Reaperlands Review

After the apocalypse, there’s a whole world to reclaim…

It’s been a decade since the Viral plague that brought the dead back to life with a hunger for living flesh. The survivors have long since fled the big cities and resettled in the countryside, mountains, and plains, building a network of fortresses and cavernous sanctuaries.

As civilization rebuilt and reshaped itself in this nightmarish new world, there arose an overwhelming demand for the supplies and riches left behind in the remains of the old one.

A system of trade and barter formed around the market of these goods, a macabre economy for a dead world. Those brave or foolish enough to seek out treasure among the wastelands became known as the Reapers.

Gus and Oscar are a two-man reaping crew, facing down the horrors of a shattered world in search of its hidden wealth. But more dangerous than the undead Virals, and their various deadly strains, are the others like themselves, cutthroat scavengers bent on plundering the riches of the Reaperlands…Goodreads Synopsis

You can tell Roy Burdine works a lot in animation. It screams through in the style of his writing. Minimalist writing with each sentence chosen to brand a certain image into the reader’s head, Reaperlands is a graphic novel translated into written form. It was a refreshing read having just emerged from a story where I felt bogged down by adjectives and similes galore.

The story is simple, an initial foray into the obviously planned Reaperlands series, and the characters introduced have the potential to develop into ones you could develop an affection for, or at least an appreciation for their brotherly/friendly banter. The short story contains two illustrations that further the Blue & Red theme that Burdine establishes early on with his characters. For those that like the Resident Evil zombie mutation fun, Reaperlands brings on the beasts in clobbering monster form.

It wasn’t perfect. Stark as it was, it could be edited a bit. The minimalist style means that each word has to be perfectly placed, and unfortunately there are a few places where the author’s prose falters a bit. It’s definitely not for everyone, as I think many people might find it a little too pared down, but in terms of setting up the storyboard in your head, Roy Burdine does a good job. I’m curious to read the next entry into the Reaperlands series. I have to say this is the most dramatically written post zombie apocalypse story I’ve ever read. It’s amazing how cutting down the words can build up the drama.

Buy Reaperlands on Amazon.

Reaperlands Review

After the apocalypse, there’s a whole world to reclaim…

It’s been a decade since the Viral plague that brought the dead back to life with a hunger for living flesh. The survivors have long since fled the big cities and resettled in the countryside, mountains, and plains, building a network of fortresses and cavernous sanctuaries.

As civilization rebuilt and reshaped itself in this nightmarish new world, there arose an overwhelming demand for the supplies and riches left behind in the remains of the old one.

A system of trade and barter formed around the market of these goods, a macabre economy for a dead world. Those brave or foolish enough to seek out treasure among the wastelands became known as the Reapers.