Travis Adkins

Twilight of the Dead by Travis Adkins is a different and exciting take on the zombie genre. The story revolves around Courtney Colvin, a sassy young woman and a lethal "Black Beret": a zombie killer. She is one part Tomb Raider, one part Gretel and one part everyday girl. Twilight of the Dead takes the old Romero style zombie story and adds some modern twists. How would a community live on years after the apocalypse? What would every day and not so everyday life be like? Adkins explores the long term life style of people in such a setting. This is all done within a well written and paced story that reels you in and doesn't let go.

The bulk of the story takes place in and around the walled in community of Eastpointe that had been able to survive the outbreak. It also ended up being the home for the last of the Black Berets. Courtney is a "Black Beret", trained in the art of zombie killing. Black Berets are armed with a rifle, pistol, and a wakizashi and trained in a modified form of hand-to-hand combat created specifically to fight zombies. Among the other Black Berets is Leon, a young good looking guy around Courtney's age. Leo and Courtney have a more or less love to hate relationship going.

The book overall has a really addicting element about it, I read the first 140 pages in one sitting without realizing how long I had been sitting there. I was fully engrossed in the story and in the characters. I think the part that keeps you reading is that besides having a great plot; it also has several intriguing subplots. Relationships, situations, and the setting provide plenty of interesting tidbits to think about beyond the main plot. Because of this there is always something happening to keep your interest.

Hardcore zombie fans should be pleased with the action and the way Adkins writes his combat scenes and the Black Berets really kick rear. What could be cooler than a people taking a wakizashi to zombies? The zombies are truly terrifying and the twist near the end will leave you saying "that's just wrong!"

In the end Twilight of the Dead was a complete surprise to me and in now among my favorites. It has few flaws, such as medical explanations that stretched my suspension of disbelief. However, I have a medical background and I think most people may not know the difference. This is definitely a book that belongs on every zombie fan's shelf.… (altro)

In the sequel to Twilight of the Dead, the survivors of the zombie apocalypse are still residing in the fortified town of Eastpointe. Members of the Black Beret that left Eastpointe on a scouting mission are fighting for their lives. Courtney and Leon are trapped on top of a steaming roof. They believe that all of the other Berets have died on the cruise ship Dr. Dane was using to create his super army of zombies. Dane purportedly also has a cure for the diseased undead. Unbeknownst to them, Vaughn Winters, the most mentally unstable of the Black Berets, escapes from Dane’s medical lab. While Courtney and Leon are able to commandeer a vehicle and return to Eastpointe relatively unscathed, Vaughn must travel by foot. Following him are thousands of zombies, thirsting for human flesh. We learn that Vaughn has been working with the Odd Fellows, an elite group of Eastpointe residents desperate for the cure in Dane’s possession. Upon his return to Eastpointe, Vaughn loses what semblance of sanity he had and decides to take the fate of the Eastpointe survivors in his own hands. Adkins does an amazing job in this sequel. It has the action and gore that every zombie fan desires. His writing is addictive, it makes you want press pause on the rest of the world until you finish reading it!… (altro)

After Twilight: Walking with the Dead picks up where Twilight left off. Courtney and Leon are trapped on the roof. They are slowly dehydrating and waiting to see if Leon will change or if Dr. Dane’s serum will work. Meanwhile Vaughn deals with his own demons as he struggles to recover from some serious throat damage and flashes back to his past where his sister, the only person that ever meant anything to him, haunts his memories. As zombies stack up against the walls Eastpointe its residents carry on in unknowing bliss as they prepare to celebrate a 4th of July that they will never forget.

Once again Travis Adkins has written a story full of violence, gore and horror that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat wanting more. I could actually feel my heart racing as Ty and company fought off zombies while trying to get to the second floor of the sheriff’s station. The zombies aren’t the only creatures to fear in this story. Vaughn quickly becomes the primary villain as he looses it and decides that it’s time for Eastpointe to end along with the rest of the human race.

After Twilight: Walking with the Dead is a fast pace and excellent story that I would recommend to anyone who loves horror and it is almost a necessary add to anyone who collects stories of zombie fiction.… (altro)