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The Apocalypse Boxed Set Novels 1-3 cover art
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Publisher's Summary

Greed, terrorism, and simple bad luck conspire to bring mankind to its knees as a viral infection spreads out of control, reducing those infected to undead horrors that feed upon the rest. It's a time of misery and death for most, however there are some who are lucky, some who are fast, and some who are just too damned tough to go down without a fight. This is their story.
©2013 Peter Meredith (P)2014 Peter Meredith
Horror
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What listeners say about The Apocalypse: The Undead World Novel 1 (Volume 1)

Average Customer Ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Vicki Edgley

Very good. certainly one of the better zombie book

there have been a shambling swarm of zombie books recently and this is easily one of the better ones. looking forward to the next book.

3 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Comrade17

Too much libertarian weirdness

I struggled to Finnish. I expected more due to the volume of books by the author. A neat Zombie twerk and the occasional funny situation wasn't enough to save the book. Too much moralism and the not necessary detailed sex scenes put me off. They narrator tried but it was like having an old Penthouse forum letter read to you, awkward and unintentionally funny.

It may be a strange US political thing but the less then subtle authoritarian, libertarian politics was weird and childishly deployed when laying blame for story's universe. Spoiler alert it wasnt Right wing politics, yep those crazy lefties with universal healthcare...Seriously though the making a big deal about race was also off putting. Surely a characters actions should be the focal point for the Author not consistently highlighting race first, then their actions. The fact the book got a rise out of me perhaps is a nod that it wasn't completely terrible, it just overtly ran a world view that I don't agree with (which is fine).

I may try another but not grabbed to do so. The Mountain Man, After it happened or The girl with all the gifts series for apocalypse/ zombie kicks are far more superior IMHO.

2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Rani

Great Zombie Apocalyse Story

What made the experience of listening to The Apocalypse: The Undead World Novel 1 (Volume 1) the most enjoyable?

I really loved the characters and how human they are. They made mistakes, a lot of mistakes and were really relatable. The Narration is very good as well.

Have you listened to any of Basil Sands’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No, first time

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, couldn't put it down

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. it is harsh and brutal at times, but I could easily imagine this happening to society in the event of an apocalypse. This book always kept me guessing and definitely surprised me more than once.

2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Typical apocalyptic story

They all tend to blend a bit though don’t they??
This is my favourite genre of fiction and this was a good story. I am currently waiting for the second in the series to download. It’s not any new content or anything particularly great but it’s satisfying enough. The warning at the start sets anticipation pretty high and it just fails to live up to it. The author also takes a stab at DJ Moles in his intro but I found DJ’s book far better written and much more exciting.

1 person found this helpful

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Profile Image for Ben heawood

great book ☺

great book had me hooked from tge strat but narrator is a bit dull .

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Exceptional quality and depiction of the Z. A

Memorised by every word said during this audio book. Can't wait to read the next in the series

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Deborah

Great book

Character’s realist, good story, purchased Book2 already, cannot wait to start. Will be following this author. 🤗

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Profile Image for Roly Evarson

Enjoyable adventure

Loved the characters and the story line . Can’t wait to continue the journey with the next one

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Completely captivating.

A wonderful book. It is very confronting at times, but as Peter the Author warned in the beginning, it would be a real depiction of how things would be. He didn't let himself be influenced by what a filmmaker would write, which makes his story spectacular. Get this book, you will be hooked like I was.

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Profile Image for Amazon Customer

Human nature at its best and worst.

I have listened to many books in this genre. This book is a gritty sometimes confronting account of societal breakdown brushed over by other authors. Interesting perspective.

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Profile Image for Michael Fierro
  • Michael Fierro
  • 03-12-2019

warning that you are racist doesn't make you less

the author starts off the book with a preface warning readers that the content has been unfairly marked as racist by other readers. spoiler warning : it's very racist.

11 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for potatoes browning
  • potatoes browning
  • 11-12-2019

Didn't make bit past your bullshit warning.

To tell the reader how to think before they start a book is pretty piss poor style. This is especially true if the message is that you better not be offended by the depiction of race, gender etc. I want my money back!

9 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Nene Bug
  • Nene Bug
  • 15-04-2019

OK story. The author racial views are highlighted

I thought it was a decent story. Highlights how shitty some people can be during a apocalyptic life or death world. The thing for me is the author does a disclaimer trigger warning in the beginning and at the end of the book on how he is not racist and the characters are the way they are because it depicts real life and that's how people actually are. Which is whatever, Im not easily offended. But when I finished the book I quickly realized there is only one black person in the entire story and she is the one who super ghetto and makes really dumb decisions and ends up being the evil villain. She is from Compton so I get it, but the protagonist watches her get gang rapped and does nothing while treating her like shit but is protective to all the other characters who are white, . Me being a black person it is very obvious that the author thinks that this is how all black people are, he says as much in his disclaimers. Also the only latins are mexican gang bangers. That was super lame to me, have more diversity in characters especially when it takes place in California. Im born and raised in California and know better. But with ignoring the authors personal racial ignorance, its a decent story. Audible has such an amazing return policy that its worth checking out and deciding for yourself if its a keeper or not

54 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Wanderer
  • Wanderer
  • 04-12-2019

Had Promise.

I didn't enjoy this book. I'm normally into zombie stories but this came off as crude, self indulgent, and frankly every bad zombie film ever rolled into one book. The narrator was fine but I couldn't finish this book.

4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Mitch
  • Mitch
  • 22-05-2018

The Undead: A New Appreciation for Living

Phenomenal! Mr. Meredith is masterful at developing adroit, intriguing, multifarious characters. Graphics made this one exceptionally heart pounding. Start to finish, "The Apocalypse" had me... hook, line and sinker!

Personally, I was reminded to be more grateful for the random, little things so easily taken for granted... A bath\shower whenever I desire, access to clean water, and nourishing food. Novel 1 brought up numerous, additional poignant social messages/topics for further reflection and discussion.

This episode reinforced no-one should be quick to trust and always be alert and oriented to your surroundings. Unfortunately, there are never any no do-overs or learning curves here!

Always us extreme vigilance when considering individuals you would want in your confidence when the sh-t hits the fan. Choosing well, is all too often the difference between life and death for these survivors. Really getting to know each other ( strengths, weaknesses and motives) is critical to working together and gaining trust. However, insight into ones inner-workings and psyche can/will just as likely be used as an impetus for those with ill-intentions to harm others who present a barrier in their quest to gain power and secure survival - at any cost...

Many in this group of survivors, as different as they are from each other, did manage to start to form bonds of trust and faith in their fellow members, bringing new meaning to the term: “United we stand and divided we fall”

Weed out the bad apples early ( unfortunately, this group gave their bad apple too many chances) because the repercussions (as proven in this first book of the series) can have long-term, devastating effects.

Onward to book #2!

16 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Gregory
  • Gregory
  • 28-12-2014

Decent story at heart, cluttered by author issues

I had a really hard time coming up with a complete and coherent review to this one. The core story is a decent example of the Zombie genre, more reminiscent of "The Walking Dead" and "28 Days" than some of the more mystical approaches. Nice usage of contemporary political and terrorist elements in the creation of an apocalypse scenario.

But, the story is bogged down by the author's personal issues. The actual narrative is laden with latent sexual frustration, assumptions of gender issues, and a racial sub-plot which could be an effective side-story, if not for the author's decision to include both a forward and afterward note. These notes are so angry and defensive, it colors the entire production, and one has to wade through the chips on the author's shoulders to reach the story. Rather than simply standing by what he's written, or even taking some input for future stories, the author lashes out at readers (listeners) before they've even started the tale.

Basil Sands provides a solid, if somewhat un-nuanced narration of this one. I found him excellently matched to the backstory and general narrative, but stilted and awkward as a love scene narrator. To be fair, I didn't find the love scenes particularly well written, and thought they should have been alluded to, and then skipped past.

I think if the story had a good thorough editing to clean up some of the baggage, it would score a solid 3.5 - 4 stars, as it stands the clutter left me feeling like I heard the entire thing from a literary arm's distance.

84 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for karen mccollin
  • karen mccollin
  • 15-08-2019

great read

this book was different and I like it, I will see what the next book has to offer.

2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Rebecca D
  • Rebecca D
  • 09-03-2019

Nicely done

Nailed human nature! it was a book of survival not a love story with zombies!

2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Kenneth Grantham
  • Kenneth Grantham
  • 11-06-2018

Zombie novel

I have enjoyed many zombie novels, and this is one of the best. Fast pace, and good story.

8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Jim "The Impatient"
  • Jim "The Impatient"
  • 19-01-2016

ATE HIS FACE

KISS A@@ UNTIL YOU SMELL OF SH@T
After reading the other reviews, I feel a strong urge to defend the book. This is life as it would mostly be like during an apocalypse. The characters are real people with real faults. The characters are very well developed, but all are not lovable. Some are lovable and if you don't see that you probably didn't finish the book. It takes a while for the characters to develop, but like a George RR Martin book, they don't always do what you expect. That is an example, I am not saying Meredith is as good as Martin, but who is?

Pros
The characters: At first I thought oh no, another He Man Conservative propaganda novel. The novel starts out stressing, might means right and peace loving liberals who recycle will not survive. One main character is a short slim Jewish man in his 30's, who has manners. In the beginning of the novel he is made fun of and you are lead to believe that he will die early. It turns out he is a survivor. A teenager (who is the cut up of the group and provides comic relief). The black girl from the hood is the most controversial character. She is a racist herself and has a huge chip on her shoulder. She is the cause of much grief. These people do bad things and good things. They react the way most of us would in the same situation.
The zombies: they are slow and are basically the background for the story. You really don't have to worry about them that much unless, you are badly hurt, surprised or trapped. One zombie is seen to drink from a stream.
The Sex: I get tired of reading stories involving males and females and sex is hardly referred to. Unless you are very young or very old, sex is hopefully a big part of your life. Sex is a stress releaser and fighting Zombies causes stress, it also brings people closer and it is fun. Males think about sex all the time. There is one time when the sex in my opinion was gratuitous. The rest of the time if fit perfectly into the story. There is even one character, you will be hoping does get laid.
Plot: Might be a little thin, the story is mostly the development of the characters, but there is one, although like most Zombie books, it involves going across country.
Realistic: No heroes, no supermen, no serendipity, it's seems to be what would happen in real life. (if zombies attacked!)

HIS INSIDES FELT GREASY
Cons: The Military does not respond the way I believe they would, especially the top brass. PM says he used to serve in the military and that he knows what he is talking about. I don't see a general or admiral shooting the liberal president. I don't see a colonel setting up his own Fiefdom with platoon whores and his own harem. Maybe after several years, but not within hours. I don't see the military going through towns and robbing the civilians. The top brass would not be that macho, they are sons of rich dads who went to big schools and they had to play politics to get the top spots. I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not.
The Sex: There is an in depth girl on girl scene, which did not feel practical. It was almost a side story, put in just to have a sex scene.
Forward: Until the afterword, I figured this was just a come on to get the reader interested. When I grew up, movies would advertise being banned in foreign countries, knowing that portraying themselves as super bad, would draw a large crowd. PM puts down the works of other writers. I too get tired of the military zombie books, that provide bunkers full of food, but that is because of the amount of books that repeat that scenario, not the original concept. I too, am tired of characters who are trained killers, but somebody likes it, cause they sell.
Afterword: I thought it was unprofessional and not worthy. This is not the place for that.

Summary
I liked the book and gave it five stars. I have the second book in my wish list along with the first book in another series PM started. This probably ranks fourth among my favorite Zombie books. Those being Cattle, Cell and the Mountain Man series.

The narrator is okay, he did not take away from or add to.

85 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Wolffe A N Mason
  • Wolffe A N Mason
  • 06-11-2017

A triumph in Apocalyptic Fiction

A true exploration of the end of the world and the people who are left to populate it. This is not a book of triumph where the good guys win and the bad guys lose, where the world is saved and everyone lives happily ever after. This is a book about people. The characters in this book are not simply two sides of a coin, they do not do what they do for justice or a sense of moral code, nor do they do what they do because they are truly evil. They simply do it to survive. I applaud the author for not shying away from the true behaviour of humanity in times of crisis. Any critiscism levelled towards Meredith about the portrayal of characters in this book is completely unfounded, as there have been many examples in history of how quickly our species discards its humanity in order to survive. There are certain parts of the book that are uncomfortable to read, and many of the motivations of the characters seem difficult to understand on the surface. But this book taps into the very essence of humanity. This is a very real apocalypse. It's dark and terrifying and at times downright twisted yet there are moments of light, where people choose the right path, not the easiest.

I am a big fan of apocalyptic fiction and have read and seen quite a lot since its resurgence in popularity over the last decade, but not one (in my opinion) has captured the true meaning of 'the end of the world' quite like this one. If i wore a cap, it would be doffed to Peter Meredith. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

8 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Maxine
  • Maxine
  • 27-10-2015

Zombie porn Anx !

Too much sex and not enough virus . Most of the characters were really irritating This book is about Sex and feelings of inadequacy on and cringe worthy on! I like my apocalypse novels to be more like the fab Arisen series.

the Narrator pleasant to listen to so wouldn't be adverse to listening to something else narrated by him.

I wish I'd have had the opportunity to listen to the authors foreword before I had purchased he did try to warn his readers to be fair .

7 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for David
  • David
  • 09-11-2017

Shambolic

Got to chapter 10 then stopped. Could rant and rave about all the problems I had wgat'd this title...but i'll just say my main 2.
Ridiculously unbelievable stereotypical one dimensional characters and the whole title comes across like it's been written by a 15 year old.
By far the worst audiobook i've had the misfortune to hear.
Oh almost forgot the narrator was pretty awful too...the first time I heard his attempt at a 16 year old girl I had to laugh....thanks to the writing and his narrating I honestly thought she was 9 or 10.

2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Terry
  • Terry
  • 17-04-2015

Great read

I really enjoyed the layout of the story and also the characters. I listen to quite a few audiobooks in this genre but thought the way the story was set out this has been the best cant wait for the rest of the series

2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for R
  • R
  • 01-07-2015

Reality bites

unlike most talking books I stayed awake mostly due to the narrators voice not being boring. the author isnt afraid to kill off the week and I found myself agreeing with the survivors choices,
overall a great start to a series of books that I will buy more of

4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Elle Ann
  • Elle Ann
  • 03-10-2018

Engaging but..

The main storyline is engaging but there are really bad racial stereotypes.
It is possible to hold racist attitudes without really knowing it. Although the author says he is not racist, it is interesting how the language is used to frame two female characters of different races. They both experience almost the same horrorific thing, but the language is more sympathetic and understanding towards one than the other. The black woman is portrayed as hypersexual even after being brutalized. Additionally, her motivation behind her thirst for a guy seem unbelievable and as a result only further contributes to dehumanizing her character.

1 person found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for BabyAbyss
  • BabyAbyss
  • 01-05-2018

Zombie porn

I was loving the book until I got to the lesbian sex. Over the top sex like full on porn. Is it horror? Or should it be described as ‘horror erotica’. Ruined a good book by genre hoping throughout the novel.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for lil
  • lil
  • 30-10-2017

Meh.

I couldn't finish it, half way I gave up. It's just an alt-right fantasy. To be fair the author's foreword, thin skinned and ridiculous, does give a clear warning. Get it if breitbard is your thing, otherwise avoid.

1 person found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for sfak107
  • sfak107
  • 03-04-2017

Mediocre story with a crap narrator

The narrator is bland, boring and monotone. As for the story it's self it would be better if there were more violence. I bought it thinking that I would get into another long and interesting series but as my headline suggests it's just PANTS.

1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Jack
  • Jack
  • 13-05-2015

Good but but somthing was lacking

A good standard zombie novel if you can't get enough. The characters are real and for that it makes a nice change of pace but it just feels like something is lacking from the over all style. A fee more main characters surprise dying may have helped

1 person found this helpful

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