No Flesh Shall Be Spared

By: Thom Carnell

Narrated by: Chris Patton

Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

What happens when the inevitable zombie apocalypse finally does arrive? Does the world bow down to the masses of shambling dead? Do we run out with flame-throwers and chainsaw-bladed weed-whackers to take care of the undead horde? No, we do to them what we do to every other annoying person in the world: We put them on television for our entertainment.

Set in a near future in which society has dealt with the global outbreak of the living dead, a new, highly lucrative international sport, zombie pit fighting, emerges. No Flesh Shall Be Spared is the story of Cleese, his recruitment and rise to supremacy in this violent world, where every match could be his last. The Dead will fall. Friends will die. The question that arises is that of Cleese's fate in the ensuing mayhem.

©2010 Thom Carnell (P)2011 Jeffrey Kafer

Very Good

I wished this book had been the first in a trilogy or series. I really enjoyed the main character. The author did a good job of developing the story going back and forth in time, setting up who the characters are now and what the society is now.

The narrator was decent. Nothing exciting but nothing that made me hate him.

Zombies made for high schoolers

I won't rehash a synopsis of the story. It's a book about zombies and the one guy who fights his way through. There are things that I liked about this book. Really. The fighting, the action, the moving story line, and the narrator did a pretty decent job with different voices, but ultimately I felt that the story was a bit low brow even for being a zombie story. Here's why:

1) Main character Cleese is always the perfect guy, even when he makes a mistake; however he's pretty inconsistent throughout the story. In one chapter, he's a drinking, hard hitting guy that takes no sh*t and the next chapter he suddenly doesn't drink booze and has to be "coerced" into taking a sip. Seems unlikely.
2) The book is riddled with "before time" with stories of dead church goers, zombie grocery shoppers, and school age children. Some of these stories do center around the characters (before they came under the protection of the League) but other stories had absolutely nothing to do with the plot. At all.
3) The author will spend a whole chapter (or two) introducing a character only to kill them off in a ridiculous way. What's more ridiculous than dying by the recently dead? I'll let you read and figure that out, but just know that some of deaths are very unbecoming when you spent a few chapters getting to know the character. Or at least thinking you know the character.
4) Very predictable storyline. Who died was up to the League. The freshest zombies move quickly, some of the zombies learn, others talk, others retain former bits of themselves and choose not to kill...Over the years many authors have tried different takes on the zombie genre but this author encompasses most of the ideas that others before have had. It's just too much.
5) It just ends. Many authors leave room for a possible sequel but this story just "drops" and I suppose you will be enticed to continue with the story. No such luck for me.

Again, love the zombie genre, but this particular book was just for background that I used while working and cleaning around the house and I still felt that I didn't miss anything. It was an ok read, but nothing new or great. Just another zombie book I finished, but at least it's done.

hope this becomes a series

liked the book and the performance. hopefully the writer will make it into a series. I will definitely be along for the ride!

pretty funny

pretty funny book definitely worth the listen I like how the zombies have a little bit of love memory talk a little definitely an interesting stories

Good Author But???

The author wrote ahell of a story love the characters the interaction overall background character stories where great. What left me struggling to reach the end of the book was the whole gladiator thing. It's just in science fiction & everything it's been beaten to death. I got to the point where I was reading the book because I liked the characters but hated the story and just wanted it to end. Same author different background story & I think I would have been there.

A Solid 10

I really enjoyed this book. It is very well written. It's clever and yes it's a long one. But it's worth the time. Or listen to it on audible. The performance was really good. I would absolutely love this as a series.

Great performance could use more research

The Cherry point refinery and Semihmoo resort area are near that gas station. The locals do not talk like the kid did. Also, no Canadians were mentioned. All of the action listed is around Birch Bay and Blaine Washington.

80’s feel

I enjoyed most of the book and it’s unique spin. At times the 80/90s action movie was annoying but I’m glad I stuck around.

love this book😍

very detailed exciting and keeps you on your feet 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 so much action and gore... its not your typical zombie story i wish it didn't end

Loved it and Cleese's vigilant justice

First hearing, Cleese is not well liked. By end of story, well...can't wait for Cleese to get Masterson! The writing detail is full of imagery, gory details, and sudden unexpected puns that kept me laughing...and pondering. Hope there is a book 2!