Pandemic

A Novel

By: Scott Sigler

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 19 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Scott Sigler's Infected shocked listeners with a visceral, up-close account of physical metamorphosis and one man's desperate fight for sanity and survival, as "Scary" Perry Dawsey suffered the impact of an alien pathogen's early attempts at mass extinction. In the sequel Contagious, Sigler pulled back the camera and let the listener experience the frantic national response to this growing cataclysm.

And now in Pandemic, the entire human race balances on the razor's edge of annihilation, beset by an enemy that turns our own bodies against us, that changes normal people into psychopaths or transforms them into nightmares.

To some, Doctor Margaret Montoya is a hero-a brilliant scientist who saved the human race from an alien intelligence determined to exterminate all of humanity. To others, she's a monster - a mass murderer single-handedly responsible for the worst atrocity ever to take place on American soil.

All Margaret knows is that she's broken. The blood of a million deaths is on her hands. Guilt and nightmares have turned her into a shut-in, too mired in self-hatred even to salvage her marriage, let alone be the warrior she once was.

But she is about to be called into action again. Because before the murderous intelligence was destroyed, it launched one last payload - a soda can-sized container filled with deadly microorganisms that make humans feed upon their own kind.

That harmless-looking container has languished a thousand feet below the surface of Lake Michigan, undisturbed and impotent...until now.

Part Cthulhu epic, part zombie apocalypse and part blockbuster alien-invasion tale, Pandemic completes the Infected trilogy and sets a new high-water mark in the world of horror fiction.

©2014 Scott Sigler (P)2014 Gigantic Productions, LLC

Dr. Feelygood Has A Warcry!

What did you love best about Pandemic?

I really liked how you never really know who will make it and who will not. The development of the characters from previous novels, was excellent especially Margo's and Dr. Tim Feely who we met on Black Manitou Island with a certain breed of super-cows...

What other book might you compare Pandemic to and why?

Only Infected and Contagious...

Have you listened to any of Phil Gigante’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

My first time. I was initially disappointed that Scott Sigler himself was not performing the book, but that passed fairly quickly and I was immersed in the story by the end of the first 5 chapters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had moments where I was feeling extremely tense. The tension build up was amazing and performed so well. I especially admired Phil Gigante for his ability to build tension without the use of artificial sound effects.

Any additional comments?

If you are reading this review with a thought to buying the aduiobook - and you haven't tried audio books before, then go for it. I don't recommend starting this book without having first read or listened to infected and contagious. I HIGHLY recommend listening to Infected narrated by Scott Sigler himself. That story alone got me hooked on Scott Sigler's work.

great transition from the first book

none stop action great transition from the first book,Sigler has away of making you feel like you know the characters and like you know their feelings.The store feels alive and modern day

Heart pounding good book

Any additional comments?

This entire series is awesome and Pandemic is a gangbuster way to end it. There is a lot of gore, but also humor. Some characters from previous books in the series play a big part in this book, but there are some new characters added - some of them I love and some of them I hate. I love Dr. Feeley, Clarence Otto, the Navy Seals, the new President, and Cooper. I hated Margo Montoya, Steven, Dr. Cheng and the vicious, hateful diseased people. Since there are so many new characters, and the author offers background from previous books, Pandemic could be a stand alone book, but I think it is best to read the series in order to get maximum enjoyment.

The action in this book mainly takes place in Chicago, but other places in the world are not left out - Washington DC, Russia, and China for example. Chicago was the epicenter for the disease, which is a mutant, or refined disease from the diseases in Infected and Contagious. The diseased people are smarter, more creative, eat human flesh, and can mutate into huge monsters.

Phil Gigante does an excellent job narrating this book, but I missed the performance by the author, Scott Sigler, who narrated the first two books. Not only is Sigler a great storyteller, he does an amazing job reading his own books. I cannot say that Sigler was a better reader than Gigante, but Sigler was a very involved excited reader.

I like the way Sigler, as an author, builds excitement with short chapters that get your heart racing, then he shifts to a different scene to get you excited again, and then shifts back. It is very effective. It is not annoying. In Pandemic he also builds excitement with the disease test procedure where the light blinks yellow, yellow, yellow and then green (which is a good result) or yellow, yellow, yellow and then red (which is bad). Tension really builds while the test blinks yellow. I also like the production of the book with the music or computer chords at the end of some chapters. It is very ominous sound.

As you can see, I really love this book and this series and I highly recommend it. I was as hooked on this series as I am on The Dead by RR. Haywood, which I also recommend.

LOVED IT!

What did you love best about Pandemic?

The plot

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pandemic?

If i tell you, I will ruin it for you, lets just say that very unexpected things happen

Have you listened to any of Phil Gigante’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listen to his performance before but he did an awesome job in Pandemic

If you could rename Pandemic, what would you call it?

something of along the lines of "stuff hits the fan"

Any additional comments?

I cannot think of any other better way to end this serious. This book was a great way to end the story and I enjoyed it a lot. So much so that I will probably listen to it again and again again.......

Saved best for last

Have taken the ride since the first book in the series, this was the most satisfying conclusion to a long journey. It does not disappoint. Strap in and get ready for a thrill ride.

anticipation around every corner

I yelled I cried I yelled some more and a few f*** yes. Awesome story

A great closer for a great series.

Zombie apocalypse meets alien invasion meets The Purge. This series wasn't high art or anything, but it was definitely entertaining.

I actually prefer the author as a narrator

Overall I enjoyed this, maybe not quite as much as Infected and Contagious, I think their smaller scope helps ground the story. I had read these all even they came back and can never find anything I want to listen to with my credits so I have them a try as audiobooks. Some people knock Sigler's narration of the first two books, especially for his female character voices, but he gives every character a distinct voice. you can also try he really enjoys telling the story and adds so much energy with his narration.

This narrator bored me, all his character voices sound exactly the same. He would be better as a cheesy romance novel narrator, all his female voices are breathy like he's trying to sound sexy, and his overall narration is so flat I found myself zoning out and would miss but chunks of the book even my mind started wandering. this never happened with Sigler as the narrator, he really keeps the energy and momentum going.

I'd still recommend it, but would have preferred Sigler or the narrator who did Earthcore and Mt. Fitzroy.

Really just well rounded & enjoyable!

Never heard of Sigler prior to stumbling across these books on audible. I have to tell you the only down side to these three books is he didn't narrate this one. Seriously the dude is on point with his narration. We listen to 6-8 hours of books 6 days a week. So we blow through some material. The one thing that can make or break any book is narration.
Great plot. Excellent writing. Not dependent of over descriptive guts and gore. Not too much military hoorah. No childish inappropriate and often so totally unbelievable porn/sex scenes.. this was kind of refreshing. Don't mind the romantic insinuations but for sure could do without the super graphic and explicit step by step descriptive so many authors feel are necessary. Actually as far fetched as it is ..the story line is kind of believable. You just never know.

5 star

Enjoyed a great book ending series from Scott Sigler and
Performance by Phil Gigante was excellente