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Orpheus #1
Orpheus
Cameron Holt is lucky enough to survive the initial outbreak that turns an idyllic New England island community into a hive of the walking, and running, dead. So is his son, Ethan. Now, the only thing keeping Holt going is the desire to either rescue his missing son from the zombies or, more likely, remove him permanently from their ranks.A phone call is cut short just as Ethan defies his father and goes looking for his mother. Holt fights his way to the hospital and finds it under siege. He and other survivors eventually form two teams, each with a drastically different purpose. One saves people, the other eliminates everything in their way. The teams are constantly at odds, as are Holt and the arrogant head of the hospital, his ghoulish lead researcher in tow. Holt is understandably obsessed with finding his son, but can't ignore the simple fact that people are looking to him for leadership. If he's not perfect, people will die. During his search, he discovers a new breed of zombie and a frightening hidden agenda, but he doesn't do it alone. His team is with him every step of the way.The skills he learned in the military help keep him and others alive, but he's no superhero. Holt is only a man, physically and mentally exhausted, who lives at his limits simply because that's what a father does. Ethan, unmistakably his father's son, has his own story to tell, as well. It begins with a movie date a few feet from Patient Zero.
- GenresZombies
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2011
5 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 1, 2011
Sharon's Review:
This was a very intelligent portrayal of zombies as the victims of a virus - its cause and effect. They were treated as an actuality, and realistic tactics were used to overcome the threat. There are no handy laser pistols to solve the problem. There is no supernatural cause, graveyards don't spill out the undead. Zombies don't stumble around groaning and moaning. They simply react to smell, sight and sound to feed their voracious hunger. Cameron Holt and his crew of survivors, are ordinary people who are put into extraordinary circumstances, where they behave heroically. There are villains as well, but they act within normal human sociopathic limits.
What I like most about this book is that there seems to be no gender superiority. The women evade or kill as many zombies; their planning and actions are as successful or not, as the men. I thought the sensitive treatment of a gay couple, and their equally valuable contribution to the group's survival, was well done. There was some humour, but more sorrow. I got to know some of the characters very well, and when they lost their fight for survival, there were a few tears from me. My emotions were involved from the start. I liked that.
There are some exciting twists and turns that make for heart pumping suspense. The story is fast paced, and action packed. It held my interest from beginning to end. There is a great deal of violence, but then it's a horror story. The reader knows going in that there will be death and mayhem. One thing I liked was that there were no graphic descriptions of guts and gore. The author got the point across without resorting to buckets of blood.
On a technical note, there were some minor editing issues. This is often seen in ebooks, where professional editing is not always available for various reasons. There were only a few typos, and the use of ellipses (...) lacked the space before and after the dots. It's a punctuation rule that the author may not have been aware of. All in all, this was an exciting and engaging book. I would highly reccomend it to anyone over 17.
Check out more reviews from The Masquerade Crew.
This was a very intelligent portrayal of zombies as the victims of a virus - its cause and effect. They were treated as an actuality, and realistic tactics were used to overcome the threat. There are no handy laser pistols to solve the problem. There is no supernatural cause, graveyards don't spill out the undead. Zombies don't stumble around groaning and moaning. They simply react to smell, sight and sound to feed their voracious hunger. Cameron Holt and his crew of survivors, are ordinary people who are put into extraordinary circumstances, where they behave heroically. There are villains as well, but they act within normal human sociopathic limits.
What I like most about this book is that there seems to be no gender superiority. The women evade or kill as many zombies; their planning and actions are as successful or not, as the men. I thought the sensitive treatment of a gay couple, and their equally valuable contribution to the group's survival, was well done. There was some humour, but more sorrow. I got to know some of the characters very well, and when they lost their fight for survival, there were a few tears from me. My emotions were involved from the start. I liked that.
There are some exciting twists and turns that make for heart pumping suspense. The story is fast paced, and action packed. It held my interest from beginning to end. There is a great deal of violence, but then it's a horror story. The reader knows going in that there will be death and mayhem. One thing I liked was that there were no graphic descriptions of guts and gore. The author got the point across without resorting to buckets of blood.
On a technical note, there were some minor editing issues. This is often seen in ebooks, where professional editing is not always available for various reasons. There were only a few typos, and the use of ellipses (...) lacked the space before and after the dots. It's a punctuation rule that the author may not have been aware of. All in all, this was an exciting and engaging book. I would highly reccomend it to anyone over 17.
Check out more reviews from The Masquerade Crew.
February 6, 2014
Fantastic boo, but..
I have to say Mr. DeWitt's words were chosen well and found himself a new fan. this book paints an epic journey of heroes and villains in masterful detail, my only wish is that he would write more.
I have to say Mr. DeWitt's words were chosen well and found himself a new fan. this book paints an epic journey of heroes and villains in masterful detail, my only wish is that he would write more.
December 28, 2018
After reading the sampling of this book in Dewitt's short stories collection, I immediately went for the full novel. The characters were thought out and the story-line interlocked the characters and their plights well.
SPOILERS!!!!!
Parts were unrealistic in the sense of the overall reasoning behind the the epidemic and the sudden skilled military techniques of the survivors, although the situation has only spanned a short while in the beginning of the novel. Not a big deal as the story was what the author created so I still quite enjoyed it.
The "secret lovers" we meet in the church were likable no doubt as they didn't intrude upon anybody anymore than the rest of the survivors but I felt a little after-school special was being presented for a couple pages about over-victimizing these two when the situation was really irrelevant given the dire circumstances. There is no debate over who they were and I was pleased to see their worth and usage, but the victimizing of them more so than the zombie concern of all living just seemed out of place and forced to prove a point.
All in all though, no regrets and no worries. I would continue on with future stories by this author.
SPOILERS!!!!!
Parts were unrealistic in the sense of the overall reasoning behind the the epidemic and the sudden skilled military techniques of the survivors, although the situation has only spanned a short while in the beginning of the novel. Not a big deal as the story was what the author created so I still quite enjoyed it.
The "secret lovers" we meet in the church were likable no doubt as they didn't intrude upon anybody anymore than the rest of the survivors but I felt a little after-school special was being presented for a couple pages about over-victimizing these two when the situation was really irrelevant given the dire circumstances. There is no debate over who they were and I was pleased to see their worth and usage, but the victimizing of them more so than the zombie concern of all living just seemed out of place and forced to prove a point.
All in all though, no regrets and no worries. I would continue on with future stories by this author.
November 8, 2017
Blood. Guts. Gore. Violence. Self-sacrifice. Hope. Heartbreak. Everything a great zombie book should be. Fast paced but still slowed things down to explain various things, like in well placed flashbacks helping the reader to understand what happened with each character in the beginning and how they all came together. The characters are genuine and most of them likeable. Except Dr Vincent. You'll see why. The scariest part is that this outbreak could really happen.
July 6, 2012
Zombieeeeeees! I had come across DeWitt's book Underneath: Short Tales of Horror and the Supernatural for free in the Kindle store, and thought I'd check it out for some quick spooky tales. The stories, though unique and interesting, were not ones I particularly cared too much for, but the book was worth it just for the preview of "Orpheus." Though I love my zombie movies and shows ("The Walking Dead".. Ahhhh, can't wait for S3!!), zombie books aren't really my thing to read. But I was .. infected.. with an addiction to the book immediately ;)
It's most likely because reading it FELT like I was watching a movie. The story had a good flow and pace, was packed with action, and sometimes switched back and forth between past and present or between groups of characters. Some of the characters were stereotypical (crazy scientist, newbie trying to prove his worth, ass-kicking girlfriend, etc), but hey, it's not like I was looking for something way deep. The characters did have enough personality and characteristics, along with hopes, fears, and background stories, to keep them interesting. They each had their own powerful cause that they were fighting for, whether it be power, family, or survival. The father-son relationship was endearing, and there were some people I completely rooted for. The writing was an easy read and a breeze to get through. Might not cater to English majors.. there were grammatical errors and some cliches, and I almost rolled my eyes at some of the way things were described. Luckily, they didn't really bother me. The author actually made me smile with a few of his corny phrases.
The zombies themselves were fun. The varying types reminded me of the video game "Left 4 Dead." We have the quick newer ones, the slow older ones, the dreadful new breed of zombie. The author's twists on the zombie race as a whole were believable enough, and were crucial to the story. For those who think the twists are silly and are a disgrace to the zombie name? At least it's not as bad as vampires glittering in the sun, and Edward using that characteristic to sacrifice himself in front of the Volturi XD
All in all, "Orpheus" was a great read. I recommend! Definitely worth the 99cents it cost in the Kindle store.. I would have gladly paid more =)
It's most likely because reading it FELT like I was watching a movie. The story had a good flow and pace, was packed with action, and sometimes switched back and forth between past and present or between groups of characters. Some of the characters were stereotypical (crazy scientist, newbie trying to prove his worth, ass-kicking girlfriend, etc), but hey, it's not like I was looking for something way deep. The characters did have enough personality and characteristics, along with hopes, fears, and background stories, to keep them interesting. They each had their own powerful cause that they were fighting for, whether it be power, family, or survival. The father-son relationship was endearing, and there were some people I completely rooted for. The writing was an easy read and a breeze to get through. Might not cater to English majors.. there were grammatical errors and some cliches, and I almost rolled my eyes at some of the way things were described. Luckily, they didn't really bother me. The author actually made me smile with a few of his corny phrases.
The zombies themselves were fun. The varying types reminded me of the video game "Left 4 Dead." We have the quick newer ones, the slow older ones, the dreadful new breed of zombie. The author's twists on the zombie race as a whole were believable enough, and were crucial to the story. For those who think the twists are silly and are a disgrace to the zombie name? At least it's not as bad as vampires glittering in the sun, and Edward using that characteristic to sacrifice himself in front of the Volturi XD
All in all, "Orpheus" was a great read. I recommend! Definitely worth the 99cents it cost in the Kindle store.. I would have gladly paid more =)
May 28, 2013
ORPHEUS is an interesting tale of man vs zombie on an island resort. The main character, nicknamed Orpheus (at first I was picturing Morpheus from THE MATRIX), is a tough ex-AF man who has a personal mission which seems to align with the needs of the zombie-threatened community he finds himself part of. He wants to find his family, especially his son. To do this, he needs to locate survivors and clear the island of these zombies, place by place.
The second part of the book follows his son, Ethan (okay, this time I kept thinking of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible) and the band of survivors he has hooked up with, and their experiences and exploits in surviving the zombies.
As the two finally begin to come closer together, more is revealed about the causes of this zombie epidemic and about some of the people on the island.
This was a solid, well written read with great pacing and good storytelling. It's my first experience with author Dan DeWitt, and I'll watch for more by him in the future. Solid B+.
The second part of the book follows his son, Ethan (okay, this time I kept thinking of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible) and the band of survivors he has hooked up with, and their experiences and exploits in surviving the zombies.
As the two finally begin to come closer together, more is revealed about the causes of this zombie epidemic and about some of the people on the island.
This was a solid, well written read with great pacing and good storytelling. It's my first experience with author Dan DeWitt, and I'll watch for more by him in the future. Solid B+.
May 15, 2013
If you are ready for a story that moves past the shamblers. This action packed mystery thriller is for you. There are those fans that refuse to embrace the fast zombies and other variants who may find this novel un-pure, but I think this story keeps to the terror of bygone days. To be honest, his new variant is far more frightening than shambles or runners. I won't spoil your shock, but talk about. Disturbing.
In general this was a fast paced adrenaline rush full of red herrings, enjoyable.
In general this was a fast paced adrenaline rush full of red herrings, enjoyable.
November 13, 2011
Zombie lovers don't miss out on this one. This book has lots of zombie action, but the main focus is on the characters. Their struggle to survive and reunite with their loved ones makes this a much more interesting read than your average zombie thriller.
June 18, 2013
Good zobie book with a nice twist.
The characters started out a little cardboard, but became much more defined as the story progressed.
The ending was good, just ambiguous enough for a sequel, but not needed (and I don't think predicted) at all. I'll probably read the prequel - Orpheus Born.
The characters started out a little cardboard, but became much more defined as the story progressed.
The ending was good, just ambiguous enough for a sequel, but not needed (and I don't think predicted) at all. I'll probably read the prequel - Orpheus Born.
March 23, 2012
Loved this. A zombie story that was different from the all the others.
April 3, 2012
Great Zombie fun with a pretty fun ending. You think you know but then you don't. Give it a shot or maybe a shotgun blast...to the head.
May 26, 2013
This is a pretty terribly written novel. It has some smart, although not new, ideas of the zombie apocalypse.
And that is as much as a review as this book deserves...
And that is as much as a review as this book deserves...
August 15, 2013
free on Amazon.... great book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews