Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile and Knowing Your Weaknesses: A Movie Review

*A review copy of this novel was provided by Gallery Books and author J. L. Bourne.

Author: J. L. Bourne.

Continuing with this reviewer's lucky streak, the sequel to J.L. Bourne's Day by Day Armageddon will be reviewed first, possibly followed by a review of the original, at a later time. This latest title in the series was released July 13. Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile follows a nameless narrator, as he does his best to survive a zombie riddled landscape. Robotic initially, this character begins to show some life with insights into the central character's emotional state, later in the pages.

The first hundred to one hundred and fifty pages of this book are much too dry and the pages are full of too much military strategy. This is great material for viewers looking for a how-to book on US Naval Operations. Others might be looking for something a little more human. However at approximately the middle portion of the novel, characterizations are more complexly drawn: "I just couldn’t get into the short, direct journal entries filled with military jargon...after about 100 pages in the story really started making pace and I started enjoying it" (Jahier). Sarah, of Fatally Yours, was impressed by this novel in the same way, as this reviewer. The second part of the novel will finally let you into the stressed psyche of the central protagonist.

The first feeling word is not used until page 148 with: "the rain was making me miserable, and I wanted nothing more than to build a fire somewhere" (Bourne). Other feelings follow: "the soreness and sensitivity were virtually gone" (Bourne, 148), "the sound of metal got louder and drove me mad" (Bourne, 149), and "the fact that there were large undead inmates in orange jumpsuits and chains coming at me [is what] made me so nervous" (Bourne, 151). Following a feeling, flawed hero allows readers to identify with the main character. Otherwise, reading Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile is much like watching a robot go through the motions; identifying with a non-feeling entity is frustrating at times and boring in others.

For a brief aside and for the benefit of the reader, let us take at the plot developments so far. The narrator writes journal entries of his time at Hotel 23, which is a converted nuclear missile silo. Now, this locale serves as a rendezvous point for survivors in the area. In short order, other survivors are brought to this location through chopper rides, as the world goes to hell. Zombies are everywhere and they are soon also at the front gates of Hotel 23.

Now that you are caught up, Bourne finally finds his stride in the final third of the book. Here, the hero is finally showing some faults e.g through sickness, clumsy falls, and through communication with other characters. Yes, the book takes this long to for the main character to begin addressing others! Otherwise, the dialogue is simply orders, commands or military strategy. When the character begins to show some humanness, is when this book reviewer finally became invested in the novel.

Going back to the plot for a minute, the main character, a Marine officer, finds himself down 200 miles behind zombie lines, due to a helicopter crash. The protagonist must now journey all the way back to Hotel 23, located in Texas. This journey is full of shadowing airplanes, mutated zombies, and armed, mysterious men. The ingenuity showed by the character in these situations is what helps pass the time.

The drawbacks of an inhuman hero, who is flawless early makes this novel a hard recommend. The transition from automaton to flawed hero takes much too long. Yet, writing is about progression and author Bourne seems to recognize some of his own flaws in the story. So, this reviewer will go out on a rotting limb and give this thriller the thumb's up. Hopefully, future novels will focus more on building characters, rather than offering mundane military details.

Overall: 6.25 out of 10 (some missed opportunities early, recovers well).

Read a second review of this title by Sarah Jahier, at Fatally Yours:

Day by Day Armageddon Reviewed at Fatally Yours

J.L. Bourne's official website can be located here:

Day by Day Armageddon at J. L. Bourne.com

Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA

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