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birdloveranne's review against another edition
5.0
Great story, as long as you aren't hoping for a happy, or even a hopeful, ending!
campmom03's review against another edition
4.0
The title describes the book to a T. If you are into apocalyptic stories, this one will rock your view. Definitely not your typical end of the world story, since Bishop takes what we have come to expect and throws it out the window. I am still out of breath following the survivors on a race to live in this new world.
This is a book you will keep thinking about long after you have finished.
This is a book you will keep thinking about long after you have finished.
anxious's review against another edition
2.0
I really did enjoy how dark this was, but man it just kept getting wilder and wilder to the point it just wasn’t enjoyable to me anymore. The beginning started off really strong and hooked me immediately, but ultimately became a chore to finish.
shan198025's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't bad. The whole theological aspect didn't bother me as it has others. I didn't focus on it, I thought it was an interesting theme actually. I would like to read more about this world.
jkellyjr's review against another edition
4.0
A visit to the White House turns into a crash course in surviving the apocalypse
Book Information
[b:Torment|9662481|Torment (Infinite, #9)|Jeremy Bishop|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328362797l/9662481._SX50_.jpg|14550148] was written by [a:Jeremy Robinson|12328|Jeremy Robinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1453948377p2/12328.jpg]. The book was published on November 4 2010 and is 334 pages. It is not a series but one of a group of 13 STAND ALONE novels in one universe all leading to a massive crossover. Jeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas.
Summary
Russia attacks the U.S. and its allies with a massive nuclear strike. The U.S. initiates a full-scale retaliation.
The president, White House staff, Secret Service, and a handful of folks who happened to be visiting the white house at that moment are whisked below ground where they board several Earth Escape Pods. These are the lone survivors of the end of the world.
When the pods indicate it is safe to return to the planet, they discover a different kind of survivor…...
My Thoughts
This was Robinson's first book, written under a different pen name at the time, but then later re-released into the universe he is actively creating. I have read and enjoyed several books in the universe and while not my favorite so far, this one is no exception.
The book is basically nonstop, on-the-run, horror-filled action. It does have quite a bit of religious-themed discussion so if that turns you off, think twice. Also---if you need a book that fully explains itself, that you can tie everything up in a neat bow by the end, this one is also not for you. If, however, you can suspend belief a bit and accept that not every question you have will be answered, the payoff is a mad dash for survival in an environment that most couldn’t even conceive. It is a truly horrifying story and though I didn’t really like the ending---I did like the book.
Recommendation
If you like action & survival stories and are ok stretching the bounds of reality a bit (quite a bit)—then you will likely enjoy this book. Recommended.
Rating
3.5 Nuclear Stars
Book Information
[b:Torment|9662481|Torment (Infinite, #9)|Jeremy Bishop|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328362797l/9662481._SX50_.jpg|14550148] was written by [a:Jeremy Robinson|12328|Jeremy Robinson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1453948377p2/12328.jpg]. The book was published on November 4 2010 and is 334 pages. It is not a series but one of a group of 13 STAND ALONE novels in one universe all leading to a massive crossover. Jeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas.
Summary
Russia attacks the U.S. and its allies with a massive nuclear strike. The U.S. initiates a full-scale retaliation.
The president, White House staff, Secret Service, and a handful of folks who happened to be visiting the white house at that moment are whisked below ground where they board several Earth Escape Pods. These are the lone survivors of the end of the world.
When the pods indicate it is safe to return to the planet, they discover a different kind of survivor…...
My Thoughts
This was Robinson's first book, written under a different pen name at the time, but then later re-released into the universe he is actively creating. I have read and enjoyed several books in the universe and while not my favorite so far, this one is no exception.
The book is basically nonstop, on-the-run, horror-filled action. It does have quite a bit of religious-themed discussion so if that turns you off, think twice. Also---if you need a book that fully explains itself, that you can tie everything up in a neat bow by the end, this one is also not for you. If, however, you can suspend belief a bit and accept that not every question you have will be answered, the payoff is a mad dash for survival in an environment that most couldn’t even conceive. It is a truly horrifying story and though I didn’t really like the ending---I did like the book.
Recommendation
If you like action & survival stories and are ok stretching the bounds of reality a bit (quite a bit)—then you will likely enjoy this book. Recommended.
Rating
3.5 Nuclear Stars
tristalpistol's review against another edition
2.0
I really thought I was going to enjoy this book. It sucked me in and I had to keep reading, but to be honest I absolutely hated the ending. I get the point but it still sucked terribly.
dancpharmd's review
5.0
I can't remember exactly how I stumbled across Jeremy Bishop's debut novel, Torment. I think I followed a link to another book that was in the bargain bin for Kindle books and this was one of the "similar books." I downloaded the sample and was so hooked that I didn't hesitate coughing up $2.99 for the whole thing. Not since the last Brian Keene book have I been so enthralled by a piece of horror fiction.
I'm finding that it's really hard to write about Torment without spoiling it, but I'll do my best. Nuclear war between Russia and the US breaks out and a handful of people including the President, Secret Service people, White House staff and some visitors to the White House for a Medal of Honor ceremony manage to escape the carnage by being launched into space in nuclear powered space ships in the vein of Project Orion. From there, they watch the destruction of Earth. The onboard computers monitor the conditions on Earth and are programmed to bring them back down when radiation has reached a safe level and the atmosphere is breathable. Imagine their surprise when a few hours after the whole thing starts, the escape ships start their descent back to Earth.
What they return to is a scorched Earth filled with the living dead. These are not Romero zombies (or even Boyle zombies.) In fact, I hesitate to call them zombies at all - too many of the canonical zombie rules are broken. But like the zombies of Keene's The Rising and City of the Dead, they really do work despite all the rule breaking even though they couldn't be more different.
Saying any more about the plot really would spoil it, so I'll stop there. The subtitle for Torment is "a novel of dark horror" and they are NOT kidding. The body count is high and the gore factor, while not off the charts, is quite elevated as well. Reading this book was like peeling back layers on an onion. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, the book would take a hard right turn and confound your expectations yet again. This is a good thing. While many zombie story cliches are present, the most prominent being the constant running from danger, the people, places and things encountered during the running more than make up for it.
While being sold as a zombie novel, I think it's more accurately qualifies as post-apocalyptic fiction that happens to feature undead people of sorts. While I am as serious as a heart attack about zombie rules for the most part, I am not so anal that I can't appreciate different takes on my most beloved of all monsters. What Torment delivers on is scares and that's good enough for me.
One thing I found kind of funny in reading reviews of Torment on both Amazon and Goodreads was that many people declared the book "fundamentalist" and "too Christian." I didn't get this vibe at all. While there is definitely a spiritual component of the novel (to say one little bit more will completely spoil it), I didn't find it to be heavy-handed at all.
Bishop is a writer to watch. I've said before that novels involving any form of the undead are a tough nut to crack because the visuals are so important. Bishop, like Keene before him, makes up for the lack of visuals in a crisp writing style and compelling narrative. In a world in which horror novels are 90% less-than-satisfying, I am happy to report that Torment is more than worth any horror (or zombie) fan's time.
I'm finding that it's really hard to write about Torment without spoiling it, but I'll do my best. Nuclear war between Russia and the US breaks out and a handful of people including the President, Secret Service people, White House staff and some visitors to the White House for a Medal of Honor ceremony manage to escape the carnage by being launched into space in nuclear powered space ships in the vein of Project Orion. From there, they watch the destruction of Earth. The onboard computers monitor the conditions on Earth and are programmed to bring them back down when radiation has reached a safe level and the atmosphere is breathable. Imagine their surprise when a few hours after the whole thing starts, the escape ships start their descent back to Earth.
What they return to is a scorched Earth filled with the living dead. These are not Romero zombies (or even Boyle zombies.) In fact, I hesitate to call them zombies at all - too many of the canonical zombie rules are broken. But like the zombies of Keene's The Rising and City of the Dead, they really do work despite all the rule breaking even though they couldn't be more different.
Saying any more about the plot really would spoil it, so I'll stop there. The subtitle for Torment is "a novel of dark horror" and they are NOT kidding. The body count is high and the gore factor, while not off the charts, is quite elevated as well. Reading this book was like peeling back layers on an onion. Just when you thought you had it all figured out, the book would take a hard right turn and confound your expectations yet again. This is a good thing. While many zombie story cliches are present, the most prominent being the constant running from danger, the people, places and things encountered during the running more than make up for it.
While being sold as a zombie novel, I think it's more accurately qualifies as post-apocalyptic fiction that happens to feature undead people of sorts. While I am as serious as a heart attack about zombie rules for the most part, I am not so anal that I can't appreciate different takes on my most beloved of all monsters. What Torment delivers on is scares and that's good enough for me.
One thing I found kind of funny in reading reviews of Torment on both Amazon and Goodreads was that many people declared the book "fundamentalist" and "too Christian." I didn't get this vibe at all. While there is definitely a spiritual component of the novel (to say one little bit more will completely spoil it), I didn't find it to be heavy-handed at all.
Bishop is a writer to watch. I've said before that novels involving any form of the undead are a tough nut to crack because the visuals are so important. Bishop, like Keene before him, makes up for the lack of visuals in a crisp writing style and compelling narrative. In a world in which horror novels are 90% less-than-satisfying, I am happy to report that Torment is more than worth any horror (or zombie) fan's time.
matosapa's review against another edition
2.0
When I liked his Kaiju series I picked up this book to try out his horror writing. It wasn't as good. There was nothing new (re: zombie tropes) and I'm too ob-com to be satisfied without figuring out/knowing the main question of the book. I disagree with others who have claimed it's a bible-thumping book. It's not but there isn't much else to take flying leaps of logic off of than religious faith being the answer. However, I do agree with others who said the female characters were a bit misogynistic and one-sided.
bookanonjeff's review
5.0
When People Ask Me For Most Horrific Book I've Ever Read, This Is The Book I Name. I'm writing this review literally over a decade after actually reading this book - apparently I either never wrote a review or the places I posted it have lost it over the years. And yet I can still do an accurate review, perhaps even better since I can now speak to the lasting impact of this book. This is one that to this day is truly the singular most personally horrific book I have *ever* read. It produced nightmares for *years* any time I thought of it. And that is exactly what makes it so great. It is truly one of those books that will haunt you in unexpected ways and places, and this was one of Robinson's (then going by Bishop to try to protect his Robinson scifi brand) *early* works. His newer stuff is *even better* - and yet this one was so phenomenal I can remember details of it a decade later. Though to be clear, this is one that if you're not as steeped in conservative evangelical American Christian thought as I am (and was *just* leaving when I read it originally), perhaps all you really get from this is a kickass balls to the wall scifi horror thriller. Which is still awesome in its own way. But if you're familiar with that thinking, if you're familiar with Dante's Inferno or the 18th century retelling known as Jonathan Edwards' sermon Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God... be prepared for another now-modern retelling of a lot of the same ideas. Truly phenomenal work. Very much recommended - with the lights on. ;)
mato's review
2.0
When I liked his Kaiju series I picked up this book to try out his horror writing. It wasn't as good. There was nothing new (re: zombie tropes) and I'm too ob-com to be satisfied without figuring out/knowing the main question of the book. I disagree with others who have claimed it's a bible-thumping book. It's not but there isn't much else to take flying leaps of logic off of than religious faith being the answer. However, I do agree with others who said the female characters were a bit misogynistic and one-sided.
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