Beyond The Inferno by Shannon Butler

Beyond The Inferno by Shannon Butler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 244

Publisher -

Source - Bought (I think)

Blurb from Goodreads

When a mismatched group of people wakes up and sees their city burning to ashes, they have no idea what happened. They don't remember the dead rising to kill their friends. They don't remember the end of the world. There is just a dark spot in their heads where the memories should be. But one of them rescues a girl from the wreckage; a woman who has seemingly cut off her own arm. And now she'll tell them what happened. The catch? The apocalypse is all she remembers. She is a girl born and bred in war.
And now she'll help them find out why the Revenant destroyed their world, and who destroyed their home, and in the process, hopefully discover who she is.



My Review

GUYS THIS IS NOT A ZOMBIE BOOK, well not in any way us zombies fans would count it. The main character wakes up with an arm gone *Rosemarie* and that is from a zombie attack. She has memory issues, she remembers the zombies (revenants), the explosions/fires but not who she is, not her life before, just that immediate after the attack(s). She is with a bunch of people and starts to try and piece together her life, what happened and how she goes forward from here.

This is absolutely an apocalyptic book, the aftermath of zombies and a handful of survivors all suffering memory issues although unlike *Rosemarie* they don't remember the attacks/before. They make a plan on getting some answers and the book goes from there. It is very much about survival, looking for answers, relationships forming, dealing with the memories *Rosemarie* has personal journey.

There are no zombie attacks as the book is focused mostly on the after. I had questions, I was disappointed we didn't have zombs probably because I went into this looking for them. However I do enjoy apocalyptic type books so this is just one with a different type of spin. The attractions/relationshipy parts I was a wee bit eye rolling because, really? however I did enjoy seeing where the whole thing was going to play out. The last quarter of the book, whilst I did feel echos of a smidge of The Walking Dead well at least one part, it does take a change of pace and I thought that was quite good, I flopped between 2.5/3 stars for this but went with 3 because I did like the story. I found we were left with questions and would have liked more, even a second book, with the rest of the zombies and what happened next!

View all my reviews

Last One At The Party by Bethany Clift

Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

THE END OF EVERYTHING WAS HER BEGINNING

It's November 2023. The human race has been wiped out by the 6DM virus (Six Days Maximum - the longest you've got before your body destroys itself). The end of the world as we know it.

Yet someone is still alive. Alone in a new world of burning cities, rotting corpses and ravenous rats, one woman has survived. A woman who has spent her whole life compromising what she wants and hiding how she feels to meet other people's expectations. From her career to her relationships, to what she wears and where she lives, she's made a lifetime of decisions to fit what other people want her to be.

But with no one else left, who will she become now that she's completely alone?


My Review


6DM - 6 days maximum from symptoms start to your utterly horrific/painful death. There is no cure, there is only pain, suffering and death, there are pills available to help you end it, that is it. So when our main character (unnamed) not only is immune but the only survivor what is a girl to do with the whole world at her disposal.

The book takes us through the female narrator's navigation through the beginning of the pandemic, current situation and flips back to pre pandemic. We get to know her through her current choices, who she was before everything went bad and as she tries to survive a lonely and dangerous new existence.

There is a lot about this book that will make the reader uncomfortable, she goes off the rails, she makes some questionable choices but I think being so flawed brings her to life. Some of the stuff with the animals I found really hard going, I always do in books or movies, everybody has a thing that gets them, mine is harm/badness to animals.

I think the author captures humanity quite well in this character, what would you do if you had the world to yourself. Every shop, house, drink, drug, place available - no consequences to your actions but also the pure fear of being truly alone. The smells, the terror, the new threats to you, having to be extra careful because there are no doctors, no hospitals, no healthcare - things you took for granted are now risks.

Some people may find this book too dark in light of our current pandemic however for me it was a good escape, how much worse things could be. Walking through the abandoned streets, houses, lives of others, how very lonely it would be and weighing up the choices available. I think this will be a marmite book and what some folk like others won't, it is different that is for sure, I would absolutely recommend, 3.5/5 for me. I look forward to seeing what this author has to offer next!

View all my reviews

The Living Dead by George A Romero and Daniel Kraus

The Living Dead by George A. Romero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - as able over 3 days

Pages - 656

Publisher - Bantam Press

Source - 656

Blurb from Goodreads

Set in the present day, The Living Dead is an entirely new tale, the story of the zombie plague as George A. Romero wanted to tell it.

It begins with one body.

A pair of medical examiners find themselves battling a dead man who won’t stay dead.

It spreads quickly.

In a Midwestern trailer park, a Black teenage girl and a Muslim immigrant battle newly-risen friends and family. On a US aircraft carrier, living sailors hide from dead ones while a fanatic makes a new religion out of death. At a cable news station, a surviving anchor keeps broadcasting while his undead colleagues try to devour him. In DC, an autistic federal employee charts the outbreak, preserving data for a future that may never come.

Everywhere, people are targeted by both the living and the dead.

We think we know how this story ends.

We. Are. Wrong.


My Review

If you follow my Goodreads or any of my accounts or just know me you KNOW I LOVE Zombies, movies, books - can't get enough. Romero movies I grew up with and when I heard this was a book he had a hand in, TAKE MY MONEY!!!

I was planning on keeping this until October for my themed reads but I couldn't wait and had to dive in. I always said if I wrote a zombie book I would want it starting or cataloged at a hospital, this is close enough, a morgue.

It spreads quickly and we visit a handful of characters as the outbreak hits and how they react and try to survive the undead. A teenager in a trailer park - crime, poverty racism and now battling to stay alive. A government employee, a pilot trying to prove her worth among the sailors and finding comfort with the carriers priest despite being an unbeliever, hoping the infection won't reach their vessel. A news station, staying online as long as possible, reporting on the stories as they get them. And in Washington, an employee logging all the information of the outbreak as she gets it, staying to the very end to ensure everything is catalogued, as long as people reach out - she has a job to do.

A very mixed bag of characters, I have read and watched a fair amount of zombie stories. This one has the usual themes we see in them all but also a few wee new surprises that I hadn't seen or read before. Romero has given so much so to have this is just the icing on the cake - I would love to have a story, written, delving into the "Day of the Dead" characters, Doctor "Frankenstein" the soldiers, BUB (although I felt in this book we had a wee glimpse or nod to Bub and how he was different to his other fellow zombies). Maybe Kraus will try his hand at something like that, who wouldn't love to hear Bub's story and after reading this I think he well could be the man for the job. 4.5/5 for me, fingers and toes crossed this is something he would consider, I am now aware he has other books out there so will have a nosey at his works and see what he writes. If you are a zombie fan you really need to sink your teeth into this (see what I did there :P sorry, not sorry!).

View all my reviews

The Raven by Jonathan Janz Blog Tour

Today is my turn and closing the blog tour for book "The Raven" by author Joonathan Janz.

About the book
Fearing that mankind is heading toward nuclear extinction, a group of geneticists unleash a plot to save the world. They’ve discovered that mythological creatures such as werewolves, vampires, witches, and satyrs were once real, and that these monstrous genetic strands are still present in human DNA. These radical scientists unleash the bestial side of human beings that had been dormant for eons, and within months, most people are dead, and bloodthirsty creatures rule the earth. Despite the fact that Dez McClane has no special powers, he is determined to atone for the lives he couldn’t save and to save the woman he loves. But how long can a man survive in a world full of monsters?

Available to buy now from AMAZON in paperback, hardback and kindle and from Flame Tree Press in paperback, hardback and kindle.

About the author
Jonathan Janz grew up between a dark forest and a graveyard, which explains everything. Brian Keene named his debut novel The Sorrows "the best horror novel of 2012." The Library Journal deemed his follow-up, House of Skin, "reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Peter Straub's Ghost Story" Since then Jonathan's work has been lauded by writers like Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, Tim Waggoner, Bryan Smith, and Ronald Kelly. Novels like The Nightmare Girl, Wolf Land, Savage Species, and Dust Devils prompted Thunderstorm Books to sign Jonathan to an eleven-book deal and to give him his own imprint, Jonathan Janz's Shadow Side.

For my stop I have my review, enjoy xxx

The Raven by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 256

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The world is a mess, civilisation has ended as we know it, scientists are our downfall and activate something within our dna, junk dna. Now the world is a ruin, inhabited by creatures of our nightmares, myths and legends now walking among us. Dez is our main character, a guy on a mission trying to find what is his and survive against the many opponents and beings out there.

We have werewolves, vampires, cannibals and that is just the start. Dez has to get over his own insecurities (we see some of these via diary entries) as we follow him through this new world and those he meets along the way. Not everyone can be a baddie can they? You have to trust someone along the way and find your own place in this horrific new world.

Brutal, murder, death, viciousness, cannibalism, horror, gore and dear lord an eyeball scene ooft, fans will be delighted over some of the vicious mank and death splattered over the pages. I think this book is just scratching the surface, a foundation book that has the making for an epic and long series. A drop of humanity in a world of barbarism, a destructive journey that sees one man pushed to lengths and limits that questions who he is at his core. I do hope the author is planning on delving into some of the creatures mentioned briefly or in passing and seeing some of the characters appearing in a book two (three, four etc). 4.5/5 for me, we are on a mission with the main character, danger on every corner and I just wanted to spend more time with so many of the characters, know their stories and transitions! Here is to the writing Gods that Janz is going to revisit these guys and there will be a book two!

View all my reviews

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 319

Publisher - Titan Books

Source - Gifted (RAK)

Blurb from Goodreads

Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake, with their closest neighbours more than two miles in either direction.

As Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young and friendly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologises and tells Wen, "None of what's going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out, "Your dads won't want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world."

So begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are intertwined.


My Review

I went back and forth on this being a 2.5 or a 3 star review. There were things I liked and at least one gasp out loud moment, others I really didn't but the gasper moment tipped it to be a three. Wen is just a kid, out in the garden playing when she meets Leonard, a giant of a man, he seems harmless so she gabs away. When his pals show up Wen gets worried and goes inside to warn her dads and then everything turns. Leonard and co NEED to get inside, they need to talk to Wen's dad's it is a matter of life and death for the whole world. An apocalypse is coming but if Wen's dad's step up to the plate they can save everyone, but saving the world will come at a huge cost.

I had no idea where the book was going to go, is Leonard and his "friends" delusional or are they really there to try and save the world. The book keeps you guessing, even when giving "clues" or "proof" of the end that is to come. The book has a some serious themes, sexuality (Wen has two dads), violence, murder, faith and cause and effect, actions or lack of and consequences.

I think some people will love how the book ends, I really didn't - I get why the author went that way but it is a personal preference and it just wasn't for me. Absolutely worth reading and I did enjoy how the story was set down, this was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 3/5.

View all my reviews

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 320

Publisher - Headline

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

One pet crow fights to save humanity from an apocalypse in this uniquely hilarious debut from a genre-bending literary author.

S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (those idiots), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos ®.

Then Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, and S.T. starts to feel like something isn't quite right. His most tried-and-true remedies--from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim's loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis--fail to cure Big Jim's debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he discovers that the neighbors are devouring each other and the local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of dangerous new predators roaming Seattle. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a foul-mouthed crow whose knowledge of the world around him comes from his TV-watching education.

Hollow Kingdom is a humorous, big-hearted, and boundlessly beautiful romp through the apocalypse and the world that comes after, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero.


My Review

Y'all know I love a zombie book (my blog has it's own tab just for these types of books) but this one is different from many of the others I have read. In fact is pretty much the first zombie book I have read like this. The main character and narrator of the book is a bird, a domesticated crow called S.T. (Shit Turd). He is a bit of a scardey, doesn't associate with his own kind and his whole world is his human Jim and Jim's daft dog Dennis. When Jim's eye falls out that is the first incline something isn't right. S.T. will need to venture out to try find medicine to help Jim, soon S.T. realises this isn't an isolated incident and him and Dennis will need to head out into the world if they have any chance of survival.

Sooo, humans actually don't play a huge part in the story, yes they are zombies and the animals need to keep out of their grabby, bitey mitts. The story focuses on S.T. and then Dennis as they attempt to make sense of what is/has happened and what they will do next. Some chapters let us hear from other animals as they experience the decline of interaction with their humans. As S.T. gets his head around what has happened he embarks on a mission and interacts with other animals he finds along they way as they try to adjust to a world without humans.

I did quite enjoy this to be honest although as the majority of characters are animals there is some animal fatalities which of course dampened my enjoyment. Even a passing animal I find hard to read if it passes or gets hurt so not a spoiler as much as a headsup. Lets face it a zombie book with humans you know there will be death(s) it is the nature of the story but almost all of our characters are animals.

A really unique approach to a zombie apocalyptic book giving us main characters as animals, I would love there to be a follow up and see what comes next. This is my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read them again, 3.5/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

A Boy And His Dog At The End Of The World by C A Fletcher

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 365

Publisher - Orbit

Source - Competition win & review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

When a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.

My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football.

My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.

Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?


My Review

Griz is our main character and protagonist. In a post apocalyptic world Griz lives pretty isolated with his family and dogs. When a stranger comes to their little strip in the world and takes his dog he must go out into a world he has never ventured into to reclaim his dog. Armed with the stubbornness of the young, his boat, his other dog and some food he chases after the thief. Heading to the unknown, danger is everywhere and the reader follows through Gritz written accounts of all he endures and survives whilst trying to get back what belongs to him.

It starts of relatively slow, builds up and offers the reader a different slant on the apocalypse, it is well after the event and we get snippets through Gritz telling. Whilst we have slow build up we do have a fair amount of action, scenes that push some darkness and reminded me of a few of the apocalypse movies/books I have came to love over the years. That said I felt I had a lot of questions that for me didn't have answered how I would have liked. I am very much in the minority as this book is loved by so many and I would absolutely recommend reading it and seeing how you find it.

There are so many great things that really adds to the solemness and emptiness of our world without being over the top and in your face. The situations Gritz finds himself in, the reactions and actions mirror the age of the character and yet some have you thinking he is far older. We see Gritz go on a journey of personal growth, starting out as a reckless kid and becoming closer to an adult after the exposures and hardships along the way.

Whilst there were things I enjoyed and the writing engages you quickly I was left underwhelmed by the things I would have liked addressed or explored further. As I said I am in the minority as this book is overwhelmingly loved by so many and I can be a picky fussy muppet with some aspects of books and I think this time it was definitely me, I needed more. I would absolutely read this author again and even this it would be awesome for them to revisit this world/characters again, 2.5/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

Zom-B Baby by Darren Shan

Zom-B Baby by Darren Shan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - Over 2 days

Pages - 224

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Source - The Works

Blurb from Goodreads

How do you know if you're working for a lunatic?
Where do you go when you've run out of people to trust?
Have you ever heard an undead baby scream?
B Smith is out of her comfort zone . . .


My Review

This is book five in a series, you could get away with starting here as you get a very very brief recap of what has happened in the previous books. I would say grab the previous so you get a better grasp of the characters but you can start with this one.

B Smith is still the main character, still a zombie, still able to think and in a "team" with other thinking zombies. They are preparing for the inevitable fight against the others. B isn't sure she wants to stay with them & Doctor Oystein, it doesn't sit well with her he says God talks to him. The alternatives, go it alone or go find The Clown who is evil & encourages acts of savage depravity. This was the same theme really of the last book however this one looks more at B's relationship within the small group. We come back to a character from the previous book and get some closure for that character whilst opening up a whole new path. B has been dreaming about monster babies since before the apocalypse kicked off, could she now be closer to getting answers?

Not too much in the way of action happens, I felt. It was more about the characters interactions and thought processes. This will no doubt please some of the fans of this series as you get character depth and development. I would have liked more closure on some of the past stuff to be honest however there are another eight books in the series so I am sure I will get answers as they go on. I don't have any more of these on my tbr and I would read them as I come across them but won't be rushing out to buy them all. A good read but not my favourite of the series so far, 3/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

State Of Emergency by Mary Hallberg

State of Emergency by Mary Hallberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 158

Publisher - Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Source - Author (review request)

Blurb from Goodreads

17-year-old Dallas Langdon is fighting off zombies with a pizza cutter.

Dallas has always loved zombie movies. But when she catches a real live (erm, dead) musician eating a man’s intestines backstage after the show, she knows her movies have become a reality. And what do characters in zombie movies do? Seek shelter. Fortunately, Dallas's eccentric uncle owns a farmhouse in Chattanooga, an eight hour drive from New Orleans. It’s on top of a steep mountain, surrounded by electric fences, and cut off from the worlds of the living and the dead.

Dallas’s parents, still safe at home, laugh at her idea over the phone. Her friends only agree to join her because it’s fall break and they could use a mini vacation anyway.

But then Dallas’s best friend is killed by a zombie horde when they’re attracted to her ringing cell phone. Civilians think their reanimated loved ones simply have the flu, leaving them alive (well, undead) and rapidly increasing the zombies ranks. And since minors can’t buy guns, Dallas’s only weapon is a giant industrial pizza cutter she swipes from a gas station. George A. Romero never mentioned anything like this. With one friend dead and no zombie survival guides to help her, Dallas and her friends must get to Chattanooga before joining the ranks of the undead themselves.


My Review

New Orleans is the place and Dallas is our main character, opening with her sister and small town sensation Tatum. Tatum is making it big as a singer, the press can't get enough of her and Dallas is pretty fed up. Going from teenage angst to the start of a zombie apocalypse we follow Dallas and her friends as they try to convince people it is happening to travelling to a place of safety.

I went back and forth on this being 3.5 to a 4 star rating, I went for 4 stars as we have the origins of the outbreak which is new for me. We follow the very beginning and slow spread of panic to the realization of what is upon them. The protagonist has a very different kind of weapon, a pizza cutter, just to be clear, I initially thought it was the wee circular one we use however it is the curved blade one, quite different!

It is a small read at only 158 pages and I felt we could have had much much more, I have messaged the author to see if there are any more coming in the series, I do hope so. The characters, there wasn't any I connected with, probably because they are teens although I liked the idea of the uncle and would love to hear his story.

The book covers many issues, teen angst, death, survival, relationships and a few darker themes as well as zombies. I can't give a warning to the darker topic without spoiling but anyone who likes or reads zombies novels has a general feel for what they cover. 4/5 for me this time, thanks to the author for introducing me to her work.

View all my reviews

The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 4 days on and off

Pages - 294

Publisher - TOR

Blurb from Goodreads

Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.

For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape, keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart. She can't remember a time before the zombies, but she does remember an old man who took her in and the younger brother she cared for until the tragedy that set her on a personal journey toward redemption. Moving back and forth between the insulated remnants of society and the brutal frontier beyond, Temple must decide where ultimately to make a home and find the salvation she seeks.





My Review

We all know I love a zombie read, for those who are a bit fencer sitter on them this one may appear a bit more to you. Temple is taking it one day from the next in a new world where zombies far outnumber the surviving humans. Twenty five years after the apocalypse kicked off Temple has lost everyone close to her and is moving from place to place to stay safe. After a horrific encounter she finds herself hunted and not just by the zombies. Coming across someone who is vulnerable to say the least she tries to keep them both safe whilst eluding the person who wants to dole out some justice.

I think if you like a story that is post apocalyptic which more focus on the human survival and rationale behind human actions and consequences rather than horror and flesh eating, this is one for you. Temple is older than her fifteen years and in some aspects really smart, in others you are slapping your head in disbelief at some of the choices she makes considering that which she has just survived.

She looks after a vulnerable male adult she comes across after her conscience won't let her abandon him yet calls him some terms that many readers will find offensive. The person who hunts her whilst you can understand their initial reasons just had me thinking, really?!?! she is a kid and anyone would justify her actions oh and she is a fifteen year old child! A few other issues for me was how well kept the world appears to be, twenty five years in and some places still have working electronics, electricity, home comforts meh I have read and seen so many of this genre that that did stick in my craw.

However, the book itself rather than heavy focus , as most zombie reads do, on death eating monsters & destruction this was more on humanity, the ups and downs of it. In a ravaged world we will have good guys, bad guys and a sense of righteousness, friendship, honor and family ties. I did like this book, I just didn't love it and whilst some will appreciate how it all came to play folk like me get a bit prickly with how things are chosen to come full circle. I would certainly recommend it to folk who enjoy the more human interactions of apocalyptic style read as it has been loved and enjoyed by many. If you are looking for a gore fest or the survival from limited resources then maybe not so much this one. 3/5 for me this time, this was my first time reading this author and I would read them again, certainly different from the other zombie reads so far.

View all my reviews

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Pages - 368

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads


When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?



My Review

Scarlett works in the hospital which is where she is when the outbreaks really kicks off. Her two daughters are with her ex husband and her main focus is getting to them and a place of safety. One of the doctors she works with has a safe haven, Red Hill, this is where Scarlett aims to get to. The doctors own daughters are headed to this location and a few other characters. With a deadly zombie outbreak, cannibalism, violence and death the main goal for all is to get to safety unharmed.

You know by now I love a zombie book and I especially love that this one kicks off really in a hospital. We get split between the main characters with each chapter, Scarlett, Nathan & his daughter and Miranda, Ashley (the doctors daughters) and their partners. Whilst there is gore and deaths galore this book also looks are relationships and the impacts this kind of disaster can have on families and how people cope and survive.

There are dark themes as always with apocalypse but also the darker side of human nature when vulnerable people are left unprotected. Sexual abuse raises its ugly head, briefly but enough that I feel a warning is required to fellow readers. Really fast paced, despite jumps in characters and locations the book does well to keep it together and relevant. I would have read it in one sitting given the chance, there is another book which looks at the journey of two of the survivors but nothing from where this one ends. I tweeted the author and really hope this is in the pipelines or gives McGuire consideration to pick up where she left off with the characters. 4/5 for me this time, this is my first dance with this author and I would read her work again.

View all my reviews

ZomB Angels by Darren Shan

Zom-B Angels by Darren Shan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 233

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads


After spending the last few months wandering around London--a city filled with the dead--B Smith has given up hope for any sign of normal human existence. But then B finds strange signs all over the city--a "Z" plus red arrows. Following them, B finds The Angels-- a group gathered in the hopes of combating the evil dead and the forces that introduced them. But all is not as it seems and it's up to B to find out: what battle are they truly waging?



My Review


This is book 4, if you haven't read the previous books I would recommend you do so as I think you get much more out of the story knowing the previous parts. B is out and about, going around London and not finding anything much apart from zomheads. She has followed the Z & red arrows and come across a group, a safe haven, a place she can be herself. As B starts to understand what the place is about and their mission, she has to decide if this is right for her.

So, we certainly get a few more answers in this book and a focus as to where the story is headed as well as a bit more insight into the dreaded clowns ans his minions. Again some scenes are gross and there is one particularly harrowing scene with a child so be warned. I felt there was a wee bit of preachiness in this book, religion and again racism which has featured in the previous books especially if you know B's background.

Overall, if you have enjoyed the series so far you will like this one. B is further developing who she is and whilst she won't physically age she is certainly maturing and growing as a "person". 3/5 for me this time, I have the next installment and I will be reading it soon, I am quite keen to see where Shan takes it.

View all my reviews

ZomB City by Darren Shan

Zom-B City by Darren Shan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Pages - 213

Blurb from Goodreads


How many survived the zombie apocalypse?Where do the living hide in a city of the dead?

Who controls the streets of London?

B Smith is setting out to explore...



My Review

B is out from underground, picking up from where we left book three, she is weak, hungry and disorientated. Stumbling about she hits the streets of London, among the undead to try and find her way through the new world and what her place in it might be.

You can read this book as a stand alone as Shan does give a brief recap of what you have missed, however if you can I would suggest going back and reading the others. B is determined she won't be attacking humans but she knows what she needs to do in order to survive. Despite being undead and never being able to age, B is growing up fast and trying to adapt to her new way of life. Coming across the undead is not her only problem, there are much worse things than zombies out there and what do they have planned for her?

More death, gore and self exploration, some of the scenes cover innocent and young victims which some readers may find distressing. If you have read the previous and enjoyed you won't be disappointed with this one. B's journey continues, we are offered a bit more insight into what has happened and how our world looks now. I can't wait to see where the next installment takes us, 4/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

Zom-B by Darren Shan

Zom-B by Darren Shan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 217

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads

Zom-B is a radical new series about a zombie apocalypse, told in the first person by one of its victims. The series combines classic Shan action with a fiendishly twisting plot and hard-hitting and thought-provoking moral questions dealing with racism, abuse of power and more. This is challenging material, which will captivate existing Shan fans and bring in many new ones. As Darren says, "It's a big, sprawling, vicious tale...a grisly piece of escapism, and a barbed look at the world in which we live. Each book in the series is short, fast-paced and bloody. A high body-count is guaranteed!"



My Review

This is the first book in a zombie series, we open with B our main character, a teenager who is still at school when the first stirrings of a zombie outbreak starts. No one really believes it and thinks the videos & news are mock ups. We follow B through relatively mundane happenings, until over 100 pages in we finally get our first glimpse of the undead.

So, for me this was a bit more like Fear The Walking Dead rather than The Walking Dead, heavily focused on the pre and build up to the actual onslaught. B is not a likable main character, a lot of time is spent being a bully or just horrible selfish behaviour to assessing the behviour and not wanting to be like her very racist father. There are scenes of bullying, racism, violence and when the zombies finally show up, some gore. There are also some black and white illustration artwork scattered throughout the book which makes for a nice wee change I thought.

There is a lot focus on self exploration of B's attitude, family values (that of white extremist attitude of the father), pack mentality in schools and survival mode. There are quite a few books in this series, I have already bought them so will be reading them. I would advise this may not be for the die hard zombie fans as it is a slow burner and not quite as much focus on the outbreak and zombies as it is on the characters however it is still a decent read, 3/5 for me.

View all my reviews

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

The Enemy by Charlie Higson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

pages - 407

Publisher - Puffin

Blurb from Goodreads

Charlie Higson's The Enemy is the first in a jaw-dropping zombie horror series for teens. Everyone over the age of fourteen has succumbed to a deadly zombie virus and now the kids must keep themselves alive.

When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, 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?


My Review

A group of survivors, kids, all fighting to stay alive. A disease took over and destroyed life as we know it. The grown ups got sick, erupted boils, puss and became violent cannibals or died, everyone over fourteen years old. Now a stranger arrives, promising the kids a better way of life over in Buckingham palace, but what will they find there and will they survive the journey.

This is only the first book in a series so it is understandable there are a lot of questions left over. Why the age, why does it affect some animals, why are all adults not affected the same? There are a lot of characters, lots of death, violence & gore it is quite a dark tale, no one and nothing is safe. It reminded me of Lord Of The Flies a little bit and if I am honest it took me a bit to get into as the characters are all really young and some of them quite delinquent. However as the book goes on I started to get into it and appreciate the trials the youngsters face. The book is set across London & whilst I have visited there before I hadn't quite appreciated there is so much to see there, outwith an apocalyptic setting! It is nice to see a location through an authors eyes and tweaked to appreciate the characters storyline and the journey they take. 3/5 for me this time, I have the next two books in the series to read and look forward to where the story goes next.

View all my reviews

Surviving The Evacuation - London by Frank Tayell

London by Frank Tayell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (on and off)

Pages - 201

Blurb from Goodreads

The outbreak started in New York. Within days the infection had spread to every corner of the world. Nowhere is safe from the undead...

Bill watched from his window as London was evacuated. His leg broken, he is unable to join the exodus. Turning to his friends in the government, he waits and hopes for rescue. As the days turn into weeks, realising inaction will lead only to starvation and death, his thoughts turn to escape.

Forced to leave the safety of his home he ventures out into the undead wasteland that once was England, where he will discover a horrific secret.

This is the first volume of his journal.



My Review

An outbreak that starts in New York soon finds its way to London. Bill is stuck in his house watching it all unfold as he is stuck indoors with a broken leg. As the chaos descends Bill knows that he will have to make a break for it if he is to survive, this story is Bills journal cataloging his journey.

As you may know, I love zombie/apocalyptic stories, this is a fairly thin read although I believe there is 7 volumes available. Bill is our main character, it is his voice and diary we follow as the events unfold and he faces the choice of staying safe indoors and starving or attempting to go out and escape where he has seen so many perish.

This is a bit different from the books I have read on this genre, it is told in diary format which isn't exactly unique however Bill has a broken leg. The outbreak is hard enough to try and survive without having a cast on and being slowed down. It builds up the tension as you feel the despair of the situation for Bill and things go quickly from bad to worse. There are a few surprises along the way and considering it is a lone voice telling the story and for the most part it is only Bill, the author manages to bring in other characters through Bills previous chats/memories and things he happens upon.

I think some people may have issue with this one because Bill has a cast on, one or two things that happen you question the validity however, it is a zombie outbreak book and I think it all works pretty well. I have already downloaded the second one of this in the series and can't wait to see what happens next, 4/5 for me and I definitely recommend it to fans of this genre.

View all my reviews

The Stand by Stephen King

The Stand by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Publisher - New English Library

Pages - 1415

Blurb from Goodreads

When a man crashes his car into a petrol station, he brings with him the foul corpses of his wife and daughter. He dies and it doesn't take long for the plague which killed him to spread across America and the world. From the author of The Tommyknockers, Misery and Pet Sematary.


My Review

A military containment fails and Captain Trips gets out, a flu that wipes out most of humanity. What is left splits into two groups, one heading to Las Vegas to see him, Randal Flagg causer of nitemares or Colorado to Mother Abigail, a beacon of hope doing the Lords work. A whole host of characters, trying to stay alive because in a world where there is only good and evil, there are more scary things than the plague.

I read this years ago as a teenager, King is or was a huge favourite of mine so a perfect choice for Halloween reads. There is a lot to take in as characters and locations change but you soon get settled in and read as the world fall apart. This is the first time I have read the uncut version however it has been so long since I read the normal version I couldn't honestly say whats new and what wasn't.

Some of it is tough going, violence, murder, sexual abuse, evil, good and thats just some of it. I am sure most people are familiar with the tones of Kings work so you know what you are in for. The Stand is a great Apocalyptic type tale with many dimensions, the fall of society, the attempted rise of society, the battle of good and evil, the trials and sacrifices and of course love, betrayal, relationships and lies. 4/5 for me this time, I love King so of course I will be reading him again.

View all my reviews

Review - Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken to Read - 3 days

Blurb from Goodreads

Pages - 458

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Nearly fourteen years ago, a freak virus swept across the world turning the living into the undead. Benny Imura was only a toddler, but his last memory of his parents is tainted by the image of them becoming zombies, and he blames his older brother, Tom, for not saving them.

Now Benny is fifteen, and Tom wants them to put their difficult relationship behind them and work together in the “family business”: as zombie killers. It’s the last thing Benny wants to do, but he needs a job and he thinks it’ll be an easy ride.

But when they head into the Rot and Ruin, an area full of wandering zombies, Benny soon realises that there’s more to the job than just whacking zombies. And, as he’s confronted with the truth about the world around him Benny makes the most terrifying discovery of all, that the worst monsters you can imagine might actually be human ...


My Review


Benny is fifteen years old, in a world where the living dead are ever a threat to humans, when you come of age (fifteen) you must contribute to the community in order to eat, live, survive there. Benny's brother Tom has quite a reputation, a hero, he kills zombies and is well thought of in the community. Benny knows differently, he knows Tom is a coward and he hates him, however he has to learn the business in order to earn his keep. Benny starts to realize there is more to the job and indeed his brother as he ventures out into the Rot and Ruin. As Benny starts to see the world differently, he realizes how dangerous the world around him is and the things he thought he knew aren't quite what they seemed.

I have read a Jonathan Maberry before, Patient Zero, and loved it. This is very different, although both are zombie stories. This one heavily focuses on the personal journey young Benny takes, from developing interest in the opposite sex, family grudges, secrets and making the transition from petulant teenager into a young man. There is of course zombies and danger although it has a very different feel from his other tale. Discovering the zombies may be different from what young Benny had imagined and learning that sometimes people can be worse than the zombies, Benny goes on a journey of self discovery, growth and survival.

It is a good introduction to a new zombie series, it isn't just all gore and guts as a lot of zombie books are. It isn't the best I have read but I certainly enjoyed it and will follow the series as I come upon it, 3/5 for me this time.

View all my reviews

Review - The Walking Dead: Rise Of The Governor by Robert Kirkwood

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read 3 days

Blurb From Goodreads

In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than The Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it's forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople's amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted "Villain of the Year" by "Wizard" magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic book series. Now, for the first time, fans of "The Walking Dead "will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes.

My review

I have never read the comics of the walking dead but I do love the program and thought this book would link into it. There are no characters (that I have so far seen up to) from the show so don't go into this book thinking that there will be. The main characters are a small band of survivors, two brothers Philip and I think it was Brian, Phillip's little girl and his two friends of old. The story starts with the epidemic already underway and they are just trying to survive and understand what has happened. Soon enough you have zombies attacking and all their wits are tested to the max.

I did quite like this book (you know my love of zombies by now), and I found despite having a lot of real life things to catch up on I didn't want to put the book down. Love them or hate them the characters had their weaknesses and strength and you wanted to know if they made it.

A few issues I had with it was there seemed to be a lot of medical terms used, at times I liked this and other parts I felt it wasn't needed nor did it add to that part of the story. Phillip tended to have some severe behavior issues that I didn't notice right away and some of it let me thinking what is going on, did I miss something. As always there is gore and bad language so if your not a zombie fan and don't like that kind of thing then this book isn't for you. If your a fan of the zombie genre and fancy a fast paced adventure of the undead with some easy to follow characters then this is worth a go. I would read another by these authors, 3/5 for me.

View all my reviews

NBR - Masque Of The Red Death by Bethany Griffin (book 1)

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 3 days

Blurb From Goodreads

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club--in the depths of her own despair--Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for--no matter what it costs her.


My Review

Imagine trying to survive a world filled with disease, fear, murder, drugs and ruled by a tyrant who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Araby is living as best as she can, trying to fulfill a promise to her brother whilst under the same roof as her scientist father and aloof mother (both who she feels wishes she had expired and not her brother). Whilst trying to find escape and peace at Debauchery with her best friend she can't help but notice Will, handsome and aloof who makes her feel something other than the effects of drugs or the sorrow for the lives lost with disease. Eventually she meets Elliott who is dangerous, sexy and ruthless and believes he can give hope to those left alive and save what is left of his city.

This is quite a story, Araby is a great character who has many levels to who she is and how she came to be the person she is. My problem with the story is that I felt I was missing something a lot of the time (although by the end of the story I had a better understanding on everything). When someone went missing and there was no interrogation or real answers given to what had happened and where they had went. Also it seemed some of it was in riddles, something would happen or be mentioned and we wouldn't discover why or what until later in the book (this does annoy me as I have to read and re-read in case I missed something).

The relationships between Araby and the boys had, for me, some highs and lows and I switched my opinion on them a few times. Near the end there is a few twists and it does keep your attention but I didn't like how I didn't get my answers until the end of the book and even then I was left with questions. This is the first in a series and I will look for the next book to find out what happens next with Araby. 3/5 for me this time and thanks to Newbooks for providing me with a review copy and introducing me to a new author.

View all my reviews