*full disclosure: an e-book of this paperback was provided by
Permuted Press.
Author: C. Dulaney.
C. Dulaney's first book,
Roads Less Traveled: The Plan, is primarily about Kasey, a woman with a
zombie outbreak plan? Do people really have these? This title was released by Permuted Press August 24th in paperback form and this reviewer is mostly glad they did.
The Roads Less Traveled: The Plan is the first volume in a trilogy and this novel primarily follows characters Ben, Kasey, Jake, Zack, Mia, Nancy, Shannon and a few others, as they try to hold off the shambling hordes. They hold off these rotting fleshbags for much of the novel, but the introduction of some escaped convicts reminds us that human's are the real villains (again). The writing and story arc are well thought out. However, there was one issue that was a let down and that involved the short climax.
Ben and his friends escape their college dorms in Part 1 of the novel, titled "Down the Road," while Kasey waits for their arrival in a small mountain side community, called Mattias. There are infected friends, detours and some action along the way, until the book finds itself in Part 2, "The Road Home." Here, the characters put their Z-plan into effect by boarding up windows, preparing fortifications and by generally staying vigilant. This preparation is for effect, when a large horde follows character Mia and her
blood trail into Mattias. Then, some mild chaos is subdued by Kasey's constant leadership and a whole lot of ammo. Late in the novel, during Part 3, "Road to Nowhere," the climax begins, but the crescendo is short and tame when it should be taking risks and offering tension over several chapters. The final piece introduces these zombie survivalist to a group of
rampaging convicts, with Dulaney's next paperback poised to pick up the mostly action packed events.
It is obvious the amount of time and work Dulaney has put into this novel as the wider story arc can be seen near the halfway point; not everything is summed up here. As well, Dulaney seems to be following some sort of outline or plot path, so the book is constantly moving somewhere, despite some moments of melodrama. How many times did Kasey breakdown in the pages? However, some of these plot devices are meant to show the vulnerability of the characters. And some characters are a little less vulnerable and more sinister than others. There are very few issues of grammar here and the different conflicts kept this novel interesting for this reviewer.
This zombie book fan would mention one critique and that involves the paperback's climax in the "Road to Nowhere." Without giving anything away, there is a pitched battle in the final pages that is over in under three to four pages. This does not seem like a satisfying end to a 211 page novel. Surely more tension could have been built near the end, instead of simply prepping the second novel. There was one unexpected character development late, but Dulaney really needed to put a face on the antagonists. And really, the antagonists here are the scavengers, the backstabbers and the double dealers rather than all those shambling corpses. After all, who is more dangerous: someone/something who cannot open a door, or someone who can and who will help themselves to your dwindling supplies? Some of these dangers could have been fleshed out more in the finale.
Overall, The Roads Less Traveled: The Plan, was an enjoyable read simply for the fantasy elements of Dulaney's writing. As an aside, this reviewer learned that reading fiction actually improves the readers empathy, this week: "fiction but not non-fiction has the effect of improving empathy...because fiction is primarily about selves interacting with other selves in the social world" (Guardian). So, to stay emotive and to have a good time inside a zombie apocalypse, this reviewer will be waiting for Dulaney's follow-up, which hopefully utilizes more amplifying tension.
Writing/story/plot: 8 (having a Z-plan seems ridiculous, the climax is a little anti-climactic, the writing is good, characters are believable, would have like to see more from the side of the antagonists).
Characters/believability: 7.5 (believable in-fighting, organized convicts seems a little far-fetched, lots of crying from characters in this read).
Overall: 7.75 out of 10.
*disclaimer: advertising and promotional material do not influence or bias reviews.
The book at Permuted Press:
The Roads Less Traveled: The Plan at Permuted Press
Another review of this title at Zombiephiles (Astra Daemon):
The Roads Less Traveled: The Plan Reviewed at Zombiephiles
An article on fiction and empathy at the Guardian:
Empathy and Fiction at the Guardian
At Amazon:
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