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!

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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!).

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Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages -455

Publisher - Balzier + Bray

Source - Competition win

Blurb from Goodreads

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.


My Review

Meet Jane, forced from her family to train to defend and keep safe families with money, to become an Attendant. Effiencent in slaughtering zombies but also etiquette so as to behave in an acceptable manner in front of the families and their friends. Jane isn't the only one, Miss Prenton's school of Combat is one of the better ones, taking in children under the Native and Negro Reeducation Act. Racism is alive and well and America will use it to keep their "better" families safe and use the "undesirables" of what is left of society to protect the elites!

This book is so infuriating in parts, the main character Jane is a delight, she is sassy, smart and has her own plan. She needs to bow to some of the rules but she won't allow herself to be compromised which leads her to being in many hot water situations.

Told in first person narrative we learn a bit about Jane's upbringing and day to day life and issues within the school and how these girls are treated, what the end goal is. The author has taken slavery and put it into an apocalyptic situation, exploring some of the most horrific behaviours of human beings. Whilst this is of course a work of fiction, the school aspect is taken from very real events from history. The kids in America from Native families had been forcibly removed and sent to "schools" to be taught how to be civilised. At the end of the book the author has included some books readers can check out to read more about this, pretty shocking.

The book itself is an interesting take on the zombie apocalypse, the racism, supreme-ism is probably more in the story than that of the apocalypse but both interweave and an interesting read. I can't imagine anyone reading this and not being upset or annoyed at some of the behaviours of the characters but you will love Jane. She is strong, loyal, brave, fearless and just a great female character. This was my first dance with this author I would absolutely read her again, 3.5/5 for me this time.

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Day by Day Armageddon Ghost Run by J L Bourne

Day by Day Armageddon: Ghost Run by J.L. Bourne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 256

Publisher - Gallery Books

Source - Amazon buy

Blurb from Goodreads

The acclaimed and eagerly anticipated fourth thriller in the zombie apocalypse series from the author of Day by Day Armageddon and Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile, for fans of the smash hit show The Walking Dead.

In a desperate bid to survive as hordes of bloodthirsty undead now dominate the ravaged U.S. population, a Navy commander discovers an incredible secret about the pandemic in this fourth novel in the acclaimed Day by Day Armageddon series.

Task Force Phoenix may be humanity’s final hope, and the narrator's agonizing decisions could mean living one more day—or surrendering to the eternal hell that exists between life and death.

Ghost Run is a suspenseful, gripping, and intelligent thriller that will terrify die-hard horror fans and reinforce J.L. Bourne’s reputation as “the new king of hardcore zombie action” (Brad Thor, author of Act of War).


My Review

This is book four in the series and I would recommend reading the others before this one as the main character in this book isn't the main in the previous ones. There is also a lot of history to be read and small kickbacks to the previous book events so I think you would be better off reading them. The book does however start off with a wee mini recap of the previous books so you aren't starting off blind.

The main character, Kil, is Navy trained and one of the top guys. He knows combat, weapons, training and it is strong throughout the book. Whilst this will be a huge kick for some readers I didn't love it. A lot of the weapons, use of items, things he came across as Joe Public I had to re read some things, google, check as I didn't know what they were. I think it makes a bit of a change to have a main character who is so knowledgeable and weapon specialist. For me I do like a main character though who would struggle with stuff like this. I loved the wee machine that was like a dog, I just could not accurately envision it but I did love it. Something that is often missing in these books are animals or we get them and bad things happen.

There is a ton of action, death scenes, attacks and of course zombies galore. We have a good bit of travel in the book too and as with the previous books it is told in diary like entries cataloguing his experiences. 3.5/5 for me, I do enjoy this series and I look forward to the next book.

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Allison Hewitt is Trapped by Madeleine Roux

Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeleine Roux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Pages - 340

Publisher - St. Martin's Griffin

Source - Amazon

Blurb from Goodreads

One woman's story as she blogs - and fights back - the zombie apocalypse"

Allison Hewitt and her five colleagues at the Brooks and Peabody Bookstore are trapped together when the zombie outbreak hits. Allison reaches out for help through her blog, writing on her laptop and utilizing the military's emergency wireless network (SNET). It may also be her only chance to reach her mother. But as the reality of their situation sinks in, Allison's blog becomes a harrowing account of her edge-of-the-seat adventures (with some witty sarcasm thrown in) as she and her companions fight their way through ravenous zombies and sometimes even more dangerous humans.



My Review

Azombie apocalypse with internet and blog entries capturing Allison Hewitt's struggle to survive and all the issues she faces. Working in a bookstore you are very limited in your options when a zombie apocalypse kicks off, that is what happens to Allison. However we follow her journey, with a handful of other survivors as they slowly adapt and try to stay alive. As living conditions worsening, time is dragging on, it is clear they need to move on to stay alive.

I really liked the kick off for this, the blog aspect was new for me, as you know have read more than a few zombie books. We go through many avenues of emotional reactions, meltdowns, personal growth and all updated with her blog and some comments from other survivors and their plights. We see how different folk react, the dangerous interactions with not just the zombies but other survivors. Love, loss, bravery, humanity both the good and bad and the strength of humans to prevail and keep going.

Whilst I did enjoy this I didn't like the abruptness of the end. As I was nearing the last few chapters I got a bit nervy of how it would wrap up. I am sure some loved it but I felt it should have been a good bit longer and more closure. There is another book after this one, I don't think it is any of the same characters though. I will buy it because I do love a zombie book and I did enjoy the authors writing style plus blog entries and a new spin on this genre, for me anyway. I just wish there had been more, sure they say a good author always leaves their audience wanting more, I would have just liked more closure, 3.5 stars out of 5 for me this time.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Underground by Darren Shan

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

Time taken to read - on and off over 1 day

Pages - 212

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads

Waking up in a military complex, months after zombies attacked school, B has no memory of the last few months. Life in the UK has turned tough since the outbreak, and B is woven into life- and battle- in the new military regime quickly. But as B learns more about the zombies held in the complex and the scientists keeping them captive, unease settles in. Why exactly was B saved? And is there anyone left in the world to trust?


My Review

This is the second book in the series so if you haven't read the first, stop reading this review and grab the first one. B has lost time, she doesn't remember the last few months and is now under military capture. With a team and under direct instructions B has to come to terms with who she is now and what is expected of her. She isn't gelling with her new team, her is adapting to her situation but as with the first book she has an internal battle going on.

I actually preferred this book to the first, this B has some tough choices to deal with and adaptions to make to get through the situation. She shows much more integrity with darker trials presented although the racist aspect is still looming in there. The setting is within a military building which could have be boring for some readers but I think it was a perfect setting for the build up and examination of B's character and those around her.

It is a zombie book with a twist, yes zombies who can think and talk have been done before but Shan puts a spin on that and offers, certainly for me, a unique take on the whole zombie them. One that can think, ones that are cannibalistic monsters, a mix of both and a stab at an explanation for it, we don't often get that. There is a fair amount of gore and splatter in the book but then it is a zombie apocalypse, we also see a bit of soul and there is some humour infused into the tale. 4/5 for me this time, but for the fact I have a ridik amount of review books awaiting my attention, I would have tore into the next installment of this series!

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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.

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The Fear by Charlie Higson

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

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Pages - 496

Publisher - Penguin

Blurb from Goodreads

The sickness struck everyone sixteen and over. 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 who are hungry, bloodthirsty, and not giving up.
DogNut and the rest of his crew, in search of the friends they lost during the fire, 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?


My Review

This is book three of the series, I would recommend if you haven't read the others to go back and get the first one as things are starting to come together in this book. Also, many characters have featured in the previous books and you understand it better and their actions if you have their previous history. This book sees Dognut leaving the safety of their home, the Tower of London to go looking for the rest of their people they lost with the big fire. We see the group coming across familiar faces, running into more dangers and now some of the diseased are stronger, intelligent and working together to hunt down their prey.

I have liked the previous books and this one too as we start to see the tellings from the previous books coming together and the groups interacting. However, I felt this time there are some deaths that are just gratuitous and I know in this time of tale people do need to go but still, one or two really annoyed me.

The adults are, some of them, becoming more dangerous, evolving, thinking and becoming a bigger and more deadly enemy for the kids. With that you also have the politics of the head of one of the groups who will do anything and everything to obtain his needs. Whilst they are young and in a situation where there are no adults I still question the reality of some of the choices and plans he has. Overall, a decent installment of the series, whilst I would like to see where it all ends up, I won't be rushing out to buy the next ones, 3/5 for me this time.

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The Walking Dead - The Road To Woodbury by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga

The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 277

Publisher - Thomas Dunne Books

Blurb from Goodreads

The first book explained how the Governor was created; this thrilling sequel to The New York Times bestseller further reveals his ruthless, inhuman conquest of Woodbury

The zombie plague unleashes its horrors on the suburbs of Atlanta without warning, pitting the living against the dead. Caught in the mass exodus, Lilly Caul struggles to survive in a series of ragtag encampments and improvised shelters. But the Walkers are multiplying. Dogged by their feral hunger for flesh and crippled by fear, Lilly relies on the protection of good Samaritans by seeking refuge in a walled-in town once known as Woodbury, Georgia.

At first, Woodbury seems like a perfect sanctuary. Squatters barter services for food, people have roofs over their heads, and the barricade expands, growing stronger every day. Best of all, a mysterious self-proclaimed leader named Philip Blake keeps the citizens in line. But Lilly begins to suspect that all is not as it seems… Blake, who has recently begun to call himself The Governor, has disturbing ideas about law and order.

Ultimately, Lilly and a band of rebels open up a Pandora's box of mayhem and destruction when they challenge The Governor's reign… and the road to Woodbury becomes the highway to hell in this riveting follow-up to Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga's New York Times bestselling The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.



My Review

I am a big fan of the TV show The Walking Dead, I have also read the first book in this series: The Rise Of The Governor. This book starts with Lilly Caul and the survivors she finds herself grouped with. After their camp gets attacked and people start to turn on each other, Lilly finds herself leaving with Josh, Bob, Scott & Megan. Eventually they find themselves in Woodbury and coming to the conclusion that the walkers may not be their biggest threat.

I love zombie books anyways, and films/shows so to be honest it isn't rocket science that I would really like this. As well as the usual fight or flight, struggle to survive, breakdown and strengthening of friendships, in this particular type of book we learn more about characters we already knew in the show. The Governor is not a nice guy at all, we know this but we get some insight and answers into some of his behaviour and actions we saw on the show and the previous book.

There are some things people will dislike about the book, the dialogue between Josh and Lilly can be a bit grating and repetitive. Some of the actions of the characters, as always, often causes annoyance or makes you questions their actions or lack of. However, for zombie fans I think you would like this book. I would recommend getting the first in the series so you get a bit of background on the governor although you could pick this up and read it as a stand alone. I believe there are two more books after this one, I will be on the look out for them, 4/5 for me this time.

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World War Moo by Michael Logan

World War Moo: An Apocalypse Cow Novel by Michael Logan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Blurb from Goodreads

It began with a cow that just wouldn't die. Yep. That's right. They're still infected, and now the disease has spread to humans. The epidemic that transformed Britain's bovine population into a blood-thirsty, brain-grazing, zombie horde...err... herd... is threatening to take over the globe.

And there's not much time left to stop it. All of Great Britain is infected and brimming with rage. The rest of the world has a tough choice to make. Should they nuke the Brits right off the map — men, women, children, cows and all — in the biggest genocide in history? Or should they risk global infection in a race against time to find a cure?

With fanatical infected trying to escape the cursed island, and the Brits ready to defend themselves with every weapon at their disposal, including an intercontinental missile sloshing with infected blood, it may only be a matter of time before the virus gets out.

This means war.


My review

I really enjoyed the first book, now book two sees the virus has spread to the humans and the world wants to eradicate Britain before the rest of the world is infected. There is little to none media coverage and the world thinks Britain is over ran with zombies. Most of the infected are fine, still people going about their business, until they come across an uninfected, then the rage takes hold. Except for those who have learned to control it, the rest of the world want to be safe, some of the British want to infect everyone so we can all live in harmony and have the missile ready to do just that.

This is so very different from the first book, there aren't as many cows in this one although there are some mention of infected animals the main focus is on humanity. The relationships of those still living, infected with uninfected, how those few managed to overcome the rage & attempt to teach others to hold onto their humanity. There is a fair bit of politics in this one and although there is still humour involved, politics isn't really my thing. Some of the humour and scenes are a bit foolish but to be honest, it works well with the overall theme of the book. It is interesting, funny, black humour, murder, relationships, humans adapting, love, courage and anger to name just some of the topics this tale covers.

It is a fresh idea on the whole zombie apocalypse & I enjoyed finding out what happened to the characters from the first book and meeting some new ones. How humanity deal with the struggle and life choices in the face of being wiped out. I hope Logan considers a third installment, I would certainly read it and recommend this to those who enjoyed Apocalypse Moo, 3/5 for me this time. Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Wasteland - Surviving the Evacuation by Frank Tayell

Wasteland by Frank Tayell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 203

Blurb from Goodreads

Billions were infected. Nations fell. The evacuation failed.

Bill Wright's journey has only one destination, the research facility that created the virus. As he meets other survivors in his struggle across the wasteland to reach it, he discovers that it is not just the undead who need to be feared.

This is the second volume of his journal.


My Review

This picks up pretty much where the first left off. Bill is hell bent on getting to the facility where it all started off, either to find answers or destroy what is left of the virus. Along the way he meets other survivors and Bill starts to realise people can be just as deadly as the zombies.

Bills journey in the first book was fairly solitary, this time he meets other survivors, some who recognise and blame him for "his part" in the death of so many. Along with survival this book looks more to the formation/breakdown of relationships, trust and Bill having to reassess his goals.

There is plenty of zombie action despite there being a heavy focus on the human interaction side of the story. Bill also finds some answers he wasn't aware he was looking for. A good second part of this story although I would recommend starting with the first book that this one. 3/5 for me this time, I will be buying the third installment of this tale to see how Bill fares.

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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.

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Plague of the Dead by Z A Recht

Plague of the Dead by Z.A. Recht
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 292

Publisher - Permuted Press

Blurb from Goodreads

The end begins with a viral outbreak unlike anything mankind has ever encountered before. The infected are subject to delirium, fever, a dramatic increase in violent behavior, and a one-hundred percent mortality rate. Death. But it doesn't end there. The victims return from death to walk the earth. When a massive military operation fails to contain the plague of the living dead it escalates into a global pandemic. In one fell swoop, the necessities of life become much more basic. Gone are petty everyday concerns. Gone are the amenities of civilized life. Yet a single law of nature remains: Live, or die. Kill, or be killed. On one side of the world, a battle-hardened General surveys the remnants of his command: a young medic, a veteran photographer, a brash Private, and dozens of refugees, all are his responsibility-all thousands of miles from home. Back in the United States, an Army Colonel discovers the darker side of Morningstar virus and begins to collaborate with a well-known journalist to leak the information to the public... The Morningstar Saga has begun.


My Review

The government have been experimenting and as you would guess it somehow gets out. Its a virus, its deadly, turns the living into aggressive, infective attackers who move quickly, and if you die, it reanimates you to a shuffling but equally aggressive and infective being. The narrative is done via some emails and then via chapters, dated. The government want to keep it under wraps however, the virus is spreading and soon it will be out of control. The world as we know it will cease to exist, Morningstar has been unleashed.

This book has had some negative reviews and a lot of good ones, I fall into the good camp. Yes there is a lot of questionable, even unbelievable actions from some of our people in charge however, if the world goes to pot, who knows how humans will react, even the officials.

The story kicks off with a few isolated incidents but soon its all over, the story dips in and out from across the globe however a big focus is on the United States. A small team of soldiers, a medic and some refugees band together to try and make it through the hot zones.

As will all zombie tales, your going to loose people you like, scream at some of the idiotic decisions and be left, if your a zombie fan, wanting more! I really liked it, thought it was a good start to a series and we get the how the outbreak comes to be, this is missing from a lot of zombie books and movies so it was nice for a wee change. I don't have books two and three in the story however I shall be chasing them down, 4/5 for me this time.

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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.

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Review - Feed by Mira Grant

Deadline by Mira Grant
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to rad - 8 days

Publisher - Orbit

Pages - 524

Blurb from Goodreads

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.
But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.
Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.


My Review

This is the second book in this series, I would strongly suggest reading Feed, the first in this series, to get an idea of the background story. Shaun Mason has nothing left to lose, nothing is what it used to be, nothing is fun, he has only one purpose left now. Reporting the truth, reporting what is happening with the zombies and trying to unravel what happened in the first book is what drive Shaun. When a CDC researcher reaches out to Shaun and his team, after faking her own death, she puts his team in peril and gives him another opening to pursue the truth and try and expose the conspiracy, once and for all.

Ok so yes it is a zombie book however, it is more dealing with whats happened in the past, focusing on and unraveling the conspiracy and, I felt, product endorsement! There isn't a whole lot of zombie action, the threat is always there, always looming, however it is who is the bad guys, why have they done what they did and picking up the pieces and trying to escape and get the truth. Shaun and his team blog the news, they have cameras following them, reporting to the people about the zombie situation whilst the surviving public go to work in controlled environments.

I have to say, for large portions, I was bored or frustrated. I wanted something to happen, don't get me wrong, sometimes something did but it was a long time coming. There isn't enough zombies, if there was one comment about why the main character drinks copious amounts of coca cola, there was thirty. Not quite as much, but still in repetition, Avon skin so soft, mentioned several times that I did feel if there isn't a product endorsement, there should have been as she mentioned them often enough!

The story itself could have been cut down by at least a quarter and not affect the tale that is told and the main character Shaun I could have slapped at times. Often he is threatening violence towards other characters, women included and sees nothing wrong with this, which really annoyed me. That said, the last three pages made me want to get the next installment of this trilogy, three pages generated enough spark for me to want to find out what happens. I can't say I liked many, if any, of the characters. I didn't hate the book, I just didn't like a whole lot of it, the parts I did like, reminded me a bit of resident evil, especially the last three pages. So 2/5 for me this time, I feel I have to read the next one, for closure and just because I am too nosey not to.

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Review - Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Publisher - Quercus Fiction

Pages - 364

Blurb from Goodreads - Something very peculiar is happening in Stockholm. There's a heatwave on and people cannot turn their lights out or switch their appliances off. Then the terrible news breaks. In the city morgue, the dead are waking up...What do they want? What everybody wants: to come home.


My Review

Who can pass up a zombie book, well certainly not me and this one has been eyed up for a while. Based in Stockholm, there is a heatwave, even when trying to pull out appliances you can't turn them off and if things could get any worse or louder, the dead are coming back to life.

This is a zombie book with a difference, not all of the dead come back to life. There are weird little caterpillars involved, plus the whole heat and electric thing. There is a bout of telepathy involved, with the living and some of the dead and one of the dead can communicate, sort of. The dead want to come home, their families are traumatized and the corpses are in various states of decay.

At the start of this book I quite liked the story, it has a different take on it. The "zombies" aren't crazed flesh eating monsters, they are shells of their former selves and the relatives are trying to cope with have their wish granted, their loved ones returned, just not in the way they had quite imagined. The story focuses around three lots of characters and their experience of the undead, their families and some heart wrenching decisions, trying to cope and adapt to the situation.


However, that said the story had a few inconsistences, not all of the undead where as harmless as the others, they seem to act and react differently. The humanity part and the reactions were interesting however, for me, some of it was just flat and didn't work. You either have it written one way or the other, you can't have so many acting in one way and it all about the people trying to cope. Then switching how they, the undead, are behaving and having a ghoulish violent gorey one. That doesn't work for me, it was worth reading though and apparently it is a movie so I may check that out. I do like this author however I preferred the other tale to this one. 2/5 for me this time, I would read this author again.

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