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Season of the Dead

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“It is said that unto everything there is a season…these are the stories of a group of survivors during the season of the dead.”

Four individuals fight to survive as the zombie apocalypse crashes over the world in a wave of terror and destruction. Color, creed, and social standing mean nothing as the virus infects millions across the planet.

Sharon: a zoologist from Nebraska, USA, has worked with the virus, and has seen the effects on the human mind. She knows more about the virus than nearly anybody alive, and far more than she wants to.

Gerry: from Ontario, Canada, he gets his first taste of the virus from inside a prison cell. Locked up after an anti-government riot, his prison guard transforms before his eyes into a flesh craving zombie.

Lucia: a chemist from Pittsburgh, USA, flees from a furry convention dressed as a giant squirrel, and escapes from the city in a Fed-Ex van. She’s a girl who knows when to run and when to fight.

Paul: thinks he can sit out the apocalypse in his apartment block in Dublin, Ireland, until the virus comes to visit, bursting his bubble and leaving him with no choice but to face reality or perish.

All four begin perilous journeys in mind and body as they face daily trials to survive: Four threads, four different parts of the world, one apocalypse!

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2013

9 people are currently reading
432 people want to read

About the author

Lucia Adams

3 books46 followers
Lucia Adams is an American Transgressive Fiction author. Her first novel released, Vein Fire, received numerous unsolicited full manuscript requests from both large and small publishers as well as literary agents based upon the initial rough draft. One proclaimed that she has, “…redefined the Transgressive Fiction genre…”

Lucia began writing when she was a child, starting with screenplays and moving on to short stories and poetry. She has written many novels in the transgressive fiction genre, but has also penned novels in the horror, young adult fantasy, contemporary women’s fiction, and non-fiction genres. In Spring 2013, Season of the Dead, co-authored with three other authors, was published by Spore Press. Lucia is taking a break from publishing her work while she pursues opportunities in other forms of media. Her work appears in several anthologies and literary publications, for which she’s won awards.

During her spare time, Lucia designs and sews couture gowns, hikes in the forest to her favorite swimming hole, reads fairy tales to her puppy, and she may or may not have a clandestine chemistry lab set up in her basement. She often:

Writes about the difference between want and need and broken people
Stares at her palm, trying to rearrange the destiny lines
Contemplates the social consequences of being poisonous

Lucia lives in Pennsylvania, somewhere between a forest and a river.

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5 stars
43 (39%)
4 stars
38 (34%)
3 stars
22 (20%)
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6 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Tara Wood.
Author 11 books110 followers
September 8, 2013
I was initially interested in this novel because I was familiar with two of the authors. Sharon Van Orman and Paul Freeman were both known to me, and I had enjoyed both Lykaia and Tribesman, respectively. The premise however, not so much. I have to admit I haven’t cottoned to the whole “zombie” craze, but I decided to give this one a shot. One of the best ideas I’ve had in a while.

This novel is an introspection on humanity at its bleakest, not the campy undead romp that I was expecting. I found this to be a legitimate piece of literary fiction, not just another drop in the bucket zombie book that seems to be popular as of late.

While each character experience has its own feel, voice, and dynamic, there is no mistaking the threads that tie them all together. By the end, I was more than pleased with the way the authors managed to keep a congruency between them. There was a camaraderie between these separate experiences that I found to be thoughtful, heartbreaking, and yet hopeful at the same time.

Don’t think too hard about it, don’t say “I don’t do zombies” and pass this book by. If you’re looking for a true, sit down and get engrossed read, then add this one to your list today.
Profile Image for John Brownstone.
19 reviews13 followers
November 17, 2013
From the first page I was hooked, the story drew me in and I didn't want to put it down.
There have been many stories written about the zombie apocalypse some good, some not so good, this one was gripping.

The story was told from the viewpoint of each of the main characters as they witnessed the pandemic that turned the dead into flesh eating monsters. Each character had their own story of survival to tell and with it I was drawn into their emotions of terror, hope, and quest for survival.

The characters were well written; each ones personality shining through. As I read through their tale I felt as if I was experiencing their horror, their fight for survival became mine; their hope for humanity became mine. I found myself turning each page rooting for them, wanting them to win.

As their stories intertwined the tale kept it’s momentum never missing a beat. Each author blends his or her part of the story seamlessly together binding each character.

If you are a fan of zombie stories this is a must read, the story is full of action, gore, suspension, and even some subterfuge.


Profile Image for Ivan Amberlake.
Author 14 books120 followers
September 9, 2014
I read and loved books by Paul Freeman and Sharon van Orman (and I also looked forward to reading chapters by Lucia Adams and Gerald D. Johnston) so this book was on my to-definitely-read list. After finishing Season of the Dead, I must say I immensely enjoyed this book. It was a great read! Sharon, Gerry, Lucia and Paul—four individuals who don’t know each other—are trying to survive a zombie apocalypse as the Hauksson virus sends the world crashing down.

The authors do a great job describing what it means to end up among hordes of flesh-eating zombies. The action is amazing. The descriptions are vivid and well-done. Each chapter is written in the first POV and it lets the reader get to know each character so well, which I really appreaciated.

I’m not sure, but it seems there has to be a sequel, and I’ll definitely be watching out for it. If you are a zombie fan, don’t miss Season of the Dead.
Profile Image for Shana Festa.
Author 8 books147 followers
March 25, 2014
Four stories of the outbreak in different parts of the world, each told by individual first person narration, indicated by name in chapter subtitles. In Omaha, Nebraska, Sharon is startled awake when an explosion sounds. Gerry in Ontario, Canada recalls the events during the first two weeks as the severity of the new 'plague' is downplayed until it's too late. In Pittsburgh, PA, Lucia learned the horrible fate of her friends when she arrives at their home in hopes of tagging along on their boat. And Paul, in Dublin, Ireland fortifies his apartment building with neighbors to wait out the worst of things, but must leave safety in search of medications for a child.

Each narrator supplies readers with their different version of the infection's origins they have heard on the media. From Global warning to rabies, no one knows for sure how it all began. This narration approach is largely successful, causing confusion only towards the end of the book, when the narrators come together. And it's not lost on me that the four contributing authors have lent their names to each narrator. I was excited to see how four collaborators on one novel would pan out, and am happy to say they did a wonderful job and the end result is excellent. In a Ginger Nuts of Horror interview with contributing author Paul Freeman, Paul states:

"Season Of The Dead is such an unusual project, a novel written by four separate authors all writing about the same apocalypse from their own part of the world, four separate threads that ultimately merge."

There are a few minuscule editing issues; a word misspelled here and there or the space after a period missing, but nothing major to pull a reader out of the story. Unless you're reading with the intent on finding errors, you probably won't even notice them.

I like that it's a complete story; no important questions are left unanswered. However, at times it feels a bit long and each time I checked I was amazed to see a substantial amount left. Luckily, the story kept a good momentum and those brief moments were easily forgotten after a few pages.

The best part of 'Season of the Dead' is the conclusion. And no, I don't mean that as in thank goodness it's over. Because, frankly, when it hit that point I wanted another 300 pages. There is an epic moment at the end that I never saw coming. Once the first clue was given, I thought 'oh, shit, that's really about to happen'. Then I kept reading and decided 'okay, maybe it won't'. And then it did! It caused goosebumps to spring up all over and I gasped out loud. Fantastic job building suspense!
Profile Image for Kellie Ann.
69 reviews5 followers
August 31, 2013
What a wonderful post zombie apocalyptic book. It was written as a collaboration between four different authors and yet it still flows wonderfully. Even though this book flows so well you can still tell at times that there was a collaborative effort within the writing styles. Some parts (depending on the character) was raw and extremely dark, while some were a little lighter,there were also times of extreme detail and violence and they were times when detail was a little short, leaving the reader to comprehend what they might from that particular part of the book. However despite the difference in the writing styles and the way the characters were presented and "born" within the story everything meshed into perfection. One thing that makes "Season of the Dead" a little different , is the story actually tracks back to where the whole virus started and how it spread and describes it in detail, which was a genius plot idea by the authors, do to the fact that most zombie books leave that to the readers imagination.
Let me just say, I have read a lot of zombie books throughout the zombie craze that has taken over the world and "Season of the Dead" rates up there with the best of them. The twist and turns that were thrown at the reader throughout the book are truly mind blowing, making it a wonderful page-turner to be shared.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
66 reviews23 followers
August 23, 2013
It took me a while to get into this, possibly because the opening chapters were quite short. Keep going, or you'll be missing out.

This was a fun ride - lots of zombie slaying action and one very unique zombie-proof costume. The writers did a good job of keeping their styles similar (which keeps it from being confusing) although I would have liked to see more of a "voice" for each character. I sometimes found it difficult to sort out who was who - I think part of the problem was that I genuinely LIKED each of them, so I didn't have them sorted into "the annoying one" etc - they were all sort of "the cool one".

Recommended.

9 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2014
Really well written. A genre that's getting pretty watered down but the authors managed to come up with some new ideas. The main characters are awesome, and they each come across some even more awesome characters. This book begs to be a graphic novel or a movie. World War Z is pretty much the Holy Grail of zombie books, but I would put Season of the Dead in the same company. Great book!
Profile Image for Two Nerds With Words.
941 reviews51 followers
August 19, 2014
Reviewer: Susan
Disclosure: This ebook was provided by the author in exchange for an HONEST and not necessarily positive review.

I am a massive zombie fan and just the mere mention that a film or book has zombies has me drooling like a rabid undead person myself. But I have to say, Season of the Dead left me slightly bewildered. The book spent to long explaining about the virus and getting technical before the story really kicked in and grabbed your attention.

The storyline took on the same premise of every zombie novel. People separated from the ones they love, either by circumstance or death, and then the meet up with random strangers and decide to live together in the hopes of survival. The way in which it was unique was that it included people not just from America but a character from Ireland, giving us a broader view of the virus’ reach.

That being said the constant jump from one person’s view to another started to grate on me after a while. One of the characters, Sharon, was mentioned at the start of the book and then it seemed like ages before we saw her again, so much so that I had to go back and read the first few pages again to refresh myself. Also, the plane from Dublin that oh so conveniently flew over the same area as the other survivors in the blink of an eye another sore point with me.

I had some laughs throughout the book though. A zombie fighting women in a squirrel suit driving a ups truck. An axe wielding Irishman getting attacked in an off licence by a zombie fireman and zombie leprechaun- HILARIOUS! I could just picture one of those tours with a leprechaun relaying stories about Dublin before he got bit. Next time I’m in Dublin, I will be very weary of costume wearing leprechauns.

The introduction of the kids was a stroke of genius proving that if we were faced with the zombie apocalypse then our video game youth of today could be the ones to save us all! It really made me smile to see them interact with Gerry and how they manned up and tried to rescue their friends.

It ended just a little too abrupt for me if I’m being honest, but also made me a little eager to know if there is another in the series. If you love some laughs with your zombie apocalypse and can get past the initial hurdle, then Season of the Dead will be a quick and enjoyable read. I’ll certainly be checking out the next book- that’s if the author hasn’t been eaten by now!
Profile Image for Kelly.
5,782 reviews230 followers
March 5, 2014
Zombies! I must admit I'd been craving a good zombie tale and this book hit the spot. The four stories interweave nicely and kept me itching to see when and how this unlikely group would meet up.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I really, really hope there's a book 2 coming so these survivors can hook up and start to work on repopulating the world. You know, down the line. What? Post-apocalyptic romance is totally a thing. In my head, at least.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. This book? Very fun. Lots of biting and fighting. Several instances of our characters surviving by the skin of their teeth. A few bad guys of the non-zombie variety. You know, everything you need to make your zombie apocalypse a hoot!

While I admittedly want some love, zombie apocalypse style, down the road, I also hope we get to see the survivors get out of the mess they're in at the end of this book. And it is a mess. Just as we're beginning to get some answers, things turn sticky -- zombies start appearing and BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

It gives me the shivers.

I'm trying to say that this book totally worked for me. From beginning to end, it was a blast. And I hope there's more planned because I'd totally be down with reading it.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Profile Image for Dodger.
212 reviews39 followers
November 15, 2015
I bought this on my Kindle for around five dollars, and believe me I'm a cheapskate, so this is a lot of money for me to spend. The biggest problem with the book are the horrible errors--someone was asleep while editing. If I buy a book for 99 cents and there are errors, then I feel I still got my money's worth if the book is good, but not on a book that cost this much.... Sharon took a mustang, but then she put the supplies in the truck, and then magically she was in the mustang again, finally I realized that she put the supplies in the freaking trunk not truck.... Except for the glaring errors, I was very interested in how everyone came together. I feel some parts were rushed through at the end, but overall a good zombie book.
Profile Image for Dave.
169 reviews3 followers
March 20, 2015
I give it a solid 4.6 stars. A good storyline although I didn't like the ending. Onto another book. I'm trying to be like ereaderuser (Suzy) and read 5 books a day!
324 reviews8 followers
May 27, 2015
Great zombie story

This was really a great zombie story! The characters are all very believable, and I found myself pulling for their survival. Hope there is a sequel in the works!
79 reviews
April 7, 2025
I went into reading this much the same way that I go into B-rated horror movies: "oh this looks so bad, I can't wait!"

This was recommended at a panel at Dragon Con when someone else had brought up a different book where a zombies apocalypse had broken out at a con (that one might have been a short story? I don't remember the name either way). I heard "girl stuck in a fursuit at a con surrounded by zombies" and said sold! That was like the funniest concept I could think of, and it was indeed hilarious.

That being said, even with bad expectations this was written like bad (crack) fanfiction and did also have several places of typos or very weird jumps that made parts of it hard to follow. While it was interesting to see everyone's point of view, they tended to kill any tension the book had going for it when switching (except the scene at the end with Shannon's brother in law, that was crazy). There were two notable places where I was like "huh? who was your editor for this???"

"The group exchanged glances, and Gerry spoke up, 'I'll take lookout for tonight and689 the rest of you can sleep.'" What's up with the "and689" it did not make sense in the context and looks fully like a typo.

"In a cove clearing [Ed. note: a cove is a kind of bay] free of trees, the torso of a zombie stuck out of the ground." This was very weird for a different reason, because obviously the editor meant for this to be included but it was so extremely out of place (and made me travel back in time to being 15 reading illegally translated manga) and like seriously? I feel like if you seriously don't know what a cove is it is easy to look up.

Book also had the audacity to end on a cliff hanger. While I do give it 3 stars for the less than quality writing and dialogue at times I did have fun reading it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Vivien G.
10 reviews
January 9, 2019
A wild ride, to say the least. This book follows the perspectives of four individuals who go through hell and back to survive a new, lawless world where the dead walk the earth. Eventually they find each other and all of them, despite their personal losses and overwhelming pain, find a family in each other.

The first half of the book was a little difficult to follow due to the ever-changing point-of-view for each of the characters. I found myself constantly asking, “Okay... who’s Sharon again? Ah, the scientist. Lucia is... the furry?” But it eventually got better as the authors fleshed out the characters and their personalities. Lucia and Gerry were the most interesting of the four, so kudos to their respective writers.

All in all, it was a dark, gritty and gory read that kept me on the edge of my seat every time I turned a page. 4 stars out of 5.
Profile Image for Ebony Irby.
361 reviews4 followers
June 18, 2019
This book was just OK. It was all over the place with the different stories until everyone met up. It had a Walking Dead flare to it as if the book was a low budget version of the show. The book was not bad per se', it just wasn't entertaining enough for me. I would suggest this more to a beginner in the zombie genre. If you've been in this "game" for a while, this book is not for you.
Profile Image for Kit.
1,517 reviews16 followers
May 1, 2021
Read : May 1, 2021
Rating : 4 Stars

This was surprisingly good.

Since this is written by multiple authors I was expecting a frankenstein feel to it, like the different parts were stitched together but not making one 'whole' story.

I'm very pleased to say that I'm wrong!
While some parts feel different, the overall story comes together quite well.

Would be cool if this had a sequel.
Profile Image for Liz.
291 reviews5 followers
October 18, 2019
Season of the dead

I liked the way we followed each of the survivors separately ,learning a little bit more about them every time and it was interesting to see how different countries dealt with the situation
Profile Image for Diego.
260 reviews3 followers
August 12, 2022
"Eu ia dizer que Deus poderia ter utilizado uma forma mais humana para se livrar de nós, mas infringir a maior quantidade de sofrimento possível tem sido a maneira humana desde sempre."
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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