Release Date: August 18, 2015
Chance Dalton – Script kiddie who knows just enough to get himself into trouble.
DeAndre Mitchell – Black hat specializing in stolen credit card numbers.
Aleena Kattan – Hacktivist helping the cause back in the Old Country.
Reagan Stolper – Troll ruining people’s lives for the lulz.
Wade Earthman – Old time BBS operator finding the truth the American people need to know.
Hollis Copper – Fed charged with first collecting, then babysitting, the latest ‘chosen’ team.
Typhon – ??
The pitch comes as no real surprise.
Work for the government for one year, or do far more than that in prison.
Guilt, blackmail, fear, and just plain boredom guarantees all five agree to the deal.
Next stop: The Hunting Lodge.
Thrown together for no reason that they can see, the five Zer0es start the testing and assignments they need to complete to keep out of prison.
But the assignments seem to be linked in ways the team can’t see yet. And nonsensical words begin to appear across their computer screens. Speaking of dragons, giants, a ‘she’ who made the gods flee.
And one word in particular, Typhon, is giving them a bad feeling.
*****
Chuck Wendig is the kind of author that can go the back alley way. Where things aren’t pretty, are half hidden in shadows, and more dangerous than you hoped.
His writing straps you in and doesn’t let you go til the end. It’s best if you clear those hours so you can finish the novel in one sitting. You’ll be happier if you do.
I do have to admit, Zer0es is only the second of his novels that I have read (a situation I do tend to amend) but that is enough to testify to realism of his characters and their own self realization. They accept what and who they are and run with it. Much like the man himself.
I learned about Chuck though a quote about writing.
A search found me the blog post it was taken from and I liked the guy even more. I don’t trust people who don’t know their own madness and he certainly knows and revels in his.
Next came being one of his Twitter followers and the like grew.
I managed to read his novel Blackbirds before going to see him at our local Comicon this year. I had been forwarding tweets of his to me best mate for some time, so she was more than agreeable to coming with to his panel (she has a similar appreciation for his ‘unique’ outlook). His was the only panel we even tried to make and he did not disappoint.
I knew I wanted to buy his The Kick ass Writer book at the Con and then see about getting him to sign it. We got there in time where it was just us and him for a couple of minutes. I got my book signed, then both me and her got ARCs (Advanced Reader’s Copy) for Zer0es, autographed as well. He also joined in on our collective crazy, which is not always an immediate thing for other people. And then he favorited my tweet about it.
This was meant to be just a straight up review for Zer0es, I swear. I was going to write up here, then link it to wherever. It was going to be a thank you for the unexpected gift of the book, a good turn.
But like the title says, it turned into an instance of fangirling and I am not ashamed. Chuck ain’t just a good author, he’s a great guy. Some artists you feel a connection with through the glimpses of themselves that they show you, through the effort they put forth toward you. I will forever love John Rhys-Davies for inquiring as to how I made my living as if we were at a cocktail party when I got his autograph. Stephen King and Clive Barker were the two writers I felt like I could manage such small talk with. And now Chuck as well.
So do yourself a favor, pick up Zer0es. Then go to Chuck’s blog and find the rest of his books. But be ready for the real. Cause he can’t do it any other way.
Desert Words 