Cale finds himself in Iraq as the zombie apocalypse descends upon him. With a communications blackout, his entire army barracks has no idea of the horrors that are about to attack.

This appears to be a growing trend these days, soldiers and former soldiers writing about the end of the world. Often these books tend to have a strong alpha male / super soldier lead. Cale is not that guy, he just wants to drive his truck, do his time and go home to his loving wife and little girl. When Cale finally has to take a human life, it is a gut wrenching experience for him. This makes Blood in the Sand a fresh, new and different experience.

Mikhail Lerma does a fantastic job of allowing the reader to get inside the head of Cale, we really know him. For me this is essential for a good story; Cale is not just a character in a book, he is a friend that I want to see survive. Just like when watching a good horror movie, there were times when I said, “No Cale, don’t do it!” But just like in the horror movies, Cale didn’t listen. This really speaks to how the author pulled me into the book.

Blood in the Sand is a fresh look at the soldier in the zombie apocalypse. Lerma writes a compelling book, with a great lead character. What struck me the most were the dark realities of the situation that he was willing to go to, a truly fearless author.

This is a great start to a series that I am looking forward to reading more of.

4.5 Stars