#NetGalley #RiseOfOne

Excerpt:

'The outbreak began in springtime rumours. Then, the airways and cables of the world charted the outbreak and panic, as the disease overwhelmed every population. Bombs and walls of fire tried to contain it. Chemical purges charred cities indiscriminately. In all, Rise counted barely five months from the beginning of the outbreak until everything was stilled, from late spring to mid-autumn. A lone SOS in Morse code was the last they heard from the human race, before Rise and his coven packed away their broadcast equipment, their radio, computers, and TV, putting it all into the depths of the root cellar.'

What can I say? Vampires and Zombies?... Oh my! How can this be? Two of my favorite book character types in one book? How can this be? I asked myself, how will the vampires change when bitten? Will they become some kind of super fast, better dressed, blood sucking, over flesh eating, zombie vampires? Will they drink from zombie blood? Can they turn a zombie into a vampire? And if so, will the result be zombies who can magically heal after a shot to the head? The possibilities are endless!

After reading the two Blood Brutes series prequels I was more than pumped to get my hands on debut author Dixon Reuel's first full length novel in the new Blood Brute series! What a marvelous genre bending premise! I went into the book truly wondering how these two worlds could complement each other.

Rise, a vampire, and his small coven have been together over a century without ever having encountered another one of their kind. They have so many questions unanswered. How did they come to be? Are you born vampire or made? If so, how do you make one? They know they have special powers but how are they harnessed? What of incantations? The oldest member of the coven, Ogrim, has taught them the spell of homestead protection, but are there other incantations? After having pretty much circled the globe in their quest to find others, they have to consider the possibility that they may be the only remaining vampires and their questions may never be answered. This reality can only be compounded by the emergence of the blood brutes (zombies), and facing the lihood that humans, the vampire's life source, and sustenance, may be rendered extinct. The coven already has only one human to feed from. (Cypriot, Rise's longtime love) How will the vampires combat this dilemma? Will the chronicles (tome of vampire history, so to speak), the vampire Salter writes so meticulously and steadfastly be left the only evidence that they ever existed? Will the WarRiders, (vampire hunters, and the coven's sworn enemies) contribute to the vampire's demise? Who will emerge victorious???

This book answers some of these questions while giving the reader thoughtful, colorful, engaging characters you will find yourself invested in. I loved every minute of this story, set in the beautiful backdrop of the English countryside! I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and all things dystopian/apocalyptic! Even if you are not a zombie fan, I think you just may find yourself pleasantly surprised by this refreshingly different take on the genre!

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SECOND INSTALLMENT COMING IN 2021 AND FULLY INTEND ON PREORDERING IT ASAP!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book, publishing today, 12/15/2020!!!!! The pleasure has truly been all mine!

?????apocalypse-dystopian-zombies-emp favorites netgalley-read-202014 s kartik narayanan740 214

You can listen to the review on my podcasts available on Apple Spotify Stitcher
You can also watch it on Youtube
Or read more this on my blog, Digital Amrit

'Rise of One' is set in a world that has just seen a zombie (called 'brutes' here) apocalypse. Rise, a vampire, with his coven, is living in his sanctuary, called the Owl's Court. His companions are two vampires - Salter & Ogrim - and Cypriot - a human - who is their source of food. They have all they need, but Rise knows that their supplies will not last. He ventures out unknown to his companions and rescues two humans. The rest of the story is about what happens as a result.

The book is not your typical one with all kinds of vampire and zombie tropes. Yes, a few essential ones are present - zombie infections are passed through bites, vampires need blood and are averse to sunlight, etc. But the book's vampires are a slightly more enhanced form of a human being rather than being superhuman. The book is also not heavy on action or gore. The focus is on the characters and their relationships.

Rise, Ogrim, Cypriot and Salter are memorable characters. Each of them has compelling motives for behaving the way they do. And we can see the relationship evolve as circumstances changes. Their relationships have been stuck in stasis for a long time, and this was fine as long as the world didn't change suddenly. But with the zombie apocalypse, the change in circumstances puts a strain on all their relationships, and a new equilibrium needs to be found. The characters make decisions which are not logical all the time. I find this quite realistic since we are not Romulans, and emotions do play a significant part in any decision.

I found the parallels to the current 2020 pandemic - quarantine scenario quite striking. We are also unable to go out due to the fear of being infected; our relationships with our family members are also changing as a result of the enforced living.

I found Dixon Reuel's writing to be quite good. It is an easy read without dense prose. The book is slow-paced since it focuses more on characters rather than action. In some ways, I am reminded of Daphne Du Maurier's 'Rebecca'. It has the same feel with the feeling of claustrophobia and oppression.

If you d this review, please support me on
Patreon8 s Dixon ReuelAuthor 13 books168 Currently reading

JAN 2022 UPDATE: Two years on and it's fun to look back at Rise of One, the book that kicked off my Blood Brute series. It is a debut book, a first-in-series, from a debut novelist and a debut indie novelist at that. Looking back, I can see Rise of One's flaws, but I also see its charms. Of course, every writer knows in their bones that they could 'do better', but I think following that path and acting upon it lies the way of a particular kind of torment.

I let Rise of One out into the world knowing it wasn't perfect--but I didn't need it to be. I just needed it to be the start. Of the Blood Brute series. Of my indie publishing career. Of my author journey.

I've learned soooo much since writing BB#1 that I scarcely believe that I am the same writer as the one now drafting Book 4, Strain of Four! It's a funny old world. Please continue to enjoy a writer's debut and the adventures of The Vampire Rise.
-Dixon Reuel.


DECEMBER 2020:
And the first book in my new Blood Brute series is done!

I can't wait for you to read it - let me know what you all think of Rise, his vampire coven, and all their shennanigans!

RISE OF ONE is available now from all book retailers.

-Dixon Reuel8 s Jim C1,604 25

I received this thru a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a honest review. I would to thank the author and the publishing company for their generosity.

This is the first book of a duology and there are a couple of prequels. In this one, the world has gone to hell. Zombies (in this book they are called brutes) roam the earth. Three vampires and one human hide in a secluded home in England. Basically, they are in quarantine from the deadly outside world that is threatening to them and all humans. Sound famaliar?

My timing to read this book could not have been any better as we are basically going through the same dilemma as the characters are in this book. They cannot go outside because they fear what will happen to them. Meanwhile staying secluded inside is not the answer as tensions grow. We also need to venture outside to survive as staying in one spot is not the answer. How could I not connect with these aspects as humans are going thru this very thing? The characters are thought out as they all have different personalities that drives this character study novel. This is not a monster mash book where one monster is pitted against another type of monster. Yes, they do clash but it is a novel about the characters and their actions. I enjoyed the author's writing style as it is subdued and fits the current world setting. I did have problems with some of the character's actions. At times, they felt out of place. Also, towards the end she introduced an event that the character's seem to believe it is important but never went into why. Maybe it will be explored in the next book.

Going into this book I was expecting the monster mash type of book. Maybe that is why I didn't enjoy it as much as other reviewers have. Honestly, I believe the only reason I gave this three stars is that I read it during the pandemic of 2020 and I connected with it. If I read this last year or several years from now when hopefully the world gets back to normalcy I don't think I would even give it that high of a rating. 6 s Donna Heard100 2

This is a great apocalyptic story that doesn't follow the other apocalyptic books. During the downfall of mankind there is a coven of vampires hiding from the outside world and what lurks behind the walls of their home. This is not your average vampire story, these vampires will have you concerned about their safety and well being throughout the book. I can't wait for the next book to see their next adventure. 5 s Jennifer166

Imagine a world where vampires exist and a zombie apocalypse threatens their food supply. How will our friendly neighborhood bloodsuckers survive? Can they survive a zombie bite? Can they drink zombie blood (do zombies have blood?)?

There are only three vampires in the entire world and they know nothing of their origins or their place in the world. They've created a life for themselves in a walled-off estate, safe from the zombies. Their beloved human provides all the nourishment they need but for how much longer?

Rise, the most adventurous of the vampires, goes beyond the walls in search of any remaining humans. Rise of One paints an unusual picture of vampire mythology where they are not the apex predators. You'll find yourself rooting for the underdog!giveaway-winners4 s Gloria131 19

A post apocalypse novel involving the threat of a zombie virus and the enticement of a vampire coven, Rise of One tells a now all too familiar story of isolation and being stuck inside. Set after a zombie apocalypse has over run the world, one small coven of vampires and their one human family member, must take risks to venture outside of their safe walls and attempt to rescue and obtain more human members. But the terrifying legends of old are still prominent in survivors minds and convincing these people to opt for one horror monster over another, is not as easy as they’d hoped.

A fresh take on the modern vampire, Dixon Reuel creates rich and compelling characters in a setting both alien and painfully close to home. Her vampire coven is a symbiotic family filled with love and disfunction, jealousies and betrayal. Dixon’s writing is descriptive and nuanced, and her representation of queer and diverse characters is strong and enticing.

With a twist at the end that I did not see coming, book one of the Blood Brute series is sure to have you waiting impatiently for the next in the series.3 s Eden37 4

A unique premise and well written characters, this indie paranormal-survival novel is one not to be underestimated. This book delivers in many ways that popular books do not - no is safe, nothing is predictable all brought through the exiting telling of Rise's story; a struggling vampire out to rebuild his society.

The author goes to great lengths to show and not tell, often using the atmosphere and environment to reveal its context. The characters consist of a 'main' 4; three vampires and one human. All four characters have a strong personality and purpose for the tale, all being drastically different from one another. Rise as our protagonist is challenged by his need to survive, the constant want to grow his community but trapped by his fear of protecting his existing clan. A lot of this tension is revealed between the same-sex relationship with 'his human' Cypriot. The story shows themes of drama, love, survival, gore and hope, blending together quite beautifully. I often found myself lost in my imagination of this world, and honestly, this is how I know I really love a story.

All I can say is I really hope I can learn more about the post-apocalyptic environment, as this particular installment does not reveal much about it's land. I do however believe this is Reuel's way of adding to the uncertainty, also reflecting the characters understanding themselves.3 s Rowena AndrewsAuthor 2 books73

Just this weekend our D&D group were asked whether we wanted to keep one of the early storylines of a plague- sleeping sickness going because of everything that is going on in the world at the moment. Opinion was mixed because sometimes you just don’t want fantasy to mirror real life.
Rise of One runs into that same question from the beginning, with the dedication reading ‘This book is dedicated to 2020. What a year’ and you can’t help but see the parallels between 2020/21 and what is happening in the world that Reuel has created. Now, I fall very firmly in the camp that doesn’t mind when fiction reflects reality even at the moment (although if we’re in lockdown much longer that might change), and there were enough differences – I mean its vampires and zombies – to allow myself to be lost in the story. However, that might not be the case for everyone, and as much as I ended up enjoying this book, it is very much one that might depend on what you are in the mood to read.
This is for the most part a slower-paced book. That isn’t to say that it didn’t have moments of action, but the core focus of this book was family and the dynamic and conflict that comes from being in that unit and facing the situation they’re in. Rise of One is a great read for anyone who loves the idea of found family, especially one with a twist, because that is exactly what we have here, and Reuel has done a great job of bringing together a cast of strong, individual characters and merging them into a family unit that works well together. It also emphasizes the conflict when it arises, and it does – because they all have their own feelings, their own motivations and fears, and that drives their reactions and interactions, and it also invests us in that same conflict.
For all that it is advertised as Vampires and Zombies, it does lean a lot more heavily towards the former because of this focus on the family/characters, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it means that it does highlight a few questions that the book left me with. First, just general questions about Rise and the others, who don’t seem to know much about their own history, and the fact that they’re not your normal run of the mill vampires leaves you wanting to know more (however, this book one so there is still time). There is an almost worrying acceptance of their vampiric nature by people that have only just met them, and I can understand that in the framing of a world in a zombie apocalypse, sometimes you would just accept the strangeness, but it felt a little too easy? And might have been a way to expand that family conflict into the broader sense.
The action and the twists when they came were well-written and gripping, and I feel that the book could have done with a few more of both to break up some of the longer, slower parts. Although I have to say the plot twists that were used were fantastic, and I didn’t see them coming, which are the best kind of twists, and did an excellent job of hooking me back into the story when I started to wander. However, at the same time, there was a lot of exposition and info dumps, which can work, but here felt a little too heavy-handed, perhaps because of the slower pace. Don’t get me wrong, I loved learning more about this world and the characters, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of its delivery.
Overall, though, I did really enjoy Rise of One. It had a fascinating premise and executed in ways that I wasn’t quite expecting but enjoyed. I’m also someone who loves found family, and anything that plays on the traditional idea of vampires and twists it well. The characters were fantastic, believable and you couldn’t help but become embroiled in their story, and the twists and action, kept me needing to find out what happened next, and the ending has me hooked and needing the next book to find out what happens next.


fantasy indie-self-published3 s Ross JefferyAuthor 24 books313

Zombies and Vampires - what now!

You had me at Zombies...

Unfortunately this book doesn’t play out the way I was expecting, I was expecting something quite different and the book failed to deliver on my expectations.

The back cover blurb states ‘When a zombie apocalypse ravages the world, head vampire Rise rescues human survivors to feed his coven’ interesting premise right?

And it is, I just felt there was far too much exposition in the writing, too much time spent in conversations where not a lot happens and at some points we have these huge info dumps that deal with discussing and explaining Reuel’s lore to the reader and dismissing the usual vampire tropes explaining which ones work and which ones don’t.

The majority of the prose in this offering is conversational which zapped much of the pace that was built brilliantly by Reuel in some action sequences outside the safety of their coven. In these scenes the pace sped forward, it was exciting and engaging and then it would ease off again into a more conversational plot once they got back to their haven and it got quite tedious at points. But maybe that was the point - the tediousness of being locked in with a group of people... quarantine anyone??

But all is not lost as the sense of characters in this book is what binds the story together and leaves an impact on the reader - we’ve an interesting cast of characters each with their own burdens and their secrets and their individual thirsts for what they want in this new apocalyptic wasteland.

It’s also interesting reading this book personally and at this time as we are again thrown into another full scale lockdown. You get a sense of this quarantine in the prose, there is a claustrophobic vibe, an almost cabin fever that these characters are facing as they stay safe and secure in their coven (which is protected by some type of shield / magic force field) and the tensions that these characters have with one another and the humans that they have saved from the horrors outside their walls. I did really love that aspect of the book and Reuel did a fantastic job rendering that on the page.

Dixon Reuel also does a fine job at developing her own lore for these vampires and it’s very original and mostly human in the way they behave and act - there are also very cool world building parts in the story too. But here I would have loved a little more on what had happened and why there were zombies etc. this was pretty much glossed over in the book - which was a shame because I had many questions (who knows maybe the next book will explain it more).

I also really loved the Warwolves, which were an almost Van Helsing type of vampire Hunter with weaponry to match - which would have been cool to see more of these too!

But my biggest issue with the book was the lack of action, the lack of zombies vs vampires and there wasn’t much horror in this offering too - I’d possibly also say that it was more YA fiction (think Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness) in tone and execution. There is detail of bloodletting etc but with two of horrors staple entities (Vampires and Zombies) in one book you’d expect there to be some room for gore and gruesome scenes. But sadly this doesn’t materialise and this took a back seat to the character driven plot - which I feel was more heavy and used as a tool to develop and create the characters and world for the future books in the series.

The final issue I had with the book was pacing - it was all over the place and there were many instances where it ground to such a halt I found it a slog to get going again in my enthusiasm for the story... if you vampire fiction then definitely do check out this interesting offering from Dixon Reuel, it’s a series so you’ll have something to get your teeth into!

3 s Billy ButtonsAuthor 19 books129

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Rise of One (Book 1 of Blood Brute)
Author: Dixon Reuel

Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 8/10
Of the 16 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
13 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ s
“This is such an excellent premise for a novel: the human race is all but extinct, so what will a vampire feed upon? Although it's a rather slow and meandering read, it's well-executed and populated with a host of interesting characters. I sort of hope the next book in the set picks up the pace a little, then it would be excellent.” Male reader, aged 34
“Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. I the plot and I thought the author was a solid writer who knows how to concoct an interesting fantasy tale. There is a slight lack of zombies in this book and a little too much emotive wanderings. But there's tons of potential here. The author just needs to work on balancing character development and action, the action part being a little too lacking.” Female reader, aged 35
“The author has a very strong writing style which, although lacking in ‘pace’, is excellent in terms of ‘tension’. This is not Buffy the Vampire Slayer; it's more a thoughtful read but entertaining nevertheless.” Male reader, aged 28

To Sum It Up:
‘A cleverly plotted ‘vampire’ novel with strong characterization. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
3 s Jo503

Not my typical experience of a vampire/zombie novel ... a deep exploration of individual characters rather than the traits of each species.
Rise, Salter and Ogrim, three very different vampires, along with Cypriot, a human from whom they feed, have travelled the world for a century and believe they are the last remaining coven of vampires.
They seclude themselves in a quiet cottage, protected from the rest of the world by daily incantations. The outside world is overrun by Brutes (zombies) as a result of a global plague.
Each character deals with seclusion differently: Cypriot fills the cottage with greenery and is content; Ogrim reads the tarot; Salter records everything in the Chronicle; Rise loves Cypriot but knows he must go outside to bring back others to ensure the coven's survival.
Very well written, great depth given to characters, and an insight into the dynamics of a secluded household.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.3 s Shelby219 6

Post apocalyptic urban fantasy?

Well this was an interesting amalgamation. I was probably a good 30 pages in before I realized the main characters were vampires. So we have vampires and post apocalypse. Oh, and did I mention zombies? Lots and lots of zombies. Shouldn't work, but it does. 2 s Lauren Kelsen611 41

What an utterly fantastic paranormal post-apocalyptic story with vampires and zombies as the main creatures. From the very first chapter I was dazzled by Dixon Reuel’s beautiful writing and intriguing characters. I simply could not put this book down!! Will definitely be reading the novellas and every book in the series that comes next.arcs2 s Sue Wallace 6,456 79

Rise of One Dixon Reuel.
Blood Brute: Book 1.
To face the apocalypse, one must rise…
I'm a vampire in a coven that's concealed from the world.
A zombie apocalypse has ravaged humanity.
We only have one human to feed on inside our walls.
If he dies, we die. If every human turns into a zombie, we die. If we don't leave our shielded home and find human survivors, we'll die.
If none of those things happen, we'll be eventually found by our ancient enemies, the scythe-wielding Warwolves.
So, yeah. We're screwed.
A brilliant read. Loved the cover. 5*.
2 s Brandy147 4

This is a new turn on the zombie take over. When you start reading this your introduced to a coven of vampires and their one consort I guess you'd call him. They are an older male vampire, a young female vamp and rise, a younger male, who is the main character. Their consort is a young spoiled man who feeds them weekly and is loved and spoiled rotten. As time goes on we learn of the zombie outbreak. No one knows how it started but we are taken through their struggles after the outbreak. From finding survivors tifs at home and being hunted its full of twists and turns. A great read!2 s Fionnuala Black50 4

A superb opener in a long awaited series

I have been awaiting this book for some time now and was not disappointed. The author has created a post-apocalyptic, claustrophobic landscape where a vampire coven struggle to survive against rampaging zombie hordes while simultaneously being stalked by sinister Warwolves. Flawed, complex heroes with dysfunctional relationships, Reuel tells a deeply emotional tale, expertly weaving rattling action scenes with beautifully written introspective pieces. The first in a five book series, Dixon Reuel has knocked Book 1 out of the park. One of the reads of 2019.
2 s Rebel943

Vampire and zombie stories are always fun for me. This story puts more of our human- behavior combined with the vampire lore. Some of our ill-fated decisions are put onto the vampires way of thinking to make a fun new take on this paranormal group.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.arc-books-reviewed2 s TiffanyAuthor 13 books160

Rise of One by Dixon Reuel is a vampire, zombie, post-apocalyptic novel with a unique plot and very interesting way of dealing with the occult.

As zombies roamed, the earth went quiet. It is as if every critter knew that the only way to stay safe was to lay silent. Rise and his coven were running out of fresh blood to feed on. With only one human – albeit pampered beyond belief – at their disposal, there wasn’t enough food to go around. He must find other human survivors if they want to avoid succumbing to the blackness of oblivion.

I found the plot of this story very unique. Zombies and Vampires together, first of all. Second, the idea of Rise and his coven, surviving with one human to feed off was new to me. Typically vampires are portrayed as terrible, blood hungry attackers, but the coven pampers and cares for their human one of their own, and no, he’s not a Familiar. Add to this, the idea that some… other… survivors… called Warwolves are hunting them, who ever they are, and now you have some nerve wrecking, neck sucking, nail biting situations going on.

The characters were all very unique in their make-up. Women and men were represented in the coven as well as vampires of color. Even deeper than that, each character has an important job in the coven and as a family, they hold things together. My favorite character was Ogrim. I love the tough, and tortured characters. Also, his tarot skills were a big draw for me. His instincts and his relationship with the others in the coven just gave me joy. On the flip side, I had such a love-hate relationship with Cypriot. His neediness was kind of hard to manage and when the crap hit the fan, I just wanted more from him. Additionally, there was a little piece of storyline that centered around him which I wanted more focus on. On that note, however, this was how his character was supposed to be. This is not a flaw in the writing by any means. Reuel does an excellent job crafting the characters and making them feel real.

The world building in this book was okay. It’s hard to get too “worldly” when the story is so focused on the manor itself. The manor was very well presented and I could really “see” the home the coven was creating. The manor also helped to show the uniqueness of each character. I did want a little more details about the zombie outbreak. What I discovered after finishing the book is that there is a nice bit of backstory available to readers in the form of prequels and short stories! This book doesn’t focus on the origin of the zombies as much as on the coven but other books by the author cover that territory.

This book was written with a nice balance of vampire specific terms and laymen’s terms for dummy’s me who don’t read vampire books often. I enjoyed learning those new terms and getting some more information about vampire’s lives in the “real world”. Overall, this book was engaging, easy to read and the characterization was fantastic. This first book in the series is a great start to the legacy of Rise.2 s Ida Umphers4,272 33

I've read my share of vampire novels and some zombie novels and when I hear zombies, I think of how they are going to be interacting with the humans, i.e. hunting them. I had never thought of adding vampires into this mix and seeing how the zombies going after the humans would directly affect the vampire food source. This book is full of things that - interesting combinations of tropes, creatures and situations that you've seen many times before but combined in surprising ways that make you want to keep reading and finding out more. Very much looking forward to the rest of this series.2 s Annemarie1,200 20

I received a review copy from BookSirens.

I wanted to this, I really did. The premise of this book sounds awesome. Zombie apocalypse. A coven of vampires, living with a single human, having to look for more, because otherwise they will run out of blood. I mean, this is literally what the description says: Rise and his coven were running out of fresh blood to feed on. With only one human – albeit pampered beyond belief – at their disposal, there wasn’t enough food to go around. He must find other human survivors if they want to avoid succumbing to the blackness of oblivion.

Sounds cool right? But that's not quite what this is. For one, the coven has had one human for a very long time, so it isn't they're actually afraid of running out of "food."And their human has also lived a lot longer than should be humanly possible, so it's also not that they're afraid of him dying of old age any time soon.

In fact, the whole zombie apocalypse has given them very little trouble at the start of this book, with the exception of them having little electricity (but they didn't really use it much anyway) and internet.

So that begs the question, why does Rise, our main character, leave the safety of his home to find more survivors? He keeps saying it's because they need more people, but they've been a coven of four since forever. (3 vampires, 1 human). Why does the zombie apocalypse mean one human is suddenly no longer enough? This never gets explained.

And explanations are lacking for a lot of things. We have little knowledge of what exactly vampires are in this particular book. This is because the characters haven't learned that much, though they mention having experimented in the past. That's fine. What's less fine is that there are so many inconsistencies in what knowledge we do get presented with.

how Cypriot, their human, doesn't get turned when drinking vampire blood. First this is presented as weird. Then we get told that no one turns into blood from drinking vampire blood. Then we don't know if they do. Then we don't know why it doesn't work for Cypriot. Which is it? Is it supposed to work and is Cypriot special because it doesn't for him? Do we not know? Is it impossible in the first place? It flipflops, as do many things in this book.
Anyone we’ve ever let drink our own blood, they’ve never turned into one of us.
What if she turned into a blood drinker the rest of you? I don’t know why I [Cypriot] cannot.

There is the constant mention of Salter's black skin being more sensitive to the sun. How Salter suffered from even the slightest sun exposure with her darker, more sensitive skin. Every time this extra sensitivity is mentioned, it's in combination with her dark/ebony/black etc skin. All the time. So, logically speaking, those must be connected, right? Why else would there be such focus on it? But no:
"Because she’s black?” Maxine spoke bluntly.
Silence gripped the kitchen again. Rise, stunned, felt all his earlier
thoughts and plans slip away. Again, as if sand had shifted beneath his feet.
“No. I don’t think it’s to do with that ...” he began, although in truth
the coven had no idea"

Oh and Rise can read people's feelings and stuff but also never realised racism existed and bothered their black friend, who, when he could ride in the first class carriage, couldn't even get a second class ticket. Yet despite them traveling in different compartments he never had any idea???
Salter had never said anything to him about her treatment, back when the world was whole. How was Rise supposed to know?

But I guess since Rise is pretty stupid, it isn't completely inconcievable. He is the leader (or not, everyone looks at him all the time, but he also isn't the leader, somehow) and never listens to anyone. He also walks in on a girl bathing, on purpose, by being extra quiet, and then watches her, which is SUPER creepy.
He just watched her bathe.
He is also very hypocritical (as most characters are) because on the one hand he claims the blood donor has to be willing, but he also just bites someone all of a sudden. On top of that he's selfish and rude.

Cypriot is the human of the coven. He is "their Cypriot" but not, in fact, from Cyprus. He is rude as well. Is she stupid? Did you see her bleached head of hair? The length of her dark roots? Skanky.”
“I’m sure she’d had other things to think about during a literal
apocalypse, Cypriot.”
He spends most of the book sulking, whining, begging, tending to plants, and tending to plants while sulking. He feels a petulant child, with the vampires trying to appease him. Even Rise comments on this more than once.
But then again, Rise was the one who always bore the brunt of Cypriot’s tempers and tantrums.
Also, for someone who knows a lot about plants he doesn't know much about plants:
and if you trim the new shoots as they emerge, it produces a stunted little tree, kind of a bonsai.” Because a Bonsai isn't a type of tree but instead the process of producing a stunted little tree, making it not just a bonsai, but just a bonsai.

Salter feels very much a side character, only there because she's there. She writes everything down that happens. And is extra sensitive to the sun. Her writing is so amazing Rise is desperate to read what she has written about the recent events, despite him having literally lived through them. He's also too stubborn to ask and instead just steals her book...

Ogrim is the oldest and he provides some reason at the beginning of the book, by going against Rise. Oh, and he's rude. Which seems to be a theme here. Every character is incredibly unable.

They are this close knit coven of four who have been together for a long time, yet their interactions don't feel that way. If they had just met last week, everything would make more sense. There doesn't seem to be much of a friendship bond between any of them, and the romance is... almost non-existent and has no buildup.
Just ... stop fighting. I can’t stand it when the only people in the world between me and those brutes out there start fighting!” when Cypriot wants them to stop fighting, not because they're his friends, but because they're his protection from the zombies...

We also have the Warwolves (who are not, in fact, werewolves). They are vampire hunters who have been around for many years... They have only a small part in the book, and are mostly there to make the climax happen. Which I'm not going to spoil but doesn't really make sense.

The writing is weird. Sometimes we jump from one thing to the other and back again in the span of a few sentences, making everything seem disjointed.
Shh,” Rise changed the subject. “None of that solves our predicament of whether to let Ogrim drink from Cypriot or not.”
“I’ve heard it called the ‘zero times’ before, not just by her,” said
Salter. “"
... What is even happening here? And this is not just a one time thing, this happens so often. here:
But he could plainly see that his Cypriot bore a deep burden, had gone through something terrible. Rise sorted soup spoons from the rest of the cutlery and dropped them into their specific home in the drawer. But then again, Rise was the one who always bore the brunt of Cypriot’s tempers and tantrums.

On top of that, there's the repetitions.
“You’re planning to drink from her tonight?” Cypriot asked haughtily.
“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it,” Rise admitted. Perhaps they should. Perhaps they should drink from her just that little bit too long. He recalled the dark stamp of her tattoos against her paleness. In contrast, Cypriot’s skin [...] Maxine’s tattoos spun in Rise’s mind. Perhaps they should drink from her until it was a little too late?
I took out a few sentences at most, before it loops back to the exact same thing...
Or just weird things in general:
However this person died, Rise noted that we all must smile skulls in the end. ...
Even though his mind was on the two women and how they might react to all of this, Rise could only think of the gentle warmth that pulsed through their Cypriot. his mind and his thoughts being completely different.
Who knows what fucked-up science the humanpeople did to cause this plague?" and humanpeople...
Rise knew what he was now, something Rise had never known could even exist: a blood match. Rise could explain it no other way. Iskar’s blood dovetailed with his own.
And tell me this doesn't remind you of Twilight's imprinting.

So, while the premise of this book was super cool, it didn't actually follow this premise, lacks a clear plot, lacks defined characters, lacks a defined anything. I feel the author probably had a lot planned out, which makes it super easy for her to understand what she means, and less so for people new to the world. The characters are unable, and none of their actions make much sense. On top of that, not much happens in this book, which makes it a disappointing read in the end.
arc read-in-english1 Helen WhistberryAuthor 27 books62

Fantastically fresh take on vampires and zombies as a coven of vampires attempts to survive a zombie plague that has turned humans into mindless brutes roaming the countryside in devastating hordes capable of mowing down anything in their path. If that weren't enough trouble, the vampires also have to worry about a mysterious group of vampire hunters known as the Warwolves who seek to destroy them.

I really enjoyed this interesting perspective on the "surviving an apocalypse" theme and found the book unique in many ways. For one, the characters we follow are a conflicted, complex lot. They behave in sometimes contradictory or confounding ways but this didn't feel contrived to me. Rather it seemed very realistic to how most of us live our lives as a confused mess of emotions and motivations, but readers expecting very clear-cut, consistent, and even moral behavior from their protagonists may find this off-putting.

The plot structure is also interesting in that the first half or so of the book takes a bit more of a meandering approach as the vampires make some ill-fated attempts to find out what is happening outside their compound and add more numbers to their tiny group. Readers who prefer straightforward action will appreciate the second half of the book where everything starts to unravel in spectacular fashion for the previously isolated and protected coven leading up to an ending that left me hungry for the next book in the series to see where on earth things could go from here.

Don't go into this one expecting simple vampires battling zombies action--there is a more sophisticated and subtle vibe here. The plot of the book may also resonate more strongly due to the coincidence of it being published during a year that found many of us struggling with the balance between the safety of total isolation and the urge to reach out and make or maintain connections to a larger world. Your mileage may vary, but for me, this is a refreshingly original examination of vampire lore and, ironically, the complexity of some very human- behavior and struggles.fantasy-sci-fi horror1 Mc Chanster472

Damn, this book was completely unexpected, and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it.

The apocalypse has come and zombies are running rampant. Rise, Salter and Ogrim, three vampires and their human, Cypriot, have found a sanctuary of sorts at Owl Court. The coven live in harmony for a time, but it is not to last. Rise knows that eventually, they will need someone else to drink from and against the wishes of the others, leaves their protected home to find other survivors. He makes it back, but along with the two humans he’s saved, has also brought danger to his doorstep, and Rise will do whatever he can to protect the ones he cares about.

This novel was wonderfully done. I loved the dark, yet complex atmosphere Reuel created and I was impressed with the depth of her characters. Typically, novels with vampires and zombies are a lot of brainless gore, and yes, there was still plenty of action, but there were also so many layers to Rise, Salter and Ogrim. There was a deep sense of humanity in the coven and it pulls the reader right into the plot. Rises’ hope was my hope and every time there was a setback, I felt his grief. Full of twists, the plot was well-balanced between moments of intensity and reflection, and I am very much looking forward to the next Blood Brute book.

Thank you Voracious Readers and Dixon Reuel for my copy!
adrenaline-rush adult-reads arc-reads ...more1 ghost-hermione94 5

I was provided an ARC in exchange for a fair review

This is one that is going to take me some time to digest.
First I'd to say that I rarely read vampire books anymore, and zombie ones even less so, but there's something intriguing about the two mixed together.
I was not entirely convinced at first, especially because I didn't - still don't - really know what to think of the main point of view character. And not everything the characters did made sense to me.
But the story threads all seem to pull together in the final act, and suddenly I couldn't stop turning the page.
It's inventive, there's great morally grey characters who, although you may really disagree with them or think they're assholes, really make you want to know what happens to them next. I'm not sure what I think of Rise, or Cypriot, or even what the hell was going on with Elaine and Marnie, and I feel the author kept a lot hidden, perhaps for the next volume in the series. At the same time I really enjoyed the characters anyhow - and the fact that it was made clear when Rise was being callous and unaware of his privilege. Although I often find it hard to get interested in a book that's got an unable POV, and this was no exception - the first half or so was kinda hard for me to get into. If I'm being honest, what I really want next is a book centered on Salter and Annette.
In short: not really my kind of read, but still a good and interesting novel with a lot of potential for the next books.irish lgbt sfff1 Paul298 1 follower

What happens when the world ends

While there is a fair amount of action, the writing in this book has a
deceptively languid quality to it. Three vampires and their human food
source, safely ensconced in their practically invisible smallholding
are fairly well insulated from the world burning around them until
Rise, their leader decides to venture out for some fresh blood, so to
speak. Thus begins the slow-motion unraveling of the coven at Owl Court.

The subject matter may be a bit squicky (Vampires and zombies, how
could it not be?) but it is beautifully-written. As I said above, the
pacing is languid but there is plenty of tension. I found myself torn
between not wanting to put it down and not wanting to know what was
going to happen next. Which I think is one of the best things you can
say about a book. This is the first book in a series with a couple of
prequels (So maybe the third?) so don't expect a neatly bow-tied ending.

I received a free copy from the author in return for an honest
review.

i-own-it1 Annabel Campbell84 2

The world has ended and zombie brutes roam the land - what would a vampire coven do to survive? This is the question Dixon Reuel asks in the first of her Blood Brute series, Rise of One. In this first instalment, Reuel introduces us to a cast of complex characters living as a coven in the relative safety of Owl Court. However, tension is growing between its occupants, forcing them to confront the forever-changed world beyond their walls.

In a short space of time, you come to know the occupants of Owl Court intimately, and the intriguing web of relationships which holds them together. Reuel is not afraid to have us question her protagonist's actions, inviting us to put ourselves in their shoes and ask what we might do differently when faced with the apocalypse. Reuel's greatest strength is her haunting and ofttimes oppressive atmosphere, which she weaves through her writing with evocative prose, drawing the reader right into the heart of what it might feel to live through the end of the world. The story itself is twisty and fast-paced, with the perfect blend of action and slower, softer moments between characters.

This is an exciting, page-turner of a book, with beautiful description and intriguing characters - it will absolutely leave you dying for more.1 Harry BrooksAuthor 2 books5

Vampires and zombies don't usually find their way onto my reading list, but after reading the prequels to the Blood Brute series, I was hooked.
In the first prequel, 'On The Edge Of Salt', we meet main characters. The second one, 'Finding Home', introduces us to the coven's new home, Owl's Court, the setting for 'Rise of One'. Having read both of the appetizers, I was eager to learn more about Rise and his coven, and see how they navigated the world after the apocalypse.
Rise of One builds slowly, allowing us time to live with Rise, Cypriot, Ogrim and Salter. The characters and settings are wonderfully developed, and are gradually revealed to the reader through Rise's challenges of protecting his unusual family from the threats outside the walls of Owl's Court.
The novel has it's fair share of tense scenes, where the survival of the coven lies firmly at Rise's feet. Despite their individual strengths, he is their leader and his decisions will determine their fate.
As I neared the last few chapters, I found myself slowing down, reluctant to reach the end. Thankfully, the next book in the series will be on the shelves later this year.
I'll finish with one of my favourite lines from Rise of One :
“A man takes his thoughts with him throughout his life. Ideas, once planted, stay growing. Often, across all time. Therefore, think with care.” Ogrim, The Seer.
1 Sam2,140 30

An excellent well written fantasy story by Dixon Reuel! Brilliant! Super good ideas, characters & plot! I did really enjoy this & do strongly recommend this writer & all her works! Well worth a read! A great escape!1 Connie436 12

I won this book on Goodreads. Thank you. A story of vampires and zombies. A little different twist for me. Made it more interesting. Isolated from most everything in a hidden compound they try to figure out a life that makes sense.fantasy1 Terry Herres16 5

Autor del comentario:
=================================