The Colony: Renegades

The Colony, Volume 2

By: Michaelbrent Collings

Narrated by: Kent Clark

Being alive means you just have more to lose.

The zombies are changing. Growing faster. Stronger. Smarter. Working together to destroy all of humanity.

Ken Strickland has found his family. But finding something and keeping it are two very different things.

The survivors are bruised. They are broken. And they are about to find out that the worst monsters are among those they count as their friends.

©2013 Michaelbrent Collings (P)2014 Michaelbrent Collings

Renegades.

What did you love best about The Colony: Renegades?

This was one fast paced story, just like the first book, but this time it slowed down a little bit, not much, but a little. It gave me time to catch my breath! These zombies are turning into something awful, with spider like abilities and they throw up acid! Scary as heck! I loved this story, but the most important thing about this story are the characters. I love most of these people, and I'm not looking forward to them dying. I've got my two favorites and I don't want them to die. One last note, the man who read this book was good. The best Audible voice I've ever heard. Granted, I've only listened to 6 audio books, but 2 I gave up on because they screeched the women's voices and it took me right out of the moment and back to reality. This man is good. Yep, I'd recommend this story and author and the Voice to anyone.

Zombies that are practically undefeatable?!!

I have had the pleasure of hearing Michaelbrent Collings books before. I am amazed at how his mind works! Collings is definitely creative with a dark twisted side that only a true writer of horror can manage. This is clearly evident in The Colony: Renegades: The Colony, Volume 2.

I would imagine that waking up one morning and find oneself smack in the middle of a zombie apocalypse would be mind boggling. However, to discover that the zombies are not only changing but are practically undefeatable would be enough to make most throw up their hands and give up. Not so for Ken or his pack of survivors who travel into the city to find his wife and children. Every parent’s nightmare – to be separated from family when they need you the most and the overwhelming fear of failing them.

The building where his wife works is overrun with zombies but ones that ignore them until they attempt to back out. Herded further down the hallway, Ken and his pack discover that the acid vomiting zombies are the not the only ones to fear – now there are newer, stronger, and more deadly ones!

Collings combines fears like a master playing on untapped fears, drumming up nightmares that are best left forgotten in the early morning light. Instead he drags them out for all to experience setting them loose to roam through our minds and dreams.

In this short volume, Collings added new fully developed characters and even though I had not heard the first volume it is clear that the main characters are solid in their development. The plot flowed smoothly as did the fear!

I have not had the pleasure of hearing the first volume, yet volume two’s start was not confusing – it was clear that this rag tag group of survivors had suffered and managed to survive a harrowing journey and defined their mission in this volume clearly. The ending was abrupt but it was at a good place – makes me want to hear the rest.

Kent Clark did an excellent job of narration. He spoke clearly and concisely. His characters were clearly identifiable. While he could have overplayed the horror and excitement, he did not. He drew the listeners in with his skill and let the story over take me.

The audio production was good with the exception of some light static like background noise whenever there was a “chapter” pause. The audio flowed smoothly and there were no issues.

Audiobook provided for for review by the author.

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Nice People Going Down Hard

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Well-written and quite well performed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The son. He died for his mother.

Which scene was your favorite?

The son dying to save his mother.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. My workouts are too short.

Any additional comments?

Another movie-in-your-head read. Be prepared to see good guys bleed and die and suffer multiple concussions.

Renegades (Book #2) = Phenomenal! The Ante is UPPED!!

Please release the rest of the series on Audible ASAP! Listening provides excitement reading just doesn’t come close for this genre.

Fast paced but aimless

Would you try another book from Michaelbrent Collings and/or Kent Clark?

I might. I would have to check the reviews.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

There is plenty of action and suspense here, but what I feel is lacking is any sense that we're getting to know the characters. They are basically in one non-stop action scene. While that is exciting, it is also kind of one-sided. I don't find that much to make me care about the people in the book. It is more like catching a tragic story on the evening news. You sigh and wish people didn't have to go through that, but then the commercial comes on and you forget about the story.

What does Kent Clark bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Kent Clark's voice is very pleasant to listen to, and he speaks clearly. I can't say he added any additional element to the experience, besides allowing me to "read" this story as an audiobook, which fits in with my lifestyle.

Was The Colony: Renegades worth the listening time?

I'm glad I checked out this author, but I don't think this type of story was for me.

Any additional comments?

Whether fair or not, I hold stories like this up to the example of Stephen King. King gives us horrible, terrifying situations like the one in this book, but he also gives us the added dimension of a set of characters we care about. Besides simply reacting to nonstop danger, what is it about the characters in a story that causes them to act the way they do. I was missing that element in this story.