Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Billy: A Tale of Terror

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The first thing I need to say is that I was drawn to the story by the blurb which promised something that it did not fully deliver on. I was expecting some real horror here but got luke warm horror and a bit character study, not to say that I did not enjoy any of it. The characters are never fully realized and they play out as shadows that you have to fill in the blanks for in order to understand them. None have a fully formed personality which makes it hard to really care about them one way or the other. The backstories for the majority of the characters are vague and do not give enough information to know their motivations. To top everything off things seem to jump around in a way that makes it all very unsettling.

A curse is brought to the home of the St. Pierre family for the transgressions of the patriarch. His daughter has a baby that is less human and more animal than anyone could have expected. The baby is unwanted and unwelcome especially when it takes a beloved member of the family. As Billy grows he is tormented by his siblings and father as they attempt to get rid of him. While they do their worse to him, they are sure that he will one day come for them if they do nothing. Billy becomes a legend in the deep Bayou country.

I basically enjoyed the story even though it was not as linear as I would have liked it to be. It did jump around a great deal leaving you somewhat confused about time. Still, it was worth a read and kept me going if for no other reason than that I wanted to know how things were going to end. Sorry to say the ending was not really very satisfying at all. I would still recommend it with the caveat not to expect any terror.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Alpha Zombie

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I was expecting something totally different then what I got from this. The story was beyond slow, it meandered around without any real life. This is a zombie story and you see one at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end but nothing really ground breaking. The characters are about the same as they have always been and I would have expected some growth since the last time but they seem a bit stagnant. There are some new locations which are interesting and the situations are new enough to at least keep you moving forward. The main problem is that things just seem to be moving at a snails pace and it drags to much.

The massacre at the manor house has left everyone with a desire to not be in one place. In order to facilitate their desire to be out in the open Kyle and Al go and find the perfect vehicle, a retro travel bus which they name Basil. During her time online, before the Botnet, Ven had come across Sec UK which is a company that provided weapons and survival gear to not only countries but to individuals as well. She and her cohorts along with baby Tomas and Bos Bos the dog go there to stock up.

While they are doing this something strange happens that transforms a man into an entirely different type of zombie. This zombie has found them and cannot decide whether to eat them or beg them for help. This zombie can think and that is not good for anyone.

While I was not completely happy about how things went here I am still hoping the next one will be better. If you read the first two books you have to read this to continue the story and move on to the next.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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The Darwin Collapse

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I read the first book in this series a while ago and was not always happy with it, though I did enjoy it. I can say that this one kept my attention from start to finish and was very satisfying. The characters got a chance to stretch and grow here adding more dimension to their personalities, though some were still very much the same. The locations are spot on and great for me since I know the names of the streets and freeways so well that I could tell exactly where I was when they mentioned it. The victims of the virus are terrifying because they are us with all of the humanity stripped away.

Mason West and his family survived the first days of the outbreak but not without injuries both physical and mental. Mason continues to protect Iridia even though he really does not have to but he is an honorable man and would not do anything else. Elio is in the West home because he is enamored of their daughter Theresa but also because he needs to heal.

Anton Reshenko has unleashed hell on earth for the people of the world and is focused on locating his daughter and going to the next phase of his plan. The Deltas are doing what he expected, more or less but he wants more from them. He is willing to kill anyone for his vision of the future.

This is told from multiple points of view which is great since there are so any things going on. This had some great action with very emotional parts. I did some laughing, crying and yelling. Loved every minute of it! Definitely recommend.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Countdown: A Prequel Story

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This was a short but sweet introduction to the character and the situation that will soon be jumping off. While there was no major depth given to the character himself, you are left with understanding that he will be very important to the action in the main novel. You also get to see the start of the epidemic which is to come because they had no idea of what was happening before they busted in. This gives me a reason to read further about this .

The narrator was adequate but not perfect because he sounded just a bit dry. This could be his interpretation of the character and it could change as things go forward. I would say to listen and decide for yourself.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Hard Reset

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I read the book first and then found this one so it was kind of a waste of time. This book is literally the prologue to the book and so is not needed as far as I can see. The one good thing is that it was free and so I do not feel so bad.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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Scattered Screams

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This starts out fairly slow and so it took me a couple of days to get through just the prologue then it picks up the action. The characters are a little vague but mostly likeable, though some more than others. The writing can seem a little repetitive with a point being made over and over throughout the narrative, like the fact that a character is a friend, as if you could have forgotten already. There are problems throughout with character names being used incorrectly by switching them for another within a conversation. There are some mistakes in spelling and word usage that kind of slows down the progress sometimes but you can get past it.

Marcus Nelson is a University Professor in New York who has gone to California for a conference. He decides to take his son Ali and his friend Vic along with him so they can tour some college campuses. While on the Stanford campus they experience an earthquake along with a bright flash of light which seems to start a killing frenzy among some of the people. As the insanity starts to escalate Marcus can only think of two things, protecting the boys and getting home to his wife. When he finds more survivors he hopes that they can all get out and find safety or at least a way to head west.

This was not the best story I have read but it was entertaining. You will have to suspend reality in order to follow and believe some of it, or at least I did. There is never an explanation given for what has happened and nobody seems very curious about it. I hope that some answers will be given in the next book to clear up some things. This may not be for everyone but I think some will at least like it. Give it a read and see for yourself, I would recommend it to those who like zombie like creatures.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Extinction Aftermath

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I love Nick’s writing but he can go on sometimes and make me wish he could use fewer words to describe his situations. I am also not a fan of cliff hangers but sometimes you deal just because you know it will be resolved eventually. My people are still moving forward and continuing to grow and thrive, the location has also grown in its scope though not always for the better, the situations have become more tense and dark.

Reed Beckham and Big Horn retired after their last mission which took a heavy toll on Reed’s body. Reed, Kate, Horn and his girls all live together and are awaiting the birth of Kate and Reeds child on plum Island. While they do this Kate continues to help categorize the Variants and Juveniles that are still a part of their world.

Fitz has taken over as leader of Team Ghost and he and Apollo have been shipped overseas to help liberate Europe from their Variant problem. Things are not going so well since they were not informed of what was really happening there.

President Ringgold has been trying to bring back normalcy to the country by establishing Safe Zone Territories. They are running fairly well and her administration has been able to build a new White House in the wake of their victory over the Variants.

But like with anything else, just when you think you have a handle on things and they are going well someone throws a wrench into the works. Here that would be Lieutenant Andrew Wood, brother of the crazy, and dead, Zach Wood. He has some demands from the new government and they involve him taking over. Can the world survive a maniac who does not care for anything but power?

Loved that this is told from multiple points of view. Not completely happy that there are at least 4-5 threads to try and keep up with, though each is good. I will admit that I want more and know that it is coming soon. I have to see where we end up and hope that my favorites are still standing at the end. Multiple cliff hangers means I have no idea who survives and who dies and it is killing me.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a good apocalyptic story because it is here! Will the human race survive? Should we?

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

“Get out of here, boy,” Fitz said. The dog bared his teeth at the monsters and growled, clearly determined to fight by Fitz’s side. If they got out of this, he and the German Shepherd were going to have a long talk about obeying orders.

Extinction Aftermath

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Serenity: Float Out

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Hoben Washburn was definitely one of my favorite characters and I miss him. If there were to be another movie I would not get to hear crazy sayings or enjoy his dinosaur fights. This was a short but nice tribute to a character that was very well liked. I could see Wash in each of those situations and know that he would act just that way. If you liked this character than you will enjoy this little tribute.

My rating: 5 of 5 Stars

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They Thirst

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I remember reading this for the first time and finding myself totally involved in the story. It was a vampire story that I could understand with people who did predictable and sometimes stupid things but the human thing to do. The vampires that are created are in a lot of instances the worst kind of people who can be found to begin. I like that time is taken to develop each of the main characters and it even gives a nice accounting for the side characters. This was even better for me because I lived/live in Los Angeles, though the earlier reading had me not knowing some of the areas mentioned because I had a limited knowledge of the city.

Andy Palatazin was a boy in Krajeck Hungary when the nightmare began for him and his mother. They fled into the night and snow to save their lives and found themselves in California where he grew to manhood. Andy has become a Captain with the Los Angeles police and is hunting a serial killer when things start to become familiar. Andy sees the same signs that befell his old village before it fell to the dark forces.

Prince Conrad Vulkan has come to Los Angeles to create an army of vampires in his quest to destroy the human race and become the ultimate ruler. His death in 1342 was only the beginning for this child of privilege who has visions of grandeur running through his head.

How do you save people who will not believe in the boogie man?

While I still enjoyed the story because it still packs a bit of a punch, I found myself wanting it to move a little faster. I never noticed until now that it seems to drag as we get toward the end, like he did not want to stop writing. But no matter I still recommend this because it is one of the good vampire novels that does not have any sparkling, sexy, love starved vampires. This is dark and evil from the old school way. This is also the audio version which is well done.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“We?” Vulkan shook free of the Headmaster’s grip. “We? Didn’t you hear them shouting? Whose name did they call? Mine! Prince Conrad Vulkan, King of the Vampires! They call me Master. They recognize me as the highest power!” “I have given you and your kind life. I have taught you the secrets of power, the sorcery of Aba-aner, Nectanebus, and Solomon. I have taught you what it means to be a king. But you’re not invincible, Conrad.…”

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No One Must Know

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I rarely give a 1 (one) star rating because there is usually some redeeming feature I can find in the work I have read. This was not one of those times. The pacing was slow and plodding, the character development was pretty much non existent, no idea about the setting because it was never really addressed, and I am guessing at the genre. While reading the flow was interrupted on may occasions by the fact that words misused, wrong word, bad spelling, or just missing words. I cannot even adequately describe the plot so a read of the blurb is in order for anyone who wishes to read this.

While I did not find it to my liking it does not mean that someone else will not find it good for them. So, if you want to take a go it could work. I would disregard a review which calls it pornographic since there are only a few mentions of sex but no actual instances.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars