The First Days
Best Zombie Book of the Year: Explorations
Dead Letter Award for Best Novel: Mail Order Zombie
“‘This world is fragile.’ This truth lies at the core of Frater's intensely compelling first novel. This outstanding first effort, the first book in a trilogy, will appeal greatly to zombie fans, but the undead are merely the catalyst for a far more disquieting tale of societal collapse.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The First Days is a lean, mean read. You'll blow through this faster than a herd of undead at an all-cheerleader buffet. Buy this book now so you can say you liked Frater before she became the Next Big Deal In Horror, because that's where she's headed.” —Dread Central
“This is a world where zombies existed in media before they became ‘real’ and there are a ton of little easter eggs throughout for zombie fans. Romero’s films are references, as is The Zombie Survival Guide.” —BuyZombie
“Katie and Jenni are first drawn in short, sharp sketches and fleshed out as the story progresses. By the end of the book I was laughing at their jokes and feeling what they felt, excited to see what happened next. The First Days plays on deep-seated fears and pushes the limits constantly.” —Café Libri
“From literally the first page, Frater pulled me in and never let go. The First Days had me thrilled, excited, sad, and happy. If you love strong characters, exciting plot and of course zombies then I'm sure you will love this.” —Book Chick City
“From the first page, the reader is plunged into a terrifying but riveting nightmare. Frater does not shy away from depicting the story in all its gory detail, never forgetting a healthy dose of black humor to keep things from sinking into bleak despair.” —So I Read this Book
“Everything felt so real and haunting. Beautiful. I really, really enjoyed this book. It reminds me of The Walking Dead in terms of the pace and the story progression. This is good stuff! Zombie fiction fans, this is definitely for you.” —Reading Good Books
“Every scene is packed with action, conflict, and zombie killing goodness. All the secondary characters Jenni and Katie encountered, from the husband and wife survivalists holed up in their gun store methodically sniping their infected neighbors, to the Reverend who saves Katie’s life and his dog’s at the expense of his own, were fantastic.” —All Things Urban Fantasy
“Terrifyingly realistic and vividly horrifying, this book is feverish and electrifying—amazing in every sense of the word.” —The Bookish Brunette
“Rhiannon Frater’s much-heralded debut novel The First Days—the opening salvo in her As the World Dies trilogy—combines two of my favorite genre fiction elements: zombies and the Apocalypse. The compelling narrative and endearing duo of female protagonists make this a ‘must read’ for anyone who considers themselves a fan of zombie fiction or apocalyptic fiction. Jenni and Katie are like Thelma and Louise of the Apocalypse. There is definite social commentary at play here and a healthy dose of zombie-powered pop culture references as well—but, for me at least, the thing that makes this novel so remarkable is Frater’s ability to draw the reader in to the minds of the two protagonists and experience the end of the world—and the beginning of a new one—through their eyes.”
—Unabashedly Bookish
“Holy smokes! This book was a wild ride of awesome. It reminds me a lot of The Walking Dead, with the heavy emphasis on survival and character relationships, and a healthy dose of zombie terror. All the secondary characters were glorious and each played an important role in the progression of the story. Jack the German Shepard made my heart sing with joy. Recommended for any Zombie fiction fan or those looking for a great character-driven postapocalyptic survival story.”—Smash Attack Reads
