#Dystopian Review & G*veaway: Cannibal Reign by Thomas Koloniar

Don't faint...I've actually read a few books lately! And must share, of course. So read on for my review of Thomas Koloniar's novel Cannibal Reign, which came out Tuesday, and a chance to win a copy.

ABOUT THE BOOK: First the asteroid would come, slamming into the earth just north of the Montana border, followed by earthquakes, tsunamis, and unending night. And after that . . . Hell.
Astronomer Marty Chittenden is the first to recognize the approaching doom--a discovery that makes him a marked man.
     Green Beret Jack Forrest knows the catastrophe is inevitable, and begins stockpiling an abandoned missile silo with supplies while gathering together a small community of men, women, and children he prays can survive the apocalypse.
     Then disaster strikes. In an instant the world they know ends forever, transformed into a nightmare realm of eternal darkness. Soon the few remaining humans are transformed as well, becoming savage things--raping, pillaging, and devouring their own.
     And the time is approaching when Forrest and his people will have to leave their underground "Noah's Ark" to face a shattered world and the unspeakable terrors that dwell there--in desperate pursuit of one slim hope of survival . . . called Hawaii.

MY THOUGHTS: Okay, so this is not going to be everybody's cup of tea--I should say that up front. It's brutal. It's violent. The world populated by Thomas Koloniar's band of survivors is not a pretty place, and even the survivors aren't always pretty people.

That being said, I found it a gripping story after a few stumbles. There's nothing new about the asteroid-destroys-earth-and-sends-humanity-back-to-the-stone-age tale. So it all comes down to the storytelling. I thought the author did a good job of developing the major players and explaining how they planned for and survived impact. I thought once the asteroid hit and everything literally goes to hell, he told a chilling, frightening tale that was hard to put down.

My quibbles: Okay, it's a pet peeve that might not bother you a bit--head-hopping, which is writer-speak for when a point of view shifts so rapidly it gives the reader whiplash, without benefit of text breaks or chapter changes. Drives. Me. Insane. And this book head hops like a bunny. If it bothers you, too, just be prepared for it. I think it says a lot about the gripping nature of the story that I was eventually able to overlook it...well, ignore it....and keep reading.

Want to win a copy of Cannibal Reign? Just tell me this: if you knew you had to move underground for up to six months (but would have basic air, water, waste management, generator power, etc.), what one thing would you want with you? Me, I'd load up my Kindle Fire with as many books and games and apps as it would hold and make sure I had the charger with me! 

I'm on the road today, heading for a Royal Street book signing in my teeny-tiny little hometown in Northwest Alabama, but I'll check in when I get a chance. You know the drill: one entry for comment, one for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and one for Tweeting the contest. Now...prepare for survival!