Official Review: Z Plan: Blood on the Sand by Mikhail Lerma

Momlovesbooks · Post by **Momlovesbooks** » 08 Mar 2016, 17:23

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Z Plan: Blood on the Sand" by Mikhail Lerma.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Z Plan: Blood on the Sand by Mikhail Lerma is the first book in a three part series. It is an apocalyptic fiction novel inspired by a United States Army soldier's experiences in Iraq. The story gripped me at the beginning and did not let go.

Cale is a U.S. soldier, six months into his deployment in Iraq. In between endless, boring missions, he enjoys playing video games with his roommate, Zach, and messaging his wife back in the United States. The missions had begun to blend into a sea of monotony, until the day reports hit the news of a strange virus originating in Africa. Then everything literally fell apart.

Finding themselves under a zombie attack, Cale and a small group of soldiers desert their military base and attempt to survive. The group's goal is to make it to the ocean and find a boat to take them home. However, danger and death lurk around every corner and the group is not all able to fulfill that mission. Their long trek through the desert leads to the loss of friends and the testing of Cale's endurance.

The author kept me eagerly turning the pages with his descriptive writing style. The battle scenes were detailed, and at times, disturbing. However, this is what I would expect from a zombie thriller. The author's knowledge of the surrounding area and setting shows through in his descriptions of Iraq and the terrain the group had to traverse to try to reach some type of civilization.

The dialogue is realistic and fits with this type of story. Many times we are allowed access to Cale's thoughts and feelings, as he is alone during much of his journey. I quickly became involved in Cale's struggle to survive and return to his wife and daughter. His character is well- developed and keeps me cheering him on. He faces many horrors, not only from the flesh-eating zombie hordes and human enemies he encounters, but from his own nightmares and guilt of how things happened. His struggle to survive the zombie apocalypse and make it home is a seemingly impossible task. But if anyone can do it, this U.S. soldier can.

Based on the above points, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I have become a fan of the apocalyptic novels since I became hooked on The Walking Dead television series. I would recommend this book to any mature reader who finds this subject as entertaining as I do. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, and would not recommend it to young readers because of the violence and some strong language. Personally, I can't wait to read the next book in this series and continue to follow Cale on his journey home.

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Z Plan: Blood on the Sand
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MikhailLerma · Post by **MikhailLerma** » 09 Mar 2016, 19:39

Thank you so much for your excellent review! I would love if you posted it on amazon. I cannot wait to know how you enjoy the rest of the series. Thanks again,
Mikhail

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 13 Mar 2016, 07:22

Sounds like an interesting book with endearing protagonist. I'm not much into zombie stories but this seems like a very enjoyable read. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Mikhail Lerma for such a well-written book.

chytach18- · Post by **chytach18-** » 14 Mar 2016, 08:50

I'm not a big fan of zombie novels. However, it seems that this book explores subjects and themes deeper than just zombie invasion. I think that would allow wider readership to enjoy the book. Very nice review, Momlovesbooks. Congratulations to Michail Lerma.