"One of the most original voices of our time." - Richard Moriarty, The Sun
"Whether it's gritty horror, spectacular sci-fi, or insane comedy, RR Haywood delivers in style." - Chris Riches, Daily Express
RR Haywood is a Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Audible bestselling author with over 4 million books sold and more than 30 Kindle Bestsellers. As one of the top ten most downloaded indie authors in the UK, Haywood has captivated readers worldwide with his diverse storytelling.
His creations include the global sensation EXTRACTED, the riveting CODE TRILOGY narrated by Colin Morgan, the phenomenal UNDEAD Series, the blockbuster DELIO, PHASE ONE, and the chart-topping A TOWN CALLED DISCOVERY. His latest work, FICTION LAND, narrated by Game of Thrones star Gethin Anthony, has been hailed as "an outrageously funny tour de force."
A former police officer, Haywood now resides with his dogs on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. He entertains audiences and shares his expertise on TikTok with his Writing Class for the Working Class.
What can I say that hasn't already been said about this book, and indeed the entire series? Well, it just keeps getting better with every day, not only the story, characters, plot twists, but also the writing. I assure you, if you haven't tried Day 1 yet, you'll come to love the characters!
Haywood excels at combining gritty realism with humour and lots of emotion too, which is refreshing from a zombie story, and a welcome sight too. All too often zombie novels steer toward the blood, guts, and mechanics of an apocalypse, rather than showing what ordinary people do in such intense and heartbreaking times.
Haywood's characters are realistic and alive, even when they're close to death. There's a raw human element which is often missing with other similar novels. And the banter keeps on coming too, and why not? It's human nature to force a joke in dark times, or perhaps that's a British thing. Either way it works very well.
Day Fourteen doesn't let up from the first page to the last. With every instalment I wonder what Haywood is going to do to keep me up late at night once again. Surely there has to be a drop off point where it starts to feel stale, right?
No chance. He still has me riveted, turning the pages long after my bed time alarm has gone off. I'm very pleased to see Nick has a shining role to play in Day Fourteen, long overdue and well worth the wait, especially as I feel I've watching Nick grow up throughout the series, and deserves his chance to show his worth.
I've enjoyed this series so much, and after reaching the end of Day Fourteen I was compelled to write a piece about it on my blog:
When I reached the last page it suddenly occurred to me that The Undead series would make an excellent TV show, I'm thinking a blend of the darkness of The Walking Dead, the humour of Skins (UK version) and Misfits, with the production value of Game of Thrones.
Can you imagine if Channel 4 picked this up? It would make for edge of your seat viewing over more than a few seasons.
Haywood, feed me your words so my eyes and brain can continue enjoying every last morsel!
Let's start this review off with a big WOW! The Undead series is nothing short of amazing. I read the entire thing in a mere four days and was sad to see it end. It shocked me to find the series has yet to be picked up.
RR Haywood spins a tale of Mr. Howie, a night shift grocery worker as he fights off the wretched undead and meets some pretty awesome people along the way. Howie first teams up with Dave, a fellow co-worker at the store. Dave is a killing machine, methodical and devoid of social grace, it came as no shock when he revealed having Asbergers. His dry demeanor mixed with Howie's witty humor makes for some pretty deadpan comedy.
Joined by rookie soldiers Cookey, Blowers and Nick the comedy continues as they each dish out witty barbs. Each character is fully developed and believable. It's evident in the writing that a lot of thought went into creating them and the dynamic they bring to the group. Along the way, many more people are introduced. I won't go into their details, since that's the fun part about reading, but I will say they were each written just as well as the others.
Despite the never ending battle to survive, Howie and company continue in their mission to secure a safe haven for refugees. Destruction never ceasing to knock down their doors, the action is non-stop.
These aren't your garden variety zombies. They are a collective, pushed onward by an infection portrayed as an entity all it's own. The infection morphs and evolves in it's single minded goal to wipe out humanity. The undead aren't interested in eating its prey, it's only desire to spread the infection.
There are zombies of all shapes and sizes. Slow and lumbering, fast and vicious, thinking and plotting, seducing, vengeful...you name it, they've got it. The one thing they have in common is the red eyes. Lucky for the eyes or survivors would be completely fubar. The infection itself is original. It allows what could have ended up long and drawn out to keep me on the edge of my seat and never bored.
The Undead series is an ever changing, exciting work of fiction that will keep readers glued to the pages from start to finish. With it's terror, humor, unique story and likable characters, it is sure to be a huge hit with the masses.
Important note: This series is not for the feint of heart. In addition to the blood and guts, there is a lot of bad language (most of it pretty hilarious) and a few sexually explicit scenes that may be shocking to some. I appreciate the authors show of restraint as he did not harp on the uncomfortable moments. Oh, and spiders...lest we not forget the spiders. Haywoods description of poor Paula as she is stalked by an eight legged terror had me squirming in my seat and making noises of fear and disgust, followed promptly by a full body check and scan of my surroundings to ensure I, too, was not about to be attacked.
The Undead Day Fourteen The Undead #14 Sci-Fi R.R. Haywood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ ᴡᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ • ʀᴇꜱᴄᴜᴇꜱ • ᴄᴏɴꜰʟɪᴄᴛꜱ •
This is a thicc book! At 736 pages, this is the longest book I've read so far this year.
Each time I read a book in this series, I'm surprised by the situations the MCs manage to find themselves in, for example, they end up in an enclosed safari filled with hungry lions and other animals in this book.
I couldn't stand "The Doc". He was a disgusting, evil man and the author did a very good job of making me hate him.
Nick really proved himself as he continued to help those in need while being separated from everyone else. He's always played a key role with his mechanical skills but this time, he had to make decisions for himself and take on the role of a leader.
It was sad about Cookey but then I was glad Howie and Lani were able to think quickly enough to save him.
Although this was a long book, it was very easy to read. The pacing was great and I never felt bored.
After that ending, I can't wait to read the next book.
The fractured storylines following the last battle were so fun to follow, but I did feel very anxious about the group being separated! A sure sign I am way too invested in these characters 🤪
The added Nick content is great and really develops him as a character. His storyline crossing with Lilly’s and Doc’s is written very well.
Similar to previous in the series, there are some horrific characters and uncomfortable graphic scenes. It’s definitely not for the faint hearted! I have previously found certain scenes unnecessary brutal and extreme, however for the context of Lilly’s story, it’s was really impactful and relevant.
As each book progresses, I feel the writing improving. Tear jerking, funny and gripping. We leave this book with lots of unanswered questions and mysteries… I can’t wait to read on.
This review is for part 14 of the audiobook series, which is the equivalent of around day 18 I think.
Wildly repetitive in the beginning - the "clarification" of and for Dave's dialogue is both totally unnecessary, and not at all funny. However, the battle scenes are just so bloody gripping that they keep you coming back.
Fourteenth in the series, and Haywood manages to keep the pace going, and introduces some new characters.
This book focuses more on human opposition, which makes it a little fresher than the previous few books. It is also features more sexual violence so reader discretion needed.
After the events of the last book, our core group is split up. Add in a few new characters and we get a day that is total from around seven different POVs. Surprisingly it wasn’t that hard to keep up with all the changes, so I think finally having the core group straight in my head helps.
There are some graphic scenes in this one (TW:) which were pretty horrific to listen to.
I did enjoy seeing how all the little groups dealt with the situations on their own though, rather than as part of the big group. This one was quite story based, compared to the action spectacle that was the last few days.