Book Review- The Ghoul Archipelago

Summary:

After ravenous corpses topple society and consume most of the world’s population, freighter captain Henk Martigan is shocked to receive a distress call. Eighty survivors beg him to whisk them away to the relative safety of the South Pacific. Martigan wants to help, but to rescue anyone he must first pass through the nightmare backwater of the Curien island chain. A power struggle is brewing in the Curiens. On one side, the billionaire inventor of the mind-control collar seeks to squeeze all the profit he can out of the apocalypse. Opposing him is the charismatic leader of a ghoul-worshipping cargo cult. When a lunatic warlord berths an aircraft carrier off the coast and stakes his own claim on the islands, the stage is set for a bloody showdown. To save the remnants of humanity (and himself), Captain Martigan must defeat all three of his ruthless new foes and brave the gruesome horrors of…The Ghoul Archipelago.

What I Thought:

If you’re looking for a zombie novel beyond the typical undead apocalypse, The Ghoul Archipelago by Stephen Kozeniewski delivers in pirated goods. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill zombie fare; it’s an ambitious mix of horror, satire, and enough existential dread to make you reconsider humanity’s priorities. Just when you think one subplot might overshadow the others, Kozeniewski ties them together with a blood-soaked bow.

The “mechanism” (I’m cringing just hinting at it) of the undead is something I have not encountered in my reading of various other zombie novels. What makes this story stand out isn’t just the creative kills (although there are plenty of those) but the unapologetic way it holds a mirror up to society. Greed, corruption, blind faith, perversion (so so so much) and survival instinct are all on full, grotesque display. It’s uncomfortable, it’s ugly, and it’s utterly compelling. With the tiniest twinkle of hope of the future in the very end.

The horror in The Ghoul Archipelago isn’t just in the shambling corpses but in the very human choices made in the face of disaster. With various defined reactions ranging from opportunistic, to worship, to just trying their best to survive, I found myself gagging more at the moral rot than the physical gore—though Kozeniewski doesn’t skimp on the latter.

If you’ve got the stomach for something that’s as thought-provoking as it is gag-worthy, this book is for you. Five stars for originality, tension, and a horrifyingly accurate look at what might really happen when the world ends.

About the Author:

Stephen Kozeniewski (pronounced “causin’ ooze key”) is a two-time winner of the World Horror Grossout Contest. His published work includes the Splatterpunk Award-nominated THE HEMATOPHAGES and its Indie Horror Book Award-nominated prequel SKINWRAPPER. He lives in Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the modern zombie, with his fince and their cats. 

I love reading, and at times I find myself able to take on free book reviews for friends and acquaintances. If you wouild like me to consider reviewing your book, I encourage you to reach out. I am only taking on audiobook format at the moment.