Review: Cowboys & Vampires

Reviewed by Jen
 

This first installment in the Venom Valley world is a genre bending, entertaining ride.   It's male/ male romance against the backdrop of old west meets vampire with a bit of necromancy thrown in. How could I NOT give it a try?

With the death of his adopted mother, Josh learns the hard way that he can raise the dead.  And once they're reanimated, only a shot to the head can put them back down. Unfortunately, a witness caught him putting a bullet in one of the zombies, turning him into a wanted man.  Knowing no one will believe his story about a walking corpse, he goes on the run.

Dex is Josh's best friend and the object of his fantasies. He's also a lawman, and once that witness I told you about comes forward, he must scramble to find Josh to get answers.  Dex adores his friend and has no idea that he shares the attraction.  (Once they meet back up, however, nothing is left to the imagination.)

In the meantime, there's a vampire plaguing the town of Belkin's Pass and targeting the local brothel.  He is intrigued by Josh and ends up pursuing him as well.  (That leads us to a fabulous face off of vampires vs zombies... but I digress.)   There's a lot going on in a novella sized story, with at least three POVs, plenty of action, and sexual situations, both real and imagined.

I enjoyed the book overall. It was different. I liked the mishmash of genres that usually steer clear of each other. But I'll admit that some of my enjoyment was in the slight campiness of it all.  I liked the main characters, though I never felt like we got to know them deeply.  I felt like Dex and Josh jumped in the sack really fast after years of never revealing their feelings to one another.  And there is still a lot we don't know... specifically about Josh's past and side character Glory's spirit lover.

There are multiple sort-of hypothetical sex scenes... kind of imagined sex scenarios in the characters' heads.  They would think about the dirty things they would do to each other --or wanted to do.  One such scene would have been more than enough, IMO.  The actual sex scenes were good and satisfying, though I was amused at how many different euphemisms I read for a... er, back channel.

Be warned: this story is not self-contained.  There is a gnarly cliffhanger at the end.  But the good news for folks who want to keep reading: this is a re-release of book one in the series... and book two has already been written. Bait will also be re-released under a new title, Stakes & Spurs, though I'm not sure on the date.

Rating: B

*Book provided by publisher for review

Cowboys & Vampires

by Hank Edwards

Release Date: April 17, 2013

Publisher: Wilde City

 

Review: Night Resurrected

Reviewed by Jen
 

I'll be honest.  I didn't really want this book.  I didn't like the idea of Remy with Wyatt, and frankly, I wasn't ready for him to move on from his wife and kids.  I started grumbling about it when I saw the writing on the wall in the last book.  But while I did have some problems with the romance, I did eventually get to the point where I was ok with Wyatt moving on from his old life.  That doesn't mean I still didn't have some issues, but I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would.

The story begins with Wyatt tracking down Remy, who is making her way to Envy.  The stone her grandfather gave her is becoming a beacon for the zombies, so their journey is difficult.  The problems are exacerbated when Dantes the dog gets hurt and Ian the bounty hunter joins their party.  The story follows their trip as well as the continuing efforts of the Strangers as they try to get their hands on Remy and what we learn is the so called "mother stone."

Let's talk first about what I liked about the book.  It felt like a real return to the old vibe of the series.  It was more about the post-apocalyptic and zombie stuff than the dolphins and cultists and the Atlantis mythology that were so prevalent in the later installments.  I LIKE the zombies and the apocalypse stuff so that was a definite win.  It reminded me of the early books of the series in that way.  I also really liked revisiting the couples from the early books.

What I didn't like... in a word... was Wyatt. I understand his angst. I really do. But he was such a dick to Remy.  It was not her fault that he was attracted to her, but he sure did make her pay for it.  Every time he felt a connection to her, every time he gave in to the temptation to touch her or kiss her, he would slap her down.  And that went a long way to sapping the large pool of sympathy I had amassed for him from the loss of his wife and kids. 

Joss Ware did give me a great surprise that went a long way helping both him (and me) move on from his loss.  I liked how she helped ease his pain... and I liked the the emergence of his gift.  I thought Remy was a fairly good heroine, though even with the healing mojo she received, I felt like she got over her abuse a little easily.

The overall story arc is moving along, but it feels like it is drawing to a close. I am just hoping we get an Ian book before it's all said and done. I still feel like there is a redemption story in there, even if it's not with the woman I had envisioned.

Rating: B-

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Night Resurrected

by Joss Ware (Colleen Gleason)

Release Date: February 26, 2013

Publisher: Avon

  

Review: Tower in the Woods

Reviewed by Jen
 

I always feel chagrined when I accidentally fall into a BDSM situation.  I don't enjoy the genre and I didn't realize that's what I was picking up when I accepted this book for review. Here's the blurb:

When she sees a man fleeing a horde of zombies, Nel Zapur has no choice but to extend a lifeline. But what will happen to her once Dane Prince reaches the tower’s top? Based on the Grimm’s fairy tale Rapunzel, Tower in the Woods is a post-apocalyptic thriller, complete with zombies, snipers, a fateful snowstorm and . . . a hot, alpha male!

Raised by the Women’s Independent Territory Church (WITCH), Nel Zapur is a skilled sniper tasked to eliminate zombies. Never having once laid eyes on a man, she has been a prisoner in her tower for eleven long years. A fateful snowstorm leads a mysterious stranger to her window, and saving him may prove to be the best and worst decision of her life.

Special Agent Dane Prince was sent to gather intelligence on the WITCH, and his journey leads him to a mysterious tower in the woods. Snowed in with a virginal member of the feminist cult, Dane is determined to use the situation to his advantage. Not only will Nel provide him with the information he needs, she will also learn to submit to his every desire.

Perhaps I should have seen the word "submit" and knew that meant the hero would tie up the heroine with a rope of zombie hair that doubled as a noose around her neck while he took her virginity... but then again, maybe not.  Regardless of what I expected, here we are.

I liked the concept of the book: tough soldier comes face to face with a woman who has never seen a man before.  Nel may be a virgin, but she is tough --both inside and out. She would have to be, to endure the solitude she's had.  I liked her. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to ask for it.  Dane, however... Well, I already told you how he took her virginity. Then, after she almost died, he spanked her with his belt for it.  He yelled at her for escaping her tower.  He made her take it hard and painfully on the hood of the car, while he knew other soldiers were watching... It just was so not my cuppa tea.

The offputting (to me) BDSM stuff aside, there's a scene early in the book that is in there twice --once from each character's perspective. I was so confused reading the dialogue again, two pages apart, it took me five minutes of staring at my nook to realize why they were saying the same things again.  --And then, we had an Epilogue which was completely outside of the tone and feel of the rest of the book.

This was really not good for me, though in all honesty, at least half it is because the sex and treatment of heroine at the hands of the hero is really not something I enjoy reading.

Rating: D

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Tower in the Woods

by Tara Quan

Release Date: January 14, 2013

Publisher: Liquid Silver Books

Review: Night Forbidden

Reviewed by Jen
 

It's been 50 years since a near-Apocalypse changed the world forever.  Power hungry men and the rulers of Atlantis orchestrated the Change, each for their own ends.  Now a small band of survivors, the Resistance, is trying to rebuild and stop their ongoing schemes.

Fence is part of the Resistance.  But he is different than most because he actually lived in the time before the change and was in some kind of stasis, not aging for half a century.  He lost everyone he ever loved, but he is readjusting to his new life in his new surroundings.

Ana is a descendant of Atlantis. She wants nothing to do with her mother's people, for she knows the brutality they are capable of.  Their one gift to her was in implanting the crystals into her body that allow her to breathe underwater. It's beneath the surface of the sea she feels whole, unencumbered by the effects of a leg ravaged by injury.  It's ironic that she would come to fall for a man who is utterly terrified of water.

When Fence and Ana meet, there is a fast attraction, but there are roadblocks.  Ana fears getting close to any man, because she doesn't want anyone to see her crystals.  And Fence is the kind of guy who prefers a bit of fun to real romance.  He's a smooth operator, a ladies man, and no one is more surprised than him when he begins falling for Ana.

I liked the love story well enough. A cocky player isn't my favorite kind of hero, but Fence is charming enough.  Ana's story isn't shocking, but as we learn more about her secrets, it peels back more of the layers in the world-building surrounding the Change.

I have to say that the series has a very different feel than it did in the early books, where the zombie-like gangas were featured so prominently. In this book, the zombies barely exist and it's all about the Atlantians as the nemesis in the story.  It's less about a constant physical threat and more about the machinations of these powerful beings.  I miss the zombies. They were cool.  Everything is growing more and more complicated and I wish I would have reread the earlier books before I started reading this one. Most of it came back to me, but it took a little time.  I wonder how easy it would be for a new reader to follow at this point.

Though the lion's share of the story follows Fence and Ana, we do see some familiar faces, like Quent, Zoe and Elliott.  And we get some very, very short scenes with Wyatt and Remy.  I guess we're being set up for a love story between these two, which bums me out. I was really hoping for a redemption story for Ian with Remy... and frankly, I'm not ready for Wyatt to get over his wife and kids, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I liked it. I appreciated having a physically imperfect heroine.  There's some pretty good banter and a couple of love scenes to heat things up.  But I wish we could have had more time for a relationship to develop between these two before they starting throwing around the L-word.  It was only a week! Come on!!

I'm hoping the next installment goes back a little more to the gritty side I know this series has to offer. More zombies and bounty hunters, less crystals and swimming with the dolphins.

Rating: B- 

*ARC Provided by Avon

Click to purchase: Amazon

Night Forbidden

by Joss Ware (Colleen Gleason)

Release Date: July 31, 2012

Publisher: Avon

Review: The Last Night

This is one of those books that sounded great in the blurb. But when I sat down to read it, I had to force myself to finish.

Basically, it's a new take on zombies (which I love.) After a cataclysmic earth event, some microbe or whatnot was uncovered, infecting most of the population. They grew a stone-like skin and hungered for the ashy remains of burned human flesh. In the meantime, earthquakes are plaguing the landscape, tearing down the remains of civilization.

Erica is hiding out with a small band of survivors. They are under attack by the zombies dubbed "ashers" when Jake sweeps in on his motorcycle. He begins killing the ashers --an amazing feat since no weapon has ever affected them before. He offers to share his knowledge on how to kill the zombies in exchange for supplies from Erica's people. In a nutshell, Erica and Jake hook up, and then take off together in search of greener pastures.

I like post-apocalyptic zombie stories; and love-among-the-ruins stories are generally great. But there are so many things I didn't like about this book. First of all, everything is extremely dramatic and over the top. Yes, it's the end of times, but that's where subtlety really works best. On top of that, the relationship at the core of the story is laughable. Basically, Jack and Erica want to hook up because each is the only attractive person the other has seen in months. They are naked in hours. Horizontal not long after that. And then filled with deep emotions, eliciting dialogue like:

"Where you are, I'll be there. Fuck paradise."

and

"Don't know what we would have called it before the destruction. Don't know if it had a name. But this, what I feel for you now, Erica. This is love."

It's been one freaking day!!! --And did I mention the full-body orgasm? What the hell is that?

There is essentially no character development. And I hated the ending. I don't know what else to say. 2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon

The Last Night

by Nico Rosso

Release Date: February 13, 2012

Publisher: Carina Press

Review: Horizon

I could have never predicted the course this book would take. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Honestly, I feel torn over the answer. In one way, it's amazing. Sophie Littlefield isn't afraid to make some really bold choices. She stays true to her characters and her world, even when it hurts. But that's the thing... sometimes, it really hurts.

The story picks up a couple of months after the events of Rebirth, which was a little disappointing for me. A lot has happened since Cass and Dor rescued Smoke. And there were times I felt like I had missed something. Our characters are now ensconced in the camp at New Eden. Smoke is in a coma. Dor is a new relationship. And Cass is losing ground. Just like we saw her regress into her old sexual habits in the last book; she is slipping into other self-destructive behaviors here. It's hard to watch. This character is so very damaged, and it would be so easy for Littlefield to fix her. But she doesn't. Not in the predictable fashion. Not in a way that will ease readers or soothe us.

Despite outward appearances, there is still something between Cass and Dor. At times, it's hard to decide whether that's right for her or not. And once Smoke wakes up, things get even more complicated. I kept waiting for Cass to make to her choice. And waiting. And waiting. But the conflict and uncertainty linger for almost the entire story. It's almost easy to forgot this is a zombie book.

Speaking of zombies, the Beaters are evolving; they're getting smarter and threatening New Eden. That forces the community to start searching for a new home. We're reminded of the brutality of this new world and ever-present danger our characters face. The whole book is gripping. And exhausting. And heartbreaking.

It took me a while to reconnect to it all... especially in the beginning, with the time jump and unexplained events that happened between books. Some of the blanks were filled in over time, but I felt a little disjointed. The story really hit its stride about half-way in... And it pummeled me with one poignant moment after another, especially in some of the scenes between Cass and Smoke.

I wish I could find the right words to explain how I feel about how it all ended. It was not what I thought it would be. It broke my heart, as I came to the same realizations Cass did... And then as the events unfolded, I felt a knot form in my stomach that still hasn't eased. It made sense. It was honest. It ends with loss and with hope. It's an amazing series that needs to be read in its entirety. It's heavy reading, but the journey is worth it. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley/ Harlequin

Click to purchase: Amazon

Horizon 

by Sophie Littlefield

Release Date: January 24, 2012

Publisher: Luna Books

Review: Cameo and the Vampire

Reviewed by Jen
 

Let me start by reminding you that you can't judge a book by its cover. I will be the first to admit that this cover would be a total turn-off if I hadn't already read the first two books in this series. But since I was already a fan of Cameo, there was no way I was going to miss the chance to see how her story ends.

This book picks up right where the last one left off. Cameo has barely escaped with her life after being bitten by Edel, then witnessing his murder. She makes her way back to Opal, with Jules --the former assassin and newly turned zombie-- trailing along. Once reunited, Cameo and Opal decide to seek out Kyrian to help heal Opal's injuries.

Kyrian, meanwhile, has met with other acolytes who have called to him for help. They are planning to take down Haffef, who by the way, is focused solely on bringing Cameo's sister back to life. There are a lot of twists and turns that carry us to the inevitable showdown between Cameo and her maker. And that's kind of a double edged sword. One of the things I like best about this series is that it's so different from the other books out there. The characters can't be compared to your standard supernaturals. The setting is unusual and the plotline, unpredictable.

But. There are what felt like a lot of red herrings in this installment. Or maybe they are dangling plotlines... which is bothersome for the conclusion of a series. For instance, there's a surprise baby thrown in and it seems like that might go somewhere and then --it doesn't. Hints of a possible love triangle linger, then crash and burn. And perhaps most disturbing of all is the fate of Cameo's sister. What did she become? Where did she go? She was pretty much the impetus for everything that happened. Then the thread was just dropped.

Obviously, these things bothered me, but I still enjoyed the story. Opal is still a complete enigma to me, even after three books. Cameo is fascinating in her tortured and macabre way. And the series just reeled me in and didn't let go. There was a pretty concrete ending, but it was kind of surprising and left me wondering where things would go from here for our characters. I guess the author believes in leaving them wanting more. Because if she wrote another book, I'd read it. Almost 4 stars.

P.S. If you've never read this series, this book is not the place to start. Give Cameo the Assassin a try. It's usually $.99 on the Kindle.

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Cameo and the Vampire

by Dawn McCullough-White

Release Date: October 24, 2011

Publisher: Claypipe Press

Review: Studenstein

Reviewed by Jen
 

**WARNING: This review is intended for readers 18 and older. It contains coarse language and adult themes. If you think you may be offended, you might want to skip this one. **

After spending 15 minutes trying to find a tactful way to say this, I have given up. So I'm just going to come out with it: Reading about a woman screwing a guy in the ass with a strap-on dildo is not generally my cuppa tea. That being said, if it doesn't bother you --or if it kind of floats your boat-- "Studenstein" is actually a pretty entertaining novella.

Our heroine, Shani, is a reanimated corpse who was brought back to life to be a sex-slave.  She now works with others of her kind to free those still enslaved by the corporations who created them and programmed them for pleasure.  As the story begins, she is on a mission to rescue Royce, a sex-bot who doesn't even realize he needs saving.  Once she spirits him away, she discovers that he experiences serious pain if he can't have an orgasm every so often.  Unfortunately, he can't feel his dick, so that really limits his options.

Shani is very wary of sex.  In fact, she hasn't touched a man since she gained her freedom.  But she is willing to strap on the, er, strap-on... to give Royce the release he needs.  Frequently.  The end goal is to get him to her people, who can remove the devices that allowed his creators to control him.

The novella has pretty solid world building, especially considering its length.  Like I said, the female topping didn't really push my hot buttons. But I did like the dynamic between Shani and Royce.  Shani is empathetic without being maudlin.  And despite some of the darker themes, there are definite moments of levity.  This was my favorite:

"She felt like a princess descending her throne. A zombie princess, getting ready to fuck a guy in the ass in the kingdom of a crappy motel room."

That is pretty funny.

It turns out that this is actually the second installment in a series following the undead sex-bots. But this works easily as a stand-alone.  I'm kind of struggling to rate this one, but it was certainly fun to read.   4 stars.

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Studenstein

by Daisy Harris

Release Date: September 16, 2011

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Review: Survivors

This novella gives us a glimpse of life in the Box between the events of Aftertime and Rebirth.  It's very short... less than 30 pages, but it manages to maintain the feel of the full length books.

The story begins with the arrival of a young boy and his grandmother to the Box.  The old woman is dying and the boy, Feo, has no one.  Cass and Smoke open their tent to him for the night, while Dor decides whether the child can stay.  At first Cass fantasizes a little that Feo will join her family with Smoke and little Ruthie.  But the boy latches on to one of the guards, making her realize that he needs things she can't give him.

There's not a lot to this, and you don't need to read it for Rebirth to make sense.  Feo is present in that book, but the events of his arrival are given in clear enough language that you won't miss anything. Still, I'm such a fan of this series, I wouldn't skip any tidbit that Littlefield offers. 4 stars.

Survivors 

by Sophie Littlefield

Release Date: July 1, 2011

Publisher: Luna Books

Review: Rebirth

It's an exceptional author who can move you with the beauty of the emotions they evoke. It's more obvious when it's joy, hope or love that you're talking about. But just as beautiful, in their own way, are the wrenching feelings Sophie Littlefield elicits in her dystopian Aftertime trilogy. In this second installment, we see grief, despair, and hopelessness. It's heartbreaking, but you can't look away. You don't want to look away. You keep reading, refusing to relinquish the hope that after the darkness will come the dawn; after the misery, we'll be rewarded with some kind of triumph.

Cass has created a makeshift home and family in the trading center known as the Box.  She has reunited with her daughter Ruthie and she has allowed herself to fall in love with Smoke. But the fragile happiness she has found is short-lived. When Smoke gets word that the Rebuilders have killed many of the refugees in the place where he once lived, he goes on a vengeance mission; one likely to lead to his death. And he doesn't even say goodbye. Cass decides to leave the Box with its founder, Dor, as he goes in search of his daughter Sammi, who was taken by the raiding Rebuilders.

Cass is devastated by Smoke's abandonment. She blames herself for allowing him access to her heart. She acts out, trying to harden herself. She makes reckless choices that you can see like a train wreck a mile away. And maybe that will alienate some readers. To me, it just made me see her as more broken. She is trying to rebuild the wall around herself that Smoke had penetrated, and somehow manages to drag Dor into her warped decisions in the process. The book follows Cass, Dor and Ruthie as they infiltrate the Rebuilder camp and learn more about the group's nefarious plans.

I suppose from this review, you'd never know this book is about a post-apocalyptic world, overrun by zombies. That's because, to me, that's just a backdrop to watch the lives of these characters unfold. To watch Cass break and rebuild. To watch Ruthie heal and grow. To watch Dor unwittingly shed his cloak of solitude and allow Cass in. And, of course, to see the human condition when people are stripped of the trappings of modern life... from the screwed-up ideals of the Rebuilders to the bandits who accost unwary travelers... to the heartbroken mother who refuses to accept the fact that her son is dying. It's absolutely mesmerizing. And hauntingly beautiful. Even more powerful than its predecessor. 5 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon or The Book Depository

Rebirth

by Sophie Littlefield

Release Date: July 19, 2011

Publisher: Luna Books

Review: Cameo and the Highwayman

Reviewed by Jen
 

Cameo and the Highwayman picks up immediately following the events of Cameo the Assassin. And I wish I could say that things are looking up for our heroine, but the hits just keep on coming.  Cameo is on a mission to recapture her sister’s remains for her vampire master Haffef.  Opal and Kyrian are at her side.  But just one day after they arrive on the distant shores near the royal palace, Cameo encounters Edel, a vampire who also calls Haffef his master.

Edel thinks that he has escaped Haffef and forces Cameo to stay with him, as a companion.  To pacify her, he allows her a night with Opal.  Finally, the two of them have a chance to admit their growing feelings for one another and act on them. But their happiness is short-lived, as events rip Opal away from Cameo and she is prevented from coming to his aid.

This book seemed shorter than the one before it, more like a novella than a full-blown novel. And I was disappointed. Because I wanted more.  The tension, the action, the emotion… all kept building and building until it all exploded at the book’s conclusion.  I was surprised at the way things ended and frankly kind of pissed off that I couldn’t find out what happens next.  That’s right. We’ve got a cliffhanger here and it’s a doozy.  This sequel better than the original and you can be sure I intend to read Cameo and the Vampire when it comes out in the fall.  4 1/2 stars.

Cameo and the Highwayman

by Dawn McCullough-White

Release Date: January 11, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review: Cameo the Assassin

Reviewed by Jen
 

Cameo the Assassin is set in a past/alternative world that is both dark and bleak.   As the story begins, Cameo is clinging to life, after a brutal rape and attack.  But a vampire steps in and keeps her from succumbing. She survives, in a manner of speaking. She becomes the vampire’s thrall, half-living, half-undead.

Years later, she has become an assassin. In the course of a hit, her path crosses with two highwaymen who rob her carriage. She lets them escape, but tracks one down later to get her things back.   It’s those same highwaymen who become her next targets for assassination. She would have carried out that mission as well, if her boss hadn’t sent Gail with her as a partner.  She was a victim of Gail, herself, once. And the urge to kill him finally gets the better of her.  Now she is thrown together with Opal and Bel as they try to survive the next wave of assassins.

Opal confused me a little as a character. He is flamboyant and over the top. He wears lots of make-up and Cameo asks more than once if he and Bel are involved. Yet, he is also painted as a rake who charms the pants off of women and develops a thing for Cameo, himself.  I’m not entirely sure what to make of him, even now.  But I do know, that I found myself rooting for him and Cameo to reach out to each other throughout the course of the book.  So maybe all the make-up and purple brocade were just lagniappe.  Who knows?

Joining our strange trio is a teenage acolyte named Kyrian.  Cameo becomes his protector after his grandfather shows her a kindness.  There’s mystery surrounding the boy, not the least of which is why Cameo’s master can barely stand his presence.  And speaking of Cameo’s master… he is hardly a benevolent sire.  I’d kind of like to kill him myself.  Despite the fact that he saved Cameo from death, all those years ago, he doesn’t seem much better than the men who nearly killed her in the first place.

Overall, I did like the book. It features vampires and ghouls, but it didn’t feel like standard horror or Urban Fantasy fare.  Cameo isn’t your standard heroine, either.  Most supernatural heroines these days are snarky/sexy/tough/witty women who kick ass on the side of right. Cameo is haunted and broken and surprisingly sympathetic.  I get the impression that she kills because she doesn’t consider herself worthy of doing anything better.  The ragtag group that comes together in the book are likely the only friends she has ever had.  Which makes me ache for her to have just a little bit of happiness with them.

The ending of the book does wrap things up for the most part, but leaves several loose ends for the next installment, Cameo and the Highwayman.  4 stars.

*This book was provided by the author for review.

Click to purchase: Amazon

Cameo the Assassin

by Dawn McCullough-White

Release Date: July 16, 2009

Publisher: iUniverse

Review: Aftertime

Sophie Littlefield gives the Apocalypse a new twist with the world she has created in Aftertime.  The big event didn't come with bombs or nuclear weapons. A biological agent destroyed most of the food supply on Earth, creating wide-spread famine.  In a last-ditch effort to feed the people, the government dispersed seeds for a special plant that would serve everyone's nutritional needs.   Seeds for a second plant got mixed in... but it was flawed and turned anyone who ate it into zombies, called Beaters. As with traditional zombie mythology, they hunger for human flesh --and as they feed, they turn their victims into zombies too.

Cass was attacked, but unlike anyone else, she recovered.  When she came to her senses, she was miles away from the camp where she was living --and she was separated from her young daughter. The book follows her quest to reunite with little Ruthie.  On her way, she meets up with Smoke, who becomes a love interest of sorts.  There are two main roadblocks to a relationship. One, Cass's fear that her saliva will infect him. And two, her warped past of promiscuity and addiction.

Littlefield's world is stark and bleak.  It shows us a myriad of ways people could react to a cataclysmic event and few of them are pretty.  And if that doesn't give you the heavy feel of a boulder on your chest, getting inside Cass's head will certainly do it.  She is a woman filled equally with purpose and self-loathing.  It takes a long time to get to the bottom of the self-destructive nature of her old life, but when we get the answers, they are exactly what you'd expect.  What you might NOT expect, is her refusal to give up on Ruthie. And let me tell you, it's a long and winding road to find her.

The story builds and builds to a huge crescendo, to end rather abruptly.  But I can forgive that, knowing the sequel, Rebirth, is coming this summer. I can only hope it will feature Cass & Smoke.  (His was a great character, and we barely scratched the surface.)

This was a really good book, which was constantly posing new questions as it answered old ones.  And it's a great study of humanity's greatest strengths and weaknesses all at once. 4 1/2 stars.

*ARC provided by NetGalley

Click to purchase: Amazon or The Book Depository

Aftertime

by Sophie Littlefield

Release Date: February 15, 2011

Publisher: Luna

Series Reading Order: Aftertime

This is the reading order for the Aftertime series by Sophie Littlefield:

• Aftertime
• *Survivors 
• Rebirth
• Horizon

*Denotes short story/novella

Review: Night Betrayed

Reviewed by Jen
 

Imagine living 78 years; surviving a near apocalypse; seeing your world fall prey to zombies; watching your twin age… all while remaining an attractive version of your 30 year-old self.  That’s what happened to Theo. He’s a computer genius, one of the leaders of the Resistance against those responsible for ravaging Earth. And while surrounded by friends, he’s still alone, isolated by what makes him different.

But things change when he meets Selena. She is a strong and special woman, who doesn’t look her 50 years of age. But she is very aware that she is (or rather, appears to be) much older than Theo.  He is delivered to her, nearly dead from a gunshot wound. But instead of leading him to the other side, as she has done for so many, she manages to bring him back to life.  Selena can see death coming and guide souls to the beyond, but what most people don’t know is that she also feels she needs to save the souls of the zombies now roaming the land… even at great risk to herself.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about an older heroine. Frankly, it’s unusual enough to have a female lead that’s my age, much less one only a few years younger than my mom. But for Theo, it makes sense. He’s 78 for crying out loud.  And Selena is a great fit for him. Their sex scenes are steamy… and we manage to continue with the series arc detailing the planet’s “Change” and the orgins of the zombie gangas.

There are some upsetting parts of the book that I didn’t see coming… (*spoiler*) namely, an unexpected death, which made me cry. And the rape of a female character, which was (thankfully) wasn’t too graphically detailed, but disturbing all the same.

A solid installment, one I enjoyed more than I expected. Check out the earlier books in the Envy Chronicles if you haven’t already.  4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Review: Abandon the Night

Reviewed by Jen
 

The post-apocalyptic drama of the Envy Chronicles continues in this third installment, featuring Quent & Zoe.  Quent is on a mission to find his father, who was one of the men responsible for the near-destruction of the Earth.  Quent and four other men are living 50 years in the future.  They had been trapped in some AZ caves in 2010 when the “Change” happened and spent five decades in stasis. When they emerged from the caves, they had not aged at all, but each of the men had developed a special ability. Quent’s skill is pyschometry,  the ability to be able to see the history of an object by touching it.

Zoe is on a mission of her own: to kill the bounty hunter responsible for the death of her family –and to take down as many zombies as possible while she does it. She’s lived a solitary existence for 10 years, but Quent brings her humanity back to life.  The pair teams up as their goals converge. And while the physical part of their relationship sparked from the beginning, the emotional connection was the payoff in this book. 

While their romance progresses, we learn more about what led to the “Change.” And we get a better look some of the peripheral characters… here’s hoping for an Ian/Remy story in the future.  Overall, I enjoyed this one… maybe not quite as much as Simon’s story, but definitely worth the read. 4 stars.

Review: Embrace the Night Eternal

Reviewed by Jen
 

What a difference one book can make! After lukewarm feelings for Beyond the Night, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book… especially since the lead character, Simon, didn’t really spark much interest for me. But I’m really glad I did. Unlike the first installment in the Envy Chronicles, I felt real emotion for the characters –a connection I just didn’t have the first time around.

The concept for the series: the world is 50 years past a near-apocalypse. Many of the survivors are living in what was once Las Vegas, NV, which is now called N-V or Envy.  Creeping around at night are killer zombies called gangas… and pulling their strings are the nefarious Strangers, people who were once human, now made immortal by implanting special crystals in their bodies.  It is likely they were behind the “Change” that sent the Earth into near ruin.  Five men from 2010 now find themselves in this new world. They had gone exploring in an AZ cave and went into a kind of stasis for 50 years, awaking only 6 months before the events of the story. They had not aged, but instead came out stronger, each with a unique ability.

Simon was a crime lord’s bodyguard in his old life.  But he sees the Change as a chance to become a new man.  He is attracted to Sage, a quiet computer whiz and member of the Resistance, trying to bring down the Strangers. But he thinks she is in a relationship with another man, so he refuses to pursue his feelings. Sage is something of an outcast in Envy, because she comes from a settlement that’s like a breeding camp. She and Simon end up teaming up to infiltrate her old town to learn more about one of the leaders of the Strangers. While they’re there, it gets harder and harder to fight their growing attraction.

I really liked Simon. He’s one of those men with a dark past and hopelessness about the future –but deep down he is a really good guy, worthy of love.  I loved watching him fall in love with Sage and each time they get closer to acting on their feelings, the story gets hotter and hotter.  This was a huge improvement over the last book and I’m sorry to see it end.  Here’s hoping the next book will be as good! 4 1/2 stars.

Review: Beyond the Night

Reviewed by Jen
 

It’s 50 years in the future. And Earth has undergone a near-apocalypse.  Humanity’s numbers have dwindled –and there are killer zombies. OK, maybe not exactly zombies, but close enough; they’re called gangas.  And there are also sort-of immortal people called Strangers.  Thrust into this strange new world are five men from the past.  They were exploring an Arizona cave when the “Change” happened. And they went into some kind of stasis for five decades, waking only about 6 months before our story begins.  Now, they’re trying to find some kind of civilization and answers about what happened to the world.

One of the five men is Elliot. He is a doctor. And ever since the cave-thing, now he has some medical superpowers, where he can scan people like an MRI or something and heal them with his touch. Only problem is that he takes the illness onto himself or passes it on to the next person he touches.  Anyway, on their travels, the men run into a group of teens at the mercy of some gangas and they attempt to rescue them. But a mysterious woman also comes to their aid.  That woman is Jade. She has a tortured history that includes years of imprisonment and brutality at the hands of the Strangers.  Now she is part of the Resistance, fighting the mysterious immortals, that may or may not be to blame for Earth’s near destruction.

Of course, Elliot and Jade are our star-crossed lovers. It takes awhile for them to get over their skittishness and seal the deal.  Their romance was ok. I’m not sure why, but it didn’t hit the mark entirely for me.  Frankly, I was more interested in what was happening with side-character Quent and a mysterious archer woman.  I’m sure they’ll get their own book down the line.

The premise of the story is interesting and unique.  But I felt like we spent a lot of time with pop culture references back to “our time” and angst from our cave-guys that didn’t completely resonate for me.  I liked it enough that I’ll check out the next installment.  Maybe once we’re past the set-up,  I’ll be able to make a deeper connection to the characters. 3 1/2 stars.