david vandyke
Review of ‘Reaper’s Run’
US Marine Sergeant Jill ‘Reaper’ Repeth’s legs were blown off below the knee in combat. Recuperating aboard a luxury liner, courtesy of the ‘Wounded Warriors,’ she notices that they have begun to regenerate. Furthermore, others on the ship are experiencing miracle cures. Rather than being welcomed, however, their government has quarantined the ship off shore, under the guard of warships. Reaper knows something is amiss, so she plans her escape, leaving the ship just before it’s blown out of the water, killing all left on board.
She finds herself on the run, from a government that is determined to stop the so-called plague, and in the process is transformed from a wounded Marine to a freedom fighter.
Reaper’s Run by David VanDyke with Ryan King is an action-filled apocalyptic thriller that pits the indomitable will of an individual determined to survive against the ignorance and fear of a government dominated by those who desire to gain power over the masses. This is the first full-length offering in the Plague Wars series, and it has enough action and thrills to satisfy even the most hard-core action junkie.
The ending will leaving the reader hungry for more.
I give it four stars.
Review of ‘Apocalyptic Fears I’
Apocalyptic Fears I is a box set of 14 apocalyptic stories, edited by David VanDyke, and containing his story, ‘Reaper’s Run,’ as well as 13 other stories by authors such as Marilyn Peake and David Beers.
I’ve previously read and reviewed Peake’s stories of a secret government program to create an army of zombie soldiers, and the first two in the series, ‘Mutation Z,’ are included in this collection.
Each author comes at the post-apocalypse world differently, with stories that are as fascinating as they are far-fetched. And, each gives readers a chilling look at what things will look like when civilization fails and life as we know it ceases to exist. Whether it’s a takeover by a superior AI with the aim to create the perfect—and totally subservient—human, or when those hungry for power overreach in their efforts to take and hold it, fans of the genre will find a story here that will tap into whatever is his or her greatest fear.
A few of the stories could have used a bit more proofreading, but the few gaffes that were missed don’t detract from some great storytelling.
I received a free copy of this set in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it four stars.
Charles Ray's Ramblings 