Customer Reviews

Empire's End

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved the original book Empire. Mr. Dunwoody created something new in the zombie scene, but it was more than a zombie book. It was a horror novel/zombie book, filled with chaos and crazy-ass characters. I loved that his undead were so damn hard to kill--no headshots here! In Empire's End, the book is more straight forward and focused, in my opinion, and simply fantastic. From the get go i was ready to read straight through. And i must say he wrote one of the more disgusting, gross-out scenes i've ever read. To say a zombie fan should read these two books is an understatement. They must read these books, and with the sequel you can see the authors work shine even more, because they show what an author can do if he takes a chance and does what he's passionate about.

David Dunwoody's work just keeps getting better and better. This book rocked hardcore. If you're a fan of the Grim Reaper or messed up, HARD to kill zombies, you NEED to read this. You owe it to yourself to do so.

David Dunwoody has truely outdone himself! Empire's End was such a trill to read and a nightmare to see unfold. Death has evolved, too bad humans did not! I could not put this book down and am glad i didn't. If you have read EMPIRE book two will grab you by the nuts and not let go.....ever! A must read....a must own!

REVIEWED BY THE FUNKY WEREPIG

Among new writers, there may be no greater imagination than David Dunwoody's.

EMPIRE'S END is the long awaited sequel to Dunwoody's popular novel EMPIRE and things have not sat still. We're brought into a much expanded world infested with zombies and deep into the politics humanity has set up to ensure survival But as is our continual flaw, those politics are corrupted by those in charge and Dunwoody makes that a major part of his new chapter.

Also added is a twist on zombies I personally have never read or seen. The zombie super villain. Dunwoody has always brought a huge element of comic book plotline to his apocalyptic world but nothing like this. In Eviscerato, an evil circus clown who has gathered and created zombified freaks like himself, the combination of nightmares is as brilliant as it is horrifying. He has retained his intellect and rules the Badlands with his ever-growing zombie following as the King of the Dead. I don't think I've enjoyed a villain so original and wicked since Heath Ledger's Joker.

EMPIRE'S END also includes most original hero as well. From the original novel the Reaper is back and leave it to Dunwoody to spin him into a new form. No longer completely invulnerable, this more `human' version has given up his mantle as Death and now must fight the zombies on a more equal playing field. By doing this, Dunwoody has brought a higher level of tension and terror to every encounter.

Which leads us to the Omega. Actually a spotlighted zombie from the last book, here again Dunwoody's creativity shows brilliantly. Having eaten some of the Reaper's supernatural flesh, the Omega is now as powerful and is relentless in its singular quest to destroy its foe. The battles between Reaper and Omega are some of the best you'll find. But as is a Dunwoody trademark, there is much more to the monster than meets the eye. A far deeper purpose to its vengeful actions.

If there is one flaw with EMPIRE'S END, it is the editing. We're not talking a couple words that slipped through spell check. There are dozens and dozens of mistakes throughout the book. And at times the formatting makes Dunwoody's hard work seem like a first draft. To be blunt, I was shocked. It pulled me out of the story far too often. I don't know who the editor was but it's not worthy of a publisher who puts their products in national book store chains and it's certainly not respectful of one of their most loyal and well known authors.

Despite this, EMPIRE'S END is a must for any zombie fiction fan. It is in many ways better than the original as Dunwoody dives deeper into his world and the characters within it. I could write another few pages on the surprise revelations and multiple subplots but why spoil it? If you read EMPIRE, you must buy this. If you haven't, you need to buy both books. You're only cheating yourself from absolutely enjoying one of the most creative and exciting minds in horror today.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is that it was a bit to "busy". The author did a pretty good job of keeping the multiple story lines organized and moving forward but it just seemed that there were too many and too many "main" characters. That being said it was a fun read and the author certainly writes outside the box. I think Dunwoody may be slightly off his rocker! Creativity he does not lack. The direction it was taken was pretty extreme for a "zombie" novel. I can see some zombie purists not liking it a whole lot because it is so outside the box, I found it very entertaining and fun. Absolutely worth the money.

Before I begin, I have something I need to get off my chest.
As an aficionado of all things Zombie (books, movies, Rob), one thing tends to stick in my craw more than anything else. Sometimes, there is a distressing lack of originality in zombie-related items. An unknown virus/sickness/malady strikes down a portion of the population, which in turn rises up to devour whoever is left. Lather, rinse, repeat. It's a tried and true formula admittedly, but sometimes, I want something a little more original, or maybe a different spin on the same old same old.
Enter David Dunwoody and his book EMPIRE. It was a unique spin on your typical zombie tale. Instead of focusing on the zombies as they rise and take over, the book is set a hundred or so years after the zombies have ran roughshod over the country. It was part apocalyptic survival story, part spiritual treatise, and a really good read. Well, with all good things comes the inevitable sequel, EMPIRE'S END. Will the sequel stand up to the standards the original set?
In a word, hell yes! (Ok, that was two words, but still...)
In my opinion (humble as it may or may not be), in EMPIRE'S END, Dunwoody has re-written the rulebook on how to craft a sequel. Where EMPIRE seemed fractured in places, END has a more streamlined narrative. Its fast, gets right to the point, and keeps you riveted. It doesn't rehash the events of the first book (although reading EMPIRE first is recommended). Dunwoody's ruined America is put on a much bigger stage, and depicted very realistically. To draw a comparison, if EMPIRE is, say, "Mad Max", END is definitely "The Road Warrior".
The Reaper, who has given himself the name "Adam", is a unique protagonist, not to mention a total badass. His only goal, other than killing the undead, is to get back to Lily, who along with Voorhees the cop (the two survivors from EMPIRE) has taken up refuge in Gaylen, a walled community up in the Great Lakes. Lily has been adopted by a seemingly nice couple, while Voorhees becomes part of the town's law enforcement. As this is a zombie novel first and foremost, you know the peace and serenity cannot last.
Which brings me to another one of END's strong suits. The Omega, an undead super-zombie possessed with the souls of everyone the reaper ever sent to hell (which made an appearance at the end of EMPIRE) by itself would have been a suitably kickass bad guy, but Dunwoody doesn't stop there. He also tosses in the fabled "King of the Dead" named Eviscerato (I love that name!) who commands a troupe of undead circus freaks, and who also has the ability to control the undead. These are two wonderfully evil and loathsome bad guys. Toss in a vile crime boss type within the city and you have an unholy triumvirate of bad guys that keep the pages turning.
The human characters are strong and realistic, and they act the way real humans would. The dialogue is crisp and simple. The action, of which there is a LOT, is brutal and delightfully constant. There really isn't a lot of time to catch your breath, which is something I loved.
Usually, at this point, I talk about things in the story that didn't quite work for me, or fell flat in its delivery, but oddly, there isn't anything I can really talk about without getting nitpicky. I really enjoyed the hell out of it, but I can understand that it may not be everyone's cup of tea. In my humbly and criminally overlooked opinion, END is an overall superior novel to EMPIRE, and should put David Dunwoody on the list of great zombie authors. Read this book.

Welcome to the second and final part of the Empire saga (although hopefully just the start of a Reaper universe). The first book took the unusual premise that in a post apocalyptic zombie world there are people fighting to survive (most live in large "protected" compounds) and a reaper walks around looking for a purpose to death! In this book, the reaper has found his cause, but zombies can get smart plus organised and some have a taste for immortality.

This book follows on from Empire and moved the story forward; it introduces new characters in both human and zombie form and actually expanded the universe quite a bit. The reaper gets a bit more venerable but that's balanced off by some pretty cool weaponry! There is a good insight into human nature and the dregs of a society struggling to survive, I love the way that the author created some of the most despicable characters, you end up wanting to shoot them yourself and at some points I was even on the side of the zombies, but maybe that's just me!

I was frustrated during the whole of the book as I was hoping for more of the Reaper/Adam and had mentally planned for a front to back cover rip roaring first person view, this was not the case. However, once I finished the book and sat back to review it was a whole, I find myself amazed at how much the author moved on from the first book. I had found myself wrapped up in the antics of the circus troupe and the Omega and wanting even more of their story. The book is extremely well balanced between the different threads and they are all pulled together nicely, this means you need to set yourself enough time to read the last 100 pages in one go. Because of my frustration with the first reading, I immediately re-read the book and found it to be even more rewarding, if there are other reaper mad fans out there, I would recommend that you do this as well.

Without adding any spoilers, the book ends with its own apocalyptic conclusion and a great twist that ties up almost all loose ends, which is nice as some authors don't seem to be able to end a series (think of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein).
Finally, at the end of the book you get a fantastic short called After Dead and I hope this is an indication to where the authors work is going.

In summary, this is another great read from David Dunwoody and in addition to the first book you will have a story that you will go back and re-read again and again. This young author has created his foundations with this amazing set and I will be standing in the line when his next publication is due.

In Empire's End, the sequel to David Dunwoody's Empire (Zombie Novels), we get another look at America circa 2112, after more than a century of a devastating plague of the undead has pushed civilization behind fortified walls. Politicians scheme to leave their constituents to the zombie hordes, criminals continue to profit from human misery, and cops and soldiers have to do what they can to keep peace and order in a violent world. Oh yeah, and death - the Grim Reaper himself - is walking the Earth, bringing final release to all the walking dead he encounters.

Zombie 411 - Dunwoody's zombies are based on the Romero style, but he adds a lot of variations. His zombies run, can regenerate after feeding and retain a certain intelligence level. There are also zombified animals, demon-possessed super-zombies, and a travelling circus of the undead.

Like the original Empire, Empire's End veers off into too many directions. The tale of the Grim Reaper's trek across the badlands to find the girl from Empire should have been enough to make this book work, especially with the demonic zombie dogging his steps. Instead we have to wade through the malevolent zombie circus (a wicked idea that should have been the focus of a separate novel), corruption in government and on the police force, organized crime and some sort of radical plot to bring down the walls, all of which involved a host of characters who were introduced and killed off in the blink of an eye.

Empire's End had so much potential, but like Empire Dunwoody just threw too many elements into the mix. The main premise works, and the action sequences, particularly when Eviscerato's macabre circus was involved, were spectacular (and spectacularly gory), but overall the story is just too unfocused. If you enjoyed the first one, or are an obsessive reader of all things zombie, Empire's End is worth reading, but it's not an essential entry in the genre.

Disclosure - I was given an electronic copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Empire's End is a terrific take on the zombie genre'. A very original twist with The Reaper featured as the good guy, go figure. I liked Mr. Dunwoody's approach to giving the reader a sense of the afterlife of the undead, or perhaps I should say the un-afterlife? I've never given much thought to what happens to the souls of the zombies when they become undead.. Apparently, hell is not overflowing with them. The Reaper is a little pissed with the situation as it stands, and wants to put right the unnatural balance of afterlife souls currently not occupying their designated space. These souls are clearly not paying attention. I don't want to throw any spoilers out here, the story in itself is worth the read. I would have enjoyed a more fleshed out (haa!) analysis of The Reaper, but this didn't stop me from enjoying the storyline. A good read.

Empire's End brings Dunwoody's style to a whole new level! Follow Death's exploits in his one-man journey of discovery against the Dead in this page turner. Could not put the book down!! Permuted Press has once again put a winner on the table with Empire's End!!! This publishing company consistenly gives us the BEST in horror fiction and this book is a fantastic voyage for the reader:)

I really liked the way Dunwoody brings the climax at you full force with many twists in the story. If you pick up this book, you will be hooked on the genre, the author and Permuted Press!
Nuff Said!