Tag Archives: Horror

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The Lost Journals of Private Kenji Yoshida Part 1 & 2

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the lost journal of private kenji yoshidaThe Lost Journal of Private Kenji Yoshida (Secret Apocalypse #1.5)
by James Harden

 

This was a nice short read that leads you into what caused the tragedy in Australia in the first place as well as letting you get to know one of the main characters from the Secret Apocalypse series. The story flows forward giving you information enough to understand what is going on. The language works for the character and the situations that he is in. This is not an adrenaline rush type of thing but more of a gradual build with a narrative that overlays all.

Kenji Yoshida was shipped off to military school by his parents and because he was so angry he did not say goodbye to the girl he had feelings for. He runs away from the school and joins the Marines even though he is underage and becomes a marksman. Having been deployed when he returns he has trouble adjusting and the doctor suggests that he keep a journal so that he does not continue to internalize his feelings. That journal details his deployments and the final deployment to Australia to help at an immigration center. What he learns there spurs him to go and find Rebecca and warn her about what is happening.

I’m not going to say it’s riveting but it’s like being in the mind of someone while they debate with themselves. A nice addition to the series.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dear Rebecca. I’m sorry I left. I was an idiot. I should’ve told you. I miss you. Please forgive me. Do you want to get some pizza?

 

 

the lost journal of private kenji yoshida part two
by James Harden

 

Private Kenji Yoshida continues his adventures in Australia with Jack and Maria since he was able to get Rachel to safety outside the country. This is simply the journal entries he made after Rachel and Kim escaped but before she made her reappearance in the country. It is actually pretty nice since it fills in some of the questions that I had when reading the novels.

They are trying to evade the hoards of zombies which are running the streets of Sydney as well as the military troops who have been tasked with containing the contagion. Unfortunately that means killing everyone they see without checking to see if they are infected. The main goal of this trio is to get Maria to safety because she is special and possibly could save them all.

This is a good series and definitely takes you to places that no other has ever done. The Secret Apocalypse series has a young cast but they are very good at this survival thing.

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

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Trudge / Soldier On

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trudge

Trudge (Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse #1)

Zombie novels can easily become generic in nature. This one held my attention and made me like the main characters in a short amount of time. You have the usual carnage but also a story of family and loyalty and survival.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a good sequel to the first book. I don’t want to loose anyone else because I have become so invested in their survival. The pace was a bit slow for me but it got me to where it needed. Great writing!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Old Blood

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old blood

Old Blood (Experiment in Terror #5.5)

This is not a stand alone novella, if you have not read books 1-5 do not start here.

The story of Creepy Clown Lady, Pippa, is not a completely happy one. She starts her tale when she was a little girl right up to her death and beyond. You find out why she approached Perry the way that she did and why. What her relationship was with Dex and how she knew about him. You also get an insight into Ingrid, Perry’s mother, who watches her daughter with worry and fear.

I felt so much for her while at the same time wondering how she could make some of the decisions that she did. This short tale allows us to see how the previous novels come together. Pippa has been a prominent character throughout and we find out why she has made it her mission to bring Dex and Perry together, maybe to find the happiness she never did.

A good fast read that will make you feel for this lonely woman who only wanted to be loved.

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

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Alive In A Dead World/Till Death Do Us Part

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alive in a dead world

Alive In A Dead World (Zombie Fallout #5)

I love these books. I find my self liking the characters and hating to see anything bad happen to them. The lose of Paul, though a side character was traumatic. BT is a great guy and I hope to see more of him. Looking forward to seeing Mike again and getting back at Eliza for being such a monumental *B—ch.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
til death do us part

‘Till Death Do Us Part (Zombie Fallout #6)

I loved this! You get more background on everyone and get to see them all grow and learn to survive in such hostile circumstances. The Talbots may be a bit crazy, but they are what family is all about.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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The Dex Files

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the dex files

The Dex-Files (Experiment in Terror #5.7)

To finally get some more background on Dex is fantastic!

What’s offered up are different scenes from each book in the series up to this point as well as new insights from Dex’s past. While the language may be to much for some, Dex does have a flair for the profane, it is no worse than you would hear on a cable show. While I was given to understand that the sexual content was high and a bit raunchy, have to say that I found it fairly tame.

Dex is a complicated character who has a number of problems when it comes to relating to people. Here we get to find out why he is the way he is when it comes to relationships. We also get to see that he was not the heartless SOB that he appeared to be when he first met Perry. Getting to see his point of view gives a voice that was missing as to how things were progressing.

I think it will be enjoyed by fans of the series whether you love or hate Dex. But who wouldn’t love the adorable scoundrel. 🙂

 

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

“I was head over heels in love with her. No, that didn’t describe it. I was tear my fucking heart out and throw it at her, beg her to take it into hers. I was falling from the greatest heights with no safety net below. I was giving everything of my own life for hers, giving up every inch of my soul so she could wear it proudly. I was a former king on my knees in front of the queen. A jester begging for a chance. I was powerless, helpless and at her mercy.”
― Karina Halle, The Dex-Files

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The Benson

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the benson

The Benson (Experiment in Terror #2.5)

A nice interlude to whet the appetite for another rousing adventure. Perry’s abilities are growing as she actively works the ghost hunting angle. She wanted to be able to help the people or ghosts and she has.

What else can I say. If you have never read any other of the Experiment in Terror novels this can give you an idea of what is in store. Then go back to the first and really enjoy it. This is a fantastic series!

 My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Nothing like a hot woman to make two chubby girls feel like they’re having a bonding moment.”
― Karina Halle, The Benson
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Lying Season

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lying season

Lying Season (Experiment in Terror #4)

I was emotional the whole time I was reading this. One minute up the next minute down, Dex and Perry are both so stubborn. Jenn is the biggest liar of the whole thing, I knew she was he one doing dirt. Well, pride goeth before the fall and I guess we can see what it brings. This was a gripping episode because it changes everything for everyone involved.

While I would love to say more, I think reading it will be more enjoyable. There is lust, deception, angst, horror, and mystery. What more could you ask for.

 

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

“You’re the light in all this madness. You’re my light. I should have been with you…” The thought hit him as his face crumpled in amazement. “Oh God, why am I not with you?”
“Because you’re an idiot,” I said.”
― Karina Halle, Lying Season

 

 

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Extinction End

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extinction end

Extinction End (The Extinction Cycle #5)

 

I love this series and am very happy with the way things have played out in this last entry in the main story. The writing has just gotten better and better from book to book.The characters were already well done but have also seemed to gain more depth and emotion as things have progressed throughout. The language never caused the story to drag either through dialogue or descriptions. The action was just that, action packed and engrossing. The monsters were everything you would have expected as they morphed into even more grotesque creatures. I was totally into the story from the first page to last.

In the midst of some devastating losses we have even more things happening to make life almost unbearable. Kate, Meg, Tasha, Jenny, and many other survivors are taken from Plum Island and may be lost. Reed and Big Horn come home to find them missing but is still happy to see that Fitz and Apollo are not lost to them. The juvenile variants are a much bigger threat than originally thought, but they may still at least be able to eliminate part of the problem. But can they get back the woman who helped create the weapon? Will the remaining members of Team Ghost and the Variant Hunters be able to neutralize the juveniles and take back the cities? It is an uphill battle that is fought with courage and honor by everyone except a very few.

The action starts from the beginning and barely gives you time to breath as it moves from one tense situation to the next. One of the things I have loved about these books is that when they are in tight spots the way they get out makes perfect sense and does not seem contrived or over the top. I have cried and laughed and cheered for these characters because they have become like friends and family. I am going to miss them and hope to see them again in better times.
Great series, great book, Highly Recommend!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Fitz slid his mask into position and pulled his bandana up to cover it. He breathed in, and picked up a distinct sour smell of sweat. It took his mind a moment to grasp that it was from the bandana’s previous owner. A piece of Riley was going back out there after all. And so was a piece of Meg. Glancing down, Fitz admired the axe hanging from his belt. He’d sawed the handle down so it would fit over his armor, but that didn’t change the fact it had been Meg’s. She’d held onto it all the way from New York to the GW. When Garcia had given it to him, Fitz had thought he might display it as a memento of her. Then he decided that a better way to honor her memory would be to split some Variant heads with it. He wasn’t much of a religious man, but he did believe the deceased lived on in the hearts and minds of those they left behind. Today, Riley and Meg would join them in battle.”
― Nicholas Sansbury Smith, Extinction End

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The Malthus Protocol

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28364006

The Malthus Protocol (The Last Peak, #1)

I received this book with the original title from the author for an honest review.
The name was later altered to The Darwin Protocol.

Have you ever read something that you both liked and disliked? That is where I am with this one, I liked the book but it did not totally grab me but I was still compelled to keep going because of the things I liked. Things started very slowly for me and took quite a while to heat up to the point I could not put it down. I am not a fan of lots of short chapters that jump from place to place and in this case to an earlier time period. I do like that the story was told from multiple perspectives which made it easy to follow the action.

The Good:
Great characters with lives that are totally believable who you cannot help but love or hate.
A location that works for me because I know exactly where most of them are.
A complex story that makes you work to understand what is happening.
Nice family drama

The Bad:
105 chapters in a book of 400 pages.
No action pertaining to the virus or whatever that is supposed to hit L.A. until chapter 49.
Too many war flashbacks, when one or two could have told the story.

The United States is not what it used to be and does not wish to go down without a fight. To that end they bring in Dr. Anton Reshenko who has a plan that is intended to bring us back to the glory days. What they do not seem to comprehend is that Reshenko is your typical egomaniac scientist who sees nothing wrong in sacrificing the many to benefit a few.

In Los Angeles we meet Mason West, ex military and his family, who have no idea of the crazy about to come their way. Mason has also sworn to take care of the son of one of the men who did not make it back, the kid and his mom are both making that difficult. Elizabeth West is a veterinarian at the L.A. Zoo who has a thing for Bili chimps. Theresa West is their 15 year old daughter who is growing up and growing away from her parents in typical ways. Then there is Elio Lopez, the boy Mason has tried to protect is about to join a gang whose leader is a killer. With a life so full what else could possibly go wrong?

I have to say that it is worth your time to read this book. The characters make it more than worth it because they come to life in a very real way. While you do not get what is promised here I think it will be coming with the second book now that we have been fully introduced to the players.

My rating: 3.5 stars
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The Mall

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14759820

The Mall

There is a lot going on in this novel and it made for a hard read because of it. Its like everything was being thrown in to make it more interesting but what it did was keep me confused. There is science fiction with an automated Mall with robots and a central intelligence running things. Then we have a revisionist history which has figures alive and kicking who died in the original timeline, a paranormal leaning with psychic individuals and ghosts running around. With all of this I was still actually kind of bored while reading it. I never really felt anything much for any of the characters, though I did want them to survive if only because they were children. The mother was kind of unsympathetic and annoying for the most part. It felt like it was to long and could have been concluded sooner.

Lara is the mother of two children, Cora and Owen, the widow of Ben and not a great planner at all. She has been evicted from her home and finds herself homeless with her children and no backup plan. Lara is going to the one person she hoped not to have to ask for help, her mother-in-law who blames her for the death of her son. She lives in the residential section of the Mall, Lara hopes that she will allow the children to stay with her until she can make arrangements for a new place to live. But she wants to take the children and to brand Lara an unfit mother, so she leaves and decides to stay in the Mall.

Owen is ten years old and blames his mother for everything and anything. When she falls asleep in the movie he decides to sneak off and do something he wants, even though he is leaving his sister as well. Not surprisingly there is a power outage and he is cut off from his family, a killer is roaming the Mall, the robots are all offline, and Lara is panicking. There is an evil presence in the Mall and reuniting is more difficult than anyone could have expected.

When I read the blurb I was really excited about reading this book because it sounded good. I am not quite so enthusiastic about it now. It took me 8 days to read a book that should have only taken me three at the outside. This did not work for me but maybe it will for someone else. Just to much going on and not enough action or scares to keep me engaged. I finished it because I do not like to quit and find that I missed something.

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars