Plague Zone

Author David Wellington has had an interesting road to success. He has published most of his work on line for free. This is an unusual thing for an author to do and still breakthrough, but Wellington’s talent has enabled him to beat the odds. One of the few of these cyber-works that has yet to be published conventionally is the zombie novel Plague Zone, which can be read here. It is a revisiting of a post-zombie apocalypse world similar to that in his zombie trilogy, Monster Island, Monster Nation, and Monster Planet. Along with Brian Keene and Max Brooks, he is part of the triumvirate that has pushed zombies to the forfront of horror literature, replacing vampires as the creature du jour.

When Plague Zone opens, the U.S. is in the grips of a seemingly hopeless battle against a virus that turns the afflicted into mindless creatures intent on attacking the healthy in order to bite them and spread the infection. The protagonist is a librarian, of all things, named Tim Kempfer who was in Chicago for a convention when the virus began to break out, starting in his hometown, Seattle. He is watching a news report in the airport when he sees his wife killed by an afflicted neighbor. The rest of the novel details Tim’s attempts to reach now quarantined Seattle in order to seek revenge against the man who killed his wife (and presumably left his child to die). Along the way, he encounters a fanatical army officer intent on imposing discipline at the cost of individual freedom, and a ragtag band in opposition to the military. It’s a gripping read, and one that I would recommend. I look forward to buying this when it is published, as I feel guilty about reading a book without the author receiving anything for it.

99 Coffins

99 Coffins is the middle book in Wellington’s ongoing vampire trilogy, following 13 Bullets. It picks up a few months after the events of the first book.

Laura Caxton, the young State Trooper in the first book, is back on the job with a nice promotion after her actions in the first book. She has also become something of a minor celebrity, since a movie has been made of her previous exploits. Her mentor/partner/antagonist from the first book, Jameson Arkeley, has been forced into retirement due to the injuries he suffered in ending the previous vampire threat. He is still the custodian of the body of the oldest living vampire, Justinia Malvern.

With Arkeley out of commission, Laura is seen as the prime expert on all matters vampiric, so when a college archeological team makes a gruesome discovery at the site of the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, she is called in. They have discovered 99 coffins with the bones of vampires – and the shattered remains of a 100th coffin. There is an obvious likelihood that there is a new vampire on the loose. Laura has to turn to the manipulative Malvern for assistance – with a price – to stop the outbreak of a new vampire epidemic.

The book is fast-paced, and steadily accelerates until the climax, a pitched battle between outmanned cops and National Guardsmen, and a vampire army. As with the previous novel, Laura is a very appealing character, with strengths and flaws, and you can’t help but feel involved in her quest. There is an unexpected twist near the end that left me eager for the third novel in the trilogy.

Wellington’s version of the vampire legend has soon fascinating variations. His vampires are almost animalistic, and nearly unstoppable if they have fed. In a unique twist, vampires I this universe need progressively more blood to remain mobile, and older vampires become near invalids, confined to their coffins. They can only be killed by the total destruction of their hearts.

If you are interested in this book, you should really read 13 Bullets first. 99 Coffins can be read as a stand-alone, but your enjoyment will be higher if you read them in sequence. I can’t recommend these books highly enough.

The author, David Wellington, has followed an unusual path to success. His earlier books, including the zombie trilogy Monster Island, Monster Nation, and Monster Planet were first offered as serialized free downloads through his website. This is normally seen as a poor way to build a readership (most people regard free things as worth what they paid for them), but it has paid of for him. Visit his website at http://www.brokentype.com/davidwellington/.