Rise of One

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.

Rise of One
By Dixon Requel
Pub 15 December 2020

I really enjoy books on vampires and zombies. So when I discovered that this book had both, I became very excited. I was pleased to see that this is about a group of vampires that must survive a zombie outbreak and a group of zombie hunters as well.

This makes the vampires more like normal people in having to find a way to gather food and deal with zombies and a group attacking them. It was well written and very enjoyable and I look forward to reading more of the series.

#RiseofOne

I was given a copy of this book for review.

The beginning of this book seemed timely as we are, as a world, dealing with a pandemic. There is an outbreak in Rise’s world that quiets the human race. No broadcasts on radio, TV or the internet. Rise doesn’t know if there are survivors beyond his home at Owl Court, but he believes he must search for them to help the survival of his coven. Owl Court is home to three vampires and a human. They’ve been a coven for centuries and have been happy at this home for over one hundred years.

The coven isn’t sure Rise should look for uninfected people. They saw on television how some humans had turned to brute zombies before the fall of technology. The eldest believes the coven will survive just fine the way they are. Rise doesn’t want all the humans to die before adding to the coven, just in case their beloved human dies, and with it their food.

Rise and the coven face many obstacles, most of which are brought upon them by Rise going out to the world looking for more humans. The beginning of the story is a little slow, but the pace does pick up occasionally. The vampires don’t know much of their origins, but they do know they have an enemy called the Warwolves, who they hear hunt and kill vampires.

Rise is stubborn and believes he’s doing the right thing. He tries multiple times to bring new humans into the coven, but unfortunately, they don’t always mix well. The story is from his point of view, and I would like to have learned more about the vampires’ origins. The characters have different personalities, and it does add to the drama at times. The world is described well, and it could be any countryside in our world.

The ending isn’t quite surprising and does lead us to a second book in the series. After looking up the author, it seems she has five books slated for the series, plus two prequels. I am curious how Rise will enter the second book and if the coven will stay intact or if Rise’s actions will split them forever.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

I will be adding this review to my website, EveHallows.com.

#RiseofOne #NetGalley

The Rise of One is an interesting read and was not quite sure what to make of it in the opening chapter but was highly intrigued. By the fourth chapter I was totally in captured by this story and could not put it down.

We are lead through the story by Rise, a member of a coven of vampires who are hidden behind a closed in, lockaway farmstead as the world’s apocalypse has taken over making humans a minority, zombies a majority and a vicious gang of Warwolves who want every vampire dead. This is the basic premise of the story and Rise and his coven are not really involved in the world outside of their four walls but mere observers to the chaos.

Rise’s ideologies are interesting and it is his trying to see good in a bad situation driving the story forward whilst the other members of the coven have their own different view but are quite happy to keep in their bubble. When Rise ventures out to try to maybe help humanity whilst providing a fundamental food source at the same time, we find Rise fundamentalism being challenged which is the meat to the story.

This lends itself to become an interesting read and pretty much sets this above and beyond anything of this ilk that is out there. Beautifully written with every character good or bad fully realised and three dimensional giving the reader agreeing with the many difference opinions and not quite sure whose ideologies are correct. This is a wonderment to the author to be able to turn the heads of his readers through the reasoning of each characters. There is one character I strongly dislike because of her actions which once you read, horrible character but I loved to hate her.

Each of the characters are so well rounded and fully realised that you can’t help them and you have an understanding on how they feel and their belief system. When the tide turns against them due to poor decisions, you are on the front line for them and can’t wait to see how they are going to survive and make it. You are fully on aboard with them and yet you feel oddly exhilarated to be on their side considering on what they are.

The only draw back is the ending as this is obviously the first part but there were not enough loose ends tied up to make this a fully realised part one. A great part one is having lose ends tied up but have a couple untied to hunger you for more. In this book, nothing is tied up so we are left hanging until 2021 which is a great marketing ploy but as a standalone book, lets it slightly down.

Overall, I really liked this book and thoroughly enjoyed. I think this is going to be a discovered and trade book based on word of mouth because there is so much depth, beauty and horror that it is going to be a hard to describe to your friends but once read, it will hardly be forgotten anytime soon. Loved it but wish that the ending was not so open ended as I feel I am being forced to buy part 2 which I am more than happy to do.