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  • Plague of the Dead

  • The Morningstar Strain, Book 1
  • By: Z. A. Recht
  • Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
  • Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (3,053 ratings)

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Plague of the Dead

By: Z. A. Recht
Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
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Publisher's summary

The end begins with a viral outbreak unlike anything mankind has ever encountered before. The infected are subject to delirium, fever, a dramatic increase in violent behavior, and a one-hundred percent mortality rate. Death. But it doesn't end there. The victims return from death to walk the earth.

When a massive military operation fails to contain the plague of the living dead it escalates into a global pandemic. In one fell swoop, the necessities of life become much more basic. Gone are petty everyday concerns. Gone are the amenities of civilized life. Yet a single law of nature remains: Live, or die. Kill, or be killed. On one side of the world, a battle-hardened General surveys the remnants of his command: a young medic, a veteran photographer, a brash Private, and dozens of refugees, all are his responsibility-all thousands of miles from home. Back in the United States, an Army Colonel discovers the darker side of Morningstar virus and begins to collaborate with a well-known journalist to leak the information to the public...The Morningstar Saga has begun.

©2006 Z.A. Recht (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Featured Article: Mmmm, Brains...Satisfy Your Cravings with the 20 Best Zombie Audiobooks Ever


Zombies have been a potent cultural force for decades. Something about the concept of a ragtag crew of survivors facing off against endless masses of shuffling brain-munchers really seems to speak to people! There are hundreds, if not thousands, of zombie-themed stories out there. But which ones are the very best? And which zombie audiobooks will have you double-checking the locks and sleeping with a baseball bat next to your bed?

What listeners say about Plague of the Dead

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

well written and read!

with many zombie storys out there, this hold up to the best. looking forward to finishing the series

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The Narrator sounded too much like Casey Kasem

Overall the book was decent not the best but not the worst either. My only problem was that narrator sound too much like Casey Kasem. It is hard to be scared when you keep thinking that he will start anouncing the "Top 40" any second.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

My Pet Peeve: Characters acting stupid

Cool setup is ruined by the stupidity of the characters and the tactics they use against the zombies. Apparently nukes, email and cell phones didn’t exist in 2007. I wanted to like it but the dumb decisions of the characters ruined it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Exciting Listen!

Listened to this 3 times, intriguing story, with tons of detail! To bad we lost this writer so soon...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best Zombie series out there

The Morningstar Series is fantastic and keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book...

This novel started off strong, but after the first few chapters it became hard to listen to. The characters were very cliche' and the battle scenes felt like they were written by someone who didn't do enough research. Also there were some gaps in the novel's time line. The book was broken into two parts and I gave up after 20 minutes into the second half. If you are looking for a good Zombie novel I suggest World War Z or Day by Day Armageddon. Sorry to Mr. Wyman, but it felt like this novel needed some more editing and polishing. Great first 20 minutes though!!!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

struggled to finish

it was very hard to finish this book and I tried hard but the glaring truth is that the writer has no idea about the military. Generals don't go AWOL.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

couldn't do it

couldn't finish this.
this is about as much fun and entertaining as you would guess reading emails aloud would be.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Script for a Michael Bay film

Just imagine reading a Michael Bay movie. If you like the sound of that, then enjoy! If not, stay far, far away.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

So bad it's funny at first, but then it's just bad

Wow, what an epic stinker! I couldn't do it - made it about halfway through the first part, then had to bail out. At first it was very amusing because it could easily be an Ed Wood, Jr. movie, of which I am a huge fan. But the deal is with Ed Wood movies, they're only about an hour and a half long. After about three hours of this I was ready to put on the dress blues and polish up the chrome revolver. It reminds me of the scenarios and dialogue my friends and I would come up with when we played army back in the 6th grade, just puerile and nonsensical. Don't misunderstand me, I'm a huge sci-fi and fantasy fan, but good sci-fi always has at least some believable elements to it. I can suspend reality and accept the idea of the Morningstar virus, but the stilted, stereotypical dialog and actions of the characters in this novel is WAY too far beyond belief. If, as some reviewers are saying, this is way above the norm for zombie-themed novels, then my mind boggles at how bad the rest must be. I want my three hours of life back.

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