KINGS OF THE DEAD By Tony Faville

After I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Faville and his lovely wife Heather at zomBcon, I read his KINGS OF THE DEAD, independently published and recently picked up by Permuted Press, and enjoyed his take on the zombie apocalypse. The novel, presented in a journal format that may invite comparison to DAY BY DAY ARMAGEDDON (it compares favorably in my opinion), tells the story of Cole, an avid fan of zombie films and books, who collects a group of friends–calling themselves the Kings of the Dead–to pool their skills to survive the apocalypse. It was interesting to read a zombie story about people culturally aware of zombies, and that the actual zombies match the popular cultural concept–shambling, shot to the head, etc. The result is a solid read that starts out well and accelerates as Cole and company explore America on a long road trip. A fun, fast read.