Book Review: Island of the Dead

Brian Keene, Island of the Dead. Lexington, KY: Apex Book Company, 2024. ISBN: 9781955765237.

Genre: horror and fantasy

Subgenre: zombies

Format: e-book galley

Source: Edelweiss Plus 

Brian Keene delivers some classic zombie fun in Island of the Dead. Einar is a barbarian enslaved in a galley. The galley is transporting troops and a mystery weapon to some war in a faraway land. As he rows, Einar is plotting an escape. A big storm hits them. Einar and some fellow captives end up shipwrecked in an uncharted island. However, being shipwrecked is the least of their problems as hoards of undead, zombies, are increasing in number and devouring anyone alive. Now Einar and his group of survivors need to figure out how to survive and get out of the island alive. 

Keene keeps the novel's pacing moving. There is some good action, but he also takes time to develop the characters and build the setting. Unlike other horror tales where the characters are mostly fodder for the monsters, Keene creates characters that readers care about. I kept on reading wanting to see if they escape or not. 

This is a light and fun novel. Einar may remind readers of characters like Conan the Barbarian, the one in the classic books. In addition, the novel reminded me a bit of tales like Sinbad the sailor and even a bit of Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island, for the island has its secrets as well. The novel draws a bit on this and that, adds zombies and horror, and it keeps you reading and entertained. 

The horror is there. There is some gore, but it is relatively light. It is enough to appeal to horror readers but draw in some fantasy readers as well. I liked how the characters had to figure things out. We the readers know zombies and what they are, but the characters have to piece hints and bits of information to  figure them out and how to fight them. In a time when it seems everybody knows what a zombie is, it was cool to see them through the eyes of folks just discovering the horror. 

I will note Keene gives us a bit of an open ending. Initially I was not too happy about that; I wanted to keep on reading. Then as I thought about it, the ending makes sense for this novel. I am sure other readers may think about the ending as well. 

If you like fantasy and sword and sorcery tales, you will probably enjoy this one. If you are looking for a horror fantasy to read for fun, this is a good choice. It can feel at times like an old school fantasy movie, so I wonder what if they made a film? Could be fun. I do recommend this for all libraries. Just display the book with other fantasy and/or horror books. I really liked it overall, even if it left me wanting more. Glad to have read it. 

4.5 out of 5 stars. 

This book qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenge: