2012 in review stats!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Your Urban Fantasy reached 137 countries! That’s totally shocking, but no less amazing!
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 41,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 9 Film Festivals
Click here to see the complete report.
2012 Year in Review!! My top books and series of the year!
If you have any favorite reads for this year please share! 2012 has been quite a year for me. I’ve read some incredible books, some great books, some not so great books, some terrible books. But overall it contributed to read count of over 131 stories this year. It’s kind of funny because I feel like a slacker compared to some other Goodreads friends who I’ve seen read over 400+ books; one even read over 900. But good or bad, I’ll take it as a victory. Communiting to and from my job takes a good 2 hours of my day, which allows me to and dedicate most of that to reading. A broken iPod has helped quite a bit too, but Christmas kind of rectified that so I’ll have to see how my read count in 2013 compares. But in the meantime, I want to narrow things down and present my favorite urban fantasy/paranormal books of 2012.
1
Ever After ARC (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison
I debated listing this one because it technically doesn’t come out until 2013, but it rocked my personal socks this year, and I’m sure it will rock yours in January, so I’m going to list it.
2
All Dorina Basarab novels, including Fury’s Kiss by Karen Chance
Though I was fairly familiar with its original sister series, Cassandra “Cassie” Palmer, I was really surprised to find that I love this series infinitely more. It’s got all of the pluses, none of the annoyances. Dory is a riot, but she kicks ass too. It just pains me that it take 2 years between books.
3
Wicked as They Come (Blud #1) by Delilah S. Dawson
Early on in the year this was my favorite book. The world was new, interesting and exciting. And Criminy was awesome! I definitely can’t wait for the next book featuring him and Tish, but much like Karen Chance, this author alternates from book to book.
4
A Perfect Blood (The Hollows #10) by Kim Harrison
Yes, the Hollows takes two spots on my list. In addition to the Ever After ARC, with all of the different publications this year from Into the Woods to Blood Crime to Trouble on Reserve to Trent’s POV from the paperback of A Perfect Blood, two spots can’t be surprising. However, while good, this book wasn’t quite in the same class as Ever After, but I did love it. And like most Trenchers out there, Trent’s POV left me speechless! Oh and it’s also pretty awesome anytime I can meet Kim Harrison!
5
Kingmakers (Vampire Empire #3) by Susan and Clay Griffith
This was another fantastic finish to a wonderful trilogy. I was fortunate enough to read the ARC for this series and I loved it! If only there was more!
6
Dead Morning Sky (Experiment in Terror #3) by Karina Halle
I wanted scary and I got scary! Just a little more than I bargained for with the weird crap that was happening OFF the pages while reading it. And funny enough, there was no repeat of that peculiar activity after I was done. I have since stopped here, but there are definitely more books with Dex and Perry’s adventures. I plan to get to them after catching up with the Night Huntress series that I’m currently reading.
7
Ashes of Honor (October Daye #6) by Seanan McGuire
I read this book at a pretty difficult time. I started reading it and then I got my hands on the Ever After ARC. I was riding too much of a high for anything else to compare, including this. But in hindsight, this book rocks and I bet the next book will be my favorite of the series!
8
Tale of the Vampire Bride by Rhiannon Frater
I was gripped from beginning to end on this one. It’s not an easy read, and do not mistake this for a romance. It’s more like one of those train-wrecks that you can’t look away from. Unfortunately the sequel was nowhere near as good, but I hope this series continues eventually. I would love to read a third book if it could get back to the level of book 1.
9
Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee
I have a bit of an aversion when it comes to the Young Adult genre, but this is an exception. I LOVED this book and I often find myself wondering how long it’d be until the second book is released. That’s definitely a sign of a book worthy of this list. Even better, it’s probably the best $0.99 I’ve spent on a book!
10
Love is Fear (Valerie Dearborn #2) by Caroline Hanson
Though this trilogy arc is complete, this book is probably my favorite of the three. I finished wanting more, more, MORE!
Honorable Mentions
Iced (Dani O’Malley #1) by Karen Marie Moning - I definitely didn’t inhale this one as fast as the original Fever novels, but it did leave an impression. Honestly though, I just want more Mac and Barrons!
At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3) by Jeaniene Frost - The review is pending right now because I wanted to post this year in review first, but I did enjoy it the most of the three novels thusfar. This series isn’t really among my favorites, but it seems to be positioning itself in the tier of series that are right below my favorites. Not a bad place to be. There’s Bones to thank for that.
Fire Baptized (Habitat #1) by Kenya Wright - I inhaled this book as well. This fresh take on the urban fantasy genre was just what I needed at the time and unlike some series where the sequels don’t measure up, its sequel certainly did and I look forward to book 3!
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion - I enjoyed this book quite a bit, as well as the movie. It presented a different take on the genre that I found refreshing.
A Blood Seduction (Vamp City #1) by Pamela Palmer - an alternate Washington, DC gets some bonus points! This book introduced a pretty intriguing world. I read it in a day and enjoyed it, so that’s why it gets a mention. Just beware that this isn’t true romance. If you go in with those expectations you’ll likely be disappointed.
The Fire Lord’s Lover (The Elven Lords #1) by Kathryne Kennedy - I read this particular book in one day and I loved the world building and build up to the eventual romance. Unfortunately the sequels never really struck the same chord.
So all in all it’s been a good year! This blog has been good to me. YOU guys have been good to me. And I hope 2013 is even better!! The great thing about books is that there’s something for everybody. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Hollows Alert! Ever After Chapter 2!
Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a Happy Holiday Season! Kim Harrison has certainly tried to make it better for us by posting Chapter 2 of Ever After! If you were able to hold out from downloading it with a Fistful of Charms, you can now see it on her website. Just check it out here:
http://www.kimharrison.net/BookPages/EA/EA2.html
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Warm Bodies Movie Review - It will leave you with the warm fuzzies
We’ve become so accustomed to vampires, werewolves and the like dominating as love interests in paranormal/urban fantasy realm. We may get the occasional demon or angel, but rarely do we see zombies fill that role, and for good reason. It’s really not that hott when the guy is rotting away and wants to take chunks out of you. Isaac Marion proves that he not only knows the rules, but he knows how to break them too. And it translates very well onto the big screen. We have the initially subtle star crossed lover feel as R, our zombie in question, falls for a human girl and finds himself becoming a little more human himself as they spend more time together. Yeah, he has the usual craving for brains, as do all zombies, but something deep inside of him yearns for more that that–and no, it’s not more guts. He’s the most cultured zombie you’re going to find, loving music, collecting souvenirs, and riding escalators. Believe me, it sounds ridiculous but I really thought it worked here.
Nicholas Hoult was a good choice. He was easier on the eyes for a zombie, which in turn made the love story more acceptable. I’ve taken a liking to the actor since I first saw him in X-Men First Class, though I know has a body of work spanning back to his childhood. His zombie mannerisms were pretty good, particularly the walking and running. I wish his actual speaking started out being more more stilted though. Theresa Palmer was a good choice and I felt they played off one another pretty well. Rob Corddry has some great punch lines, perhaps the best in a zombie punchlines ever, though this movie doesn’t have many contemporaries in that respect.
Movies rarely surpass books and this was no exception. There were a number of changes that I understood were for the better, but there were a number of missed opportunities as well that would have been great to see on the big screen. I think they would have added more depth and interest. But overall it I enjoyed it-the laughs, the love story, and the existential quality all throughout. I finished the book wanting to see the movie right away and I’m glad to have had the opportunity.
I’m sure the comparisons to other zombie comedies such as Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland are inevitable. In my opinion, Shaun of the Dead remains untouched with Zombieland being a distant but solid second, but this is worth a watch. If you’re a zombie fan who doesn’t mind a deviation from the norm, this is the movie for you! Warm Bodies hits theatres nationwide on February 1, 2013.
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2)
It’s been four years since the events of Halfway to the Grave. Cat, has honed the skills Bones has taught her, working for a secret government agency as the head of a unit that hunts down troublesome undead. Her half-vampire heritage offers an invaluable benefit to the cause. But you don’t do what Cat does without making a few enemies. She’s now a target as someone has put a hit out on her. Her only hope is Bones, the vampire she left behind. Though he’s “dead” he’s the only one on this earth to make her feel alive, and those feelings come rushing back. But can she keep them at bay? Not if he has his way.
I am always a little concerned about ships when the characters get together off the bat because I feel they become stale. Even with the insta-love between these two, I thought the first book was exciting and fresh. But this one felt like more of the same. I liked Bones in book 1, but there wasn’t a lot of evolution here, so he came off as Gary-Stuish. And Cat, his Mary Sue. Unlike the first go ’round, I didn’t find the number of times one was jealous, insecure, or baiting vamps for slaughter to be nearly as amusing. And then Bones practically always had the answers to the problems so I just didn’t find him as intriguing and to be honest, his dialogue started to irritate me a bit with the “blokes”, “luvs”, “sods” etc. He’s over 200 so I wish he would have acquired vocabulary with more variety by now.
There was a fair bit of action and definitely some laughs, but Jeaniene Frost doesn’t include enough follow through after the build up. I feel like there’s this massive world with characters waiting to be explored, but we get less than I want to see in a read. I’m really big on supporting characters, yet I didn’t find myself attached to anyone here. Everything just kept working out a little too easily, so nothing was perilous, gripping, or gritty. I felt like it was basically all centered around when these two could get back to shagging.
And speaking of which, of course I can’t complete a review without my opinion on chapter 32. It’s pretty much the only thing I was asked about or told about, even during Book 1. To be honest, it wasn’t much to write home about for me. It wasn’t bad (none of her scenes are) but the hype surrounding it made my expectations too high, so an underwhelming result was inevitable. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly have my short list favorites in literature, but this is just not one of them. Sorry! *ducks from flying tomatoes*
Overall, it certainly wasn’t a bad read, but it just wasn’t as good as I was hoping it’d be. After the first book I thought it would practically inhale this one, reading it in no time, but that just wasn’t the case. There’s still Book 3 which I do plan to read, but that will be the final determinant of whether or not I plan to keep going with this series. Though I like to come to my own conclusions, I’ve heard that the earlier books are better so I don’t know how well that bodes for the rest.
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) - Finally taking the world of Cat and Bones for a spin again
For the record, I probably would have started this series a long time ago. It’s just that my first exposure to Jeaniene Frost’s writing included a spin-off book from this series that left a LOT to be desired. It took a while to build up the nerve to give her stuff another shot. But thankfully, this particular book has a more of what I’m looking for in an awesome vampire read. My experiences were like night and day!
This series follows Catherine Crawfield, a half-human/half-vampire who takes it upon herself to dole out vigilante justice against vampires with the hope to meet her vampire father and put him on the business end of her stake. She runs into the wrong (or right) vampire, Bones, who shows her that she is truly no match for what she’s up against. Being a vampire bounty hunter himself, he forces her into a partnership to take down fanged big bads together. And so begins the story of the beloved Cat and Bones team.
I thought this was a really good start to the series. Cat’s character starts out pretty self-righteous and angry, but she’s left questioning everything she believes in, which is good for character progression. I can see why Bones has a lot of fans. I found him very entertaining all throughout. I’m not an insta-love fan, and I do believe they get together a little too quickly here, but knowing that the whole series involves them allows me to be a little more accepting of the dynamics. It’s at least good to know that not everything will be easy for them. I do worry that they’ll become stale for me since I usually become more attached to ships with better build up, but I am keeping an open mind.
I laughed quite a bit at the countless euphemisms and innuendo. They were effective even when I was in a bad mood and placed well enough so as to not become annoying. The end really amped up the action which I totally loved. The carnage was awesome and I enjoyed seeing Cat and Bones as genuine badasses!
I purchased a copy of the book that contained bonus material with deleted scenes. A lot of it felt really repetitive to what I’d already read and only a couple of developments added to the story. The rest is forgettable, which is why it wasn’t included in the first place.
I definitely recommend at least giving this series a try. It’s not a favorite of mine quite yet, but I definitely will be reading the next one ASAP.
Fistful of Charms for $1.99 with an Excerpt of Ever After!
I heard this straight from the horses mouth on her blog today, but thanks to Jisha for the heads up as well! For the remainder of the holiday season, Book 4 will be offered for $1.99. Get it as a gift, or get it for yourself if you want to read the first TWO chapters of Ever After! Chapter 2 won’t be released until Christmas day, but if you just can’t wait, you can get it here.
Barnes and Noble (NOOK)
Amazon (Kindle)
Books-A-Million (Nook?)
Kobo (Download options: Adobe DRM EPUB)
iBookstore (iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch)
Keep an eye out for additional excerpts here:http://harpervoyagerbooks.com/2012/12/17/excerpt-chapter-one-of-kim-harrisons-ever-after-jan-2013/
Awesome Deal! Valerie Dearborn Trilogy (3 ebooks) for $2.99 on Amazon, one day only!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Valerie-Dearborn-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AIABNZ8/ref=la_B005O2ZXN8_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1355715009&sr=1-6
Though you may not have won the giveaway, there is still a chance to get the series (normally $7.99) for the near unbeatable price of $2.99 for TODAY only on Amazon.com. Get it as a gift for the holidays or get it for yourself! It’s a wonderful series!
Ever After - Like the finest of wines, The Hollows gets better with age
As you can see, I present definitive proof that I’ve indeed read the book! And man oh man is it fantastic! It’s my new favorite! I normally worry about using that term too loosely because it could diminish the potential quality of the series as a whole, but I genuinely think it’s the best book thus far. Kim Harrison has done it yet again and all signs point to her doing it two more times, and in epic proportions.
This time the Ever After, home of the demons, is shrinking at an alarmingly fast rate, placing the existence of magic in a pretty vulnerable position; without one there couldn’t be the other. So as if our favorite itchy witch, Rachel Morgan, didn’t have enough problems, this just sprang up to #1. If she can’t solve this one, she won’t have any others. If she can’t fix it, the demons want her head as her botched leyline creation caused this mess in the first place. And no one wants to see that happen more than her old buddy, Ku’Sox, the former day walking demon who had the misfortune to cross Rachel and lose. He even resorts to abducting her friend and goddaughter as insurance…and boy is it effective. Thankfully she’s got Trent Kalamack and Algaliarept by her side to restore balance and take him down once and for all. But the price may be too high for things to ever be the same again.
I know there was criticism about not a lot happening in A Perfect Blood, though I personally enjoyed the old-school Hollows style mystery. But for those of you who didn’t, for EVER AFTER I think a better question is what didn’t happen! There was so much going on that I genuinely can’t recall a dull moment. I think I felt and continue to feel every emotion possible, but I ultimately finished the book in pure euphoria. In case you needed a little reminding, Harrison presents really harsh realities and difficult decisions that prove she’s an author with guts. I don’t think I’ve experienced so many pulse pounding moments since For a Few Demons More (book 5). This book left me reeling like no other.
The scenes that take place in the Ever-After were some of the best of the series. The race against the clock really made this book so intense. Learning the history of the demons and the elves and the eventual degradation of their relationship was great, though I would have loved even more insight. I just can’t get enough of it.
And that brings me to Big Al, who was totally amazing. Fans will absolutely adore him in this book as we learn more about his personal back story. He’s much more prominent here than in A Perfect Blood and that’s fine by me because he literally lights up the pages and keeps things exciting in his own peculiar way.
After having read Trent’s POV in the bonus chapter of A Perfect Blood, I saw everything he did in a whole new light, and boy was it refreshing. He’s got his own personal demons to work through and it really makes you feel for the guy. He is in a rock and a hard place, accepting his actions that have led to certain consequences while still working to find the best solution possible. I loved seeing him use more magic. I feel like elves have a pretty powerful arsenal that deserve more exploration, so it was nice to see Harrison skim the surface here with the insinuation of even greater things. Magic is amped up for the elves, while more human qualities are amped up for the demons, so it was an interesting trade off.
His teamwork with Rachel was one of my favorite parts of the book. The tension was insane and placed so well all throughout. It’s seriously amazing to go back and read passages from Dead Witch Walking and then look at them now. Their progress is usually one step forward, two steps back, but the slow burn for this ship is probably what will make it my all-time #1 favorite if they end up together *fingers crossed*.
This book was just about everything I could ask for, but it wasn’t 100% flawless. With so much ever after, elf and demon action, the story manages to throw in a smidgeon of development in vampire politics. Unfortunately it felt very much like an afterthought and briefly broke the overall flow. We know vampires won’t get a lot of focus until the final book 13, so 10 or so pages of development came off a random at best and forgettable at worst.
All in all, this is an absolute MUST READ for fans of the series. Since Black Magic Sanction and Pale Demon the series has been invigorated and manages to improve as we reach the final stretch. That is a rarity for 95% of series that make it this far. I think it helps a lot that Kim Harrison has an end in sight and continues to write towards that. Many others have jumped-the-shark by this point. The Hollows is absolutely revving up for a grande finale and I cannot wait to be there.
Redemption (Penton Legacy, #1) - Had to push through to finish this one
In Susannah Sandlin’s new series, Penton Legacy, a vampire’s nightmare is realized when human blood, their major food source, is no longer readily available. Vaccinated human blood for an unrelated pandemic has proven deadly to their kind, making supply low and demand high. With their race on the brink of starvation, a civil war looms. This becomes a problem for master vampire, Aidan Murphy, who has managed to create a small peaceful community in Penton, Alabama with vampires and unvaccinated willing human donors. Only one thing is missing-a doctor. Aidan plans to remedy this by recruiting Dr. Krystal Harris with or without her consent. This obviously creates tension, but maybe it creates something else too…
Maybe it’s the timing, but this book really didn’t work for me. I am typically not a big insta-love fan, which is a major part of this book. I had to pick it up and put it down more than once, eventually planning to give up altogether until I found an opportunity to finish it while doing a mindless task.
The writing isn’t the worst, but the overall impression came across as more formulaic than I was hoping because the synopsis seemed pretty interesting. It has occasional action and a truly deplorable villain whose inevitable demise is certainly easy to root for, but I believe the overall execution and world building could have been better. The ideas weren’t fleshed out well enough in favor of more mundane and uninteresting details.
It’s a kindle Prime freebie, so it doesn’t break the bank, but I don’t feel the need to continue with this one.
Warm Bodies - Readable and re-Readable, hope the movie is just as watchable! I’m going to see the film TONIGHT!!
I’ll be honest and say that I really hadn’t heard much about this book before seeing the motion picture preview; it looked really funny and campy. I’m always up for a good zombie satire (I’m a big Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland fan), but in this case I wanted to read the book as well. Why not? It’s only 240 pages. Certainly doable. And boy am I glad I did. It’s a refreshing take on the genre that you may want to read time and time again.
We’ve become so accustomed to vampires, werewolves and the like dominating as love interests in paranormal/urban fantasy realm. We may get the occasional demon or angel, but rarely do we see zombies fill that role, and for good reason. It’s really not that hott when the guy is rotting away and wants to take chunks out of you. But after reading this novel, Isaac Marion proves that he not only knows the rules, but he knows how to break them too. We have the initially subtle star crossed lover feel as R, our zombie in question, falls for a human girl and finds himself becoming a little more human himself as they spend more time together. Yeah, he has the usual craving for brains, as do all zombies, but something deep inside of him yearns for more that that-and no, it’s not more guts. He’s the most cultured zombie you’re going to find, loving music, collecting souvenirs, and riding escalators. Believe me, it sounds ridiculous but I really thought it worked here.
Though it’s not as funny as I thought it would be, it’s well-written with an existential quality that makes me understand why it’s become a big screen adaptation (though that ain’t always the case). And lucky me, I actually have movie passes to see an advanced screening of the film TONIGHT! It’s not officially out until February of next year, but I’m not complaining. I finished the book wanting to see the movie right away. And then I learned about the screening! If only my luck were good enough to hit the lottery! But I digress. After enjoying the book so much I’m now super excited. They’ve made some obvious changes, but I think it will work here.
If you’re a zombie fan who doesn’t mind a deviation from the norm, this is the book for you!
Blood Crime - Felt like familiar territory
I.S. cops Ivy Tamwood and Rachel Morgan were having a pretty good week, working their beat, busting brimstone street dealers left and right. That is until they realize someone may be gunning for them directly. That’ll put a damper on anyone’s week. Fortunately dodging risky attempts on their lives, it’s up to Ivy to figure out whose targeting them and why. Could it be Piscary? Does he want to eliminate Rachel to get Ivy back in his clutches faster? Or could it be a new big bad with something else in mind entirely?
My favorite format of The Hollows will forever be in written novel form, but I’ll take it any way I can get it. Ivy fans will enjoy this book as much as the last, Blood Work. It’s told from her POV even though Rachel maintains a consistent presence. It’s not a requirement, but it will help to have read the short story told from Ivy’s POV, Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil, because certain characters and events become relevant again.
Considering that this is a graphic novel, I’ll start with the graphic part. The cover is actually a bit disappointing. The cover of Blood Work was one of my favorite parts about the novel. The colors and badassness really made it pop. This one? Not so much. It’s dark and vaguely mysterious, but it’s not interesting. I feel like the model should be wearing a more sinister expression.
It’s no secret that I’m not particularly fond of the artwork. Even though there’s a new illustrator, they implemented the original artwork so the overall style is unchanged. After reading this one, I’m still not a fan but it is definitely improved over the first one in a few areas. For one, the coloring is more professional. It’s more vibrant and saturated, giving it an all around better look. Interestingly enough, I think Ivy looks better in this one than in Blood Work. But on the other hand, I thought Rachel looked prettier in Blood Work than she does here. Piscary looked pretty spot on to how I envisioned him in my head, and a new character, Celeste, actually had a pretty cool design. The artist definitely does better work with her own original creations.
The story itself was pretty good, if a bit short. It’s natural to feel that way when a usual Hollows entry is over 400 pages. Though I’m pleased with the direction the later books have taken, I do miss the old I.S. runner days when they had to solve mysteries and tag bad guys. This book brings a little bit of that back. I liked how it continued the plot lines from Ivy’s short story because it expands the vampire world just a bit more when it comes to their politics, connections, and the domino effect that comes with certain actions. There’s a lot of inner turmoil with Ivy, fighting her attraction to Rachel, fighting her vampiric nature, fighting Piscary’s mind games. That’s pretty much all the poor girl does! Not to mention actually physically fighting the bad guys. Piscary was pretty scary at times, especially when pulling auras. He’s certainly one you love to hate. Kisten’s role is even smaller here than in Blood Work, but we do see enough to know how strong of a bond he and Ivy shared. Rachel wasn’t quite as funny as she was in the first novel, but she still felt like Rachel, kicking butt, taking names. And seeing her cherry red splat gun in action again was pretty cool too.
All in all, I don’t think these are the best that The Hollows has to offer, but it is worth a read and fans will appreciate the story.
*Review copy provided by the publisher
Giveaway Winner Selected!
Hi everyone! This giveaway has been particularly exciting as we’re giving away THREE books to TWO awesome Your Urban Fantasy followers by the ONE and only Caroline Hanson. But now the time has come to select our winners! As always, I want to thank all of you for participating. If you posted in the comment section of the announcement thread, you were entered for a chance (or multiple chances for those following the blog multiple ways) to win. And the winners are:
Dita Škarste
Aly P
Please check your emails, ladies! Hope you enjoy! Thank you everyone for the continued support and I look forward to the next giveaway, and of course there’s more on the way!
Escape by Kenya Wright
The Quiet King. The blind and deaf ruler of vampires seemingly should be disadvantaged, harmless even. But that’s not quite the case here. With a harem of human dominas acquired for the sole purpose of bearing his vampire children, he maintains an upper hand. Brie, a domina for two years, is nearing her turn to begin procreating with the King. Unfortunately, his policy to slaughter babies who could challenge him is a pretty big turn off. Her only hope to escape lies with Samuel, a vampire known for leading slaves to freedom.
Slaves are one thing; dominas are another, and they happen to be the one exception for Samuel as it’s too risky, and not just the from the ramifications of the palace. Brie lies about her identity, but her blood doesn’t and the closer she gets to freedom, the closer she gets to Samuel as her blood becomes increasingly irresistible.
For 127 pages, I was very enthralled. Usually it’s hard to get into a novellas for me, especially for a new and unestablished series, but the world-building and characters were well done. Brie’s inner conflict as she fights the temptation of Samuel while trying to remain faithful to her husband and children to whom she desperately wants to return kept things pretty interesting. I finished actually wishing this could have been a full length novel. I was definitely left wanting more. There is a lot of romantic tension, but plenty of action as well, often times pretty gruesome. There’s certainly more to the story that can be told and I, for one, hope it is. The Quiet King has potential to be a very good villain and we’re only scratching the surface.
There are illustrations provided sporadically which were a nice touch, though I think they could be colored and placed all together in a certain sections of the book. At this point I don’t think they add or detract from the story, but it did make me think that this could be a great graphic novel.
*ARC Provided by the author
Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1) by Mira Grant - Left me hungry for more zombies
In the not too distant future, cancer and the common cold are things of the past. But in the vain of “I Am Legend,” the cure to one (or two in this case) leads to an even worse pandemic that will change the course of humanity as we know it. Fast forward two decades and we see a new world where the infected roam, humans, while maintaining some sense of civilization, are as paranoid and as ever, and the country looks towards leadership to continue the fight to restore the “land of the free and home of the brave” to its former zombie-less glory. But with power comes corruption, and the brother sister blogging team of Shaun and Georgia Mason are determined to expose this corruption in order to deliver the truth to the people, no matter the cost.
This book was certainly one of the more unique takes on the genre that I’ve seen. It gets very technical and scientific, but it also gets very political. The thing is, if the second book is more of the same with practically 20 pages of zombie action among 550+ pages of just about everything else, I think I might pass on continuing down this road. In fact, I’m probably more likely to just read The Road. I didn’t see the need for 571 pages here and the next books are even longer. I interrupted my progress more than once by reading other novels because this just wasn’t keeping my interest as much as I would have hoped. Since this is a favorite of many, I tried my best to muddle through it. In the end, I need more tension and action in these kinds of stories. Politics is fine and dandy, but I would have liked to have seen a better balance with actual zombie screen time. The plot kind of shambled along, like the zombies this book is supposed to be about. It became annoyingly repetitive at times, from the countless blood screenings to countless references to Georgia’s eye condition.
It did offer an extensive amount of world building that made scientific and technological references believable in the scope of the story. It was occasionally thought-provoking and there were a few moments that had potential to get me hooked, but ultimately it never really took off. However, the last 15% was boldy executed and if that intensity was maintained for a larger portion of the novel, I would read the rest of the series without a doubt. In fact, it gained one extra star for that alone.
In the end, I wasn’t scared, the zombies were more like a backdrop to drive the plot (so much so that they could have been arguably interchangeable with some other pandemic, but I doubt this book would have sold as well), and I was mildly intrigued at best for the majority of the book. If I continue it won’t be anytime soon. I’m certainly in no rush.
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