Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

Unknown's avatar

Walkers (Walking Dead Universe)

by

17985592  18664022  18664024

My rating: 3.3 of 5 stars

W1: The characters introduced are not fully fleshed out but do make you want to find out how things turn out for them . And there are zombies, who can say no to zombies! Not a great tome but definitely interesting to a zombie enthusiast.

W2: While there is not any real character development they still have very distinct personalities which are starting to emerge. This group has grown with addition of two teenagers and a kid who has his soldier father in his head. The action is good and does not drag. The dialogue fits nicely with the characters and their situation. While there are issues with grammar , they are minor and do not detract much from the narrative. Enjoyable!

W3:  I enjoyed this a bit more than the last episode because there was more action. The characters were still not as clear as I would have liked but I still liked them enough to care if they lived or died. I expected more here though because it was the last. I was very disappointed with the ending however, there were so many other ways to go than a cliffhanger.

Zombie lovers will like it.

 

“We’ve got actual corpses walking around literally trying to turn us into Happy Meals, and you’re afraid of an itty bitty spider? Seriously, man?” “I can deal with dead bodies every day, so I can deal with any rotting corpses, even ones walking around trying to make me their lunch. But spiders, man, they are EVIL! I mean, they have eight hairy legs. What kind of shit is that?” Charlene grabbed Luther by the collar. “Come on, Braveheart. I think the kitchen’s through this door.”
― G.B. Banks, Walkers

 

 

 

 

Unknown's avatar

Obsession by Treaty

by

26088652

Obsession By Treaty (Qui Treaty Collection #5)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a standalone novel. It does however advance the overall story in glimpses of what had happened prior to this point. This story seems even darker than those that came before it, maybe because both the main characters involved are human. The pacing is perfect to allow you to savor every dark moment or contemplate what is happening to them. The characters are very well drawn and pull you in because they have personalities that make them accessible.

Major Darby McCabe has been in love with her CO (commanding officer for a very long time but has never said anything to him. While on a salvage mission to Petra to go through the wreckage of a suspected K’lahn ship an accident causes her to come in contact with a strange pebble that has an effect on her. Her feelings are intensified and she starts to make plans that could hurt everyone involved.

Colonel Ethan Saracen has feelings for Major McCabe but wants to wait to the war is over before he lets her know. After the mission on Petra she hardly speaks to him, only follows orders and nothing more. So when she comes and invites him out he believes they are about to get to the root of their problems. What happens instead is his abduction and subjugation by a woman he loves and learns to hate. Can obsession bring love or only loss?

I find that I like the fact that these alpha males are brought to their knees by the women in their lives. But they are a weepy bunch of soldiers. The fact that there is a wider story buried within the tales of these couples is really good. This has an element of mystery as well as the romance, sex, and great aliens. I am totally invested in these stories and cannot wait for the next one. Whether you start here or at the beginning, you should start.

There are themes of non-consensual sex, torture, and abduction. If you find any of this not to your liking, then you should pass.

Unknown's avatar

Angel 6.0: Emissary

by

25957962

Angel 6.0: Emissary (Angel 6.0 #5)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This has been a fun ride with a girl who turns out to be more human than those around her. Even with the last book ending on an exciting note, this one starts a little less dramatically. Things were a little slow for me to start-up with but picked up quickly and moved us into the action I had been anticipating. The characters were even more vivid here as things started to come to a head for both humans and cats. The language was what I expected from this group of characters including the cats who seemed to have a very human temperament at times. The world they inhabited could be now or a hundred years from now because the human way of thinking does not seem to have changed from the beginning of time.

Angel has had a hard time since she was taken by the Gran and used as a concubine from Nugene Station. But things had started to get better with the Emperor’s son taking such a liking to her that he wished to keep her as his mate, and having Cesar actually come for her and try to free her. What more could a girl ask for? But for Angel life is never fair or simple. The DC decide that this is the time they wish to launch an attack on the Gran and break the treaty that has kept Earth safe for decades. Not very smart, but who said human politicians were smart.

Because of her status as Princess of the Gran Empire Angel is chosen by the Emperor to be Emissary to Earth and help avert a war that could wipe out both races. What’s a clone to do when she becomes the only hope for humanity and the Cats.

This one had me sitting on the edge of my seat hoping for the best but totally afraid that the worse would happen. Angel started out as a bit whiny, and naive but thirsty for true love. She ends by being an extremely strong and loyal woman who fights for those she loves with every ounce of passion in her heart, this is a girl I can get behind. I liked that she had this journey that opened her to the world. I did get teary quite a few times, cheered her on, and in general was glad things worked out the way they did. If you like Angel, you will love her by the end of this. Highly recommend!

Unknown's avatar

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Circus of the Damned

by

87037329746631 12605395

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great set of graphic novels based on the book. Anita this time is contending with a master vampire that is leading others in a feeding frenzy. Victims have been found with multiple bites which would seem to keep them from being turned. There is someone trying to take the city from Jean-Claude and Anita seems to be the key. To top things off Richard is making his move on Anita even though Jean-Claude told him to stay away. Lots of things going on that cannot help but keep your attention and make you run through it.

I wish there were more because this condensed version with actual art work makes for a fun read.

 

 

Unknown's avatar

Dead Line

by

19429634

Dead Line (DEAD)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was very light on the horror, zombies, but heavy on characters. When I read the first book I liked it so much because there was a nice balance of action to character development. That is so not the case here, we know who these characters are and the new characters which come along, almost incidentally, are not all that interesting in the long run. The dialogue drags in a lot of places and makes the narrative drag right along with it. The language itself is fine and makes sense for the characters.

Shane, Terry, and Marla find themselves hold up inside a museum with a little girl named Rebecca (River) who swings a mean machete. They are safe for the moment and Shane is looking for his daughter so that he can put her out of her misery. They cannot stay forever but Shane has other priorities and until they are fulfilled, he will not be moved. If they are to continue to survive then they will have to keep moving and look for other survivors.

There are more survivors but some of them are not the type of people who the group really wants to meet. The good and the bad wait for them in the world they are about to enter.

If you have read the previous two novels you have to read this one to complete the story. I found it slow going and did stop and start, though I completed it. Some of the situations are just so obvious that you may want to skim to get to more interesting parts but don’t because you would be cheating yourself.

Unknown's avatar

Aliens Omnibus, Volume 1

by

18908792

Aliens Omnibus Volume 1 (Alien Omnibus #1)

by Mark Verheiden, Various (Illustrator)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love the Alien movies and was really interested to see how things would be handled in this form. It is done very well and makes for a good read. The art work is nicely done and brings the people as well as the aliens to life in a vivid way. The characters were all new but based on those from the second movie except Ripley who they could not do without. Each story is a self-contained book but still feeds into the next. You must read it to appreciate it and if you are an Aliens fan or simply a fan space creatures or science fiction, then it is a must read. No need to even give a little breakdown, its aliens, you know what is going to happen.
Unknown's avatar

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: The Laughing Corpse

by

605250265944977278189

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Reading this when I did was a good way to remind myself what Anita was like before she started dealing with the monsters on a personal level. This was my love/hate phase with Anita because she was such an extremely judgmental, holier-than-thou piece of work when she was younger. But at the same time she was a hard ass who knew enough to be afraid of what went bump in the night, since she knew it was real. The graphic novel just gave another dimension to the world that she lives in.

Anita as always has more going on than she can deal with alone. She has been asked to raise a zombie which will require a human sacrifice and refuses. She is also approached by Dominga Salvador to come and help her with a project she has with zombies, and the Senora does not like to be turned down. There is a killer zombie running around the city killing families and the police need Anita to help them capture and/or destroy it. Not to mention the fact that the Master of the City wishes to speak with her about her future. What’s a girl to do when she is this popular?

I loved this because the art work made it come alive so much more and has given me a visual to work with when I read the novels. I would recommend it to fans of the series or anyone who just wants to be entertained.

Unknown's avatar

How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back

by

22596109

How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back (White Trash Zombie #4)

by Diana Rowland (Goodreads Author), Allison McLemore (Narrator)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a good story with twists and turns that made for a good mystery. I was drawn into the story right away and as usual the narration made it a very pleasant listen. The characters continue to grow and spread their wings. The language is what you would expect from characters who live in Louisiana with varying degrees of education.

Angel is back and things start to go wrong from the moment her day starts. The extra’s from the movie that was being made in town are continuing to die from the compound that was given to them by Saberton’s experiments on them. Marcus makes another of his bone head moves and Angel must once again show him she cannot be bossed around by him. Saberton makes a move on Pietro and causes trouble in the ranks of his organization. With a week like this it’s surprising she and her friends manage to survive.

This series is good for a laugh, a cry, and a feeling of romance. There is a lot going on and some of it is actually a little covert.

Unknown's avatar

Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors

by

25786060

Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors (Jane Jameson #4)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This has been a fun and exciting series that has taken us through the ups and downs in the life of a new vampire. The characters have all become more real as the series has progressed and their world has become part of my world. I fell into the rhythm of the story right away and followed it to the end happily, though sad that it was ending.

Jane and Gabriel have moved in together and he is still trying to get her to say yes to his proposal. While at work something happens that changes the lives of Jane and all those around her. Jamie, the boy who delivers to her shop is struck by a car and Jane makes the decision to turn him, with his permission. Now she has the responsibility of raising a newly turned vampire in the same house as her boyfriend and sire.

Things get even worse when the person who ran Jamie down seems to be after Jane as well, or was she the original target?

This is a great ending to one of the most fun series I have read in a long time. Enjoy!

Unknown's avatar

Dead Ice

by

in24353296

Dead Ice (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #24)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have enjoyed this series since the first novel I found quite by accident. While some see the evolution of the characters as bad for the series, I see it as perfectly normal that they would change and become more than they were before. I have read each book and been more than happy with the situations and the growth that Anita has experienced. The story is good with what I consider to be a nice balance between the relationship stuff and the work stuff. Anita has gone from single-minded to thinking outside her little box. There are multiple story lines going on here and while all are not resolved, each is at least presented and hopefully will be dealt with at a later date.

Anita has been called in by the FBI to help in a case involving someone raising zombies and using them in sex shows on the internet. Surprisingly she is recommended by an unlikely person who knows that if anyone can help, she can. Once Anita sees the footage for herself she is more than willing to help find the person doing it because they have stepped over the line in  more ways than one. The most disturbing thing about the zombies is that she has seen zombies like this before, but the person who animated them is dead and no one else should know how to do it.

While trying to help solve the case she has also been marginalized by many because of her engagement to Jean-Claude. They are looking for the perfect ring, or at least Jean-Claude is, and are having problems agreeing on a design. Anita has made a decision on something for her hand-fasting with Nathaniel and Micah however, causing a touch of jealousy from Jean-Claude. Not to mention the other men who want to be a part of their inner circle. Things are never simple with this many people in a relationship.

I like all the stories which are going on around the main mystery because they give more dimension to everything else. While people have complained in the past about the sex scenes there are not nearly as many in this book as before, mainly because it is no longer needed to tell that particular story. I kind of missed it since I had come to expect at least more than this. You get to see a few characters who have been absent for a while such as Richard and Raphael, who are mentioned but seldom seen. There is also more about some of the animal groups who have been folded into Jean-Claude and Anita’s main home group.

Some people may figure out the guilty party right away and others may take longer, either way I think it is a great ride. If you love the series then you are likely to be happy with this entry, if you had loved it but stopped reading then you should give this a look.

“Holy Wrath of God, Batman, your ass was going to be ours soon, you soul-trapping son of a bitch.”
― Laurell K. Hamilton, Dead Ice Laurell K. Hamilton