All Roads Lead to Terror

Dreadland Chronicles, Book 1

By: Richard Schiver

Narrated by: Johnny Mack

Length: 5 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

On the day of his birth the dead walked and society crumbled. His mother took one look at him and pronounced him Meat. He survived, she didn't.

Fourteen years have passed and obscurity means survival in an increasingly dangerous world. For the survivors at Bremo Bluff that obscurity is threatened when a savage band abducts a group of children from the compound.

Accompanied by his three friends Window, Einstein, and Billie-Bob, Meat embarks on a quest to rescue the children. It is a journey that will lead them into adulthood, with a brief detour through the Dreadlands, as they come face to face with the harsh reality of a brutal world beyond the barriers that had served to protect them.

In the dead city of Richmond they will confront a savage cult of children who worship a creature of the night. These creatures once lived along the mysterious edge of a well-lit world, in that shadowy realm between night and day, between dreams and nightmares. They are now awake in a world where the population that once served as their food source has been reduced.

©2015 Richard Schiver (P)2017 Richard Schiver

Stand By Me with zombies

What made the experience of listening to All Roads Lead to Terror the most enjoyable?

The narrator did a fantastic job. He had different voices for different characters which I always enjoy.

What other book might you compare All Roads Lead to Terror to and why?

Kinda reminded me of Stand by Me as this is a "coming of age" story. The protagonists, nonzombie that is, have a Lord of the Flies feel. Lastly this has a hint of The Road in the sense that this is not the fun action style zombie apocalypse and had an sense of dread.

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

I have not but I would be willing to. Hopefully he will continue with this series.

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

I liked how one of the side quests in the story was to find books. I really enjoyed that as it makes you think about how certain things would be scarce and what items you would truely cherish and search for.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

They roared their terrible roar

Any additional comments?

They roared their terrible roar, and gnashed their terrible teeth, and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws.

Overall an entertaining, interesting and enjoyable story and a good start to a series. It took a while for the story to really grab my attention. Once it did I listened straight through until the end.

Their trip is a coming of age story for Meat, Window, Billy Bob and Einstein set 14 years after of the collapse of society. Their discoveries and people they meet in the outside world along the way, bonding through the situations during their quest and the personal growth each of them go through.

They have spent most of their time since the collapse of society relatively shielded from the some of the harsher atrocities in their secluded and well guarded fortress of Bremo Bluff. While on a rescue mission to retrieve the children that were taken from the Bluff they learn just how bad things are out in the world. They also come to realize some truth's about the place they call home.

* Warning*- Billy Bob does remember abuse he and his brother suffered at the hands of his pedophile uncle. It doesn't go into any of the actual physical detail. Just memories of certain events surrounding the abuse coming to the surface while rescuing the children who are in a similar situation. There is also the rape of a girl not graphically depicted but the aftermath of her ordeal is no easier to listen to. This may be a trigger for people who have been subjected to this horrendous type of abuse and they may want to avoid this story.

Johnny Mack did a good job with the narration. Nice voice. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace of narration. Some really good character voices. His male voices are good of coarse but a little more distinction between each one would have been nice. For the boys Meat, Window etc. the only way you knew who was speaking was when you were told you who was speaking. He was able to bring the story to life and make you feel what the characters were going through. Overall really enjoyable. I would listen to him narrate other books in the future.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.

Great start to the series!

Any additional comments?

This book is a great start to the series. The book has zombies, as well as, creepy people who prey on the young kids who are left to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. The narrator did a great job. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Good Start

This is a good start of new post-apocalyptic story (which I enjoy). It is about teenagers and kids surviving not only the zombies but horrible creepy people who have kidnapped and tortured some of the young kids. Recommend to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic/dystopian listens. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. Thank You!

looking forward to book two!

At first I wasn't sure, but I was quickly drawn into Meats world. I really enjoyed the dark twists in the story. The reading was clear and very well done. Johnny Mack has a very good reading voice and really helped to push me into this world. Great job!

Great coming of age story with wonderful narrator

Would you consider the audio edition of All Roads Lead to Terror to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version but I tend to enjoy audio much more especially with a good narrator and Johnny Mack was great! First time I had listened to him.

What did you like best about this story?

I love coming of age stories and dystopian/zombie books. This book combined the two. I am looking forward to the next book and I hope they use the same narrator.

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

He was new to me. I really enjoyed his voice! Very smooth and was easy to get into the story listening to him. I found that I had parts of the book stuck in my head for DAYS after listening to him!

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

Yes, was hard to stop when I had to.

Any additional comments?

Great author and wonderful narrator, both of whom I hope to enjoy again.

All roads

I was not into this book.I tried, it seemed disjointed to me.An apocalyptic story about a child looking for other children in the wreckage.Johnny Mack gives a nice narrative with feeling.I was provided this book by the author, narrator or publisher.

decent

I received this book free of charge for an honest review. good book but there was something about it that didn't really grab me, not sure What though