Two brothers learn of the apocalypse after being out of touch for a few days. Returning to town, they learn first-hand, the dead are coming back to life with a taste for flesh. With their parents in Nebraska they must embark on a journey to rescue them as they set into motion their zombie apocalypse plan. But they'll see not all is fun and games as they realize it is nothing like they imagined it would be.
Can they make it in time to save their parents from a fate worse than death?
Emmett Wolfe has been preparing for this day for years, but still cannot believe it is happening. An infection unlike any other has begun to spread across America and the world as he knows it is coming to an end. He must rescue his daughter and ex-wife and transport them to a safe location.
I'm a Jesus Freak and adventurous nerd, who loves the outdoors. I'm the award-winning and best-selling author of the zombie apocalypse series, The Brother's Creed. When I'm not escaping into the mountains, I can be observed living in Northern Wisconsin with my wife, two sons, guns and katanas. I have a love for all things imaginary and find inspiration in the wilderness, away from the distractions of life. I'm currently pursuing a career as an indie author and writing coach. Some of my other passions include hunting, shooting, board & video games, hard rock, reading, and anything fantasy & sci-fi.
If you'd like to receive a complimentary prequel story to The Brother's Creed series, click here: BookHip.com/DAKVKJ
Maybe I'm getting burnt out with the whole zombie thing, but I just couldn't get into this book no matter how hard I tried.
The story was your regular, run of the mill "Travel the country and kill zombies along the way" type story as we follow these 2 God-fearing, gun loving all-American good ole boys who I just could not relate to at all.
I read the first 50% of this and then just skimmed through the rest until it was over.
So after the failure of Run From the Dead I still, amazingly, wanted to read a zombie apocalypse book for both fall/spooky season and as research for my current WIP, so I picked up this one (the only unread one I had) and hoped the fact that it was written from a Christian perspective would cut down on the gore, horrible main characters, and zombie-body-horror (yep, I’m back with that again, heehee). And while it did that it also was just a really good story with interesting characters that I want to keep reading about! Especially James, I ended up really liking him a lot.
This is written in an omniscient point of view (aka head hopping) which doesn’t normally work in modern stories, nor are they usually written well, but this one was written in a way that worked as I got to know and be attached to these characters but with the nature of the world they’re living in I was never sure who would live or die, and this viewpoint added to the uncertainty by killing off POV characters as well as unnamed ones, adding to the tension and horror of the situation they were in. I don’t know if that will be carried throughout the series but if so I won’t be mad about it because it works in this context so well.
The characters definitely grow and change very drastically from beginning to end, and I liked how the depravity of humanity was on display while being balanced with those who would help and do good just because they could but who also knew when to stop because they’re were being taken advantage of—there’s a lot of meat here wrapped up in an adventure and fight for survival and I appreciate that. Bringing God and faith into the picture and showing how that works in this situation was just the icing on the cake.
All in all I was pleasantly surprised and blown away by this story! Now I’ll have to continue the series at some point because I want to know what happens next! Highly recommend this one!
‼️Content‼️
Language: pisses; hell; what the; damn; screw; bastard; what the hell; crap; holy crap; bloody; holy…; twit; jeez; son of a…; sh—; fu—; badass
Violence: shooting and stabbing/slashing zombies and humans (not to semi detailed); injuries and blood (not to semi detailed); a man is stabbed in various body parts to make him talk then his throat is slit (semi detailed); women were beaten to death (the action is not shown or detailed, just the aftermath is semi detailed); lots of spraying blood; zombie flesh is often trapped/ripped off on objects/weapons (not to semi detailed); a man coughs up blood; a truck runs over zombies and blood ends up covering the windshield (semi detailed); a man has to amputate a woman’s leg resulting in her death from the shock/blood loss (not shown)
Drugs/Alcohol: men smoke; men drink rum; characters are drugged
Other: zombies and zombie-body-horror (not to semi detailed); death and grief; cults; human/drug experimentation resulted in zombies; dead rotting bodies (not to semi detailed); characters are kidnapped and imprisoned
This book personifies exactly what I would believe a zombie apocalypse would be like. The two brothers are very believable. In fact, there probably are two men out there that really have the same mindset the brothers do. I appreciate the attention to detail that this writer took when it comes to the preparations and weaponry. My own personal knowledge of weaponry is mediocre at best, nevertheless I can recognize that the references made in this book are most likely very accurate. The storyline moved seamlessly and each scenario hit its target accurately in regards to stirring a readers emotions. The tragedy of loss was deep and the strain of staying strong through trauma and insanity was well illustrated. There are references of religious beliefs in the book that I hope no reader takes offense to. I myself found them refreshing. Zombie apocalypse fans would embrace this book immensely! This voluntary review is based against a Kindle Unlimited copy.
Great take on the genre, with two families trying to survive and protect themselves and their loved ones. Lots of action and it keeps you on your toes, wondering what will happen or how they will get out of it.
Humor is mixed in there as well, and the characters are relateable to what might actually happen if Zombies suddenly appeared. Its also refreshing to see the attention to detail, especially in the weapons and gear the characters use.
The buildup and payoff is good, with enough mystery to continue on to the next installment.
If you are a fan of Walking Dead, this is a book for you. I really liked the way this story was told. The author pulled no punches and didn't sugar coat his version of the zombie apocalypse. Not every character we meet makes it to the end and the main characters James, Connor and Emmett all deal with the moral issues that come with just trying to survive and keep their families together. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the detail the author went into with the firearms used. While I understand this is something the main characters would know and appreciate, it was hard for me to get excited about the differences of one assault rifle or to another. The being said, I can't wait to see what the next book brings.
I am normally not a big fan of the post -apocalypse/zombie theme. I mean I love it in movies alot of times but books just don't seem to grab my attention. I actually enjoyed this book as we tagged around with 2 families who are trying to save themselves, their families, and survive in this world. I like the humor that is edged into the book and this book is more real about how things have happened and isn't one of those out of the world type scenarios with unbelievable things happening. You can actually imagine this happening.
This is an interesting zombie book as there are plenty of detail on exactly what kind of guns, ammo, gear etc the brothers use and find on their trip. There is of course lots of death, zombie killing, and people just doing what ever it takes to survive. The brothers are hunters and have an interesting amount of guns and ammo on hand as they were out hunting when the virus spreads. The other group the book follows is a man trying to save his daughter and ex-wife. There are also people trying to take advantage of the situation and sometimes it's better to take your chances with the zombies than with people. There is lots of gory violence, and no adult content. I would recommend ages 15+
A realistic take on the zombie apocalypse that follows two groups of survivors who deal with various obstacles throughout their journey. It really showed the horrors of what could happen if zombies were indeed a possibility. It's a scary though and even a scarier one on how people behave during such times. I voluntarily reviewed an arc from the author.
A REALLY ENJOYABLE READ. I LOVE ALL THINGS ZOMBIES AND WASNT DISAPPOINTED ON THIS SHORT READ. I LOVE HOW THE BOOK SHOWS THE SPLIT DECISIONS THE BROTHERS HAVE TO MAKE IN POST APOCOLYPTIC WORLD
Outbreak takes you on a journey of two different groups' fight for survival after an infection spreads throughout the country causing people to turn into zombies. I fell in love with the characters--you get to experience the strong bond between two brothers and the love of a father for his daughter. This story is action packed with awesome weapons and lots of killing! It really makes you think...when civilization crumbles around you and all that is left is flesh eating monsters...what lengths would you go to protect what is yours?
Trace the paths of several groups of people who live through the outbreak of zombies. Written by a man who clearly knows his way around a firearm, you have a realistic view on what some prepared individuals encountered. Shorter novel, only about 100 pages, but entertaining all the way through.
The writing style is bad. Or it is a first draft and was never proof-read, never saw an editor. More details on that below. The introduction of Tank was an ok read, a little hyped, fast paced but left me interested. When the brothers entered the picture, it went downhill fast. The characters reflected the stereotypical American country life. Overdramatic speech, shooting the wildlife for fun, disguising it as pest control, it’s not even for self consuming, deep rooted faith and of course they are preppers. Their mindset still living in the early settler’s time. I can’t fault that or criticise it. It is their way of life. It’s just not something i am interested in to read. It caters to a specific minority and won’t reach a wide audience. And their misogynous tendencies, the simplicity of everything is either black or white, didn’t help either and showed how much depth the characters haven’t been given. The emotional handling of the situations were unrealistic. In one scene they struggle with the decision to help people or not, with the conclusion they can’t help everyone. The problem in that scenario is, that they haven’t helped anyone yet and not even seen or met any survivors. That simply makes no sense in the way it is presented. There were a few inconsistencies as far as I read and to top it all off the book was in desperate need of a good editor. ...”Once they had their food, water, ammunition, bedding, clothes, backpacks, and miscellaneous gear in the bed, they packed the backseat.” Listing of some weapons and ammunition. Half a page later ...” In addition, they had all the ammunition, food, water, and other miscellaneous gear they might need in a hurry in the backseat.”...
And the writing continued this way.
Connor: ...”He had on his tactical vest, which held three magazines for his handgun, six magazines for his AR, a KA-BAR knife, and a multi-tool.”... James: ...”He had on his tactical vest with three magazines for his handgun, six magazines for his AR, a long-bladed hunting knife, and a multi-tool.”...
For the love of god, you can’t call yourself an author when you simply list things like an endless grocery list.
A zombie apoc is not my usual cup o' tea. That being said, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this story.
It took a chapter or two before I started to get interested but once I did, I didn't want to put it down. It was intriguing and I enjoyed how it had personal perspectives, a cast that wasn't hard to follow or care about, and the "big picture" was moderately shown. While nothing really surprised me, it was an intriguing read.
THEMES
This novel follows the story of two brothers in the zombie apoc and the bros are also believers in Jesus. If you like this kind of fiction but despise the lack of faith, this is a perfect read for you.
This story battles the moral questions that I honestly think most "zombie apoc lovers" hunger over. Is killing acceptable? Is murder different than self defense? When does a monster become a monster? What does God say about a broken world and situation? While I don't believe in zombies, the "virus" base in this story is DEFINITELY something I find a bit more plausible than just "undead waking up" style, so the moralistic themes the story followed grew interesting.
God is mentioned, prayed to, and ultimately, not totally treated like an antagonist, so it was refreshing.
CHARACTERS
James and Connor are hilarious bros with a taste for battle. Easy to relate to and interesting to watch develop, I enjoyed their POVs.
If I'm honest, I really enjoyed Emmett. I'm a sucker for the gruff dad types who just aren't likable. His relationship with his daughter was adorable and I need more.
Regarding the baddies, it was great to get a big taste of how humanity reacted to the plague. People clashing and fighting instead of getting along is so realistic.
CONTENT
On screen deaths. Swearing. Mentions of drinking and smoking (some shown). Mentions of torture. Descriptions of graphic violence (killing zombies/people, combat, etc) and blood/gore. PG13. No sensual content.
OVERALL
I really enjoyed it and can't wait for the rest of the series, even though I KNOW SOMEONE IS GONNA CRY (ME).
There were no major spelling or grammatical errors in this book, let me say first. Which is, honestly, the best part. I like the idea behind the story, but I struggled with reading it.
- the characters aren't well developed or established, which at times makes their actions confusing and jarring - the story has some really meandering, drawn out parts that could easily be shortened as they are not important to the overall story - the author seems more concerned with overdescribing things and brand names than moving the story along, which leaves the story stagnant in places, and little room for the reader's imagination
I enjoy zombie books, but this freshman effort doesn’t past muster. Too much telling and not enough showing and I’ve read a couple of these kinds of novels where the author has to give the massive list of weapons they have. I have no problem with our protagonist being preppers but there is little development, poor dialogue and a teenagers love of guns. The gun list has more development than the characters. We could get a lot more details and expand on many of the encounters. They have. This audio book was free on audible as are the rest of the series. I am not sure I will listen to anymore.
I honestly was fooled by the high star rating for this book....
This was the worst zombie apocalypse book I have ever had to force myself to finish. I have never rolled my eyes listening to a book so many times as I have with this book. And Lord was I hoping some of the main characters would lose their life during this book so maybe there would be hope no to deal with them in the next book.
The author has a real issue of over describing things...but only when it comes to the guns, tactical outfits, or trucks. So if you're into any of those then you will like hearing over 50 times all the guns listed that a character was carrying and where on their body. Oh and you will also hear how amazing looking they look through the eyes of another character when looking at each other. UGH!
At the bare minimum the father and daughter scenarios were the most bearable, because the brothers were outright obnoxious and annoying.
Spoilers and Complaints Below......
THE BROTHERS! Worst duo of characters ever....I'm not saying that there wouldn't be people loaded with guns to the max if a zombie apocalypse broke out, but I'd like to think they would have a little more feeling and emotion when it comes down to things. I hated how they would tell each other our even their mother how killing the zombies was actually fun. I mean nowhere in their brain did it enter that they uses to be really living people who lost their lives. It also drive me nuts that every time they stopped to get gas the pumps just worked miraculously, as if we all don't know what you need to have an attended to turn on a pump to get gas. Literally the only time they encountered this was at the end. Clearly the author gave these characters a god complex because they "saved" who they could and didn't really have any damage to themselves since they were so perfect at what they do. Also, judgy as FUCK! Always looking at someone saying yea I know that dude won't make it he doesn't look like he is strong enough mentally. Also, cherry to the cake was when they didn't want to convoy with the other group because they had two girls and that would slow them down. UUUUUGGGHH!!!
As for the other duo of the dad and daughter.....they were okay to follow....maybe because they actually encountered more zombie action in the book. But I couldn't stand the continuation of admiration the dad would constantly stop to think about for his daughter. He reallllllllllllly liked to look into her eyes and see her will power, fire, determination, wisdom..... etc etc etc
Anyways it all boils down to the writer being horrible. I won't be continuing this series, which is normally not my way. I make a point to, but god I can't with this author anymore.
Outbreak is a really promising start to a series. Set, perhaps unsurprisingly given the title, at the outbreak of a zombie virus. This book does what others in the genre often fails to do. It provides a realistic and convincing background to how the virus came into being.
The main characters are brothers, James and Conner, both extremely capable fighters with a background that sets them up well for a zombie apocalypse. Perhaps because of this, the extent into which their variety of weaponry is covered maybe off putting to some readers. For me, being a Brit and the concept of owning such an arsenal is alien, I found this a really interesting and insightful aspect to the story. Some of the detail was little unnecessary, for example I don't think I needed to know that the binoculars were 10x42 vortex. To me they are just binoculars. That said I'd imagine that if you know what they were or inclined to look them up, then this level of details would add a lot of depth to the story.
The brothers are religious and I was a little nervous that this would overpower the story. However my worries were unfounded and actually added an extra layer of depth to the two men.
The other storyline is about Emmett. Emmett had insight into the impending apocalypse and was therefore prepared for it. Hearing the events from his perspective was a good addition to the tale. As all of the main characters have different motivations and plans.
The story as a whole, is a good, traditional zompoc. With enough tension to keep you turning the page balanced with enough character building to make you care. The author did not leave a massive cliffhanger, but left the story open enough for me to want more. For me, this is the right balance as I'm constantly frustrated at books that leave you hanging.
My only criticism is the timeline from the outbreak to the downfall of society, it all felt a little too fast to me, but once I decided to ignore that it was a thoroughly good read and highly recommended.
When brothers James and Connor Andderson return from a hunting trip, the world they come home to isn’t the one they left just days earlier. But being resourceful and well-prepared young men, though they are taken by surprise, they are far from helpless in the chaos initiated by a zombie apocalypse.
This is a fast-paced and entertaining read. Though it is littered with blood, zombies, and bodies—as to be expected in Zombie Apocalypse literature—the swearing is minimal and sex nonexistent, which I appreciated.
The brothers are cool under pressure, loyal and admirable. I admired their ability to confront difficult situations head on without wimping out, and the amount of angst isn’t overwhelming but appropriate for the characters and the situations.
Though I doubt I’ll ever be a big zombie fan (I’m more of a fantasy reader normally), I recommend Outbreak to any who enjoy the genre and to those who would like to check it out without a lot of inappropriate swearing and sex. Well done Joshua C. Chadd.
A very good addition to the current Zompoc craze! The book follows the Andderson brothers as they try to reach their family after zombies have started on a rampage. Along the way, they meet up with the typical people you find in this genre: damsels in distress, crazed maniacs out to take whatever they can grab, and a few like-minded survivors.
There were some new twists to an old theme, which were refreshing. The diverse characters were great and added a lot to the book. There is the typical descriptions of the arsenals that the preppers have, but that is to be expected.
This was a very good first effort by the author, IMHO. The only thing that really bugged me about the book is that the women had to go into the restroom at every stop they made (which made for a lot of extra grief). Having been a camper/hiker/country girl all my life, who would put themselves in danger in order to use indoor plumbing?
Before I get into all the flowery bouquets, let me just say that I'm not all that big into the Zombie craze. To me, I pretty much stop at Zombie Apocalypse jokes--but I LOVED this book. The author took a typical zombie apocalypse story and put a unique twist and personal spin on it. The style of the book is fast paced, and action packed with bits of humor seeded throughout--as well as some thought provoking dialogue between the characters. If you like stories where the good guys are put in impossible situations, check this one out. Oh, and don't let the fact that this was a debut novel. It doesn't read like an authors first book, it is a well crafted story with a solid structure and a smooth and fun read. I can't wait to read about the rest of the 'brothers' adventure.
A good story about the the opening of a zombie apocalypse that follows members of two families, both of which have military training and are prepped for such a situation. I don't usually like shorter books that follow multiple stories, but this book flowed between them well. Good action and good pacing, other than a few spots where there were laundry lists of guns and weapons being packed or prepped. I was torn between a 4 or a 5 rating, but went up to a 5. That rating may change if the second book disappoints.
From a storyline standpoint, this is one of the best end-of-the-world books I have read. The author is able to switch between the point of view of two families struggling for survival, intertwining them at just the right moment. The result is the creation of a seemingly plausible alternate reality - not an easy task when Zombies are involved.
Warnings: Some religious content and a lot of details on guns.
Fast-paced and action-packed. The author is not shy about depicting the tragedy that would occur during a zombie apocalypse, nor about being open with his faith, and that of his characters. Chadd's knowledge of and affection for guns adds a sense of realism to the story, but what I really appreciated was how it would slow down every now and then to examine some deeper issues.
This series shows a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to following these characters on their further adventures.
Very believable story on a zombie apocalypse that follows two sets of survivors. I was really impressed with how detailed the author was with the explaining of the different weapons and such. And the losses for each group was definitely felt. Loved this story. This was a new author to me and I'll definitely be checking out more of his work!
This is not the type of book I usually read but I really liked this one. The story quickly grabbed my attention and had me wanting to know what would happen next. There is plenty of action and suspense that provided a few tense moments. I look forward to reading what will happen next.
This book was a truly refreshing Zombie Apocalypse book it was short but well laid out and kept you engaged in the book from start to finish. It is laid out wonderfully on the knowledge of firearms by the author shows threw the text I suggest you giving it a read.
If you are a zombie book lover you have to read this series.
I really could not put it down. I liked the way the characters are developed. The way the situations are described and I was surprised by a few things that happened.
I have his second book in the series and I am starting it right after I do this review.
This is the start of a great series 🙌. This end of days story is absolutely one of the best I have read, and this is only book one. The characters are great, great flow, and of course, as stated, the plot is a winner. Come on with the next in this series!!!😧
Very entertaining and exciting! Definitely worth the time I took to read and am waiting for the sequel. After you read this or the 2nd one PLEASE PLEASE take a minute to leave a review, good, bad or other. These Indie authors rely on these reviews not only to get the word out about their work but need to know what they need to fix or expound on!