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The Great Undead War #1
By the Blood of Heroes
“Joe Nassise has raised the bar for the whole genre.”
—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of The Dragon Factory
Combine the take-no-prisoners heroic grit of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds with the irreverent inventiveness of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, set it on the blood-and-gore-soaked European battlefields of World War One, and you get By the Blood of Heroes, a wildly imaginative alternate history zombie novel by acclaimed urban fantasy author Joseph Nassise. When the German high command employs a terrible new chemical weapon that reanimates the dead, Allied forces must take on the Kaiser’s zombie army in order to rescue a downed American flying ace in the first book of Nassise’s The Great Undead War saga. By the Blood of Heroes is a deliciously gruesome adventure that horror and alternate history lovers, steampunk aficionados, and fans of such zombie-centric offerings as TV’s The Walking Dead, popular literature’s World War Z, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Zombie Haiku, and the Resident Evil video game and film series will eagerly devour.
—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of The Dragon Factory
Combine the take-no-prisoners heroic grit of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds with the irreverent inventiveness of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, set it on the blood-and-gore-soaked European battlefields of World War One, and you get By the Blood of Heroes, a wildly imaginative alternate history zombie novel by acclaimed urban fantasy author Joseph Nassise. When the German high command employs a terrible new chemical weapon that reanimates the dead, Allied forces must take on the Kaiser’s zombie army in order to rescue a downed American flying ace in the first book of Nassise’s The Great Undead War saga. By the Blood of Heroes is a deliciously gruesome adventure that horror and alternate history lovers, steampunk aficionados, and fans of such zombie-centric offerings as TV’s The Walking Dead, popular literature’s World War Z, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Zombie Haiku, and the Resident Evil video game and film series will eagerly devour.
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
About the author
Joseph Nassise
88 books326 followersI'm the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including the Templar Chronicles series, the Jeremiah Hunt trilogy, and the Great Undead War series. I've also written several books in the Rogue Angel action/adventure series from Gold Eagle. I'm a former president of the Horror Writers Association, the world's largest organization of professional horror writers, and a multiple Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominee.
When I'm not writing, I'm hanging out with dogs, practicing recurve archery, or off-roading in the desert around my home in Phoenix, AZ.
When I'm not writing, I'm hanging out with dogs, practicing recurve archery, or off-roading in the desert around my home in Phoenix, AZ.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
May 20, 2012
Loved it! A WWI action romp, with zombies?! It was fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, particularly Graves. A creepy zombie genius who, thankfully, is on the side of good. The action was intense, and at times disturbing. But I could barely put the book down. I'll happily buy the sequel! I can't wait to read how much crazier this situation can get!
April 26, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I thought BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES was going to be a simple ‘killing the undead horde of zombies with very large guns’ tale but it ended up being a much larger war story with very serious implications not only for the heroes but for the world if the wrong side won. The zombies, or shamblers as they are called, are used as weapons of war by the Germans against the Allied forces during WWI. Learning about the advancements in the corpse gas technology was very creepy as it went beyond just raising the dead. The experiments (done on both the dead and living) with the corpse gas elevated the horror to a frightening new level that was all too reminiscent of the Holocaust experiments carried out by the Nazis.
One thing that I didn’t like about this book was the overly technical aspects thrown into the action scenes. While it was interesting to have a dogfight (aka: fighter jet fight) scene, I had a hard time grasping what was happening as I am not familiar with planes and military terminology.
Frustration over the technical jargon aside, the story connected well between the three character narrations as Burke goes on his mission to save Major Jack Freeman. Richthofen’s narration was especially enjoyable as I liked being let in on the antagonist’s thoughts and ideas just to see if I could understand his motives at all or if he is just plain crazy. Richthofen’s motives were definitely on the crazy side but understanding his brand of crazy helped to truly immerse me in the story from all sides. Of the three narrations, I was the least interested in Freeman’s because his story was basically static as a POW with absolutely no means of escape until Burke’s team came. I did like learning more about shamblers along with Freeman but was impatient to get to Burke’s action or Richthofen’s plotting bad guy narrations.
Overall, I enjoyed seeing an alternate history in regards to WWI with not only shambler-making-technology but steampunk elements including mechanical prosthetic arms, dirigibles, and Tesla inspired weapons and technology. BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES mixes a creepy zombie apocalypse scenario with a dash of steampunk to make an action packed story full of heroism from a bygone era.
Sexual Content:
N/A
I thought BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES was going to be a simple ‘killing the undead horde of zombies with very large guns’ tale but it ended up being a much larger war story with very serious implications not only for the heroes but for the world if the wrong side won. The zombies, or shamblers as they are called, are used as weapons of war by the Germans against the Allied forces during WWI. Learning about the advancements in the corpse gas technology was very creepy as it went beyond just raising the dead. The experiments (done on both the dead and living) with the corpse gas elevated the horror to a frightening new level that was all too reminiscent of the Holocaust experiments carried out by the Nazis.
One thing that I didn’t like about this book was the overly technical aspects thrown into the action scenes. While it was interesting to have a dogfight (aka: fighter jet fight) scene, I had a hard time grasping what was happening as I am not familiar with planes and military terminology.
Frustration over the technical jargon aside, the story connected well between the three character narrations as Burke goes on his mission to save Major Jack Freeman. Richthofen’s narration was especially enjoyable as I liked being let in on the antagonist’s thoughts and ideas just to see if I could understand his motives at all or if he is just plain crazy. Richthofen’s motives were definitely on the crazy side but understanding his brand of crazy helped to truly immerse me in the story from all sides. Of the three narrations, I was the least interested in Freeman’s because his story was basically static as a POW with absolutely no means of escape until Burke’s team came. I did like learning more about shamblers along with Freeman but was impatient to get to Burke’s action or Richthofen’s plotting bad guy narrations.
Overall, I enjoyed seeing an alternate history in regards to WWI with not only shambler-making-technology but steampunk elements including mechanical prosthetic arms, dirigibles, and Tesla inspired weapons and technology. BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES mixes a creepy zombie apocalypse scenario with a dash of steampunk to make an action packed story full of heroism from a bygone era.
Sexual Content:
N/A
January 27, 2013
All moaning on the western front? Yes there is a new weapons for World War I: zombies. These classic movie monsters are central to the plot of By the Blood of Heroes by Joseph Nassise, the first novel of The Great Undead War series, coming out on May 1st.
History diverges at the end of 1917, when the desperate Germans introduce a new gas to the battlefield called T-Leiche or "corpse gas". Deceased bodies are brought back to life, giving the Germans an almost unlimited number of shock troops to use against the Allies in the trenches. Though not smart enough to handle weapons, remote control collars keep them from trying to eat their German handlers. This new weapon saves Germany from the jaws of defeat and prolongs the war.
Fast-forward a couple years later; pilot, ace and bastard son of the president Major Jack Freeman is shot down and taken captive by the Germans. Veteran Captain Michael "Madman" Burke is charged with rescuing the ace before German occultists can use his blood to perform a spell that could assassinate the president. If he can't rescue Freeman, he will not only have to kill him but destroy his body to insure the president's safety. This is a distinct possibility because even though Burke is Freeman's half-brother, he also hates him with a passion.
This drama is playing out during the scheming of Manfred von Richthofen, the infamous Red Baron. One of the few lucky undead who were reanimated with their intelligence intact and some new found gifts, he has lost faith with the German leadership and thinks it is time for a change. His research into the corpse gas has produced some promising results and may be the key to ending the war.
Plausibility hounds, if they can ignore the zombies, will find a lot of unanswered questions throughout the novel. Why has armored warfare been so ineffective in breaking the stalemate on the Western Front? Why are massive airships still being built despite their weakness against the smaller fighter planes (in one scene the largest airship ever built by the British is taken down by single fighter piloted by Richthofen himself)? Why is there still a "Russian Front" despite the war ending there in March 1918 with the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk? Who are the Germans fighting: the Reds, the Whites or someone else? Finally, why is there no mention of the Ottoman Empire? Is there really no "Middle East Front" in this alternate history?
Despite odd tactics and so little information about the rest of the world, the story was pretty good horror story. The trials and tribulations of Freeman and Burke, two of the major point of view characters, were at times both interesting and horrifying. Richthofen, the other major POV character, was not as enjoyable to read. Despite what could have been done with a character who knows he is a zombie (see the Marvel Zombies series) Richthofen came off as a cliche supervillain. At one point he even explains his master plan to take over the world to Freeman, who was in his clutches, and explained how pointless it was to resist him. Obviously the Red Baron never read the Evil Overlord List.
The villain aside, the ending of the story was a surprise, even to me. The sequel should open the reader up to all new horrors and I am quite happy that the novel was not simply a "lets take the plot of World War Z and set it in a different time" which you see way to often across the Internet. Zombies fan should enjoy By the Blood of Heroes, but hard core alternate history fans might find it wanting.
History diverges at the end of 1917, when the desperate Germans introduce a new gas to the battlefield called T-Leiche or "corpse gas". Deceased bodies are brought back to life, giving the Germans an almost unlimited number of shock troops to use against the Allies in the trenches. Though not smart enough to handle weapons, remote control collars keep them from trying to eat their German handlers. This new weapon saves Germany from the jaws of defeat and prolongs the war.
Fast-forward a couple years later; pilot, ace and bastard son of the president Major Jack Freeman is shot down and taken captive by the Germans. Veteran Captain Michael "Madman" Burke is charged with rescuing the ace before German occultists can use his blood to perform a spell that could assassinate the president. If he can't rescue Freeman, he will not only have to kill him but destroy his body to insure the president's safety. This is a distinct possibility because even though Burke is Freeman's half-brother, he also hates him with a passion.
This drama is playing out during the scheming of Manfred von Richthofen, the infamous Red Baron. One of the few lucky undead who were reanimated with their intelligence intact and some new found gifts, he has lost faith with the German leadership and thinks it is time for a change. His research into the corpse gas has produced some promising results and may be the key to ending the war.
Plausibility hounds, if they can ignore the zombies, will find a lot of unanswered questions throughout the novel. Why has armored warfare been so ineffective in breaking the stalemate on the Western Front? Why are massive airships still being built despite their weakness against the smaller fighter planes (in one scene the largest airship ever built by the British is taken down by single fighter piloted by Richthofen himself)? Why is there still a "Russian Front" despite the war ending there in March 1918 with the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk? Who are the Germans fighting: the Reds, the Whites or someone else? Finally, why is there no mention of the Ottoman Empire? Is there really no "Middle East Front" in this alternate history?
Despite odd tactics and so little information about the rest of the world, the story was pretty good horror story. The trials and tribulations of Freeman and Burke, two of the major point of view characters, were at times both interesting and horrifying. Richthofen, the other major POV character, was not as enjoyable to read. Despite what could have been done with a character who knows he is a zombie (see the Marvel Zombies series) Richthofen came off as a cliche supervillain. At one point he even explains his master plan to take over the world to Freeman, who was in his clutches, and explained how pointless it was to resist him. Obviously the Red Baron never read the Evil Overlord List.
The villain aside, the ending of the story was a surprise, even to me. The sequel should open the reader up to all new horrors and I am quite happy that the novel was not simply a "lets take the plot of World War Z and set it in a different time" which you see way to often across the Internet. Zombies fan should enjoy By the Blood of Heroes, but hard core alternate history fans might find it wanting.
May 6, 2012
Steampunk, alternate history WWI, fighting the Kaiser’s zombies, oh, don’t forget the Bloody Dead Baron...what’s not to like? The answer is not much in the first volume of Joseph Nassise’s The Great Undead War.
By the Blood of Heroes is the first volume and it kicks the series off to a great start. The war in the trenches has ground to a stalemate after the Germans invented the zombie gas which reanimates the fallen soldiers and turns them into barely controllable shock troops. Scientists on both sides continue to work on inventions and experiments designed to give their side a decisive edge to win the war. An American ace gets shot down behind enemy lines. This pilot holds a little known secret which could prove devastating to the Allies if discovered, so a rescue mission deep behind enemy lines must be undertaken. Working to stop the effort is the infamous Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron.
This is a very inventive and very entertaining book. Interesting characters on both sides along with dirigibles, steampunk inventions, and mad scientists all in a richly populated and detailed world. The action moves along briskly from start to finish with plenty of surprises along the way. Looking back, there are a surprising number of set pieces. From the trenches, to the battle in the air, to POW camps, to experimental research facilities, to airships and trains. The amount of detail and action crammed into this book is impressive. The only thing that felt a little rushed was the backstory between the downed pilot and the leader of the team sent to rescue him. Hopefully this can be expanded a bit more in future novels.
There is a certain amount of suspension of disbelief required and maybe a thing or two that don’t bear close examination, but all-in-all this is a very well thought-out and fun adventure. There were a number of things that could have been glossed over in the hope that the reader would just accept them, but the author went to the trouble of providing a plausible explanation for most of them. That attention to detail added to my appreciation of the story. I am looking forward to the continuation of this series. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.
By the Blood of Heroes is the first volume and it kicks the series off to a great start. The war in the trenches has ground to a stalemate after the Germans invented the zombie gas which reanimates the fallen soldiers and turns them into barely controllable shock troops. Scientists on both sides continue to work on inventions and experiments designed to give their side a decisive edge to win the war. An American ace gets shot down behind enemy lines. This pilot holds a little known secret which could prove devastating to the Allies if discovered, so a rescue mission deep behind enemy lines must be undertaken. Working to stop the effort is the infamous Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron.
This is a very inventive and very entertaining book. Interesting characters on both sides along with dirigibles, steampunk inventions, and mad scientists all in a richly populated and detailed world. The action moves along briskly from start to finish with plenty of surprises along the way. Looking back, there are a surprising number of set pieces. From the trenches, to the battle in the air, to POW camps, to experimental research facilities, to airships and trains. The amount of detail and action crammed into this book is impressive. The only thing that felt a little rushed was the backstory between the downed pilot and the leader of the team sent to rescue him. Hopefully this can be expanded a bit more in future novels.
There is a certain amount of suspension of disbelief required and maybe a thing or two that don’t bear close examination, but all-in-all this is a very well thought-out and fun adventure. There were a number of things that could have been glossed over in the hope that the reader would just accept them, but the author went to the trouble of providing a plausible explanation for most of them. That attention to detail added to my appreciation of the story. I am looking forward to the continuation of this series. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.
May 11, 2012
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/05/...
First of all, this book was crazy fun. I’ll admit, I’m not usually a fan of WWI, WWII, or, for that manner, any war stories, but I’m a big fan of Joseph Nassise’s, and I was certainly game to give it a go. Turns out I didn’t have anything to worry about. In By the Blood of Heroes, WWI is in full swing, but the Germans have a bit of an advantage. They’ve created a “corpse gas” that turns their dead into zombies, and they’re using them on the frontlines. Able to control them using some sort of device, the prove to be an effective and demoralizing force to be reckoned with. When ace pilot Jack Freeman is shot down and captured by the Germans, his brother Camptain Michael Burke is put in charge of a group of soldiers tasked with his rescue. What follows is a rather exciting, fast paced adventure.
Set against a background of an alternate WWI, the zombies became much more terrifying, since they were being used and controlled by the Germans as killing machines. And we’re not just talking about mindless shamblers. The Germans have been…experimenting (shudder), and there are some forms of the zombies that have retained their faculties, and even their sanity (although I wouldn’t consider most of these guys sane to begin with, so that’s open to interpretation.) There are plenty of classic adventure and horror elements in this story, and the action is nearly nonstop. Also, there are lots of steampunk elements (Burke has a mechanical arm and can you say airships?), and the story is peppered with fun historical figures like the Red Baron. Plenty of zombie melee goodness, too, and the author keeps his writing tight and crisp, moving the narrative right along. There’s plenty here to love for alternate history and zombie aficionados alike, and lots of goodies that would be right up any horror fan’s alley! And don’t worry, even if Burke and his crew manage to rescue Freeman (against almost overwhelming odds), there’s plenty of evildoing to be done, and the Germans are more than up for the task. The author ends this one up wonderfully while leaving plenty of material for further novels. I’ll definitely look forward to more in the series!
First of all, this book was crazy fun. I’ll admit, I’m not usually a fan of WWI, WWII, or, for that manner, any war stories, but I’m a big fan of Joseph Nassise’s, and I was certainly game to give it a go. Turns out I didn’t have anything to worry about. In By the Blood of Heroes, WWI is in full swing, but the Germans have a bit of an advantage. They’ve created a “corpse gas” that turns their dead into zombies, and they’re using them on the frontlines. Able to control them using some sort of device, the prove to be an effective and demoralizing force to be reckoned with. When ace pilot Jack Freeman is shot down and captured by the Germans, his brother Camptain Michael Burke is put in charge of a group of soldiers tasked with his rescue. What follows is a rather exciting, fast paced adventure.
Set against a background of an alternate WWI, the zombies became much more terrifying, since they were being used and controlled by the Germans as killing machines. And we’re not just talking about mindless shamblers. The Germans have been…experimenting (shudder), and there are some forms of the zombies that have retained their faculties, and even their sanity (although I wouldn’t consider most of these guys sane to begin with, so that’s open to interpretation.) There are plenty of classic adventure and horror elements in this story, and the action is nearly nonstop. Also, there are lots of steampunk elements (Burke has a mechanical arm and can you say airships?), and the story is peppered with fun historical figures like the Red Baron. Plenty of zombie melee goodness, too, and the author keeps his writing tight and crisp, moving the narrative right along. There’s plenty here to love for alternate history and zombie aficionados alike, and lots of goodies that would be right up any horror fan’s alley! And don’t worry, even if Burke and his crew manage to rescue Freeman (against almost overwhelming odds), there’s plenty of evildoing to be done, and the Germans are more than up for the task. The author ends this one up wonderfully while leaving plenty of material for further novels. I’ll definitely look forward to more in the series!
March 15, 2013
Let me tell you: I loved reading this book. From the beginning to the very exciting ending (you will not want to stop reading during the last 15% or so for sure). Very serious subject matter (death/war/zombies), but it was fun reading it. Does that make sense?
It seemed like I could tell the author himself had a fun time writing the book and that feeling is expressed in the way the author tells the story. The author captured my attention right off the bat and then kept my attention during the whole book!
By the Blood of Heroes features: WWI action (ground/air), a The Dirty Dozen/Inglourious Basterds suicide type mission and cast of characters, Steampunk gadgets/weapons, alterative history (extended WWI action), zombies (smart, dumb, all kinds), horror, terror, action, suspense, and the good ole Red Baron himself (who, like the Terminator, just keeps attacking and attacking and it seems he cannot be stopped).
I really enjoyed reading about the Steampunk elements of this story (mechanical hands, hi-tech bombs, large flying ships ~ flying suits and on & on). All of the hi-tech gadgets reminded me of the cool stuff that Captain Nemo had in movie version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Was that movie considered Steampunk?
The book got better and better the deeper I got into it! I plan to read the prequel: The Sharp End (The Great Undead War prequel story) as well.
It seemed like I could tell the author himself had a fun time writing the book and that feeling is expressed in the way the author tells the story. The author captured my attention right off the bat and then kept my attention during the whole book!
By the Blood of Heroes features: WWI action (ground/air), a The Dirty Dozen/Inglourious Basterds suicide type mission and cast of characters, Steampunk gadgets/weapons, alterative history (extended WWI action), zombies (smart, dumb, all kinds), horror, terror, action, suspense, and the good ole Red Baron himself (who, like the Terminator, just keeps attacking and attacking and it seems he cannot be stopped).
I really enjoyed reading about the Steampunk elements of this story (mechanical hands, hi-tech bombs, large flying ships ~ flying suits and on & on). All of the hi-tech gadgets reminded me of the cool stuff that Captain Nemo had in movie version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Was that movie considered Steampunk?
The book got better and better the deeper I got into it! I plan to read the prequel: The Sharp End (The Great Undead War prequel story) as well.
October 23, 2012
This was actually a very good read. I really enjoyed the author's mixing of the steampunk and zombie/occult genres. There was more action than character development but after reading 7 of Robert Jordan's books before giving up that's a plus as far as I'm concerned. Fast read as well - finished in a day or two. Trouble is now I am looking forward to the next installment.
June 20, 2017
By the Blood of Heroes hits heavily in two major focal points: we have the military drama, and then we have the science fiction portion with zombies. The author married these two points admirably, in a way that seemed both plausible and action-packed. The way the Germans were creating the shamblers (not quite zombies in the classical sense; these ones had a little sense despite not feeling pain) definitely didn't seem out of character considering what the Nazis were doing for experiments during the Holocaust.
What really ruined it for me was the constant technical jargon. I've mentioned in other reviews that I tend to glaze over with too much specialty language and it happened a LOT here. Any scene dealing with the war got bogged down with lingo and reduced the level of tension. Without that I'd have been a happy camper.
What really ruined it for me was the constant technical jargon. I've mentioned in other reviews that I tend to glaze over with too much specialty language and it happened a LOT here. Any scene dealing with the war got bogged down with lingo and reduced the level of tension. Without that I'd have been a happy camper.
December 18, 2019
A really cool mix of genes, with a unique take on zombies and alternative history.
March 10, 2013
While I'm not a big zombie fiction fan, I couldn't resist reading this book about WWI with a supernatural/steampunk twist. And Joseph Nassise doesn't disappoint. It's high caliber action that brings to mind movies like The Dirty Dozen, but twenty plus years sooner. I don't know a lot about WWI, to be honest, but what Nassise writes seems credible. I like that he takes what is known about WWI fighting and integrates some steampunkish and supernatural elements. I think that he builds on the ever-present sense of horror that war inherently has, and that's a firm foundation for a supernatural suspense novel. I can't verify this, but the Germans seemed kind of Nazish already, especially in the blatant defiance of human rights and experimentation on humans. That part was rather disturbing.
I felt the suspense element was a huge appeal of this book. I literally didn't know what would happen and I even had to put it down a few times to get a break. Although I wanted to keep reading. I find zombies really disturbing, and the fact that the Germans are using gas to turn people into zombies is pretty darn awful. I wanted the heroes to open up a can of whip@$$ all over them.
If anything could have improved this was more dialogue and interaction with the members of Burke's team. I cared about all these guys, but I think I would have liked to know more about them. I realize that this book occurs over a short period of time, but this would have enhanced my reading experience. The main villain Richthofen was a "real you know what". He's the kind of villain you want to see get his butt handed to him. But he's a credible villain in that he's not easily defeated. He's enough to give you nightmares, actually. I don't think I'll have any, I hope. But just in case, I tried not to read this before I went to sleep. This book is so much scary as unnerving in that I can put myself in the soldiers' shoes and imagine that sense of constant fear that dealt with in the trenches. If being blown up or shot or gassed to death isn't enough. That's a chance they will be turned into zombies or see their fellow soldiers come back to try to eat them to death! Yeah, that's pretty disturbing.
Overall, this was a very good book. Great action moments. I liked the lead characters, especially Burke. The villain is nasty enough to make him a worthy antagonist. The supernatural/steampunk parts are excellent. They tie into the WWI setting very well. I think with more development of the secondary characters, this book would have been even more effective as a read. I will definitely continue this series, but when I'm in the mood for a creepy zombie novel with good action.
Recommended.
I felt the suspense element was a huge appeal of this book. I literally didn't know what would happen and I even had to put it down a few times to get a break. Although I wanted to keep reading. I find zombies really disturbing, and the fact that the Germans are using gas to turn people into zombies is pretty darn awful. I wanted the heroes to open up a can of whip@$$ all over them.
If anything could have improved this was more dialogue and interaction with the members of Burke's team. I cared about all these guys, but I think I would have liked to know more about them. I realize that this book occurs over a short period of time, but this would have enhanced my reading experience. The main villain Richthofen was a "real you know what". He's the kind of villain you want to see get his butt handed to him. But he's a credible villain in that he's not easily defeated. He's enough to give you nightmares, actually. I don't think I'll have any, I hope. But just in case, I tried not to read this before I went to sleep. This book is so much scary as unnerving in that I can put myself in the soldiers' shoes and imagine that sense of constant fear that dealt with in the trenches. If being blown up or shot or gassed to death isn't enough. That's a chance they will be turned into zombies or see their fellow soldiers come back to try to eat them to death! Yeah, that's pretty disturbing.
Overall, this was a very good book. Great action moments. I liked the lead characters, especially Burke. The villain is nasty enough to make him a worthy antagonist. The supernatural/steampunk parts are excellent. They tie into the WWI setting very well. I think with more development of the secondary characters, this book would have been even more effective as a read. I will definitely continue this series, but when I'm in the mood for a creepy zombie novel with good action.
Recommended.
February 27, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I thought BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES was going to be a simple ‘killing the undead horde of zombies with very large guns’ tale but it ended up being a much larger war story with very serious implications not only for the heroes but for the world if the wrong side won. The zombies, or shamblers as they are called, are used as weapons of war by the Germans against the Allied forces during WWI. Learning about the advancements in the corpse gas technology was very creepy as it went beyond just raising the dead. The experiments (done on both the dead and living) with the corpse gas elevated the horror to a frightening new level that was all too reminiscent of the Holocaust experiments carried out by the Nazis.
One thing that I didn’t like about this book was the overly technical aspects thrown into the action scenes. While it was interesting to have a dogfight (aka: fighter jet fight) scene, I had a hard time grasping what was happening as I am not familiar with planes and military terminology.
Frustration over the technical jargon aside, the story connected well between the three character narrations as Burke goes on his mission to save Major Jack Freeman. Richthofen’s narration was especially enjoyable as I liked being let in on the antagonist’s thoughts and ideas just to see if I could understand his motives at all or if he is just plain crazy. Richthofen’s motives were definitely on the crazy side but understanding his brand of crazy helped to truly immerse me in the story from all sides. Of the three narrations, I was the least interested in Freeman’s because his story was basically static as a POW with absolutely no means of escape until Burke’s team came. I did like learning more about shamblers along with Freeman but was impatient to get to Burke’s action or Richthofen’s plotting bad guy narrations.
Overall, I enjoyed seeing an alternate history in regards to WWI with not only shambler-making-technology but steampunk elements including mechanical prosthetic arms, dirigibles, and Tesla inspired weapons and technology. BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES mixes a creepy zombie apocalypse scenario with a dash of steampunk to make an action packed story full of heroism from a bygone era.
I thought BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES was going to be a simple ‘killing the undead horde of zombies with very large guns’ tale but it ended up being a much larger war story with very serious implications not only for the heroes but for the world if the wrong side won. The zombies, or shamblers as they are called, are used as weapons of war by the Germans against the Allied forces during WWI. Learning about the advancements in the corpse gas technology was very creepy as it went beyond just raising the dead. The experiments (done on both the dead and living) with the corpse gas elevated the horror to a frightening new level that was all too reminiscent of the Holocaust experiments carried out by the Nazis.
One thing that I didn’t like about this book was the overly technical aspects thrown into the action scenes. While it was interesting to have a dogfight (aka: fighter jet fight) scene, I had a hard time grasping what was happening as I am not familiar with planes and military terminology.
Frustration over the technical jargon aside, the story connected well between the three character narrations as Burke goes on his mission to save Major Jack Freeman. Richthofen’s narration was especially enjoyable as I liked being let in on the antagonist’s thoughts and ideas just to see if I could understand his motives at all or if he is just plain crazy. Richthofen’s motives were definitely on the crazy side but understanding his brand of crazy helped to truly immerse me in the story from all sides. Of the three narrations, I was the least interested in Freeman’s because his story was basically static as a POW with absolutely no means of escape until Burke’s team came. I did like learning more about shamblers along with Freeman but was impatient to get to Burke’s action or Richthofen’s plotting bad guy narrations.
Overall, I enjoyed seeing an alternate history in regards to WWI with not only shambler-making-technology but steampunk elements including mechanical prosthetic arms, dirigibles, and Tesla inspired weapons and technology. BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES mixes a creepy zombie apocalypse scenario with a dash of steampunk to make an action packed story full of heroism from a bygone era.
October 18, 2013
Two things. Normally, I don't read war books all that often, especially ones with a degree of historical perspective. The other thing is that while I do occasionally read zombie comics, watch zombie movies, and play zombie games, I haven't been as keen as reading zombie books (I mean, I have read a few, but most have never really come up as particularly likable).
All that said, I actually quite like this book. By the Blood of Heroes is part one of Nassise's The Great Undead War series. Book one deals with a specialized mission involving the rescue of American pilot Jack Freeman out of the clutches of German enemy lines. Now let's mention the fact that the one leading this mission is a war veteran with a steampunky metallic arm. Oh, and the Germans have invented zombie gas. And the Red Baron, Germany's top ace, is a thinking zombie. Yeah, problems all around.
Maybe it was the steampunk, or maybe it was the historical period (I've always had such a fascination with WWI), or maybe it was the fact that there was so much going on, but I was certainly entertained. It did help that the characters were distinct, and that I felt anxious to see the Americans succeed. All the same, there were occasional glimpses of Baron Richthofen in the story, and I loved that point of view (particularly interesting because be is a zombie).
Mostly my caveat was that I realized (too late, as usual) that the book was a series, and while there is a relative degree of success occurring in the novel, the epilogue was pretty bleak.
Suddenly, everybody dies...
All that said, I actually quite like this book. By the Blood of Heroes is part one of Nassise's The Great Undead War series. Book one deals with a specialized mission involving the rescue of American pilot Jack Freeman out of the clutches of German enemy lines. Now let's mention the fact that the one leading this mission is a war veteran with a steampunky metallic arm. Oh, and the Germans have invented zombie gas. And the Red Baron, Germany's top ace, is a thinking zombie. Yeah, problems all around.
Maybe it was the steampunk, or maybe it was the historical period (I've always had such a fascination with WWI), or maybe it was the fact that there was so much going on, but I was certainly entertained. It did help that the characters were distinct, and that I felt anxious to see the Americans succeed. All the same, there were occasional glimpses of Baron Richthofen in the story, and I loved that point of view (particularly interesting because be is a zombie).
Mostly my caveat was that I realized (too late, as usual) that the book was a series, and while there is a relative degree of success occurring in the novel, the epilogue was pretty bleak.
Suddenly, everybody dies...
November 20, 2012
I very much enjoyed this book. A mash-up of steampunk, zombies, alternate history and boys-own war story, it was perhaps in serious danger of over-egging the pudding, but fortunately the author avoids that and instead manages to create a fast moving, rip-roaring yarn.
The creation of ‘corpse gas’ by German scientists has driven the Great War to last much longer than perhaps it should. Reanimated corpses of both German and Allied soldiers attack the Allies, forcing the war into a nightmarish stalemate. Other zombie soldiers seem to have held on to their personality, the most famous of these being The Bloody Red Baron, Von Richtofen himself, who plays a major part in this book.
It’s the Baron who sets the events of this tale off, as he shoots down American flying Ace Major Jack Freeman. Freeman’s half-brother, Captain Michael Burke and his team of fighting men is dispatched to rescue him, as Freeman is more important than a normal soldier…
Nassise creates a fascinating tale that, while fantastic, feels grounded and credible. Some of the characters in Burke’s squad are somewhat underdeveloped, and the novel isn’t quite as clever as Kim Newman’s The Bloody Red Baron, which it will invariably be compared to. It is however a lot of fun, and Nassise has a steady and assured style of writing that makes his prose a pleasure to read. I would recommend it to fans of alt-history and steampunk novels, especially if they enjoy a bit of horror too!
7.5/10
The creation of ‘corpse gas’ by German scientists has driven the Great War to last much longer than perhaps it should. Reanimated corpses of both German and Allied soldiers attack the Allies, forcing the war into a nightmarish stalemate. Other zombie soldiers seem to have held on to their personality, the most famous of these being The Bloody Red Baron, Von Richtofen himself, who plays a major part in this book.
It’s the Baron who sets the events of this tale off, as he shoots down American flying Ace Major Jack Freeman. Freeman’s half-brother, Captain Michael Burke and his team of fighting men is dispatched to rescue him, as Freeman is more important than a normal soldier…
Nassise creates a fascinating tale that, while fantastic, feels grounded and credible. Some of the characters in Burke’s squad are somewhat underdeveloped, and the novel isn’t quite as clever as Kim Newman’s The Bloody Red Baron, which it will invariably be compared to. It is however a lot of fun, and Nassise has a steady and assured style of writing that makes his prose a pleasure to read. I would recommend it to fans of alt-history and steampunk novels, especially if they enjoy a bit of horror too!
7.5/10
March 17, 2015
A few months back I bought the Harper Collins Humble bundle (https://www.humblebundle.com/books) and was excited to have many new stories to discover. Pure chance made me start this one first and pure writing talent made me get to the end of it.
By the blood of heroes is an interesting and action filled alternate history about a group of soldiers during World War One.
Michael Burke is ordered out on a rescue mission deep behind enemy lines to save his half brother Jack Freeman. The road there is riddled with danger and the plan isn't as straightforward as they could have wished. Standing in their way are armed German soldiers, the flying ace, Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. The Red Baron, and hoards of shambles, those resurrected creatures who once were men... And then there's the question of how to get back to the allied side.
I never imagined I'd enjoy an alternate World War One, action steampunk story, with zombies. But I did, very much.
Well done, and thank you, Joseph Nassise.
By the blood of heroes is an interesting and action filled alternate history about a group of soldiers during World War One.
Michael Burke is ordered out on a rescue mission deep behind enemy lines to save his half brother Jack Freeman. The road there is riddled with danger and the plan isn't as straightforward as they could have wished. Standing in their way are armed German soldiers, the flying ace, Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. The Red Baron, and hoards of shambles, those resurrected creatures who once were men... And then there's the question of how to get back to the allied side.
I never imagined I'd enjoy an alternate World War One, action steampunk story, with zombies. But I did, very much.
Well done, and thank you, Joseph Nassise.
August 31, 2012
A solid thriller reminiscent of 2000 AD's 'Fiends of the Eastern Front' and Kim Newman's Dracula series, particularly the 'Bloody Red Baron'. Contains some steampunk elements. The World War 1 ground war aspect lifts it as well. The book focuses on zombies with some evolution of the trope in the form of revenants. Well paced, thrilling and easily consumed in one or two sittings. There are hints at occult aspects as well. I look forward to the next one.
June 25, 2012
This is a great book for the zombie, steam-punk or alternate history fan. The action is fast-paced and the characters are great. A refreshing departure from the typical "end of the world" zombie stories.
The story is set in WWI France and tells what happens when the Germans invent a gas that reanimates the dead.
Get this book: you won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the next one.
The story is set in WWI France and tells what happens when the Germans invent a gas that reanimates the dead.
Get this book: you won't be disappointed. I can't wait for the next one.
August 8, 2012
A very engaging steam punk, zombie, war story, with a very good cover as well, and even the feel of the paper seemed right for it. It kept my interest till the very end, by which time I had gotten some of what I expected for the hero, but also some of what I'd hoped for the villain. If a villains reach does not exceed his grasp, then what is a Hell for? I look forward to the next installment.
March 23, 2013
Pretty damn cool-a well-done steampunkish WW1 tale with zombies, complete with an undead Red Baron-I'm in! Finished on something of a cliffhanger, but what DOESN'T these days? A lot of times this annoys me because I didn't get into the book enough to want to go back for a second visit-not the case here. I'll definitely be picking up the next one.
December 1, 2013
This book had a very good story line to it. It was not the average zombie book with people looking for a way to survive. An actual war with real people on both sides but with one side controlling these dumb and smart Kaiser zombies. That is a zombie book I can get in to. Great development. I can't wait to read book 2!
November 26, 2014
First World War and zombies, how could you go wrong? It's not really the First World War, more of a steampunky version of it. Not sure how I feel about the whole idea and it probably only rates 3.5 stars but I'll read the next book when it comes out.
June 4, 2012
I couldn't put it down and looking forward to the next books.
December 4, 2012
What a quick read. WWI, Steampunk(kinda'), zombies. I would mos def read the next.
February 21, 2014
This was a lot of fun. It's a quick pulp like read with great actions scenes. The ending was not what I expected, but I am interested to see where the author goes from here.
April 8, 2015
Review soon
November 16, 2016
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies introduced a new concept in horror/fantasy/science fiction: the insertion of the undead (or some other unearthly creature) into a popular work of literature. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter took this and added history as another potential field for exploration. This has resulted in monsters visiting everything from Little Women to Ebenezer Scrooge. With horrors being added to spice up mundane (but, make no mistake, well crafted) literary works, it should perhaps come as no surprise that the dark, gritty world of zombies should invade the gritty, dark, and bloodstained subject of the First World War.
Nassise is an inventive author; By The Blood Of Heroes takes place in a 1921 in which the Great War is now in its seventh year. The hero is a member of the American Expeditionary Force, fighting a German Army that has been substantially rejuvenated by the creation of a mysterious gas that not only kills but raises the dead. The Kaiser, seeing the great potential, immediately begins enthusiastic deployments of the gas and enlisting of the totensoldat. Our hero has been assigned a vital mission deep behind enemy lines, where he and his band of troopers—armed with the latest in Tesla-inspired steampunk tech—will clash with the undead Baron Manfred Von Richtofen, the Red Baron himself.
For all of his inventiveness (which contributes a great deal to the story), Nassise could be rated as a competent author: not poor but not utterly fantastic either. For a war that involved many of the most colorful figures of our time—Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill, George S. Patton, to name a few—there is surprisingly little to no mention of the people who actually lived through that time. Perhaps that is a blessing, as Nassise does not seem to read the historical figures he does use very well. For instance, Hindenburg and Ludendorff—the two chief generals of the German Empire during the latter half of World War I—are portrayed as pompous, bumbling fools who have only just been appointed to their respective posts, some four years after they should have arrived there (these are, of course, the only actual German generals mentioned, suggesting a lack of interest in the larger military effort that took German officers from France to the Bosporus to East Africa). Kaiser Wilhelm is depicted as vain and rather silly, a very shallow and sadly conventional depiction of the man. But I doubt any historian—professional or otherwise—would even recognize the Red Baron, a vicious, power hungry zombie whose relatively low rank of major does not prevent him from having command of a vast research project, advising the German high command, and still commanding his old fighter wing all at the same time. There’s little hint of the proud but chivalrous pilot that most history readers would be familiar with.
If the German personalities are twisted and scarce, those on the Allies side are puzzlingly absent. There’s no mention of General Pershing or Woodrow Wilson or any other major American figure. In fact, I’m certain the only person mentioned that I would be familiar with is Nikola Tesla and he doesn’t actually appear in the book. Nassise also seems to have a poor grasp of what officers do at certain ranks—for instance, he has a lieutenant colonel commanding a combat division, a post which is reserved for major generals or at least a brigadier general. There is no wiggle room.
All in all, while not a great book, By The Blood Of Heroes is capable of holding the reader’s interest and provides enough surprises and twists that sheer curiosity keeps your page turning finger moving. A cleverer author would have invoked the giants of that era (Churchill vs. zombies will make its writer a billion dollars someday) but Nassise could be given credit for trying to create something without having historians looking over his shoulder. Grammatically correct and possessing that inventiveness I keep mentioning, this book is not overwhelming but it won’t disappoint either.
Nassise is an inventive author; By The Blood Of Heroes takes place in a 1921 in which the Great War is now in its seventh year. The hero is a member of the American Expeditionary Force, fighting a German Army that has been substantially rejuvenated by the creation of a mysterious gas that not only kills but raises the dead. The Kaiser, seeing the great potential, immediately begins enthusiastic deployments of the gas and enlisting of the totensoldat. Our hero has been assigned a vital mission deep behind enemy lines, where he and his band of troopers—armed with the latest in Tesla-inspired steampunk tech—will clash with the undead Baron Manfred Von Richtofen, the Red Baron himself.
For all of his inventiveness (which contributes a great deal to the story), Nassise could be rated as a competent author: not poor but not utterly fantastic either. For a war that involved many of the most colorful figures of our time—Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill, George S. Patton, to name a few—there is surprisingly little to no mention of the people who actually lived through that time. Perhaps that is a blessing, as Nassise does not seem to read the historical figures he does use very well. For instance, Hindenburg and Ludendorff—the two chief generals of the German Empire during the latter half of World War I—are portrayed as pompous, bumbling fools who have only just been appointed to their respective posts, some four years after they should have arrived there (these are, of course, the only actual German generals mentioned, suggesting a lack of interest in the larger military effort that took German officers from France to the Bosporus to East Africa). Kaiser Wilhelm is depicted as vain and rather silly, a very shallow and sadly conventional depiction of the man. But I doubt any historian—professional or otherwise—would even recognize the Red Baron, a vicious, power hungry zombie whose relatively low rank of major does not prevent him from having command of a vast research project, advising the German high command, and still commanding his old fighter wing all at the same time. There’s little hint of the proud but chivalrous pilot that most history readers would be familiar with.
If the German personalities are twisted and scarce, those on the Allies side are puzzlingly absent. There’s no mention of General Pershing or Woodrow Wilson or any other major American figure. In fact, I’m certain the only person mentioned that I would be familiar with is Nikola Tesla and he doesn’t actually appear in the book. Nassise also seems to have a poor grasp of what officers do at certain ranks—for instance, he has a lieutenant colonel commanding a combat division, a post which is reserved for major generals or at least a brigadier general. There is no wiggle room.
All in all, while not a great book, By The Blood Of Heroes is capable of holding the reader’s interest and provides enough surprises and twists that sheer curiosity keeps your page turning finger moving. A cleverer author would have invoked the giants of that era (Churchill vs. zombies will make its writer a billion dollars someday) but Nassise could be given credit for trying to create something without having historians looking over his shoulder. Grammatically correct and possessing that inventiveness I keep mentioning, this book is not overwhelming but it won’t disappoint either.
April 21, 2022
Superb pulpy adventure, with a nice crossover of steampunk, zombie, and alternate history elements. Much to its credit, it never gets bogged down in its own science or logic, keeping the action and the human stories front and center.
March 31, 2019
World War battles, Nazis, zombies, and a little steampunk - what's not to like?
April 2, 2019
I HATE ZOMBIES.
I enjoyed the book very much.
I'll be buying the next.
I enjoyed the book very much.
I'll be buying the next.
December 27, 2021
Well that was odd. Just your everyday war story, exceptvfor the zombies and the steampunk. The strange thing is somehow it all seems to make sense.
December 28, 2022
😴😴😴
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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