What’s ‘Under a Graveyard Sky’ About?
Zombies are real. And we made them. Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse? The Smith family is, with the help of a few marines.
When an airborne “zombie†plague is released, bringing civilization to a grinding halt, the Smith family, Steven, Stacey, Sophia and Faith, take to the Atlantic to avoid the chaos. The plan is to find a safe haven from the anarchy of infected humanity. What they discover, instead, is a sea composed of the tears of survivors and a passion for bringing hope.
For it is up to the Smiths and a small band of Marines to somehow create the refuge that survivors seek in a world of darkness and terror. Now with every continent a holocaust and every ship an abattoir, life is lived under a graveyard sky.
Our ‘Under a Graveyard Sky Review
Under a Graveyard Sky is John Ringo’s first foray into the zombie genre. More known for his science fiction bestselling Posleen War series and his techno-thriller Paladin of Shadows series, Ringo steps firmly into the horror/apocalyptic genre with this debut book.
Under a Graveyard Sky follows the travels and adventures of the Smith family, Steve, the father, Stacey, the mother, Faith and Sophia, the daughters. What makes this novel stand out from others is its primary focus on how well prepared the family is for ‘common’ disasters. When Uncle Tom, Steve’s brother, calls him and gives him the code phrase for a biological outbreak, the family rolls smoothly into their pre-planned movements. Gather the family, load up the trailer, and head for the waterfront. Some readers will wonder how a family can be that prepared. As the event starts on the east coast of the Unites States, most of the citizens of that region are well aware of the blizzards, tropical storms, heat waves and hurricanes that happen annually. The basic planning that the Smith’s have done is not out of the realm of reality.
Of course, having Uncle Tom employed by a global bank and the ability to wire funds for a large sailboat plus provide them with credentials as contracted security personnel doesn’t hurt. As the outbreak continues, Tom’s global bank starts working with researchers to come up with some kind of vaccine. The vaccine is a bit controversial as it needs to be extracted from the infected in a terminal way. There is no cure but the vaccine might be able to safeguard a person from turning if bitten. Faith tests this theory and proves it a fact.
As the story moves on we see the east coast being taken over by the infected and the only recourse for safety is to either head for a well fortified, well stocked remote retreat which Tom and the board of directors do or hit the open ocean which is what the Smith family does.
With the Smith’s out to sea, there is always the problem if resupply. Sure, you can fish and distill ocean water but after a time, basic supplies begin to run out. It’s at this point where the decision is made to locate other watercraft and salvage what they can. Using emergency locator beacons that are commonly activated when a lifeboat is launched, the Smith’s find that they are not alone on the ocean, there are other survivors. The group starts to grow to a point where they form a flotilla of small watercraft and begin actively seeking out other survivors and ships.
Being a fan of Ringo’s previous books, the military/science fiction, I was a little disappointed in this book. Sure, there’s plenty of action, thrills, and adventure but to me the character of Stacey was a bit overlooked. She’s described as an engineer and the person who makes sure mechanical items are working but she had very little ‘screen time’. The focus was more on Faith and Sophia for the first half of the book and their adventures in New York as the Big Apple was overrun by the infected. The middle part of the book was focused on Steve as he forms the flotilla and makes contact with what remains of the US Government. The last half of the book was how Steve, Faith and the survivor Sergeant Fontanna cleared a cruise ship with some help from the US Navy and US Coast Guard. There was interaction between other characters and I know, the primary storyline was all about the Smith’s and their adventures, but it just seemed, to me anyway, that Stacey was more of a supporting character and didn’t have much to do but stand around and wait for something to break down.
Under a Graveyard Sky is book of a new series by John Ringo. If you liked his previous books, you’ll like this one for sure.
Where can you get ‘Under a Graveyard Sky’?
You can purchase ‘Under a Graveyard Sky’ at Amazon!
