Zombies

Rot & Ruin, Vol. 1: Warrior Smart by Jonathan Maberry (author) & Tony Vargas (Illustrator)

Graphic Novel /Comic Book – Paperback, 120 pages

Published May 5th 2015 by IDW Publishing (I won a copy through Diamond Distributors)

Brand-new adventures set in the world of Rot & Ruin!

Written by New York Times best-selling author and multiple Bram Stoker award-winner, Jonathan Maberry, this all-new storyline continues events from the award-winning series of novels.

We meet Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong as they travel through the Sierra Nevada mountains just one faltering step ahead of zombie hordes and one giant leap behind the plane flying through the sky that set them on their journey of discovery.

I’ve never read any of the other Rot and Ruin books and to be honest I wouldn’t have read this book hadn’t I won it – but I’m glad I did as I mostly enjoyed it.

The first page sets up the universe, giving us sufficient background on the characters and their world. By the second page you’ve got a feeling for these likable kids and the story can take off at a fast pace, which it does really well. I didn’t feel I was missing anything by not reading the previous books.

We follow Benny Imura, his girlfriend Nix, his best mate Chong and Lilah the girl they found living out in the forest on her own, as they scrounge for supplies and dodge and slash their way through the hordes of zombies while trying to track down where the plane they saw came from.

The story is pretty standard until they stubble access the creepy farmer John and his baby farm. I’m not going to say anymore then “it” made me really psychotic thriller uncomfortable, but “it” made the story – if that makes sense.

I’m not a big Zombie fan. I love me some evil bad guys, demonic cults and mythological beasts – but I’ve never been on the Zombie band wagon.

I would say that over all I enjoyed this compendium more than the first eight Walking Dead’s combined – sorry that’s all I’ve got to compare it to – I made it through the first eight of The Walking Dead books by Robert Kirkman. I decided to give the Walking Dead a try as I really enjoyed what I’d read of Kirkman’s Outsiders (demonic possession) series.

I think zombie loving teens (and any zombie fans in general) would eat up this take on a YA Zombie Apocalypse Graphic Novel – Hey! Zombies just aren’t my thing and I’m still giving it a three stars, so that should say something.

Twitter – https://twitter.com/jonathanmaberry

Website – http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/72451.Jonathan_Maberry

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Paranormal Keepers (Paranormal Keepers #1) by Jen Naumann.

Published March 11 2014 by Phantom Owl Press (Patchwork Press Cooperative).

I received a copy to read and review through Net Galley, so thank you the Author and Publisher for allowing me this opportunity.

Everyone thinks Harper Young killed her boyfriend. No one will say it to her face, but the signs are everywhere.

It’s almost been a year since Gavin was torn from Harper’s arms and brutally murdered. The police wrote it off as a freak accident, deciding Harper’s strange testimony was given under duress. But she knows something unnatural was involved and refuses to stop looking until she finds his killer, even if it means her reputation as a senior is ruined. Even if it means there really are monsters living among us.

With the discovery of the mothmen, witches, vampires and all the creatures she always suspected were out there, Harper finds herself amidst a complex bundle of unseen heroes who call themselves “Keepers”, sworn to keep the secret of the paranormal creatures that walk this earth. As she tries to understand what’s so special about her that she’s able to break an old Keeper law, Harper has a baffling vision of kissing a mysterious guy before a blade is brought down on him. Before she can get a handle on her future, she becomes central to a battle between the questionable “heroes” and the evil she’s been training to fight, leaving her to wonder if there’s any way to change the fate that has been foretold before it’s too late.

I was drawn in from the start. I was drawn to Harper and Gavin even knowing that something bad was going to happen to them.

The drama starts with a Ouija board and sophomore party, that then leads to us witnessing Gavin’s Death, then following Harper’s struggle and search to find the truth. Harper’s search brings her to the attention of the Keepers; they abduct her and take her to Guardare Academy –Guardare Academy is a cross between Hogwarts and St. Vladimir’s Academy– where she goes on to meet Human Keepers, Paranormal Creatures and Human /Creature cross breeds. At Guardare Harper finds herself with many enemies, but she manages to find friendship in a Keeper named Dexter and later on love. After discovering dark secrets about Harper’s heritage, we are left at the end of the book with Dexter and Harper on the run.

This story was quite fast paced and especially action packed for a first book of a series. It laid the grounds for a new series and a new world, without feeling bogged down with information like some firsts can. The story was very easy to read and the writing flowed beautifully. I really enjoyed this book. It can’t really say much more without giving away the twists and turns, so I’ll stop and finish with “Four Stars”.