By the Blood of Heroes

March 12, 2012
Nassise (the Jeremiah Hunt Chronicles) fills the adrenaline-fueled first installment of the Great Undead War saga with an audacious mix of military fiction, steampunk, and zombies. In an alternate WWI, Michael “Madman” Burke, a veteran American soldier with an artificial “clockwork” arm, is assigned to go deep behind enemy lines and rescue a famous Allied pilot who has been shot down by the Germans. Burke and his team must maneuver through territory inhabited by shamblers—Kaiser Wilhelm’s undead troops—and more than a few walking dead monstrosities recently developed by Germany’s scientific brain trust. To complicate matters, the captured pilot happens to be Burke’s estranged half-brother. Relentless pacing, nonstop action, and improbable but nifty-sounding military gadgetry (portable personal gliding devices, magnetism grenades) power an unremittingly entertaining story line that with broad appeal for history buffs, horror aficionados, and fans of steampunk. Agent: Joe Monti, Barry Goldblatt Literary Group.

May 15, 2012

World War I is in its seventh year, and the Kaiser's army has introduced a new weapon into the fray: T-leiche, also known as "corpse gas." When fallen soldiers are exposed, they rise from the dead as "shamblers," mindless, flesh-eating machines (also known as zombies). The shambler brigades are used as shock troops to weaken the Allied lines and pave the way for the more traditional German divisions. But corpse gas can have an even more evil effect, as in the case of the infamous Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen, who was exposed during a plane crash and resurrected as a better, stronger, and more intelligent version of himself. It's up to legendary ace pilot Jack Freeman and Capt. Michael "Madman" Burke to foil the Germans in this genre-jumping tour de force. VERDICT Urban fantasy and sf author Nassise (Eyes To See) raises the alternate history genre to brilliant new heights. This is a treat for zombie and horror fans, military fiction aficionados, history buffs, and steampunk lovers alike, all of whom will be clamoring for the next installment.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.