Book Review: Cannibal Reign by Thomas Koloniar.

Ok, first off, I would never and I do mean NEVER have picked this book up, simply due to it’s title.  It’s got to be one of the dumbest book titles ever and frankly doesn’t really give you an idea of what the book is about.  It sure as hell wasn’t what I was expecting, I’ll tell you that!  I picked it up based solely on a recommendation from James Dakin, AKA Bison Prepper, one of my favorite non-fiction writers.

The book was written in 2012, the first novel by Thomas Koloniar. And while there are indeed cannibals in the book, they are really a small part of the overall story.  Basically,  you’ve got an “extinction level” event, with of course SOME survivors, and the story focuses on the lead up to the event and the first year or so of the aftermath.

Without giving too much away, the story revolves around an enormous asteroid colliding with the Earth. It leaves a new scar in the earth’s crust, dwarfing the Grand Canyon and what isn’t crushed is either engulfed in flame or covered in ash. Pretty much everywhere. Bad news for our protagonists.

Overall I liked the book. There were a few cliches and unrealistic elements, as in ALL post-apocalyptic fiction, but it hooked me right away and kept me engrossed til the end. My biggest beef was the sheer number of characters – it made it a little hard to keep track of who was who, especially with the lack of character development.

But, also like all good post-apocalyptic fiction, it made you think about the “what ifs”. I feel like a pretty well prepared person, but should an event like this one ever come to pass…well, I’ve had a good run and I’ll be sure to save the last cartridge for myself, if you know what I’m saying. I’ve no interest in a diet of “long pork”, thank you very much!

So with that, I’d have to say it was a good read and I’d recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in post-apocalyptic fiction. Thanks for the recommendation Mr. Dakin, I really enjoyed this one!

Thanks for reading!