Forsaken By The Others (H+W Investigations #5) Review

Forsaken By The Others (H+W Investigations #5)

Jess Haines

Publisher: Kensignton

E-Arc Courtesy of Netgalley & Kensignton

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with he mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…
Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy. On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge... 

After her isolation in Stalking The Others, it is nice to see Shia back with her best friend Sara and have that relationship as the central one for this story. Bad news for Royce fans as after a couple of intriguing scenes near the beginning where Royce and Shia discuss their changing relationship he isn’t present again. Shia and Sara get shipped off to LA while Royce deals with the problems in New York (this annoyed me as it seems like Shia is running away again and letting others sort out her mess rather than standing up and take responsibility herself for her own mistakes). However, once in LA Sara and Shia are asked to investigate zombies that seem to be ripping vampires apart…

There are some good and bad elements to this book. I’ll start with the positive – the relocation was a nice change of pace (even if I hated the reason for it!) as was the introduction of new characters. In a town where they don’t know anyone, the girls quickly manage to find themselves involved with the local white-hats, a were-pack that hates vampires, a crazy would-be king vampire as well as hordes of zombies.  It was nice to see Shia doing some investigating for once – something which does happen a lot considering the title of the series. However, I found myself getting annoyed with one aspect of the story…Shia’s revolving changes in attitudes. That girl can’t seem to stick to a decision! One minute she wants to avoid the necromancer at all costs, then demanding favours from him. Then she wants sanctuary with the white-hats but refuses to allow them to hurt anyone (com’on girl – they are vigilantes!). It seems like Shia is constantly changing her mind of what to do and while this isn’t exactly new territory for her as a character, this is the first time it seriously bugged me. 

Apart from the lightning quick changes in attitudes, this was an enjoyable romp with some pleasantly distracting UF. Beware, it ends on a massive cliff-hanger that will have you think the last couple of chapters are missing from your edition! The next book in the series promises to be a big game changer for Shia…hopefully she figures out what she want by then! 

Recommended for fans of Chloe Neill and Rachel Vincent. 7 out of 10

Early Review: 'Til The World Ends

‘Til The World Ends

Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre & Karen Duvall

Publisher: Harlequin Luna: Released on 29th January 2013

E-Arc courtesy of Netgalley & Harlequin Luna

This is a collection of three stories all set at shortly after the end of the world – with each story focused on a very different apocalypse so I really need take this review one story at a time.

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden-as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems.... 

This is a prequel to the fantastic Immortal Rules. Set at the start of the zombie plague, this focuses on Kylie, a young doctor who continues to help those infect with the Red Lung disease, until Ben Archer turns up at her clinic and the dead suddenly don’t stay dead for long. The relationship between Kylie and Ben is a joy to read as they are thrown together in the most terrifying of circumstances and try to build something together. Theirs is a really tender relationship, really heart warming. Although for a YA book, there is a rather hot scene at one point! The writing is absorbing and captivating – it was impossible to stop reading until the end!

Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre

After a catastrophic spill turns the country into a vast chemical wasteland, those who could afford it retreated to fortresses, self-contained communities run by powerful corporations. But for Mari Thistle, life on the outside-in the Red Zone-is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with the mysterious Thorne Goodman. Together, they'll face an evil plot in both the underworld of the Red Zone and the society inside the fortresses that could destroy those on the outside...for good. 

This was just a wonderful ride through a post-apocalyptic wasteland with thief Mari forced to work with mysterious Thorne in order to save her family and over throw the leader of the underworld in their zone. As ever Ann Aguirre creates realistic characters that aren’t invincible but smart enough to play to their strengths. Mari and Thorne think their away obstacles and problems, while the Red Zone and the enclosed fortress worlds are wonderfully described and I really felt like this was just the beginning of Mari’s story. Hopefully Ann will revisit this world at some point!

Sun Storm by Karen Duvall

Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms-in the cosmos and beyond. And she's not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She'll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world end.

Sarah has the ability to predict the devastating sun storms that are ravaging the planet but when Ian turns up in her home town she finds herself in the midst of a battle for the survival for the world. There was enough action in this short story to fill a whole novel. However, I felt that Sarah wasn’t someone I felt much for – she seemed to believe people very quickly. There were plenty of occasions when characters were just info-dumping to her, bringing her up to-date and she kept changing her mind based on what they said. I’d rather she was shown what was happening more rather than just listening. It made her seem quite gullible. I liked the idea of the dangerous sun storms and the mutations for those few who survived but overall I just didn’t connect with the main character.

The Dawn of Eden and Thistle and Thorn were both excellent and well worth a read, but I was less enthused with Sun Storm

Recommended for fans of Suzanne Collins and Jennifer Estep. 8 out of 10

On My Wishlist #102

This is a meme that started on Book Chick City before moving to Cosy Books and is now hosted by the wonderful Sarah at Workaday Reads. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track!

It's been a couple of weeks since I did a wishlist post, so there have been more than a few new adds!

 

The Sacrifice (The Enemy #4) - Charlie Higson

Publihser: Puffin

The sickness destroyed everyone over the age of fourteen. All across London diseased adults are waiting, hungry predators with rotten flesh and ravaged minds.
Small Sam and his unlikely ally, The Kid, have survived. They’re safe with Ed and his friends at the Tower of London, but Sam is desperate to find his sister.
Their search for Ella means Sam and The Kid must cross the forbidden zone. And what awaits them there is more terrifying than any of the horror they’ve suffered so far...

 

Earlier this year I raced through the first three books in this series where everyone over the age of fourteen is either dead of ravenous flesh eaters and the children that remain struggle to survive. The books were addictive and heart-pounding so I am really excited about the fourth book in this series now being available - I need it!

 

Outpost (Razorland #2) - Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight. To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out. Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

 

After the end of Enclave I want to get my hands on Outpost! There is something very appealing about Deuce and her friends that I want to know what happens next!

 

Flesh and Bone (Benny Imura #3) - Jonathan Maberry

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Reeling from the devastation of Dust & Decay, Benny Imura and his friends plunge deep into the zombie-infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin.
Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong journey through a fierce wilderness that was once America, searching for the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that jet exists then humanity itself must have survived ...somewhere. Finding it is their best hope for having a future and a life worth living. But the Ruin is far more dangerous than any of them can imagine. Fierce animals hunt them. They come face to face with a death cult. And then there's the zombies-swarms of them coming from the east, devouring everything in their paths. And these zoms are different. Faster, smarter, and infinitely more dangerous.
Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something far more sinister behind this new invasion of the living dead? One thing Benny and his companions can't afford to forget: In the great Rot & Ruin, everything wants to kill you...

 

Rot and Ruin was a fantastic read and while I still haven't got around to reading Dust and Decay yet, I know I want to this lined up to go as soon as I finish it!

 

So with Halloween coming up this month I'm obviously on a zombie roll at the moment? What books do you want to read this halloween..?

 

Enclave Review

Enclave (Razorland #1)

-       Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.
Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

For a page count less than 300, Ann Aguirre manages to fit a lot of ideas, action and even heartbreak into those few pages. From the harsh introduction to Deuces’s world with her initiation into the Hunters, you know that this isn’t an easy world. The Enclave is huddled underground, protected and hidden from the Freaks – zombie like creatures that just live to eat and ravish all they can. It’s all Deuce and her enclave can do to survive on rats and other creatures caught in the tunnels and it’s not long before the home they have created for themselves no longer seems as secure as Deuce has always believed – with enemies without and within.

Ann Aguirre has managed to paint a vivid world that is dark, tense and short-lived. Yet it all makes sense, you can understand why elders barely make it to twenty-four years of age when their life is as harsh as it is. When Deuce starts to question the way her world works, there are some interesting questions asked about freedom verses safety. What is more important and when you have to share everything to survive is there a point when the individual means more than the community? Maybe I was just reading too much into it! J However, there are also plenty of action scenes with Deuce and her partner, Fade fighting the Freaks and on the run. These scenes are fast, frantic and exciting and I held my breath on multiply occasions. Watching them learn to trust each other and later on to trust others is really the core of this story. There are plenty of other characters who are vividly portrayed despite limited time – Tegan, Stone and others all make an impact on Deuce and as such on us as well.

There are some missed opportunities – as there are in real life. At one point I thought the story was going to focus on a conspiracy within the enclave and then suddenly the plot took a complete left-turn and changed. Overall though, this is a great read with a mix of emotional growth, scary moments and discovery of a new world. I really can’t wait to get my hands on Outpost now!

Recommended for fans of Veronica Roth and Jonathan Maberry. 9 out of 10

The Fear (The Enemy #3) Review

The Fear (The Enemy #3)

- Charlie Higson

Publisher: Puffin

HE DOESN’T KNOW IT BUT DOG NUT IS ABOUT TO SET OFF A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT WILL AFFECT EVERY KID IN THE CITY.
The sickness struck everyone over the age of fourteen.
Mothers and fathers, older brothers, sisters and best friends. No one escaped its touch. And now children across London are being hunted by ferocious grown-ups . . .
They’re hungry. They’re bloodthirsty. And they aren’t giving up.
Dog Nut and the rest of his crew want to find their lost friends, and set off on a deadly mission from the Tower of London to Buckingham Palace and beyond, as the sickos lie in wait. But who are their friends and who is the enemy in this changed world?

This is the third book in this phenomenal YA series. Honestly, if you like some action and heart stopping, unpredictability you can’t do better than this. Even better for those who like romance, there is more a hint in this book than in others as the teenagers left are growing up. The premise is simple – a year ago everyone over the age of 14 grew sick and either died or became mindless cannibals, feasting on the flesh of children. The children that survived have grouped together in various London landmarks and are struggling to build some sort of life for themselves.

The previous two books have been very focused on survival and holding onto what makes you human in order to carry on – the tough choices that are forced on you. This book (which actually starts five days before The Enemy and crosses over into the events described there, but from a different perspective) starts asking the bigger questions, like what sort of world do you want to live in. A number of different systems are explored from democracy to royalist, military to science. When the whole world has gone to hell and you have to start again, where do you start? Despite these deep questions, there is still plenty of exciting action as the sickos attack randomly and without warning. The fight scenes are very realistic and intense, made even more so by the relationship between the characters. You care about them so when they are hurt, injured or killed it leaves a lump in your throat.

There are some extremely creepy scenes – the Collector is one disturbing character who adds layers to what happens when the adult sicken with the disease. And St George’s actions will leave you chilled and worried for the kids will have to face soon. Overall, this book finishes about the same time as The Enemy, but leaves you with a much wider appreciation of the world of these teens have inherited. Again I caution you, that not all characters will reach the back page in on piece and this sense of danger, that anyone can be killed is one of the reasons I love this series so much!

Recommended for fans of Jonathan Maberry and Will Hill. 9 out of 10.

The Dead (The Enemy #2) Review

The Dead (The Enemy #2)

- Charlie Higson

Publisher: Puffin

A terrible disease is striking everyone over the age of fourteen. Death walks the streets.Nowhere is safe. Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren't the only kids trying to escape the ferocious adults who prey on them.Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids, nerds, fighters, misfits. And one adult. Greg, a butcher, who claims he's immune to the disease. They must work together if they want to make it in this terrifying new world. But as a fresh disaster threatens to overwhelm London, they realize they won't all survive...

Once again I am emotional drained and exhausted after living with Jack, Ed, Bam and the others over the last three days. After being chased by sickos wanting to eat us, scrounging for food and fleeing across London, I’m not sure I can physically write this review. But I will, as I have to tell you how brilliant this series is. Every character feels real – there are lots of insights into even the smallest of characters which allows you see how they think and what they worry about. You care about all of them – especially when you keep realising they are only 13 years old or younger. Which makes it even more heart-breaking, when not all of these characters are guaranteed to make it to the end. Kids die. They die horribly, in pain and for no reason. It makes you edge forward on your seat as events get out of control and knowing there is no reset button, no do-overs and no one to save them but themselves. The action scenes are exciting and thrilling, while the decisions these characters are faced with are heart-wrenching and far too big. Charlie Higson has a great insight into the mind of pre-teens and how different they can be – both from each other and adults.

Although, this is a sequel to The Enemy, this is actually set about a year before hand and tells the story of a different set of children – although some of them featured in The Enemy in a small way. The setting of a deserted London still feels creepy, especially when famous landmarks like the Oval and Imperial War Museum play an important role. Charlie Higson obviously love London and has done his homework as I could practically picture every step of the journey. The sickos or mothers and fathers as they were called in The Enemy are as frightening as ever – desperate to munch on young flesh and the idea that they are not actually dead is truly scary. There is a little more information on what is happening as the ‘Brain Trust’ talk about what is happening.

Two years ago I would have told you I didn’t read zombie books as they were too repetitive and low-brow. Now I fully embrace the genre as they have been some of the most involving books I have ever read – and certainly the YA zombie books I’ve read so far are great reads whatever your age.

Recommended for fans of Jonathan Maberry and Michael Grant. 9 out of 10

The Enemy Review

The Enemy (The Enemy 1)

- Charlie Higson

Publisher: UK - Puffin

They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

How to describe this book? A modern version of Lord of the Flies with zombies is probably most accurate but doesn’t cover the full exhilaration of the ride, the excitement, tense atmosphere and emotion of this book. In a London where everyone over the age of 15 was infected with a disease that either killed them or turned them into flesh eating, mindless crazy people, only kids remain. Hold up in Waitrose together and desperate running out of food and hope, a group of young teens look after even younger kids when they are given some hope by a visitor…

Pretty much from the start you are aware that this isn’t a safe world. There are many dangers especially from the adult – or the mothers and fathers as the kids call them. Death is brutal and common. The children see violence – bloody and frequent and no-one is safe. Main characters are not guaranteed to make to the back cover. And frequently don’t. There is a wide cast of characters – leaders, followers, thinkers, warriors and survivors which cover pretty much any point of view. Some you will love, some you grow to love and others you don’t understand at all.

As well as plenty of action and fight scenes, there are enough decisions and thoughts to give the book real depth as well as being a rollicking good read. The spooky scenes of a deserted Oxford Street and empty London are enough to send a shiver up any local’s spine, while the battles will take your breath away with intensity and raw emotion. You are drawn in and just can’t out the book down. These children are all too young to be making life and death, good and evil decisions but they have no choice. I was glued to their story with my eyes and my heart. I immediately ordered the second book in this series, The Dead, as soon as I finished and I can’t wait to see what Charlie Higson has in store for the rest of the series!

Recommended for fans of Jonathan Mayberry and Michael Grant. 9 out of 10

Ninja Verses Pirate Featuring Zombies Review

Ninja Verses Pirate Featuring Zombies (How To End Human Suffering 1)

-       James Marshall

Publisher: Chizine Publications

E-Arc Received Courtesy of netgalley and Chizine Publications

In a world where Zombies control banks and governments, only one young man sees the way things are and emerges from the Chaos and destruction: Guy Boy Man. While he tries to end human suffering worldwide and in his high school, Guy Boy Man meets a cute Pink-Haired girl named Babydoll15 who has a Unicorn that follows her everywhere. An Epic Romance begins, but forces Beyond Their Control are intent on keeping the young couple apart. One of those Forces may - or may not be! - Guy Boy Man's closest friend, a handsome African-American Ninja named Sweetie Honey; another could be four Exotically Beautiful, genetically engineered and behaviorally modified Eastern European Girls; yet another, the principal of their High School ...not to mention an impending standardized test known as the Zombie Acceptance Test! Will Guy Boy Man find a way to be with Baby Doll15 in a World Where Everyone Is Doomed to become either zombies or zombie food?

It took me a long time to read this book. I even put it down and read a few other books before I finished it (something unheard of for me as I like to just focus on one book at a time!). I requested this book thanks to the title –  Ninja Verses Pirate Featuring Zombies...of course, I wanted to read it! However, I really struggled with this book.

It is written in first person by our ‘hero’ Guy Boy Man and as such is close to a stream of consciousness with rambling asides and clever word play, but this makes it very difficult to follow. Two pages will go by as a he digresses on a series of episodes about how horrible humans are before returning to the conversation in high school that he was having. I found this very hard to focus and meant that my concentration wandered nearly as much as Guy Boy Mans.

For some time I was intrigued as to whether the zombies and troubled teens were real or just one guys interpretation of society today. This idea kept me reading for a while as I continued to translate the happenings into ‘real’ world, but after a while this wore a little thin. There are some funny lines in here but you have to dig through a lot to find them and it’s a lot of effort. To be honest this felt like a lot of work to read and I don’t know if I could recommended it to anyone else.

2 out of 10 (for a few funny lines and a great title only!)

Early Review: Apocalypse Cow

Apocalypse Cow

-       Michael Logan

Publisher: Doubleday Publisher – Published on 10^th May 2012

It began with a cow that just wouldn’t die. It would become an epidemic that transformed Britain’s livestock into sneezing, slavering, flesh-craving four-legged zombies.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, the fate of the nation seems to rest on the shoulders of three unlikely heroes: an abattoir worker whose love life is non-existent thanks to the stench of death that clings to him, a teenage vegan with eczema and a weird crush on his maths teacher, and an inept journalist who wouldn’t recognise a scoop if she tripped over one.
As the nation descends into chaos, can they pool their resources, unlock a cure, and save the world?
Three losers. Overwhelming odds. One outcome . . .
Yup, we’re screwed

Terry, lone survivor of abattoir attack and Lesley, Scottish reporter down on her luck, end up on the run in a countryside full of dangerous wildlife – from cows, pigs and rats to squirrels, cats and dogs, while Geldof, teenager with bad skin, out of control hormones and parents in full hippy mode is struggling to convince his parents of the danger. Each of these characters feels real – none of them are Bruce Willis or Angelina Jolie. What they are, are fully formed flawed and entirely likeable characters that you can’t help but root for. Even the secondary characters have great personality and leap off the page!

This is a serious comedic novel, or should than be a comedic serious novel? Either way, this book is a brilliant mixture of zombie horror and sheer ridiculous situations. The comedy is less laughter track and more awkward The Office style coming directly out of the situation and the characters. And this just gives the book a brilliant grounding in reality. I didn’t need to use a lot of imagination to picture the British government reacting in exactly this way! That said, the story is played completely straight with some very horrific scenes and the animal attacks not as scary as some of the human reactions to it.

The writing is confident and assured – and certainly doesn’t feel like a debut novel. Throughout I was both entertained and enthralled with the story and the characters. At times it reads like a straight forward zombie horror book, but then a twist happens which will have you in stitches. And if you find the idea of zombie cows funny, I promise by the end of the novel you will be looking twice at those bovine neighbours and making sure your beloved Fido goes out at night!

PS – Michael Logan won the first ever Terrry Prachett’s ‘Anywhere But Here, Any when But Now’ award – and I can see why! J

Recommended of fans of Mira Grant and Terry Prachett, 9 out of 10.

Hellforged Review

Hellforged (Deadtown 2)

-       Nancy Holzner

Publisher: Ace Fantasy

A demon is stalking Vicky's dreams-just as several of Deadtown's zombies are viciously attacked and become really dead. And when Vicky realizes she is the only connection between the victims, she suspects that the demon is somehow working through her dreams to become Deadtown's living nightmare

Occasionally you come across a book that reminds you of all you love about your favourite genre. And for me the Deadtown books just bring the joy and fun of Urban Fantasy back. Vicky is in trouble again when zombies in Deadtown are being killed and the police are told not to investigate. Added to which the demon who killed her father is back and haunting her dreams.

I love Vicky as a character – she is independent but not cold, sure of who she is and can kick serious demon butt! As a shapeshifter she has the power to change into any animal she wants and I love that it’s not just the predators she changes into – she uses all sorts of different animals to protect those she loves. This time round Vicky spends a lot of time with her aunt, who has more secrets and it was interesting to see Vicky as the student to her aunt’s Yoda as it brought a different perspective to her character.

Vicky’s friends and love interests are varied and help make this world fully fleshed out. I actually liked her on-off boyfriend, Kane a lot more this time around but missed the connection she had with fully human detective Daniel. There is plenty of action with Vicky fighting demons – both real and her own. Not everything is wrapped up neatly and there are some very intriguing hints of what else is going on in the world. For a completely fun, fast-paced and joyous Urban Fantasy, this is one series that is very hard to beat.

Recommended for fans of Rachel Vincent and Kelley Armstrong. 9 out of 10.

Early Review: The Iron Duke

The Iron Duke (The Iron Seas 1)

-          Meljean Brook

Publisher: UK – Berkley (Released in UK on 12th April 2012)

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power-and fear-of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.
But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

Mina is a police inspector in London nine years after the Horde were beaten – conceived during a frenzy, she has to deal with the prejudice of her Horde heritage every day. However, she doesn’t let this stop her from doing her job and doing it well – even if that means clashing with England’s most famous pirate turned saviour, the Iron Duke himself. Together they find themselves caught up in a deeper conspiracy and mystery than they could have thought possible...

This book is like rocky road ice cream – lots of yummy ingredients that you usually enjoy separately, mixed together to create something entirely different and yet delicious and more-ish. You want an independently strong female lead, you got it. You want a handsome alpha male, you got it. You want an intriguing mystery, you got it. Nano-agents? Check. Adventure? Check. Romance? Check. Zombies? Check. Sea battles? Check. Sea Monsters? Check. And of course no steampunk novel would be complete without an airship or two... Somehow, this book has become so much more than the sum of it parts to create something truly unique.

I will confess I struggled a little at the beginning as the world and history was so different from anything I could recognise – a lot of background is thrown at you in a short space of time – the Horde, the buggers, the blounders, but it is all needed in order to truly understand the detailed and comprehensive world that Meljean Brook has created.  After the first fifty pages or so, you are up to date and then watch out! The pace is frantic, but detailed. The relationships are complex and more than just typical romantic stereotypes. While reading, it feels like you’ve had the emotion and excitement of a full season of your favourite show. My heart was racing so many times during The Iron Duke. Despite the steampunk trappings this could easily belong to any other genre as well – romance (there are some truly smexy scenes here!), horror (the ratcatchers really terrified me!), conspiracy, pirating – I could go on, but instead I will highly, highly recommend this book!

Recommended for fans of Nalini Singh and Nicole Peeler. 9.5 out of 10.     

Early Review: Horizon

Horizon (Aftertime 3)

-          Sophie Littlefield

Publisher: Luna Books – released on 31^st January 2012

E-Arc courtesy of netgalley and Harlequin Books

Cass Dollar is a survivor. She's overcome the meltdown of civilization, humans turned mindless cannibals, and the many evils of man. But from beneath the devastated California landscape emerges a tendril of hope. A mysterious traveler arrives at New Eden with knowledge of a passageway North—a final escape from the increasingly cunning Beaters. Clutching this dream, Cass and many others decamp and follow him into the unknown.

Journeying down valleys and over barren hills, Cass remains torn between two men. One—her beloved Smoke—is not so innocent as he once was. The other keeps a primal hold on her that feels like Fate itself. And beneath it all, Cass must confront the worst of what's inside her—dark memories from when she was a Beater herself. But she, and all of the other survivors, will fight to the death for the promise of a new horizon...

Throughout all three books in the Aftertime series I’ve been on such an emotional rollercoaster as I’ve followed Cass’s journey to find her daughter, to find the man she loves and to find a home all whilst battling her addictions, the end of the world and of course the body-eaters or beaters. It’s been less than a year since the blue-leaf strain of keesev created the terrible virus that created the beaters and lead to the destruction of everything. In that time Cass has attempted to make various homes for her and her daughter – in the library, in the box and now on Eden, an island across the river safe from the beaters but something has always moved them on in past – will Eden be any different...?

While I like my heroines to be stubborn, tough and brave and while Cass is all these things and more, she is also vulnerable and weak in a way not many heroines in books are allowed to be. Even without the end of the world every day is a struggle for her and this makes Cass infinitely more human and I just wanted to give her a hug at times – although I don’t think she would accept it! Her relationship with the men in her live is the main focus of Cass’s emotional journey in this book – particularly her relationship with Smoke and Dors, the two men she has worked with since Aftertime began and even her relationship with her lost father comes under scrutiny. Cass has to make a decision about what she wants and even if she wants its for the right reasons – and I was never sure what she was going to do.

Despite all this emotional upheaval, there is plenty of tension and action when they confront the beaters. The evolution of the beaters and how they are learning is particularly intriguing and tense. There is a confrontation in a shopping centre which is a great tribute to one of the great zombie films, Dawn of the Dead – putting the zombie back in their natural habitat! The gun fights and attacks by the beaters are as nail-biting as before and while Aftertime and Rebirth focussed on humanity being as destructive as the beaters to their fellow man, it feels as if Horizon has some humans attempting  to help others – although not always successfully and does leave you with a feeling of hope – even if there is still a long way to go!

This has been one of the most intense, emotional and exciting series I’ve ever read and I’ve been waiting impatiently for each book to come out. This is intelligent zombie fare with the most intense and fraught action scenes I’ve ever read. I really can’t recommend this enough! Brilliant. J

Recommended for fans of Mira Grant and Stacy Kane. 10 out of 10.  

Deadtown Review

Deadtown (Deadtown 1)

-       Nancy Holzner

Publisher: Ace Fantasy

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders - but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human.

Sometimes when you pick up a book and read the first few pages you just know you are going to love the characters, the style of writing and the adventure ahead. I knew after I had finished the first paragraph that I was going to have a blast with Victory ‘Vicki’. Vicki is the only active shapeshifter in Boston – a town filled with previously deceased and paranormal Americans (or zombies, vampires and werewolves to most of us). And now a demon from her past as returned to destroy the city - and Vicki is the only demon slayer in town.

So many people had recommended this series to me and I now confess this is one of the best Urban Fantasy books I’ve read this year. Vicki is courageous, smart and already has a wide association of paranormal friends: teenaged zombie apprentice, werewolf lawyer boyfriend (sort-of), vampire roommate and non-identified non-human bartender. Each one felt like a developed character – even given limited page time. Kane, her sort-of boyfriend is a paranormal American right activist which adds some nice tension to their relationship – more so than the fact he is a werewolf! Vicki’s sister and her children add a layer of humanity to the proceedings – and some very sweet moments.

The action is fast paced, furious and exciting. The Hellion terrorising Boston has a personal history with Vicki which makes it a personal mission. I gobbled up the pages and read the whole thing in two days – even staying up to 1am to finish it last night: something I haven’t done in a long time! The writing just draws you in and immerses you in the world. The world was so well thought out I felt like I was reading a middle book in a series, rather than the first one.

If you like fast paced adventure, some romantic tension, smart heroine, unusual take on zombies and having fun while reading, this is definitely the book to read! One of my favourite reads of the year without a doubt and a great reminder why I adore this genre. J

Recommended for fans of Ilona Andrews and Karen Chance. 9 out of 10

Dearly Departed Review

Dearly, Departed

-        -   Lia Habel

Publisher: Del Ray

E-Arc with thanks to netgalley and Del Ray Books

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire. 

Dearly, Departed is set in a particularly unique world that combines a lot of different genres – post-apocalypse, steampunk, YA, romance, and of course zombies. Set in the future where the world’s population now hugs the equator for warmth, one tribe has embraced the ‘golden’ age of Victorian London as their culture, recreating the manners and morals of that age, but with the luxury of computers and electronics, This makes it seem like a bizarre mix of old fashion and modern. While it threw me at first, I soon came to enjoy this unique mix.

Nora, our heroine has been grieving for her father for a year, when she is accosted by some strangely rotting people in her home and is propelled into Bram’s arms – who knows more about her than she would like. I liked Nora’s continued care with the zombies she comes across – she doesn’t let her guard down straight away and Bram’s method of winning her trust is very sweet. I didn’t think I would fall for a zombie boy – but with Bram I believed I could! However, Nora still seems like a very passive heroine – she doesn’t actually do much throughout the story – apart from scream and be stubborn. I much preferred reading about Pamela, Nora’s best friend who is caught between her education and society expectations and being herself and her family. She is much more relate-able – and come the finale, Pamela was much more gun-ho – grabbing her bow and arrows and risking herself to help others. More Pamela please!

The mix of good and bad zombies is great as well – especially with the good zombies knowing their time is still limited. Overall characters are much stronger than plot and it was the characters that kept me reading. I wanted to know more about Bram, Chas, Pamela. Some of the characters actions and motivations didn’t really make sense (What was Wolfe’s master plan? It didn’t make sense!), but it didn’t matter much, as the characters were what you wanted to read about! Even small characters that don’t get much time feel like fully rounded individuals – Dr Samedi and Bailey Chase were so colourful with just a c few scenes. And no steampunk flavoured novel is complete without an airship!

Great characters, interesting world, fun action made this a fun read. I will be looking out for the sequel, Dearly Beloved.

Recommended for fans of Beth Revis and Julie Kagawa.  7.5 out of 10

Necropolis Review

Necropolis

-       Michael Dempsey

Publisher: Night Shade Books

E-Arc with thanks to netgalley and Night Shade Books

In a world where death is a thing of the past, how far would you go to solve your own murder? NYPD detective Paul Donner and his wife Elise were killed in a hold-up gone wrong. Fifty years later, Donner is back: revived courtesy of the Shift. Supposedly the unintended side-effect of a botched biological terrorist attack and carried by a ubiquitous retrovirus, the Shift jump-starts dead DNA and throws the life cycle into reverse, so reborns like Donner must cope with the fact that they are not only slowly youthing toward a new childhood, but have become New York''s most hated minority. With New York quarantined beneath a geodesic blister, government and basic services have been outsourced by a private security corporation named Surazal. Reborns and infected norms alike struggle in a counterclockwise world, where everybody gets younger, you can see Elvis every night at Radio City Music Hall, and nobody has any hope of ever seeing the outside world. Lost in a sea of nostalgia, NYC becomes an inwardly focused schizophrenic culture of alienation and loss. In this backwards-looking culture where only some of the dead have returned, Donner is haunted by revivers guilt, and becomes obsessed with finding out who killed him and his non-returning wife. Little does he know, strange forces have already begun tracking him. Donner isn''t the only one obsessed with the past.

Forty years in the future and in New York a bio-weapon was released, allowing the dead to come back to life. Not as traditional zombies, but as humans who are de-aging. They start at the age they were when they died and then they get younger – shocks, alcohol, smoking all contribute to literally take years off their life until they regress through childhood and disappear as a newborn. This is the world that Paul Donner returns to after he and his wife are murdered on a night out. Struggling to adapt he decides to investigate his own murder forty years before...

The premise of this book is what initially attracted me. The idea of investigating your own murder may not be original, but Dempsey’s take on zombies is unique and I loved the idea of them de-aging – getting younger and younger. After all, they say youth is wasted on the young! How this impacts society is fascinating – with a husband de-aging and a wife growing old – how long can they make a relationship last? Entertainment dominated by re-animated stars – Elvis truly lives again!   

However, the investigation side was very much a start/stop plot for me. Things would move in one direction so I felt like I was reading a hard-boiled noir detective novel set in the future, then it took a left turn and I was reading a freedom-fighting rebellion story and then it changed again and I was in a semi-mystical, family drama. This did provide twist and turns that made the story unexpected – but meant I never fully relaxed into the story. The writing was excellent and inventive. However, at times I wasn’t quite sure how this future worked. There is a lot of nostalgia for the past but in some areas I never quite got the future elements.

The ingenuity and originality is entertaining but massive story changes and some blurry details on the future world meant I couldn’t quite enjoy the story as much as I wanted too.

Recommended for fans of Christopher Fowler and Philip K. Dick. 6.5 out of 10

Go Team Zombie!