Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella
The zombie apocalypse has come. One bite and you’re infected. Remy and his father are potato farmers inside the walls of a safe haven. It’s not a great way of life, but at least they’re alive and have each other. Suddenly, their little corner of the world is attacked by a zombie horde and chaos reigns. A group of men appear and Remy and the others think they’re being rescued, but that isn’t even close to the truth. He and his father get separated, and Remy has no choice but to escape.
Atticus has been traveling alone since his lover was bitten. He had to make a terrible decision and it’s haunted him ever since. Along the way, he meets a group of men who tell him they’re helping to save people and he joins them. Unfortunately, he discovers their idea of “helping” is different than his.
Remy and Atticus meet up and begin to travel together. Remy has a destination in mind, and Atticus, even though skeptical, agrees to accompany him. Somewhere along the way, they develop a friendship and eventually that leads to more. Atticus is leery of becoming attached, but Remy works his way into his heart, and once Atticus tells his story, he’s able to let Remy in. There are obstacles along the way and some very scary moments, but Remy and Atticus press on. Will they be safe, or will death follow and capture them?
I absolutely love zombie apocalypse stories. I have an entire bookshelf full of scary, disturbing, and sometimes downright gross books involving the walking dead. So, when I came across A Cold Breath, I grabbed it up. While it didn’t really cover any new ground, I enjoyed reading it.
Both Remy and Atticus are good guys. Remy is determined and Atticus is still mourning his lover…and he’s pretty cynical, but they click. They have a decent chemistry. Even though it’s a relatively short novella, there is a bit of a slow burn. It’s like I got to know them and really get a feel for their personalities.
The author’s style is straightforward and smooth. The chapters flow nicely. The bad guys are sufficiently…well…bad. I was able to really get the sense they are people to be feared. As I mentioned, the story isn’t new, but it is still compelling. I read it straight through because I was caught up in it.
A Cold Breath ends exactly as I expected, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s neat and clean and ties up nicely. All in all, this is a good story. My only true knock on it is it’s a little too short. I’d have loved to read more about Remy and Atticus’s trek, both to their desired destination and their escape from the bad guys.
I would recommend this novella to fans of zombie or apocalyptic or adventure stories. It’s also a nice introduction to the genre if you’ve never read one.
