Dead Nations' Army by Alan Dale

Dead Nations' Army Book One: Code Flesh by Alan Dale
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It would be unfair not to mention that this author and I do not have a positive relationship. That is why I waited a considerable length of time before buying (at least I get points for that), reading, and reviewing this book, Dead Nations' Army Book One. Oddly enough, I have heard accusations that I reviewed this book under an alias. Good or bad, I ALWAYS review under my name. A review is simply one individual's opinion. So, with that disclosure done, on to the book.

I have the most recent edition with the re-edits, but it is still lacking to the point of distraction. The biggest flaws are in the dialogue and there are simply too many to ignore. Mr. Dale is a journalist, and perhaps the story would have had a better flow if he stuck to story narration. The rules of punctuation differ for dialogue versus simple paragraphs. The repetitive nature throughout was also a bit over done for me. However, it is his style choice and if it works for his audience, then he should not change it simply because others don't enjoy it. He would do well to study Cormac McCarthy, it might give him some ideas that will smooth out his delivery if this minimalist approach is to be his continued choice.

There is a story in there despite the distractions and Dale is unapologetic in his beliefs which are woven throughout. They scream from the pages, and that is perhaps the strongest aspect of this book. It is a societal metaphor, and whether you agree or disagree with his politics, he does present them in a no-holds-barred manner. Again, he has a background in journalism and perhaps would be serving himself and his readers better by ditching the zombie scene and penning actual treatises on political ideology.

While not for me, I believe there is an audience that will appreciate this book. However, Dale would do well to obtain editing assistance.