fuonlyknew

Welcome to my Saturday Screams where I share books that thrill and chill!

Today I’m sharing Erebus by Steven C. Bird.

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Erebus

by Steven C. Bird

Genre: Apocalyptic / Thriller

My Review

Antarctica. A desolate, frigid place at the bottom of the world. The scientists and students do their research and take their samples, unaware that something that appears so innocent will soon threaten all of humanity.

It’s almost the end of the season. Winter is coming and only the most dedicated stay at the station. The others head for warmer places. The rush is on to get their research and samples on the planes before they hightail it out of there. An accident happens. Something is unleashed, and people are turned into raging lunatics.  I know this sounds like a zombie story. It’s not. Bear with me here.

Once the contagion begins a small group of people try to hide while coming up with a way out. They have no idea how many have been turned. There’s no help coming. And this is one of my favorite parts of the plot. The group dynamics. Who steps up? How many sacrifice themselves? Who is the dissenter, the one who always takes the negative view and causes conflict? And who surprises me and steps up to wear the hero’s shoes?

The fight for survival is nail biting. They have to find ways stay alive in freezing temps. And now the infected are changing. They’re not like zombies. Instead of rotting away, they’re getting stronger. From mindless rabid beings, they’re now starting to act as a team. To strategize. Could the organism actually be sentient? It takes over the host and now it appears able to control them too.  The more they discovered about the infection, the more horrifying it gets. What if the organism can cross the species barrier. Could it infect animals? The cold and lack of life in Antarctica kept it contained under the frozen tundra. Once it reaches warmer climates, what’s to stop it.

You have to expect some deaths will happen to the group. At first I wasn’t too worried about it. I hadn’t really developed a strong bond with any of them. It was after the action really got going that I found a favorite. Vasily Fedorov, Russian ex-military but now a blue collar guy. He can make weapons out of anything. He’s super resourceful, haunted by horrors from his past and also a really good guy. I sure want him to survive! I love his quote – “No room for feelings in struggle to survive. Survival important, not pride.”

As the group is pursued from one station to the next., their food supply runs low and their options dwindle. It’s anyone’s guess who will survive, if any. And if they do, will there be a world to get back to? I couldn’t see how this would end. It seemed so bleak and hopeless. This excerpt explains how bad it is.

“And here we are, in our very own horror movie. Only, in the movies, I can usually guess where the ending is going. Here, though, I have no clue. I just can’t see it. It’s not like there is safety on the outskirts of town. There is nothing on the outskirts of town here but a cold, frozen death. And beyond that – more cold.”  Sums it up.

I grabbed this as a free download on Amazon. I’d seen it on another blog and the cover caught my eye. I crossed my fingers and started reading it. I read it straight through and I’m so happy I can give it a high recommendation. I’ll be checking out what else the author has to offer now.

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Synopsis

After lying in wait for millions of years, deep within the Earth beneath Mount Erebus on the frozen continent of Antarctica, an unforeseen threat emerges, leaving a scientific research team to face the horrors that await them at the bottom of the world, alone.

Steven Bird is also the author of The New Homefront Series, as well as the Society Lost Series. His work can also be found in several Kindle Worlds novellas, including The Edge of Civility and JET: Dangerous Prey.

Amazon / B&N

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The above cover is the one that is shown first on Goodreads.

Here is the cover I own.

Which do you like more?

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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.