Into the Badlands Paperback – January 11, 2012

For starters, let me just say that i thoroughly enjoyed this book. The other reviews here did a very good job explaining what a treat the new reader will be in for, but i think i can add just a little bit.The author does an incredible job in allowing the reader get to know and understand just about every character he introduces. The characters are very relatable and therefore their survival becomes important.With these interesting characters, morality often comes crashing down in the face of survival. I found this extremely entertaining as the characters were often forced to choose between the two. What is really interesting is how characters dealt with their decisions in the aftermath.I've seen some comparisons to "The Road" and i can totally see where those comparisons are coming from as the characters scavenge and deal with weather . . . etc, but what i would really like to mention is the incredible actions scenes in this book.The author puts in an ample amount of adrenaline pumping action that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire novel. For the typical "zombie" reader, i feel that this is important to mention, as we all like our zombie gunplay.So yes, definately give this book a chance. It works on different levels for different readers and that's truly something special!Mike Claryauthor of EL Paso Under Attack

As a warning, I'm not certain that I'm writing in enough detail for this to be considered a spoiler alert, but just in case--please note that I do mention some aspects of the plot in a general fashion that could potentially lead to skewing your view of the book.Overall this was an excellent read and the author is able to pull you right in. I found myself absorbed for a day and a half trying to sneak in time to read this. I also enjoyed the fact that the author provided a unique twist on the typical zombie plot. (However one could argue that this book shouldn't be referenced as a zombie novel since technically the humans did not die. But that does not change the review as been excellent.) This book was better written than most ebooks, however it still hit into the editing issues such as missing words, misused words or common misspellings that seem to be a common theme amongst ebooks. These issues were not distracting however.Generally I liked the character development and the way the author brought all of the characters together. I enjoyed the exploration of the sadistic nature of humans in times of crisis, this is something that many authors do not take the time out for.With this being said, there's a few reasons why I only give this book 4 stars:-Since the author chose to have the infected humans behave differently than typical zombies, it would have been nice to have further explanation around the virus including more conversation amongst the survivors regarding how the outbreak started.-Editing, editing, editing... I really wish ebook authors would get better editors. While bad editing didn't ruin this book completely, it did cause minor distractions.-Except for a few characters, at times it was unclear as to why all the surviving humans were wandering the highway. Where were they going and why? What was the thought process that led them to follow the highway?-Development of infected humans--the author alluded to higher thought patterns with the infected humans, it would have been nice to see that developed more fully.These were the items that stuck out the most for me. But as I mentioned, I think this book was written well, kept a good pace and was definitely intriguing. I think most of these issues could probably be worked out in the second book if needed.If my vote counts, download the book! :o)

I was not expecting much from this one. Maybe that is why I enjoyed it so much. But, I really enjoyed the multiple key character approach. The focus is not so much on the dead, but on character development. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of action in this one. But, the characters make the story. Well developed and diverse, this author does a nice job of bringing us into the mind of the survivors. An excellent read all around. Looking through my books, I probably read 6 or 7 before I found this one. The others were nowhere near the quality. My entire zombie/apocalypse library contains maybe 35 or 40 similar books. Ive sampled perhaps three times that and passed on purchase. This one stands out. I really enjoy McKinney. So, if you like those, I would wager this author is a safe bet for you.

Loved this, was a great read and I’m pleased I’ve found a series to continue enjoying. Good characterisation and storytelling.

at first, i didn,t think i was going to enjoy this, mainly because of the inclusion of 2 young boys, i can do without sickly sweet sentiment in my horror novels. once the novel got going however, i found i enjoyed it very much. the infected in this novel behave like the infected in 28 days, and its always a nice change from the usual slow moving zombies. the characters were very interesting too, and after a while, you start to root for them and hope they survive (not all of them do) the characters actually have a goal too in this novel, rather than just wandering aimlessly like in other books. they are trying to reach a so called safe haven which may or may not be safe. they are not entirely sure due to a garbled message on the radio. you find yourself wondering if they will ever get there, and if it will be safe when they do.a few things i had a problem with however. firstly, if it wasn,t for a particular us city being named, you wouldn,t really know where the characters are most of the time, descriptions are never really given. my main beef though is with the 2 kids having guns. even in a post apocalyptic world, what sort of father gives loaded guns to 2 children under the age of 11? more to the point, how did they get to be such crack shots in the first place? most adults can,t use a firearm, but 2 children can!!!!despite these complaints, this is a good read. the infected are scary, you care about the characters, and this is a great post apocaltptic novel to pass the time with

This wasn't a typical zombie book, it was more about the survivers and their stories,I don't really like zombies I've discovered, but when they are in the background and the main story is of the survivers thats fine by me.I didn't like all the characters, but that was still ok, I think they were portrayed in a realistic way, its a shame that my favourite character got killed off, but I'm not going to tell you who that was you have to find out for yourself.The book kept me guesing right up to the end, and that was good.Overall a very enjoyable entertaining read.

This is a great book and i couldn't put it down once i got going. I characters are really good and you start to have your favorites after a while. It is a combination of reading a book about 28 days later and The Road. Something which is more believable than your normal zombies.Great book, enjoy. Only four stars due to not understanding the last passage of the book, maybe due to having finished it after a night shift!! lol.

Well written good plot, keeps you gripped and wanting to read more would make a good TV series in my opinion