, and focused on human instinct under pressure, this is a compelling start to the Apocalyptic Series.
Profile Image for Maya L..
7 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day approaches the end of the world with restraint and menace, turning a familiar concept into something unsettlingly real. Mike Polson, an ordinary family man, is drawn into chaos through violent dreams and a sudden plague that leaves him trapped in a grim, isolated clinic.

As the survivors break free, the novel shifts into a stark fight for survival where loyalty, leadership, and personal loss collide. Tense and morally driven, this first book lays a strong foundation for an apocalyptic series that values human choice over spectacle.
58 reviews4 followers
December 10, 2020
Almost there...

Alright, during the 1st quarter of the book I had the strange feeling that I was reading a high school writers first try. It felt like an unsure attempt at a first book.
Maybe it's just me,but I almost stopped reading.
It got better after the halfway point.
By the end it was terrifying.
I wanted to give it 5 stars, but the amateurish opening precluded that.
I'm definitely going to read on to find out what happened with that last scream...
11 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day offers a gritty, unsettling take on the end of the world. The story follows an ordinary man caught in extraordinary circumstances, blending apocalyptic horror with real human fear and moral choices. The tension builds steadily, especially in the confined clinic scenes, and the outside world feels dark and unforgiving. A strong, thought-provoking start to an apocalyptic series that leaves you wanting more.
6 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day explores the end of days through the lens of ordinary people forced to rely on one another. As fear spreads and the world collapses, trust, leadership, and survival become just as important as escaping the plague itself. The group dynamic adds depth to the tension, making the story feel real and unsettling. A strong beginning to an apocalyptic series focused on humanity as much as disaster.
Profile Image for Jordan ReadsTooMuch.
7 reviews
December 22, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day delivers a tense, gripping take on the apocalypse. Mike Polson, an ordinary man, is thrust into a nightmare when a mysterious plague traps him and others in a shadowy clinic.

The story shines in its exploration of survival, loyalty, and moral choices as the characters face a world on the brink of collapse. Dark, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, this is a strong opening to the Apocalyptic Series.
2 reviews
February 9, 2023
Page Turner on The Plague Judgement Day

This was an easy read with lots of action and themes that were woven throughout the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this first in a series of books by this author. The characters were Interesting and relatable.

I’m starting on his second book in this series right away!
Profile Image for Adlin Greytuy.
6 reviews
December 20, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day blends apocalyptic horror with psychological tension. The slow descent from normal life into chaos feels believable, and the clinic setting adds a strong sense of fear and isolation. Mike’s struggle between survival and family gives the story emotional weight. A solid, dark start to a series that hints at much bigger things to come.
8 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day stands out by mixing apocalyptic horror with psychological tension. The slow buildup from disturbing dreams to full-scale collapse keeps the story gripping. Mike Polson feels relatable, and his struggle between survival and family gives the story emotional weight. A haunting and engaging start to the series.
3 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day is a dark, fast-moving apocalyptic story that pulls you in quickly. The idea of Judgment Day unfolding quietly through confusion and fear is unsettling, and the clinic scenes are especially tense. The characters feel realistic, and the choices they face make the danger feel personal. A gripping introduction to a series with plenty of promise.
1 review
December 20, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day creates a haunting atmosphere where fear builds gradually rather than all at once. The mix of strange dreams, isolation, and a spreading plague keeps the story tense and unpredictable. The characters feel grounded, and the survival choices add emotional depth. An engaging opening that sets the tone for a darker apocalyptic journey.
Profile Image for Vera Meyer.
8 reviews
December 20, 2025
The Plague: Judgement Day stands out by treating the apocalypse as something confusing and terrifyingly real. The story’s strength lies in its mood slow, tense, and unsettling especially in the early clinic scenes. The human struggle at the center makes the chaos feel personal. A compelling first book that sets up an intriguing series.
537 reviews7 followers
September 22, 2020
This was very different as people change and it was Judgement Day. Who was judging ??????? were they evil or aliens' who knows. I really didn't think certain characters in the series would die or be changed. Very Interesting book.
Profile Image for Robbie Sheerin.
Author 7 books23 followers
November 17, 2022
This was an entertaining read. The author done a great job of blending human emotion with the fear of nightmares on a biblical scale.

Well written and paced. Definitely worth a read if you like end of the world books, and the end of civilization.
592 reviews4 followers
April 3, 2024
A worth while book to read and enjoy.

You are taken on a journey that doesn't seam real to be happening. But all of sudden there's a sudden attack against everyone and a plague is on . This is where things get real strange for all, the author did a good with book.
279 reviews3 followers
September 19, 2020
This book was good, had lots of twists and turns, wished more people had lived. Not sure I want to read book 2. I have along TBR list to get through first.
6 reviews
July 25, 2021
The plague

What a nightmare of a book. Will not read this author again! Its not what we need at this time of disease and wars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews