Omega Zero is a different breed of post-apocalyptic survival novel. Unlike many books in this genre, you won't find any political agenda behind this tale. Nor will you be subjected to religious proselytizing from superhuman "preppers" with automatic weapons and two years worth of food in a hidden shelter. At 54,000 words, Omega Zero doesn't give you any useful tips for surviving the end of the world as we know it, and is zombie-free.
So why on earth should you read Omega Zero? Give it a chance, and you'll soon be engrossed in a harrowing tale full of unforeseen twists and brutal acts of violence. You'll be introduced to a neurotoxic viral outbreak that is making mincemeat out of mankind, and you'll learn about it along with the protagonist. Speaking of protagonists, Omega Zero's main man is so flawed that you'll cringe at his careless, selfish mistakes. You probably won't even like the guy at first. But I guarantee he'll grow on you.
Here's a spoiler-free rundown. After a drug deal goes bad, Trent, a former Marine turned meth dealer, flees into the dense forests of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Weeks later, the starving fugitive returns to find the world around him ravaged by a mysterious illness.
Following a brutal gunfight with a hostile stranger and a trek through an abandoned, corpse-littered neighborhood, Trent is left with more questions than answers. He happens across a young woman named Emily who offers shelter in her deceased father's home.
Believing themselves to be immune to the deadly virus, the two survivors form a tenuous bond. However, Trent and Emily will be put to the test as they encounter vicious enemies lying in wait at every turn.
They will soon discover that nothing is what it seems and that survival is far from certain.
Omega Zero is a pretty violent book, with a lot of salty language and gore. Yet it's also a study of loyalty, kinship, and perseverance when trust is an antiquated notion of a world long dead. Everything in Omega Zero happens for a reason, and every action has a consequence. In this story, escaping the past is as impossible as avoiding the future. And what a dark future it is...
Omega Zero might appeal to fans of Stephen King's "The Stand," arguably one of the greatest books ever written. Add in a dash of the old Twilight Zone TV show, and a pinch of AMC's Breaking Bad, and you've got a mind-bending tale of misfortune and fate during an incurable plague. Did I mention that it's less than a buck to download to your Kindle, and completely DRM free?