The Red King

Wyrd, Book 1

By: Nick Cole

Narrated by: Guy Williams

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

The end of the world is only the beginning as an odd band of survivors pull together to construct a modern-day castle amid the burning ruins of suburbia lost. As undead hordes and strange otherworldly monsters ravage what's left of civilization, things begin to go from worse to weird as each survivor's dark past unfolds, revealing that reality might be more than anyone ever thought, and that an ancient force from the outer dark has finally arrived to conquer. Stephen King's The Stand meets Lost in an epic confrontation between good and evil that spans history, time, and space.

©2015, 2016 Nick Cole (P)2016 Nick Cole

Great book

Cole’s work is like Stephen King’s work when he was younger. I can only assume that Cole, unlike King, taps into this genius fount without the use of alcohol and illicit drugs while forgoing gratuitously disturbing sexual imagery of which King’s work often indulges. Nick Cole is a master storyteller, new blood in a genre that desperately needs to be revitalized. I’am, a fan...

Awesome! !!!!

I loved reading this book. And the audio version does a great job of bringing the book to life. Zombies. Nuclear Bomb. Time travel. Action. Suspense. Intrigue. A drunk, alternate reality hopping girl, and a guy who loves grilling up porterhouse steaks.

Really good

I really enjoyed this. Not your usual run of the mill zombie fiction. Gripping, well-written, and suspenseful. Reminded me of vintage Stephen King.

Excellent stuff!

Absolutely brilliant from start to finish!!

In my opinion this audiobook, is the biggest roller-coaster ride that I have been on. Yeah its an apocalypse story, with the living dead, but its the best one that little old me has read (there has been a few, believe me!).

It grabs you really tight by the short 'n' curlys.

A huge bow to Nick Cole! Everything that he writes is in his own unique style.

As Unexpected as Ever

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

Many great books are done a disservice by poor narration, but not this one. As always, Nick Cole immerses me in his characters and this audio version made that even more real . And, like most of Cole's stories, it's really hard to describe. Let's just say, expect the unexpected.

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

Yes indeed. I usually listen to a book while at the gym but this was one I couldn't wait until I got up the will go back and torture myself. So I did myself a favor and just listened to this one without much interruption.

simply enthralling

Nicole is a versatile writer who has given us some great horror and yet it's apocalyptic. brilliant fun sad and hopeful

great book!

it was just good nick cole ! if u like nick cole, u will like this! There is much more to do here!

This was fun

Nick Cole’s quickly becoming my favorite contemporary author. This story is short but it’s a good tale. Left me wanting to know more about the secrets behind the apocalyptic events and curious for who Holiday will be when he starts taking things seriously. Lucky for me, there’s a 2nd book in the series I can download RIGHT NOW.

Good start to a series

If you could sum up The Red King in three words, what would they be?

Zombie apocalypse mystery. There's something strange behind the appearance of zombies, but this book only hints at it. Two of the point of view characters are deeply involved in it--one on the side of whoever is behind the infection and one who is trying to get to the bottom of it. At least, that's the idea I got. The rest of the point of view characters are simply trying to survive, to find safety and build a new life in the ruins of the old. But those hints of something human-controlled behind the horror adds an extra dimension to the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Holiday. Flawed and immature though he is in the beginning, he changes more during the story than any other. He represents all of us, the every-man caught up in events far beyond his understanding. His struggles both to survive and to overcome his weaknesses makes for a compelling story.

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

I have never listened to anything else Guy Williams has performed, but he does an excellent job with The Red King. I've been an Audible member since 2001, so have heard more than my share of narrators. Guy Williams handles everything extremely well. I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed with his performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, but I don't want to include spoilers in this review. Let's just say it involved Holiday.

Any additional comments?

I'm not a particularly big fan of zombie novels but found The Red King an entertaining ride. I highly recommend it for fans of zombie novels and of post apocalyptic stories.

Nick Cole can’t loose.

Ok. American Wasteland brought me to this book. And Galaxy’s Edge. So yeah I’m a fan.
The narrator took me about a chapter then I was truly vibing with this one.
This is brilliant post apocalyptic novel. We begin with a game of chess. Then we meet Holiday, a worn down alcoholic man. After a bad heartbreak he goes on all out black out drunk bender When he comes to (days later) the world around him has changed. The undead begin to wander the smoking the ruins of what happened during his lost days. And that’s just a summary of the first 7 chapters.
The rest rest gets better and better.