The Bookwyrm's review of The Scourge by Roberto Calas

 



Author: Roberto Calas

Length: 292 pages

Release date: October 9, 2017

Publisher: 47 North


The zombie apocalypse in the middle ages? Sign me up! The idea to take actual historical figures and an actual event like the Black Death, and twist it a little to have it become a zombie plague in England strikes me as a creative premise for a series.

This first in a trilogy deals with a knight and his two knightly companions trying to rescue the knight's wife from an abbey a 100 or so miles northeast of London during a zombie apocalypse. This is in the 1300's, when that would seem like a really long distance on horseback, especially with a horde of zombies in the way. They still make the attempt. It seems mail, swords, maces and crossbows are actually good weapons and defense against zombies. The intrepid knights travel across a nightmare England, with a ravenous population, warlords staking their claims in a lawless land, and even French incursions! This is all leading to  a climactic battle with the horde besieging the abbey.

The plot is fast moving, the characters engaging, and the religions aspect is handled well, especially in an age where everything is seen through a religious prism. The battle scenes really shine, showing just how well an armored knight can do against the walking dead! Using real locations, and a main character who actually existed just adds realism to the story. I would recommend this to any fan of zombie and knight stories.