A Pound of Flesh

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, Book 4

By: Shawn Chesser

Narrated by: Chris Patton

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

A Pound of Flesh, book four in the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse series, picks up on day nine where In Harm's Way: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse left off.

Outbreak - Day Nine

Reeling from a surprise attack, and with two fires burning out of control, Schriever Air Force Base goes on high alert. Former CDC Scientist Sylvester Fuentes, the apparent target, is killed along with others. Destroyed in the conflagration was the Omega antiserum Fuentes had been working to perfect and just hours prior had tested successfully on one of the recently infected. Meanwhile, returning prematurely from a mission to set off two nukes in the path of an advancing horde of living dead numbering several hundred thousand strong, and with his Delta Force commander Mike Desantos infected and dying from the Omega virus, Cade Grayson is forced to do something no friend should have to do.

As the low rumble of the two nuclear detonations signaling the mission's likely success rolls over Schriever, Delta Force Captain Cade Grayson begins formulating a plan that will send him hurtling on a collision course with the parties responsible for the terrorist attack. Six hundred miles away near Eden, Utah, Duncan Winters hopes to ride out the apocalypse in his brother Logan's remote compound. In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the New American capitol, Daymon Bush, former BLM firefighter, bides his time with one burning desire: to find his girlfriend Heidi even if it eventually kills him. Will Cade successfully lobby President Clay and embark on a new mission in order to extract his pound of flesh for the loved ones he has lost?

©2012 Shawn Chesser (P)2016 Shawn Chesser

A good story, a little long in the tooth.

Book four picks up where we left the prior book. Mike Desantos and crew had successfully set off two nuclear devices to eliminate an extremely huge horde numbering several hundred thousand making their way towards them. Unfortunately Desantos became infected and his teammate Cade Grayson had to put him down to prevent him from turning. In a huge mission foul up the assassin sent to kill President Clay is replaced by a mentally unstable secret agent wannabe who instead kills the lead scientist working on the vaccine, his nurse, and burns the entire lab to the ground. Cade wrestles with his anger towards the assassin who helped kill his friend Mike and destroyed the vaccine putting every survivor in jeopardy. The story continues with a few new survivors and following up with the ones from the previous book. A good story, a little long in the tooth at times, but acceptable. I think we need more zombies, less talking.

The full narrative now explains what is going on

A Pound of Flesh introduces the reader to a whole new slew of characters.  There are more people, places, and things going on now that we're into day 9 of the virus that has turned most of the world into zombies.  Pound.. is the 4th installment of Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse.

Chris Patton has narrated all four of the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse books and has done a wonderful job in all four.  His voice can have military precision one second and be a soft-spoken non-special forces the next.  Allowing Chesser's words to come alive and flow.  Patton definitely makes these already good books better with his narration.

Usually, once you're as deep as a fourth book if you haven't read any of the others you are completely and totally lost.  That is not the case with this book.  I think books two and three you needed to understand who Cade was and why he was fighting, but in this installment there are so many new things going on that Cades main narrative takes somewhat of a backseat to a great story.

The full narrative now explains what is going on since the apocalypse started and what other people are trying to do about it.  It introduces in more detail the NA (New America) and their leaders and lackeys.  Honestly, when you're four books into a series it's usually hard to introduce new people and plot points -- but somehow Chesser does it with ease.  Not making me feel like it was a new story at all.

Overall, Chesser hits another home run with this one taking the reader along for the ride. If you weren't hooked on the series before, give this book a shot -- I think he'll be able to reel you back in.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

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continuing the story

Pound of flesh continues where in harms way left off. there were losses, but also victories. shawn has a way of taking you down the garden path and leaving you there. I am looking forward to the next chapter to see what cade decides to do with his family. will he continue with the delta boys or survive life with his family?

The 4th book is so good it could be its own series

Nine days after a virus has turned most of humanity into zombies -- Cade Grayson and crew are attempting to get a handle on what is going on just outside their base. All the while, the "New American's" are trying to do the same thing in their fortified small town Jackson Hole. Follow characters you're familiar with and new ones as they continue to fight to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Shawn Patton has done the narration for all four installations of this series. Patton just has one of those voices that really bring a story alive. He's able to be a hard-assed special ops man one moment and then that spec-ops guys wife in the next. It's amazing to listen along as he brings Chesser's words alive. I'm always excited when I get an email saying that the next book is out and to see that Chesser and Patton have teamed up again. Even though the books have already been written -- it feels like the words were written for Patton to speak.

Very rarely does a series surprise me. Even less often does a series surprise me in the fourth installment. Usually, by this point, I understand the characters and the way that each person is going to deal with new situations. No, not in A Pound of Flesh. Chesser takes what I thought I knew and threw it out the window. That doesn't mean that Cade isn't in it -- or his wife and child, they're all present and accounted for. Chesser just decided to finally dive into what was happening in some of the rest of the surrounding area around Cade.

With this expansion of space, he also expands into some new characters, both good and bad. In the fourth installment of surviving the zombie apocalypse we meet the radical New American movement who are currently holed up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Just their story is fascinating -- and Chesser gives you much more.

Like I mentioned earlier, I'm rarely surprised by a series -- especially one that I've enjoyed as much as I've enjoyed this series so far. But the new directions that Chesser is taking the characters and the story is perfect in my opinion. I really enjoyed finding out more and more about the US in the last 9 days since the outbreak started. I feel like the author is slowly pulling the blindfold off of the readers eyes -- not allowing them to see too much too soon, but giving them enough to keep them coming back and back.

With the narration done by Chris Patton continuing for the series (as far as I know) I will follow Cade into any adventure he finds himself in the middle of. Well, I know what I'll be doing for the next month or two... I'll be eagerly awaiting the next installment from Chesser & Patton.

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ANOTHER One I could NOT put down

The seemingly NEVER ending death and possible death scenario s. Leave you feeling the pain and NEVER ending desperation

Kick ass read!!

Shawn Chesser has once again hit it out of the ballpark with this amazing action packed adventure never a dull moment! Warning you may stop everything you're doing until you finish this! This was definitely a homerun keep up the good work I can't wait for the next book!

Degradable

little time spent on subject matter in this book from events to each subject its not enough needs more time to explaining to reader listener so reader has understanding plus grasp the subject , author is quick to move on.

non recommendable


rate it very low, did not like


can be revised an expanded then release may have a chance, narrator isn't good an is too quick.

Good Post Apocalypse Story

it's hard to stop listening to this book. It has a good story line and you get invested with the characters.

Reality?? Nah!

Some rather obvious factual errors creep in every so often. The research or the proofreading could be better. But it's a ZOMBIE story which calls for a little suspension of standards of belief.

Overall a good listen, worth the credit.

Excellent

Very much enjoyed this! Strong in series! Kudos to Shawn Chester! Going for the next in series!