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Ethan Reid

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The Undying (The Undying Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Ethan Reid (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 72 ratings

Book 1 of 2: The Undying Series

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THEY HAVE COME FROM THE STARS…
In this riveting apocalyptic thriller for fans of The Passage and The Walking Dead, a mysterious event plunges Paris into darkness and a young American must lead her friends to safety—and escape the ravenous “undying” who now roam the crumbling city.

Jeanie and Ben arrive in Paris just in time for a festive New Year’s Eve celebration with local friends. They eat and drink and carry on until suddenly, at midnight, all the lights go out. Everywhere they look, buildings and streets are dark, as though the legendary Parisian revelry has somehow short circuited the entire city.

By the next morning, all hell has broken loose. Fireballs rain down from the sky, the temperatures are rising, and people run screaming through the streets. Whatever has happened in Paris—rumors are of a comet striking the earth—Jeanie and Ben have no way of knowing how far it has spread, or how much worse it will get. As they attempt to flee the burning Latin Quarter—a harrowing journey that takes them across the city, descending deep into the catacombs, and eventually to a makeshift barracks at the Louvre Museum—Jeanie knows the worst is yet to come. So far, only she has witnessed pale, vampiric survivors who seem to exert a powerful hold on her whenever she catches them in her sights.

These cunning, ravenous beings will come to be known as les moribund—the undying—and their numbers increase by the hour. When fate places a newborn boy in her care, Jeanie will stop at nothing to keep the infant safe and get out of Paris—even if it means facing off against the moribund and leaving Ben—and any hope of rescue—behind.

**The publisher has provided this ebook to you without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied so that you can enjoy reading it on your personal devices.**

Editorial Reviews

Review

“After a devastating trigger touches off the fall of mankind, a desperate race for survival begins while the lush backdrop of Paris is brought to its knees. This is an enthralling tale of terror and survival. The writing is superb. The tension never stops. Keep the doors locked and the lights on—Ethan Reid is the new voice of horror you've been waiting for.” (Graham Brown, New York Times bestselling author of The Eden Prophecy)

“Even the most original apocalypse won’t satisfy unless you can root for the survivors. Ethan Reid’s The Undying delivers resounding, realistic terror, vampiric demons, and characters whose fates you’ll follow with your heart in your throat.” (Sophie Littlefield, national bestselling author of the Aftertime Series)

“The Undying conjures a nightmarish City of Lights that’s all about darkness, a tourists’ horror story that goes miles beyond delayed flights and bedbugs in the sheets. Pacy and visceral, Ethan Reid has written a thriller that brings a genuinely fresh take to a monstrous mythology.” (Andrew Pyper, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Demonologist)

“This postapocalyptic horror novel effectively delivers gross-out thrills. . . . Debut author Reid keeps the action rushing ahead in hysterical panic with vivid scenes and convincing (albeit short-lived) characters. This one screams for a sequel.”
(Publishers Weekly)

About the Author

Ethan Reid received his BA in English from the University of Washington and his MFA from the University of Southern California’s MPW Program, where he studied under author S.L. Stebel, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Sy Gomberg, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Frank Tarloff. Ethan is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. He lives in Seattle.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00K3NEEC4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster/ Simon451 (October 7, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 7, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3310 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 327 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #2,945,572 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #19,110 in Dystopian Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #19,953 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #23,302 in Dystopian Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 72 ratings

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Ethan Reid

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Ethan Reid received his BA in English with Writing Emphasis from the University of Washington and his MFA from the University of Southern California's MPW Program, where he studied under author S.L. Stebel, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Sy Gomberg, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Frank Tarloff.

Born in Spokane, Washington, Ethan is a member of the Horror Writers Association, the International Thriller Writers and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. Ethan currently lives in Seattle, with his wife and son.

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4 out of 5

72 global ratings

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J. Douwes

Ethan Reid brought me to the gates of hell with ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

Ethan Reid brought me to the gates of hell with his story telling, and yet I begged and pleaded for more. I haven't read a horror story in years that was able to do that and keep me riveted to the last page. The Undying is a chilling, blood curdling page turner. A must read for horror and thriller fans. My faith has been restored in this genre.

2 people found this helpful

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I. Clements

a twist on the classic zombie characters

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

Jeanie and Ben arrive in Paris just in time to celebrate the New Year with their friends. Unfortunately, things soon start to go very wrong with earthquakes, fireballs raining from the sky, and massive devastation spreading across the city.

After the initial wave of devastation, the story focuses on Jeanie and Ben's struggle for survival in the midst of the chaos.

Without internet, telephone, or any information sources, Jeanie and Ben's only option is to head to the centre of the city to look for food, shelter, and salvation. However, they soon discover that there is something even more sinister roaming around the city.

In the preface of The Undying, Reid editor notes that the catacomb section of this story sets it apart from other stories in this genre and I would agree. As Jeanie and Ben navigate the damp, narrow tunnels Reid does a great job in cranking up the tension and sense of claustrophobia.

Their fight for survival is well described, and Jeanie and Ben work together well as the main protagonists. Reid even offers us a twist on the classic zombie characters, these ones are fast and work in packs.

I enjoyed this book overall but marked this one as a 3 rating as I have read several books of this genre recently and this one didn't stand out especially for me from those.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

See more at: [...]

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016

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Great book, kind of like the Walking Dead series but in Paris.

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David Aquinas

A youth who can save the world if he can just grow up to the task before...

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2019

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Undying shades was a pleasure to read. I am a new science fiction author and an avid reader of the genre. At first, I hesitated to read the book fearing it would a repetitive zombie apocalypse story. I found it to have unique elements that made it appealing. I especially liked the setting in Spain, the richness of detail drew me in, and I found myself wanting to visit those places in the real world. This book is best suited for horror science fiction fans that like a hint of space opera come to Earth, and want to see a single combat warrior story with a youthful hero who might save the world if he doesn’t suffer a fate worse than death before he can mature into his full powers.

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chadwick

Can't Wait for the Next Book

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2015

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This second book in the trilogy is even better than the first. The story of Ren and his companions as they seek out and battle the frightening moribund will keep you glued to each page of blood curdling detail. Like the first book's extraordinary use of location, this book invokes descriptions of cities and the countryside of Andalusia as a dynamic setting to the unfolding of the macabre events.

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Amazon Customer

Suspenseful but plot flaws

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2017

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in one sitting! Through flashbacks, you learn more about the main characters and route for them as they try to find safety. I wish the book hadn't started with a flashback, the author revealed too much information too soon. It's no fun reading a book when you know what happens to every character. There were times when I wanted to smack the main character for her decisions, especially regarding survival and her friend Ben. Who only takes two bottles of water, two oranges, and a few candy bars from a convenience store during the apocalypse? I would shove everything I could into those backpacks! I found this book to be similar to World War Z or the Walking Dead.

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

Fast-moving, smartly-written thriller that will stick in the back of your brain. Original and fresh. Authentic scenes: you'll enjoy it even more if you've visited Paris. Highly recommend.

One person found this helpful

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Wanda

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015

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I enjoyed the story. I hope there is a follow up to it

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Rebecca Armstrong

Good premise - poor execution

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2017

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The Undying is an apocalyptic thriller and was sold as similar to The Walking Dead. Jeanie and Ben, two American tourists must get to the Arc de Triomphe as it's, supposedly, a rescue point. On the way, they find two of their friends and a newly born baby.

The Undying could have been so good. The premise was what made me want to read it. I really did want to like it. I thought it would help me get over the awful apocalyptic book that is A Mathematical State of Grace. Unfortunately They Undying just didn't live up to my expectations.

I enjoyed the first chapter, we were straight into the aftermath of an apocalyptic zombie style event. Unfortunately, the second chapter skipped back to before it occurred. I switched off a bit because I knew something bad was going to happen and I just really wanted it to start straight away. The characters introduced in the second chapter, were glaringly obviously missing in the first. Jeanie and the baby are clearly going to survive because they're present in the first chapter.

I really enjoyed learning about the zombies, as much as our characters could when on the run. The zombies could get into your head slightly, they fed off emotions which was unique. They're also not The Walking Dead style zombies, they can be quick and they evolve and get stronger as the apocalypse goes on.

Zou Zou, our resident Parisian was a walking stereotype. Plus, the characters kept speaking French. But in the middle of English sentences. I couldn't immerse myself in this world because I had to stop and try and translate the characters. I took French at GCSE, and I was struggling. Anyone who doesn't know any French would not be able to read The Undying properly.

As we follow Jeanie through her first day of the apocalypse, it flashes back to her losing her father to cancer. There's a slight analogy between the horrible things happening to Jeanie and the loss of her father. I understand there's a message trying to be conveyed. I just wasn't convinced to care about Jeanie, so I just didn't feel for her the way I think I was meant to.

The baby in the story is an odd plot device. Even the other characters think Jeanie is stupid for taking the baby with them. The baby is meant to give Jeanie a reason to continue fighting and moving forward. But, it felt quite flat and a stupid decision made purely for plot furthering. I would have suggested the baby being Jeanie's or Zou Zou's to make it feel more genuine. I think making it a family relation or a close friend's child would have made it more obvious that Jeanie had to take the baby.

The zombies or moribund were amazingly written. Unfortunately all the effort seemed to be towards making the perfect horror zombie. Therefore the characters and plot suffered. It would have worked so much better if the book didn't start at the end. We could have learnt to love characters and actually felt something when we lost them. The thriller aspect could have been improved upon if I thought the main character was actually at risk of dying.

I received The Undying* by Ethan Reid as an e-book from the publisher via Netgalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.

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The Undying (The Undying Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

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