Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment

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Title: Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment

Author: Better Hero Army
Series: Plagued States of America (Book #1)

Genre: Horror

Length: 162 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: Better Hero Army

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) When Tom, the son of a powerful Senator, becomes stranded in the Plagued States of America while searching for his lost sister, his only hope of survival rests in the hands of a few grizzled veteran zombie hunters and a mysterious half-breed zombie woman he thinks may know where to find his sister.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Let me preface this review by stating that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I'm a lover of all things zombie. I love reading new books about them, because many times the author has a completely different take on how the zombie apocalypse occurred. This one sat on my to-read list for awhile, and I'm sad that it did. The story follows Tom Jefferson, the son of a senator as he goes to Biter's Hill with his brother Gary in what feels like is the impossible task of finding their sister Larissa - who was bitten when she was eight years old. 

Biter's Hill appears to be both a tourist destination and a place where zombie hunters "de-fang" the zombies and sell them as slaves. By de-fanging the zombies (basically removing the salivary glands), they are no longer contagious, but they are still dangerous - as they will still hunt and eat humans. While there to hunt through the books to find his sister, Tom sees an oddity - a half-breed. Eventually the zombies break free of their prison and all hell breaks loose at Biter's Hill. 

Tom barely manages to escape on the duck owned by the owner of the half-breed girl with several others. Before everything went sour, Tom had managed to find the half-breed's name and information. The group makes their way to an airstrip in Midamerica, deep within the zombie territory, in order to try to contact the District - where Tom's father can and will send a rescue team. While en route, he figures out how to communicate with the half-breed and learns that the airstrip is where the half-breeds and the zombie children live. The zombie children apparently do not know how to hunt and are cared for by the half-breeds. He also figures out how the half-breeds have been created.

The story itself is pretty well written. The zombies are not rotting corpses but pale, almost albino-like, creatures that detest sunlight. They moan to draw other zombies to their prey, and they descend upon humans in hordes. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

You can purchase Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Plagued: The Midamerica Zombie Half-Breed Experiment? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

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Title: Ella Minnow Pea

Author: Mark Dunn

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Length: 208 pages

Published: 2001 

Publisher: Anchor Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island's Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.

*pangram: a sentence or phrase that includes all the letters of the alphabet

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was a nice, light read. The brilliance Dunn shows as he weaves his words to form the scores of letters that flow between our heroine, Ella, and various members of her family and friends, as well as others among the islanders of Nollop. As more and more letters are dropped from the cenotaph, residents flee Nollop both by force and voluntarily. Writing letters becomes more and more difficult as Ella and the others are forced to use more creative words to explain what they wish. Eventually the Council allows the usage of other letters which sound like the missing letter, making for some very interesting word creation. 

And throughout most of the book people are working to create a sentence composed of all 26 letters of the alphabet that is 32 letters or less. It is not until 3 hours before the deadline, when there are only five letters remaining, that Ella finds the sentence. I'll let you find that sentence out for yourself. 

You can purchase Ella Minnow Pea through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Ella Minnow Pea? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

c3 by Sherrie Cronin

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Title: c3

Author: Sherrie Cronin
Series: 46. Ascending (Book #4) 

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: 340 pages

Published: 2014

Publisher: Cinnabar Press

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Teddie likes her country music and her old pick-up truck and she’s not sure how she let her best friend talk her into spending a semester abroad in Darjeeling India. Once she arrives, her innocence quickly collides with an underworld in which young women are bartered and sold. As she fights to understand a depravity that she never dreamed existed, Teddie finds that her own mind develops a unique ability for locating her friends and that an ancient group is willing to train her to save others by using her innate skills for out of body experiences. 

It will require trust in ideas she barely believes, and more courage than has ever been expected of her. When it becomes clear that the alternative may be her friends’ deaths and the unchecked growth of an evil crime lord’s empire, Teddie accepts the challenge and shows those guilty of unspeakable crimes just how powerful a young woman can be.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was a great addition to the 46.Ascending series. Each book deals with a different social issue that's prevalent in our society. This one deals with the sex trade, including other ways that women and children are exploited. The author ties these issues into a different ability; in x0 the ability was telepathy, in y1 the main character was able to alter his appearance, in z2 the ability was to slow down time, and in c3 Teddie is able to travel outside of her body to find her friends and try to save them. 

I love how the author ties the stories together, both in the very beginning and at the end, taking certain events and showing them again from the main character's point of view. Seeing those events from the point of view of someone new lends an interesting twist on the story. It's nice how everything is tied together while still allowing the reader to read the books in absolutely any order they choose. I love getting tiny hints of some of the other family members' stories, without getting the full detail because that means I can't wait for the next installment. I'm anxiously awaiting d4, which the author has stated will follow Ariel, Teddie's older sister. 

You can purchase c3 through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read c3? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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Title: The Rose of Fire

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Series: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (Book #2.5)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 35 pages

Published: 2012 (originally in 2011)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Set at the time of the Spanish Inquisition in the fifteenth century, “Rose of Fire” tells the story of the origins of the mysterious labyrinthine library, the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, which lies at the heart of Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s novels The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, and now The Prisoner of Heaven.

My Review:

I give this book a 3 out of 5. 

While it was pretty cool to learn some of the origin of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, I felt like the story was lacking. I loved the origin of the plans for the Cemetery, and how they came into the hands of an ancestor of Daniel Sempere. I would have loved to learn about who he found to help him make sense of the plans and build the Cemetery because that's what I thought this story was going to be about. It's free for Kindle on Amazon, so it is worth the read.

You can purchase The Rose of Fire through Amazon in Kindle format. 

Have you read The Rose of Fire? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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Title: The Prisoner of Heaven

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Series: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (Book #3)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 279 pages

Published: 2012 (originally in 2011)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Barcelona,1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife Bea have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son named Julian, and their close friend Fermín Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a mysterious stranger visits the Sempere bookshop and threatens to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades in the city's dark past. His appearance plunges Fermín and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940's and the dark early days of Franco's dictatorship. The terrifying events of that time launch them on a journey fraught with jealousy, suspicion, vengeance, and lies, a search for the truth that will put into peril everything they love and ultimately transform their lives.

Full of intrigue and emotion, The Prisoner of Heaven is a majestic novel in which the threads of The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game converge under the spell of literature and bring us toward the enigma of the mystery hidden at the heart of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a collection of lost treasures known only to its few initiates and the very core of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's enchanting fictional world.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was roughly half the length of the previous two books, and the story moved quickly. Here we learn Fermin's story: how he was arrested and came to be hunted by Fumero, how he escaped prison, and how he met David Martin - the hero of The Angel's Game. The story also leaves off with the reader wondering if there is more to the story - and whether Zafon will write another installment in this series. I've already found that there is a Kindle e-book available which will give us the history on the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, called The Rose of Fire. I will be reading that in the next couple of days and will report back. 

You can purchase The Prisoner of Heaven through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Prisoner of Heaven? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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Title: The Angel's Game

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Series: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (Book #2)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 531 pages

Published: 2009 (originally in 2008)

Publisher: Penguin Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martin, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed--a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, and perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realizes that there is a connection between his haunting book and the shadows that surround his home. 

Once again, Zafon takes us into a dark, gothic universe first seen in the "Shadow of the Wind" and creates a breathtaking adventure of intrigue, romance, and tragedy. Through a dizzingly constructed labyrinth of secrets, the magic of books, passion, and friendship blend into a masterful story.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This mainly gets a four because of how slow the book seemed to go. It took forever to get to the point of finally figuring out the mystery. Otherwise I fully enjoyed the story. It is worth the read if you have time to make it through some of the slower, boring parts. Probably the most frustrating part of it to me was that David finds the hole in the wall in the back room early on but doesn't bother to try to open it until near the very end - just has a bad feeling and tells Isabella to stay out of there. There's a surprisingly high death toll in this book, and even in the end the reader is left to wonder whether or not David is mad.

You can purchase The Angel's Game through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Angel's Game? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Dead Years Volume 9 by Jeff Olah

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Title: The Dead Years Volume 9

Author: Jeff Olah

Genre: Horror

Length: 83 pages

Published: 2014

Publisher: Independent

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Volume 9 of The Dead Years starts unlike any of the previous eight. We see the infection through a different set of eyes and meet two new characters.

Megan and her younger brother Sean are left to fend for themselves against the ravenous onslaught of the initial infection no one saw coming."Jeff Olah has done the zombie genre well. He should be writing for 'The Walking Dead' series. It could use his story line which I think is much better."

With little more than a few duffel bags full of supplies and two hand drawn maps, they leave home in search of salvation and a single act of kindness turns their world into a living nightmare.

Can the Human Race survive? The importance these siblings have to the continuation of civilization will come at a time when all hope appears lost.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

At just over 80 pages, naturally this was a very quick read. This installment in The Dead Years serial was pretty good. It starts out following two siblings on the first day of the infection as they find out what is happening and receive a mysterious phone call from their father - who they haven't seen more than twice in the last year. 

We follow them for some time, before Olah finally adds in scenes involving Mason and the other survivors from Volumes 1-8. At this point, it was pretty clear to me that Megan and Sean were headed to Blackmore via the hand-drawn map their father sent them. A great addition to the series, I can't wait to read Volume 10 next month.

You can purchase The Dead Years Volume 9 through Amazon in Kindle format. 

Have you read The Dead Years Volume 9? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka

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Title: As Red as Blood

Author: Salla Simukka
Series: Snow White Trilogy Book #1

Genre: Thriller, Young Adult

Length: 256 pages

Published: original: 2013; version I read: 2014

Publisher: Skyscape

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) In the midst of the freezing Arctic winter, seventeen-year-old Lumikki Andersson walks into her school’s dark room and finds a stash of wet, crimson-colored money. Thousands of Euros left to dry—splattered with someone’s blood.

Lumikki lives alone in a studio apartment far from her parents and the past she left behind. She transferred into a prestigious art school, and she’s singularly focused on studying and graduating. Lumikki ignores the cliques, the gossip, and the parties held by the school’s most popular and beautiful boys and girls.

But finding the blood-stained money changes everything. Suddenly, Lumikki is swept into a whirlpool of events as she finds herself helping to trace the origins of the money. Events turn even more deadly when evidence points to dirty cops and a notorious drug kingpin best known for the brutality with which he runs his business.

As Lumikki loses control of her carefully constructed world, she discovers that she’s been blind to the forces swirling around her—and she’s running out of time to set them right. When she sees the stark red of blood on snow, it may be too late to save her friends or herself.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This is the English translation of the Finnish original. Lumikki is a loner, and slowly throughout the book, during short flashbacks, you learn why she has shut herself off from everyone around her, including her parents. After finding $30,000 in cash hanging in the school's darkroom, and noticing that it had been washed because it was bloody, Lumikki finds herself drawn into the mystery surrounding the money. At first it was against her will, and later, as she herself is targeted, she finds herself wanting to unravel the mystery. 

This book was an incredibly fast read. Everyone involved got what they deserved, in my opinion, and the book ended with the storyline completely wrapped up. I'll definitely be watching for the English translation of the second book in this trilogy. 

You can purchase As Red as Blood through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read As Red as Blood? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

z2136 by Sean Platt & David W. Wright

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Title: z2136

Author: Sean Platt & David W. Wright

Genre: Horror

Length: 344 pages

Published: 2014

Publisher: 47North

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Several months after the events of Z 2135, Adam Lovecraft is once again following in his father’s footsteps, this time as a contestant in the infamous Darwin Games. In The State’s latest iteration of The Games, the odds of survival are slimmer than ever before, and Adam soon finds himself pairing up with an old friend of Jonah’s.

Meanwhile Ana, Liam, and Katrina’s escape from Hydrangea has not gone unnoticed, adding to their struggles to not only survive, but find Adam before it’s too late. But when they pick up some unexpected new allies during a thwarted rescue attempt, they get more than they bargained for. Now that Ana knows she could be the key to stopping the zombie plague that has brought humanity to its knees, can she trust anyone?

Questions will be answered and fates will be determined in the thrilling final installment of Sean Platt and David Wright’s series that began with Z 2134.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was a great wrap up to the trilogy. We get to hear the voice of a couple of the bad guys in addition to those we already know and love (or perhaps hate). As it got closer to the end, I kept wondering "how will they wrap this up, there's only 50 pages left!?!". But the action just kept coming. And while, the ending wasn't what typically happens in these dystopian universes, it was fitting and ended happily for many of our main characters. Definitely a great conclusion. 

You can purchase z2136 through Amazon in Kindle format. 

Have you read z2136? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

z2135 by Sean Platt & David W. Wright

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Title: z2135

Author: Sean Platt & David W. Wright

Genre: Horror

Length: 388 pages

Published: 2013

Publisher: 47North

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The Darwin Games are over. The battle for survival has just begun…

The Lovecraft family is in ruins. Convict father Jonah roams The Barrens, near starvation, in search of his daughter Ana. Only the hope of seeing her again keeps him alive.

Meanwhile Ana, Liam, and Duncan have found temporary relief at a camp outside The Walls. Inside City 6, Jonah’s young son, Adam, has been co-opted by Jonah’s enemy, Chief Keller, and is being groomed as a City Watch spy.

Between the terrifying zombies roaming The Barrens—monsters created by the plague that destroyed the Old Nation—and the ruthless, manipulative government that controls everything and everyone within the City Walls, no one is safe. Z 2135 is both a frightening vision of a dystopian future and a heartening tale of family, hope, and humanity. The newest season from Sean Platt and David Wright is as captivating as it is terrifying.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I have three words for you about this book: OH MY GOD.

That is exactly what came out of my mouth (well, aside from the curse words which I will not repeat here) when I read the final sentences of z2135. So basically this sequel has everything you could ever ask for: Danger, more danger, espionage, people turning into zombies, and finally...an ending that will have you scream in rage and want to throw your e-reader across the room. I'm going to stop writing this review now, because I literally can't keep away from the finall installment of this series. 

You can purchase z2135 through Amazon in Kindle format. 

Have you read z2135? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Tuck by Stephen R. Lawhead

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Title: Tuck

Author: Stephen R. Lawhead
Series: The King Raven Trilogy Book #3

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 452 pages

Published: 2009

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) "Pray God our aim is true and each arrow finds its mark."

King Raven has brought hope to the oppressed people of Wales--and fear to their Norman overlords. Deceived by the self-serving King William and hunted by the treacherous Abbot Hugo and Sheriff de Glanville, Rhi Bran is forced again to take matters into his own hands as King Raven.

Along the way Friar Tuck has been the stalwart supporter of the man behind the legend--bringing Rhi Bran much-needed guidance, wit, and faithful companionship.

Aided by Tuck and his small but determined band of forest-dwelling outlaws, Rhi Bran ignites a rebellion that spreads through the Welsh valleys, forcing the wily monarch to marshal his army and march against little Elfael.

This epic trilogy dares to shatter everything you thought you knew about Robin Hood as Stephen R. Lawhead conjures an ancient past while holding a mirror to contemporary realities. Filled with unforgettable characters, breathtaking suspense, and rousing battle scenes, Stephen R. Lawhead's masterful retelling of the Robin Hood legend reaches its stunning conclusion in "Tuck."

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

The importance of Friar Tuck to Rhi Bran is extremely evident in the thrilling conclusion to the King Raven trilogy. Bran and his Grellon suffer both losses and victories and the danger escalates as an even larger foe comes at them. This was an epic ending to the trilogy and left me breathless many times throughout. 

You can purchase Tuck through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Tuck? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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Title: The Shadow of the Wind

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Series: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (Book #1)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Length: 487 pages

Published: 2005 (originally in 2001)

Publisher: Penguin Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Bibliophiles will enjoy the mystery of The Shadow of the Wind. Centering around a young boy finding a book that no one seems to know about, this book tells a tale of growing up in post-war Barcelona while intermingling love, danger, and mystery. Daniel finds a book in what is named the Cemetery of Forgotten Books called The Shadow of the Wind, and written by a Julian Carax. When he falls in love with the book and starts looking for more novels by the author, he finds that someone has been systematically destroying the copies of Carax's books for years.

Together with a mysterious man who seems to be on the run from the sinister Inspector Fumero (and who becomes a very good friend), Daniel starts looking for information regarding Julian Carax and trying to find out what has happened to him. In the end nothing is as it seemed in the beginning and Daniel finally learns the truth, with nearly devastating results. 

This book is excellent. I'm getting ready to start reading the second book in the trilogy, The Angel's Game, and I can't wait to report back to you all on whether I enjoyed that one as much as the first. 

You can purchase The Shadow of the Wind through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Shadow of the Wind? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

z2134 by Sean Platt & David W. Wright

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Title: z2134

Author: Sean Platt & David W. Wright

Genre: Horror

Length: 296 pages

Published: 2012

Publisher: 47North

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) It is the year 2134 in a dystopian America, following a series of zombie plagues which infected and decimated much of the world’s population starting 100 years ago.

Those left, formed six walled Cities throughout the continent, all under the rule of a totalitarian government which enforces strict control over its populace.

• You must obey your government.
• You must be a good citizen.
• You must be a productive citizen.
• You must not break the law

Or The City Watch will find you and arrest you.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This is what Amazon calls a Kindle Serial. Every week, a new episode is released and updates your copy on your kindle. I bought this well after the serial was finished. (In fact the two sequels are already out and finished.)

The Goodreads description calls this The Hunger Games meets 1984 meets The Walking Dead. And I have to agree. The Darwin Games are this world's version of the Hunger Games. The Darwin Games are mostly criminals but some people do volunteer to go. The world itself is very much like Orwell's 1984 - the City rules everything, regulating things such as pastimes, how many children you can have, and what your job will be. And of course, there are zombies. But the zombies are all outside the Wall in the Barrens. 

The zombie nerd in me recognized that the TV announcer's name was Kirkman - the name of the man who created The Walking Dead. And the Darwin Games (as well as the action within them) seem to mimic a lot of the action in The Hunger Games. This was a pretty great way to pay homage to some really great stories. 

The main reason this gets four stars instead of five is that the story could have been a bit more polished. In some aspects it seemed to close to the stories that it's paying homage to, and in others it just seems that everything is too convenient. 

It ends with Jonah Lovecraft making a shocking discovery. I'm definitely ready to read the next installment, z2135.

You can purchase z2134 through Amazon in Kindle format. 

Have you read z2134? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead

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Title: Scarlet

Author: Stephen R. Lawhead
Series: The King Raven Trilogy Book #2

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 443 pages

Published: 2007

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) After losing everything he owns, forester Will Scarlet embarks on a search for none other than King Raven, whose exploits have already become legendary. After fulfilling his quest--and proving himself a skilled and loyal companion--Will joins the heroic archer and his men.

Now, however, Will is in prison for a crime he did not commit. His sentence is death by hanging--unless he delivers King Raven and his band of cohorts.

That, of course, he will never do.

Wales is slowly falling under the control of the invading Normans, and King William the Red has given his ruthless barons control of the land. In desperation, the people turn to King Raven and his men for justice and survival in the face of the ever-growing onslaught.

From deep in the forest they form a daring plan for deliverance, knowing that failure means death for them all.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was a great continuation of the trilogy. The main reason I had to give this four stars instead of five is that I found the beginning half of the book rather confusing as it jumped from Will's first person point of view as he related the story of his capture to the point of view of someone else. It was hard to judge if the chapters not in Will's point of view were happening while Will was relating his story or if they were happening simultaneously. It became much clearer later on in the book that everything was happening at the same time as events in Will's story. 

All in all it was an excellent book, and I'm anxious to get on with the final book in the trilogy, Tuck.

You can purchase Scarlet through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Scarlet? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales by H.P. Lovecraft

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Title: The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales

Author: H.P. Lovecraft

Genre: Horror, Short Stories

Length: 420 pages

Published: 1999

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) An unparalleled selection of fiction from H. P. Lovecraft, master of the American horror tale.

Long after his death, H. P. Lovecraft continues to enthrall readers with his gripping tales of madness and cosmic terror, and his effect on modern horror fiction continues to be felt--Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker have acknowledged his influence. His unique contribution to American literature was a melding of Poe's traditional supernaturalism with the emerging genre of science fiction. Originally appearing in pulp magazines like Weird Tales in the 1920s and 1930s, Lovecraft's work is now being regarded as the most important supernatural fiction of the twentieth century.

Lovecraft's biographer and preeminent interpreter, S. T. Joshi, has prepared this volume of eighteen stories--from the early classics like "The Outsider" and "Rats in the Wall" to his mature masterworks, "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Shadow over Innsmouth." The first paperback to include the definitive corrected texts, The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories reveals the development of Lovecraft's mesmerizing narrative style, and establishes him as a canonical--and visionary--American writer.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

Most of the stories in this collection can also be found in The Best of H.P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, so I was able to get through this one very quickly by just reading the new-to-me stories. These stories, once again, left chills down my spine. If you're a fan of Lovecraft or horror and you haven't read this collection or the stories contained therein, please do so. You won't be disappointed.

You can purchase The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Exhibit 692: Love in the Time of Zombies by Margaret L. Fisher

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Title: Exhibit 692: Love in the Time of Zombies

Author: Margaret L. Fisher

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: 166 pages

Published: 2014

Publisher: Independent

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon) Exhibit No. 692 Author: Karen ? 
Archivist: Margaret L. Fisher 
Date Discovered: 07.09.2203 
Location: Old Middle West 
Date Released: 03.01.2205 
Special Notes: incomplete 

Excerpt: “What do you do if you think you might actually be the enemy, the one that everyone is REALLY afraid of? Zombies are....they're zombies. There is only so much variety to them and they all do the same thing: kill and eat living people. But living people have so many different motives, different reasons for continuing on, different reasons for LIVING. They aren't always predictable. No, they’re NEVER predictable.” 

The 692nd account of The Outbreak, beginning approximately two years after its start. This record provides insight into the survival tactics of a solitary woman in a period of great danger, both from those-that-were and fellow man. Of note are her satirical writing style and deep mistrust of humans. Footnotes are provided to help readers unfamiliar with pre-Outbreak terminology.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I'll be the first one to say that I'm a sucker for anything zombie related. I love all things zombie. I will pick up and read or watch anything that even HINTS at zombies.

This is not your typical zombie book. This is a first hand journal by a young woman named Karen who has survived for two years by herself, as presented by a museum from a couple centuries in the future. Karen does not spend a lot of time writing about her encounters with the zombies - instead she typically states "I killed x number of zombies today"; or something along those lines. You get to watch as she is suspicious of everyone she meets and keeps longing to find her long lost boyfriend, Nick. Slowly it's a descent into a kind of madness that only another survivor, named Ron, can bring her out of. The journal ends almost abruptly, leaving the reader to wonder if she just stopped writing in it, had to leave it behind as they took off in a hurry, or died.

All in all an excellent book. I would love to read more "exhibits", and definitely will be watching for more books from this author!
You can purchase Exhibit 692: Love in the Time of Zombies through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Exhibit 692: Love in the Time of Zombies? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Monthly Update - August 2014

My love for all things zombie showed last night as I read the first eight volumes in The Dead Years serial by Jeff Olah. I'll be getting through several more zombie books this month, including Volume 9 of The Dead Years, re-reading z2134, and reading the two sequels, and also reading a book I won in a giveaway: Exhibit 692: Love in the Time of Zombies. I'm also hoping to finish off both Scarlet and Tuck and getting through the Cemetery of Forgotten Books trilogy by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Currently Reading: 

• Scarlet (Book #2) by Stephen R. Lawhead
• Exhibit 692: Love in the Time of Zombies by Margaret L. Fisher

Coming Up:

• The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
• Tuck (Book #3) by Stephen R. Lawhead
• The Shadow of the Wind #1 by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Angel's Game #2 by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Prisoner of Heaven #3 by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka
• Z2134 by Sean Platt
• Z2135 by Sean Platt
• Z2136 by Sean Platt
• The Dead Years Volume 9 by Jeff Olah
• The Dead Years Volume 10 by Jeff Olah