The Cold Beneath (a steampunk zombie tale) [Kindle Edition]

Tonia Brown (Author), Stephanie Gianopoulos (Editor), Philip R. Rogers (Illustrator)

Book Description

"Engaging from the first and captivating to the last, THE COLD BENEATH is infused with an originality that goes beyond just the blending of zombies and steampunk - which in itself is cool as hell." ~David Dunwoody, author of EMPIRE'S END

In the race to the North Pole, who will become the victor, and who will fall to the ravages of the frozen undead?

An ill-fated expedition turns from daring to disastrous when the airship the Northern Fancy crashes in the far and frozen north, leaving the crew stranded without hope.

But that isn't the worst of it.

One by one the dead crew members arise from the cold ashes to seek the warmth of the living, and it becomes every man for himself in an effort not to join the ranks of the revenants.

Get your hands on the hottest steampunk horror to ever emerge from the wastelands of the frozen north today!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Engaging from the first and captivating to the last, THE COLD BENEATH is infused with an originality that goes beyond just the blending of zombies and steampunk - which in itself is cool as hell." ~David Dunwoody, author of EMPIRE'S END
 
"The Cold Beneath mixes Gothic horror, steam punk, and high adventure into a tale full of colorful characters, mystery, and enough creepy imagery to keep you shivering under your covers all night long. Tonia Brown has given us a new vision of zombie terror, and it will chill you to the bone." ~Patrick D'Orazio, author of COMES THE DARK

About the Author

Tonia Brown is a southern author with a penchant for Victorian dead things. She lives in the backwoods of North Carolina with her genius husband and an ever fluctuating number of cats. She likes fudgesicles and coffee, though not always together. When not writing she raises unicorns and fights crime with her husband under the code names Dr. Weird and his sexy sidekick Butternut.

Product Details

• File Size: 865 KB
• Print Length: 315 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1477556516
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0086VRXY6
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,728 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cold Beneath will leave you breathless! May 31, 2012

By Tony Smith

Format:Kindle Edition

The novel starts out with a fantastic journey reminiscent of writers like Jules Verne and Charles Dickens and then descends into sub-zero madness that would leave Edgar Allen Poe quaking with terror. Tonia Brown blends solid characterization, steampunk science, romance, and inexplicable horror into a potent concoction that makes readers dizzy with excitement. The four main characters in this novel are all well developed and Brown deftly handles powerful emotions like loneliness, fear, betrayal, dangerous ambition, and lost love. Horror fans may find that it takes a little while to get to the gory parts, but once Brown unleashes her artic nightmare, it comes at you so fast that you barely have time to scream.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Good Good July 15, 2012

By Eulas Welch

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A must read, "The Cold Beneath" is a work of art that I enjoyed reading. One of those books you can't put down until it has been finished.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Gothic chills and thrills abound. 4.5 stars May 30, 2012

By Patrick S. Dorazio VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Cold Beneath is a tale of doomed high adventure, written from the perspective of the last survivor of a journey, sharing what came to pass in his diary shortly before he plans on willingly embracing his own death at the hands of the tormented crew who traveled with him.
Philip Syntax is a British inventor who has relegated himself to the American south in the latter half of the nineteenth century as a form of self-imposed exile after an invention of his was credited to his former mentor. Arriving at his estate with a proposal for a great journey is Gideon Lightbridge, a former U.S. Colonel and a great explorer who has need of Philip because he is using the very invention Philip had stolen from him years before-a pair clockwork legs that serve the amputee better than his original ones did. Lightbridge wants Philip to maintain the legs in sub-zero temperatures because he plans being the first explorer to make it to the North Pole. They will be traveling in a helium Airship called The Northern Fancy.
Philip regales the reader with the story of his journey, leading up to his ultimate fate at the hands of the crew who were possessed by a strange and nightmarish sickness in the Arctic Northern extremes.
The Cold Beneath is a very entertaining steam punk tale tinged with the flavor of a seaborne mystery. While the crew guides the ship upon the air, it felt almost as if they were on the high seas, though the seas in this book are the frozen wastes of the far north. This is a zombie tale, and much of the fun of this story lies in the creative usage of the undead here, which are blue tinged nightmares that are somewhat Frankenstein-ish in appearance and actions. This is also classic Gothic type horror told in diary form. It would be easy to imagine this story being turned into an old Hammer classic, with devious deeds and plenty of dark mysteries afoot throughout. There is also romance in this story, though even that is intriguing and riddled with twists and turns. The author blends all these different styles together flawlessly and makes them all fit together nicely.
Tonia Brown has created a terrific voice for her narrator that puts the reader in the story and made me appreciate every crisp detail as it is revealed. Philip Syntax is a thoroughly realized character, as are the other members of the crew of The Northern Fancy who play a major part in this tale such as Lightbridge, Albert, the Chief Mechanic, and Geraldine Goode, a former flame of Philip's and the doctor on board the air ship.
If there is any sort of failing with this tale, perhaps it lies within the diary format. By nature, things are revealed in advance of a full description and the reader knows things, such as the ultimate fate of the crew from the very beginning. Still, surprises abound and as with any good mystery, I found myself guessing at the answers that reveal themselves in a highly satisfactory way within the last few pages of the book.
The Cold Beneath is a great bet for anyone who enjoys Gothic horror, mysteries, steam punk, or intense zombie action. The characters are colorful, the pace is excellent, and the undead are some of the creepiest I've seen in quite some time.

More About the Author

Tonia Brown is a southern author with a penchant for Victorian dead things. She lives in the backwoods of North Carolina with her genius husband and an ever fluctuating number of cats. She likes fudgesicles and coffee, though not always together. When not writing she raises unicorns and fights crime with her husband under the code names Dr. Weird and his sexy sidekick Butternut.
You can learn more about her at: www.thebackseatwriter.com