Bone and Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

Zapheads, Book 1

By: Scott Nicholson, Joshua Simcox

Narrated by: Kevin Clay

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

A thriller set in the best-selling After post-apocalyptic world.

When Mackie Dailey survives a cataclysmic solar storm that wipes out civilization and mutates others into violent killers, he seeks out the one person he cares about most.

But when he returns to a college campus looking for Allie, he discovers she is a Zaphead - nearly unrecognizable as the human he once loved. Mackie becomes caught in a power struggle among a small group of survivors who turn the campus into a stronghold against the Zaphead threat. His old nemesis, Lucas Krider, has taken charge, but Krider's vision of a new world is just as horrifying as the extinction they all face.

Will Mackie sacrifice himself so the group has a chance to survive, or will his demons turn out to be more dangerous than the strange, rampaging creatures that nature has unleashed?

Look for the other After books, First Light (After #0), The Shock (After #1), The Echo (After #2) and Milepost 291 (After #3). Whiteout (After #4) is coming soon.

Scott Nicholson is the international best-selling author of more than 25 thrillers. Joshua Simcox is co-author of October Dark with J.A. Konrath.

©2014 Scott Nicholson (P)2015 Scott Nicholson

A Flawed Hero

Bone and Cinder is "sort of" the first book in a new series by Scott Nicholson, and Joshua Simcox. "Sort of" in that it is set in the same world as his After series. I actually thought Zapheads might have been the "main" series, but the After series is well progressed. I've purchased quite a number of other books of Scott Nicholson, and have two books in the After series, and was very grateful to get this book as a review copy I was kind of hoping that the Zapheads series would cover the event. It doesn't and starts at some unspecified but very short time after a series of events, which resulted in anything electrical being ruined, and the other resulting in the majority of people on the planet being turned into either stumbling mindless or more rabid killers.

The "monsters" of this world aren't zombies, and are a finite problem - being bitten doesn't carry a contagion, and people aren't suddenly becoming infected. This in itself is a welcome change to the "zombie type" apocalypse worlds. The series will have to eventually (hopefully) get to the state that the monsters aren't around, and people can start rebuilding.

The main character, Mackie, starts off in the story and I initially thought he was not such a nice person for a lead character, a criminal, drug taking killer. As the story progresses you realize he is flawed, and under it a caring person, looking out for others, and even rescued a cat (which got my vote). I really thought he ended up being one of the more well developed characters I've encountered in post apocalyptic novels.

Kevin Clay is a narrator I've been coming across more and more recently in my library, and I am glad to see him re-occur. He did a good job narrating the book, and added to the experience.

I'm looking forward to more of the books in this world turning up on audio. And hope Kevin Clay continues to narrate them!

"After" has a companion series??

I received a free copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review. Although I'm fairly new to the world of "After", I was stoked to find out that there is a companion series. I'd also like to note that you don't have to read all the "After" books before this one as it serves as a stand alone book as well.
Mackey has issues. He's done some bad stuff, has some bad habits, and that makes him a bad guy, right? Underneath all that baggage is still a good heart. He does what most of us would do in the wake of an apocalypse, and that's set out to find the person or people who mean the most. Things go right...stuff goes wrong...all in all it makes up for a good side story.
As with "After: The Shock", "Bone and Cinder: Zapheads book 1" is narrated by Kevin Clay who gives another great performance.

great book

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

enjoyed listening

Do You Have What it Takes to Survive?

Would you consider the audio edition of Bone and Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, With the print version the reader/listener will create certain images of the characters. In the audio version, the narrator, Kevin Clay, does a great job further developing these characters, who come off as true to life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Bone and Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller?

Good question. There were a number of twists and turns, I did not expect. I would have to say, in a survival situation, you don't know who your friends and enemies are. At least you know where the "Zaphead" zombies are coming from.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Clay – was your favorite?

Actually, I liked Hererra, the Mexican American gang member. He is very hardcore. His character was done really well.

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

My main reaction is one of curiosity. Which way is this story headed? It was nice "read", with a good flow. Lots of unexpected twists and turns. I would say it was a good comfortable performance.

Any additional comments?

Disclaimer: "This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com." I enjoyed "Bone and Cinder" and the whole zaphead story line. The authors did a good job in creating a good story, with twists and turns to keep you guessing and make it interesting. The narrator, Kevin Clay, brought to life a series of characters, which helped to put you in the story. As a listener, I found myself immersed in the story, questioning what I would do if I was in the same situation. Many hard choices. Is this story true to life? I hope none of us find ourselves with these sets of challenges. I have also read "After Shock", also by Scott Nicholson and narrated by Kevin Clay. While the whole zombie thing is fun, the meat of these stories is in the human interactions. Well done!

Post-apocalyptic zombiesque thriller

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would only recommend it if the reader is a big fan of zombie/crazies fiction.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending was ok in my opinion, this is set in the same world as the 'After' series by the same authoe in which I have read the first book, so there wasn't really any surprises in store for me.

What aspect of Kevin Clay’s performance would you have changed?

Like in the After series Kevin Clay did a fine job, he narrated well to the material he had in front of him. I wouldn't change much about his performance.

Did Bone and Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

As zombie fiction goes this was an average book. The 'event' which causes the end of the world is interesting and it would have been interesting to get to know a bit more about that. Overall, as I have mentioned above it's a good series if you are a fan of post-apocalyptic zombie fiction, but it's not the best in the genre by a long way.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Kinda Fell Flat For Me

Any additional comments?

This book just didn't do it for me. I love the genre, but this book seemed like a cookie cutter of all the rest. You have the big bad guy, who of course is one of the lucky ones to live through the solar storm that turns the majority of people into crazies. He's going to now rule the world, or at least his little part of it. He wants his starting base to be at a college. (Why a college? If I was king daddy and planning to dominate the world during the apocalypse, I'd pick some place better than a college.) Only a few young people are willing to stand up to him. And then it's just scene after scene........after endless scene of the young people trying to scheme and plot to do this and that, and always getting caught and beaten. That really pretty much sums up the book. Throw in some zap heads, which really aren't mentioned that much. A backstory to how the zap heads came about, how the solar storm happened, would have made a much better book.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

A new series in the world of "After"

I enjoyed this spin-off from Nicholson's "After" series. It was kind of refreshing to meet new characters and see a different setting (a college). The characters were well-written and interesting, though many were not good guys. The story is filled with action and excitement. Though I read the original series, "After," it is not necessary at all to enjoy this book. Kevin Clay narrated the Audible audio version of the book, and as always, his narration is really suited to the book. He does a great job and his voice is easy on the ear. Overall, if you like the post-apocalyptic genre or zombie-like creatures, you should give this book a try.

Loved it!!!

A great side story to After the Shock! Looking forward to hearing more from this series!

Twists and turns which made it very exciting

Mackie Dailey returns to his alma mater – well, it would have been had he not dropped out to become a drug addict, hitman and enforcer for a drug and arms dealing bad-ass criminal named Lucas Krider.  Dailey’s drug addled mind leaves a witness to his latest hit and a solar storm to end all storms has hit the world successfully creating creatures called Zapheads with a hunger for human flesh.

Arriving back to campus Dailey encounters Allie, the witness and Krider and his gang.  Forced to go cold turkey, Dailey must prove his loyalty to Krider in order to survive and protect others at the campus as well. A driven man used to caring only about himself is now faced with having to care about others.

Bone and Cinder is not short on action.  Regardless of what happens, it seems as if Krider and his thugs come out on top.  But then again, cockroaches always survive!  When tested, Dailey proves his loyalty to his new found conviction.  He goes up against Krider and his thugs to help the other survivors live.  Of course, nothing is ever easy!

Twists and turns which made it very exciting.  The usual questions of morality and ethics draws  the reader  in.  Character development is clear and purposeful.  Plot development is smooth easily followed.  The reader cannot help but connect to Dailey – the underdog.

Kevin Clay did a good job of narrating the book.  He enunciated the words well and projected the frustration and despair of Dailey very well.

There were no issues with the production.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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Good Spin Off!

If you could sum up Bone and Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller in three words, what would they be?

Tragic, Exciting, Interesting

What other book might you compare Bone and Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller to and why?

Well its a spin off of After..so they do go hand in hand!

What about Kevin Clay’s performance did you like?

Kevin nailed it!

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

This would make a good movie..lots of action!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

I liked the book After, so I was excited to get this book too,it did not disappoint....We have Mackie, just trying to survive, and keep the pain of this new world dulled out...even though its not a great way to survive, Mackie is a pill addict. He goes back to his college in search of his girl, and discovers she is now a zaphead. Well he runs into some not so nice people from his past and everything gets really complicated! I liked this story, and will continue this series....if you liked After, you will like this one too....I recommend!

Thank you Audiobookblast(dot)com