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Viral Apocalypse #1
Contagion
In the remote mountains of northern Alaska, Dr. Riley Middleton and her team of archeologists discover a burial site containing mummified remains dating to the last ice age. None of them notice the warning carved into the entrance or realize that the tomb had been deliberately sealed from the outside until they’ve already released a virus that turns ordinary people into murderous monsters. But there’s something even more terrifying inside . . . something ancient . . . something unspeakably evil.
Meanwhile, strange events are happening all across the country. A young girl in Washington begins drawing pictures of crime scenes, including details she can’t possibly know. In Maryland, a researcher finds the physiological cause of psychopathy in the brain of a mass murderer. A college student in New York develops precognitive abilities. In Michigan, a federal agent collars a serial killer whose murders continue unabated. And an anthropology professor in Massachusetts notices graffiti featuring the same cryptic designs that the Anasazi left on the walls of their abandoned cliff dwellings.
Once the deadly contagion reaches the contiguous United States, it spreads like wildfire through the population centers. With the infected running rampant through the streets, slaughtering everyone in their path, a Hopi elder sets out from the Arizona desert to gather the survivors for a final battle that will determine the fate of humanity.
Meanwhile, strange events are happening all across the country. A young girl in Washington begins drawing pictures of crime scenes, including details she can’t possibly know. In Maryland, a researcher finds the physiological cause of psychopathy in the brain of a mass murderer. A college student in New York develops precognitive abilities. In Michigan, a federal agent collars a serial killer whose murders continue unabated. And an anthropology professor in Massachusetts notices graffiti featuring the same cryptic designs that the Anasazi left on the walls of their abandoned cliff dwellings.
Once the deadly contagion reaches the contiguous United States, it spreads like wildfire through the population centers. With the infected running rampant through the streets, slaughtering everyone in their path, a Hopi elder sets out from the Arizona desert to gather the survivors for a final battle that will determine the fate of humanity.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 4, 2022
602 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Michael McBride
122 books480 followersMichael McBride was born in Colorado and still resides in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. He hates the snow, but loves the Avalanche. He works with medical radiation, yet somehow managed to produce five children, none of whom, miraculously, have tails, third eyes, or other random mutations. He writes fiction that runs the gamut from thriller to horror to science fiction...and loves every minute of it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
December 16, 2025
Very good. Looking forward to finding out what happens in book two.
September 18, 2022
There is A LOT of information to get through as this book is obviously where it all begins. Whilst the info dump isn't the most exciting scenario to read the story does get better in each page turned. It's SO scary good! I can't wait to read the next book.
June 2, 2022
LOTS Of Moving Parts. This is one of those longer books at 634 pages with a LOT of moving parts that can be difficult to track at times - but which it is hard to say that McBride could have separated into two books at any given point. MAYBE by separating out some of the individual threads into two separate yet concurrent 300 ish page books? Yet I struggle to think that the tale would be so compelling without seeing all that is happening at once.
Essentially this is the tale of the beginning of the Apocalypse, and McBride makes it clear in his author's note that a major inspiration was The Stand (which believe it or not, I've never read). Another somewhat similar story that I drew several parallels with from one of McBride's contemporaries is the Project Eden series by Brett Battles, which I've noted for years was the best full series I've yet read.
Here, McBride begins to make his case to take that title, and despite the length here and just how many individual threads are all going on... he absolutely makes a strong opening statement. By the end of this book, it is quite clear that this particular tale setting up the Apocalypse and showing how it began is complete... and yet it is also quite clear that several threads will be left for subsequent books and at least a few of them are likely to not be resolved until the final book of this series, whenever that may be. Very much recommended.
Essentially this is the tale of the beginning of the Apocalypse, and McBride makes it clear in his author's note that a major inspiration was The Stand (which believe it or not, I've never read). Another somewhat similar story that I drew several parallels with from one of McBride's contemporaries is the Project Eden series by Brett Battles, which I've noted for years was the best full series I've yet read.
Here, McBride begins to make his case to take that title, and despite the length here and just how many individual threads are all going on... he absolutely makes a strong opening statement. By the end of this book, it is quite clear that this particular tale setting up the Apocalypse and showing how it began is complete... and yet it is also quite clear that several threads will be left for subsequent books and at least a few of them are likely to not be resolved until the final book of this series, whenever that may be. Very much recommended.
May 28, 2023
This book is fantastic! Michael McBride is a master in his own right. Contagion is a monster of a book on the scale of Swan Song, The Passage, World War Z, and The Stand. If you are a fan of those books, you should love this one.
I first read this author with his novel, Sunblind, which I believe was a Dark Fuse release. That novel remains one of my favorite books of all time. The several I have read since have all been better than good to amazing.
This one rivals Sunblind as my favorite of his, but where Sunblind was quick and powerful and dirty, this story seems far from over after book one. With many settings, global consequences, and many diverse and intriguing characters, this novel has the makings of a vast and complex series, where a somewhat rabies/ebola-like virus is much more than it seems and only perhaps not the worst of the villains. Readers who prefer stories from a sole or limited point of views may find the number of point of views jarring at first, but by the end, you'll have a pretty good idea where everyone stands, if their still standing.
Continuing on to the sequel!
I first read this author with his novel, Sunblind, which I believe was a Dark Fuse release. That novel remains one of my favorite books of all time. The several I have read since have all been better than good to amazing.
This one rivals Sunblind as my favorite of his, but where Sunblind was quick and powerful and dirty, this story seems far from over after book one. With many settings, global consequences, and many diverse and intriguing characters, this novel has the makings of a vast and complex series, where a somewhat rabies/ebola-like virus is much more than it seems and only perhaps not the worst of the villains. Readers who prefer stories from a sole or limited point of views may find the number of point of views jarring at first, but by the end, you'll have a pretty good idea where everyone stands, if their still standing.
Continuing on to the sequel!
March 28, 2022
I wanted this book to be great, however, for me it got bogged down in sub-stories and pages of detail that did not connect to anything. I scanned ahead and often found the characters still in the same situation 50 pages along in the book. I did not finish it.
July 16, 2025
What happens when you get the obsessive forensics of Patricia Cornwell mixed with the exhaustive medical of Michael Crichton with someone who tries to write King's "The Stand." King wrote his epic over 40 years ago and, to date, no one has been able to come close to matching it. But, despite several overt issues, McBride's book/series comes about as close as I've seen in a long time. While it will not be this generation’s "The Stand" with the way it is currently written it is an epic apocalyptic telling that has roots in realism.
First - the narrator. WHY IS HE WHISPERING!!!! I hope they get a better narrator or this one learns to speak up for the next book. The guy did a pretty decent job and his voice wasn't annoying and no issues with weird breathing like so many others have but he was trying to be so soft-spoken I had to keep turning up the volume.
McBride does have skills as a writer but sometimes gets lost in the effort of proving it. While I am a fan of words, especially ones rarely used, there were far too many instances where a larger, more obscure word was used for no reason other than to just sound smart. While I'm not saying to dumb-down one's writing, there are instances to use more impressive words and instances where you just sound overly pompous. Occasionally he gets stuck on repeat. Nearly every reference to blood is "crimson" in color or "ameboid" in shape.
The writer also gets incredibly lost in the science in an attempt to make the fantastical believable. If we are a society that can suspend our belief enough to enjoy vampires, werewolves, zombies, and more we can certainly work within a far more believable realm that frozen viruses are capable of coming back to life. Even scarier is that there are more and more scientific reports and articles about that very thing happening right now.
Too often McBride causes his readers to nod off or their eyes to go cross with the overabundance of medical or scientific facts like they're trying to write a paper that's going to be peer-reviewed and forgot that they were writing a story that's supposed to pull people in and have them engaged with the characters.
Speaking of characters - there are so many! Similar to "The Stand" there are a lot of different people on a lot of different paths of life who will all, inevitably, come together in some way. It's a hard thing to balance a large cast and McBride does a good job slowly introducing them. He allows the reader to get to know each character just enough before introducing the next one. Too often authors try to introduce every character within the first few pages and it becomes a cluttered, overwhelming mess. This writer manages to hook the reader into wanting to know more about each character within only one or two chapters per character and does a relatively decent job keeping each story arc going. Sometimes there is too much time between each character's appearance. A few instances of much more time passing for one character and then having to backtrack in time when bringing another character's chapter back into play. This is one of the big problems with such a large overall story arc inhabited by so many characters. Being able to maintain the time frame, keep the characters interesting, keep the pacing right, and still get the story told is a trick and while McBride does a good job he hasn't really mastered the skill entirely.
I have to say that the realism of how this could happen was intriguing. Oddly, the most unrealistic aspect was how concerned the company and the government(s) seemed and how quickly they attempted to enact safety measures. Also, while we spend an obscene amount of time being hammered over the head with the medical/science "proof" the author is cramming down our throats he almost completely avoids the actual action aspects. There was almost no coverage of the spread of the disease, how people were surviving, how first responders or military were handling the situation, or any of the real "boots on the ground" aspects. We get mere blips of coverage in these moments. While too many Apoc-Fic books harp on the "event" too much - there's only so much we need to see/know about how society is collapsing before the point is beaten like a dead horse - the writer here seems to devote way too much page space to non-action, brain-drain and almost nothing to the parts that he's been spending all this time building up.
Speaking of page space. While I did the audiobook I can see that this is a longer book and it really could have easily trimmed about 100 pages with some good editing that wouldn't have compromised the story, the characters, or the arcs. In fact, it probably would have made it even a bit better and more of a page-turning experience for the reader. I hope he takes some advice along these lines for the sequel (and hopefully it ends in just one sequel and doesn't fall into the trappings of needing a bunch of unnecessary repetitive books to make it a mega-series).
All that being said, McBride does manage to tell an interesting story that is clearly based on realistic potential which adds to the "scare factor." He has a lot of skill with words but could use some work on moderation. He has created interesting characters and gets you invested in what happens to each one regardless of which side they are (or will happen) to land on - and I'm sure we'll see more of that in the sequel as we get more into the "Randall Flagg" elements. I do look forward to the next book and hope McBride continues to hone his skills because he has displayed in this book (I've never read anything of his before so I don't know how his other stuff is [I've since tried reading some of his others - I made me really downgrade my enjoyment of him and his work in general so I stopped reading his other work so as not to ruin wanting to read the sequel to this one]) that he has the skill to be an intriguing storyteller.
First - the narrator. WHY IS HE WHISPERING!!!! I hope they get a better narrator or this one learns to speak up for the next book. The guy did a pretty decent job and his voice wasn't annoying and no issues with weird breathing like so many others have but he was trying to be so soft-spoken I had to keep turning up the volume.
McBride does have skills as a writer but sometimes gets lost in the effort of proving it. While I am a fan of words, especially ones rarely used, there were far too many instances where a larger, more obscure word was used for no reason other than to just sound smart. While I'm not saying to dumb-down one's writing, there are instances to use more impressive words and instances where you just sound overly pompous. Occasionally he gets stuck on repeat. Nearly every reference to blood is "crimson" in color or "ameboid" in shape.
The writer also gets incredibly lost in the science in an attempt to make the fantastical believable. If we are a society that can suspend our belief enough to enjoy vampires, werewolves, zombies, and more we can certainly work within a far more believable realm that frozen viruses are capable of coming back to life. Even scarier is that there are more and more scientific reports and articles about that very thing happening right now.
Too often McBride causes his readers to nod off or their eyes to go cross with the overabundance of medical or scientific facts like they're trying to write a paper that's going to be peer-reviewed and forgot that they were writing a story that's supposed to pull people in and have them engaged with the characters.
Speaking of characters - there are so many! Similar to "The Stand" there are a lot of different people on a lot of different paths of life who will all, inevitably, come together in some way. It's a hard thing to balance a large cast and McBride does a good job slowly introducing them. He allows the reader to get to know each character just enough before introducing the next one. Too often authors try to introduce every character within the first few pages and it becomes a cluttered, overwhelming mess. This writer manages to hook the reader into wanting to know more about each character within only one or two chapters per character and does a relatively decent job keeping each story arc going. Sometimes there is too much time between each character's appearance. A few instances of much more time passing for one character and then having to backtrack in time when bringing another character's chapter back into play. This is one of the big problems with such a large overall story arc inhabited by so many characters. Being able to maintain the time frame, keep the characters interesting, keep the pacing right, and still get the story told is a trick and while McBride does a good job he hasn't really mastered the skill entirely.
I have to say that the realism of how this could happen was intriguing. Oddly, the most unrealistic aspect was how concerned the company and the government(s) seemed and how quickly they attempted to enact safety measures. Also, while we spend an obscene amount of time being hammered over the head with the medical/science "proof" the author is cramming down our throats he almost completely avoids the actual action aspects. There was almost no coverage of the spread of the disease, how people were surviving, how first responders or military were handling the situation, or any of the real "boots on the ground" aspects. We get mere blips of coverage in these moments. While too many Apoc-Fic books harp on the "event" too much - there's only so much we need to see/know about how society is collapsing before the point is beaten like a dead horse - the writer here seems to devote way too much page space to non-action, brain-drain and almost nothing to the parts that he's been spending all this time building up.
Speaking of page space. While I did the audiobook I can see that this is a longer book and it really could have easily trimmed about 100 pages with some good editing that wouldn't have compromised the story, the characters, or the arcs. In fact, it probably would have made it even a bit better and more of a page-turning experience for the reader. I hope he takes some advice along these lines for the sequel (and hopefully it ends in just one sequel and doesn't fall into the trappings of needing a bunch of unnecessary repetitive books to make it a mega-series).
All that being said, McBride does manage to tell an interesting story that is clearly based on realistic potential which adds to the "scare factor." He has a lot of skill with words but could use some work on moderation. He has created interesting characters and gets you invested in what happens to each one regardless of which side they are (or will happen) to land on - and I'm sure we'll see more of that in the sequel as we get more into the "Randall Flagg" elements. I do look forward to the next book and hope McBride continues to hone his skills because he has displayed in this book (I've never read anything of his before so I don't know how his other stuff is [I've since tried reading some of his others - I made me really downgrade my enjoyment of him and his work in general so I stopped reading his other work so as not to ruin wanting to read the sequel to this one]) that he has the skill to be an intriguing storyteller.
March 18, 2022
My lukewarm rating here has almost nothing to do with McBride. I think I just read this at the wrong time, something that he addresses in his author’s note at the end of the book. After two years of hearing about The Backstreet Boys Reunion Tour (inside joke), I just find it hard to be entertained by similar things. It scares me to wonder how I would feel if I read the Stand for the first time right now. This reads a lot like The Stand but with a lot more focus on the science. It is a sprawling novel full of great characters and detail and I am curious to see where it goes in the sequels, but I wasn’t blown away the way I feel I was meant to be. Thanks Covid. You ruined something else for me! Not as bad as the time I had a date lined up with a hot girl with a clothes phobia just before lockdown, but pretty bad! Oh, what a world what a world…
March 31, 2022
Hard to get into
I started this book thinking this will be great . well the first chapter was not what I expected. As I started chapter 2 it seemed to grab me and had me thinking g this is going to be an up all night reading book. Well I was wrong. It bare!y if that had a crasp.on me. I regret starting this boom because I usually enjoy the books I vet but this one was not worth it. I am sorry to the author because I know how much you rely on reviews ,but this one did not keep me interested.
I started this book thinking this will be great . well the first chapter was not what I expected. As I started chapter 2 it seemed to grab me and had me thinking g this is going to be an up all night reading book. Well I was wrong. It bare!y if that had a crasp.on me. I regret starting this boom because I usually enjoy the books I vet but this one was not worth it. I am sorry to the author because I know how much you rely on reviews ,but this one did not keep me interested.
October 21, 2022
Looooooong book
Cliffhanger
The book is long and intense. I liked the primary part of the story - unearthing the tomb, releasing the virus. But there are too many characters, too many side stories, too many threads. I found myself skipping parts and only reading about the characters that interested me.
In some ways it reminded me of The Stand. I do plan on reading the next book.
Cliffhanger
The book is long and intense. I liked the primary part of the story - unearthing the tomb, releasing the virus. But there are too many characters, too many side stories, too many threads. I found myself skipping parts and only reading about the characters that interested me.
In some ways it reminded me of The Stand. I do plan on reading the next book.
December 30, 2023
meh
Although the basic plot is promising, there are way too many parallel sub plots going on here that it is distracting and sometimes confusing. The sloppy typos abound throughout this story. I forced my way through it, with absolutely no intention or interest in reading the entire series.
Although the basic plot is promising, there are way too many parallel sub plots going on here that it is distracting and sometimes confusing. The sloppy typos abound throughout this story. I forced my way through it, with absolutely no intention or interest in reading the entire series.
March 20, 2022
Fantastic
I stumbled across this book one my Facebook Timeline and i grabbed it on a whim. Im glad I did because oh boy what a ride!
This book moved towards the top of my post apocalypse favorites, up there with The Stand ans Swan Song! I can not wait for book 2!
I stumbled across this book one my Facebook Timeline and i grabbed it on a whim. Im glad I did because oh boy what a ride!
This book moved towards the top of my post apocalypse favorites, up there with The Stand ans Swan Song! I can not wait for book 2!
May 28, 2022
Worth every dollar and more!!
Sick with the flu and all that entitles including a big headache, I found this book and despite a fever could not put it down. Reminiscent of The Stand and The Passage but with a complex mix of medical and nuclear connections, links to zombies and TEOTW, Native American myths and legends, as well as further connections to serial killers and a massive fight between good and evil, this book is one hell of a brilliantly crafted story. The character building and plot development is excellent and the story line riveting. I only wish I didn't have to wait for the next book in the series comes out. I can guarantee however that I will be buying it and taking a day off work for an uninterrupted reading session.
Sick with the flu and all that entitles including a big headache, I found this book and despite a fever could not put it down. Reminiscent of The Stand and The Passage but with a complex mix of medical and nuclear connections, links to zombies and TEOTW, Native American myths and legends, as well as further connections to serial killers and a massive fight between good and evil, this book is one hell of a brilliantly crafted story. The character building and plot development is excellent and the story line riveting. I only wish I didn't have to wait for the next book in the series comes out. I can guarantee however that I will be buying it and taking a day off work for an uninterrupted reading session.
September 30, 2022
Excellent! Michael McBride does it again!
Oh, Mr. McBride! I sure hope the sequels are ready to read! At my age I rarely pick up a series or trilogy unless it is completely published.
I’m an apocalyptic reading nut! Since The Stand, I have not read anything that could surpass it- until now. WOW! What a ride!
I’ve been a follower of yours for a few years now. I’m so glad this recommendation popped up on Amazon. Your writing has been above par so far and this one is like the hot fudge on my sundae! Excellent editing, no stupidly obvious plot devices. An altogether pleasure to read. Only a couple of small errors at the beginning, but it was not enough to put me off reading more.
There is something which crossed my mind which I believe would help the reading process. I was wondering if within the app if we can access a character’s basic info. I was reading so fast, I kept forgetting who the characters were. With all the acronyms, it can be difficult to keep them all straight. Like the character Cullen could be Commander of Arctic rescue(?) crew. I don’t want to include spoilers here… I have always had difficulty remembering names. An added on feature like that would help reduce the confusion of the myriad characters. Anyways, it’s just an idea.
I believe your writing, editing, and interesting plots make it easier to enter into the story and furthers the ‘suspension of disbelief’. When I am stumbling through raw or poorly edited works I feel my thoughts stumble along and immersion is difficult no matter how good the preface and plot. Thank you for your professional published products.
Oh, yes! The title says it all- this is a viral read!
Oh, Mr. McBride! I sure hope the sequels are ready to read! At my age I rarely pick up a series or trilogy unless it is completely published.
I’m an apocalyptic reading nut! Since The Stand, I have not read anything that could surpass it- until now. WOW! What a ride!
I’ve been a follower of yours for a few years now. I’m so glad this recommendation popped up on Amazon. Your writing has been above par so far and this one is like the hot fudge on my sundae! Excellent editing, no stupidly obvious plot devices. An altogether pleasure to read. Only a couple of small errors at the beginning, but it was not enough to put me off reading more.
There is something which crossed my mind which I believe would help the reading process. I was wondering if within the app if we can access a character’s basic info. I was reading so fast, I kept forgetting who the characters were. With all the acronyms, it can be difficult to keep them all straight. Like the character Cullen could be Commander of Arctic rescue(?) crew. I don’t want to include spoilers here… I have always had difficulty remembering names. An added on feature like that would help reduce the confusion of the myriad characters. Anyways, it’s just an idea.
I believe your writing, editing, and interesting plots make it easier to enter into the story and furthers the ‘suspension of disbelief’. When I am stumbling through raw or poorly edited works I feel my thoughts stumble along and immersion is difficult no matter how good the preface and plot. Thank you for your professional published products.
Oh, yes! The title says it all- this is a viral read!
April 24, 2022
SO OVER THE TOP
Started off well enough...BUUUT., WENT AMOK! DEMONS from THE PAST/PRESENT AND FUTURE converge i n an unbelievable mishmash of horror, the scientific terminology is exaggerated and to this lay person, incomprehensible. Cannot finish..don't much care who or what survives.
Started off well enough...BUUUT., WENT AMOK! DEMONS from THE PAST/PRESENT AND FUTURE converge i n an unbelievable mishmash of horror, the scientific terminology is exaggerated and to this lay person, incomprehensible. Cannot finish..don't much care who or what survives.
April 27, 2023
Almost halfway in and waiting for the real hook… could not continue as it is feeling like a chore to slog through this.
August 31, 2025
I really liked this book. It took me several months but at times I don't think the problem was with the book but with me.
First of all, let me explain that I bought this (and the sequels) and they are normal paperback you see everywhere (although printed by amazon). This is not an issue by itself but I don't why the author chose to a so small print that it was hard to read.
This book, we are introduced to several characters as they work towards their (by the end goals). We have archaeologists, psychologists, american-indians that know that something is happening, just regular people (for now) among others.
McBride does not shy away of taking his time, introducing, medical & archaeological jargon that will make you search wikipedia - which I enjoy - and he never dwells much on each individual character jumping around. Everyone is important - yet none are if that makes sense. We've got the archaeologist team that discover the place, the blacktops kind of thing of a major company that due to lack of security unleash the virus. Even with chapters that for 10 or more pages it flows quickly as it befitting a thriller - again my only complain was typeset which was pretty small. Just so you know, there is another version - on ebook and the book has 634 pages instead of the 432.
I really like all the stories and although there were a lot of characters, and I think at times you kind of lose yourself, I really enjoyed my time. So much that I will read the second novel, probably in november.
I hoped for a couple of pages with the names of the characters :P But it's not there. 88/100
First of all, let me explain that I bought this (and the sequels) and they are normal paperback you see everywhere (although printed by amazon). This is not an issue by itself but I don't why the author chose to a so small print that it was hard to read.
This book, we are introduced to several characters as they work towards their (by the end goals). We have archaeologists, psychologists, american-indians that know that something is happening, just regular people (for now) among others.
McBride does not shy away of taking his time, introducing, medical & archaeological jargon that will make you search wikipedia - which I enjoy - and he never dwells much on each individual character jumping around. Everyone is important - yet none are if that makes sense. We've got the archaeologist team that discover the place, the blacktops kind of thing of a major company that due to lack of security unleash the virus. Even with chapters that for 10 or more pages it flows quickly as it befitting a thriller - again my only complain was typeset which was pretty small. Just so you know, there is another version - on ebook and the book has 634 pages instead of the 432.
I really like all the stories and although there were a lot of characters, and I think at times you kind of lose yourself, I really enjoyed my time. So much that I will read the second novel, probably in november.
I hoped for a couple of pages with the names of the characters :P But it's not there. 88/100
February 3, 2024
Sorry, but this is way better than King.
I’m a sucker for post apocalyptic books. “Swan Song” is perhaps my favorite book of all time and McBride is right on its heels for being the champ of post apocalyptic reads.
If this had been written by Stephen King it would be hailed as a masterpiece. Given it is written by an indie author, it unfortunately remains a hidden gem. McBride admittedly falls into a similar trap as King; where King will give every minute details on every object in a room, McBride wants you to know how smart he is.
I almost gave up after this first chapter as my first thought was “Damn, this guy wants you to know he understands science. I hope I’m not gonna have to take a pop quiz on advanced biology at the end.”
Where King comes off as pretentious and weird (the “It Orgy” and gun foreplay in “The Stand”) McBride just does a lot of research which is annoying at first but then becomes pretty fascinating.
The thing is, the characters in this book are really fleshed out. I found myself excited to know more about their backstories and their motives. It’s a slow burner so if you want non-stop action with little backstory you won’t enjoy this. It seems like the author is prepping us for more books and that this first book is a long introduction to some really complex stories and characters. It can be a lot to keep track of at first but it is definitely worth the effort.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book and, in the meantime, I’ll be reading everything else from this author!
I’m a sucker for post apocalyptic books. “Swan Song” is perhaps my favorite book of all time and McBride is right on its heels for being the champ of post apocalyptic reads.
If this had been written by Stephen King it would be hailed as a masterpiece. Given it is written by an indie author, it unfortunately remains a hidden gem. McBride admittedly falls into a similar trap as King; where King will give every minute details on every object in a room, McBride wants you to know how smart he is.
I almost gave up after this first chapter as my first thought was “Damn, this guy wants you to know he understands science. I hope I’m not gonna have to take a pop quiz on advanced biology at the end.”
Where King comes off as pretentious and weird (the “It Orgy” and gun foreplay in “The Stand”) McBride just does a lot of research which is annoying at first but then becomes pretty fascinating.
The thing is, the characters in this book are really fleshed out. I found myself excited to know more about their backstories and their motives. It’s a slow burner so if you want non-stop action with little backstory you won’t enjoy this. It seems like the author is prepping us for more books and that this first book is a long introduction to some really complex stories and characters. It can be a lot to keep track of at first but it is definitely worth the effort.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book and, in the meantime, I’ll be reading everything else from this author!
July 13, 2025
In 50 years of serious reading I can name on one hand the books I have not finished and it really saddens me to add this book to that very short list. First I don’t like throwing my money or time away. But mostly it makes me feel like I’ve failed and of course I don’t like to feel that way, who does? Then I remind myself that I am not the one who failed here, the author did, and shame on him for doing so.
What he had here was potential. An awesome premise that due to every stray thought that came to his mind whether it worked or not, made sense or not, was completely brilliant or totally inane and ridiculous found its way into this book. This book had more fat on it than the fattiest cut of meat you’ve ever had on a plate before you in your life. I have to assume the author did not have a team of arc readers at his disposal or a good editor to help him trim the fat. By chapter 15 I was introduced to at least eight different teams of characters and storylines all bouncing off in different directions, nothing seemingly tying together. Just way too many subplots to deal with for the first book of a series. I was so lost I had no idea what the heck was going on so I decided to start over from the beginning.
Guess what? I got to chapter 15 again and this time I used some choice expletives and decided to ditch the book. Reading should not be this frustrating unless it’s for school!
If you decide to read this book I hope you have a better time with it than I did. I just wish I could get my time and money back, but that’s the risk we take, right?
What he had here was potential. An awesome premise that due to every stray thought that came to his mind whether it worked or not, made sense or not, was completely brilliant or totally inane and ridiculous found its way into this book. This book had more fat on it than the fattiest cut of meat you’ve ever had on a plate before you in your life. I have to assume the author did not have a team of arc readers at his disposal or a good editor to help him trim the fat. By chapter 15 I was introduced to at least eight different teams of characters and storylines all bouncing off in different directions, nothing seemingly tying together. Just way too many subplots to deal with for the first book of a series. I was so lost I had no idea what the heck was going on so I decided to start over from the beginning.
Guess what? I got to chapter 15 again and this time I used some choice expletives and decided to ditch the book. Reading should not be this frustrating unless it’s for school!
If you decide to read this book I hope you have a better time with it than I did. I just wish I could get my time and money back, but that’s the risk we take, right?
July 1, 2022
The first thing you should know is that this is a cliffhanger book, written in installments. Overall, I hate cliffhanger books. If I had realized that it was a cliffhanger, I would never had started it at all. I know that the title should have tipped me off, but I just clicked on the cover, without really tuning into the full title. This book mixes science, Native American theology, the apocalypse, unsavory characters in positions of authority, zombies, supernatural connections between people both dead and alive, and is reminiscent of "The Stand", etc. - plus all the things the other reviewers have already said. I liked the characters in this book and I did read this book through, even though it would sometimes get confusing switching back and forth between the characters. It is also a very long book, and gets repetitive, but I still would like to know how the story ends. However, if there is no ending in the next book, in other words if it is just another installment in a series, I will not read it.
May 16, 2022
Wow
I'm reluctant to give this 5 stars because to me it was relatively hard to read and follow. There are a lot of technical terms, and if there wasn't an attached dictionary, I would have quit about 1/4 of the way in. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, a bit like a Russian novel. I had to read the first 3-4 chapters three times just to get a sense of the story. After saying that,I however, once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. His character development is great. If you like Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Tony Hillerman, and Russian novels, you undoubtedly love this first book. Wish me luck...I decided to go into book 2.... Enjoy!
I'm reluctant to give this 5 stars because to me it was relatively hard to read and follow. There are a lot of technical terms, and if there wasn't an attached dictionary, I would have quit about 1/4 of the way in. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, a bit like a Russian novel. I had to read the first 3-4 chapters three times just to get a sense of the story. After saying that,I however, once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. His character development is great. If you like Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Tony Hillerman, and Russian novels, you undoubtedly love this first book. Wish me luck...I decided to go into book 2.... Enjoy!
June 28, 2022
Wow, not what I was expecting. I've never read any of the author's books before, so based on the book cover and synopsis, I was thinking this was another end of the world books series like so many others I've read over the years (love zombie action!). Instead, what I discovered was a very detailed, well-written first novel that mixes part Preston/Childs and part Stephen King into what is going to be this writer's "The Stand".
Can't wait for the next book to release later this year. The only issue I had with it is that there are a LOT of characters, to begin with, with the location changing constantly. If you're like me and mainly read before going to sleep, you'll have some challenges picking it back up and remembering where in the hell things stand.
Can't wait for the next book to release later this year. The only issue I had with it is that there are a LOT of characters, to begin with, with the location changing constantly. If you're like me and mainly read before going to sleep, you'll have some challenges picking it back up and remembering where in the hell things stand.
June 5, 2025
Cool idea but something’s didn’t add up
I like the idea even if the Native American stuff was a bit much. Problem was that no government agency or military would allow a member to just leave and possibly infect the whole population. Especially if there is a visor crack. They would have at least required him to be in a containment area for days at least before risking the whole population. Just didn’t make sense. The author could and should have found a way that made more sense to spread the disease. Especially when the spirit can inflict and control things. I’m still curious about the story though so I’ll probably read the next one.
I like the idea even if the Native American stuff was a bit much. Problem was that no government agency or military would allow a member to just leave and possibly infect the whole population. Especially if there is a visor crack. They would have at least required him to be in a containment area for days at least before risking the whole population. Just didn’t make sense. The author could and should have found a way that made more sense to spread the disease. Especially when the spirit can inflict and control things. I’m still curious about the story though so I’ll probably read the next one.
September 3, 2022
I'm a fan of Apocalypse & Post-Apocalypse stories and I really enjoyed this book. It covers a lot of territory and divergent plot threads, but it held my interest all the way through. Lots of action, violence, science, mystery, and supernatural elements are included. The many characters and settings are well described. Readers take note: this is not a stand-alone book. The story moves along a great distance but does end with many cliffhangers and unconnected plot threads. But I didn't feel disappointed or ripped off. I'm happy with this book and looking forward to the next.
March 21, 2022
Contagion
Ok, this is not your usual zombie apocolypse, there's science, but there's also be supernatural, there's a number of stories that only come together at the end.,This book builds the tension and mayhem ,it makes you feel that you're there.It's clever as it traces the evolution of both sides ,white hats and black hats.You need to read this book, I can't wait for the sequel
Ok, this is not your usual zombie apocolypse, there's science, but there's also be supernatural, there's a number of stories that only come together at the end.,This book builds the tension and mayhem ,it makes you feel that you're there.It's clever as it traces the evolution of both sides ,white hats and black hats.You need to read this book, I can't wait for the sequel
May 22, 2022
Mix of supernatural evil and pandemic Armageddon
A very interesting and unique addition to the 'rage, pandemic, end-of-the-world' genre. It reminded me very much of Stephen King's The Stand in the context of a very complex narrative with lots of separate stories and characters that will presumably converge together at some point later in the series. Well written and highly entertaining - I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
A very interesting and unique addition to the 'rage, pandemic, end-of-the-world' genre. It reminded me very much of Stephen King's The Stand in the context of a very complex narrative with lots of separate stories and characters that will presumably converge together at some point later in the series. Well written and highly entertaining - I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
May 19, 2023
wow!
So..I read a lot of post apocalyptic novels but I enjoyed (not quite the right word) this one for different reasons. There are many different characters, some inherently good (Lucas, sareva, the Hopi) & then obviously the villains. I was fascinated by the spiritual side of the Hopi. This was (for me) the most interesting part of the book. Clearly Ciara has presentment & I’m looking forward to reading the next book. Kudos to Mr McBride
So..I read a lot of post apocalyptic novels but I enjoyed (not quite the right word) this one for different reasons. There are many different characters, some inherently good (Lucas, sareva, the Hopi) & then obviously the villains. I was fascinated by the spiritual side of the Hopi. This was (for me) the most interesting part of the book. Clearly Ciara has presentment & I’m looking forward to reading the next book. Kudos to Mr McBride
April 7, 2022
Great book!
I'm an avid reader and its only a rare occasion to find a book I just can't stop reading. The characters and story line were so well written. I'm just annoyed that book two isn't out yet but I look forward to another great read. Just a note-
this is the first book I've ever put a review on and I've been on Kindle since it came out.
I'm an avid reader and its only a rare occasion to find a book I just can't stop reading. The characters and story line were so well written. I'm just annoyed that book two isn't out yet but I look forward to another great read. Just a note-
this is the first book I've ever put a review on and I've been on Kindle since it came out.
April 16, 2022
Great Reading....
This story is grabs you from the beginning and shakes your sense of well-being. A book that mixes Myth, science, history, and a thrill heightened skew on the current viral pandemic the world experienced. an evil entity and an ancient virus from the beginning of time. The Stand meets Covid on steroids. what it could have been. I can't wait for the next book.
This story is grabs you from the beginning and shakes your sense of well-being. A book that mixes Myth, science, history, and a thrill heightened skew on the current viral pandemic the world experienced. an evil entity and an ancient virus from the beginning of time. The Stand meets Covid on steroids. what it could have been. I can't wait for the next book.
April 23, 2022
I'm biased because I'm a huge Michael McBride fan but my friends you need to put aside your Covid fears and read part 1 of his Viral Apocalypse Trilogy. The science is there, the action is there and the cast of characters, fully realized characters that you'll love and some you'll hate are there. I can't recommend this enough and part 2 is coming out this Fall. Highly recommended read!
June 3, 2022
Great Apocalypse Read!
First thing - THIS HAS A CLIFFHANGER for an ending. I hate cliffhangers. However, this book is well written, with many technical details (think Michael Crichton and Robin Cook). It also has a lot of Southwest Indigenous Peoples lore. That being said, it did lag a little bit.
First thing - THIS HAS A CLIFFHANGER for an ending. I hate cliffhangers. However, this book is well written, with many technical details (think Michael Crichton and Robin Cook). It also has a lot of Southwest Indigenous Peoples lore. That being said, it did lag a little bit.
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