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2.00
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Ritual Chill

Altered States Book One

Cursed in fathomless ways, the future awaites...

Author:
Andy Boot

Cover Artist:
Michael Herring

First Edition

Release Date:
September, 2005

Cover Price:
$6.50

ISBN-10:
0-373-62581-2


Graphic Audio MP3 CD

Release Date:
October, 2005

Cover Price:
$19.99

ISBN-13:
978-1-599-50002-7


Graphic Audio MP3 Download

Release Date:
October, 2005

Cover Price:
$12.99


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Teaser:

A cold sense of dèjá vu becomes reality as the group emerges from a gateway they'd survived before -- a grim graveyard of lost friends and nightmares. The consuming need to escape the dangerous melancholy of the place forces Ryan and company onto the frozen tundra, where an even greater menace awaits. The forbidding land harbors a dying tribe -- cursed members of the ancient Inuit, who seize the arrival of Ryan and his band as their last hope to appease angry gods... by offering them up as human sacrifice.

In the Deathlands, the price for survival is the constant fear of death.

Back Cover:

Blood Sunset

Time, and the fallout of a nuclear holocaust, have ravaged 21st century America, but one fundamental impulse of human nature remains: the will to survive. And only the strongest do survive. Men like Ryan Cawdor, whose inner strength and stubborn resolve continue to defy the worst that Deathlands offers. With grim determination, he and his warrior group continue to face the stark and brutal choices of this new world that are often not choices at all, but imperatives. Act first, ask questions later.

Strange Quarry

A cold sense of dèjá vu becomes reality as the group emerges from a gateway they'd survived before -- a grim graveyard of lost friends and nightmares. The consuming need to escape the dangerous melancholy of the place forces Ryan and company onto the frozen tundra, where an even greater menace awaits. The forbidding land harbors a dying tribe -- cursed members of the ancient Inuit, who seize the arrival of Ryan and his band as their last hope to appease angry gods... by offering them up as human sacrifice.

In the Deathlands, the price for survival is the constant fear of death.

Reviews:

3
Chills the brain!
by Jodes
Ever eat ice cream or a slush too fast and get brain freeze? That's how I felt during parts of this book (beginning, middle and end!). Truely painful!

Well afte re-reading this book, I must say it did have a few moments, but overall it was pretty bad. I'm being really generous with a 3!

First off, obviously the author hasn't read any of the past books OR has listen to the Cutting Audio productions.

This was the 3rd time they have been to this particular redoubt, maybe the 4th. What did they do right off the bat the last time they got there? They JUMPED OUT straight away.

Why couldn't they have done that and been stuck somewhere else? No real reason given to that. The "villians" were very poorly written, especially at the mashed together ending.

Next, the whole way Doc was written. Was this an attempt to show his fragile mind? I frankly felt as confused as Doc does sometimes, becuase you really didn't know why he was losing it. Was it a fever? Was it too many mat trans jumps? Was it due to going back to the Alaska redoubt? Why bring Lori in and not Emily? Finally, why does he become Jordan?

Then there's the house with the pictures in maps in it. The author dangles a really cool angle in front of us, and you guessed it.. It doesn't come into play again.

Finally's there is what has been mentioned before with the plasex.. Why in one area it's lit with a fuse and the next time they use it they have detonators? Is this in the same lines as the "mystery M-4000 Scattergun appearing in two places at the same time in Damnation Road Show?"

It's called EDITING people!


What did I like about it? Not much! I did like how Doc goes straight to Lori's quarters and goes through her clothes to see if there's any essence of her left. Now that may give some reasoning to Doc's madness, trying to see if there was at least one memory of Lori to hold on to, but again it was quickly discarded. Having Jak and Mildred also affected by this redoubt also could bave been explored more, but it was summed up decently.

I also didn't mind the change of pace of the characters battling the elements. It shows that even some of the strongest souls can be affected by the outside world, that anything can happen when fatigue combined with the overall situation overwhelm your senses.


Oh and the meat that the companions were fed did make my mouth water, but for the rest of the story..
BLECH!



 
1
Ugh.
by Jolu
This is the first Deathlands book I have not been able to finish. I started reading them several years ago, and I know that I haven't read the better ones yet, but this is the worst one I have read thus far.
 
1
Waste of ink and paper
by Highlander
I've seen on amazon.com that there are 5 authors doing the series. This author, Andy Boot, needs to read some the older books.

Wrong calibers for weapons, JB not knowing that C-4 can;t be set off by a burning fuse.

According to this site, the top 10 books are all OL. This book was almost enough to stop me from reading DL. It's that bad
 
9
Huh? What are you revewers talking about?
by Joltwalker

Hi there! I had to read this book "Ritual Chill" after seeing the very bad reviews that others here had given it. What in the world are you guys talking about? This book dwells alot on my favorite character, Doc Tanner, and past experiences with Lori and the Alaska redoubt. The depression/ madness creeps in and he becomes catatonic, then later assumes the character of Joseph Jordan. I think what people don't like about this book is Andy Boot deals alot with personal plots, and not so much action. But I found it a nice change! Don't despair Andy, I say great job! Thanks!

 
2
wow ... just wow. and not the good kind
by random

I gave this a 2 because he attempted to tap into Doc's psyche with the ramblings but unfortunately this did not go well at all.&#160; The italics inner musings of Doc were interesting the first 2 times and a bit lame the 3rd.&#160; The following 8? 9?&#160;whatever - I just skipped them entirely.&#160; I give you serious props for attempting that even though it could have been loads better.&#160; Hence the 2 and not the 1.

The deathlands series revolves around the characters and weapons - everything else in the world changes, settings, villains,&#160;mutations, etc.&#160; Andy Boot needs to be removed from this series.&#160; He doesn't stay true to the characters and clearly has little to no knowledge of weapons/explosives.&#160; He decided to write an novel with doc fighting against insanity and then the rest of the group fighting the elements.&#160; Unfortunately his knowledge of weapons is not his only shortcoming.&#160; The way that the party interacts with the cold, the weather, etc is just wrong.&#160; Ditto on everything else.&#160;

Maybe it isn't Andy though. Maybe they just need to get some competent editors.&#160; I mean how does the word "insure" get used where "ensure" belongs if you have an editor?&#160; Maybe the editor doesn't know guns, explosives and the characters but I would expect them to know english....

I really want to give it a 1 but I'm going with the 2 because of the attempt to explore Doc's mind.

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