The Horns of Ruin Review

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(More customer reviews)Eva Forge is the last Paladin of the God of War Morgan. The problem is he is long dead from his brother's hands Amon. This leaves only the last brother immortal Alexander as the last living god in charge of the city of Ash and its surrounding areas. As Paladin Eva is entrusted with the security and protection of the Cult of Morgan and its followers. Not an easy thing for just one person, but with sword and magicked gun she soldiers on with loose lips and a hothead attitude. While on a mission to take the leader of her order somewhere and back some craziness with zombies of a sort goes down and she must track down one of her own.
The Horns of Ruin is very different tonally from Heart of Veridon so don't expect more of the same. It has an almost animalistic and visceral feel with loads of fights and colorful language that may be more at home in a Fantasy novel. Eva Forge is one tough lady who doesn't have much of a feminine side, but that is what you get when you train a person from childhood how to kill. I was immediately taken in by Eva's brusque disposition, which is best shown in her dialogue where she verbally combats people just as much as physically. Yet outside of Eva most characters aren't given much depth or detail that would connect you better with them.
The system of magic is based off of chanting and belief of past events, which was a nice way of mixing religion and magic given the nature of their gods. There is sometimes an over abundance of the chanting magic as Eva stretches herself to keep going. The Horns of Ruin often blends magic and science that comes off very blurred at times, which made my mind want to rebel not knowing which aspect was intended. Finally I just decided to go with it and not try to read too much into how something in particular was possible. The followers of Amon's abilities are particularly intriguing being that have a mastery over technology, but can also affect power through chanting including an impressive unmaking type spell. There are some Steampunk elements to be sure such as some jet packs and monorails, but this feels like a post Steampunk world with a healthy dash of magic and gods thrown in.
You'd be hard pressed to name a faster paced book. Akers barely gives you time to contemplate all the happenings as Eva bounces from one fight to the next. The relationships between the brother/gods are left very vague for quite a longtime, but as pieces are unfurled a new mystery takes shape. I particularly enjoyed the way Akers handles his gods and how their powers originate and the deep history that is alluded to.
If anything I'd call The Horns of Ruin Swords & Science. Fans of hack and slash Fantasy just may have found the steampunky read they've been looking for. The Horns of Ruin is an energetic rollercoaster ride in a well accentuated world that needs to be further explored. The ending while satisfying does leave much left open. There has been no word yet on another Eva Forge book, but the second Jacob Burn book Dead of Veridon is schedule for June 2011 from Solaris.

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Eva Forge is the last paladin of the dead God, Morgan.
Eva, forsaken by her parents and forgotten by her family, was the last child dedicated to the Cult of Morgan. Morgan, God of battle and champion of the Fraterdom, was assassinated by his jealous brother, Amon. Over time, the Cult of Morgan has been surpassed by other Gods, his blessings ignored in favor of brighter technologies and more mechanical miracles. Now, Eva watches as her new family, her Cult, crumbles around her.
When a series of kidnappings and murders makes it clear that someone is trying to hasten the death of the Cult of Morgan, Eva must seek out unexpected allies and unwelcome answers in the city of Ash. But will she be able to save the city from a growing conspiracy, one that reaches back to her childhood, even back to the murder of her God?
As Eva wields her sword and wits in a city full of wonders, her story becomes the first perfect merger of steampunk and sword and sorcery.

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Twilight of the Dead Review

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(More customer reviews)As a fan of all-things-zombie for over twenty years I had never experienced "zombie fiction" before, and eagerly scoured the Amazon reviews of probably the exact same books you have already looked at. After reading the glowing reviews of this book I discounted the amateurish cover art and immediately ordered it.
Upon arrival the first thing I noticed once I began perusing the first few pages was the size of the font. I'm sure I'm being nit-picky but it seemed to me that a larger size font was chosen to maximize the number of pages - slim still at just over 200 pages. This, coupled with the actual dimensions of the book and the heretofore cited simplistic cover art just gave me the feeling I was holding something aimed at a much younger audience. Don't get me wrong, I fully realize this is a book about the Zombie Apocalypse, but I guess I expected something a little more literary after seeing reviews calling it the "best book I ever read" and throwing out phrases like "metaphysical subjectivism." I have to wonder what other "books" these reviewers tend to read.
As for the story, I will admit it is enjoyable for what it offers. However, some things had me wondering "wait, didn't they just say.." and "that doesn't seem right, wouldn't they have..." a little too often. I felt like I was reading a second or third draft where the plot hadn't been cemented nor the holes filled in. And my god, please use a proofreader in future. I can forgive an overlooked comma but there were too many instances where something that should have been caught actually took me out of the story wondering if maybe I had read it wrong. The biggest offender being a cliffhanger-type situation closing out a chapter - "But he had been bitten!" instead was printed "But he had bitten!" which made no sense in the context of the scene and really ruined the tension of the moment.
Character-wise it was refreshing to have a female protagonist, but I was struck by the fact that seemingly every male in her life, excluding her father, either wanted to have sex with her or already had. Seemed a bit banal to me. I found myself rolling my eyes every time another newly introduced male character threw out a clichéd come-on or uttered a moronic innuendo. Enough.
Bottom line: it's a fairly enjoyable read if you can get past the overall unpolished feeling and glaring editorial oversights.
I just glanced down at the next part of this review form, where it says "I am over the age of 13." A very applicable phrase with which to end this .

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Courtney Colvin was nearing the end of her teenage years when the undead apocalypse began. She survived, forsaking her youth and innocence, and five years later she continues to exist--albeit lonely--in the fortified town of Eastpointe. Nightmares and the unwelcome advances of Leon Wolfe are the worst things she's dealing with now in her otherwise mundane life. But when a newcomer arrives in town and claims to know the location of the antidote to the zombie plague, it sends Eastpointe into an uproar. To retrieve this cure, she and a group of other survivors must venture outside the relative safety of the compound's walls and into a world ruled and dominated by the flesh-eating undead. Twilight of the Dead puts a new spin on the zombie genre, yet remains true to the classic rules that have already been set forth. A sure-fire reading pleasure for anyone who loves character-driven horror. This Special Edition contains an Introduction by David Moody and three bonus short stories detailing important moments in the lives of other survivors

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The Undead: Zombie Anthology Review

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(More customer reviews)The Undead certainly spans a wide gamut of zombie fiction, with tales ranging from the sick and twisted to the intriguing and humorous, from well known authors and those just planting their feet inside the door. This anthology takes it's reader into space, back in time to the high seas of the late 1700's, out to deserted islands, and back to the streets of present day, showing just how versatile this genre of horror fiction can be. Some of my favorites include:
"Pale Moonlight" by D.L. Snell - Nathan seems stuck in a house quickly being overrun by the undead, but he has a surprise of his own for them once the full moon comes into view.
"Home" by David Moody - Anyone who has read any of David Moody's Autumn books can easily see how this stand-alone short story could fit into that same vision. However, this tale contains an intriguing twist.
"Only Begotten" by Rebecca Lloyd - A child with a bite only a mother could love.
"Hell and Back" by Vince Churchill - A very ill father tries to protect his children in the wake of the Romero flu that has swept the globe.
"The Dead Life" by Mike Watt - Bernice Dobbs has a zombie infestation in the basement that needs to be cleared up before the women's auxiliary shows up. An odd pair of exterminators show up to handle the problem.
"Cold as He Wishes" by C.M. Shevlin - A boy uses a trick taught to him by his grandfather to obtain any girl he desires, as long as she's among the recently deceased.
"Graveyard Slot" by Cavan Scott - A gruesome reality show goes horribly awry when an unwitting and unwilling participant gets thrown into the mix.
Most anthologies contain several "hits" as well as several "misses." However, each and every tale within The Undead is as interesting as the one before it. This anthology should not be passed up by anyone who is a fan of zombie fiction, or good horror fiction in general. A sequel to this amazing anthology has already been announced, and I intend to snatch it up as soon as it is released!

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"The Undead" is a stunning collection of 23 tales of the living dead by zombie fan favorites and up-and-coming authors."The Undead" includes classic tales of survival in a world populated by the living dead as well as an array of unique takes on the zombie genre: zombies as reality entertainment, glimpses from inside the "life" of the undead, intergalactic war withhumanity's own dead turned against us, and everything in between."The Undead" will leave zombie fans hungry for more!

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Allison Hewitt Is Trapped: A Zombie Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)This is such a fun book on so many levels! This is what literary fiction should be. It gives you so much to think about. . . how would I react in a similar survivalist situation? The zombies were almost just placeholders for me. You could replace zombies with almost any disaster. The hidden message for me was, "Who is the real enemy?" I absolutely loved how the mother issue was dealt with, very realistic and so beautiful. It's the kind of book that gives you research too if one is so inclined. Each chapter is the name of a classic book. OK, this was just a wonderful adventure story too! I read this book in 24 hours and wish I could pick up the sequel right now! This book is better than the "Twilight" series which I must admit I liked a lot too. This is an author to watch. Good stuff!

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Deadtown (A Deadtown Novel) Review

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(More customer reviews)First the pros:
- I really enjoyed our heroine, Vicky. She was powerful, funny, smart and kicked all kinds of tail. Not quite as awesome as my current favorite, Kate Daniels, but I would say that she's not too far off.
- The plot was interesting, moved quickly and concluded well. The menace was believable, the dramatic elements were clever and I just liked it. I thought the premise was an interesting twist on the old favorite. And that is getting much harder to do lately.
- World-building. We didn't get to see as much of the world as I would have liked, since the focus was mainly on the action, but what we saw was interesting and original.
All this counts for a lot, but with the urban fantasy market as crowded as it is, it takes that extra something for a book to go from good to great in my view. And the one, massive con was something I couldn't move past: the cast.
I did not like any of the supporting cast. They were, almost without exception, untrustworthy, evil or plain old jerks and they made the book a lot less believable. The one I took the most exception to, and will use as the example to illustrate my point, is Tina.
Tina the zombie sidekick is actually a potentially interesting and original new character. Unfortunately Tina completely lacked charm. Every time she appeared on the page I wanted someone, anyone, to slap the heck out of her. Not for being a smartass, but for consistently pulling crap that could get our heroine killed. She's a danger to pretty much everyone around her, literally from the first chapter. The heroine can probably empathize, since she was something like that as a teenager, but Vicky's actions as a teenager actually DID cause a tragedy. Every time Tina appeared and did something stupid that could get the heroine killed I wondered why the heroine would ever agree to train her, knowing that the attitude could get someone killed. It didn't make any sense. I cant imagine her associating with, much less training, someone who doesn't listen, will STEAL from her, and is a danger to her AND her clients. She has experienced the consequences of such a lack of control and unwillingness to listen in her past and out to know better. It ripped me right out of the story, as I spent the time thinking WTF!
Tina was the character that aggravated me the most, but far from the only one. The client and politicians were a cliche, the lawyer boyfriend plain unlikable, and the human love interest was boring. If we must have a romance (and I know it's pretty much a given in this genre- I don't mind it when it's done well), I hope the author will introduce a viable third candidate in the next book. The closest I came to really liking any character other than the lead was in flashbacks to Vicky's dead relatives.
I will certainly check out the reviews of the second book in this series when it is published. I hope that further development will make the cast a bit more interesting and fun to read about. There are just too many good urban fantasy books out there right now to buy one that doesn't get me interested from the beginning. If the cast issues are addressed, I will absolutely buy the next book.

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Tooth And Nail Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a fan of both the military fiction and zombie tale genres and DiLouie's Tooth and Nail delivers both in spades.
Here's what is so cool about this novel:
1. Very realistic -- this may be about zombies, but it's not some supernatural gore-dripper -- it's about soldiers and a very scary what-if...
2. Non-stop action -- this book will never make Oprah's Book of the Month club, but I would like to name a roller coaster after it -- from the get-go, the action and tension are unrelenting and the doggone book feels glued to your hands. (NOTE: Thanks, Mr. DiLouie -- on my first reading, I finally finished your book at 4 am with sweaty palms and had trouble getting to work on time the next day -- on the second reading, I still couldn't take my time and finished it again in one marathon Saturday reading session.)
3. Better & better -- I've read some of DiLouie's past work and this is by far his best work -- the writing is tight, descriptive without being florid & puffy, and believable -- again, not a book that will draw people together on a Tuesday evening for white wine and canapes, but a kick-ass story that is well-written and doesn't stop til you get back in the station and the lap-bars retract as you put the book down for the final time.
Rock on, DiLouie -- hope you've got more in the pipeline!

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This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, not with a whimper, but a slaughter.As a new plague related to the rabies virus infects millions, America recalls its military forces from around the world to safeguard hospitals and other vital buildings. Many of the victims become rabid and violent but are easily controlled-that is, until so many are infected that they begin to run amok, spreading slaughter and disease. Lieutenant Todd Bowman got his unit through the horrors of combat in Iraq. Now he must lead his men across New York through a storm of violence to secure a research facility that may hold a cure. To succeed in this mission to help save what's left, the men of Charlie Company will face a terrifying battle of survival against the very people they have sworn to protect-people turned into a fearless, endless horde armed solely with tooth and nail.For the boys of Charlie Company, the zombie apocalypse will give a whole new meaning to the proverb WAR IS HELL.

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Zombies vs. Unicorns Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been looking forward to this one for awhile. I had read books by some of the authors, but not all - there are a lot of stories in this one! The running commentary from Black & Larbalestier was funny, too. I think I'd have to give it to Team Zombie, in the end, but I did find a few Unicorn stories that I liked.
The Highest Justice by Garth Nix - haven't read any Nix books before. This one has a unicorn and a zombie, so maybe its best that it starts the collection. I liked it, not spectacular but still a good one.
Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson - half-zombie boy falls for boy who has his own killer secrets; I liked this one, it drew me in and although the zombie-mind is not a happy one, I found myself rooting for them.
Purity test by Naomi Novik - Loved this one, very funny. A unicorn needs a virgin to help it on its quest to save baby unicorns, although capable warrior virgins are hard to find.
Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan - set in the world of Forest of Hands and Teeth, although with different characters. I can't say that I liked the main character, but she felt very real (which was probably the unsettling part). I liked the end.
A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan - for me the most disturbing, about what happens after the unicorn and virgin meet up. Not sure how I feel about this one. The prose was well done, but the subject matter if you thought about it too much was icky.
The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson - this one was all right, taking its cues from entertainment gossip; a student on the vacation from hell finds herself caring for the children of a famous, mysterious celebrity. But something isn't quite right with those kids...
The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund - Set in the same world as her Rampant series. This one was good, but it felt unfinished, too rushed.
Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld - I haven't read anything by this author, but he is going on my TBR list. Good story about the kids who grow up after the zombie apocalypse, and what happens when a chance mutation gives them a second chance. I won't look at boredom quite the same way...
Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot - Liz dreams of getting her own car for her 17 birthday, and ends up with a unicorn. Then she finds out just how handy a unicorn can be, Fun story - especially when she deals with her ex and the bully.
Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare - this one was OK. In a town where the dead come back, Adele and her love are parted by death, for a little while.
The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey - this one was just OK too, a darker unicorn story, with a beast addicted to life - taking it that is.
Prom Night by Libba Bray - Another good one, a mixture of hope and moments of happiness in a hopeless situation.

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My Life as A White Trash Zombie Review

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(More customer reviews)You know your a Redneck Junkie when: You need to become a member of the undead to kick your habit.
Angel Crawford was practically born emblazoned with an L for loser in the middle of her forehead. She didn't have much choice in changing her hard knock status with a mentally ill mother, a drunk for a father, and being a high school drop out. Angel seems to be hurtling herself into all the pitfalls of her white trash standing, including a felony, a deadbeat boyfriend, drug and alcohol addiction, and a steadily growing resume of former dead end jobs.
And then she dies. Or at least she thinks she did. Angel has some flashes of an accident. But the details of her condition and the events leading up to them are a bit fuzzy. Angel wakes in the hospital without a scratch on her. She then starts to receive cryptic messages and a seemingly too good to be true job. What Angel doesn't know is that she has been changed into a zombie. She looks fine, feels fine, but Angel is going to have to learn quickly that all that can change in an instant if she doesn't get the nourishment she needs. Without the self-induced intoxicated drug haze, it turns out Angel is a pretty clever cookie. And since they've been hauling in numerous headless dead bodies to the morgue, Angels going to have to use all the brains she's got to solve the murders, and keep her strength up.
My Life as a White Trash Zombie was an interesting take on a second chance. Diana Rowland really showed how one incident can change someone's life for good or bad. With Angel's addictions stripped away and a good opportunity to support herself she found her self worth. This is made even more interesting with the vehicle Rowland uses to employ change, zombie-ism.
I was skeptical about this premise. The title was provocative, but the cover art sold me on giving this one a chance. I'm glad I did. This book is filled with rich characters and decent story lines. Reading about Angel's prior decline and present rise, while stumbling through her revelations on becoming a zombie where very entertaining. Rowland created a nice mix of background information, zombie high jinx, and mystery. I loved the supporting cast as well, and the little love story at the end. I think there where parts of the story that were a bit slow but overall a good read with great potential for a sequel.

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Teenage delinquent Angel Crawford lives with her redneck father in the swamps of southern Louisiana. She's a high school dropout, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and has a police record a mile long. But when she's made into a zombie after a car crash, her addictions disappear, except for her all-consuming need to stay "alive"...

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Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a huge fan of all things zombie, and to be honest, this has sometimes made me fall prey to less than well written, self-published, needs-actual-editing, type of novels. Lacking depth and, at times, imagination, these books left me feeling a little brain dead myself upon their completion. FINALLY I found the Kenemore! I have been a fan of his humor books from the beginning (starting with The Zen of Zombie), these books are pro-zombie and very tongue in cheek type of humor (comparing Jesus to a zombie, oh my!) And while these are humor books, I have always found them very thoughtful and well written. I have also read some other Scott Kenemore work which was published in the Kenyon Review a while back, and it wasn't a zombie story at all, but about a man tattooing a dead body. Scott Kenmore's a writer capable of many layers, and I believe he especially proves his mastery of the horror genre itself in his latest, and first, full length novel. Zombie, Ohio is a rip roaring fun, tearing up the country side with my zombie horde at my back, in this ultimate "I was raised from the dead and I can still think" adventure type of novel! Wow, that was really a mouth full!
Zombie, Ohio had me chuckling with it's asides to HP Lovecraft (where was the meteor reported?) And it's knowledge of everything from local folk lore (Wild Black Turkeys representing some type of witch?) to the intimate layout of the Ohio countryside. This book was well thought out and planned in three parts. I believe you could actually make a study of some the additional symbolism that Kenemore uses in the book, but you also would need to be aware of his allusions to Zombies in pop culture (movie references throughout also). . again, this is a novel with many layers, on the basic level it is a book about a sad, alcoholic professor who loses his life in a zombie outbreak and finds himself a lucid zombie. But on another level, it is about a man who finds himself ineffectively prepared to live courageously until he becomes one of the undead, and then, we find he is not only effective but indestructible and fearless! Scott Kenmore's novel is also the first "pro-people" Zombie novel I have read, where the people keep it together and adjust and fight the zombies back, another statement of social commentary? And that's not the only example throughout the book of social commentary, and no it is not all positive either.
I would also like to give a big nod and a chuckle to the "first time" scene. . ahh Kenemore says, you never forget your first time. Stinking hilarious! Also, because I am also a baseball fan, the reference to the minor league ball team "The Kernels" was very well received by me! Again, this book had many layers, including it's final part labeled "redemption" which ends without such a thing, if you ask my opinion (I will not give it away, this is a MUST READ, not only if you like zombies but if you enjoy horror at all!) left me very thoughtful and also feeling like Mr. Kenmore was making a statement without ever saying a word. . perhaps, in the end, there is no redemption for any of us, except in death? hmmm. . . ?
This is it guys and gals, the Zombie novel you have been waiting for and craving. . . with BRAINS!!!!!

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Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)I will say, while this book had it's issues for me, it kept my attention.
The story was unique and in a genre like this, that alone says something. The Texan landscape and colorful scruffy cast helps this book stand out from the herd. I enjoyed the character's and their relationships overall.
My main problem with the book was, as another reviewer commented, it could have used a good editor to clean it up. Aspects felt, for lack of a better word, amateur. Word repetition (battered for example) cropped multiple times in a single page, and there were enough grammatical errors and typos to distract. The font size changed periodically as well which was odd.
Little things like that can make it hard for me to maintain my focus within a story, but I found Frater's story and characters engaging enough to forgive some of the clumsiness. I think she has a lot of potential, and as another reviewer pointed out: it's nice to see vampires being bad, they have been thoroughly de-fanged recently. Also the book was nice looking for a self published, and I like the cover art quite a bit.
I found the bloodletting sex scenes surprisingly well done as well, and the sexual tension between the two leads is fun and believable.
All in all, if you love vamp fiction and want to go a little toward the fringes than this could be a good fit.

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Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas.Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding.Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After (Quirk Classics) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After (Quirk Classics)
As any reader of my reviews knows I love the "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" series of books. I believe that the two books before this one are classics and I am pleased to tell you that this one is very much the same. I always loved the idea of the classic story being told with Zombies in the mix and the prequel just added to it. Now here we have a sequel that only adds to the wonderful story but sadly is bringing it to an end. Hopefully the return to this world one day and give as some more great stories.
The story picks up years after the first book with the married couple of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy. They have had a great marriage some four years later and things could not be going better, until. One day Fitz gets attacked and bitten by a Dreadful child and while Liz knows what she should do she does not kill him. Even though it would be the right thing to do, she instead seeks help from a lady named Catherine. The thing is she may know of a cure that could bring Fritz back. So off Liz goes with family in tact on another Zombie Slaughtering adventure.
The book is very well written and has that same great style the previous ones had and yet still is different. I don't know about what other people think but I found this one just as fun and funny as the previous two. I mean the way people really talked back then mixed in with the zombie attack, pure genius. You should also remember that things are not always what they seem, that is all I am going to say. All in all I really enjoyed this book like I did the previous two, I highly recommend this book to all who liked the first two, and even then you may like this even without reading those two.


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When we last saw Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy—at the end of the New York Times best seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies—they were preparing for a lifetime of wedded bliss. Yet the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the only acceptable course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she learns of a miracle antidote being developed in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.Complete with romance, heartbreak, martial arts, cannibalism, and an army of shambling corpses, Dreadfully Ever After brings the story of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to a thrilling conclusion.

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Warm Bodies: A Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)WARM BODIES is a witty, original, beautiful, unexpected and entertaining book with tremendous heart, about a Zombie, "R" in a ruined world, who falls in love with Julie, a living girl who is one of the few remaining people, and the daughter of a harsh security minded General in charge of the city where most of the living reside. R meets Julie when he eats the brain of her long time boyfriend Perry, and appropriates his memories of this wonderful girl. In the middle of the feed, R sees her in the room, and manages to keep himself and the other zombies from attacking her and then brings her back to the airport where they live. The story has so many things going for it, it's hard to know where to begin. The character of R, a kind of Edward Scissorhands like saintly child, who begins to grow and learn from his newfound relationship with Julie. And Julie is pretty terrific too, assertive, tough but honest about what she needs and wants. I could go on and on about the intricacies and nuances of the novel, but I wouldnt want to ruin anyone's read of this beautiful book. It is really worth the time to get to know these characters.

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R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, noidentity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and stragely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world. Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between.

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Patient Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)Congratulations, Jonathan Maberry. You have managed to combine two of my biggest fears - the fear of unchecked biological warfare and the fear that my brains will be sucked out by zombies.
Hardened, world weary Detective Joe Ledger has seen it all in the course of his job. He knows the very worst that human beings can do to each other. Then he's not-so-willingly introduced to the Department of Military Sciences (DMS) and its mysterious, powerful leader, Mr. Church, and he finally learns that he hasn't scratched the surface of the worst that people can do. Turns out that religious fanaticism and hatred of the United States have met up with big-money corporate interests, and *voila* the Sword of the Faithful is born - zombie weapons unleashed by terrorists upon the U.S. to purge the world of infidels.
Ledger is all man. He's tough. He has an eye for the ladies and a deep abiding love for his country. He knows weapons and military strategy, and he's a natural born leader. He's chilled to the bone by this new, hellish weapon, but he and his team push forward to try to save the country before this plague spreads to the world.
If you like explosions, fighting, tough-guy talk and scary, brain-munching zombies, you'll love this book. I was riveted from page 1, and I raced to get to the last word. The zombies are strong and hungry. The good guys are the best, and the bad guys are the worst. There is nail-biting action at every turn, and a surprising amount of humor thrown in. This is one of the best zombie novels I've read in a very long time.
Bring on the sequel! I can't wait to see what Ledger gets himself into the next time.

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When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there's either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills... and there's nothing wrong with Joe Ledger's skills. And that's both a good, and a bad thing. It's good because he's a Baltimore detective that has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new taskforce created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can't handle. This rapid response group is called the Department of Military Sciences or the DMS for short. It's bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bio-weapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance....

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The Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands and Teeth, Book 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)Every now and then you might get a bit sad when you come to the end of a series that you loved so much, this is how I felt after reading The Dark and Hollow Places. I fell in love with this series unintentionally, I started reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth thanks to the high recommendations from book friends. Of course at the time they didn't know that I had a huge phobia about anything zombie related and well by reading the synopsis I wasn't aware that it would be about zombies because they are called the Unconsecrated. After reading a few chapters and even after figuring out that there were zombies in the book I couldn't force myself to give it up, it was too late for me, I was invested in these characters because this series was about so much more than just the creepy flesh eating undead, it was about survival, hope and love and I was in it for good.
In the Dark and Hollow Places we get taken to the Dark City, and see the story unfold through the eyes of Annah, the other twin. At first I was a bit sad that we wouldn't get to see it from Gabry's point of view, I wanted to know more about her and what happened after the end of The Dead Tossed Waves but I quickly got over that once I got to know Annah and her story. I really admired Annah for her courage and will to live, I mean this girl spends most of her time and spent pretty much years on her own waiting for Elias and she's still not willing to give up. I would've been freaking out in some of these scenes in the book and locked myself in a closet shaking with fear waiting for death, yeah, I'm a wuss. Not Annah, she was willing to fight her way to survive and sacrifice herself for her loved ones if she had to, the fact that she never gives up throughout the whole book is why I admire her so much.
In The Dark and Hollow Places Gabry, Annah, Elias and Catcher come together and we get to find out what happened to Catcher and Gabry after the end of The Dead Tossed Waves and also to Elias. In this one they struggle for survival through most of the story but not only against the unconsecrated but also against the people in charge of the city that are suppose to be protecting them but have become corrupted and are pretty much worst than the zombies.
The Dark and Hollow Places gives us a bit more of a closer look at what the world may have seemed like after the return, it is chaotic through most of it. We get a huge amount of up close encounters with the unconsecrated, and it was so much creepier that I got goosebumps and was at the edge of my seat through most of the story. It was so thrilling and intense that I was chewing my nails through most of this novel without even realizing it. I loved every minute of it, even if I couldn't read it at night and I would gladly take three more of these novels. I'm not ready to say goodbye to it yet, I loved Catcher and Annah and I want more.

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There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on hersister's face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Handsand Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life.But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left herfor the Recruiters.Annah's world stopped that day and she's been waiting for him tocome home ever since. Without him, her life doesn't feel much differentfrom that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then shemeets Catcher and everything feels alive again.Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths thatlink him to a past Annah's longed to forget, and to a future too deadlyto consider. And now it's up to Annah -- can she continue to live in aworld drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escapefrom the Return's destruction?

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That's Not Your Mommy Anymore: A Zombie Tale Review

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(More customer reviews)Considering the CDC's latest promotion to be ready for the Zombie Apocalypse, well this book would help the little ones clue in when Mommy might not be Mommy anymore (that's not your Mommy in the rain, that's not your Mommy eating brains...).
Seriously though, my 8 year old was howling with laughter and so was I! Though it reads like a Dr. Seuss I would not read it to a 4-6 year old..but 7 and up (depending on the individual child of course) this is fun. Parents should use their own discretion of course. Even if it's too much for a particular little one now, older children and the parents can snicker over it on their own.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
JTG

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CHARMING ILLUSTRATIONS BRING TO LIFE A GHOULISHLY FUN STORYIn the ongoing effort to warn an unprepared world of the rising danger from zombie attacks, one vulnerable group has been left out: small children. That's Not Your Mommy Anymore is an inviting and entertaining story that helps early readers understand that a mom with fresh brain casserole on her mind probably isn't their mommy anymore. Not just for kids, adult readers are sure to love this hilarious parody as much as the real childrens books they enjoyed in years past.

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Feed (Newsflesh, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am reviewing an Advance Reading Copy provided by the publisher.
The year is 2039 and bloggers have taken over the world. Twenty five years ago the Kellis-Amberlee virus went live. Infected humans and animals began reanimating after death--some underwent spontaneous change--to become walking feeding machines. With an appetite for the truth as insatiable as a zombie's diet, Georgia--George--Mason and her brother, Shaun, have climbed the ranks of news bloggers around the world. Their ratings have everything to gain from their recent invitation to join a senator's political campaign. Now they're on the road providing coverage of what's promising to be the campaign trail for the next President of the United States of America. There's only one problem: wherever they go, KA begins breaking out, putting the team at risk. Will they survive to see their candidate win the Republican ticket?
Feed is Seanan McGuire's third published book, but first under the pen name Mira Grant. Fans of her October Daye books will recognize some similarities between the two series. Mainly, these are minor--writers will invariably develop quirks that nuance their writing. Georgia is an independent, no-nonsense workaholic with a license that requires her to carry a gun and a disease that makes it impossible for her to cry. Clearly Grant likes writing strong female protagonists. They lean toward the flinty end of the spectrum and stop just short of growling when not amused.
It might appear at first that the inability to cry is going a bit overboard. It isn't necessary to literally remove a reaction stereotypically associated with the female gender to show how tough she is, but Georgia makes it clear how frustrating Retinal KA really is. She wants access to that human reaction and is frequently reminded of the deprivation, however much reliant she is on it when the situation requires stoicism. Here is a character fighting against two polarities. Her tears were stolen and without the necessary moisture, she can't even "tear up" about it. Add to this being adopted by parents making the gesture for the ratings and Georgia's developed into a very sympathetic character. She's had a difficult life--who wouldn't, growing up in a world where fear of contagion has kept people indoors and glued to their computer screens? What makes her--and her fellow bloggers, Shaun and Buffy--different is knowing when to put fear and terror aside to keep living.
How they earn that living is very interesting. When established media proved untrustworthy reporting the first outbreak, the world turned to bloggers. Bloggers spoke for the common good--as much to inform themselves as the frightened public. They helped make sense of the unexplained chaos breaking out across the nation. Enter Shaun and Georgia, sponsors willing to fund their efforts, and After the End Times was born. Grant manages to build a convincing news body which isn't too far from the truth. Some people already rely enormously on the internet and trust amateur bloggers for any number of needs. Grant's astute observations integrate this relationship with her own universe to mesh into the working framework of her narrative.
Grant's characters are solid; her universe well-established. It's so established that readers may become as exasperated over the meticulous mention of blood testing kits and procedure as the characters were to get tested. Grant has thought of everything--not just the small details to consider when and how an outbreak could occur. Feed is politics-heavy, not just because George and Shaun are on the campaign trail. Kellis-Amberlee is cause to reconsider things like the death penalty (why kill someone when a dormant virus goes live at death, thus endangering the public at large), gun control laws, pet ownership, and public gatherings. Playing in the backyard now depends on the danger level your neighborhood has been zoned for. Presidential candidates are made or broken on a campaign trail riddled with archaic practices now seen as brave instead of expected.
I do have one, and only one, thing to nitpick about. George's relationship with her brother Shaun was a bit too unrealistic for me. I say this only because I have a brother and we're pretty inseparable, but would never share the same bed with each other, let alone the same room. I suppose it's a bit immature of me, but I couldn't relate to certain aspects of their relationship and so didn't appreciate how close they were as much as I could have. Other readers (who have siblings) may feel otherwise--I can only hope they do. After all, this is a fault of my own. About as close to understanding as I came was realizing they also had a working relationship that functioned best under those circumstances. And in the end, they were a strong pair. I can't complain too much.
With Feed, Mira Grant proves she's an author to be reckoned with. The book may be lengthy (almost 600 pages), but we have to remember it's the first in a self-contained trilogy. There's such a large and complex story to tell--a lesser book would not be this involved. If readers haven't already started paying attention to Seanan McGuire because of her October Daye books, Feed will do the trick. There may be similarities between it and her other books--mysterious murders, resilient and accident-prone female protagonist with ready access to pain medication and a constant need for good night's rest, deranged bad guy, suspect good guys--but you also can't let yourself miss a book where one of the main characters runs around in a chain-mail shirt for fun, can you? And, there's a kitty. You can't beat kitties.
I do not know when its sequel, Deadline, will be out, but I'm looking forward to it. I hear it has epileptic teacup bulldogs.

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The Infection Review

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(More customer reviews)The Infection by Craig DiLouie tells the story of six survivors traveling in an armored vehicle, while trying to find a safe refuge, after a mysterious virus infects millions of humans. The infected people collapse into comas; when they wake up, three days later, they attack all the non-infected. After just a couple of weeks, some of the survivors discover that the Infected are mutating into something much worse than zombies. The main theme that is woven throughout the storyline is the violent transformation of humans into monsters.
"There were things in the garage, Sarge. [censored] monsters. Dark shapes that flitted around the cars, always just out of sight. Then we saw one..."
This novel made me think, "This is what happened to the rest of the world, while everyone was reading about what happened in the grocery store in The Mist by Stephen King." I know I'm not the only one who has made this comparison; some other reviewers have even mentioned The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I understand why, but I think DiLouie goes into far more detail with his characters' suffering than King or McCarthy. The story is told with third-person narration in the present tense; flashbacks provide the personal backgrounds of each of the six survivors. Their reasoning and motivation for their current behavior becomes quite understandable, after only a few chapters.
"They have all done the things one had to do to survive. They have all killed people or they would not be here."
I usually try to imagine myself in the world that I am reading about, but I wanted no part of this setting. Living infected hordes are one thing, but DiLouie describes abominations that would rival HP Lovecraft's leviathans. He goes to nightmarish extremes when pairing the brutal twists of the viral outbreak with the amorality of various people that the survivors encounter. Of course, even though I felt mentality assaulted by the end, I loved reading very moment of this traumatic horror novel.

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Five ordinary people must pay the price of survival at the end of the world.A mysterious virus suddenly strikes down millions. Three days later, itsvictims awake with a single purpose: spread the Infection. As the worldlurches toward the apocalypse, some of the Infected continue to change,transforming into horrific monsters. In one American city, asmall group struggles to survive. Sarge, a tank commander hardened byyears of fighting in Afghanistan. Wendy, a cop still fighting for lawand order in a lawless land. Ethan, a teacher searching for his lostfamily. Todd, a high school student who sees second chances in the endof the world. Paul, a minister who wonders why God has forsaken hischildren. And Anne, their mysterious leader, who holds an almostfanatical hatred for the Infected.Together, they fight theirway to a massive refugee camp where thousands have made a stand. There,what's left of the government will ask them to accept a mission thatwill determine the survival of them all--a dangerous journey back ontothe open road and into the very heart of Infection.

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