The Zombie Story

Publisher: M.M. Shelley

Publish Date: 10 May 2011

Source: from author

Series: The Chronicles of Orlando

Other Books in Series: Dead Relatives

Unfolding on the streets of Los Angeles is a new breed of monster...

Orlando, fresh from the mid west, arrives at his new high school on his Harley Davidson. All he wants is to make it through the day, and begin his training as a Zombie Hunter.But someone has different plans for him.

The Zombie Story is the first novella in a young adult series.

This novella starts out with Orlando moving to Los Angeles during his last year of high school.  He had to move after the economy crashed and both his parents found jobs in L.A.  After Orlando witnesses a murder outside his home, things begin to unravel.  First, his mom is upset with him.  She thinks that he made up the crime to get back at them for moving.  Then his grandfather has someone come over and tell him something that is unbelievable.

At first Orlando doesn’t believe Maxwell, his grandfather’s friend, when he tells him about zombies and that he is supposed to train to kill them.  Then, when he is going to the junkyard to get parts for the car his mother gave him, he spots a motorcycle that he has to walk home.  It is during that walk that he encounters his first zombie and uses some of his magick to help him defeat him.  Orlando has never been tested to see what level of magick he is.

At school the next day, Maxwell introduces him to Ruben.  Ruben is a zombie hunter who will train Orlando.  After the eventful day, Orlando meets Fernando aka Fernie which eventually leads him and Ruben to Tijuana, Mexico.  There he learns some secrets…some he may not have wanted to know.

I thought that this novella was a little choppy.  You would be talking about one thing and the next thing you knew, it would be something else.  I think that there was a lot of information and background story to put in a novella.  This should have been a novel which would have given you time to read the pertinent information.  The plot was there for it and the development of the story was rushed.  When I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought it might be an interesting read and it was.  Overall, I thought it was a good book and am anxious to read the sequel, Dead Relatives.

Everyone in the world had magick in one form or another.  The ones who had the least amount were known as Novices, most of the population was Novice.  Novices had the smallest amount and had no control over when it was used…The ones at the next level were known as Mercurial, they were given the name Mercurial because their magick was never reliable and always unstable, it was never stead and it could be destructive.  The third level of magick were Wizards, they had learned to control their power and a wizard was someone who’s magick was the most strong and consistent.  There were not many who reached the level of Wizard.

The cover has Orlando on it in his leather jacket and what looks like the Los Angeles skyline.  I like the colors on the cover.  I also like the color of Orlando’s eyes. 

 

•Orlando.  He is the main character of the story.  He has this naiveté about him when it first comes to learning about zombies.  It is surprising considering the magick that is in the world, but refreshing at the same time.

•Ruben and his sister Elodie.  Ruben is the one that is training Orlando to fight zombies.  He has no doubts in backing Orlando when he needs to go to Tijuana, Mexico.  Elodie helps Ruben and Orlando when they are in Mexico.  She is strong willed and intelligent in the use of her magick. 

•Orlando’s grandfather.  Orlando describes him as being “off his rocker.”  He is the one who first brought Maxwell in to tell Orlando about the zombies.  Even though he is sometimes wrong, he still has Orlando's best interest at heart.  He was also a zombie hunter.

•Zombies.  It was refreshing to read about them in a different atmosphere than I have read before.  This story is about zombies, but it doesn’t focus on them.

•Fernando.  He is a wizard who comes and sees Orlando one night telling him about a mission that he is supposed to embark upon.  He seems like he is one of the good guys, but you can never tell.  

•The choppiness of the writing.  Sometimes I felt like I got whiplash when reading.  At times, I had to re-read something to make sure I was following along with the story.  More towards the end of the novella, it got better.

•Maxwell.  When Orlando first meets him, he tells Orlando that he has a temper after he was woken up by his grandfather’s loud television.  Then, the next day at school, he asks Orlando, “What are you doing here?” and then tells him that he is supposed to be training.

Dearly, Departed

Lia Habel

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Publish Date:  October 18, 2011

Version: netgalley e-book

Series: Gone With The Respiration

Real ladies can give orders, Real gentlemen can take them, and Real zombies don’t eat brains.

This series starts out by introducing us to Abraham “Bram” Griswold and tells of his death in the Celesto Mine with his best friend Jack on July 4, 2193 in “Punk-controlled Brazil.” 

After that, you are taken to Nora Dearly’s point of view and tells of the last day of school at St. Cyprian’s School for Girls.   This is not only the last day of school, it is also the first day that Nora is no longer in mourning.  She has mourned the death of her father, Dr. Victor Darling, for a year now.  Nora is waiting with her best friend, Pamela Roe aka Pamma, for their carriage to take them back home.  When the carriage finally arrives, they get in and are about their way.   A lag in traffic causes them to be at a standstill and Nora decided to walk.  She lives underground and is close enough to her home that she should make it safely.  While she is walking home, she encounters someone who wants to talk to her about her father and then insists that she come with them.  This scares Nora, she screams and is saved by two constables.  The constables take her home and after dealing with her Aunt Gene and guardian, Nora decided to get ready for the evening.

The next day, Pam came over to visit and Aunt Gene suggests that they accompany her while she goes out and visits people during the day.  This takes them to the Allisters’ house, where you first meet Michael Allister, who Pam is crushing on.  That evening, while Nora was watching war holos, she was kidnapped by undead soldiers and taken to Z Beta Base.  It is there that she learns more about the species of men who captured her, why they want her in the first place, about her father’s work and what is happening in New Victoria.

Nora is given just as much information as she asks for at first and this is a lot for her to handle.  Captain Bram Griswold or just Bram, is the one who primarily deals with her.  When Commander Wolfe is not on base, he is the commanding officer.  After days of being held captive, Nora finds out that her homeland of Elysian Fields was under attack and her aunt and Pamela might be in danger.  With her newfound friends, Renfield, Chas, Tom and Coalhouse, and Bram, they set off to rescue Pam. 

Meanwhile, Pam is trying to get her family to leave their home to go into hiding, so they won’t get the illness.  When she finally does, it might be too late as everyone is trying to get to where Pam wanted to hide out.  She runs into Michael Allister.  She leaves her family and goes to the roof with Michael and her brother Issy to get better phone reception.  Will Nora make it in time to rescue Pam before anyone gets hurts?  What will happen to the members of Company Z?

This book started out good with the backstory of Bram, but then slowed when it got to the history of New Victoria.  I understand that the history is crucial to any story; I just have never liked history.  It makes a book harder for me to read when there is a lot to go through.  Putting that aside, this was a really good book.  I like books that are full of action, has some G-rated romance and where the main characters learn something and Dearly, Departed has all of that.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

"Boy, I am going to feed you to the infected myself," Michael growled. I think he almost made my brother cry. Good.

 

▪Nora Dearly.  I like how at the beginning, you are told the story of her father’s passing and that day represents the first day that she is out of mourning even though she still feels sad and doesn’t want to be what everyone expects her to be.  When she is taken to Z Beta Base, at first she has some fear and prejudices, but she works through them and truly shows her character.

▪Abraham “Bram” Griswold.  He initially takes on the task of watching after Nora when she is on his base.  You can tell by the things he says and does, that he is a gentleman.

▪Renfield, Coalhouse, Chas and Tom.  These are Bram’s closest friends inside the Z Beta Base.  Therefore, they are the soldiers that Nora has the most interaction with.   They don’t even hesitate when they are asked to help Nora.

▪Pamela Roe.  She is Nora’s best friend.  While Nora is gone, people tell her that she should use this opportunity to “move herself up in the world” as she was in the spotlight.  Pam wasn’t hearing it and was genuinely concerned for Nora’s safety.  She is a loyal friend.

▪The fact that manners and modesty have returned in civilization.  While reading this, I would occasionally get confused as to what time period I was reading from.  It was obviously written in the future, but some of the customs made it seem like it was from the past.

 

▪Company Major Dorian Averne.  He is the commanding officer of the punk army in Bolivia.  He is not averse to torturing people to get what he wants.

▪Vespertine Mink.  She is one of the kids at school who tease Pam about her situation and that she is on scholarship to the school. 

▪Michael Allister.  I don’t like him.  I won’t tell you why.  For the majority of the book, he is a gentleman.

▪Company Commander James Wolfe.  He is the commanding officer at Z Beta Base.  He doesn’t seem to like his situation very much.  He is always grouchy.  I don’t like the way that he handles things.

On the cover you see a girl, who I presume to be Nora, wearing a black dress and holding a black parasol while standing in what appears to be a cemetery.  Underneath the title, it reads “love can never die.”  When reading the story, you find out more about the parasol and so that makes sense.  The fact that Nora was wearing black also makes sense because she had to wear black for a year while she was mourning her father’s death.  I think that this cover is not only appropriate in what it contains, but the coloring of it also play up the book nicely.

I had to put this cover up there because I like that they not only have Nora on it but also what I presume to be Bram.  In the book, it says he looks very good in his captain's clothes and this represents not only that, but his and Nora's relationship.  I really like the zombies in the background and the fire.  All good points in the book.  I like the saying "Tall, Dark and...Dead?"  It fits the book well.

The only bad thing I have to say for this cover is in the title.  I know that this is a UK cover and the grammar might be different there, but in the US title and cover, it is Dearly (comma) Departed.  As in her last name is Dearly.  This cover doesn't have the comma.  Is that important?  I don't know. It might be.

On Habel's blog and on Goodreads, it says that there is an upcoming book in the series called Dearly, Beloved.  It doesn't show a cover or anything, just that it is expected out 2012.

Find Lia Habel

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publish Date: September 2011

Version: Print Hardcover

Series: none

I have never reviewed an anthology before and wasn’t sure how to go about doing it without spoiling the stories for you.  I was excited to read this anthology because there are a lot of writers in it that I haven’t ready anything they’ve written.  This was a good opportunity to read from these amazing authors that I have heard so many good things about.  I had the pleasure of seeing the Smart Chicks Kick It tour and see some of the authors in person and that made me want to experience what they have written for myself.  I hope all the anthologies I read are this good.  Somehow, I seriously doubt that is going to happen though.  I will warn you that this is by far, the largest review I have written.

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray

This is story about twins and the discovery that they make.  It involves a ghost named Giovanni. This story was really heart-felt and gave me a new appreciation for the bonds that siblings have, especially twins.  Having never read anything by Claudia Gray, I was happy to see how easy it was to get involved with this story.

Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan

I’m told that the setting for this story mirrors that of her novel, The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  I haven’t read that either.   In this story, there is Margie and her younger sister Sally.  They move around a lot and they are deciding where to go next.  Calvin shows up on their doorstep one night.  This is the story of the interaction between the three of them.  After reading this short story, I am putting other works by Carrie Ryan on my TBR list!

Red Run by Kami Garcia

Red Run is a street in “the Lousiana backwoods.”  The story is that the road is haunted and a ghost kills people that travel on it.  One of those was the brother of Edie, the main character.  She is determined to kill the ghost responsible.  She drives down Red Run at night and meets Tommy Hansen, a ghost there.  In this story, she picks him up as a hitchhiker and it goes through what happens on Red Run.  I really liked this story.  I never knew what was going to happen.   I had my suspicions, but they were rarely right.

Things About Love by Jackson Pearce

In this story, Lawrence is the best friend of Viola, who fell in love with a genie named Jinn.  Because of this, Lawrence has had a genie guard.  His latest guard is Juliet.  Genies or jinn don’t normally have names, but she picked this one out for herself.  Her mission is not only to guard Lawrence and make sure that he doesn’t talk about her world, but to research and understand love.  I liked this little story.  It was predictable, but a good story nonetheless.

Niederwald by Rachel Vincent

If you have read any of Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamer series, you will recognize the characters in this book.  It is about Sabine, whom I’ve never liked.  Although, I’m not sure she is meant to be liked.  This story talks about how she used a trip with Emma (Kaylee’s best friend) for her own advantage.  You get a deeper glimpse into the character of Sabine and what is important to her in this story, but that doesn’t improve my opinion of her.  It is a good side story for the series.

Merely Mortal by Melissa Marr

This involves Keenan and Donia, who is the Winter Queen.  Keenan is described as having both summer and winter in him.  He gave up his immortality for the woman he loves, Donia and it now mortal.  This story describes a vacation they take and the journey for them to decide on whether or not to try to make Keenan immortal or fey again.  This is a good story and gives you a glimpse into the writing of Melissa Marr.  I will definitely be putting her on my TBR list.

Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong

This story involves the characters of the Darkest Powers series.  I have to say upfront that I love that series and was biased when reading this.  It is a nice side story about Tori, a witch, Chloe, a necromancer, and Derek, a werewolf.  This has to do about Tori finding out who her real father is, how she reacts to it and how Chloe reacts to her reaction.  (Confused yet?)  It is a good story, but it didn’t give me as much excitement as the Darkest Powers series normally does.

Let’s Get This Undead Show On The Road by Sarah Rees Brennan

“A Vampire craze has taken the world by storm.  It seems as if everyone is developing a taste for blood.”

That quote is how the story starts out.  Given that, you don’t really know what is going to happen.  This story involves the English boy band 4 the One.  One of the members of the band, Christian, is a vampire.  The other three members are human.  In this story, it goes over briefly how Christian became a vampire and the struggles that he deals with while touring with the band.  You were given a different take on vampires in this story and that was refreshing.  Everyone knew about them.  This isn’t about how the general public deals with vampires, but how the band deals with the one member who happens to be a vampire.

Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready

This is a side story of the Shade series.  When I first started this story, I was discouraged because it was 50 pages long and these were supposed to be “short” stories.  However, by the time I finished, I wished that there were more pages and I couldn’t believe how quickly I read those 50 pages.  This tells the story of Logan and what he goes through in order to get in contact with his older brother Mickey.  I will definitely be putting the Shade series on my TBR list.

Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting

In this story, Rafe is following the dreams he had which leads him to a house.  In this house, he expects to find Sophie, the girls he loves who left to take care of her mother and brother.  He calls a FBI agent that he knows for help when he arrives to the place in his dream.  It describes the things he finds out when he gets there and how he knows them.  This is a good short story.

Leaving by Ally Condie

This is the story of Sora and how she is “untouchable.”  In this story, it tells of the other classmates in her school and their reaction to her and the stuff that has happened after her father left.  She dreams of the “beautiful people” and wishes they were here to help her.  I like the way this story ends.  I like Elio in this story also.

At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday

“Nothing says ‘Hey, I’m normal’ like a car graveyard in front of your house,” I muttered.

This is the story of Jane and how she wants to prove herself to her family.  She is always the “bait” in their traps.  They hunt supernatural beings.  Everyone in her family was “gifted in their own way with some unique power or skill” except Jane, and that is how she always ended up being the bait.  She goes out to hunt a supernatural being by herself.  The target: cannibal Girl Scouts.  Jane knows where they’ll be and when.  She just doesn’t know what the night will have in store for her.  I love Verday’s writing.  Until I read this story, I thought I just liked the Hollow series, but I was wrong.  She is a writer who I love to read.

IV League by Margaret Stohl

This story is a good, but peculiar one.  It is about Wren Lola Lafayette aka Wrennie and her friend Maynard Hopper Wilson aka Hopper and their quest to find a college to go to after high school.  The school takes a field trip to various colleges to allow students the opportunity to choose one school or the other.  Wrennie and Hopper choose to go to Harvard and this is their story about the interview and the things that happened while they were there. 

Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson

Giselle is a gargouille…or she was until she was captured and they cut her wings off.  She was in love with Étienne, another gargouille.  Giselle is put on display and carried in a cage as the person who has captured her, intends to sell her to the duke.  That happens, but not as her capturer intended.  This is a good romance story.

The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is the story of Kristy and Jess Carlton.  Kristy aka Kissy, get these ‘pulses where her eyes turn “stained-glass green.” When she got these, she had to do what the ‘pulse told her to do.  She didn’t understand it, but she had to do it or her condition would worsen.  This is what happened one night when Kissy woke Jess up and told her “We have to go to San Antonio.”  Jess doesn’t understand these ‘pulses either, but she understands what happens when Kissy doesn’t do them quickly enough.  This is what happens to Kissy and Jess on their way to San Antonio.    This story was good and full of action for as short as it was.  The only thing I would say that I didn’t like was what happened when they got to San Antonio and that the story ended to soon.

Automatic by Rachel Caine

This is a short story involving the characters of the Morganville Vampire series.  I haven’t read this series and have moved it up on my TBR list after reading this story because I liked it so much.  The main characters in this story are Michael and Eve.  Michael is a new vampire and Eve is human.  They live in Morganville where vampirism is known and common.   When it comes to testing new technology, since Michael is a new vampire, he is elected to try it first.  The thinking is that because he grew up with technology, he will better adapt to it.  There is a new machine at the blood bank.  It is akin to a Coke machine and dispenses blood in cans when you swipe your “card.”  This is the story of what happens to Michael after testing out the new machine.