One (Sanctuary Chronicles)

"The rest of northern Pennsylvania is peaceful and dead quiet, and it isn't long before we hit the border and the "Welcome to New York" sign. The Empire State, once mighty and arguably home to the most important city in the world, now brought to its knees in a virtual blink of an eye. I picture what the City must have been like at the end-lots of people means lots of zombies, and the carnage must have been horrifying and rapid. This is why we seek the much quieter northern section; no sense staying in the southern, heavily-populated areas and inevitably running into more former bankers-turned-flesh-eating-monsters than we can handle."Okay ....We managed to kill the zombie queen and her horde, but it's still time to leave North Carolina. In the past, there was nothing quite like a road trip, so we're heading to upstate New York. I know the area, and while it'll be really damn cold there in the winter without power, it should give us a break from any other monsters for a few months, since if they're outside, they'll be zombiesicles. And, since nobody's actually been moving to upstate New York in a really long time, how much trouble can we get into?As it turns out, plenty.DeeDee, Eve, and Amelie come along in the search for sanctuary, but the journey is unlike anything we've had to deal with before. It turns out New York isn't as quiet as I thought it would be. Not only are there more leveled-up zombies hanging around, but we also have to deal with other humans, and we're not sure we can trust all of them. There are tough decisions to make, a group to protect, battles to fight, and none of it is going to be easy.But it's going to be fine. Everything will work out as long as we all stay together.Here we go again.

Nicholus Schroeder, Readers Favorite Greg Rode cultivates a gritty form of inspection in this story that is delightfully refreshing in comparison to other zombie novels. Rode provides a delightful story that operates on several levels, juxtaposing a survival story with one that inspects ghosts, memories, and struggles to reclaim an ordinary life. Readers receive a contemplative dystopian piece that blends action with a wry overlay of humor and social inspection. Perhaps at no other time in history would Rode's words resonate so strongly as in these COVID years: "Over the course of my entire life, I've reached into the past for comfort during difficult times, and more often than not, I've found myself here in my mind, touching these pieces of my history. Now there is little solace to be found as the poison of the present takes charge." Fans of zombie stories, dystopian survival pieces, and literature astute in psychological inspections will relish One's powerful messages, and how they are framed by wry irony and social inspections.

One was an absolute delight to read. This book has one of the best plots I've read in the zombie genre or books that have an apocalyptic setting overrun with zombies. The plot was fun and had me hooked within a few minutes and the last few scenes were beyond incredible. Character development was a huge positive... the characters were life-like and relatable. Another positive aspect worth mentioning is Greg Rode's stellar descriptive style of writing. I'd recommend this book to readers that love the supernatural genre, zombies, and apocalyptic settings. This book has a plot worth reading and a cast of characters that is sure to tug at your heartstrings. This book is well worth your time.

About the Author

GREG RODE is the author of the Sanctuary Chronicles series (and a children's book he hasn't quite figured out what to do with yet). He lives in Cornelius, North Carolina with his family and two small dogs that would be of no use whatsoever when the zombies come. He used to live next to the golf course described in Shotgun Finish, but has moved twice since then. The zombies followed him anyway, which is a good thing since they keep him out of trouble. He is still not a very good golfer.

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