Customer Reviews

Gray Apocalypse

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Gray Apocalypse was introduced to me by the author himself, and after a polite request that I read and review his book, I opened away and began to read. The First 12 pages or so totally caught me off guard. It grabbed me rather quickly, and yet I was in the middle of moving, so I had to put it down for several days before I was able to re-locate it packed away with all my other unfinished books...the difference being this: I gave up on most of them because they couldn't keep my interest high. I consider myself someone who suffers from RADD--Reading Attention Deficit Disorder...meaning I lose interest really, REALLY quickly in books--unless they keep me 100% engaged and entertained.

I am happy to say that Gray Apocalypse did exactly that: it kept me focused and absolutely enthralled, much in the same way Matthew Reilly did with 'Contest', which kind-of reminded me of this book...even though they really are quite different--except for the alien part. Many who read Reilly come down on him for his lack of character development in favor of a fast moving plot. Personally, I honestly don't care that much--if and ONLY if the rest of the story moves at a quick enough pace to make up for that. Reilly's books have as paper-thin characters as you are likely to find in print--but he more than makes up for that in sheer In Your Face Action, the likes of which NO other author I have personally read can come close to...that is, until I picked up this book.

To be entirely honest: it wasn't as fast-paced as Matthew Reilly, but it certainly DOES move at a rapid pace enough to keep me along for the ride. Could I tell this was a first novel? I think so--but I've read an awful lot of first novels, and the majority don't entertain me to the degree that this one did--which I see as a remarkably GOOD sign. A few others have noted some oft-used writing styles, and seriously, some may find them a burden to get through, but none bothered me at all simply for one fact: I was kept interested in what would happen next.

For those who absolutely DEMAND elegant writing and 3-Dimensional characterization from every person in a book, well you may want to consider going elsewhere...however, for those who enjoy a good X-Files type Action Oriented Sci-Fi thriller that is HEAVY on the action, consider seriously picking up a copy of Gray Apocalypse. The most important thing I can say about what I think about the book is this: I see a bright future for this author and plan to absolutely pick up his next book. Oh, and if you like Matthew Reilly, I really DO think you're in for a treat here. Kudos and good luck to Mr. Murdoch for much success with this first release and one more thing: it'd make a pretty dang fun movie should Hollywood be looking for an idea for the next Summer Blockbuster.

I'm usually not one for science-fiction but this had me biting my lip and eager to turn the page. A true nail-biting adventure as four heroes fight to save the human race. I encourage sci-fi lovers and those who love an adventure to pick up this book.

Gray Apocalypse is a science fiction/thriller based on the premise of aliens taking over the earth. Yes, it's been done before; the alien invasion theory is one of the oldest plots in science fiction literature. Yet, there are so many different ways to develop the premise that a different author can easily come up with a new twist on that old plot.

Character development in this book is nicely handled, the pace at which the story progresses is - for the most part - appropriately paced. I found the main characters both interesting and likable right away, but I had some reservations about Michael Kendon when I learned he had a secret Russin name that others were calling him by; thoughts of "double agent" slipped into my mind more than once... yes, I can be the suspicious type sometimes...

So, great literature, it's definitely not... but yes, a fun read and something different than the space opera/humans colonizing other planets thing I've been reading too much of lately. Despite the somewhat slow start, the suspense and the plot details kept my interest to the end. Readers looking for hard Science Fiction probably won't be satisfied with this, but for those looking for a well-written suspense thriller, Gray Apocalypse fills the bill nicely.

Great start for a new author; I'll be looking forward to his next book - on which, I hope, he is hard at work.

This review was simultaneously published on Amazon.com, Dragonviews, and Library Thing. I also reserve the right to republish this review on other sites that I may deem suitable.

Time is an invaluable resource; unfortunately, there is never enough of it. "Gray Apocalypse" tells the story of Michael Kendom, a decidedly un-heroic assassin. The Grays, the aliens presumed to have been visiting Earth for the past six decades, have been breeding hybrids since their start, and their nefarious plot may soon come into fruition. A man whom few trust, Michael is also the only one who knows enough and has the ability to stop the alien invasion. A science fiction thriller that will keep genre fans reading, "Gray Apocalypse" is something to be enjoyed.

I love a good conspiracy theory and of course, government/UFO conspiracies are at the top of the list to provide intrigue and excitement. When the prologue of Gray Apocalypse makes your hair stand on end, you know that you better hang on and get ready for a thrilling ride.

James Murdoch did not just write a UFO story. Instead, he started with the conspiracies we are familiar with, the UFO sightings, alien grays and the underground bases, and took them to a new level with a well-planned plot, interesting characters, and non-stop action.

With the alien Breeder Grays preparing to destroy the human race, only Michael Kendon, trained from childhood to be a keeper of the secrets, can use his knowledge of the grays to save Earth. He is a complex character who is a killer and a healer. There are several other main characters, Laura Meller, a physician, working with Kendon to put the pieces of a puzzle together. Their work leads them to Eric Tepler, an astronomer and caretaker for a remote lighthouse observatory at Cabo Rojo and Gabriella Estrada, a local teacher, whose family gets caught up in the intrigue.

The story is exciting, frightening, touching and magical. The action never slows down, and I hope Mr. Murdoch writes a sequel or a prequel! Also, check out the .com website for this book for a video that will shock you.

Gray Apocalypse

Gray Apocalypse is a book that keeps you wanting more. Once you start reading, Gray Apocalypse, you won't be able to stop. James Murdoch has written a fantastic Science Fiction Thriller in Gray Apocalypse.

The Breeder Grays are the aliens that have been abducting humans for six decades. Their ultimate goal is to destroy all human life on Earth. So that the hybrids they have created can begin a new alien species on Earth.

Michael Kendon is the only one that can stop the Breeder Grays from destroying the Earth with the asteroid that the Breeder Grays control. Kendon only has three days till the asteroid will collide with the Earth. So many obstacles hinder Kendon on his mission to save mankind from total obliteration.

You will be drawn into this fast paced, action packed, thriller right from the start. Expect to loose yourself in the universe of the unknown. Pick up Gray Apocalypse and spend a day or two in a world with aliens. For James Murdoch's first novel he wrote and excellent Science Fiction Thriller in Gray Apocalypse.

In the course of one day an asteroid projected to pass a million miles from earth is suddenly redirected on a collision course with our planet. Projected to impact near Puerto Rico, this asteroid will destroy all forms of life leaving the planet free to become the home of The Breeders and their human hybrids.

Taken from an orphanage at a very young age, Michael Kendon was trained as a Directorate assassin. For many years he carried out his job with no hesitation but once Michael learned of the coming genocide he went undercover into the resistance and became a double agent.

Led by Dr. Donald Meller the resistance has a powerful weapon designed to deflect the asteroid but it's been hidden away and when all the members of the resistance are captured and killed Michael is expected to lead the Directorate to the weapon but he has other plans.

Gray Apocalypse is the perfect blend of sci-fi and thriller. With just enough technical aspects to make it realistic the book doesn't get lost in fantasy. It is action packed and suspenseful enough that it kept me up late into the night. I can definitely see this as a blockbuster movie staring some sexy action hero as Michael Kendon.

Be sure to visit the book's website [...] for a sample chapter and a chilling video of what an asteroid hitting the earth would look like. Scary! Gray Apocalypse is a must read for sci-fi and thriller lovers.

To begin with, I must admit that I am one of those individuals that certainly fall into the "Doubting Thomas School of Thought" when it comes to UFO sightings and conspiracy theories. Of course I don't completely rule them out; to rule anything out is rather silly, but I do have my doubts. I guess you could sort of classify me as an "UFO/Conspiracy Agnostic." Now that being said, it does not mean I dislike and do not read stories about such things. As a matter of fact I rather enjoy stories in this genre. Hey, I don't really feel Hobbits ever existed, but I certainly have enjoyed there adventures over the many years I have read and reread Tolkien. The same hold true for the vast majority of SiFi and Fantasy books I have read in my life.

This story as told by the author James Murdoch, is set in the very near future but we learn from prologue that the tale actually started during the Truman Administration in New Mexico. Strange visitors have landed President Eisenhower, who has just taken office, has learned and they have been "borrowing" folks around the country at will and there is not one thing we as a nation can do to stop them. What is the answer? Well, if you can't beat them, at least cooperate with them in exchange for technological secrets that will make our country the strongest. At this point the real story begins.....

It would seem that these alien creatures who have occupied secret underground installations since the 1950s are not a very nice group of lads. In fact they desire only one thing; the total destruction of the human race! In addition they have quite a hoard of humans working for them who are not nice either. The ultimate plan is to divert a giant asteroid in order to strike earth. It seems to have worked for the dinosaurs, why not people?

Amongst the humans that support the alien creatures is a group of men who are trained from birth as...well, hit men. Cold blooded killers who will stop at nothing to carryout the plans of their masters. One of these highly trained assassins, Kendon, sees the light and decides to change sides and stop the sinister plots of the gray beings. As our story begins, Kendon has only three days to find a way to divert the asteroid and save the human race. Will he be in time? Can one man turn the tide? Just how far will the aliens go to stop him, and more importantly, how far will Kendon go to stop the aliens?

This is an extremely fast paced action thriller that mixes up alien conspiracy theories, psychic powers, a couple of neat love interests, a lot of thrilling chases, healing powers, and just good old shot'em up bang, bang action. This is the sort of book that you can read quickly, enjoy the escapism and become completely lost in this made up world situation.

The author uses prose that clips right along. He is quite good with his descriptive writing and has the ability to cram quite a lot of action into almost ever page. Yes, I will admit that, as other reviewers have pointed out, that some of his characters are rather two dimensional (what ever that means), but hey, the author had about 350 pages to tell us his tale and to be quite frank I personally did not read this work to find out whether or not the hero was breast fed or whether or not he had a puppy when he was young. As to some of the minor contradictions noted by others, I really cannot hold that against the author. That is the editor's job. These contradictions do not distract from the story what-so-ever and are of little moment.

All in all, this is one of those fun reads that is enjoyable to take and just set back and enjoy the ride. I do recommend this one and do hope we hear more from this author in the near future.

Don Blankenship

The Ozarks

In "Gray Apocalypse," James Murdock writes a fast-paced sci-fi thriller inspired by the hard-to-dismiss story of alien abductee Amaury Rivera documented in Michael Hesemann's film: "UFOs: The Secret Evidence." During Rivera's 1988 abduction, aliens warned him of the future occurrence of a giant asteroid hitting the earth near his hometown of Cabo Roho, Puerto Rico and jump-starting a domino effect that would cause the end of the human race in events that would mirror the decline and extinction of the dinosaurs and other species after the asteroid `Baptistina' hit the earth over 160 million years ago.

Utilizing this tantalizing testimony and other currently well-documented alien life theories of a race of extra-terrestrials called the Grays, Murdock contrives a gripping story of a race against time. In the opening sequence, his lead character, Michael Kendon watches as his friend and mentor, inventor/engineer Donald Meller dies from torture inflicted on him by a military security team functioning as the assault apparatus to protect the existence of an alien/U.S. government collaboration intent on populating the earth with human/ET hybrids.

From that moment on, Murdock's story grips an already intrigued reading and viewing audience fascinated by the question of extra-terrestrial existence, abduction, and government conspiracies since the Roswell incident with a traditionally compelling heroic quest that does not let go until the final pages. As a trained killer, Kendon possesses brutal strength and agility that only pales when compared to the power of his mind. Luckily, this determined dynamo stands on the side of humanity and we, as invisible backseat occupants, squeal with delight as he rides into the sunset, moving heaven and earth to defend the planet's future generations.

In the style of director Tony Gilroy's "The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity | The Bourne Supremacy | The Bourne Ultimatum)", "Gray Apocalypse" would make a great genre film where lots of action sequences preclude character development. Kendon and his lady, Laura, although not necessarily two-dimensional, suffer a bit in terms of development only because it's that type of story that needs to be contained within 340+ pages. The hero equipped with certain necessary skills must accomplish his mission within a slotted timeframe. There's not much time for childhood or character-building moments, although this reviewer, for one, would have enjoyed a few scenes where Laura flashes back to the personal history moments of her own alien abduction. The emotional pull of giving birth to a hybrid child and having to deal with a suicidal, impotent husband should have been given at least a chapter instead of the few sentences where Michael reads her mind. Likewise, the personal sagas of astronomer Tepler and schoolteacher Gabriella, need some pre-disaster scenario filler to make them more flesh and blood rather than just functionaries. Most of all, even though Murdock's Kendon creation is good, reminiscences from Michael's childhood and days as a young Directorate soldier, would have stamped him with more humanity and motivation for his heroic actions.

Bottom line? James Murdock's first novel moves along with enough frenetic energy to convert into a successful film fashioned from the exciting, audience-posed-at-the-edge-of-the-seat Bourne Trilogy mold. From the get-go, the novel compels with seemingly insider's tactics regarding covert military ops and a riveting alien conspiracy mis-en-scene that will definitely interest most readers of this sort of thriller. As with most adventure/action novels, this one is set within a four day time frame that leaves little time for any in depth character development. Recommended.

Diana Faillace Von Behren

"reneofc"

It's been a while since I've read a book concerning aliens and a possible government cover-up, so this was a refreshing change from my usual reading. The author establishes a very good plot line, and the excitement begins almost from the very first page.

We have a story line where, many years ago, the government entered into an agreement with aliens to allow them access to earth in return for learning their advanced technology. It seems that it didn't quite work out that way, and the aliens are now planning to destroy all life on this planet and replace it with their own clones. A giant asteroid is being directed to hit earth and cause catastrophic damage.

The protagonist was a former member of the conspiracy with the aliens, but now he feels he must prevent them from accomplishing their purpose. There are chase scenes, much action, murder and mayhem, and a culminating scene in Puerto Rico where the hero and his friends make a last stand against the alien incursion.

Once you begin this book it is quite difficult to put it down without finishing it. It's one of those "stay up much too late reading" books that I encounter from time to time, and I enjoyed every minute of reading it!