Lost Valley

Lost Valley (Extinction Survival #1) (Extinction Cycle Universe #1.5)

Having read much of the Extinction Cycle series, I was very pleased to see that spin-offs were occurring. This spin-off does not disappoint. Set during the events of the first book (Extinction Horizon) through to slightly afterwards in the sequel, it doesn't need to worry about establishing the universe. Instead it can focus on introducing its characters before showing other perspectives around the country of the first book's events. Best of all, it does this by putting the characters in some nerve-wracking situations. The hotel scenes I think were a perfect example of this and very riveting. This book also highlights and explores the threat of infection much more so than the first book. The infection of wildlife predators is also quite interesting if only fleetingly explored. All in all a great entry to the series and one that doesn't pale in comparison to its parent series.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any apocalypse nut and for anyone who likes zombies and monsters in general. Fans of military action and contagion thrillers will also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 3.5 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Walt Browning
Publisher: Great Wave Ink Publishing
Published: 4 Apr 2019
Page Length: 317 pages
Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations:  None

Extinction Horizon

Extinction Horizon (The Extinction Cycle #1) (Extinction Cycle Universe #1)

I personally love post-apocalypse stories and am disappointed to see how saturated the genre has become. Because of this, I appreciate it all the more when a good book comes along that defies the mediocrity and delivers a great story. Seeing the initial creation and outbreak of a viral contagion and how it spreads across the world is always fun (when fictional of course). Adding in a military perspective that is fresh and vibrant is great when combined with a fresh take on the apocalyptic threat. Most stories with viral contagions see zombies take over the earth. This however has its roots both in human qualities, science fiction, and disease that combines to make a fun new monster for the genre. The characters are quite enjoyable too. It was immensely satisfying to see both a logical and emotional reason for how and why the virus was created. This reason is both damnable yet completely understandable and even relatable.

I'd recommend reading this story both for any apocalypse nut and for anyone who likes zombies and monsters in general. Fans of military action and contagion thrillers should also enjoy this.

Rating:
Story: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Settings: 4 Stars
Literary Quality: 4 Stars
Overall Quality: 4 Salmon

Nerdy Details:
Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 6 Dec 2014
Page Length: 351
Genre: Post-Apocalypse, Horror
Sub-Genre: Monsters
Awards and Nominations:  Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Horror (2015)