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After living through the hatred and insanity of 2020, renowned geneticist, Daniel Magnus has decided that humanity has reached its peak as a species. It’s time to tear down and start again. And what better way to eradicate humanity than by unleashing the monsters inside each of us?
Destroying mankind is simple compared to perfecting a new version of mankind. Just as evil resides within all of us, the hero does as well. It’s just much harder to bring out. The Chosen are those few who survive the process. They become greater in every regard. The other 98% however, become the stuff of nightmares. Wickedly cunning and ferociously strong, they are insatiable demons that make the average zombie look like it's made of sticks and string.
Into this cataclysm Bryce Carter is thrown wearing nothing but a hospital gown. He dared to defy Magnus, who felt injecting him with the serum just wasn’t punishment enough. Barefoot and bleeding, Bryce has to fight his way out of a city overrun with zombies.
Led by the demons, the dead sweep across the streets like a grey river, forcing him to crawl through sewers and down into the dark tunnels beneath the blood-soaked streets. He’s hounded relentlessly and growing desperate as he only has so much time. Nuclear weapons are being readied and soon the city will be nothing but dust and ash.

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2020

218 people are currently reading
36 people want to read

About the author

Peter Meredith

59 books666 followers
Peter Meredith is the multi-genre author of an author of 35 novels in a variety of genres: Horror, zombies, post-apocalypse and Fantasy. Some of his creative work includes The Trilogy of Void, The Hidden Lands series, The Sacrificial Daughter, A Perfect America, Sprite and The Apocalypse Undead World.
Having tried his hand in real estate, as an emergency room nurse, and a CEO of a national lighting company, he has come to find that his true addiction is as an author.

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5 stars
117 (59%)
4 stars
49 (25%)
3 stars
18 (9%)
2 stars
7 (3%)
1 star
5 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for XR.
1,980 reviews106 followers
February 18, 2021
This was a little freaky... very Resident Evil-esque with super zombie's running around and taunting our heroes and their group of survivors.
Profile Image for Tammi.
203 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2021
This was a fast-paced, realistic roller coaster ride through a newly turned New York! When first introduced to Maddy and Bryce, they are your typical worthless, arrogant, and out of shape scientists. Daniel Magnus wants something from them, but they are both smart enough to see what an utter whack job that he is and they both decline. How could they know that he took being told "no" about as well as a toddler! Bryce had been approached by the FBI shortly before he met with Magnus so springing that on the self-appointed god also didn't go over very well. For some strange reason, instead of killing the scientists outright, Magnus injected them both with an experimental serum, along with a few other drugs including LSD. They woke up in the hospital scared, weak, and sweating, weakly trying to explain that they were not drug addicts. Unfortunately for all of them, Magnus' master plan had already been sprung, all over the world. Though we never truly understand what he unleashed, the outcome was a zombie plague that just kept growing exponentially. While the city has descended into utter chaos all around them, the dead just keep coming. Worse, just as Maddy and Bryce are becoming more than they were before due to the injections Magnus foisted on them, whatever was unleashed on the world is also creating super zombies...they are fast...they are strong...they are intelligent...and they are gunning for Maddy and Bryce!

This book had the emotional ups and downs that can only come with the zompocalypse. Naturally, not everyone makes it, as a person who loves happy endings, this was a brutal ride for me. That being said, the book is well written and the author truly seems to know the nature of people and the different character traits that have some turning into heroes and others turning into self-preserving cowards. You get to meet a wide variety of different types of people as they realistically try to deal with the hell on earth that is their reality now. If you are a fan of horror, I highly recommend this book!
Profile Image for Kit.
1,517 reviews17 followers
November 17, 2022
Read : November 17, 2022
Rating : 1 Star


It's really long and it also feels like that.
The whole thing that sets the zombie apocalypse off is meh but okay fine, I'll play.

Then however we get treated to our two mc's that have been injected with an unknown substance and as a result are slowly changing into a supposed "super human".

This coupled with the introduction of "demons" or super zombies makes it feel a tiny bit resident evil like, only not as good.

The longer this goes on, the more fantastical it gets with inhuman feats of strength and grinning zombies etc.

By this point I was already struggling to maintain my attention since it was all just the same over and over again but in different locations.

After a while one of our mc's gets a warning about nukes getting dropped soon and that he, somehow has to go and prevent that.

Our other mc had a prophetic dream about the nukes alll the way back at almost the start but didn't mention it at any point nor used that knowledge which is highly frustrating and just makes 2 "geniuses" seem like the dumbest bricks walking.

I stopped at the point where it suddenly goes into how women should know their place in a world like this and how they're not brave and blablabla.

For me, it was too much dumb shit so I'm throwing in the towel on this one.


442 reviews8 followers
January 17, 2021
Exciting and Impossible to Put Down

This first book in the new series by Peter Meredith is full of action. I found it impossible to stop reading. The main characters Bryce and Maggie are well known scientists who are lured by a rich man to join in his plans to create a new world. Instead when they disagree he injects them and the wild tale begins. Both of them become much more than they were before and use their new strengths and powers to try and save the world. They have the help of one FBI agent as they travel through an apocalyptic New York chased by zombies and other creatures affected by the virus. A review cannot do this book justice. The characters were extremely well done as they grappled to cine to terms with the changes thrust upon them. The action and fighting was nonstop and if you enjoy zombie books then get started now on this 1st book in an exciting new series. I can hardly wait for book 2
13 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2021
Really Unique and Amazing Perspective!!

What I liked the most about this book was the insight the author gives us every now and then about all of the characters, which includes the zombies. It kind of brings the fear back, brings you back to the beginning when people were first getting infected. So every once in a while, the zombies aren't just mindless hungry obstacles, they were once real people and we get to see why they are in a particular spot at a particular time. I also like the character arcs for Maddie and Bryce, where you see that glimmer of hero in them at the beginning and by the end they have changed somewhat. A bit more than somewhat but they still have a ways to go. Also, there is still the lingering question that hasn't been answered by the author- just who or what exactly is Bryce? Not a cliffhanger, but something that has definitely kept me interested. Hopefully more will be revealed in the next book of the series!!
Profile Image for Rich.
25 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2021
This ain't your daddy's zombie story.

From master storyteller Peter Meredith comes The Culling..... By all appearences another zombie story ... But it's not. That's what you get for judging a book from it's cover. This book is non stop action from start to stop... And it's also secretly a superhero origin story for Maddy and Bryce, our two main characters. Filled with red shirts that you know are expendable you still find yourself relating and even liking (or sometimes hating) them. This is book one in a new series and it flawlessly lays the groundwork for more stories to come. Ready for book 2!
Profile Image for Jason Reed.
152 reviews9 followers
March 25, 2021
Hmmm

I truly enjoy Peter Meredith's writing style and storytelling. He has a way about him that's hard to describe. So I picked up this book, looking forward to seeing what would play out in this story.

I wasn't disappointed. My only concern (worth that star) was that I really didn't like any of the characters in this book. I didn't really dislike too many, but I've been spoiled in having previously read characters that I immediately empathize with. Maybe in the follow-up volume. In the meantime, a solid four stars.
Profile Image for Joan.
1,126 reviews6 followers
June 21, 2022
Daniel Magnus may be a renowned geneticist but in my opinion he's also an insane egomaniac. Using his background he unleashes a horrifying serum across the globe creating zombies, demons and The Chosen who will survive the process. Bryce and Mandy who won't go along with his plan become two unwilling subjects who while evolving, lead survivors across the devastated city of New York while the threat of nuclear weapons hang over their heads. Starting book 2 now and I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of the horror/supernatural genres.
Profile Image for Billy Barfield.
191 reviews3 followers
November 22, 2020
Killing it

Peter Meredith does it again, a new story and a new group of heroes. This time the apocalypse is made by a man who intended for only his chosen to remain. This book grabbed me by my throat and squeezed until i could not hardly breathe. I could not put this book down and even at the end i was left wanting more and as such i really want the next book to read..
Profile Image for Michael  Keller.
935 reviews10 followers
November 28, 2020
Daniel Magnus was unhappy with humankind. To get him happy all he has to do is kill 8 billion people.

Magnus' followers flew through the world spreading Magnus' solution, converting humanity to angry maniacs with only one desire in their diseased brain - kill everyone they see. Some of Magnus' followers received a special injection. They grew stronger, bigger, faster becoming the superhuman inheritors of a purged world.

Good storyline, great characters and the number one author of pure, unmitigated horror, combine to offer you a frightening view of a world ordered by a madman, destroyed for his own pleasure and repopulated by his remarkable wunderkind. One hell of a good read!
Profile Image for Jade Wilson.
160 reviews2 followers
January 5, 2021
I wasn't sure If this would be a book that would enamel itself to me at first. I didn't like the cult vibe and I didn't like the people but there is a reason for that. They change and grow thought out the book.

I liked the addition of the demons. It felt fairly realistic(I know zombies and demons aren't real) I enjoyed it more than I thought I would
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
11 reviews
January 26, 2021
Great story.

After being a long time fan of the apocalypse series, I was honestly hesitant to read this. I figured no other characters could compare to Jillybean. I was wrong. As much as Maddy & Bryce may of angered me at times, I grew to love them and their overall growth of personalities. Thank you Peter Meredith. I can't wait to read the next book.
2 reviews
October 31, 2023
Loss interest

So the book started off pretty good, nice story line and characters were okay. Then it just became repetitive and I started skipping paragraphs. I will not read rhe next book, it really started to bore me ad I felt like the book wasn't going anywhere. Five Star reviews - no way.
194 reviews2 followers
December 2, 2020
Another great one

Exciting from beginning to end, the book barely let me get any sleep. Only problem is that now I have to wait for the next one... He is one of my favorite authors so I highly recommend this and any of his other books
Profile Image for Corinne Marshall.
409 reviews10 followers
January 13, 2021
A very exciting story from start to finish. Bryce ,Maddy, Griff and the others are battling zombies and demons in their race to prevent nuclear bombs from being dropped in the city. This is a great start to this series. Can't wait for the next book.
27 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2021
Excellent zombie apocalypse

The Culling is zombie apocalypse at it's best.
This book has characters that you can relate to and some that you hate. The action us nonstop. Definitely worth the read.
21 reviews
February 11, 2021
Non-stop!

If you want action from beginning to end this here is your book. Love the main characters. Had all the feelings in one book horror, excitement,sorrow and so many more. Can’t wait for part 2
1 review
April 11, 2021
Excellent read, as usual

From the very beginning this book is packed with nonstop action. I actually had to put the book down a few times just to get a break from the stress!! Haha As usual, Peter does not disappoint
Profile Image for Kelly Larrimore.
40 reviews4 followers
June 7, 2021
Can't put it down!

In true Peter Meredith fashion the characters are amazing! The way he writes, you feel you know them! You can see it all happening in your mind!! Absolutely awesome
Profile Image for Chrystal Roe.
1,290 reviews12 followers
June 8, 2021
Awesome

This is a very exciting, action packed story. I enjoyed the characters and the way they handled all of the challenges presented to them. I only hope there is more to this story.
433 reviews2 followers
June 13, 2021
Couldn't put it down

Ive been avoiding zombie books for the last year, just didnt feel right when were dealing with our own real plague. Decided to read this, because i live his other books and read the smoke. It hooked me right away.
23 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2021
Action

This book is a great read. It has lots of action and surprises. Of course people that you hope make it might not (don't want to give any spoilers). It definitely makes you think about betrayal and trust.
Profile Image for Monique Happy.
Author 30 books16 followers
September 4, 2021
Excellent new series!

The action was non stop! If you love zombies, gore, heroes and heroines, real people fighting to survive the ZA, then you’ll love this book. I’m off to buy Book 2!
Profile Image for Friedrichs Doberman Rescue.
97 reviews3 followers
November 16, 2021
Loved this!!

Quite different than what I have been reading. I found that I couldn't put it down. Keeps you highly involved from beginning to the very end. I highly recommend this book and I'm off to read the next one.
Profile Image for Sherry Gabaldon.
106 reviews5 followers
November 21, 2020
Great start

I couldn't wait for this book to come out. And as expected it was a really good read. I cannot wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Andrea.
20 reviews1 follower
November 29, 2020
The Culling

Loved this and can't wait for the sequel! New twist on the apocalypse and zombies. Peter's writing is exceptional and storyline grabs you from the beginning.
4 reviews1 follower
January 10, 2021
A new direction in the zombie apoc

Grab yourself a sub and hunker down with this thrilling read!
The writing and editing also add to the overall enjoyment of this book
Profile Image for Maggie.
41 reviews
January 18, 2021
Can't wait for the next book. I loved all of the characters except Victoria lol
108 reviews
January 18, 2021
Great story

Another great story from this author I'm never disappointed with anything he writes. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Angie Anderson.
584 reviews7 followers
February 1, 2021
Wow just wow

Peter Meredith has definitely put a new spin on the zompoc. I can't wait for the next book if this is going to be a series, I will be happy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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