Review - Fire and Ash by Jonathan Maberry

Benny Imura and his friends have made it to Sanctuary, they've found the jet and they've discovered that civilization is struggling to regain its foothold in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Scientists are on the verge of finding a cure for the zombie plague. It should be time for celebration, but it's not. Benny's best friend, Chong, has been infected by an arrow dipped in the flesh of a zombie and he hovers between life and death and Dr McReady, a researcher who may have the critical formula for a cure, has gone missing. So Benny convinces Captain Ledger to mount a search and rescue mission to find the doctor and help Chong. But with the Reapers still pursuing their plan to turn all zombies into super-fast shock troops even if they can save Chong, can they save themselves? In the fourth book of the thrilling and emotionally charged Rot & Ruin series, the battle to end all battles is about to begin...

Sadly, Fire and Ash by Jonathan Maberry is the last in the Benny Imura series. I was so excited to read it that I could barely put it down. But then there was a part of me that was incredibly sad that the story was ending so I wanted to read it slowly. I couldn't. I tried, but I couldn't.

Benny, Lilah, Nix, Riot, and even Chong have come such a long way from the people they'd been at the beginning of the series. Well, Riot not so much the beginning. But you know what I mean.

Benny was an immature boy who idolized the wrong people, Chong was clueless, Nix was kind of just there... and Lilah, well, if you've read the story you know what Lilah was. In just the year since Benny started apprenticing with Tom they've all lost their childhood. They've all been through such unspeakable horrors that the part of them that should be dominant, the carefree-stupid-teenager part, is completely dead and gone. They won't ever get it back.

With the additions of Riot and Joe Ledger (along with his faithful, yet terrifying, companion Grimm), Benny and his crew seek to finally put an end to the war going on in the Ruin. The war between Sanctuary, the Reapers, the "Zoms", and whoever else comes along. It's time for it to just end. They think they've finally found a way to put a stop to it... but Brother Peter and Saint John have different ideas. Ideas that will completely rock their world, and not in a good way.

They've got to do it without Chong, though. Unfortunately Chong is more or less gone, kept in a cage in the bowels of Sanctuary, seemingly unable to remember who he is... what he is. Benny, Nix, and Lilah are desperate to find out if something can be done to save him, but no one will give them any answers.

I'm not gonna lie. I still miss Tom immensely. He was just such a calming force for the group and kind of their stability. Their rock. I think Benny was really able to fill his shoes the best he could this go around. I'm sure he would have made him proud. Joe Ledger made me mad for quite a while in this story. He was being just as evasive as the rest of the scientists and military personnel and irritating Benny to no end. I think he redeemed himself quite well, however. It was nice to see that Riot stuck around, not that she was really able to go anywhere. But I was glad she didn't try and separate herself from Benny and his friends.

The Night Church still makes my skin crawl. They're horrible and disgusting and just a complete and totally insane group of people. Stomach churning.

I will have to admit, one of my favorite parts was the allusion to The Walking Dead that was made later on in the book. I would tell you what it is, but.... Spoilers. You'll have to read to see it for yourself.

The book itself was incredibly long. I don't think that detracted from the story at all, though. On the contrary, it was an extremely exciting edition. Just when I thought things were over and done with, I realized there were still a hundred pages to go and so much more of the story to read. It was full of suspense and nailbiting battles. I highly recommend that you read it. Especially if you've read the others in the series. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you do.

It will be worth it for you to see Benny and Nix and how the realizations of who they have become change them for the better in Fire and Ash. It will be worth it to see all of the things that they find and the information that they learn from a completely unexpected source. And it will definitely be worth it to finally see how it all ends. Even though I hated to turn that last page and close the book... I was glad that I'd read the series. It was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

Late Christmas Swag

Again, I know I'm late. I KNOW. I can't help it.

But I got some pretty cool stuff for Christmas that I can share on here. Thanks to my wonderful fiance. Yes... I said it. FIANCE. That's what he is now.

 

Yeah... excuse how tired I look there please. I'd not been getting much sleep.

 

Where was I?

OH!

 

Christmas goodies.

 

Ready for this?

 

 A cuddly, plush, pull-apart zombie (no really, you can pull him apart, everything is velcroed together) and behind it a book of my own photographs!

A Dixon (as in Daryl.... a-thank you) Crossbows sweatshirt which is SOOOOO soft and comfy

A pretty pink zombie hunting nerf crossbow :-P (he got himself a real one which I'm a pretty good shot with)

The Zombie Survival Guide and a sardine tin with survival items in it

And zombie targets for my crossbow

 

 

Is he not the greatest? He's the ONLY person that got me ANYTHING book related. Guess he knows me better than anyone else. :-P Family included. But seriously, I loved everything I got. 

Review - Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

I don't remember what made me pick up Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. But I am definitely glad I bought it.

I was kind of annoyed at first by the use of the term "Zoms". Like they were just a casual thing. But then as I read I realized it was almost like it WAS a casual thing to the kids in this story. In the world they live in, the teenagers at least, the zombies have always been there. There isn't a time they can't remember them being around. They've gotten used to it.

The book started out kind of slow. But it didn't last long. It was just a momentary setting of the stage, so to speak. To give us an idea into the minds and lives of Benny Imura and his friends (and in very small part, his brother Tom). Honestly, once the action started, it never stopped. Or at least, it stopped long enough for us to take a breath before diving right back in to it.

You watch TV shows like The Walking Dead (or you read the comic) or you see movies like Resident Evil and those... they're zombies. They're walkers. They need to be complete eradicated and wiped off the face of the earth. In Rot & Ruin, bounty hunter - or "Closure Specialist" - Tom Imura, reminds us that though they may be just undead soulless creatures now they once were human. They had lives, friends, family, hopes.... and now that's all gone.

Tom's job is to find the undead family members of his clients and quiet them for good. And he's very good at his job. Benny, operating on a tainted memory of the night the dead rose again, hates Tom. In the beginning anyway. He's got a complete misunderstanding of what his brother does. And really, who he is. Tom just waits for the day when Benny decides to join the family business.

It opens up a new world for Benny. Not necessarily a good one. But in one trip out to the Ruin, Benny's life is changed forever. He's grown up so fast he can't really process it. Things are different he knows that. Soon after, something happens that changes him even more. Tests his mettle and the skills he's learned from his brother (who happens to be my favorite character).

I loved this book. Once I really got in to it I didn't want to put it down. At all. I really wish I could find book 2 (book 3 is out on shelves in the stores I frequent, but I can't find book 2!) so I could find out what happens when Benny and Co. decide to head east to find something they never thought they'd see in a million years. I would absolutely recommend this to any one. Walking Dead fans. Zombie fans in general. Anyone who likes paranormal things. Seriously, this was like a 10 star book for me.

The Walking Dead BlogNation Week 6

Ok, so it's week 6 for TWD BlogNation, but it's week 1 for me. If you want information on what exactly TWD BlogNation is go to Parajunkee's View and check it out!

For this week, I'm going to answer all of the questions from week 1 until now. Since I was slacking and just didn't do them.

1. Favorite male character? Daryl Dixon. Hands Down.
2. Favorite female character? Maggie. She's awesome. A little naive at first, but she smartened up.
3. Which character would you like to see eaten? Andrea. She is too stupid for words.
4. Nastiest or Scariest walker you’ve seen on the show? Hmmmm..... nastiest would have to be the Well Walker from season 2. Gross.
5. If the SHTF which character would you want to have on your side via the zombie apocalypse? Again, Daryl Dixon. No question about it.

Now for question 6.

Best TWD scene? All seasons.

My first pick would have to be in season 2 where Daryl brings Carol the Cherokee Rose and explains to her the significance of it and promises to find Sophia for her. ::sigh::

Second pick would be in season 3 where Daryl finds Carol in the cell he's been sitting in front of and carries her back to the group.

 

 

Don't forget to go check out Parajunkee's View for details. Or to enter TWD giveaway!

The Walking Dead Comic Trailer

So, in honor of the new season of The Walking Dead set to premier this coming Sunday, I found a trailer using pictures from the comic and audio from the series itself.

Enjoy!

Review - The Caldecott Chronicles No. 2 by R.G. Bullet

The Earl of Rothshire has decided to leave Caldecott manor and find his son, Albert. His plans to ride his surviving horse, Willow, to London have derailed and the only other way to get there is to venture forth in a newfangled horseless carriage. Saffy insists on accompanying him, and together they make their way through the local villages encountering fights with undead and...the living.

I read The Caldecott Chronicles No. 1 by R.G. Bullet a few months ago (you can read my review here). I loved it. It was hilarious and a quick read and just completely fun to go through. Excerpt No. 2 did not disappoint.

Saffy and the Earl ("Thirty-two" as she calls him) have set off from Caldecott in search of 32's son. They've left behind Willow, who is not feeling 100% and instead are moving along in the Daimler, the "horseless carriage" with the crank on the back to get it running.

They trade with some friends (who also promise to give them a Border Collie puppy in a few weeks once it's been weaned) and secure care for Willow before heading on their way. Equipped with the Purdey and the Churchill they drive off, trying to pick through the overgrowth of hedges and the clutter of debris over the old roads.

They battle the undead (again, the word Zombies is NEVER mentioned) and even other survivors in their efforts to make it to Albert. Will they finally make it to him?

*

Book 2 was just as hilarious as book one.

IE.

"I won't elaborate the truth, my stomach is upset from all these eggs I've been scoffing. My system is baulking, and I have awful flatulence. Saffy only adds to my discomfort - every time I break wind she holds her nose, waves her hand and starts laughing. It's really insufferable behavior, and I fail to see the humour in it. All the years in the Gentleman's room and I don't think one of us laughed when anyone passed gas."

And:

"We studied them through the diamond pattern of the leaded window. The woman was scantily clad in only a bloodied apron. Her head drooped forward until it nearly touched her chest. Her hair was disheveled, and a large black cloud of flies followed her every move. For some reason she clung to a mop, which she dragged behind her in the grass. The other one was quite obviously male; he had no clothes on whatsoever. But he did wear a sizeable wound across his chest, and he plodded about pulling at it and moaning. Lord knows what they were up to before they turned green."

Ok, so maybe I have a weird sense of humor. But the book is full of stuff like this. Completely full of it. It's also, in my humble opinion, WAY more gory and grotesque than book one. Perhaps I'm just not remembering it right though. I think the fact that it was so much more descriptive and gross made it just that much better.

I also liked, again, how Zombies are never mentioned. They're called things like Mr. and Mrs. Beastly, the beast, the undead (which obviously isn't uncommon, but still), brutes, stumblers.... all kinds of different things.

I want to say that this one seemed shorter than the first, but that doesn't take away from the story in the least bit. It was full of action and suspense (and like I said, plenty of gore). It's full of light-hearted humor despite the deadly and dangerous circumstances. Saffy and Thirty-two definitely get a surprise there at the end that you'll find incredibly disturbing. But you'll have to read it to see if they come out alright in the end!

This book is a definite must read for Zombie fans. Fans of things like The Walking Dead or Humanity Scar. I highly recommend it!

Review - Humanity Scar: Last Words (Journal 1)

My first book ever read on my Kindle Fire. Humanity Scar: Last Words (Journal 1) by Monique Doucette.

Wow.

Great story.

It really did read like a journal. Almost like I was watching everything play out right in front of me. Wicked suspenseful. And sad.

Each character is developed beautifully, even the ones we're only just introduced to. We get a feeling of where each one is coming from and why they are where they are in this whole story. We see compassion emerge from people who aren't supposed to have any and fear crippling those who would, in any other situation, have none.

We learn alot about Kat through "flashbacks" of the first days after the outbreak. She started out terrified and confused. Not knowing who to turn to or what to do. And we see her as she grows into someone skilled and calculating who, while struggling to survive amidst hoards of festering undead, still believes that there can be good in what's left of the world.

Amazing story. The way I felt about this story is the same way I felt while I was watching Unstoppable. Like what I'd read had actually happened and I almost had to remind myself that no, this wasn't real.

This is a must read for fans of The Walking Dead (comics and television). And if you all read this and want more of Kat's world (even if you haven't read it, you should still check it out!) visit the Humanity Scar website and register! If you don't want to post right away you can sign up and just observe! It's really fun, I promise. And it helps to bring out a creative side that maybe you never knew you had. You won't regret it!