Purchased this because I love the zombie apocalypse genre and the 9 book series was 1 credit.
Most books in this genre focus too much on the gear, or too much on the people. Often the characters are pre-built heroes with skills specifically attuned for the zombies. Too often authors in this genre pit their ready made heroes against thinly developed, but seemingly insurmountable odds and the stories tend to get stale quickly.
The introduction of varying outcomes of this particular virus created a more believable list of adversaries. Perhaps it’s my own ideas about people and the world, but humans tend to band together, not fall apart, when things go sideways. Too often in this genre we find the zombie a relatively easy foe to manage, once the characters (who typically have never heard of zombies) figure them out. Leading most authors to develop enemies akin to The Humongus from the Road Warrior.
The character development and backstory were seamlessly woven into the plot. The heroes being regular Joe’s, instead of tier 1 supermen operators with all the kit known to man, made them more believable allowing the reader to more easily become immersed in the adventure.
The author also did a superb job of presenting the emotional toll an event like this might have on someone. And in doing so created a level of humanity often not found in these types of books. And because of this, the reader cannot help but be touched by the troubles facing each character.
I would highly recommend you join the Valiant Null Spot through this adventure!