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Omega Days #7
Valkyrie
A NIGHTMARE OF THE WALKING DEAD HAS DEVOURED AMERICA, AND IT’S ABOUT TO GET WORSE.
BRIGADIER GENERAL ELENA TIBURON, a decorated combat pilot, has spent a career defending against her nation’s enemies. But now she’s discovered that the greatest enemy also wears general’s stars, a man with a vendetta who plans to eliminate the undead through nuclear obliteration. She’ll risk everything to stop him. If he can be stopped at all…
FATHER XAVIER CHURCH has never known such a heavy burden. In a race against time, he must protect a handful of the plague’s survivors by traveling across an apocalyptic America. It’s a move of desperation with little chance of success, and will bring him face-to-face with an evil he might not survive…
When SKYE DENNISON lost Carney, she thought she’d never love again. But now she’s fallen for Griz, a man who sees past what the Omega Virus has done to her and offers a chance at a normal life. However, when the unthinkable happens, Skye will unleash the horror that dwells within her and be forced into a choice; return to the man she loves, or be consumed by rage and revenge…
In the heart-pounding conclusion to the Omega Days novels, the fate of the Nimitz survivors will be decided. But will that end in a flash of nuclear heat?
BRIGADIER GENERAL ELENA TIBURON, a decorated combat pilot, has spent a career defending against her nation’s enemies. But now she’s discovered that the greatest enemy also wears general’s stars, a man with a vendetta who plans to eliminate the undead through nuclear obliteration. She’ll risk everything to stop him. If he can be stopped at all…
FATHER XAVIER CHURCH has never known such a heavy burden. In a race against time, he must protect a handful of the plague’s survivors by traveling across an apocalyptic America. It’s a move of desperation with little chance of success, and will bring him face-to-face with an evil he might not survive…
When SKYE DENNISON lost Carney, she thought she’d never love again. But now she’s fallen for Griz, a man who sees past what the Omega Virus has done to her and offers a chance at a normal life. However, when the unthinkable happens, Skye will unleash the horror that dwells within her and be forced into a choice; return to the man she loves, or be consumed by rage and revenge…
In the heart-pounding conclusion to the Omega Days novels, the fate of the Nimitz survivors will be decided. But will that end in a flash of nuclear heat?
409 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2022
14 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
John L. Campbell
15 books144 followersJohn L. Campbell was born in Chicago, lived all over the U.S. and attended university in both North Carolina and New York. His novels include the zombie apocalypse series, The OMEGA DAYS Novels. All have been Amazon bestsellers, and book one, OMEGA DAYS, remained on the horror bestseller list for 17 weeks. Book five, THE FERAL ROAD, released in November 2016. In addition, Mr. Campbell is the author of two collections of horror and suspense, a novella based on actual events, and under his pen name ATTICUS WULF he released yet another novella and the supernatural/historical thriller, A JUDGE FROM SALEM.
In 2013 his short fiction piece COURAGEOUS LITTLE PHILOMENA'S WONDROUS BAIT was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and in 2014 he served as a juror for the Bram Stoker Awards. A member of both the International Thriller Writers and the Horror Writers Association, Mr. Campbell is active on the horror and comic convention circuits, and is represented by the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in New York.
He resides in New York with his family, where he is continuing his work on the OMEGA DAYS series, as well as other projects.
In 2013 his short fiction piece COURAGEOUS LITTLE PHILOMENA'S WONDROUS BAIT was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and in 2014 he served as a juror for the Bram Stoker Awards. A member of both the International Thriller Writers and the Horror Writers Association, Mr. Campbell is active on the horror and comic convention circuits, and is represented by the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency in New York.
He resides in New York with his family, where he is continuing his work on the OMEGA DAYS series, as well as other projects.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 8, 2022
As a sub-genre of apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, zombie fiction was a small literary backwater pitched primarily to juvenile markets until the unexpected popular success of "The Walking Dead" comic series (2003-2019) and television series. Debuting in 2010, the television series went from 5 to 14 million viewers by its fifth season, and publishers quickly realized there was an untapped market of adults hungry (shall we say?) for zombie tales. New book titles in the WorldCat union catalog classified as "Zombies - Fiction" increased every year between 2003 (with 34 titles) through 2015 (with a whopping 863 titles) before adult interest in the genre began to decline again. There were still some 250 new titles in 2021, although the majority are designated as being for juvenile readers.
During the peak years of the genre even highly regarded novelists like Colson Whitehead took a crack at it (and his 2011 novel "Zone One" is among the best from this period), but there is no getting around the fact that for many writers zombie fiction was just a fad they were willing to ride to make a quick buck and publishers churned out plenty of formulaic, low-quality novels during these years. In some ways the literary landscape of zombie fiction is its own form of barren wasteland in which readers must search for works of quality that can sustain interest.
So I'm happy to report that readers looking for a very good example of zombie fiction will be more than satisfied with John L. Campbell's "Omega Days" series. Over the course of seven novels published between 2013 and 2022 Campbell has created a compelling world filled with well-drawn protagonists, taut and expertly-paced plotting, page-turning tension and suspense, and intelligent dialogue. Campbell is fully aware of the genre's many conventions and how constraining they can be to developing an original voice, but he manages to keep his narratives fresh without resorting to silly gimmicks or unconvincing plot twists.
In "Valkyrie," Campbell has set himself the task of wrapping up the series by concluding some of the narrative arcs that have been present since the initial novel. Perhaps the most important of these is the question of the zombie threat itself, and Campbell hits upon some interesting ways of addressing the issue of weaponry in modern warfare and even how the news of an effective solution to the zombie threat might be received by human groups with conflicting interests and motives. Other narrative arcs are tied to the fate of specific characters, and some of these are also resolved (in grim fashion).
Since the beginning of the series Campbell has come up with an array of different human villains who have menaced the rag-tag groups of survivors that came together over the course of the series to find refuge and build a possible future. Some of Campbell's villains attained power through a combination of charisma and a willingness to use violence, while others took advantage of the institutional power they held when the zombie threat emerged and become increasing corrupt and megalomaniacal without effective restraint. The principal villain in "Valkyrie" is a grief-stricken air force general who decides to pursue a personal vendetta that carries with it the potential for long-term, large scale devastation. He is perhaps one of the more one-dimensional characters Campbell has introduced - a hazard, perhaps, of the other heavy lifting Campbell has to do in a series-ending work - but his function in the novel still makes for the effective development of the characters surrounding him.
In most of the novels in the "Omega Days" series, Campbell has concentrated one or another subset of his principal characters since they were introduced, and in "Valkyrie" he continues this practice by focusing on the two main characters that have been present from the beginning of the series, Father Xavier Church and Skye Dennison. The middle-aged Church functions as a kind of repository of the best virtues of the world before the zombie apocalypse, and although the character very reluctantly assumes leadership of the survivor group he serves throughout the series as a sounding board for the philosophical and ethical issues that arise as other characters navigate a frightening new world in which almost nothing can be taken for granted. By comparison, Dennison is introduced as a young woman about to start college as her world falls apart and transforms her against her will. Her character is in many ways the outcome of what the apocalypse has wrought and a signpost for its future, although by the end of the novel she laments the loss of her previous identity even as she knows it could not have served her very well in confronting the new environment. Or could it?
In sum, "Valkyrie" offers readers a satisfying conclusion to a first-rate series in a genre that has come into its own over the last decade. Campbell's work sets a fine example and a reasonably high bar for future writers who seek to explore zombie fiction.
During the peak years of the genre even highly regarded novelists like Colson Whitehead took a crack at it (and his 2011 novel "Zone One" is among the best from this period), but there is no getting around the fact that for many writers zombie fiction was just a fad they were willing to ride to make a quick buck and publishers churned out plenty of formulaic, low-quality novels during these years. In some ways the literary landscape of zombie fiction is its own form of barren wasteland in which readers must search for works of quality that can sustain interest.
So I'm happy to report that readers looking for a very good example of zombie fiction will be more than satisfied with John L. Campbell's "Omega Days" series. Over the course of seven novels published between 2013 and 2022 Campbell has created a compelling world filled with well-drawn protagonists, taut and expertly-paced plotting, page-turning tension and suspense, and intelligent dialogue. Campbell is fully aware of the genre's many conventions and how constraining they can be to developing an original voice, but he manages to keep his narratives fresh without resorting to silly gimmicks or unconvincing plot twists.
In "Valkyrie," Campbell has set himself the task of wrapping up the series by concluding some of the narrative arcs that have been present since the initial novel. Perhaps the most important of these is the question of the zombie threat itself, and Campbell hits upon some interesting ways of addressing the issue of weaponry in modern warfare and even how the news of an effective solution to the zombie threat might be received by human groups with conflicting interests and motives. Other narrative arcs are tied to the fate of specific characters, and some of these are also resolved (in grim fashion).
Since the beginning of the series Campbell has come up with an array of different human villains who have menaced the rag-tag groups of survivors that came together over the course of the series to find refuge and build a possible future. Some of Campbell's villains attained power through a combination of charisma and a willingness to use violence, while others took advantage of the institutional power they held when the zombie threat emerged and become increasing corrupt and megalomaniacal without effective restraint. The principal villain in "Valkyrie" is a grief-stricken air force general who decides to pursue a personal vendetta that carries with it the potential for long-term, large scale devastation. He is perhaps one of the more one-dimensional characters Campbell has introduced - a hazard, perhaps, of the other heavy lifting Campbell has to do in a series-ending work - but his function in the novel still makes for the effective development of the characters surrounding him.
In most of the novels in the "Omega Days" series, Campbell has concentrated one or another subset of his principal characters since they were introduced, and in "Valkyrie" he continues this practice by focusing on the two main characters that have been present from the beginning of the series, Father Xavier Church and Skye Dennison. The middle-aged Church functions as a kind of repository of the best virtues of the world before the zombie apocalypse, and although the character very reluctantly assumes leadership of the survivor group he serves throughout the series as a sounding board for the philosophical and ethical issues that arise as other characters navigate a frightening new world in which almost nothing can be taken for granted. By comparison, Dennison is introduced as a young woman about to start college as her world falls apart and transforms her against her will. Her character is in many ways the outcome of what the apocalypse has wrought and a signpost for its future, although by the end of the novel she laments the loss of her previous identity even as she knows it could not have served her very well in confronting the new environment. Or could it?
In sum, "Valkyrie" offers readers a satisfying conclusion to a first-rate series in a genre that has come into its own over the last decade. Campbell's work sets a fine example and a reasonably high bar for future writers who seek to explore zombie fiction.
August 30, 2022
What a great ending to this series that I started 9? years ago. I had almost forgotten about this series because the last book came out 3 years ago, and I have read a few hundred books since then….which also makes it a lil difficult to remember everything after reading the first 6 books. I do recall out of the 7, I’d have to say Cross Bones was my favorite ( book 4)
Overall, JLC finished this series beautifully. All the characters past and present were perfectly written during this journey. And the evolution of some were off the charts. We lost so many important, well liked characters along the way, (even the ones we love to hate)especially in this final book. I think he tied everything together to make a nice clean ending, for a new beginning of the remaining survivors of the Omega virus. I would absolutely recommend this series, it has everything and more. It was overall a great adventure from beginning to the end…..
Overall, JLC finished this series beautifully. All the characters past and present were perfectly written during this journey. And the evolution of some were off the charts. We lost so many important, well liked characters along the way, (even the ones we love to hate)especially in this final book. I think he tied everything together to make a nice clean ending, for a new beginning of the remaining survivors of the Omega virus. I would absolutely recommend this series, it has everything and more. It was overall a great adventure from beginning to the end…..
July 22, 2022
An Amazing Ending!
This book was great way to finish the series. I'd been waiting for it to come out for some time, and it was well worth the wait!
This book was great way to finish the series. I'd been waiting for it to come out for some time, and it was well worth the wait!
February 10, 2023
Satisfying Conclusion
I appreciated the choices the author made in wrapping up this series, taking us back to the beginning of it to tell new elements of the overall story, then connecting it with the characters we’ve known and how they all tie in together for the big finish. There were numerous errors in grammar, spelling, word substitutions, and even basic geography that were disappointing to see, but honestly that didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the tale.
I appreciated the choices the author made in wrapping up this series, taking us back to the beginning of it to tell new elements of the overall story, then connecting it with the characters we’ve known and how they all tie in together for the big finish. There were numerous errors in grammar, spelling, word substitutions, and even basic geography that were disappointing to see, but honestly that didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the tale.
July 6, 2024
Skye, Vladimir, and Father Xavier go on a road trip to deliver a cure to the zombie virus.
I've enjoyed all seven of these books and will probably end up re-reading at least part of them in the future. I'm glad that the author wrapped things up with an actual ending so that we know what happened to the characters all the way back from book one. Not everyone makes it through the entire series (actually, most do not) but that's what a zombie series is for.
I've enjoyed all seven of these books and will probably end up re-reading at least part of them in the future. I'm glad that the author wrapped things up with an actual ending so that we know what happened to the characters all the way back from book one. Not everyone makes it through the entire series (actually, most do not) but that's what a zombie series is for.
May 14, 2024
Decent enough but Campbell tries to do to much here, leaving many characters one dimensional and relying heavily on stock characters. Even the death scenes feel rushed. Still, plenty of action and a decent enough resolution.
August 7, 2022
***spoiler alert***
I loved the entire series but after everything that happened, the end for Xavier and Halsey was not authentic for me.
I loved the entire series but after everything that happened, the end for Xavier and Halsey was not authentic for me.
December 22, 2022
awesome
I was surprised that the father was killed that way he was such a big part of the storyline. He should of lived. awesome book loved it. The entire series was awesome.
I was surprised that the father was killed that way he was such a big part of the storyline. He should of lived. awesome book loved it. The entire series was awesome.
April 23, 2023
The series had its ups and downs, I enjoyed books 1-2-3 and 4, 5 and 6 were ok but the last book was actually pretty good.
July 27, 2024
Perfect final book in the series. If you know, you know.
April 8, 2024
Wrapped everything up but rough. Lots of typos. Not the best book of the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews