Death Troopers: the instant I saw this book when it first came out I probably screamed like a little girl. I grew up on Star Wars and had quite the obsession with it as a kid. I also have a great love for the Zombie genre. So to see this mash up in a book is fantastic. But is it worth the ride? Absolutely!
Death Troopers was one of the most enjoyable space opera books I've read. It is hard to find good books (or movies) on cosmic horror anymore. This little diversion was refreshing.
STORY: The story was slow to begin with but once it got going it really grabbed me and pulled me in. The story arc was decently constructed and the character development on a good level. There were some twists and surprises that honestly caught me off guard which is interesting because it could have been completely predictable. Death Troopers, while still trying to remain true to the feeling of the Zombie Splatter genre, manages to remain original in its own sense.
WRITING: Joe Schreiber's writing style is entertaining but not completely artistic. There were moments where a well formatted sentence or a strongly written paragraph would shine with the writer's potential. But I feel it didn't hold up for the bulk of the book. The writing style does, however, outdo many other authors on the market. The style isn't a distracting diversion but for a student of writing like myself, it was noticeable.
STAR WARS UNIVERSE: This story feels like it could have been in another universe. It had many of the elements of horror and fear that are present in the movie Alien. However, they incorporate these elements of horror into the Star Wars universe fairly well. One thing I loved about this mash up of genres was that it took some of the camp out of Star Wars. I love Star Wars but have always preferred the darker "scum and villainy" side of the galaxy. This book manages to capture those elements I loved about Star Wars and cut out the horrid camp factor that is prevalent more specifically in the newer movies. In many instances I forgot I was even in the Star Wars universe. It wasn't until Han and Chewbaca showed up that the realization that this truly was Star Wars became readily apparent. It took me a chapter or two to get used to the fact that they were in this strange portion of the Universe. After a while though, it fit perfectly.
ZOMBIE GENRE: The Zombie genre has been screwed up by so many books and movies. There is a particular feeling to a zombie story that gets missed in many authors rendition of the apocalypse I was thrilled to see that this doesn't happen with Death Troopers. In fact, their take on the zombie is one of my favorites. I enjoyed the way they treated the virus and infection. It gave it a more lethal and more frightening atmosphere. (Similar to Alien, surprise, surprise.) The scenes when the sickness is spreading throughout the entire ship are so well written that I began to feel ill myself. Then the dead begin to rise and it becomes a wild, and graphic, roller coaster ride to the end.
Death Troopers was one of the most enjoyable space opera books I've read. It is hard to find good books (or movies) on cosmic horror anymore. This little diversion was refreshing.
STORY: The story was slow to begin with but once it got going it really grabbed me and pulled me in. The story arc was decently constructed and the character development on a good level. There were some twists and surprises that honestly caught me off guard which is interesting because it could have been completely predictable. Death Troopers, while still trying to remain true to the feeling of the Zombie Splatter genre, manages to remain original in its own sense.
WRITING: Joe Schreiber's writing style is entertaining but not completely artistic. There were moments where a well formatted sentence or a strongly written paragraph would shine with the writer's potential. But I feel it didn't hold up for the bulk of the book. The writing style does, however, outdo many other authors on the market. The style isn't a distracting diversion but for a student of writing like myself, it was noticeable.
STAR WARS UNIVERSE: This story feels like it could have been in another universe. It had many of the elements of horror and fear that are present in the movie Alien. However, they incorporate these elements of horror into the Star Wars universe fairly well. One thing I loved about this mash up of genres was that it took some of the camp out of Star Wars. I love Star Wars but have always preferred the darker "scum and villainy" side of the galaxy. This book manages to capture those elements I loved about Star Wars and cut out the horrid camp factor that is prevalent more specifically in the newer movies. In many instances I forgot I was even in the Star Wars universe. It wasn't until Han and Chewbaca showed up that the realization that this truly was Star Wars became readily apparent. It took me a chapter or two to get used to the fact that they were in this strange portion of the Universe. After a while though, it fit perfectly.
ZOMBIE GENRE: The Zombie genre has been screwed up by so many books and movies. There is a particular feeling to a zombie story that gets missed in many authors rendition of the apocalypse I was thrilled to see that this doesn't happen with Death Troopers. In fact, their take on the zombie is one of my favorites. I enjoyed the way they treated the virus and infection. It gave it a more lethal and more frightening atmosphere. (Similar to Alien, surprise, surprise.) The scenes when the sickness is spreading throughout the entire ship are so well written that I began to feel ill myself. Then the dead begin to rise and it becomes a wild, and graphic, roller coaster ride to the end.
Summing It Up
In conclusion, I loved the book. That isn't to say it isn't without flaws, but they are so minimal that it doesn't hinder the awesome story. If you love Zombies, you'll love this book. If you love Star Wars and Zombies both, you'll really love this book. If you are just a Star Wars fan just know what you're getting into before jumping in. A good read in the horror/space opera genre.
Deaths: Thousands
Language: 2
Gore Factor: 4
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 4
Deaths: Thousands
Language: 2
Gore Factor: 4
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 4