The Fall (The Rift Book I) [Kindle Edition]

The Fall: The Rift Book One by Robert J. Duperre is a terrifying and captivating tale of a zombie infested "end of days". Mr. Duperre is an incredibly gifted writer, bringing his written world to life with vivid descriptions and close-to-home scenarios! The reader will find themselves identifying with at least one, if not all, of the very real characters within this book. The story begins with the discovery of an ancient Mayan temple. A ruin that was hidden away, meant to be forgotten. For Dr. Ken Trudeau this meant the archeological dig of a lifetime but instead of finding truth or treasure, he found an age-old darkness. An eternal evil bringing with it a plague that quickly deformed and destroyed all in its path! We are then introduced to a handful of key characters, each with their own intricate story to tell. Joshua Benoit, a twenty-something college student tormented with self-doubt and regret. Hoping to make something of himself and get the Hell out of Dover, NH, yet unable to break free of the fear that holds him back. Kyra Holcomb, a mid-forties bartender stuck in a life that has never really felt like hers to begin with. Tom Steinberg, a Pennsylvania senator and Speaker of the House. A headstrong man willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted, to where he wanted to be in this life. Yet, he was unraveling inside. Becoming someone, something, he couldn't understand. Now with the Rodent Flu spreading through every corner of the world, all those infected quickly became a mutated, undead monster. The Wrathchild. Soon our main characters would find themselves in the fight of their lives, doing all they can just to survive. Robert J. Duperre is able to grab your attention instantly and keep you turning page after page, all the while keeping you at the edge of your seat! I could not put this book down! I'm very much looking forward to the second installment in the series, Dead of Winter. I highly recommend The Fall to anyone looking for an intensely frightening read! Due to adult themes and violence, this book should be read by mature adult audiences only.

~Hazel O'Shea

Move over old-school zombies, there's a new evil in town.

The Fall is the first book in the epic horror series The Rift. Duperre whisks the readers to an archaeological dig in Central America, but this is not your typical Indiana Jones adventure. Things go terribly, irrevocably wrong and an ancient undead evil is unleashed on the world. I should warn you that if you have any insect phobias you will be scratching away before the first chapter is over. That scene *still* gives me nightmares...and that was only the beginning. The author then pulls the reader into the lives of regular people experiencing the heart-pounding terror of discovering the undead that now plague the living. The creatures of The Fall are fast, deadly, and leave a path of gore and fear wherever they go. Duperre's new take on zombies and the undead is both refreshing and terrifying. The Fall is a masterful work of horror that will have you sleeping with the light on for many nights to come.

I highly recommend The Fall (The Rift, book 1) to readers of urban fantasy, speculative fiction, paranormal suspense, apocalyptic, dystopian, and zombie fiction and especially to fans of horror. The Fall may appeal to fans of Richard Matheson, China Mieville and Steven King.

Sensitive reader warning: contains violence, gore, and terrifying illustrations.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no...

To quote a charatcer in the book: "Our problem isn't zombies. What we're fighting is something else. These things are smart. They're driven and fast. They have an objective and they stick hard to it, like any good soldier. They'll find us wherever we are; they're that dedicated. No place is safe."

Zombies ambling around going 'braaaaaains' would be a piece of cake by comparison. They say (the powers-that-be) that it's just a strain of flu and there'll be vaccinations out in no time. Of course, it's a lie. The virus spreads faster than wildfire, and instead of just killing the infected outright, it makes them stronger...and demented, violent, and prepared to 'kill without prejudice' to get the extra protein they need to sustain life. And what better source of protein than the uninfected?

The story follows the flight to safety of a group of people. Duperre pulls them together by weaving their story threads neatly into one thick vine of tension and despair, and the only thing you can be sure of is that you can't be sure of anything.

My lasting memory of this book will be that Duperre gave me one of those rare moments where the death of a character left me feeling empty and sad. (No--I'm not saying who...read the book and find out for yourself!) I didn't cry when ET died, and I couldn't have given a monkey's about Dorothy getting Toto back, but Duperre managed to tug my heartstrings and have me screaming 'Noooooooo!' This man is one skilled (and utterly ruthless) storyteller, and a name to watch out for.