Author: megs14malloy

Review: How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold

~ megs14malloy

How to Survive a Horror StoryHow to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How to Survive a Horror Story features a classic Locked-Room set-up, but does actually still manage to bring something new to the trope-filled table.

After the death of legendary Horror author, Mortimer Queen, seven writers are invited to his mysterious manor home for the reading of his last will and testament. It’s believed that each one of them may be bequeathed a part of his estate.

Our characters are Melanie, Crystal, Winnie, Felix (Winnie’s uninvited +1), Scott, Petey, Buck and Chester. In addition, we also have Gia, working on behalf of Mr. Queen’s estate.

This story bounces between the perspectives and follows them over the course of their wild time within the manor.

Kicking off with a very classic Clue-like set-up, our characters individually make their way to the manor full of questions. Each wonders why exactly they’ve been included, and what they can possibly get out of it.

After everyone is settled, they’re told they need to attend dinner together and that’s when the rules of their stay are explained, and yes, it involves a dangerous game.

From here it proceeds into uncharted territory. The way the story was structured, the game itself and all that happened was fairly original. I wasn’t expecting the direction it went in, particularly in regards to the manor house itself.

And while I appreciate the author taking it in a new direction, it also felt like it was trying to do too much. For me, I wanted it to pick a lane. Was it going to be a gruesome, supernatural infused game for survival, or was it going to be a slow burn character driven literary horror story?

Nevertheless, I always love when an author takes risks and reaches to bring something new to their Readers. While the execution of this one wasn’t a perfect fit for me, that doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.

If you love this kind of classic set-up, but want something a little different, I highly recommend you check this one out. You could find a new favorite.

It also features a book-within-a-book aspect, so if that’s something you love, again, give it a shot. For me, it won’t go down in history as a new favorite, but I am definitely planning to pick up future releases from Mallory Arnold.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to see what other Readers think of this one. Maybe they’ll change my mind on it…

View all my reviews

Review: Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile #2) by Isabel Ibañez

~ megs14malloy

Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile, #2)Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Where the Library Hides is the 2nd-book in the Secrets of the Nile series by Isabel Ibañez. I really enjoyed the 1st-book, What the River Knows, when I read it a couple of years ago and had been looking forward to returning to these characters.

If you aren’t aware, these books follow Inez Olivera, who travels from her native-Argentina to Egypt, in the 1st-book, to try to decipher what happened to her parents, who had both disappeared while exploring there.

After all the events of the 1st-book, this sequel picks up with Inez trying to sort out her life, which has been turned upside-down by her Egyptian excursion.

This follows her relationship with her beau, as it grows, changes and goes through various iterations. Sadly, the drama and upheaval isn’t quite over for Inez yet.

This was an entertaining story. I’m glad I continued on with Inez’s story, even though I didn’t find this quite as captivating as I did What the River Knows. I feel like there was something a bit more magical and unknown about that 1st-story, that kept me slightly more engaged.

Additionally, I didn’t feel the Egyptian setting was as much a focus in this one, and I loved that aspect of the 1st-book, so missed that feel. This is full of action and drama though, so I was still pretty invested, it just felt different in tone.

Nevertheless, I’m glad I made time for it, and highly recommend the audiobook for the fabulous dual narration. It did succeed in bringing these characters to life.

Inez is a sympathetic character, and you can’t help but feel for her and all she goes through over the course of these 2-books. All she wants is a family to be a part of, and to be loved, and her bio-family, spoiler alert, is absolute trash.

I did enjoy going on this journey with her, and although this mentions this is the conclusion, I could totally see there being a 3rd-book. I still feel like we have more to mature through with Inez.

I would actually really love to see her story continue. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the 1st-book, I would just caution that it does feel a little different. Nevertheless, it’s still a fun adventure and absolutely worth picking up.

View all my reviews

Review: At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce

~ megs14malloy

At the Bottom of the Garden: A NovelAt the Bottom of the Garden: A Novel by Camilla Bruce
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

At the Bottom of the Garden is a slower, character-driven Gothic Horror (Lite) story, following two sisters, Violet and Lily, as well as their murderous Aunt Clara.

Violet and Lily become orphans after their parents are lost while on a hiking adventure on K2. According to their parent’s Will, the girl are to go live with their closest living relative, which unfortunately, happens to be Aunt Clara.

Clara has no interest in children, but Violet and Lily are sure to come with some nice assets, so she’s willing to take them in. For the moment.

Clara will just ignore them until she can get her hands on as much as their inherited fortune as she can. At least that’s the plan, but when Violet starts seeing the angry dead man pacing in the garden, a giant kink gets thrown in the works.

Not only can Violet see all of Clara’s ghosts, she can bring them back, and they’re not happy.

I liked this, particularly the beginning portions. It was interesting learning about all the main characters. I liked how it had an air of dark humor about it as well, particularly with Clara’s perspective. She says it as it is, and doesn’t bother with the audience’s potentially delicate sensibilities.

I also felt both Violet and Lily were well developed. Each of the girls has their own unique abilities that added so much to this story.

The incorporation of the spirits was also very well done. I loved the idea of them remaining to haunt Clara, but needed a bit of assistance from Violet first. For some reason, that just made sense.

I think this will work well for Readers who may want spooky vibes and gothic atmosphere, without leaning too heavily into the Horror genre. Because while there are supernatural elements to this story, it never veers into super dark, or scary, territory.

The overall vibe actually reminded me a lot of A Series of Unfortunate Events series, with Aunt Clara filling in for Count Olaf. So, think a more adult-centered version of that.

I can totally get down with those vibes, but for me, I felt like it went on a little too long. By the end, I did feel it started to drag a bit. I was ready for it to be over.

With this being said, the concepts and character development were well executed and I’m glad I picked this one up. The audiobook was well narrated and I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author.

Buzzwords: Gothic. Atmospheric. Slow Burn. Ghosties. Hauntings. Dark Humor. Sister Story.

View all my reviews

Review: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

~ megs14malloy

The GhostwriterThe Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Ghostwriter is such a beautifully-tragic Thriller. I loved the way Clark constructed this story. The way the truth was revealed, the stellar character work, and the emotions she was able to elicit in me upon completion; wow.

I quickly became invested in this one and loved how it kept me guessing the entire way through. Even when I thought I had the answer, I was never 100%, and I got so much wrong.

The Ghostwriter is told in two timelines. Presently, our MC, Olivia Dumont, is returning to her hometown to help her estranged father write his memoir.

Olivia makes her living as a ghostwriter, and it seems she is perfect for the project. Her father is an iconic Horror writer, infamous for the family tragedy that took the lives of his two siblings when he was just a teen.

Olivia has always hidden the fact that THE Vincent Taylor is her Dad. It’s complicated.

The past timeline is set in 1975, the year Vincent’s siblings, Poppy and Danny, were brutally murdered in their home. As the case went cold, many suspected that Vincent had something to do with the crime.

Decades later, Vincent has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disorder that disrupts his behavior and memories. It’s at this point, he decides he needs to tell his side of the story, before he no longer can.

We’re told this story through this beautiful blend of these different points in time; through Vincent telling his version of events, and Olivia putting her Journalism education to the test, digging into the events of the past via outside sources.

This book has a lot of my favorite things in it, so that was working in its favor right off the bat. I love characters returning to their hometown after a long period away, looking into some sort of mystery of their past. Additionally, I love journalism as an occupation for main characters.

They frequently make the most fun investigators to follow.

I was so invested in both timelines and loved trying to figure out the truth of what happened to the Taylor siblings. It was completely gripping and entertaining.

I would absolutely recommend this to any Thriller Reader, particularly if you enjoy those of the darker, or more violent variety. Also, check it out if you enjoy dark family secrets and past-present timelines.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This was my first time reading from Julie Clark, and I cannot wait for more!

View all my reviews

Review: Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith

~ megs14malloy

Smile for the CamerasSmile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Smile for the Cameras is a fast-paced and entertaining Slasher ((Lite)). IMO, Smith brought the right amount of Camp to it to get me in the mood for Summer Screams season.

This book is told in three ways: a present perspective, a past perspective and through the screen play of a decades old cult-classic Slasher Film, Grad Night.

Our protagonist is Ella Winters, who was a young, inexperienced actress, just trying to make her way in the industry, when she got tapped to play the Final Girl role in Grad Night. It certainly changed her life.

20-years later, Ella’s star has burned out. She retreated from the spotlight after filming, as she had great difficulty putting behind her some traumatic events that happened during the shooting of that iconic film.

She used the excuse of her ailing mother as her reason to retreat from the Hollywood life, but now that her mother has passed, Ella is thinking of making a comeback.

When her agent offers her the opportunity to participate in a Grad Night reunion documentary, she’s quite hesitant at first, but as her agent points out, it could be the perfect way for her to reemerge onto the scene.

Ella eventually agrees, and makes her way to the original filming location, a cabin in the woods in rural Tennessee, for the reunion weekend.

When the people on site begin being murdered in gruesome ways similar to the film, and the original cast suddenly finds themselves stalked by the Grad Night killer, it becomes clear this reunion was a trap. Perhaps as payback for something they did all those years ago.

Ella would happily give up Hollywood forever if she could just make it through the weekend. Who will survive?

This was fun. I enjoyed how the original script of the film, and the past perspective, which followed Ella during that original filming, boosted up the action in the present.

For me, all three of the aspects played off each other very well and contributed to a well-rounded Slasher story. I felt Smith did a great job keeping it all distinct and easy for the Reader to engage with.

It is quite dramatic, the characters each seeming to add fuel to the fire in their own ways. I felt for Ella the whole way through. She was quite young during the filming of Grad Night, and was definitely influenced by her fellow cast members. She was a bit deer in the headlights.

The ending was somewhat meh for me, but I never guessed it, so good on Smith for keeping me on my toes. My head was spinning as I tried to figure out who was killing everyone. That was hidden quite well, I thought.

Overall, this an entertaining Horror story, with a classic Slasher vibe. It’s a great read for Summer and if you love Horror that brings Camp, you’ll def find that here.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This gave me exactly what I was looking for!

View all my reviews

Review: Deadstream by Mar Romasco-Moore

~ megs14malloy

DeadstreamDeadstream by Mar Romasco-Moore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Deadstream is a new YA Horror release told mainly through mixed media format, but also through the perspective of a teenage recluse, Teresa.

Teresa had a bit of a complex backstory, as she’d recently survived a car accident that took the life of her best friend. Because of that, she was battling a lot of guilt and fear, as she struggled to move past the traumatic event.

Teresa has been unable to leave her home since. As a matter of fact, she never really leaves the safety of her bedroom, interacting with the world mostly through various streaming channels, including her own.

She’s been able to find distraction and comfort within the online community. That safety is threatened though, when one night while watching one of her favorite streamers, a shadowy figure appears in the background.

Though everyone in his chat is warning him of the danger, he doesn’t seem to see it, or sense it, except through his video feed. After the strange interaction with the shadow entity, his behavior rapidly changes, until he finally dies a few days later in front of thousands of viewers.

The community is in an uproar, confused, but also weirdly excited. Is this real, or was it some sort of a stunt?

Teresa knows in her heart it was real, and quickly finds herself immersed in a life-or-death investigation. Whatever that entity was, it’s spreading, infecting other people’s streams and compelling them to open the door.

Deadstream was an entertaining story. I listened to it on audio and I’m really glad that I did. I feel like the content and the heavy use of mixed media, focusing a lot of the various stream chats, played quite well to that format.

I’m actually not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much if I would have just read a hard copy. Nevertheless, I thought the premise and the set-up were both very well done.

At times, it started to lose me towards the end, but for the most part, I was fully engaged with it. I listened to the entire thing this afternoon while doing housework, and it definitely made all those tasks more bearable.

I would agree with the publisher’s synposis that it is a mix of Rear Window and The Ring. I do feel like that’s a great way to think of this one if you’re picking it up.

It is super-modern as well, and I think it will really appeal to the age range for which it is intended. For me, as a more advanced Horror Reader, I can’t say that it will be particularly memorable, but I do believe the author achieved what they set out to do, and I’m glad I read it.

I would also love to read more from this author. As mentioned above, I enjoyed the MC, Teresa, a lot. I feel like a lot of thought went into making her believable.

I’m looking forward to see what creative concepts Mar Romasco-Moore brings in their next release!

View all my reviews

Review: The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb

~ megs14malloy

The Hollywood AssistantThe Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a tough break-up, Cassidy Foster, ends up accepting a new job halfway across the country, via her well-connected best friend, Lexie.

Cassidy moves from her native-Texas to California to take a position as a personal assistant for a wannabe actress, Marisol, and her director husband, Nate Sterling. The glitzy couple welcomes Cassidy into their home with open arms, and she’s quickly taken up into their tumultuous lives.

It’s an amazing gig. Cassidy just needs to help them with various tasks a few hours a day and she’s going to be pulling in more money than at her last thankless job.

The more she gets to know the couple though, the more cracks she begins to see. Perhaps they aren’t so perfect after all, and even though it’s Marisol she’s really meant to be assisting, it’s Nate she’s finding herself most drawn to.

He begins asking her to read scripts for him, and seems quite pleased with her work. Then he starts asking for other things, and their relationship develops.

It’s clear to her now that they aren’t the perfect couple. When one of them ends up dead however, Cassidy becomes the authorities perfect suspect.

How is she going to convince them of her innocence when all signs are pointing to her? Granted, she hasn’t made the best choices in this whole thing, but she isn’t guilty, right?

Maybe Cassidy is not as a reliable of a narrator as you’ve been led to believe…

I’m a May Cobb stan, an enthusiast, if you will. I always look forward to her new books and offer forth no apologies for that. This was such a fun Summer Thriller, IMO. It gave me Summer vibes the whole way through, even though I have no clue in what time period it was actually set.

The L.A. setting, the glamorous food, drink and wardrobes, as well as the ritzy Hollywood couple with poolside hijinks, makes this absolutely scream Summer.

It’s full of obsession, deception, lies and OTT-drama, and I was here for every single freaking second of it. I will pick up anything Cobb writes, because we like what we like.

I love how risque this was. Cassidy’s position within this new job quickly becomes uncomfortable, but in such a fun way. Nate and Marisol were so hard to figure out. I wasn’t sure what was truth and what was lies.

I felt like she was being manipulated, but it was difficult to tell by who. That def kept me invested. Both Nate and Marisol seemed so sincere in their interactions with Cassidy. I thought all of that was very well composed by Cobb.

I know this type of twisted OTT-Domestic Drama isn’t for everyone, especially for Readers anticipating more thrills, but for me, Cobb’s stories always seem to hit.

I don’t watch any Reality TV, but I have a feeling that I’m getting the same dopamine rush that viewers who love those shows are getting when I read one of Cobb’s books. They’re just pure entertainment, and so far from my own life it’s not even funny, but it is.

As far as the ending, I saw what was happening way before our MC, but I felt like that made sense. Also, it added to the intensity. I was like yelling at my audiobook like you would during a great Slasher Movie, ‘look behind youuuu…’

Overall, I had a blast reading this. I was fully invested throughout and loved the various twists and scandalous drama along the way.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to WHATEVER high octane drama Cobb comes up with next!!

View all my reviews

Review: Night Shift by Stephen King

~ megs14malloy

Night ShiftNight Shift by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Night Shift was Stephen King’s 1st-published short story collection. It was originally published in 1978. Most of the stories had been previously released in various magazines, but a few had never been seen before, including the 1st-story in the collection, Jerusalem’s Lot.

I read this collection as a kid, but I’m not sure how much I really understood of the nuance of it all. Thinking back on it, I really only remembered one story well, The Lawnmower Man, which I think had more to do with the fact that it contained a naked man than anything else.

As a kid, that seems to be memorable content. Reading it now, 30+years later, it’s one of the least impactful stories of the bunch, but still memorable.

Let’s get into the stories, shall we? While reading, I made brief comments after each one. I don’t feel any contain spoilers, but will more give you a general idea about what sorts of topics you’ll find explored within this collection.

#1: Jerusalem’s Lot — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love that King chose to make this story epistolary. It feels a perfect nod to Dracula. I also love the historical vibes and history of the place. Certain scenes gave me chills. I would love to see him dive deeper into exploring this time period in the Lot.

#2: Graveyard Shift — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 King brought out the rats early and often. They remaining a staple in his work. This has such a good ending. Terrifying 🐀

#3: Night Surf — ((unrated)) Very short, Maine Coast, The Stand connection. Brutal start, pensive ending. Didn’t leave much of an impact.

#4: I Am the Doorway — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Holy shit, I loved this. I need a full length novel for this idea. It gave clarification to the cover of my favorite edition Signet paperback, as well. Light Duma Key vibes, I believe because of the location.

#5: The Mangler — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved it!!! It’s the perfect example of how in the right hands, anything, person, place or thing, can be made terrifying, horrifying and ghastly. 😳😲🙌

#6: The Boogeyman — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unsettling! Fun ending! Left off with a chill – loved it!

#7: Grey Matter — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ OMG! I loved that! That’s good ole’ fashioned Horror right there!! 😲

#8: Battleground — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a fun one. It’s straight out of a child’s worst imaginings. Bro needs to pick better weapons though, for real. 😝🤣

#9: Trucks — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ As the daughter of a truck driver, I can recognize how horrifying this story is. Having one of these beasts parked in your driveway, is admittedly a little intimidating if you let your imagination run wild!

#10: Sometimes They Come Back — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was an absolute nightmare of a story. I’d say it’s not over for Jim either, but just the beginning…

#11: Strawberry Spring — ((unrated) Hahaha, fantastic conclusion 👏 wow! Got me in the end!!

#12: The Ledge — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ As someone with a fear of heights, this definitely got my pulse racing!! I can’t even imagine being the protagonist in this story. No way!!

#13: The Lawnmower Man — ((unrated)) The one I have been waiting for… This is the only story I remember from when I read this collection as a kid. Reading it now, I’m not quite sure why it had such an impact? It’s the shortest of the stories so far. Maybe the indecent exposure? LOL

#14: Quitter’s, Inc. — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ahh, this was so good. I could picture being in this guy’s shoes, how terrifying that would be, to live in fear like that. He def handed over the power in his life to a new entity. And that ending!? That was so fun 😁

#15: I Know What You Need — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 I loved this. It’s so eerie, so creepy and it completely immersed me in Elizabeth’s story. Also, it has a touch of early ‘Good For Her’ Horror, which I love!

#16: Children of the Corn — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This could explain my almost life-long fear of cornfields and men named Malachi.

#17: The Last Rung on the Ladder — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So that’s what it feels like to have your heartbroken in under 30-pages. 😢

#18: The Man Who Loved Flowers — ((unrated)) There’s no beating around the bush with this story. It strikes quickly, and hard! This one probably petrified me as a kid…

#19: One For the Road – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unsurprisingly, King made the 19th-story connected. IYKYK. It’s a tale of the Lot, and a helluva good one!

#20: The Woman in the Room — ((unrated)) 😢 This one makes me so sad to think about. I get it, I definitely do, but yeah, sort of sucks the wind of of my sails a bit by how sadly realistic it is.

Overall, this is a STUNNING collection. There is so much fantastic Horror and Speculative content in this. An absolute icon, and so ahead of his time. King was breaking ground. No matter what you may think of King’s work, you have to be able to doff your cap to what he did for the genre.

No doubt about it, I’ll definitely be revisiting this collection someday. I highly recommend this to any Horror Reader who enjoys short stories.

What King was able to accomplish with these tales is truly incredible. Proving, fewer pages doesn’t necessarily equate to lesser impact.

View all my reviews

Review: The Chamber by Will Dean

~ megs14malloy

The ChamberThe Chamber by Will Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Chamber follows six deep sea divers as they head out on a new assignment in the North Sea, where they’ll be working for the next month. The world of saturation diving is small, and unsurprisingly, the team has worked together before.

Thus, they’ve built up a certain level of trust and camaraderie amongst them. The dynamics feel like a family. We’re told the story via the perspective of Ellen, a rare woman worker in a mostly male industry.

Everything seems to be going as planned, until one of the team is found dead in his bunk. The remaining crew members are shook. How did he die? What are they supposed to do with his body?

With four days of decompression required before they can open the hatch back to the regular world, they need to watch each other’s back. What if he didn’t die of natural causes? What if one of them did it?

They could be trapped in the smallest, most panic-inducing living quarters, with an actual killer? This isn’t good.

A short-time later, when another diver is discovered unresponsive in much the same way, everyone puts their guard up. It’s becoming increasingly possible that these events aren’t a natural occurrence.

As suspicions run rampant, and tensions rise, everyone wonders, who is going to make it out of this dive alive?

While this sounds like an electrifying set-up, and it did keep me guessing, there was something about it that I didn’t quite vibe with. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think maybe it had to do with the delivery of Ellen’s perspective. I found it a bit choppy and hard to connect with.

I’ve had this book since it’s release, but finally decided to make time for it after recently watching the Netflix documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster. I’ve always been interested in these types of deep sea diving careers, and this was definitely a fun read after watching that unsettling doc.

I feel like Dean captured the details of the saturation divers’ challenges and lifestyle, as well as the setting of the hyperbaric chamber, really well. In fact, those details on the profession itself, and the environment the divers were in, was my favorite aspects of this book.

It’s also a very quick read. I listened to the entire audiobook on a Saturday while doing my housework. I was entertained, but I didn’t find it truly gripping.

I wasn’t at the edge of my seat, but honestly, that’s okay. Not every book is going to blow your hair back. This is still a fun Locked Room Mystery, with a unique concept. I just wish I could have connected a little more with the writing style, and the way Ellen’s perspective was delivered.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend this if you enjoy Locked Room Mysteries, and very much so if you are interested in deep sea diving, and the aspects of a career in that field. I feel that was a success here.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoy Will Dean’s creativity and willingness to take some risks with his stories. I’m looking forward to more!

View all my reviews

Review: War (The Four Horseman #2) by Laura Thalassa

~ megs14malloy

War (The Four Horsemen, #2)War by Laura Thalassa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

War is the 2nd-installment to Laura Thalassa’s Romantasy series, The Four Horsemen. I read the 1st-book, Pestilence, in late-2024 and I didn’t hate it.

This is not a genre I have a lot of experience in, so perhaps it requires a bit more explanation as to why I would randomly be picking up this older series now.

Last year after I read Kaylie Smith’s Phantasma, I had a moment where I was considering becoming a Romantasy-Girlie, so of course, I bought a bunch of books I knew nothing about to fit that new personality.

During that frenzy of fiscal irresponsibility, I bought this entire series for no reason. After reading Pestilence though, I knew I wanted to continue. Good news!

It was interesting, and though often repetitive, it did keep me engaged. I liked that the story was set in an apocalyptic world and how Pestilence wasn’t really a human being. LOL — that seems so strange to say.

War is set after the events in Pestilence, and has no real connection to that story other than the fact that War is Pestilence’s ‘brother’, and Pestilence is briefly referred to a couple of times.

I ended up enjoying this one quite a bit more than that 1st-book. I don’t know why exactly I enjoyed this so much, I don’t know what that says about me, but I did and I’m not gonna lie about it.

Maybe it’s because it sort of reads like a piece of Khal Drogo fanfic, and I would never, ever turn that down.

We each like what we like. The end. I’m accepting no further questions on that at this time.

I also enjoyed the setting of this one a lot. It was set in the Middle East and Northern Africa, whereas Pestilence was set in North America. I thought it made sense for the author to jump locations, since this is a world-wide event, so it would make sense to give stories from around the world.

I’m not commenting on Thalassa’s representations of those places, just the idea of making it a globe-spanning series. I’m interested to see where the next 2-books are set.

There is a lot more action in this one, with hard-fought battle scenes, hand-to-hand combat moments and intense interactions. I loved both of the MCs, Miriam and War, and enjoyed watching their relationship develop.

War was much more appealing to me than Pestilence, so that definitely boosted my enjoyment level as well. Pestilence felt a little clueless and bumbling, whereas War gives very confident, powerful, Alpha Male vibes.

There were times I questioned Miriam’s choices, but she was certainly in a tough spot. What would you do to survive the apocalypse, you know?

I also really enjoyed the conclusion. I think the author wrapped it up in a satisfying way. I walk away from this, happy that I made the time for it.

I will be continuing with the series, though I’m not sure how long it will take me to get to the next book. I am very interested to learn more about it though. Wondering what Famine’s personality will be like…

View all my reviews