A NEW NOVEL IN JOHN RINGO'S BEST-SELLING BLACK TIDE RISING SERIES BY NEBULA- AND DRAGON AWARD–NOMINATED AUTHOR CHARLES E. GANNON
CASTAWAYS IN A ZOMBIE PLAGUE
Six kids ranging from suburban geeks to street-smart pariahs. A British captain who rarely talks and never smiles. All on the 70-foot pilot house ketch Crosscurrent Voyager, bound on a senior summer cruise to adventure and serious fun.
Except most of the kids don’t get along. And they’ll be gone all summer. And none of them have sailed before. And worst of all—because they booked at the last minute—they got the destination nobody else the frigid and remote South Georgia Islands.
But there’s one other they’ll never see their families or friends again. Just days after they leave, a plague starts spreading like wildfire, turning most of its survivors into shrieking, cannibalistic rage-monsters. So with their past dying as fast as the world that shaped it, the kids’ hated destination becomes their one hope for survival.
But it’s an uncertain hope. Not only are other hostile survivors headed there, but South Georgia Island is unable to support permanent habitation. So if the strange crew of the Voyager doesn’t come up with a further plan, they are—in every sense—heading straight toward the end of the world.
About Charles E.
“Chuck Gannon writes the kind of science fiction we all grew up rousing, mind-expanding, pulse-pounding sagas of spaceships and aliens. He's a terrific writer, and we're lucky to have him.” —Robert J. Sawyer
“[A] strong [writer of] . . . military SF . . . [much] action going on in his work, with a lot of physics behind it. There is a real sense of the urgency of war and the sacrifices it demands.” — Locus
About the Black Tide Rising
“Not only has Ringo found a mostly unexplored corner of the zombie landscape, he's using the zombie frame to tackle a broader the collapse and rebirth of civilization. The zombie scenes are exciting, sure, but its the human story that keeps us involved. A fine series.” —Booklist
“Ringo combines humor and horror in this strong series debut, the thinking reader’s zombie novel.”— Publishers Weekly on Under a Graveyard Sky
About the work of Charles E.
Caine's “This is military Science Fiction the way it’s supposed to be written. . . . All in all, a highly satisfying tale of the Terran Republic that moves the story forward and sets us up for the next chapter, which promises to be interesting at worst and explosive at best.”— SFcrowsnest
Raising Caine : “ Raising Caine unveils a lot of thought-provoking ideas but ultimately this is a space opera adventure. There are space battles, daring emergency landings, desperate quests, hand-to-hand combat, and double-and-triple crosses. It’s an engrossing read. You owe it to yourself to read the two previous books in order. Then enjoy Raising Caine . It’s an intergalactic thrill-ride.”— Fantasy and Science Fiction Book and Audiobook Reviews
“This is science-fiction adventure on a grand scale.”— Kirkus
“Gannon’s harrowing . . . military space opera (following Trial by Fire ) builds well on his established setting . . . Gannon’s signature attention to developing realistic alien worlds makes this installment satisfying.”— Publishers Weekly
“[A]n incredibly active book . . . as our protagonists are confronted by the beautiful, terrible, and sometimes lethal variety of the universe and its inhabitants. . . . a whole mess of fun . . . that manages to be scientifically accurate while refraining from excessive wonkiness. Those who value meticulous world-building . . . will certainly have their needs met.”— BN Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog
Nebula-nominated Trial by “I seriously enjoyed Trial by Fire. This one’s a tidal wave—can’t put it down. An excellent book.” —Jack McDevitt
“Gannon's whiz-bang second Tales of the Terran Republic interstellar adventure delivers on the promise of the first ( Fire with Fire ). . . . The charm of Caine's harrowing adventure lies in Gannon's attention to detail, which keeps the layers of political intrigue and military action from getting too dense. The dozens of key characters, multiple theaters of operations, and various alien cultures all receive the appropriate amount of attention. The satisfying resolution is enhanced by the promise of more excitement to come in this fascinating far-future universe.”— Publishers Weekly Starred Review
“[D]efinitely one to appeal to the adventure fans. Riordan is a smart hero, up against enormous obstacles and surrounded by enemies. Author Gannon does a good job of managing action and tension to keep the story moving, and the details of the worlds Riordan visits are interesting in their own right.”— Analog
“[O]ffers the type of hard science-fiction those familiar with the John Campbell era of Analog Science Fiction will remember. Gannon throws his readers into an action-packed adventure. A sequel to Fire With Fire , it is a nonstop tale filled with military science-fiction action.”— The Gal...
Dr. Charles E. Gannon is a Distinguished Professor of English (St. Bonaventure U.) & Fulbright Senior Specialist (American Lit & Culture). He has had novellas in Analog and the War World series. His nonfiction book "Rumors of War and Infernal Machines" won the 2006 ALA Outstanding Text Award. He also worked as author and editor for GDW, and was a routine contributor to both the scientific/technical content and story-line in the award-winning games "Traveller," and "2300 AD." He has been awarded Fulbrights to England, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands, and worked 8 years as scriptwriter/producer in NYC.
Just finished this book tonight. Charles Gannon writes a crackling good story about John Ringo's zombie apocalypse from a wholly different point of view in a wholly new setting.
The point of view? A sailing ship full of teens learning to sail on the ocean. Their plan is to sail to South Georgia Island off Antarctica. The point of view is Alvaro, a savant from the tough streets of LA with a perfect memory.
He doesn't hit it off with anyone among the other teens, but especially Chloe--a hyper aggressive and hostile teen from Alaska. The gruff and taciturn captain tasks him with learning to navigate. Then he has to teach it to the other teens--starting with Chloe. First he has to teach her how to read.
By this time the zombie outbreak has begun around the world. The captain maintains radio silence and trains the teens for survival in the new world. Their first challenge is at South Georgia Island.
I love zombie books. I've read plenty. This one is...mostly ok.
Apart from the Captain not telling anyone anything, which I can sort of understand, there's also the issue that with a tiny amount of training, these kids start throwing around military terms like there's no tomorrow. Maybe the Captain was in the SAS, but it's specifically said that he didn't have much time to train them. It seems odd to me that they're talking about Overwatch and painting targets and so on. Maybe that's just me, though.
As a story, I felt it meandered a bit. I'd read the next part, to see what happens. I didn't hate it. Parts of it were good. It just wasn't amazing.
While this is nominally book 7 in a series it’s really book 1 in the third sub series. Third new author, third new plotline, third complete refresh of characters but this time with no hooks back to the originals. I kinda enjoyed it and it follows in the same world event as the other books. If you like the premise it’s fun.
Chuck Gannon is a brilliant guy. In his book there is crisp, descriptive writing. An engaging personal way to tell this story. Insights into human character in various situations and responses, all of which are utterly believable. He brings this story alive.
I've started lowering my expectations for non-Ringo authored stories in the Black Tide universe. The short story collections have been uneven, and the Mike Massa books were...challenging to get through.
But this book. THIS book.
This is what it looks like when an author manages to set a story, recognizably, in another author's universe, while also putting their own spin on it. "Recognizably" is the key word there, because you can tell that the world where Alvaro et al. are living is the exact same world where Faith and family are having their shenanigans. But at the same time, this is a very different story than that of the Smiths and their flotilla.
I had to slog through 20% of this novel before it got interesting. I think this is largely due to the structure of the novel. It is written as a series of journal entries made by various characters... mostly from a teenager named Alvaro who ends up leading the group in their battle to survive pirates and zombies. I don't like that sort of structure for a novel so I started off with a bad impression. It did get better though.
The story: Several teenagers are on a "voyage of discovery" near Antarctica (mostly because it was cheap and it was too late in the season to go anywhere else) when they start losing radio contact with civilization. Unbeknownst to them the world is in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, but only the captain realizes this. He is an old veteran of the Falklands War and he is determined to teach these urban teenagers how to sail and survive without frightening them too much about what he fears is coming. He knows of places that will be unlikely to be infected and in the terrible cold of Antarctica most zombies will not last long. It's really the pirates they have to worry about at first.
Any problems with this story? I kept thinking of how I would rewrite the journal entries into actual narrative. After a while the story did introduce more narrative, but it seemed choppy. I find this type of writing appropriate for a short story but it became tiresome for an entire novel.
Also I find the love affair between Alvaro and the feisty teenage girl who can't get along with anyone to be a little forced. Maybe if she had mellowed out eventually I could buy it, but from my perspective she was an unlikable character, so I found it hard to believe that Alvaro would find her likable.
Any modesty issues? There is some sex. Not too much detail, but some leering. I found it strange, but I am old now so I cannot say how accurate it is. Maybe teenagers are strange nowadays when it comes to sex.
The story did eventually become exciting. As they went along they did learn how to fight zombies effectively. They didn't get anywhere near as amazing as "Shewolf" did in the main series beginning with "Under a Graveyard Sky".
Perhaps I am complaining too much. I might change my mind on a second read. I have already read the sequel, "At the End of the Journey". I think it is marginally better.
I have to preface this by saying; do not expect Ringo style action descriptions, comedy, or military knowledge. Expect a decent story with likable characters and a struggle for survival. The one thing I have against the story is that it seems a bit simple. Not the story, or the characters, but because of the lack of tension in the combat, there seems to be a quick resolution to problems and the story moves on. The author writes about what the characters are feeling which is good, but it lacks the tension of the moment. The action is almost analytical, instead of scary ,and that does take away away from the combat. In fact, the author tries to overcome this issue by saying combat is confusing and the characters have a hard time describing it. Sure, the character writing is a very analytical person, but the book needed the fear, the morbid humor, the action description, and yes, the tension, to take it to the next level to get to 5stars or be in the realm of Ringo.
Geeky late teenager Alvaro is sent off on a long sailboat cruise, more akin to a youth camp. He joins a motley group of peers on the Crosscurrent Voyager, an oceangoing ketch. The captain is an enigmatic and dour Englishman, with a past in the special forces. The group is mid-journey in the Southeastern Pacific at the time of The Fall. As the world descends into zombie-fed apocalypse, the captain decides to press past Cape Horn to South Georgia Island, hoping for a temporary respite.
While the novel is reasonably entertaining if you enjoyed the previous books in the series, there is not much originality on display. The concept of teens left alone in a crisis is well utilised. However, these youngsters seem unusually rational and insightful for their age. A fun diversion with some action thrown in.
I find ironic in that this author and Sam Sisivath both use the term Black Tide thru out their series. Now granted both series are about the end of the world, just coming at it from different directions. John Ringo and this author use the zombie apocalypse as a starter. And Sam Sisivath uses ghouls/vampires to end the world in his series. All three authors are very enjoyable to read and follow. Now with this spinoff starter it kind of gives a nod to the new Walking Dead spinoff series. They both deal with teenagers dealing with the fall of the world and finding their place in it. This new cast of characters is very easy to follow and root for, watching as they mature dealing with all the problems thrown at them. Especially without any real adult supervision.
So, this book is actually pretty good, as being well written. However, it’s a deviation from the previous books. The first several books focused on Steve Smith and his family as they escaped via boat. Performed rescues at sea and joined up with the Navy. The next couple books focused on his brother Tom as he and his party escaped New York to a safe house in North Carolina. Both excellent reads. Then this book is a bunch of teenagers on a cruise. The present book has good points and could work as a stand alone, but it’s too different from the previous books. And I didn’t connect with how 17 &18 year olds mastered too many skills that many adults would have issues with. The problem with zombie books is too many of them just stop instead of having an ending.
It was written in the form of a captain's log, and while I don't normally enjoy books in that style, I think the author did a great job here. Teenagers, some disadvantaged, crew a small boat on a voyage to South Georgia Island near the Falklands. While in transit, they find out a global pandemic has broken out and must adjust their route. It is interesting to see the characters develop and grow as they face new challenges along their route. The book is complete but also includes a little bit of a cliffhanger that makes me want to buy the next book in the series right now.
I have not been the biggest fan of the Black Tide Rising Novels, that said I have read all of them in order. This volume was more enjoyable than the Mike Massa ones. But not as good as John Ringo's. The story of a group of teenagers sailing through the atlantic in a Zombie plauge is interesting, and seeing what happens in the next volume is going to be nice. I didn't care for the characters, they went from barely trained to able to take down islands of Zombies pretty quick. And also being able to pilot a small ship in rough waters with little training seemed off. Still not a bad book.
Take one sailing ship, add in a group of teenagers, plus one former SAS officer as ship's captain, toss in a zombie causing plague, shake and stir and you have the ingredients of this book. Charles Gannon is telling one of the side stories that happened in John Ringo's Black Tide Rising zombie apocalypse universe. Gannon sets the stage nicely and works up the teenage heroes carefully so they feel like actual teenagers, not action heroes. And the ending sets the stage nicely for the next volume. If you enjoy the Black Tide Rising series, you need to read this side series!
Good universe, good characters. Nice adventure. It is short, and leaves the story unfinished, which could have been finished in a decent length book. So, you'll feel a little cheated at the end . . . but they will get you to buy the next book, since you'll want to follow the story. $25 is too much for a 250 page book. They should have finished the story in 350 pages, and this would be 5 starts. But I'll read the library books, so they won't get my cash anyway . . .
Honestly, a little disappointed. The story is doable with the BTR world but really...all the teenagers are geniuses in different ways? They all get along perfectly? Hardly have any meaningful struggles along the way? And the self depreciation is a bit over the top. I hope the next book is a bit more.
All right! This is my first time reading anything by this author, and I have to say I'm enjoying the plot immensely. Mr. Gannon is doing a good job portraying a parallel set of characters as the world rapidly fell apart. Their story is compelling and enjoyable to read. I'm hooked!
Kind of a simple book, but it was fun to read. I'm a big fan of this universe and enjoyed it. It is a very easy read, you can plow through it in a couple of days without effort. The book kind of just ended as opposed to having a great ending. However, I will get the sequel when it climbs to the top of my list to continue the story.
I’ve missed the practical world of these zombie like creatures that inhabit Black Tide World. Looking forward to more. I’m also tapping my foot impatiently for long awaited sequels.
I love all the black tide rising books have read each a couple of times. Adding other story lines and characters just fleshes out the whole world built within the series
Interesting characters with good storyline. Would like to see more from this author in this venue. Maybe have these characters meet up with the characters from John Ringo's books.
It's always a pleasure reading another authors take at a universe you've come to enjoy reading about. I love the first person journal approach and how easy it is to identify with these characters.
Didn't much care for books 5&6. More the style of writing than the content. Loved this one. Who are Willow's friends? Did she meet Faith, Sophia and the rest . How did they get away from South Georgia Island? Should be a good one.
I loved the series by John Ringo and am so happy others have taken to expanding on it . This is an excellent start to a new series with great characters. I strongly recommend.
I was engaged with this story from the very start of the book. Nothing seemed forced and it was all plausible in regards to how the characters developed. Just plain old good story.
Unfinished, unpolished, impossible kids without even getting to know all of them, as a video game that was abandoned but someone managed to sell it to you under a false cover