Rust-Colored Rain

Wrack and Ruin, Book 1

By: Otto Schafer

Narrated by: A.J Carter

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The world was ready to defend against an asteroid of epic proportions… but nobody was ready for what came after.

On the last day of normality in Mackinaw, Illinois, Oliver McCallister thinks his worst problem is figuring out how to come clean to his wife about the secret he’s been keeping from her. Zoe McCallister thinks her worst problem is squeezing in an errand at the courthouse before another long day of nursing classes—and worrying about whatever Oliver is hiding from her.

Oliver has just started his garbage route when an emergency broadcast announces the arrival of a ten-kilometer-long asteroid. A nuclear strike successfully destroys the asteroid and turns the sky into a canvas of crimson clouds. People cheer. They dance in the rust-colored rain falling from the clouds. It seems the apocalypse has been avoided.

But the apocalypse isn’t happening to people, it’s happening inside them.

First their eyes bleed. A ravenous hunger consumes them. Their sanity breaks. Then they become… the undead.

As the apocalypse unfolds, Oliver battles the undead to rescue a wise-beyond-her-years six-year-old named Jurnee and make his way back home, where he hopes he’ll find Zoe and safety. Before they can be reunited, Zoe must band together with a group of survivors to dodge the infectious red rains and escape a zombie-infested courthouse.

Will Zoe’s medical knowledge, Oliver’s protective instincts, and Jurnee’s indomitable spirit be enough for them to find safe refuge in this new and frightening world? Will Oliver and Zoe be able to repair their strained marriage, or will this dire situation push them further apart?

Rust-Colored Rain is the first book in a thrilling new science fiction zombie series from the author of the award-winning God Stones series. If you’re yearning for a character-driven thrill ride, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and brain-craving zombies, then you’ll love Otto Schafer’s Rust-Colored Rain.

©2023 Otto Schafer (P)2023 Otto Schafer

A.J. Carter brought this book to life!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thoroughly loved and found myself completely entrenched in this first book of the Wrack and Ruin series! This is the zombie romance I didn't know I needed. Oliver a city worker, and his wife Zoe a nurse, going about their mundane lives when the unthinkable happens. And it happens fast, boom, zombies! While there's definitely graphic violence and gore in Mr. Schafer's book, the horror for me were the regular people before they were turned. Holy hell, just when you thought humanity couldn't get worse! The original artwork strewn throughout the book depicts an utterly terrifying world, but beneath all the gore lies a romance and a love story between a husband and wife fighting for their lives. Did I mention that nurses are bad ass in the face of adversity?!
[Spoiler ahead]

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Chuck picked something off her cheek and looked at it as if he were staring into a crystal ball. He brought the grey matter to his nose and drew in a deep breath. “Oh, yes!” he breathed. “It smells like… like a flower… like the sweetest flower!” Horror gripped Zoe as she watched Chuck pop the grey matter into his mouth like a gumdrop.

Awesome and Realistic

I’m pretty picky when it comes to zombie media. Coming from an American, military family with a dad that scoffs at the screen saying “that would never happen that way,” I was pleased that this felt so believable.

The ONLY thing I really struggled suspending my belief on is the Asteroid seeming to appear out of nowhere. Perhaps it’ll come out in later books that we’d been tracking it and it was just attempted to be kept a secret? I am just very aware that we track everything in our solar system so thoroughly it’s more well known than our oceans. So, since everything else is so thoroughly considered, I hope to have that explained in the future.

Maybe they meet an astronomy hobbyist that tells them about how they’ve been tracking this thing for a while or something, the governments been keeping it a secret, all that. Anyway.

The rest of the book was solid. I never knew from one moment to the next who was gonna get hurt, and honestly, the “over the top” performance from the reader just gave me more energy. I listened to this whole thing in a day while cleaning and loved it.

There were enough twists and hints and drama to really keep me interested. I hated every time I had to pause it to answer someone!

I’m looking forward to more!

Exceptional listen

Loved the overall story and the characters. Can’t wait for the next book to continue the story!!!

this book is fantastic

I am a huge fan of the genre and this was a while new twisted, I wasn't sure I would enjoy. I'll tell you what though I did several points of the story. had me gripping my steering wheel tight as I listened driving home at night in the dark alone. the author did a fantastic job of capturing the fear of what this type of apocalyptic event would bring. fantastic job Mr. Schaefer. I'm looking forward to reading book two.

refreshing

I loved it only had a few characters, it wasn't overwhelming and it was easy to follow. Loved the pitbull in the story!

Really enjoyed this book

Different take on how the virus starts loved the book can not wait for book 2

Hooked

I was hooked from the start and I stayed hooked all the way through, can't wait for book 2!

A fantastic story in my favorite genre!

Loved every second of this story! Looking forward to book two! Super excited about the dog not being the normal dog in these story’s! Using my favorite breed of dog as a companion really stood out!

new elements of danger

he took a already dire situation and add a new element to the Rick of trying to live in the world of the undead

A semi interesting take on zombies but still enjoyable

It's your run of the mill zombie story but you actually have a tangible reason behind why it's happening. There's a back and forth between characters because it's set on a couple and not just one person. Which for some can be a downside and the narrator doesn't have a major Flux between characters so you do have to pay attention at times.
The story did feel slightly lackluster and short but that is a personal opinion based off of my desire of trying to figure things out as well as how few locations or characters there are. Not a negative towards the book. Simply my preference.
Over all it's a decent story. I do wish there was more but all readers do. I will definitely be looking forward for the next book