‘Island of the Dead’ – Brian Keene (Apex Book Company)

 

Page Count: 179 Pages

It has been a rough couple of months, for reasons that I’ve touched upon (in a recent post) and a few that I’ve deliberately left unsaid; because books are far more interesting to people who stop by here (and that’s the way it should be). That’s the main reason it has taken me a while to get round to books that I really should have picked up a lot earlier. That and the fact that it’s far too easy to distract me at the moment, another book usually does the trick ;o)

I’ve had a hankering for a little Sword & Sorcery, just recently, and I’ll never say no to a book with zombies in it. It seemed like the best thing to do then was combine the two and read Brian Keene’s latest foray into zombie fiction, with an added ‘Fantasy Twist’. Or is that the other way round? Either way, I’m glad I finally got round to reading ‘Island of the Dead’.

Einar, an enslaved barbarian, plots his escape from a war galley transporting troops and a mysterious weapon to far enemy shores. But when an apocalyptic storm at sea leaves Einar and his fellow captives shipwrecked on a strange, uncharted island, friend and foe alike must band together against a ravenous, steadily growing horde of the undead... and even worse dangers.

Not even death is an escape from the... ISLAND OF THE DEAD.

For me, ‘Island of the Dead’ is Brian Keene doing what he does best, finding a fresh take on zombies (no pun intended, unless you thought it was funny) and building a compelling tale around it. Zombies have always been a staple of fantasy fiction but not quite like this, here we see them as literal biological weapons intended to destabilise an enemy force by turning it against itself. Zombies really are the ideal recruiting officers ;o) Of course, the plot was never going to be that simple with a shipwreck setting the living dead loose and putting our heroes right in the middle of a confrontation between zombies and… everything else.

And that’s where the fun begins :o)

‘Island of the Dead’ doesn’t let up with the action at all, not for a single paragraph. Right from the start, we are thrown right into a fight for survival that doesn’t stop. And that’s how you know how dangerous things are here, it’s constantly in your face but never overblown. And while Einar is a little too taciturn to warm to right away, give him a chance and he will grow on you with his ‘never take a step back’ attitude and the sword arm to back it up. He’s also able to accept people for who they are (albeit so long as they offer the same attitude as him) and that offers a chance for subtle yet meaningful exploration of Mathias’ character. In short, Einar is exactly the kind of hero a book like this needs; able to maintain the energy of the plot but also able to bring out the more thoughtful elements at the same time.

Because that’s what ‘Island of the Dead’ is at heart, a meeting of ‘old school pulp fantasy/sword and sorcery’ and a sharp, inquisitive approach, at certain points, which complements the story rather than detracts. And what’s great is that more often than not, all of this is happening at the same time and it makes for a hell of a read that really highlights how horror can always be found at the heart of fantasy, If it’s not zombies and giant ants (!), we’re faced with a blunt look at the inevitable outcome of being the last survivors of your people. There is plenty happening here to entertain you and make you think at the same time.

‘Island of the Dead’ was a great read then and one that I’m sure fans of Brian Keene, and old school pulp fantasy and horror’ in general, will get a lot out of. Definitely give it a read if you haven’t already.