All That I See

The King of Clayfield, Book 2

By: Shane Gregory

Narrated by: Scott Aiello

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

The zombie apocalypse rages on. In the small town of Clayfield, Kentucky, survivors attempt to carve out new lives for themselves. There is hope that eventually Clayfield can be secured, but first the undead must be eliminated and law and order must be restored. Unfortunately, the survivors might not ever get to implement their plan. Gangs of looters continue to strike the town and news filters in that something worse could be coming.

©2013, 2013 Shane Gregory (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

series gets even better!

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

yes, to all zombie book and dystopian future fans.this story is one of the most realistic depictions of what would happen to people in a small town when civilization is wiped away.

What about Scott Aiello’s performance did you like?

scott's narration is easy on the ears and pulls you into the story. it is easy to distinguish all of the characters he voices. he never stretches nor over reaches. scott's tones match the emotions of the characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

actually...the title of the book! when you finish listening to the story you realize, on different levels, that "all that i see," is the perfect title for this.

Any additional comments?

the story gets even better! shane gregory believably crafts scenarios that cause his characters to question who they are becoming in this "new world." yes, there are similarities to characters in other zombie novels, but shane's characters come to life. they have depth of thought and emotion.

the writing is tight and concise yet the author's depictions of the characters and the world around them are wonderfully rendered. add the excellent narration, and you easily get lost in this story.

after i finished listening, i couldn't believe how much happened! to me, this is a short story, coming in at just over 8 hours.this story is action-packed! the author truly knows how to pace the story he's telling. you never get the feeling that the author is rushing. the plot transitions are smooth and believable. nothing feels contrived.

if you liked the first book, then you'll really enjoy how the story continues. if you're hesitant b/c there wasn't a lot of zombie action in the first book, then have no fear! you know "why" the zombies coming and boy do they come. that's the only thing i'll reveal about the plot b/c i don't want to spoil your listening experience!

it's rare when a zombie story can actually leave you feeling "loss."

overall, an excellent follow-up.

Seed Quest?

There are a some things which didn't make sense and forced me deduct a star for book two of this series. For example, the protagonist has this thing for seeds because he is such a long term thinker. I agree with the other group who thought this was a bit nutty. Way too early to risk life and limb for seeds. I also didn't find it realistic that people would risk their lives in armed confrontation with each other, even if they are thugs. Thugs pick on the helpless. Not those that can shoot back. Another thing was why he didn't go to the helpful group directly after he got out of the nasty "trap". He just does a few things which, I think at least, don't make much sense.

On the other hand many other things he does are great, like satisfyingly punching that you'll-know-who in the face. On the whole, its positive that some things he manages to pull off, but others just don't go as planned.

There is a lot more human conflict and an interesting grey zone of ethics. Remember him bursting through the compound in the first book? Its like the game Fallout, some things will give you bad karma and reputation.

The book has a great climax; but unsatisfying resolution. Shane Gregory better hurry up with the next book because I just gotta know what happens!

More of the same which is Great

Book 2 of the "King of Clayfield" series by Shane Gregory leaves off after the abrupt ending of Book 1. The author continues to explore how people react under stress and takes a realistic, if negative, view of human nature. The zombies now become a secondary (if deadly and ever present) threat when compared to the ugly savagery of "the living" uninfected.

Someone said life is "short, brutal and nasty" (or something close to that) and that could be the theme of this book. The struggle for human survival and the (vain) attempts to rebuild something (anything) takes center stage in book 2.

Flawlessly written I almost rate it a five star but for one issue. The protagonist will sometimes do something so stupid and inane that I suspect it occurs simply to provide a twist in the plot. This is a fundamental and basic error that new authors make. For a book to work for me (and I suspect for others) the reader must engage in willing suspension of disbelief. This is difficult enough in a zombie book- but any "apparent" intrusion that causes a character to not act consistently interferes in that suspension. At least three to four times I thought "no damned way could anyone act like that and survive" and/or "this does not make sense- he has not acted that way before".

Having said that the work flows seamlessly and Gregory has almost managed the impossible- written unique zombie book that does not revolve around the character being a trained Navy Seal in a fortress he inherited or was smart enough to build prior to the zombie apocalypse. The characters are normal people trying to survive (with many central characters dying anyway!) and rebuild their lives.

Just as good as the first book!

I have really enjoyed "The King of Clayfield" books. The reality of living without electricity is expected - but the toll of living alone, not knowing if anyone else (friendly or otherwise) is ALIVE?!?! The struggle(s) the main character goes through to stay motivated to maintain basic survival are part of what makes this series good. I'm not a "Zombie Apocalypse" kind of girl, but these have been a good listen. I'm looking forward to book 3.

No real story arc

After finishing this book I looked back and can say that I enjoyed it. The problem that I had while reading it, however, is that I didn't feel like it had any real direction. It did not have a traditional story arc like I am used to. That is not necessary a deal breaker for me, but it did mean that I felt board and lost a times. Not a bad story overall though.

Great story

Enjoyed this immensely. Great story, little different than some of the zombie story. The narrator did a very good job on this book. Looking forward to listening to book three.

Great follow up book.

What made the experience of listening to All That I See the most enjoyable?

I liked this one even better than the first - which you must read first. If you have ever wondered what would happen in a small rural southern town to a regular Joe when the zombie apocalypse comes - this book is a darn good start. Not an action barn burner but a decent amount of suspense and a lot of "realism" in the writer's approach. Worth my time for sure.

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

Consistently solid narrator.

unique

Enjoyable, some unique twists in the typical zombie apocalypse story. Good listen. Good performance. I'm listening to the next one!

Not bad at all

Better than book one. The series is starting to get a little far fetched but is overall enjoyable.