Apocalypticon by Clayton Smith

Genre: Horror / Dark Comedy

Publisher: Dapper Press

Reviewer: Jag

JAGS: 2

Patrick and Ben have survived the apocalypse. The world is reduced to burnt out buildings and a yellow haze that cover the earth. All perpetuated by the Jamaicans. This dark comedy chronicles two unlikely heroes as they venture out onto the post-apocalyptic American landscape. Their journey is none other to one of the most magical places on Earth-Disney World. From Yellow stained zombies to a monastery full of genderfluid monks, Patrick and Ben have an uncanny ability to land themselves in some outlandish scenarios.

Apocalypticon is Harold and Kumar meet the end of days. The cheeky humor of both characters play out well in some of the story, but overall it drags. The characters are forgettable. The book is forgettable. Parts of the story seem to catch, but for the most part, it repeats the same boring humor over and over. There were parts of the story where you were genuinely interested in what was going to happen next, but the humor kills it the moment you get interested.

Founders by James Wesley Rawles

Founders by James Wesley Rawles

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Paper

Publisher: Pocket Books

Reviewer: Virginia Armstrong

JAGS: 3

With America’s financial collapse, the entire infrastructure and the American way of life is fast becoming a distant memory. Founders is a fictional reality that threatens to be real in today’s day and age. No longer can anything be taken for granted, as store shelves lay bare and most businesses are closing their doors.  Forget doctors, forget petroleum, if you can find any luxury, will it cost you. Gasoline is now $25 dollars a gallon.

As the government disappears, a false government run by the U.N. takes over, out for power and control of the people.  No one is safe from there evil ways and deceptive practices as they try to take over one city at a time.

In come the Christian soldiers, scattered across America, ready and willing to fight for the life that they had known. Most have been preparing for this apocalyptic catastrophe for some time, others winging it with the knowledge and skills that they have.  Together, they are able to take down the bad guys with hopes of restoring America to its previous ways.

Founders is you typical Christian apocalyptic thriller, where only the faithful can overcome the obstacles faced in this type of situation.  The book skipped from different characters, locations and timelines that it made it truly difficult to keep the timing straight.  The men portrayed were kindly Christians who suddenly were able to pick up a gun and shoot to kill without batting an eye or an ounce of remorse.  The story lacked credibility due to the fact it never mentions the government nor politicians and the role that they play.  It appears as if they just vanish before the story even starts.  More than anything, the story reads as a how-to on how to prepare for an event of this type.  I would probably pass this one up. 

 

 

Grim Reaper End of Days by Steve Alten

New York Times best sell Steve Alten introduces us to a realistic thriller in Grim Reaper End of Days about an all too real apocalypse taking place in one of the largest cites on the planet, New York’s Manhattan. The story follows Marine Veteran Patrick Shepherd as he is quarantined from a deadly bubonic plague released by an End of Days fanatic as he returns from the war in Afghanistan.

Patrick finds himself recuperating from PTSD in a VA hospital when a deadly act of terrorism sweeps through the borough and he must decide his next move to not only save himself and his Wife and Daughter, but the President of the United States who is making his case for war at the United Nations.

Grim Reaper End of Days combines real life events, with conspiracy theories involving 9/11 and the case for war-and ancient mysticism to give a fast past ride to the end of the world by the hands of dark forces.  

Definite read while taking a flight.

5 JAGS