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Alice in Deadland #1
Alice im Totenland
Unsere Zivilisation endete vor mehr als fünfzehn Jahren. Zurück blieb eine karge, öde Welt, die man fortan das Totenland nannte, und eine neue Bedrohung: Horden unzähliger Untoter – die Biter.
Die fünfzehnjährige Alice ist in dieser Welt aufgewachsen. Die Biter sind als Gefahr allgegenwärtig, und deshalb besteht ihre Ausbildung auch zu großen Teilen aus dem Umgang mit Schusswaffen und Messern. Eines Tages beobachtet Alice, wie einer der Biter in einem Loch in der Erde verschwindet. Alice folgt ihm, denn schon lange hält sich das Gerücht, dass die Biter über geheime unterirdische Höhlengänge verfügen.
So stößt sie auf ein Geheimnis, das sie in ein actionreiches Abenteuer katapultiert und ihr Leben und das der anderen Überlebenden des Totenlandes für immer verändert.
Gibt es eine weltweite Verschwörung, die das Ende der Menschheit zur Folge hatte? Was ist der Ursprung der untoten Biter? Und was hat es mit der mysteriösen Königin und ihrer rätselhaften Prophezeiung aus einem der letzten Bücher im Totenland auf sich – einem Buch namens »Alice im Wunderland«?
Die fünfzehnjährige Alice ist in dieser Welt aufgewachsen. Die Biter sind als Gefahr allgegenwärtig, und deshalb besteht ihre Ausbildung auch zu großen Teilen aus dem Umgang mit Schusswaffen und Messern. Eines Tages beobachtet Alice, wie einer der Biter in einem Loch in der Erde verschwindet. Alice folgt ihm, denn schon lange hält sich das Gerücht, dass die Biter über geheime unterirdische Höhlengänge verfügen.
So stößt sie auf ein Geheimnis, das sie in ein actionreiches Abenteuer katapultiert und ihr Leben und das der anderen Überlebenden des Totenlandes für immer verändert.
Gibt es eine weltweite Verschwörung, die das Ende der Menschheit zur Folge hatte? Was ist der Ursprung der untoten Biter? Und was hat es mit der mysteriösen Königin und ihrer rätselhaften Prophezeiung aus einem der letzten Bücher im Totenland auf sich – einem Buch namens »Alice im Wunderland«?
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2011
191 people are currently reading
3616 people want to read
About the author
Mainak Dhar
58 books279 followersAfter finishing his schooling at Modern School, Barakhamba Road and his under-graduation at Hindu College, Delhi, Mainak Dhar graduated from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He has spent two decades in the corporate sector — starting with Procter & Gamble in India. He spent eighteen years with P&G, fifteen of them outside India across the Asia Pacific region. In 2014, he moved back to India as the CEO of the India operations of a major consumer products multinational.
A self-described cubicle dweller by day and writer by night, Mainak is also the author of over a dozen books, some of which have been bestsellers in India and abroad. These books have been translated into Turkish, Vietnamese, Japanese, French, German and Portuguese. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, Puja, and their son, Aaditya. When not at work or with his family, he can usually be found working on, or thinking about his next book. Learn more about him and contact him at www.facebook.com/AuthorMainakDhar.
A self-described cubicle dweller by day and writer by night, Mainak is also the author of over a dozen books, some of which have been bestsellers in India and abroad. These books have been translated into Turkish, Vietnamese, Japanese, French, German and Portuguese. He lives in Mumbai with his wife, Puja, and their son, Aaditya. When not at work or with his family, he can usually be found working on, or thinking about his next book. Learn more about him and contact him at www.facebook.com/AuthorMainakDhar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 432 reviews
March 24, 2015
“Alice, my child. You cannot die or become just another Biter. The prophecy needs you to live, to bring an end to all this suffering.”
This was an okay story, but it had issues.
Alice came across as quite dumb at the start of this book. What kind of seasoned zombie hunter, who has spent her entire life fighting zombies, runs towards the place where she just saw a zombie vanish, hoping to stumble upon a nest, with absolutely no back-up, no-one knowing where you are, and just the gun in your hand standing between you and them? Alice. What a muppet. Then she wonders why she gets stuck underground in a zombie hide-out. Ridiculous.
This book did have some things similar to Alice in Wonderland, there was obviously a girl called Alice, she fell down a hole, and there was a zombie wearing bunny ears who I’m guessing was supposed to be the white rabbit, and there was even a crazy queen of the zombies, so it wasn’t a bad reproduction in that respect. The problems came in the style of the writing. This book was just info dump, after info dump, after info dump! 90% of the book was telling rather than showing, and other than a bit of action at the beginning and end, it was like reading a history textbook, about this happened at this time, then this happened, then this person overtook this group. Talk about dull!
Anyway, there was a bit of action at the end that was okay, and because I have the trilogy I’ve started reading the second one. It seems very similar though.
6 out of 10
This was an okay story, but it had issues.
Alice came across as quite dumb at the start of this book. What kind of seasoned zombie hunter, who has spent her entire life fighting zombies, runs towards the place where she just saw a zombie vanish, hoping to stumble upon a nest, with absolutely no back-up, no-one knowing where you are, and just the gun in your hand standing between you and them? Alice. What a muppet. Then she wonders why she gets stuck underground in a zombie hide-out. Ridiculous.
This book did have some things similar to Alice in Wonderland, there was obviously a girl called Alice, she fell down a hole, and there was a zombie wearing bunny ears who I’m guessing was supposed to be the white rabbit, and there was even a crazy queen of the zombies, so it wasn’t a bad reproduction in that respect. The problems came in the style of the writing. This book was just info dump, after info dump, after info dump! 90% of the book was telling rather than showing, and other than a bit of action at the beginning and end, it was like reading a history textbook, about this happened at this time, then this happened, then this person overtook this group. Talk about dull!
Anyway, there was a bit of action at the end that was okay, and because I have the trilogy I’ve started reading the second one. It seems very similar though.
6 out of 10
March 3, 2012
I marked this as "read" because this site doesn't have a "started it, but it was so bad I couldn't finish it" option.
The story appears to be post apocolyptic / zombie book and the main character a supposedly a super-warrior-teen-chick named Alice who, coincidentally, resembles the fictional character Alice of "Alice in Wonderland". According to the blurb, her world is turned upside down when she sees, and then follows, a zombie (or "biter") wearing a pair of dirty rabbit ears. In so doing she discovers an underground world where the so-called mindless biters are actually somewhat organized and ruled by the biter queen ... and that they have a legend that a young blond girl names Alees will come to save them from the human depredation.
Somewhat intriguing premise, but sadly lacking in delivery. There is no internal consistency or logic ... I could not suspend disbelief, found the main characters one dimensional and stupid and completely unbelievable. For example:
Point 1: the writer tells us over and over that this 15 year old girl Alice, born the year the virus came along and turned the first person into a biter, that she is the best hunter/tracker/fighter they've ever seen. Really? A 15yo girl is a better fighter than her own father, from whom she learned this stuff? Better than the career military men and women who fought in the wars in the Middle East for years before this came along?
Point 2: if she's so good then how come she trips, stumbles, gets caught almost immediately, screams out loud whenever she is frustrated, scared or angry and generally behaves like a brain damaged noob with no training?
Point 3: much is made of the fact that biters are slow and stupid and do not use weapons only brute force, yet she is unable to out run or out fight them and her aim sucks.
Point 4: this zombie making virus, spread via bites, has only been around 14 years and yet somehow the only book left from before is "Alice is Wonderland"? Well, not the whole book, portions of it... and that biter queen, one who actually helped create this virus and is therefor somewhat educated and intelligent, found this last book and saw in it a prophesy of the future? That people of this world, despite most of them having been around before the virus started, have forgotten virtually everything about the previous world and its society?
Point 5: the writing style is crude and amateurish and inconsistent. Honestly I can name 10 fanfic writers off the top of my head who write 10 times better. Maybe if one of them had handled this book I could have finished it.
In the end I gave up ... so bad I couldn't finish it and because I got it via Kindle I can't even trade it in for credit at a used book store. *sigh*
The story appears to be post apocolyptic / zombie book and the main character a supposedly a super-warrior-teen-chick named Alice who, coincidentally, resembles the fictional character Alice of "Alice in Wonderland". According to the blurb, her world is turned upside down when she sees, and then follows, a zombie (or "biter") wearing a pair of dirty rabbit ears. In so doing she discovers an underground world where the so-called mindless biters are actually somewhat organized and ruled by the biter queen ... and that they have a legend that a young blond girl names Alees will come to save them from the human depredation.
Somewhat intriguing premise, but sadly lacking in delivery. There is no internal consistency or logic ... I could not suspend disbelief, found the main characters one dimensional and stupid and completely unbelievable. For example:
Point 1: the writer tells us over and over that this 15 year old girl Alice, born the year the virus came along and turned the first person into a biter, that she is the best hunter/tracker/fighter they've ever seen. Really? A 15yo girl is a better fighter than her own father, from whom she learned this stuff? Better than the career military men and women who fought in the wars in the Middle East for years before this came along?
Point 2: if she's so good then how come she trips, stumbles, gets caught almost immediately, screams out loud whenever she is frustrated, scared or angry and generally behaves like a brain damaged noob with no training?
Point 3: much is made of the fact that biters are slow and stupid and do not use weapons only brute force, yet she is unable to out run or out fight them and her aim sucks.
Point 4: this zombie making virus, spread via bites, has only been around 14 years and yet somehow the only book left from before is "Alice is Wonderland"? Well, not the whole book, portions of it... and that biter queen, one who actually helped create this virus and is therefor somewhat educated and intelligent, found this last book and saw in it a prophesy of the future? That people of this world, despite most of them having been around before the virus started, have forgotten virtually everything about the previous world and its society?
Point 5: the writing style is crude and amateurish and inconsistent. Honestly I can name 10 fanfic writers off the top of my head who write 10 times better. Maybe if one of them had handled this book I could have finished it.
In the end I gave up ... so bad I couldn't finish it and because I got it via Kindle I can't even trade it in for credit at a used book store. *sigh*
January 15, 2012
The disappointment...it burns.
What sounded like a great story turned out to be a repetitive, poorly crafted and woefully edited steaming pile of not much. The first couple of chapters do very little but remind you over and over again what a brilliant fighter Alice is. And after she follows a Biter with bunny ears down a rabbit hole, well that could be the best metaphor ever for the direction this tale was going to take....down.
The author did so much explaining, and yet the explanations themselves were so clunky and full of holes, I almost didn't bother finishing it. The characters were barely one dimensional, things either happened way too fast or much too slow. The Biter Queen herself was crudely explained. And the prophecy of Alice was just, well bullshit really. What prophecy? It was so badly designed and so poorly executed...just *head desk* *stab self in face with fork*
If the story was meant to be a cautionary tale on the escalating power of China and all the big, bad, scariness that is supposed to entail, it fell a little flat. And by a little, I mean A LOT.
The bones of the story are actually not too bad. It would take a skilled writer, and if one could be found to rewrite it, then you might end up with an actual readable story.
The one star is generous.
What sounded like a great story turned out to be a repetitive, poorly crafted and woefully edited steaming pile of not much. The first couple of chapters do very little but remind you over and over again what a brilliant fighter Alice is. And after she follows a Biter with bunny ears down a rabbit hole, well that could be the best metaphor ever for the direction this tale was going to take....down.
The author did so much explaining, and yet the explanations themselves were so clunky and full of holes, I almost didn't bother finishing it. The characters were barely one dimensional, things either happened way too fast or much too slow. The Biter Queen herself was crudely explained. And the prophecy of Alice was just, well bullshit really. What prophecy? It was so badly designed and so poorly executed...just *head desk* *stab self in face with fork*
If the story was meant to be a cautionary tale on the escalating power of China and all the big, bad, scariness that is supposed to entail, it fell a little flat. And by a little, I mean A LOT.
The bones of the story are actually not too bad. It would take a skilled writer, and if one could be found to rewrite it, then you might end up with an actual readable story.
The one star is generous.
January 17, 2012
I love zombies. I love post-apocalyptic stories. I love Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Deadland sounded like it was made for me.
Many of the ideas behind Alice in Deadland are interesting ones. The Alice in Wonderland parallels (although I am biased), the conspiracy, the half-zombies... The trouble Mainak Dhar has in Alice in Deadland is the trouble so many writers with great ideas have--the execution.
Alice in Deadland reads like a summary of a book, and even that summary could use some trimming down. Yes, it moves fast. It moves fast because it is emotionless and lacking style, because it skims the surface rather than drawing you in and encouraging you to lose yourself in the story. The writing style and the characters are as dead as the zombies. Any character that isn't a cliche doesn't have a personality. Everyone seems to exist for the sole purpose of moving the plot along and they all talk in cliche action movie dialog. This is fine for a while, but by the time you get halfway through this entirely too long book, it starts to chafe. I got about 40% of the way through the book on my Kindle, and then I started skimming. Since Dhar leans SO heavily on plot, which was good, I did want to find out what happened. But since he was not strong on style or characterization, I just didn't really care about how he got there. I didn't really care about what happened to the characters, or the specifics, I just wanted to know how it ended.
If Mainak Dhar had the writing chops to match his ideas and the help of an editor to trim off the fat, I could easily imagine him being a NYT bestselling author. But without artistry and relying too heavily on action and horror film cliches, Alice in Deadland is at best mediocre. It takes more to write a good novel than a good idea.
Many of the ideas behind Alice in Deadland are interesting ones. The Alice in Wonderland parallels (although I am biased), the conspiracy, the half-zombies... The trouble Mainak Dhar has in Alice in Deadland is the trouble so many writers with great ideas have--the execution.
Alice in Deadland reads like a summary of a book, and even that summary could use some trimming down. Yes, it moves fast. It moves fast because it is emotionless and lacking style, because it skims the surface rather than drawing you in and encouraging you to lose yourself in the story. The writing style and the characters are as dead as the zombies. Any character that isn't a cliche doesn't have a personality. Everyone seems to exist for the sole purpose of moving the plot along and they all talk in cliche action movie dialog. This is fine for a while, but by the time you get halfway through this entirely too long book, it starts to chafe. I got about 40% of the way through the book on my Kindle, and then I started skimming. Since Dhar leans SO heavily on plot, which was good, I did want to find out what happened. But since he was not strong on style or characterization, I just didn't really care about how he got there. I didn't really care about what happened to the characters, or the specifics, I just wanted to know how it ended.
If Mainak Dhar had the writing chops to match his ideas and the help of an editor to trim off the fat, I could easily imagine him being a NYT bestselling author. But without artistry and relying too heavily on action and horror film cliches, Alice in Deadland is at best mediocre. It takes more to write a good novel than a good idea.
March 5, 2012
Clearly and sadly, This was not World War Z.
Very rarely I dislike books. Mostly because I cannot write a novel to save my life and don't feel overly critical of anyone who writes. However I disliked this book. Alice in Deadland was pretty bad and I'm surprised at the number of such generous and positive reviews.
The premise and the story is good, but the way it evolved and was written felt like a high school short story written for English class. The author used the term "be that as it may", oh come on. My English AP professor would have ripped up a paper if I'd used such a useless idiom. That term along with the bouncing back and forth between last week, last year, present time, as a background laying device makes the book feel elementary.
There is no real character development. We don't get to know anyone else other than Alice. This is book filled with people! Why don't we know and care about anyone? Why don't we even care about Alice? This is her book, why is she so shallow? Why doesn't she grip me? Why do I not care whether she lives or dies?
Honestly, this felt more like a racist propaganda against the Chinese government peppered with some resentment of the big government than a zombie survival story. Bad Chinese people tried to kill the world..the end.
I don't recommend this book, I recommend you read something else.
Very rarely I dislike books. Mostly because I cannot write a novel to save my life and don't feel overly critical of anyone who writes. However I disliked this book. Alice in Deadland was pretty bad and I'm surprised at the number of such generous and positive reviews.
The premise and the story is good, but the way it evolved and was written felt like a high school short story written for English class. The author used the term "be that as it may", oh come on. My English AP professor would have ripped up a paper if I'd used such a useless idiom. That term along with the bouncing back and forth between last week, last year, present time, as a background laying device makes the book feel elementary.
There is no real character development. We don't get to know anyone else other than Alice. This is book filled with people! Why don't we know and care about anyone? Why don't we even care about Alice? This is her book, why is she so shallow? Why doesn't she grip me? Why do I not care whether she lives or dies?
Honestly, this felt more like a racist propaganda against the Chinese government peppered with some resentment of the big government than a zombie survival story. Bad Chinese people tried to kill the world..the end.
I don't recommend this book, I recommend you read something else.
December 4, 2013
Don't believe the hype! Or the 4- and 5-star ratings. Alice in Deadland was a huge disappointment. Normally I don't rate books I stop reading, but I felt compelled to in this case because I was so totally duped by the book's back cover blurb and hundreds of glowing reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. (I didn't compare usernames to see if they were the same reviewers on both sites.)
Anywho, I won't waste any more of my time by writing an in-depth critique. My advice to anyone thinking of reading Alice in Deadland is first read the 1- and 2-star reviews. Those reviewers accurately cover the novel's problems.
No character development and a weak plot were the main reasons I couldn't finish. The secondary reason was the writing itself. There's no excuse, even if English is the writer's second language. And I'm struck, once again, by a self-published "author" who seems oblivious to the importance of a good editor.
Man, this bummed me out. The blurb sounded interesting and fun. Too bad the idea surpassed the writer's storytelling abilities. *big ass sigh*
For those interested, my status updates while reading to page 75 are below. There are a few quotes from the book that may help explain why I quit and why I would not recommend this to anyone. (Matter of fact, I'm going to speak to the librarian when I return the book.)
Anywho, I won't waste any more of my time by writing an in-depth critique. My advice to anyone thinking of reading Alice in Deadland is first read the 1- and 2-star reviews. Those reviewers accurately cover the novel's problems.
No character development and a weak plot were the main reasons I couldn't finish. The secondary reason was the writing itself. There's no excuse, even if English is the writer's second language. And I'm struck, once again, by a self-published "author" who seems oblivious to the importance of a good editor.
Man, this bummed me out. The blurb sounded interesting and fun. Too bad the idea surpassed the writer's storytelling abilities. *big ass sigh*
For those interested, my status updates while reading to page 75 are below. There are a few quotes from the book that may help explain why I quit and why I would not recommend this to anyone. (Matter of fact, I'm going to speak to the librarian when I return the book.)
December 27, 2011
Boring. Yup. A book about zombies and Alice in Wonderland boring. First, there's not much actual tie in to Lewis Carol's Alice but a zombie in pink bunny ears and a mad zombie-human hybrid queen. Once you're introduced to those elements it goes somewhere else entirely. I would have been up for that, but the writing was so poor, plus numerous grammical/spelling errors and bad editing of the story line, just made me quit. I felt that there wasn't any good character development. The author sets up this great idea for a world taken over by zombies, but puts no thought into actually making the world rich and have some kind of depth to it. The story also is so mechanical, this happened and then that happened. *snore* I work night shift and I want something to keep me up and entralled. Zombies shouldn't put me to sleep!
In all, I think this author just needs to spend more time refining the story and adding depth to the characters.
In all, I think this author just needs to spend more time refining the story and adding depth to the characters.
January 11, 2012
This is the fourth book I have read by Mainak Dhar. I would say he is probably one of my favorite authors. The use of imagery in his stories as well as the way he weaves a story is amazing. I would have to say the fact that it has Zombies makes it that much better. The two best parts of this story are Bunny Ears and Alice. The comparisons that are made between Alice and Wonderland and this story almost make you laugh. I would say a must read for a “DEAD HEAD”.
May 26, 2017
Better Dead than Undead.
"Every prophecy is a dream, but if we believe in something, we can make it happen."
I loved this twist of Alice in Wonderland. It features Biters who are basically zombies. Hatter is the zombie version of the Mad Hatter and Bunny Ears is the white rabbit who disappears down a hole in the ground which Alice tumbles down in an effort to follow him. There she discovers the Biter Queen. With her time spent with the Biter Queen and the Biters, Alice learns that the Biters aren't the most dangerous things out in the Deadland. There are twists and turns throughout the book and tons of heartbreak as well as some pretty funny parts.
"The most evil thing in this world is what one man can do to another."
Appleseed and Chen were the two men in this book that I hoped would die in the most horrible ways. They are horrible and vicious. Everything they did to the people in the Deadland broke my heart. I will never feel any sympathy for them when they die.
"Alice, only few people will fight out of a desire for revenge. Maybe some people like you who have directly lost family and friends to the Red Guards. But others want safety for their families, and won't be motivated only by wanting to de story something, but the promise of something that is a better life."
5/5 Deadland Stars!
"Every prophecy is a dream, but if we believe in something, we can make it happen."
I loved this twist of Alice in Wonderland. It features Biters who are basically zombies. Hatter is the zombie version of the Mad Hatter and Bunny Ears is the white rabbit who disappears down a hole in the ground which Alice tumbles down in an effort to follow him. There she discovers the Biter Queen. With her time spent with the Biter Queen and the Biters, Alice learns that the Biters aren't the most dangerous things out in the Deadland. There are twists and turns throughout the book and tons of heartbreak as well as some pretty funny parts.
"The most evil thing in this world is what one man can do to another."
Appleseed and Chen were the two men in this book that I hoped would die in the most horrible ways. They are horrible and vicious. Everything they did to the people in the Deadland broke my heart. I will never feel any sympathy for them when they die.
"Alice, only few people will fight out of a desire for revenge. Maybe some people like you who have directly lost family and friends to the Red Guards. But others want safety for their families, and won't be motivated only by wanting to de story something, but the promise of something that is a better life."
5/5 Deadland Stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2011
I loved this book! It had so many elements that I'm used to (ie the Book of Eli, Alice in Wonderland, the Matrix, Zombieland, Hanna). I was very excited to see that Alice wasn't just a naive character; she was just as foreboding as her surroundings. I feel the message of the book is to be careful about what we do now because it will shape our future, indefinitely. Even though the Biters were zombie-like, they weren't as fantastical as what I'm used to. They seemed to represent the "dead state" of the people today. I felt that Alice is our Neo and Deadland is our Matrix. I will be talking about this book for quite some time. Any chance of a sequel?
March 17, 2012
I originally purchased this book because it was Amazon's #1 rated Sci-fi book and due to all the 5 star reviews. Once I realized how bad this book was, at about 15% of the way through the Kindle edition, I went back to Amazon to read the 1 and 2 star reviews and that's when I discovered many people felt the same way as I did and that the author has been accused of using ghost accounts to create forged reviews. When I originally purchased this book, the average rating was 4.6 stars and had close to 300 reviews. Today as I write this review, it now only has 249 reviews and the rating has fallen to 3.8 stars. So it appears many of the 5 star reviews have been removed.
This book is so bad in so many ways it's hard to know where to begin.
1. No character development at all, even with the main character, Alice.
2. It's a zombie book and we're supposed to feel sorry for the zombies. Why? Well, because we're told to, even though all they do is want to bite humans. Oh yeah, and the reason they bite humans? It's because they want to reproduce.
3. After the first third of the book, the zombies really never make any appearance unless Alice needs to be saved and then they always magically appear
4. At 15 years old, Alice is supposed to be some amazing fighter/soldier, which we are told about over and over and OVER again, and yet she always screws up. The entire story is based on her making a huge mistake and following a "biter" (the zombies) into a "rabbit" hole without notifying anyone of what she's doing. She knows that the biters have to be shot in the head to kill them, and yet she constantly wastes bullets by shooting them in the chest or leg. On numerous occasions her poor decisions result in many of her people dying. This great fighter/warrior even makes THE MOST CRITICAL mistake by shooting a biter in the leg and then turning her back on it even though it's not dead! Let's just say there are big consequences to that.
5. No continuity whatsoever. An early detail is contradicted later on to fit the way the story has progressed. This happens many times. The reason for the war? The Americans dropped the virus on the Chinese, but yet later on we find out rich powerful people backed by the Chinese government wanted to use the virus to create a perfect world by getting rid of all the excess undesirable people. Or, Alice is grilled by "Appleseed" and she never gives any information about the Biter queen, and yet when he comes to her village, he begins talking about how she told him about the Queen. The Queen early on says that when she was first bit, she had to scavenge for food in the sewers, yet later on, she tells Alice that the Biters and her don't require any food.
6. Many things that just don't make sense. The Queen was one of the main scientists who created the virus, quits, then is sent a vaccine by one of her supporters. Does she take the vaccine immediately upon arrival? No, she goes on the run trying to survive after things go bad and only takes the vaccine AFTER she's been bit. What scientist would not take the vaccine immediately?? When Alice is captured by the Red Guard, she is able to escape because one of her wrist straps breaks when the bed falls over, runs out the door that was left open, and then locks soldiers inside a room. Still not sure how she managed to lock people in a room. Typically people are locked OUT of a room, and it's not like she had any keys on her.
7. Whenever they need something it's automatically provided. Alice is in a jam (remember a great warrior), don't worry, someone is always there to save her. In this post apocalyptic world, they have the ability to use tablets (introduced out of the blue). Batteries are running low?? Don't worry we now have generators available in an underground cave that was never there before. Oh and they also have wireless available so they can check e mail and leave "facebook" messages. Don't worry, if it's needed it will always be provided. Food for 200, 500, or over a thousand refugees? Not a problem, somehow they get food in an utterly destroyed city, but it must not be important because we're never told about it.
8. At one point Alice is stabbed in her right thigh, and yet she's able to run around, fighting and kicking with the stabbed leg with no mention of it ever again.
Well, it appears I've rambled on enough, but trust me there is much more. If the author did create false positive reviews I'm appalled and shocked a writer is able to get away with this and if true will give self published authors a bad reputation, and that's unfortunate since there are many good ones out there. "Day by Day Armageddon" by JL Bourne is a great zombie story as is the sequel, "Beyond Exile". The entire "Wool" series by Hugh Howey and "The Old Man and the Wasteland" by Nick Cole are great post apocalyptic books, plus all the Christian Cantrell stories. Do yourself a favor and get these books which support great books and authors.
This book is so bad in so many ways it's hard to know where to begin.
1. No character development at all, even with the main character, Alice.
2. It's a zombie book and we're supposed to feel sorry for the zombies. Why? Well, because we're told to, even though all they do is want to bite humans. Oh yeah, and the reason they bite humans? It's because they want to reproduce.
3. After the first third of the book, the zombies really never make any appearance unless Alice needs to be saved and then they always magically appear
4. At 15 years old, Alice is supposed to be some amazing fighter/soldier, which we are told about over and over and OVER again, and yet she always screws up. The entire story is based on her making a huge mistake and following a "biter" (the zombies) into a "rabbit" hole without notifying anyone of what she's doing. She knows that the biters have to be shot in the head to kill them, and yet she constantly wastes bullets by shooting them in the chest or leg. On numerous occasions her poor decisions result in many of her people dying. This great fighter/warrior even makes THE MOST CRITICAL mistake by shooting a biter in the leg and then turning her back on it even though it's not dead! Let's just say there are big consequences to that.
5. No continuity whatsoever. An early detail is contradicted later on to fit the way the story has progressed. This happens many times. The reason for the war? The Americans dropped the virus on the Chinese, but yet later on we find out rich powerful people backed by the Chinese government wanted to use the virus to create a perfect world by getting rid of all the excess undesirable people. Or, Alice is grilled by "Appleseed" and she never gives any information about the Biter queen, and yet when he comes to her village, he begins talking about how she told him about the Queen. The Queen early on says that when she was first bit, she had to scavenge for food in the sewers, yet later on, she tells Alice that the Biters and her don't require any food.
6. Many things that just don't make sense. The Queen was one of the main scientists who created the virus, quits, then is sent a vaccine by one of her supporters. Does she take the vaccine immediately upon arrival? No, she goes on the run trying to survive after things go bad and only takes the vaccine AFTER she's been bit. What scientist would not take the vaccine immediately?? When Alice is captured by the Red Guard, she is able to escape because one of her wrist straps breaks when the bed falls over, runs out the door that was left open, and then locks soldiers inside a room. Still not sure how she managed to lock people in a room. Typically people are locked OUT of a room, and it's not like she had any keys on her.
7. Whenever they need something it's automatically provided. Alice is in a jam (remember a great warrior), don't worry, someone is always there to save her. In this post apocalyptic world, they have the ability to use tablets (introduced out of the blue). Batteries are running low?? Don't worry we now have generators available in an underground cave that was never there before. Oh and they also have wireless available so they can check e mail and leave "facebook" messages. Don't worry, if it's needed it will always be provided. Food for 200, 500, or over a thousand refugees? Not a problem, somehow they get food in an utterly destroyed city, but it must not be important because we're never told about it.
8. At one point Alice is stabbed in her right thigh, and yet she's able to run around, fighting and kicking with the stabbed leg with no mention of it ever again.
Well, it appears I've rambled on enough, but trust me there is much more. If the author did create false positive reviews I'm appalled and shocked a writer is able to get away with this and if true will give self published authors a bad reputation, and that's unfortunate since there are many good ones out there. "Day by Day Armageddon" by JL Bourne is a great zombie story as is the sequel, "Beyond Exile". The entire "Wool" series by Hugh Howey and "The Old Man and the Wasteland" by Nick Cole are great post apocalyptic books, plus all the Christian Cantrell stories. Do yourself a favor and get these books which support great books and authors.
July 20, 2021
Zwar keine richtige Adaption von Alice im Wunderland, aber trotzdem sehr spannend
In dem Buch Alice im Totenland (1) von Mainak Dhar, geht es um Alice, ihre Schwester und ihre Eltern, die in einer Welt leben in der es Biter gibt, die lebende Tote sind, wie Zombies. Außerdem wurde Alice drei Monate vor dem Ausbruch, dieser Pandemie geboren und weiß somit nichts von der alten Welt. Dadurch wurde sie durch eine militärische Schule zur besten Schülerin, die mit Waffen schießen, als sich auch im Nahkampf verteidigen kann. Als sie beobachtet wie ein Biter im Boden verschwindet und nutzt ihre Chance und folgt ihm, da es Gerüchte gibt, das Biter sich irgendwo unterirdisch verstecken und dann in großen Gruppen angreifen. Unten angekommen sieht sie eine Gruppe aus Bitern in ihrem Versteck, die sich anscheinend durch Geräusche unterhalten. Als sie entdeckt wird, denkt Alice es ist zu spät, aber wird sie jetzt wirklich in Stücke gerissen oder kann sie Entkommen und fliehen ? Kann sie überleben und den anderen Leuten aus ihrem Dorf davon erzählen ? Das sollte jeder selber lesen.
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand die Geschichte spannend geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Leider hat Korrektorat nicht alle Fehler im Text verbessert und somit sind mir ein paar Fehler aufgefallen, was mich aber beim Lesen kaum gestört hat.
Da die Geschichte eine Adaption von Alice im Wunderland ist, hatte sie mit der Geschichte aber eher wenig zu tun. Es kamen immer mal wieder kleine Anspielungen von Alice im Wunderland vor, aber wer mehr Alice im Wunderland erwartet, könnte davon enttäuscht werden. Mich persönlich hat aber die Adaption von Alice im Wunderland nicht wirklich interessiert und somit habe ich trotzdem eine spannende Geschichte mit Zombies bekommen, welche mal nicht in Amerika, sondern in Indien spielt. Auch die Zombies oder wie sie in der Geschichte genannt werden Biter, waren mal ganz anders als sonst. Ich gebe der Geschichte 4 Sterne, da ich vom Titel ausgegangen war, es ist eine Märchen Adaption von Alice im Wunderland, aber es nicht so richtig war. Sonst fand ich die Geschichte wie gesagt sehr spannend und gut.
Fazit:
Zwar keine Märchen Adaption von Alice im Wunderland, aber mit Anspielungen darauf. Trotzdem eine spannende Geschichte mit Zombies, auch Bitern genannt und einem anderen Handlungsort, als Amerika. Ich freue mich auf Band 2.
In dem Buch Alice im Totenland (1) von Mainak Dhar, geht es um Alice, ihre Schwester und ihre Eltern, die in einer Welt leben in der es Biter gibt, die lebende Tote sind, wie Zombies. Außerdem wurde Alice drei Monate vor dem Ausbruch, dieser Pandemie geboren und weiß somit nichts von der alten Welt. Dadurch wurde sie durch eine militärische Schule zur besten Schülerin, die mit Waffen schießen, als sich auch im Nahkampf verteidigen kann. Als sie beobachtet wie ein Biter im Boden verschwindet und nutzt ihre Chance und folgt ihm, da es Gerüchte gibt, das Biter sich irgendwo unterirdisch verstecken und dann in großen Gruppen angreifen. Unten angekommen sieht sie eine Gruppe aus Bitern in ihrem Versteck, die sich anscheinend durch Geräusche unterhalten. Als sie entdeckt wird, denkt Alice es ist zu spät, aber wird sie jetzt wirklich in Stücke gerissen oder kann sie Entkommen und fliehen ? Kann sie überleben und den anderen Leuten aus ihrem Dorf davon erzählen ? Das sollte jeder selber lesen.
Meine Meinung:
Ich fand die Geschichte spannend geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Leider hat Korrektorat nicht alle Fehler im Text verbessert und somit sind mir ein paar Fehler aufgefallen, was mich aber beim Lesen kaum gestört hat.
Da die Geschichte eine Adaption von Alice im Wunderland ist, hatte sie mit der Geschichte aber eher wenig zu tun. Es kamen immer mal wieder kleine Anspielungen von Alice im Wunderland vor, aber wer mehr Alice im Wunderland erwartet, könnte davon enttäuscht werden. Mich persönlich hat aber die Adaption von Alice im Wunderland nicht wirklich interessiert und somit habe ich trotzdem eine spannende Geschichte mit Zombies bekommen, welche mal nicht in Amerika, sondern in Indien spielt. Auch die Zombies oder wie sie in der Geschichte genannt werden Biter, waren mal ganz anders als sonst. Ich gebe der Geschichte 4 Sterne, da ich vom Titel ausgegangen war, es ist eine Märchen Adaption von Alice im Wunderland, aber es nicht so richtig war. Sonst fand ich die Geschichte wie gesagt sehr spannend und gut.
Fazit:
Zwar keine Märchen Adaption von Alice im Wunderland, aber mit Anspielungen darauf. Trotzdem eine spannende Geschichte mit Zombies, auch Bitern genannt und einem anderen Handlungsort, als Amerika. Ich freue mich auf Band 2.
April 28, 2012
This book had me divided. There were parts of me that loved the similarities in the fairy tale book, Alice in Wonderland, albeit small ones. Like when she follows a "Biter wearing bunny ears down a Biter hole"; okay that made me laugh. Couldn't help it!
Also the Queen in this story seems much more fair than the Queen in the fairy tale story. Though it was funny when she said,"Off with their heads." Nice.
But then the repetition tended to grate on my nerves. The author stated Alice grew up, not playing with dolls or toys, but playing with guns and learning combat. Okay, I get that being that the world is in turmoil now. But really, do you have to repeat it over and over again every few pages? Trust the reader to realize this without you having to keep it in the forefront of our mind.
And I know people are probably going to be thinking I am crazy, but at first I believed the "Biters" to be vampires. I know, I know, it was silly of me. But there are parts in the book that do point more to vampires than traditional zombies, at least in my opinion. I guess it was hard for me to grasp the idea that zombies could have somewhat of a society.
I was going to give this 2 stars but the ending was just so ironic and fitting that I had to give it 3 stars.
If you like zombie books with a little political tension running through it, then I think you should go on and give this a try. You never know, it could take a bite out of you.
Also the Queen in this story seems much more fair than the Queen in the fairy tale story. Though it was funny when she said,"Off with their heads." Nice.
But then the repetition tended to grate on my nerves. The author stated Alice grew up, not playing with dolls or toys, but playing with guns and learning combat. Okay, I get that being that the world is in turmoil now. But really, do you have to repeat it over and over again every few pages? Trust the reader to realize this without you having to keep it in the forefront of our mind.
And I know people are probably going to be thinking I am crazy, but at first I believed the "Biters" to be vampires. I know, I know, it was silly of me. But there are parts in the book that do point more to vampires than traditional zombies, at least in my opinion. I guess it was hard for me to grasp the idea that zombies could have somewhat of a society.
I was going to give this 2 stars but the ending was just so ironic and fitting that I had to give it 3 stars.
If you like zombie books with a little political tension running through it, then I think you should go on and give this a try. You never know, it could take a bite out of you.
December 25, 2011
Initially, the cover art of this book made me take notice and I thought to myself, ‘Alice in Deadland? Who doesn’t love a good zombie book!’ – that coupled with it being a Kindle Bestseller made up my mind for me. Had to check it out. But I was a little off on my Alice in Wonderland meets Zombies assumption. It is a post-apocalyptic zombie story that’s for sure. But the idea that zombies are just like you and me… except they might bite… is definitely an intriguing twist on the zombie genre but to simplify this richly developed tale into the post-apocalyptic zombie corner isn’t doing it justice.
Where this story shines is in the action-packed prose that moves the reader from focusing on the Biters to the real evil -- the men in power. The powerful people who sit in boardrooms are the ones who created the apocalypse in the first place and their assault on freedom and liberty is a powerful backdrop for this thriller.
The story ended up being so much more then I thought it would be and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoy reading Zombies, Post-Apocalypse, Political Intrigue and action-type thrillers in general. A very good read!
Where this story shines is in the action-packed prose that moves the reader from focusing on the Biters to the real evil -- the men in power. The powerful people who sit in boardrooms are the ones who created the apocalypse in the first place and their assault on freedom and liberty is a powerful backdrop for this thriller.
The story ended up being so much more then I thought it would be and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoy reading Zombies, Post-Apocalypse, Political Intrigue and action-type thrillers in general. A very good read!
November 27, 2011
Interesting twist on the original plot of Alice in Wonderland. In this action packed adventure Alice was taught the rules of survival, she knew nothing of the old world only the ways of the wasteland they lived in. The only rules they lived by was kill or be killed by the undead. The unfortunate event that Alice finds herself apart of keeps you on the edge of your seat with curiosity, the suspense is intense. Alice would be considered the adventurous child, because she was always looking for the action at all costs. Her bold and courageous attitude lands her in a place that is foreign and all she has to depend on is her intuition. Great story, definitely a keeper!! I recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventure with a twist!
August 26, 2016
Mainak Dhar's "Alice in Deadland" is an exciting thriller, a real page turner. I especially loved the development of the protagonist Alice, who is a strong mature fifteen year old girl -- who has been trained since birth to survive in a world filled with danger.
Dhar leads us into Alice's world of the undead roaming the earth, which has become a wasteland. The zombies terrorize the humans who have survived. Dhar's compelling voice propels the story forward in an adventurous and engaging manner.
Dhar leads us into Alice's world of the undead roaming the earth, which has become a wasteland. The zombies terrorize the humans who have survived. Dhar's compelling voice propels the story forward in an adventurous and engaging manner.
March 24, 2015
Actual rating - 2.5
Alice was an okay character, but she had her annoying moments.
I just couldn't get into this one unfortunately. I was bored through a lot of it, as it was full of info dumps. The book felt a lot longer than what it was, and for most of it, I was looking forward to the end.
Overall, Not awful, but couldn't keep my interest.
Alice was an okay character, but she had her annoying moments.
I just couldn't get into this one unfortunately. I was bored through a lot of it, as it was full of info dumps. The book felt a lot longer than what it was, and for most of it, I was looking forward to the end.
Overall, Not awful, but couldn't keep my interest.
October 23, 2025
Alice au Pays des merveilles, en Inde, version post-apo zombie. Le rythme est trépidant, ça se lit très vite, par contre l'intrigue et l'écriture (la traduction?) ne volent pas très haut. Un bon divertissement qui demande une bonne suspension de l'incrédulité.
January 2, 2012
Post-apocalyptic zombie story with a twist
In a post-apocalyptic world where Alice in Wonderland (or at least its charred damaged remains, is the last surviving book, the survivors face numerous challenges, including walking zombies, conspiratorial efforts to keep them ignorant of the true history of humanity, and most importantly, the quest for something to give them hope of a better life.
The author combines a number of science fiction, fantasy, and fairy tale tropes with stirring action sequences and a very strong and capable female character whose independence, insight, determination, and intelligence will remind some readers of Robert A. Heinlein’s Friday. In this story, the female protagonist Alice has the courage to confront the zombie like Biters and to follow one of them right down the rabbit hole to learn the truth about what’s really behind the curtain in her world.
Good and convincing portraits of a post-apocalyptic world are difficult to do. Stephen King did a great one in The Stand, and Richard Matheson in I am Legend (the basis for three major movies retelling his story in different ways) similarly portrayed a ravaged world beset by dark forces threatening to turn back the clock to the dark ages of ignorance and superstition while wiping out all vestiges of science, reason, and progress. This book belongs in their company, and with its combination of a vision of a bleak landscape of devastation and the disappearance of written knowledge (similar in that respect to H.G. Well’s far future world of Moorlocks and Eloi in The Time Machine), the author’s skilled writing may remind many readers of Walter M. Miller Jr.’s 1961 Hugo winning science fiction novel A Canticle for Leibowitz.
This is a book you won’t want to put down. Heavy on action, and wasting little time on padded description, it brings to life an incredible cast of characters in a highly entertaining tale.
In a post-apocalyptic world where Alice in Wonderland (or at least its charred damaged remains, is the last surviving book, the survivors face numerous challenges, including walking zombies, conspiratorial efforts to keep them ignorant of the true history of humanity, and most importantly, the quest for something to give them hope of a better life.
The author combines a number of science fiction, fantasy, and fairy tale tropes with stirring action sequences and a very strong and capable female character whose independence, insight, determination, and intelligence will remind some readers of Robert A. Heinlein’s Friday. In this story, the female protagonist Alice has the courage to confront the zombie like Biters and to follow one of them right down the rabbit hole to learn the truth about what’s really behind the curtain in her world.
Good and convincing portraits of a post-apocalyptic world are difficult to do. Stephen King did a great one in The Stand, and Richard Matheson in I am Legend (the basis for three major movies retelling his story in different ways) similarly portrayed a ravaged world beset by dark forces threatening to turn back the clock to the dark ages of ignorance and superstition while wiping out all vestiges of science, reason, and progress. This book belongs in their company, and with its combination of a vision of a bleak landscape of devastation and the disappearance of written knowledge (similar in that respect to H.G. Well’s far future world of Moorlocks and Eloi in The Time Machine), the author’s skilled writing may remind many readers of Walter M. Miller Jr.’s 1961 Hugo winning science fiction novel A Canticle for Leibowitz.
This is a book you won’t want to put down. Heavy on action, and wasting little time on padded description, it brings to life an incredible cast of characters in a highly entertaining tale.
April 7, 2013
Ana karakterimiz 15 yaşında bir genç kız, Alice eski medeniyete dair hiçbir şeye şahit olmamış. Anne babasının anlattıkları dışında bizim dünyamıza dair hiçbir fikri yok çünkü tüm medeniyet o doğmadan önce yok edilmiş. Çat pat okuyabiliyor, ama nerdeyse profesyonel bir asker kadar iyi dövüşüyor. Yaşıtları arasında en iyisi,hayatta kalmak için de böyle olması gerek zaten.
Alice gene bir av sırasındayken zombilerle karşılaşıyor, bir iki tanesini haklıyor ancak karşısına en son tavşan kulaklığı takan bir zombi çıkıyor ve onu etkisiz hale getiriyor. Tavşan kulaklığı takan zombi mi ? dediğinizi duyar gibiyim. Eleman yüksek ihtimal dönüştürüldüğü sırada bir partideydi. Alice Harikalar diyarında'ya ilk göndermemiz de bu tavşan olayıyla başlıyor zaten. Tavşan Alice'i öldüreceği sırada birden bire duraksıyor ve diğer zombilerin de ona zarar vermesine engel oluyor. Çünkü Alice onların beklediği kişi,kurtarıcıları.
Bu bir zombi hikayesi ancak yazar Amerikalı olmadığından olacak, diğer zombi kitaplarında rastlamadığımız bir durumla karşı karşıyayız. Amerikalılar kurtarıcı değil.Aksine yazar kendi kurguladığı evrende günah keçisi olarak dünyanın süper güçlerini seçmiş,ve kendi üslubunca eleştirmiş. Çok da iyi yapmış bence :D
Zombi hikayelerini sevmem, çünkü genel olarak Zombi sevmem. Kitabını okumam,filmini asla izleyemem. Ama bu kitap beni sıkmadı. Eğlenceli bir okuma süreci geçirdim ki bunda Alice'in o yaşına rağmen tam bir kick-ass olmasının da katkısı büyük. Yazarın erkek olması da, bu türde okuduğumuz diğer romanlara oranla daha sert bir kitap olmasını sağlamış.
Kitabın kapağı zaten orijinal ,ben beğendiğimi daha önce sayfamda da belirtmiştim. Çeviride de bir sorun göremedim.Yer yer yazım hatalarına rastladım, ama öyle akışı kesecek,dikkati dağıtacak şeyler değildi.Bayılmadım,ama güzeldi.
Alice gene bir av sırasındayken zombilerle karşılaşıyor, bir iki tanesini haklıyor ancak karşısına en son tavşan kulaklığı takan bir zombi çıkıyor ve onu etkisiz hale getiriyor. Tavşan kulaklığı takan zombi mi ? dediğinizi duyar gibiyim. Eleman yüksek ihtimal dönüştürüldüğü sırada bir partideydi. Alice Harikalar diyarında'ya ilk göndermemiz de bu tavşan olayıyla başlıyor zaten. Tavşan Alice'i öldüreceği sırada birden bire duraksıyor ve diğer zombilerin de ona zarar vermesine engel oluyor. Çünkü Alice onların beklediği kişi,kurtarıcıları.
Bu bir zombi hikayesi ancak yazar Amerikalı olmadığından olacak, diğer zombi kitaplarında rastlamadığımız bir durumla karşı karşıyayız. Amerikalılar kurtarıcı değil.Aksine yazar kendi kurguladığı evrende günah keçisi olarak dünyanın süper güçlerini seçmiş,ve kendi üslubunca eleştirmiş. Çok da iyi yapmış bence :D
Zombi hikayelerini sevmem, çünkü genel olarak Zombi sevmem. Kitabını okumam,filmini asla izleyemem. Ama bu kitap beni sıkmadı. Eğlenceli bir okuma süreci geçirdim ki bunda Alice'in o yaşına rağmen tam bir kick-ass olmasının da katkısı büyük. Yazarın erkek olması da, bu türde okuduğumuz diğer romanlara oranla daha sert bir kitap olmasını sağlamış.
Kitabın kapağı zaten orijinal ,ben beğendiğimi daha önce sayfamda da belirtmiştim. Çeviride de bir sorun göremedim.Yer yer yazım hatalarına rastladım, ama öyle akışı kesecek,dikkati dağıtacak şeyler değildi.Bayılmadım,ama güzeldi.
April 1, 2015
After reading the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. Then, while on Amazon looking for books, I saw that the whole trilogy was just 99¢. I immediately bought it and started reading. I've seen a lot of good reviews and a lot of bad ones. I personally liked this book. I liked the whole concept of the zombie queen and her believing this Alice is part of a prophecy from a children's story. It was really interesting to see the zombies or "Biters" from the perspective that Alice did as being scared animals and just trying to defend themselves. And I liked how the Biters and humans
August 3, 2019
Alice follows a set of rabbit ears down a hole and meets an unfriendly queen. That's where the similarities with Alice in Wonderland end.
The world as we know it ended roughly 15 years ago, at the time of Alice's birth. There is a zombie outbreak and she grows up fighting for her life.
Sounds like a great idea, but the book does not deliver.
First of all the main character is not believable at all. She is supposed to be this seasoned veteran who leads men into battle, is a deadly killer and accomplished sniper, but sounds and behaves like your average teenage girl. A younger version of Anita Blake would have been more my general expectation.
Some major editing would have done the book a world of good as well. The paragraphing is very strange. Long sections are followed by one or two sentence paragraphs. It is pretty strange to look at. There are long, long sentences with tons of semicolons and the prose is very repetitive. The writing in general feels like the average, not very accomplished fanfic. Actually, I have read lots of fanfic that was better written than this.
The plot does not have anything really new to offer. The usual idea of research into a zombie virus, governments being greedy and unreasonable, the inevitable outbreak and so on and so forth.
I skimmed fairly early on and decided to stop reading about halfway through. Luckily this was a free Kindle copy, otherwise I would have been pretty unhappy.
The world as we know it ended roughly 15 years ago, at the time of Alice's birth. There is a zombie outbreak and she grows up fighting for her life.
Sounds like a great idea, but the book does not deliver.
First of all the main character is not believable at all. She is supposed to be this seasoned veteran who leads men into battle, is a deadly killer and accomplished sniper, but sounds and behaves like your average teenage girl. A younger version of Anita Blake would have been more my general expectation.
Some major editing would have done the book a world of good as well. The paragraphing is very strange. Long sections are followed by one or two sentence paragraphs. It is pretty strange to look at. There are long, long sentences with tons of semicolons and the prose is very repetitive. The writing in general feels like the average, not very accomplished fanfic. Actually, I have read lots of fanfic that was better written than this.
The plot does not have anything really new to offer. The usual idea of research into a zombie virus, governments being greedy and unreasonable, the inevitable outbreak and so on and so forth.
I skimmed fairly early on and decided to stop reading about halfway through. Luckily this was a free Kindle copy, otherwise I would have been pretty unhappy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2012
Alice in Wonderland meets the zombie shock troops of the New World Order
This remarkably inventive story takes some familiar themes and reinvents familiar fears about contemporary New World Order conspiracies and flings them into a distant but believable future where the survivors of the total destruction of today’s civilization are compelled to fight tooth and nail for their daily bread and for a few brief moments of comfort and security.
Added into the mix are zombie like predators known as Biters, and the absence of much of today’s body of knowledge (the written word is pretty close to extinct), and you have the setting for an amazing high action story of how one very brave and decisive young woman, Alice, decides to risk it all, or at least what little she has managed to scrounge for herself out of this bleak landscape, convinced that there has got to be something more.
And indeed, there is. Her courageous actions rip the mask off of the conspiracy which has brought th world to this condition. Obviously, I can’t reveal the ending here, but suffice it to say that you may find it relatively unique in a thought provoking twist on the typical after the end of the world post-apocalyptic thriller. This is one worth reading and re-reading, and would make a great movie.
This remarkably inventive story takes some familiar themes and reinvents familiar fears about contemporary New World Order conspiracies and flings them into a distant but believable future where the survivors of the total destruction of today’s civilization are compelled to fight tooth and nail for their daily bread and for a few brief moments of comfort and security.
Added into the mix are zombie like predators known as Biters, and the absence of much of today’s body of knowledge (the written word is pretty close to extinct), and you have the setting for an amazing high action story of how one very brave and decisive young woman, Alice, decides to risk it all, or at least what little she has managed to scrounge for herself out of this bleak landscape, convinced that there has got to be something more.
And indeed, there is. Her courageous actions rip the mask off of the conspiracy which has brought th world to this condition. Obviously, I can’t reveal the ending here, but suffice it to say that you may find it relatively unique in a thought provoking twist on the typical after the end of the world post-apocalyptic thriller. This is one worth reading and re-reading, and would make a great movie.
December 11, 2013
First paragraph: Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the hill, and of having no Biters to shoot. Once or twice she peeped through her sniper rifle's scope, but could see no targets. 'What is the use of an ambush', thought Alice, 'without any Biters to shoot in the head?'
Zombies meets "Alice in Wonderland" meets Chinese-Indian politics in this neat little zombie book that takes place about 10 years after the world dropped the nukes trying to rid itself of the zombie plague. Unlike most postapoc books, this one takes place almost entirely in the Deadlands of India, populated by free human settlements who are trying to survive both the zombies and the communistic Red Guard.
The book is easy to read and fairly free of grammatical errors. There's enough blood and carnage to appease my appetite, but also enough politics and plot to keep the story going at a nice pace. And of course, our dear little Alice, transformed into a post-apocalyptic Joan of Arc, hero for both humans and zombies alike. Highly recommended.
Zombies meets "Alice in Wonderland" meets Chinese-Indian politics in this neat little zombie book that takes place about 10 years after the world dropped the nukes trying to rid itself of the zombie plague. Unlike most postapoc books, this one takes place almost entirely in the Deadlands of India, populated by free human settlements who are trying to survive both the zombies and the communistic Red Guard.
The book is easy to read and fairly free of grammatical errors. There's enough blood and carnage to appease my appetite, but also enough politics and plot to keep the story going at a nice pace. And of course, our dear little Alice, transformed into a post-apocalyptic Joan of Arc, hero for both humans and zombies alike. Highly recommended.
January 17, 2012
Alice in Deadland is a fun exercise in displaced myth. Dhar takes certain themes from the Alice and Wonderland children's adventures and spins them into a dark apocalyptic zombie story for adults.
Probably the thing I enjoyed most about this series was its pace and Dhars excellent vocabulary--not a single sentence seems to linger or repeat--his story telling is always progressive. That said, there is not much in the way of character development other than a handful of primary protagonists mixed with some generic antagonists.
In terms of zombie stories I sensed that a lot of Dhar's influences may have come from the Resident Evil (Biohazard) series. Many of his ideas parallel those. He just gives them his own unique twist.
If you are into zombie stories--this is by far one of the better ones. It would make a great sci-fi horror survival film. Overall, I gave four stars for the excellent writing and new take on an old genre.
Probably the thing I enjoyed most about this series was its pace and Dhars excellent vocabulary--not a single sentence seems to linger or repeat--his story telling is always progressive. That said, there is not much in the way of character development other than a handful of primary protagonists mixed with some generic antagonists.
In terms of zombie stories I sensed that a lot of Dhar's influences may have come from the Resident Evil (Biohazard) series. Many of his ideas parallel those. He just gives them his own unique twist.
If you are into zombie stories--this is by far one of the better ones. It would make a great sci-fi horror survival film. Overall, I gave four stars for the excellent writing and new take on an old genre.
December 26, 2016
This is the first book that i read about the zombies. The way author has described the situations and characters are amazingly superb. As we have a rabbit and a big hat person in alice in wonderland, same way in here there are two zombies known as biters. But the character of the big hat person is less in this book as compared to the actual fairy tale book. Author has gone through lot of thinking on how the place should look if its attacked by the zombies in actual life. Whenever heard of zombies its like we have to kill them or we will become like them. But in this book the author has shown zombies in new way where in the zombies are also the hero. While reading this book it make us think how will the humans fight with the zombies in the first part and in the second part how to fight against the central committee. Overall its a GOODREAD...
December 29, 2011
This book is filled with a lot of fun and excitement. To my surprise it was quite political as well, touching on aspects of the New World Order and Illuminati theories. It is one of those book that if you put it down for just a moment you are still thinking about what is going to happen next. Being a woman myself, I also appreciated that a female character was a prominent figure in the book. Alice in Deadland adds a marvelous connection to a popular storybook (Alice in Wonderland) and the zombie genre. It is an excellent book for teenagers and young adults.
January 1, 2012
I enjoyed the book Alice in Deadland. It was a great read, and well-written by the author. There were moments when I was truly in suspense and was on the edge of my seat, wondering, “What happens next?” I just had to know! Alice is an extremely likeable character, and one who, well... I really can't give that away, as it would spoil the book.
The author of the book displays the scenes, settings, and scenarios very well. They also get the feeling of the character just right, which I really enjoy. Overall a great read.
The author of the book displays the scenes, settings, and scenarios very well. They also get the feeling of the character just right, which I really enjoy. Overall a great read.
January 2, 2012
Let me start by saying that horror and zombie books are definitely not my style. I am usually disappointed with these type of novels but I decided to try to something different and I was pleasantly surprised. This book was awesome! It was so interesting and action packed and grabbed my attention immediately. I was instantly intrigued by Alice and her ability to get out of any situation. I loved the fact that there was a female heroine. This book is a great read and I recommend it to anyone that is interested in a page turner. Get your copy today!
January 11, 2012
After reading Zombiestan I was excited to start reading Alice in Deadland. Mainak Dhar has an increadible style of writing. I find the tales he weaves almost as good as watching it in the movies. The way he describes things without getting to graphic is incredible. This story which is a take off of Alice in Wonderland is so much like it, but at the same time so different. I would say I will be a fan for many books to come.
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