Book Review: Broken Lands by Jonathan Maberry @JonathanMaberry @simonschuster

Wow! Wow! Wow! I'm so happy to be back in the Rot & Ruin. Well, actually, I'm very glad I'm not actually there, but Broken Lands was such a welcome addition to the world that Maberry created in his Benny Imura (Rot & Ruin) series.

Gutsy is our main character.  She lives in New Alamo, a very protected and seemingly thriving community, safe from the "Los Muertos" (her mother's name for the undead.) Her mother has just died from tuberculosis - yes, many of the old diseases have returned. And when Gutsy buries her in the Catholic tradition - tied up but not quieted--someone digs her up and brings her back to Gutsy's house. Who would do that?

Gutsy has a great group of friends, both young and old, that are helping her through her loss. But when Gutsy witnesses many of the dead being dug up, she realizes that all is not what it seems in New Alamo. The danger isn't just from the undead, there is danger within.

Meanwhile, Benny, Chong, Nix, and the others are safe (and a little bored) in Reclamation. The people have established contact with many other towns, including Asheville, North Carolina, where there is a huge settlement and the beginnings of a new government. When all contact is lost with Asheville and Joe Ledger's (who was on his way to Asheville) whereabouts are unknown, the teens decide they can't wait for the adults to do something. After all, Chung's medication comes from Asheville and without it, he succumbs to the virus. So they craft a daring plan to leave the safety of Reclamation and go in search of Joe Ledger.

It is fairly obvious that these two groups of kids are going to meet up. But the why and how isn't clear. And what about Joe? Well, there is a big surprise there too.

I loved the Rot & Ruin series. For some reason, these characters grabbed me from the start. The tension is palpable as they fight off both Zombies, bad guys, and everything nature can throw at them using an unusual and creative variety of methods. So, to have the story continue in Broken Lands is very satisfying. I'm "all in" and can't wait for the next installment--huge cliffhanger in this one, by the way.

Broken Lands is the start of a new series and could be read without reading the previous books. There is enough backstory given to help everything make sense. But...WHY would you not want to read Rot & Ruin first? I think Broken Lands will be much more enjoyable if you have the whole story. So, what are you waiting for? I can't recommend these books enough to horror lovers. Even horror likers. Maberry is exceptional.

Published by Simon & Shuster BFYR, December 11, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss.
544 pages

Rating: 5/5

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DNF Thoughts: Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett--But, It's Really Good!

I didn't finish Onyx & Ivory, but I wanted to write something anyway because I think the book is good -- for the right person at the right time.

Here's the problem.  I'm just really burned out on princes and princesses, forbidden romance, big secrets, and magic or fairies.  Recently I've read The Cruel Prince, Song of Achilles, Morning Star, and Furyborn. And there was another one that I did not finish that I won't mention.  All of these books have some or all of these elements. Onyx & Ivory says, "for fans of Leigh Bardugo," and I completely agree.  Or Sarah J. Maas.  I remember when I just couldn't read any more dystopians, just because they were dystopian.  So, that's where I'm at.

I read 37% of Onyx & Ivory, so I got a good feel for the book.  Kate's father tried to assassinate the king, so she's been banished.  She's gotten a job as a rider for the Relay, to deliver mail from town to town.  There are zombie-like creatures that come out at night, and these towns use magic to ward them off.  But there are some people with hidden magic who will be killed by the inquisition if their magic is revealed.  Kate is one of them.

She used to be best friends with the prince, Corwin.  Kate ends up saving him from these creatures, so they end up seeing each other, which they haven't done since Kate left.  And it seems like there will be a rekindled romance between these two, but that's about as far as I went.

The pacing is great, the characters are interesting, and the writing is good.  There isn't really anything wrong with Onyx & Ivory except the subject matter.  And if you are still in the mood for these romantic, magical books involving royalty falling for commoners, then, by all means, pick it up.  I will purchase this one for my library.

Published by Balzer + Bray, May 15, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
190/512 pages

Rating: DNF

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Book Review: Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist

Most people would not peg me as a lover of zombie books.  But some of my favorite series are just that.  And Devils Unto Dust is going to be added to my list of favorites!

The southern part of the United States has been ravaged by a disease that turns people into shakes (think: zombies) that attack and kill any living thing they can find.  It has only been a decade since the civil war and cities and towns have either been wiped out, or they have built fences around them to keep people safe. All means of escaping to the north have been lost. They are on their own.

Willie (Daisy Wilcox) is only a teenager, but she's in charge of her younger brother and even younger twin brother and sister. Her mother is dead after contracting the disease, and her father is a drunk that doesn't come around very often, and when he does, he doesn't help anything.  They are barely getting by, and Willie needs to pay the monthly tithe to the judge--the man who passes for the law in her town.

Her father steals a huge sum of money from a shake hunter, and Willie is on the hood for his debt.  Her only choice is to follow her father through the Texas desert to try and track him down for the money. She must leave her siblings at home to fend for themselves.

I loved Willie.  She's just a really good person, and you can't help but sympathize with and also root for her. She's in an impossible situation and trying to make the best of it.  She's brave, tough, and unflinching. The people that end up helping her are great characters too (I don't want to say too much about them though.) I loved the historical setting. I loved the story.  Devils Unto Dust was a great mix of action and character building. It certainly qualifies as a page-turner.

Devils Unto Dust reminded me a lot of another one of my favorite zombie books, Rot & Ruin. If I had read the books close to each other, I'd probably say they are too similar. But it's been years since I read Maberry's series.

I've read that Devils Unto Dust has already been optioned for a movie.  If you are at all interested in apocalyptic zombie survival stories, you won't want to miss Devils Unto Dust. Add it to your list.

Published by Greenwillow, April 10, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
496 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Infinity, by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Infinity is written for younger teens, and that's most of the reason I had issues with it.

Nick is a normal 14-year-old, trying to cope with living in poverty and having a mother who is a stripper. Then, all of a sudden, people start trying to eat each other. These zombies are different because they didn't die before becoming zombies. Nick gets exposed to demons and vampires and all sorts of supernatural creatures he thought were only in fiction. Why are these kids, who used to be Nick's school mates, trying to kill him?

A mysterious man takes Nick under his wing and gives him protection. But who is this man? And why Nick?

The story progresses somewhat awkwardly. Sometimes the point of view shifts suddenly. Nick's exposure to this other realm is somewhat slow, but his reactions are way too accepting. The flow of the story just didn't click for me. There are a lot of characters, especially for a middle-grade book, and I got some of them confused. Maybe because each character was too  superficial.  I didn't feel like I got to know any of them, so I had difficulty making a connection.

My last complaint is that the ending, when Nick is deciding what path to take, was really preachy.  The part about "revenge." It read like, "OK, here's the moral of the story in five easy pages."

What's to like? Well, actually, quite a bit.  I love the premise. This is the beginning of a somewhat long series, The Chronicles of Nick, and apparently, it's up to Nick to save the world. Even at almost 500 pages, the book reads very quickly. It has a rather large font and wide margins, which makes it perfect for reluctant readers. The pace moves quickly and there is a lot of action.

My book club is reading Infinity for our next meeting. It is one of my member's favorite series ever.  It will be interesting to see what they all have to say.

Published by St. Martin's Griffin, 2010
Copy purchased (and will be donated to the library)
464 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: The Rains, by Gregg Hurwitz

For the young adult intended audience, The Rains is a non-stop thriller.  For a somewhat jaded adult reader like myself, it was just kind of "more of the same."

First, a meteor strikes.  Then weird plants grow and burst to release something into the air. Then all of the adults become some kind of zombie creatures that hunt down the kids and put them in cages.  Chance, our narrator, his older brother Patrick, and Patrick's girlfriend are on the run trying to stay hidden.  They find a group of kids holed up in the school.

As Patrick will soon be 18 years old (when he will magically turn into one of these zombies) the kids are desperate to figure out how to defeat this disease.

The dynamics at the school are familiar in teen survival stories.  There's the asshole group that wants to lead but really has no interest in helping anyone or taking any risks.  And there are the main characters risking life and limb time and time again to survive.

I just finished reading this book a couple of days ago, and I can't remember the characters.  If you want action, The Rains hits the ground running and never stops.  The pace is relentless -- so much so that I kind of got tired of reading it, and I just wanted it to be over.

The Rains is a fast-paced, quick read perfect for reluctant readers, including boys.  It reminded me of books like Ashes by Bick, The Prey by Isbell, and Monument 14 by Laybourne. The Rains is also the first in a series, with an interesting set-up for the second book at the end.

Published by Tor Teen, October 18, 2106
eARC obtained from NetGalley
352 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Reign of Shadows was an exciting and unique partial book. That's right. I'm going to rant about the cliffhanger again.

For seventeen years the earth has been experiencing an eclipse. There is one hour per day where the world lightens a bit, but there is no such thing as sunshine. Luna has been living a sheltered life in a tower hidden in the woods. She was born on the day of the eclipse, to the king and queen of Relhok. When they were brutally murdered, Luna was swept away to the tower by Perla and Sivo, servants to the king and queen. They have acted as her parents ever since.

Luna longs to go outside, but Perla won't have it. Only for short periods with Sivo. You see, there are dwellers in the darkness (basically zombies that feed on anything.) When Luna sneaks out and returns with three strangers, one who is seriously wounded, her life changes. The tower becomes unsafe, and Luna is sent across the continent with one of the strangers, Fowler. There are more secrets and details to the story that make it compelling. Including a potential romance.

Once again, this isn't a book, it's an episode of a soap opera. I really hate that in books. But it seems to be totally acceptable these days, so that's all I'm going to say about it. Except that Reign of Shadows has one of the worst cliffhangers I've ever read. Just be warned. You are left hanging -- literally.

I loved the premise. The darkness. The dwellers and other bad creatures they encounter. And around it all is the politics -- of Luna being the true queen and keeping her identity a secret. Fowler just may have some secrets of his own too. If you like apocalyptic stories that deliver the excitement, you will enjoy Reign of Shadows. I can certainly think of a lot of teens that will enjoy this.

Published by HarperTeen February 9, 2016
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
304 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Audio Book Review: The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey @michaelcarey191

The Girl With All the Gifts is basically a zombie book. And a good one! Don't get me wrong, The Girl With All the Gifts isn't your typical zombie book. There are characters to relate to -- even zombie characters -- and the normal humans aren't very likable.

Melanie is special. She doesn't really understand why, but she's kept isolated in an underground facility. She's strapped to a wheelchair - immobilized - and taken to the classroom with other children like her every weekday. She has several teachers, but her favorite is Miss Justineau. She loves Miss Justineau.

I can't really say much about the plot. You don't understand what's going on with Melanie and these other kids at first, and that's intentional. It just adds to the tension. The reader slowly realizes that the outside world is gone. There are hungries and junkers out there. And Melanie is very lucky to be in here. Or is she? Melanie's "safe" world is shattered (along with everyone else) and she becomes part of an unlikely group fighting for their survival.

The strength of The Girl With All the Gifts is the strong emotions I felt for the characters. Miss Justineau is so sweet and caring, but I really didn't like her. Most of the time she's unreasonable and makes stupid (deadly) decisions. For a while I thought I liked the evil Dr. Caldwell better, but not really. She's warped in her own way. Admittedly, their situation is stressful and desperate which doesn't bring out their best.

The concept behind the "end of the world" is also fascinating, and to my unscientific mind seemed plausible. The ending may not be what the reader hopes for, but I enjoyed the irony.

The narrator, Finty Williams, does a great job. The Girl With All the Gifts is set in Great Britain, so her British accent is appropriate. Some of the characters sounded a bit alike, but it wasn't difficult to figure out who was speaking.

Anyone who enjoys dystopian/zombie/thriller books will enjoy The Girl With All the Gifts, including teens. I'm still thinking about this one, and that's always a good sign.

Published by Orbit, Hachette Audio, 2014
Copy obtained from the library
416 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Fire & Ash, by Jonathan Maberry @JonathanMaberry

Fire & Ash is a brilliant conclusion to the Benny Imura Series (or, is it now called the Rot & Ruin Series?)

The world building and complexity of the plot is what makes this series stellar, and Fire & Ash is no exception

I probably don't really need (or want) to say much about the plot. It's more of the story, so if you've read the first three, you know what I"m talking about, and if you haven't, well, go read my reviews of Rot & Ruin, Dust & Decay, and Flesh & Bone. The world has been attacked by a killer virus that makes everyone turn into zombies when they die. There are a lot of zombies!

But, this is so much more than a zombie series. Yes, I love the violence and all the encounters with them. But the other stuff is my favorite part. The REAL bad guys aren't the zombies, and I don't want to say much more about that.

Maberry is a master of reminding you of things that happened in the other books without just retelling the entire story.  He gets the characters to discuss or explain something that happened, and all of a sudden it all comes back. I really enjoyed delving back into this world. It was very easy to do.

There is so much character growth. Our main characters are forced to grow up because of the horrible situations they must face. And they face every challenge with such bravery and creativity.

I'm so happy with the ending. It takes a lot to get there. Fire & Ash is a long book! But, it reads incredibly fast for two reasons. It's action packed and never stops. And it has short chapters and there are a LOT of half pages. You will fly through once you get going.

I don't have anything bad to say about Fire & Ash. I will recommend this series to every teen who is an adventure/survival fan (and I do). You don't have to love zombie books to love this series. But of course, it helps.


Published by Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
537 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Flesh & Bone, by Jonathan Maberry @JonathanMaberry

I don't know how Jonathan Maberry does it, but he managed to keep me once again mesmerized by Flesh & Bone, the third book in the Rot & Ruin series. Ugghhhh. The action! The tension! The danger! I could not put it down. It just never stops, but yet there's enough character development and world building to make it all so real. Each book just keeps getting better.

This time, Benny and his friends aren't just fighting zoms, they find out more about this new world and realize there are factions of humans that are even more dangerous than the zombie threat. I like how the world is developing and the characters are figuring out more and more about different places and what is being done to save the humans and provide some sort of safety.

Flesh & Bone isn't just more of the same -- there are new characters, new world building, and plenty of new action, with lots of blood and violence. Parts of this were just creepy, and then other parts were, "OMG!"

Flesh & Bone has and ending that ties up the minor plot lines, but leaves the big stuff still open for the next book. And, as in Dust & Decay, there's plenty of emotion and heartbreak. Maberry isn't afraid to kill off his characters -- that's all I'll say. As you can see, I'm not telling you many specifics about the plot, and that is intentional. If you've read the first two books, you understand the world and what these characters are up against. Just suffice it to say, Flesh & Bones adds to all of the great aspects of the series -- characters, world-building and has significant plot developments.

Zombie lovers, you MUST read this series. I can't give you a reason to miss out. You need to read them in order, so start with Rot & Ruin immediately!

Published by Simon & Schuster, Sept. 11, 2012
Copy is a gift from my Secret Santa!
469 pages

Rating: 5/5

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