Zom-B Family by Darren Shan [Review]

NOTE: ZOM-B FAMILY IS THE NINTH BOOK IN THE ZOM-B SERIES BY DARREN SHAN. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. IF YOU DO NOT WANT THIS SERIES SPOILING, OR IF YOU HAVE YET TO REACH BOOK NINE, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STOP READING NOW... I DO NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SPOILING THE STORY FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! THANK YOU.

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Written by: Darren Shan.

Published by: Simon and Schuster.

Format: Hardback.

Published: 27th September 2014.

Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "The ninth terrifying installment from master of horror, Darren Shan. CAN ANYONE HURT YOU AS MUCH AS A LOVED ONE? WHEN DOES THE FIGHT BECOME TOO MUCH TO BEAR? HOW MUCH PAIN CAN ONE PERSON ENDURE? B Smith is discovering the true meaning of family ..."

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I literally do not know where to begin with this one. I truly don't. I even tweeted as much and Darren even quoted that on his Facebook page! I'm not even kidding. I am stumped. I don't really know how to tackle this one! It goes without saying that I cannot simply review this book without talking about things that have happened previously in the series. As it states at the beginning of this post, Zom-B Family is the ninth book in the twelve book saga, so we are now three quarters of the way through and so much has happened that it'll be hard to even begin to express my thoughts...

The book opens with the fallout of the treacherous act at the end of Clans, book eight. Rage has betrayed B and the Angels and has joined Dan Dan and his cronies. But even they are wary of him. He is a zombie after all, one scratch is all it would take to bring down the entire complex that has made itself at home in what used to be Battersea Power Station. B is screwed and she knows it. She is briefly reunited with her father, but even the end of the world cannot change his ways and he is as deep as he can get with the Ku Klux clan who see the zombie apocalypse as a way to clense the world racially and bring about their new world of purity, as they see it. B is disgusted and choses not to side with them, and rightfully so, but this puts her at the mercy of Dan Dan and he finally gets his hands on her, after taunting and threatening to destroy her over the past few books.

Now if you've read a Darren Shan book before, you know it gets a little gory every now and again... Well Family has gone above and beyond the level of gore previously seen in any of Shan's work. It's gory and in sections downright sickening. I could actually feel a lump in my throat as my gorge rose reading some of the scenes. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of reawaking that feeling I had whilst reading, but Dan Dan finally gets to torture B  as he has been planning. But with B being a zombie, she does't feel pain or suffer like a human. To get a reaction, Dan Dan has to do things that a living, breathing human would never be able to withstand even for a short time. It is horrific and described in such detail that I had images burnt into my brain and I just could not get them to go away for a while. Even now nearly a week after finishing the book I am still struggling... I don't have to re-read the passages. I can remember...

But it isn't long before trouble really begins and B is forced to fight, her body riddled with holes, her guts held in only by some bandages and her ears cut off, to save her friend Vinyl. I really liked how this shows that those in power aren't changing at all. They have no regard for the lives of anyone but themselves. 

I also loved seeing Dan Dan finally, FINALLY, getting his comeuppance. I think he's one of the most disgusting, revolting and yet enticing characters Shan has ever made but seeing him go wasn't a sad moment at all. I like it when the bad guys bite the dust and whilst I felt the way Dan Dan demised was a little rushed and unexpected (I REALLY WANTED IT TO BE B!!!) it felt right and satisfying!

And then the clown returns. Mr. Dowling. Although he is perhaps the scariest character I think Shan has ever created, after he first turned up in Underground and City I actually had nightmares, I have really missed him over the last few book. He's always been sort of an omnipresence in the series. Mentioned here and there, spoken about at length by Dr Oystein but only appearing rarely, so getting to see him again was great. I feel he's going to be a lot more prominent from this point on until the end of the series. 

This book is honestly the darkest I think I've ever seen Shan and you know what? I loved it. It is a great addition to the series and the ending sets up the next book, Zom-B Bride, very well. I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next. I want to see where those babies are taking B and I really want to know what the connection is between them. It's creepy and it's something that has been hinted at all the way through the series, and with just three books left, I sense that things are about to start wrapping up and we are finally going to start getting some answers. I hope so! I cannot wait!

Zom-B Clans by Darren Shan [Review]

Written by: Darren Shan.

Published by: Simon and Schuster.

Format: Hardback.

Released: 3rd July 2014.

Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "B's first mission with the Angels --sentient, do-gooder zombies-- went horribly wrong when vicious members of the Ku Klux Klan attacked New Kirkham, a stronghold of precious human survivors. B is not about to let the racist thugs persecute innocent people, but while saving the town, one of B's oldest friends is kidnapped by the Klan. The Angels are prepared to do what it takes to save him, but B will have to make some very hard decisions about loyalties--to old friends, to the Angels, and to new families and old."

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I simply cannot begin to explain the frustration and pain that I am going through reading these books! They end on such epic cliffhangers that I am left gasping for the next instalment like a fish plucked from water. Three months is a very long time when you're so excited so when I finally got my copy of Zom-B Clans it was like all my Christmas's had come at once and you could not contain me. I ran straight for my bedroom and shut myself away...

Fast forward a few hours, a lot of OMG-moments, and I was faced yet again with another cliffhanger, this one in a league all of its own, so monumental and exciting for the way in which it could take the rest of the series that I practically threw my copy across the room! NO! It couldn't end this way! I needed there to be more. Another page? Another twenty pages? How am I supposed to wait until September to see what happens next? I can't do it. I cannot survive!

Lord almighty, Darren Shan, what do you do to me?! You turn me into a quivering wreck with every instalment, making my hunger to know what happens next even more ravenous and uncontrollable!

One of the goriest instalments yet, Clans has to be my favourite so far! This one, as Darren himself has said, is full of twists that I know I for one didn't see coming in a month of Sundays. Literally! Not at all. I was screaming! Actually screaming. NO! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!! This book is one of the most exciting of the series and it leaves me very excited to see how the events that take place in this book are going to play out in the rest of the series! There is so much to talk about that takes place in such a short, break-neck speed, book and yet because it is the eighth book in the series I cannot possibly say anything because for those of you out there who live under a rock and haven't read the books yet, then you'll be spoiled! Just know that this series gets better and better every time and only has you aching to see what happens next. 

I have to say with the way the series is going I cannot possibly imagine how it's all going to wrap up in what is sure to be an epic finale due towards the end of next year! Yikes! Keep 'em coming, Darren! Thank you very much!

My thanks to Simon and Schuster for my review copy (which came a few days after I'd already purchased it on my Kindle and in Waterstones, ha!).

Zom-B Gladiator by Darren Shan [Review]

Written by: Darren Shan.

Published by: Simon and Schuster.

Format: Hardback.

Released: 2nd January 2014.

Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "Can you kidnap a zombie? Can money buy your life? Or can you only fight for it? B Smith has met her darkest challenge yet ..."

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Oh, boy. Here we go again. Another year and another rollercoaster expected for fans of a certain horror author. Yes, that's right, Mr. Darren Shan is set to publish four main volumes in the Zom-B series, bringing us to nine volumes by the end of the year, and we also get an even smaller addition in the form of Zom-B Circus, a short novella written with the intention of being released as a £1 book for World Book Day before the event organisers deemed it would be too violent for them... Well... if Gladiator, the sixth entry in Shan's planned saga of twelve, is anything to go by I can understand why.

As the series is progressing it is getting steadily bloodier and gorier and I for one am loving it. With some of Darren's goriest scenes yet encapsulated in its 160 pages, Gladiator is also my favourite of the series so far. It delivers both in the deeper content and gore as it does in action and we meet one of Shan's most disgusting and frankly vulgar villains yet. I want to speak about this character so much but the fact that you don't really see him coming is needed for the story, so hopefully we can talk about him a bit more when Zom-B Mission comes out in March. If you've read Gladiator then you know full well who I am on about. Total shmuck, right?! So creepy...

We meet a few other bad guys in this book as well, after B is captured and forced to perform for the entertainment of some of the living that have taken up residence in London. Seriously, these guys are weird and not to be missed.

I also like that we do see B developing. She does a lot of internal thinking, things that she doesn't say to her fellow Angels and things that she needs to sort out in her own head - it makes her feel more, well, human, despite the fact she is actually just a walking, talking corpse now.

Anyway, back on topic... I'll keep my review short because there is only so much gushing one guy can do, and we are half way through the series now so if you haven't yet read the previous books (seriously, where have you been living, under a rock?) I don't want to spoil anything. All readers need to know about this book is that it's fun, just as pacey and well written as we have come to expect from Darren. Some would fear that four books a year, as well as an adult novel he has coming out this Summer as well would be too much and that with all that quantity, the quality would suffer. Well worry not, because the quality of these books is on the up and Darren shows no signs of stopping yet and rightly so. 

I cannot wait to see what Zom-B Mission has in store for us when it is published in March!

ZOM-B Gladiator cover unveiled and ZOM-B 7 gets a name!

Ooh! This week has been a very exciting one for fans of Mr. Darren Shan. On Thursday, Halloween no less, the master of horror revealed the cover on his official facebook page!

Ooh! Look at that! Nice! It's kind of hard to tell what's going on, it's quite up close, isn't it? There looks to be some time of fabric under the face, something being stuck on it? I don't know. All I know is I like it, and while it's a little quieter than the previous six covers in the sense that we can't actually see who it is or anything like that, it's still so striking and you just know it's going to look amazing next to rest of the series!

And then on Friday, Darren also revealed the title for the seventh book.

Zom-B Mission

ARGH! I cannot wait! Darren teased us with a little info about Zom-B Mission on his blog saying that while he can't say much, it's the start of the second half of the series and that from here on in there are no pauses for breath, that the first half is all about setting up the major players in the story that's about to unfold in the latter half. Lordy, that sounds so exciting!

Zom-B Gladiator is published in January, and Zom-B Mission will follow in April.

Zom-B Angels by Darren Shan [Review]

Written by: Darren Shan.

Published by: Simon and Schuster.

Format: Hardback. 

Released: 

Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "Where can you find shelter in a city of the damned? How can you build a new life if you're undead? Who can you trust in a world gone mad? B Smith has come to a crossroads..."

This is the fourth book in Darren Shan's Zom-B series, one that I am championing as much as I can because its Darren and zombies and its set in England and so much more, but unlike the first three books in the series, Angels is arguably a quiet affair, much unlike the rest of Shan's work.  But this book has a job to do, one Darren has talked about quite extensible. It's a book that is building the foundations for the rest of series as it answers some questions and at the same time opens up a whole other can or works that can see our characters going in several different directions over the course of the rest of the series. 

I've said before how hard reviewing these books is getting because we're still in the stage where the overall story is still being laid out but enough is happening that it could be spoiled because of things that happen earlier on. Thanks Darren for making the books all twisty and turny. 

The twist in this one though is a biggie. It reveals where the zombies originated, and I'll be honest I wasn't expecting it at all - but it makes complete and utter sense and it could prove very interesting. It's something most people know about and possibly learnt about in school and something one of my teachers spoke about a bit being a bit of a conspiracy theorist himself... I hope this doesn't happen in real life. Haha. It almost had me scared.

As ever the writing is tight and polished, but then you expect no less from Darren. He works so hard on his books and works on them for several years before they even see print. I'm still trying to decide what I think about B and I think this is something Darren wants. I find myself warming to her and then she does something and I want her decaying body to crumble and just disappear. She annoys, endears and also humours you in equal measure but sometimes the balance tips...

The next book, Zom- B Baby isn't out until September but I already foaming at the mouth to see what's going to happen next and after the tweet Darren sent me about the book I'm even more excited! Being it on.

My thanks to Scholastic and Schuster for my review copy, you guys rock!

ZOM-B Baby cover unveiled!

There are just under 2 weeks to go until Zom-B Angel, the fourth book in Darren Shan's awesome zombie series, Zom-B. But things are already gearing up for the September release of the fifth book and our last instalment of the series for 2013 before book six kickstarts 2014. Zom-B Baby is due on 26th September - quite ironic really when there are baby booms at that time of year anyway... hmmm... did you plan this Mr. Shan?! And now we have the UK and US cover art to gawp at too. Be warned though, it's grusome!

Makes me want to shudder, it's so creepy! I love the colouring of the US cover and think it'll ,look great alongside the other books and after a slight blip with the cover for Zom-B Angels, the UK covers are back on top form and looking amazing. I cannot wait to read it!

Zom-B City by Darren Shan [Review]

Written by: Darren Shan.

Published by: Simon and Schuster.

Format: Hardback.

Released: 14th March 2013.

Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "How many survived the zombie apocalypse?Where do the living hide in a city of the dead? Who controls the streets of London? B Smith is setting out to explore..."

This review begins with a question... Darren Shan, just how amazing do you actually want to be? Because you have floored me with Zom-B City!!! I don't know what it is you do, who it is that inspires you or how or why... just whatever you are doing, please never ever EVER stop. Ever.

This series is going from strength to strength. We're only 3 books in and yet it's gone from amazing (Zom-B) to freaking amazing (Zom-B Underground) to freakishly, clownerificlly - is that even a word? - amazing (Zom-B City). I just cannot express my love for this series enough. 

B Smith has escaped the Underground building in which she has been kept captive, only to find her home town of London completely changed, ravaged by zombie hordes - a lawless city, a dead city where few remain - few that are living anyway...

It seems the series is only going to get gorier as it goes on. We get to see more of that horrific creature that adorns the front cover, and he is not a very nice man at all. In fact I think I'd go as far to say he is probably one of the scariest, if not thee scariest, character Mr. Shan has created. I've never liked clowns anyway, I doubt many of us have - they're just so creepy. But this guy, Mr. Dowling, takes the biscuit. He's terrifying, ruthless and bloody. Honestly speaking, this book actually gave me nightmares! So thanks, Darren. Thanks a bunch! A sleepless night was caused by your good self. Mission accomplished right? To scare the life out of folk?! Ha.

No, I loved it. It's just so hard to review. Again it weighs in at around 190-200 ish pages and some of those are taken up by the fantastic illustrations  by Warren Pleece. So it's a quick read. A fast paced, pages-turned-so-fast-they-blur, read that could be spoilt so easily and I don't want to risk that. Just know that the series is taking off at break-neck speed and there are no signs of slowing down just yet.

And as with the last 2 books it appears that they're going to be ending on cliff-hangers. Argh! I find that so annoying. In a good way I mean. Because the next book is not here already in my hands so that my questions can be answered, so that my hunger for what happens next can be quenched as easily as the zombie's once they've feasted on those lovely, mushy brains they're so fond of. It makes me stir-crazy and writing this review isn't helping. Gah. Dear Lord I need Zom-B Angels now. I need to know. ARGH! I need help. 

Zom-B 4 Gets a Title!!

2013 is one heck of an exciting year for fans of a certain Mr. Darren Shan. Four books from his current series, Zom-B, are due to be published every three months or so. We're already one down with the release of the awesome Zom-B Underground at the start of the month. So that leave's Zom-B City due in March, Book Four in June and then Book Five is out in October, with all the excitement starting again in January 2014 for Book Six... But back to the present... there's a title to announce! Oh yes!! Mr Shan today announced the title for Book Four and I for one love the title and can only begin to imagine the cover we're going to get (the cover is due to follow some time next month...)

So... the title... is...

Zom-B Angels

Ooh! Intriguing, right! Zom-B Angels is due out on 20th June!

2013: Books of Interest (Part 1)

So as the year draws to a close, we start to look forward to what the New Year and the subsequent twelve months have to offer us in the book world, and today I'm highlighting some of the books that are piquing my interest and ones that I shall personally be counting down to! There are quite a few, so this will be Part 1 of a few... 

JANUARY is something of a bumper months for new released. Starting it all off in horrific, zombie-filled fashion is Darren Shan! The second book in his Zom-B series, titled Zom-B Underground is published on 3rd January and after the cliffhanger and revelations at the end of the first book I really cannot wait to see what is going to happen next! There are actually going to be 4 Zom-B books published next year, a three month wait inbetween each instalment! Although, as Mr. Shan is getting married in 2013, the release of the third book, Zom-B City is being bought forward to March, so there's that to look forward to too! Lots of Zom-B acction to keep Shan fans happy in 2013!

Another book also out on the 3rd is The Last Minute by Eleanor Updale. I only heard about this book a few days ago when I was just roaming through Amazon to see if there was anything I could get for my Kindle and I pre-ordered it straight away. From what I can gather the book takes place in one solitary, single minute before an un-explained explosion which will change the life of everyone in the immediate area forever. It sounds amazing and I am in love with the cover which is epic!

"9.21am: business as usual on a high street in England. 9.22am: the explosions are heard for miles around, and in the early confusion there is talk of a gas leak, a plane crash, and even terrorism . . . The people of Heathwick had been preparing for Christmas unaware that many would die, and the rest would be transformed for ever. Travel with them, second-by-second, through the hopes, fears, love, worries, gossip, cruelty, kindness and trivia that dominated their final minute before tragedy struck. And in the everyday story of an ordinary street, look for clues to what happened, and why."

On the 13th we get something I am very excited about. Kaleb Nation's Harken. He's been talking about for a while, for months it was known as #SecretKalebBook but this month we got the title, cover and release date, so info overload but from what's been revealed about the book so far (it covers supernatural conspiracy theories amongst other things) it's shaping up to be pretty awesome! We even have a blurb now...

"After surviving an assassination attempt, teenager Michael Asher discovers that he is at the centre of a worldwide conspiracy higher than any earthly power. A supernatural organization with authority over world leaders, celebrities, and the wealthy desperately wants him dead. He doesn't know why. Everyone who might have the answers has already been killed. Tumbling into a web of international secrets, Michael is forced to fight back and dig up the truth. He begins to question how much of the world is truly as people are led to believe it is. What is humanity not being told? Who is the puppet master? And how far into the maze can he venture before he is lost forever?"

On 29th January, we get the second book in Marie Lu's Legend trilogy! :D It's called Prodigy and I am so freaking excited about this book. I had thought I'd already reviewed Legend but it appears I haven't, so that will be up soon, then shortly the review for this little baby will be up. Cannot wait to get it. I had to pre-order the US hardback because the one for Legend was so cool. It had gold writing in it, and apparently according to Marie herself, the text inside Prodigy is blue! Can't wait!

"June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong? In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action."

January will also see the release of a new Cat Clarke novel! Yay! Kindle owners can get the book from 20th December 2012, but for those that prefer their books a bit more physical, the paperback is due 31st January, but I get a strong feeling it will be worth the wait!

"Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it. Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself. Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down. A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author."

And then we go in to FEBRUARY!

On 14th February, Valentine's day, no less, Simon and Schuster will publish Infinite Sky by C.J. Flood. This book sounds great, the cover looks great so should be a good read!

"A truly beautiful book about the summer that changed one girl's life, as her mum leaves home, travellers set up camp in the family's field, her older brother goes off the rails, and she falls in love for the very first time. Opening with a funeral, Iris is mourning the boy in the casket - but who is it? Sam, her tearaway brother, or Trick, her tentative boyfriend? Over one long hot summer, we find out just how their three lives were turned upside-down."

February also brings along the new book from Ruta Sepetys. Ruta's first book, Between Shades of Gray is a haunting, beautifully written book about the holocaust - she causes so many emotions in me that I cannot wait to read Out of the Easy, which is out on the 12th!

"It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test. With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny."

Something from across the pond now... I'm not sure if it has a UK release date yet, or even if there's a UK publisher for it, but Pulse by Patrick Carman sounds like a sure-fire hit and I freaking love the cover art! Please someone publish it over here. I've already pre-ordered a US hardback copy, but it'd be nice to be able to get it a bit closer to home...

"In 2051, some teens have a “pulse,” the power to move objects with their minds. Compulsively readable, with thrilling action scenes and a tender love story. The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too. In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both. Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy is a stunning, action-filled triumph about the power of the mind—and the power of love."

And finally in February, Altered by Jennifer Rush. Again, not sure if this has a UK publisher but the cover is awesome and the book itself sounds fantastic!

"When you can't trust yourself, who can you believe? Everything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, solemn and brooding; Cas, light-hearted and playful; Trev, smart and caring; and Sam . . . who's stolen Anna's heart. Reserved and always controlled, Sam does everything with purpose. When the Branch decides it's time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to go, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There's just one problem. Sam and the boys don't remember anything before living in the lab -- not even their true identities. Now on the run, her father's warning in her head, Anna begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about herself. She soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away."

Full title and cover for ZOM-B 3 revealed!

Just yesterday I reviewed the fantastic Zom-B by Darren Shan, and what a beauty of a book it is! The second in the planned series of 12, Zom-B Underground, is due January 2013, but today Mr. Shan has a special Halloween treat for us all! The announcement of the title and the revelation of yet another fantastic cover to add to his collection!

It's called Zom-B City, and it actually comes out in March 2013, so not much of a gap between Underground and itself, all the better as that wait should hopefully go quite quickly!

Anyway, now feast your eyes upon the cover!!!

A zombie clown. With an eye for a nose. Incredible! Cannot wait to read it!