Description
From the author of the Amazon best-selling Broken World series comes an exciting new zombie apocalypse series….
When Regan was a young girl living in the small town of Altus, OK, Kellan was just her brother’s best friend. Then the virus came, turning the world’s population into zombies, and he became so much more. They were only kids, but he saved her. Watched over her. Kept her alive. And he’s been doing the same thing every day since.
After living the apocalypse for nine years, Regan thought they’d experienced every kind of loss and terror imaginable. But when a new group starts wreaking havoc in the Oklahoma wastelands where they live, Regan and Kellan are faced with a new set of horrors.
When they cross paths with a teenage girl, offering to help seems like the right thing to do. But Regan and Kellan soon discover that lending aid to the girl very well could lead to their undoing.
Bette –
Fantastic Story & Narration? Never a Dull Moment!
The Loudest Silence: A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Novel
Oklahoma Wastelands, Book 1
By: Kate L. Mary
Narrated by: Heather Firth
This is my first book by Kate L. Mary, I’ve seen the praise her books received and the great feedback but I was on the fence about the whole Zombie Apocalypse storylines. But curiosity got the better of me and I had to give it a try. And I am so glad I did, the story was not like I imagined, it was so much better and so much more. Kate L. Mary is a gifted author, she creates an imaginative world where zombies roam around aimlessly looking for fresh meat. Only a fraction of the living world has survived, resources and supplies are limited and the going is tough. The book starts off with heartache, Regan’s family has been killed, her bother is on his way out. He asks his best friend, Kellan, to look out for her before he passes. Fast forward nine years, they have been living in a bunker type compound with several others and getting by. They go to other settlements to trade for goods they need but mostly stay hidden and to themselves. All that changes when a young girl appears at their gate. Being burned before they reluctantly let her in. They soon find that she draws attention to them and brings them trouble. I liked how this story played out, the camaraderie between the group, how they’ve become each other’s family and look out for each other. I loved the chemistry between Kellan and Regan, as much as they fought it, it was a losing battle. There were some great twists in this story, more heartbreaks and plenty of drama and action. I am looking forward to what comes next for Regan and Kellan. Kate L. Mary thank you for this wonderful story, you hooked me in and I am now a fan.
I listened to the Audible edition, Heather Firth is a fantastic narrator and voice performer. She brings these characters to life, gives each their own voice and personality. She does a great job projecting the emotions of the characters and the drama of the story into her performance. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this great listen?
Mark Kelso –
I absolutely loved this book. I love all of Kate’s books but this one has got to be my favorite so far. But I am biased, I grew up in Altus, Ok, and I knew all the places that were mentioned. The narration is awesome as well. I am a Kate fan for life!!!
RJ –
The title and back cover suggests this story is about survival during an apocalypse. There definitely is that, but it seems to me there is more of a love story here as the focus. Our protagonist Regan is a young woman dealing with her increasing feelings for her protector, Kellan. Regan’s brother dies at the onset of the virus that destroyed the world. Her brother’s best friend Kellan takes it upon himself to become Regan’s protector. Over the years, as they travel the wasteland, fighting or avoiding raiders and undead, the characters grow in many ways. Regan’s initial feelings of gratitude and companionship morph into something more substantial. As a young woman, Regan internalizes these new feelings and has difficulty acting upon them, especially after her long-term role as a companion. Hence, the loudest silence. Three.point.five I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Carole Wooten –
This was very entertaining! I picked up this book because I was in the mood for some zombies and I had heard good things about Kate L. Mary’s books. Once I started listening to this story, I didn’t want to stop and ended up finishing the book in just a couple of days. I am glad that I decided to take a chance on this one because it ended up being a whole lot of fun.
This book did focus on romance a bit more than I expected. I also have to admit that I would have liked to see more zombies. These were not big issues for me and I really liked the story that the book did tell. This was one of those books that I found myself liking more and more and the story progressed and I have to admit that I was completely sold by the romance by the end of the book.
Regan and Kellan were just kids when the world fell apart. It has been nine years since they lost everyone but they have somehow made it along with a small group of people that share their shelter. They have always thought of each other as siblings. At least until recently when things started to change. Regan wants to be able to take care of herself and be a productive member of their community while Kellan wants to protect her and keep her safe.
I thought that this was a pretty exciting story. I liked the way that we learned a lot about the character through their actions and I enjoyed seeing what they were willing to fight for. There were some pretty intense situations where I worried about the welfare of the characters. I was completely invested in this story and thought that the author did a great job of creating characters that I cared about.
I enjoyed Heather Firth’s narration of this book. I think that she did a really great job with all of the characters and the dialogue felt very natural. She had a very pleasant voice that was easy to listen to for hours at a time. I think that the narration increased my enjoyment of this story because she was able to add a lot of emotion to some rather important scenes. I look forward to listening to more of her work in the future.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy some romance in an apocalypse story. My audiobook copy also had a short story at the end that focused on two of the other characters from Regan and Kellan’s group which I also enjoyed. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author.
Shan MC –
Listened to the audio version of this story on Audible. It was a good listening experience; quality recording and a clear performance. The narrator does a good job; she fits the characters well.
I enjoy zombie apocalypse romance, so love the premise for this story. Plus, there’s a whole brother’s best friend crush thing going on that I liked. Regan’s brother died, but not before asking his best friend, Kellan, to look out for her. During the zombie apocalypse, that’s a pretty tough job; especially since they were in their teens at the time. Now, Regan is 21 and starting to feel romantic towards Kellan, but she thinks he just sees her as a little sister. Kellan is a little bit older at around 25; he cares deeply for Regan and will do anything to keep her safe. Love how protective he is! Regan and Kellan both have a couple of annoying aspects, but I liked them together. They are both sweet with each other. They are part of a group of survivors that stay in some type of bunker, so there’s a bit of story with some side characters too. Enjoyed the interaction between all the characters. We get lots about the relationships going on between the characters, some about the humans that have turned bad, and some zombie action!
Overall, an entertaining zombie romance! Love that this is a series! Excited to see where the story goes and see the characters grow. This one has a bit of a cliffhanger; not too bad of one, but there’s still lots of story to be told. Looking forward to it!
Also, in the version of this story that I listened to, there was a bonus short story. This book mainly featured Blake and Emma, who were side characters in The Loudest Silence. It’s about how Blake and Emma met at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, the trauma they’ve suffered, and how they found themselves with a group of survivors. It was a good backstory for Blake and Emma, but it’s sad because after getting their current story in the full book; I know things don’t quite go well for them. Still liked getting to know them more. Good prequel!
Malinda Spriggs –
This is the first zombie apocalypse book that I’ve listened to by a female author. Kate L. Mary killed it. It’s a strong story with strong characters. The narrator Heather Firth fantastic!
Although this story focuses a tad more on romance. That’s not a horrible thing in a zompoc. But I expected more zombie action. One of the characters Kellan was asked to care and lookout for our heroine Regan who has been basically sheltered a majority of her life. Feelings develop yadda yadda. I dont want to disclose too much as to give away the story. Its definitely a worthy read and I look forward to the next chapter.
John Mckeown –
his is a first for me hearing a women narrating and an apocalyptic zombie novel too but I do my best not to make pre judgements and dive on in, to start I must say heather Firths Narration is very pleasing to the ears and as the story is based more around the female character Regan I found it a perfect pairing. my only personal niggles for me is this is more of a love story set in an apocalyptic scene then the hordes, blood, guts and gore I’m used too. but if you are new to apocalyptic books this is a good starting point an I’m looking forward to the next instalment.