Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder [Paperback]

Derek Gunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

This is the first book in Derek Gunn's Vampire Apocalypse series.

The war is over and the Vampires have won. The drying up of the world's oil resources leads to the fabled End of Days. Technology stagnates and communities grow ever more insular. With communication between cities lost and attention turned inward, the vampires rise from the shadows where they have survived for centuries and sweep across the globe.

By the time word spreads it is far too late and Vampires enslave humanity and keep them in walled cities to breed. The Vampires are masters of the darkness but maintain control by day through the use of Thralls - humans who have been bitten but have not yet crossed over, and whose inhuman lusts make daylight as terrifying as night.

In the midst of chaos, a small band of rebels lead a terrified existence, but their survival is threatened by the Vampire's new scanning procedures. Peter Harris is an ordinary man. Young and reckless, he is frustrated with the group's stagnation and pushes for one more daring mission. His recklessness has exposed the group - but it has also increased the size of their community. Now, as circumstances force them to take the offensive, and accompanied by a small group of professional Vampire assassins, John will make one last stand for humanity's survival in the Vampire Apocalypse.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... Derek Gunn's novel certainly gives the Vampire genre a much needed kick in the teeth...potential to wow genre fans looking to mix a little action with their horror."

---Quiet Earth

"Action from beginning to end.....I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this story" --Horrorworld

"This is the book that takes Vampires and turns them into a Summer Blockbuster..The battle scenes are outstanding"   --Gorezone

"The best part about this novel is the story... difficult to put down. Every chapter seems to end with a cliff-hanger and the action-packed pace of the story seldom lets up...Be warned though: these vampires are all bad" --suite101.com

"The novel delivers upon its promise of action...Anyone who is interested in vampire literature and likes his or her fiction filled with action will enjoy this novel." --Fearzone.com

About the Author

Derek Gunn lives in Ireland with his wife and three children and works as a consultant for an International Telecommunications company.  He is the author of the Vampire Apocalypse series (A World Torn Asunder, Descent into Chaos, Fallout), The Estuary, Gemini and a number of novellas and short stories. Visit Derek Gunn at derekgunn.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: KHP Publishers (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097679148X
• ISBN-13: 978-0976791485
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,349,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Derek Gunn lives in Dublin, Ireland with his wife and three children and is the author of the post-apocalyptic thriller series, Vampire Apocalypse, widely praised on both sides of the Atlantic. The three books in the series are; A WORLD TORN ASUNDER(2006), DESCENT INTO CHAOS(2008) and FALLOUT (2009). Derek is also the author of THE ESTUARY, A 2009 release from Permuted Press.

His latest novel, GEMINI, is a little bit different for him: No zombies, no vampires or post-apocalyptic setting but, as an avid fan of thrillers, he wanted to try his hand at one. GEMINI, a full length military/thriller/espionage novel, is the result!

Derek is a member and contributing editor of the International Thriller Writers Association. Visit his website at www.derekgunn.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and unique, though kindle errors abundant, January 28, 2010

By 

GeoMar (Glen Allen, VA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder (Vampire Apocalypse Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

First off, on a post apocalyptic kick, I came across this book and quickly ate it up. Vampires and apocalypse? Sign me up! Regarding the story, I was not disappointed. It had the right amount of action and dialogue, the characters are enjoyable, and the plot made sense and the story moved along well. I will be buying the second book, if that's any indication of how much I enjoyed it.

What I did not enjoy however, was the Kindle adaptation...or at least I assume it was just the Kindle adaptation, because I can't believe a book would go to print with the issues I saw. Minor spelling issues I can live with, use of " instead of ' I can get over....but the inter-chapter change between story lines without any indication at all with a space between paragraphs is at time hard to follow. I've never come across this in a Kindle book, and I've bought a couple hundred so far, so I can only assume it was either by choice (bad choice), or poor conversion/editing. I would assume it can be fixed fairly easily with one quick run through (heck, I'll do it for you if you need a hand).

Anyway, if the story wasn't so enjoyable, I wouldn't have been able to get past the editing issues, but I complement the author for a compelling story and I look forward to the next book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Bleak Future Filled with Vampires and Revolution!, January 24, 2010

By 

C. Brunner (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder (Vampire Apocalypse Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

This story is about a world that is struck by an energy crisis. This causes less communication and travel between towns. Vampires have been around for centuries and have decided to take over. This story is about a city two years after a serum has been introduced that turns humans into cattle. They are unable to fight back when abused by thralls or vampires. This serum is one of the reasons the humans have lost the war to the vampires. A small group of people have been awakened from the serum and have started a rebellion against the vampires. They have been doing small raids in preparation for this rebellion. Now they are killing vampires and ready to take back their lives. The setting of the cave underneath a house was cool. The overall feel of the book is dark. This book was original. The story was well written. There were a few mistakes on the kindle. Minor mispellings and such. Overall a good story for the kindle.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Gunn has made Vampire stories fun again, November 28, 2006

By 

Dennis Duncan (Greenfield, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder (Paperback)

In a time not to far from now the world as we know it is gone. Civilized society is collapsing because The worlds oil resources have dried up. War breaks out all over the globe for what little oil remains and once mighty nations fall. Cities and rural towns have become insular and have lost contact with each other. The world has no idea that Vampires exist and that they have been waiting hundreds of years for this day. They soon rise from the shadows and before anyone can react the war is over. The Vampires are now the new rulers of the world. They keep humanity enslaved behind walled cities. Humans are breed like cattle for their blood and are keep under the control by a serum that's makes them like zombies. The Vampires cant exist during the day so they use Thralls - humans who have been bitten but have not yet crossed over to keep the humans from rebelling.

Not all humans are enslaved though. A small band of rebels fight on hoping one day to take the world back from the Vampire masters. They make daring raids on cities rescuing people and getting much needed supplies. They soon discover a new method of killing the vampires that might turn the tide of the war. They think that victory is within their grasp, but a botched raid has let the vampires know the location of their hideout. They will have to take a stand and fight against overwhelming odds in order for humanity to have a chance. If they fail the world is doomed.

Vampire stories have always been hit and miss with me so when I started Vampire Apocalypse I really didn't know what to expect. Three hours and two numb legs later I could say that this story was definitely a HIT. Mr. Gunn has written a action packed, blood soaked thriller that will keep you hooked until the last page. Vampire Apocalypse is like From Dusk till Dawn meets Red Dawn. Action from beginning to end. I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this story. Mr. Gunn has made vampire stories fun again. The genre has been stale for a long time and its about time someone gets it right. This story also begs for a sequel and I can only hope that Mr. Gunn has one in store for us sometime soon.

Vampire Apocalypse is a must read for anyone who likes a great apocalyptic story. It is a fast fun read that never disappoints. Mr. Gunn has made a big splash with this book and I cant wait to see what he gives us next.

Five Stars