Island of the Dead

In Island of the Dead, we follow the story of our main character named Joe, who travels to a remote island to scatter his wife's ashes. The island is shrouded in mystery and terror, as it is inhabited by monstrous creatures and haunted by the spirits of the dead. As Joe delves deeper into the island's secrets, he must confront both the external horrors and his own inner demons. A notable horror element in Island of the Dead, is the presence of the monstrous creatures that inhabit the island. These beings are not just mindless beasts, but are deeply connected to the island's dark history and the malevolent spirits that linger there. The combination of physical danger from the creatures and the psychological terror of the haunted environment creates a relentless atmosphere of dread and suspense.

Another great read from Brian Keene. He never disappoints. Great characters. Great adventure story, with great pacing. Hope we will get a book continuing the story of Einar. #IslandoftheDead #NetGalley

4.5 rounded up to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Apex Books for an advanced copy of Island of the Dead.

Every once in a while, I read a book that ends up impacting me more than I expect it to; Island of the Dead was definitely one of those books. This is the kind of book that is the reason why I love horror so much. I read my first Brian Keene book back when I was in high school (The Rising), so his books are familiar to me. When I saw he was releasing another zombie story, I had to read it.

This book was so much more fun than your run-of-the-mill zombie survival story; there was isolation and survival on a remote island, monstrous creatures defending their territory, inbred survivors from years previous who were fearful of strangers and had violent tendencies, and (of course), zombie hordes. It was violent, bloody, and terrifying - everything I expect from this type of story. What I didn't expect was the bond and friendship that formed amongst the main characters, as they tried to survive the slavery they escaped from. I was invested in all of them and rooted for them the entire time.

I may be looking into this book much more deeply than the author intended, but with the chaos and non-stop, fast-paced action, it reminded me of the state of our current world. We are all fighting to survive in this time of political turmoil and floundering economy, and yet at the core, we are still connected to each other despite our different backgrounds. The friendship of the main characters and their enduring will to survive despite the odds was oddly comforting and hopeful. Everything came full circle by the end, and it left me wanting to see more of these characters.

Highly recommend this book if you are into tons of action, mayhem and gore, but also something that is hopeful and comforting at the same time. It reminded me of a mix of Conan the Barbarian, Them! (an old horror movie from the 1950s), and Lost.

Brian Keene is one of those authors I will buy or request from NetGalley without even reading the description. I did exactly that with this one. I had no idea what it was about when I requested it. I can honestly say the numerous zombie books I’ve read, I have never read one quite like this. It’s a combination of a fantasy story and a zombie invasion. Entertaining as hell. But underneath it all seems to be a lesson people in society today could use some introduction to. It’s a lesson about what happens when people spend their time fighting about everything under the sun instead of just taking a moment to work together. Horrific things happen when these people can’t take the time to stop and talk, and there’s a whole bunch of death. Which, as we know, leads to more zombies. In this story, I think it’s the humans that are the monsters, not the zombies. The zombies are just following nature. But the humans… they don’t have an excuse to be as terrible as they are. A fun read you don’t want to miss!

Huge thanks to Apex Books and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Once again Keene has knocked it out of the park, I'm not a zombie girl at all, but I will never turn down anything apocalyptic or zombie related from him, he weaves a zombie story that I can't help but become invested in, every single time.
This is a bit of a slow burn at the start but when it picks up, you'll have whiplash haha.
So keep thst in mind and trust me this is worth it.

I'd also like to disclose this was an ARC read for me so I was given a copy in exchange for a honest review.
But I would have bought it anyways

I love Brian Keene's books! His stories will have you on the edge of your seat. In this story, you have ZOMBIES. You can't go wrong with zombies. This story started out very intense but then began to slow down. I had to push my way through some parts but I'm glad I did. After the lull, it picked up again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Apex Books for an advanced copy of Island of the Dead. This is my honest review.

As always, Mr. Keene does not disappoint. His work is always magical, sometimes funny, sometimes horrifying. My favorite of his works is The Conqueror Worms, but I would read his grocery list, if he published it. He has a very distinctive style.

Thanks to Brian Keene, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. This is fast paced read and very reminiscent of some of the Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard fantasy novels. Adventure and action from cover to cover, I loved it. Highly recommended.

This book had me snickering throughout, I was just caught off guard so many times. It was refreshing. I felt like I was constantly muttering “Oooo…I didn’t see that coming” I’m not going to give any examples, just read it and enjoy the adventure.
The characters are great. Very well developed for a fairly short book. Einar is just a machine, if you’re not with him, then you better get out of his way. Rat is your comedic sidekick that you just always want around. Fhad is Wrath James White and you can’t convince me otherwise. Mathias is your everyday person who you just cheer on.
There is just something fun about reading a Brian Keene book. He does not seem to be out to impress anyone (please consider this a big compliment) He writes for the enjoyment of telling a story and his stories can be wild and off the wall. Characters you like will die horrible deaths. Expect the uncanny. There will be eviscerations. Yet there is a quiet compassion laced throughout his work. Some of his characters shares his values and they will subtlety let you know that you should be who you are and they will support you and defend you if needed.
I hope to see more from the survivors of this book again.

That was exactly what I expected for a Brian Keene book, and by that I mean nonstop action, horror, and a fun ride. What a motley crew we meet as a ship wrecks on an island. Some of the surviving slaves discover their problems are only beginning as now they have to deal with the walking dead, killer ants, and murderous citizens of Atlantis. This is short and light, considering the constant sense of danger. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
Island Of The Dead by Brian Keene
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/

Einar is a thief, mercenary, pirate, warrior, barbarian and presently a chained slave upon a large seagoing vessel. When an unnatural storm presents an opportunity for Einar to escape, its precious cargo is also released into the world. Einar and a small band of companions end up shipwrecked along with the deadly cargo on a deserted island that does not exist on any charts or maps. Rescue and survival is nearly impossible for all who remain.

Island Of The Dead is the brainchild of Mr. Zombie himself, Brian Keene. This novel successfully mixes sword and sorcery with a good number of horrific scenes of the unbelievable. Enormous sized insects, magical obelisks and of course the shambling living dead all have one thing in common…the urge to feed upon the living. These castaway companions will encounter some of the most vicious inhabitants that are cloaked in darkness.

Brian Keene fuses social commentaries of race, religion, creed and culture into one reality-warping story of the darkest kind. Zombies are equal opportunity eaters which leads me to the next subject…graphic violence. If you like your chaotic infestations with a heavy dash of the dead, let me tell ya, Keene reinterprets some of the most gnarliest creative and original deaths this side of a Romero film. When it comes to flesh-eating zombie lore, ya can’t go wrong with the Keene kind.

With the island’s extraordinary wildlife and a mouthful of flesh and sinew, you might ask the question…how do you kill something that’s already dead. Brian Keene answers this question in his book, Island Of The Dead. A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.

What a fun read! I felt it was part fantasy adventure, part horror and I really enjoyed it! ❤️ It was a quicker read as well, which I needed! 👏

This was my first Brian Keene, despite having some others on my never-ending TBR! So this definitely won’t be my last!! 🙌

Highly recommend this for lovers of action-packed adventure and of course, zombies!! 🧟‍♂️

Thank you to NetGalley and Apex Books for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

I enjoyed this novella from beginning to end. The story, though a well-known trope in horror, is transformed into a unique experience by the author's use of time, setting, and utilisation of the zombies as weapons during a medieval time instead of modern. This is not something I've encountered and found a welcome relief to the preferred medical cause of zombiism favoured by video games and movies in the zombie sub-genre.

The character of Einar, though a bit shallow, was an interesting take, in what I believe an anti-hero. This is a gorgeous change from characters like Rick Grimes, Leon Kennedy, and other morally grey protagonists. Einar seems to only care about survival and the next means to an end. He doesn't see much value in connections at first, but soon develops into someone who cares about his comrades to the extent that he needs them to survive.

I love the way the author writes the story to pace it comfortably without dragging or info-dumping too early. There is a sense of mystery as to where the zombies came from and why the empire chose to use them as weapons. I love this about horror. The feeling that not everything needs explaining and keeping things out of reach makes readers keep guessing and turning pages.

This was a fun read. I like the cover of a different edition better, but the cover here is still good. The story moves pretty swiftly but the Atlantean subplot kind of threw me. The story could still work without it, so it almost felt needless. However, the book was still quite enjoyable.

Einar is an enslaved barbarian aboard a ship transporting a mysterious weapon to enemy shores. When a storm leaves soldiers and slaves shipwrecked on a strange, uncharted island, friend and foe alike must band together against a steadily growing horde of the undead! Not even death is an escape from the Island of the Dead!

Unsurprisingly, this was book absolutely OUTSTANDING!! There's a reason Brian Keene is one of my all-time favorite authors! Action packed from cover to cover! Apocalyptic storms, gore to the extreme, mysterious lost civilizations, and more! And all wrapped up with an undead army to boot! This book kept me turning pages one after the other well into the night.

Keene's writing just has a way of pulling you in and keeping you there like no one else! This book is no exception! As a zombie/fantasy/horror combo, this one ticks all the boxes!

BIG THANKS to NetGalley and Apex Books for this ARC!

Excellent book, fantastic writing! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was lucky enough to get it through Netgalley. If you like zombies, or giant critters, you are in luck and get both for the price of one! Very well done and I am hoping there will be a second book, we shall see. Brian Keene is a master storyteller and this book just proves that.

Brian Keene knows a few things about zombies, and this didn’t disappoint. It’s like if Robert E. Howard had marathoned George Romero movies and decided to drop Conan the Cimmerian on an island filled with hordes of giant insects and ravenous undead. It’s a quick and fun sword-and-sorcery adventure.

As a bonus, it will piss off a certain breed of asshole who likes to complain about “woke” this and “woke” that in storytelling.

An entertaining romp of a science fiction/ horror tale that reminded me fondly of the pulp fiction science fiction of my youth. The action was fast and the "bad guys" were amusingly over the top. There wasn't a lot of time for character development between harrowing and often death defying action sequences and character motivation was fairly straight forward. Overall a fun read that should appeal to a wide variety of readers.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this title. I'm leaving and honest review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy of this.

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you mixed Conan with zombies, this would be your answer! With Giant Ants, we can’t forget about those!

It had fun fantasy and horror elements mixed in with some basic human decency discussions.