Onslaught

The Zombie War Chronicles, Volume 1

By: Damon Novak

Narrated by: Eric A. Shelman

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

When the black rain began to fall, it was a worldwide phenomenon that mystified everyone. Unfortunately, there was little time to ponder the cause.

Most animals died at the onset. Others in the reptilian category merely changed. While some humans were unaffected, others experienced a half-death of sorts, morphing into blood and flesh-crazed creatures with a desire only to hunt the living and consume them.

Climbing Fox Wattana of the Henomawi Nation claims responsibility for the black rain and its effects; he says it is his revenge against the United States government for robbing his people of their land, ensuring their ultimate extinction.

Cole "CB" Baxter isn't taking this lying down. He, his sister, Lilly, and Dr. Georgina Lake will flee the airboat-tour business in the Florida Everglades and attempt to rescue what family they can. If that all works out, they plan to follow the ham radio broadcasts of a classic rock DJ named Micky Rode, as he guides the survivors to a gathering spot somewhere in Kansas.

That's the plan, anyway.

But you know what they say: People make plans.... God laughs.

©2018 Eric A. Shelman (P)2018 Eric A. Shelman

-Almost passed this one up

I nearly passed this book up because the premise (Zombie gators) seemed very 'B-Movie-ish' and I felt it would either be extremely silly or just plain stupid- Filled with one liners and tropes and just not something for me. I love Zombie fiction but am a 'purist' and usually find when authors tamper with the formula to try and be clever or unique it falls short.

After looking over the reviews and seeing who handled the narration was I decided to give it a chance and I'm so glad I did.

This characters in this tale are likable, believable and very 'three dimensional'- Not the cardboard cut outs many zombie books use to give cannon fodder to the zeds. I very much enjoyed the characters, their backstory, their occupation etc...It just really worked and didnt feel forced.

The premise- Yes , its a bit silly. Voodoo, black rain an Indian curse, zombie gators etc... But it also worked. There wasnt any third wall breaking or jokes being thrown around or trying to be cute but it was taken seriously- And I'll be damned if it somehow worked out really well.

Believe me when I tell you, that premise almost kept me from trying this out and man, I would have missed out big time. This was a 'classic' zombie tale that we've all come to expect but with the added bonus of the adventure and danger one could imagine in horror tales of Everglades with highly aggressive alligators, dark waters and endless mangrove swamp.... It worked- It worked so well I was sucked in after a short time and ended up staying up and almost listening to the entire book in a single night- And now I'll be restarting it so I can enjoy listening to this again with my wife.

I'll be looking out for the next book in this series even if sounds like 'Shark-nado' or something lol- The author really pulled this one off and it was hell of an enjoyable listen- This could end up being one of my favorite zombie series.

-So dont let the 'zombie gator' thing put you off if you just want a classic zombie tale and are tired of authors trying to creatively twist the genre and falling short- This time it didnt fall short.

Zombie Gators!!!

Wow, this was an awesome book. The characters are well written. The dialogue was intense. The story just kept pulling you in. I have seen zombie animals before just never zombie gators! Shelman did it again with awesome narration! Whenever he narrates a story it comes to life! I can't wait for the sequel!

Black Rain...Alligators......Zombies

First off let me say I have listened to Damon Novak's Onslaught for the last two weeks, which means about 6 times, so far. Yup that's how much I love this story and the narrator. Once the last word is read I just restart to listen again. I love the animal aspect of this book and not just the alligators. I like the characters and their relationships they have and develop. Thrown together CB, sister Lilly, Dr. Lake and Sonya are just trying to survive and need to get to Dr. Lake's daughter but the road there is paved with death and lots of zombies. Onslaught is a great read and with Narrator Eric A. Shelman giving "life" to Damon Novak's debut novel this can only be a 5 star book. Hoping to see more of this story and anything else Mr. Novak decides to grace us with.

A special find

I didn't know what to expect when I came across this book. I'm happy to say it is a great read. I loved the storyline and characters. And I was pleasantly surprised with the parts that made me laugh out loud. The narrator did a great job also. I'm looking forward thi the next book in the series.

From zombie truck driver that buys 4 to 5 books a

Book was one of the best fast paced had it all wish there were more

Not attack of the Zombgators!

I almost didn’t read this one, but I’m so glad I did. I couldn’t put this one down. The characters were well-rounded with plenty to say and the pace of the story kept me involved until the end. The narrator was a perfect choice for the story and added perfectly to the story’s visual.

I can’t wait for the next book!

Zombiegators, oh my!

This book was captivating and a lot of fun to listen to. The reader bonds quickly with the characters and cares what happens to them. The main character of the story is CB, a Florida swamp tour boat operator. The narrator does a great job representing CB. I think that the audiobook is absolutely the best way to experience this book. There is lots of horror, action and adventure. I am hoping there will be a second book. I would caution a reader who is not comfortable with F bombs and gore that this may not be the book for them; but then why would they be reading zombie fiction?

New Author! Great Book!

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

Totally recommend this book. Zombie storyline... with a twist or two! Characters are believable, and you want to continue following their story after this book is over.

What other book might you compare Onslaught to and why?

The zombie genre is typical across the board (or books, rather). But if you love 'em, you love them! I do, and I found this one's zombie origin theory really unique.

Have you listened to any of Eric A. Shelman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've read his books, but this is the first narration I've heard. Absolutely perfect! Easy to listen to voice, and love a narrator who changes "voices" for the characters. Spot on performance!

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

There were a couple of really great moments...nope, not going to explain them - read the book!

Any additional comments?

Outstanding book, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr. Novak's work

WOW !

What a great start to a new zombie series! It's hard to believe this is a new writer. Do not be put off by the cover - when you find out the story behind it you'll be very impressed. This book had the right amount of everything for the zombie lover - new ideas, and some parts down right gory! Glorious!!

Extremely awesome 1st book

What a great story. It is always awesome to get a new perspective and spin on a zombie book. You and Eric Shelman both have earned a new fan

Very presently surprised

I dislike military based zompoc, with far too much detail about the guns they use then the actual human story. So this book was a huge positive from the start.
I honestly didn’t think I was going to like it, the southern slow drawl of the narrator was irritating to begin with. However. Within a few minutes, I was totally sucked in and completely invested in the story.
The character progression was great, and CB is so funny. Two really strong female characters too which is a plus.
It was also refreshing to read a zompoc novel which explains (kind of) how the event happens.
Well worth listening to, highly recommend this book.

loved the twist on a zombie book

Loved this book from the very beginning. It's scary, fast paced, plenty of zombie and gator action. Very well written and narrated.