The Walking Dead, Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars

5/5

The Skinny:

The same crew…sort of…is back. They believe that they have found the perfect place to live; space for everyone, food, and best of all, no zombies! But, as is almost always the case with The Walking Dead, nothing ever goes quite as planned.

My Thoughts:

I will just cut to the chase – Safety Behind Bars has been my favorite. I’m kind of surprised that after three zombie-filled volumes, that these graphic novels still deliver big. I found this installment to be bloodier, more shocking, and overall more edge-of-your-seat than the previous two. I feel that this is quite the feat considering how much I liked the first two volumes.

I think the main reason that this story continues to feel fresh is the introduction of new characters. While there are many characters that have been present in all three volumes, there are also many new additions. These new characters add a lot to the story because there is often a little backstory accompanying there introduction, and because you are constantly wondering if they are f’ing crazy or not.

The story is also helped along by the constant traveling. The characters, thinking they are safe, try to make a home in various places, yet are forced to uproot time and time again. This constant flux in setting serves as another way to keep the story interesting.

Oh, yeah…I can’t not elaborate a teensy bit more on the ‘bloodier’ and ‘more shocking’ aspects. LOTS of killing happens, and not just of the zombie variety. I’m talking fucked-up, did-that-just-happen kind of killing. And, it happens more than once. I will leave you with that.

Overall:

As I said, this has been my favorite volume thus far. I am impressed that this story continues to shock and interest me. Maybe by the time I get to volume #14 I’ll think differently, but until then – read on!

After Life

3.5 stars/5 stars
The author provided me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

The Skinny:

Kaemen, a wolfhound in the nation of Gaescea, is spirited with a difficult task; he and his fellow wolfhounds must protect their land from a mysterious threat. Mecas, the Gaescea seer, has predicted that a horrible darkness is coming. Commander Dagoran, Kaemen, and Breoch set forth, gathering an army that they hope will defeat whatever is to come. But little is as it seems, and the trio abruptly awakens in the Land of the Dead, also known as Tuonel. Desperate with the desire to find out how they came to be in Tuonel, Kaemen and his allies must work together to try to not only unravel the puzzle their lives have become, but to also save Gaescea from afar.

The Review:

The good:

*The melding of horror and fantasy was what I found most captivating. I can’t recall reading a book that had quite the same fusion of genres that this story contained. This combination made the story seem very unique and fresh. Many novels unfortunately end up relying on tropes and stock characters to move the story along, but I can say that this wasn’t the case with After Life.

*Many of the characters were interesting, albeit a little flat. One of the more captivating characters was Skotein, the villain. His background story lent him an intriguing air, and gave a darker and more psychotic feel to his actions. Being an unstable character, it was hard to determine what he was going to do next. I would have liked to been privy to even more of Skotein’s thoughts and actions, and to have learned even more about his past.

*The landscape/world of Tuonel cannot go without mention. Imagine a world where you are so hungry, and so parched, that you virtually lose your mind trying to obtain food and drink. Envision a place where the wildlife that you believe will sustain you is full of dust. Think of a place where the stream that should provide you with water instead accosts your ears with a scraping sound as ash meanders its way where the water should be. How creepy, upsetting, and dark is that? How COOL is that?

Also, the faceless people? Friggin creepy as all get out.

*The main reveal in this book was a biggie. I can honestly say that I was not expecting it in the slightest, which was both good and bad. Because this is the ‘good’ section of my review, I will tell you why this reveal was pretty sweet. First, like I said, I had no clue it was coming. Second, it made total sense when I really thought about it (although it took me a bit to come to this conclusion). Third, it was pretty spooky and badass, which I like.

The meh:

*The middle of this story was just okay. There was far too much marching and being hungry, and not enough fuckery and intrigue. While the ending more than made up for it, I felt that the middle dragged.

*The major reveal was a little out of left field. It made sense after it was discussed in full, yet when it was initially disclosed, it felt very sudden. I ended up liking and appreciating the twist, but it did take some time.

*The ‘good’ characters were a little stagnant. Several of these characters met with gruesome deaths, yet I wasn’t overly moved. When you aren’t moved by a major death then something needs a little tweaking. I feel that two of the characters in particular would have benefited from a little more depth and focus (Breoch and Dagoran). I felt as if I was a smidgen away from truly caring about them. Perhaps further background information would have elevated these characters to a higher level of importance for me.

Overall:

While the pacing of After Life was a little off and some of the characters were a tad too shallow, I liked reading this novel. There were several times that I questioned whether I was really enjoying myself, yet I kept returning to read on (quite eagerly, in fact). I feel that a large part of this can be attributed to the unique premise of the story, because it kept me guessing to the very end.

While After Life could have done with some tightening up, I feel that overall it was a well written read. I will be looking forward to reading further works by this author.

Unsouled

4.5

“Hope can be bruised and battered. It can be forced underground and even rendered unconscious, but hope cannot be killed.”

The skinny:

Lev and Connor have one clue that is driving them forward: Janson Rheinschild. They believe that by seeking out the woman connected to Janson that they can find the answers to the end of unwinding. Unbeknownst to Connor and Lev, while they are trying to unravel the mystery of Rheinschild, Nelson is still on their trail. Nelson has not given up his goal to capture them, not in the slightest. Cam, inconsolable after Risa leaves, is taking out his anger and frustrations on the organization responsible for his ‘rewinding’. His plan, his obsession, is to take down Proactive Citizenry. Risa, on her own, is unsure of who she can trust. She desperately searches out a safe location to stay while she waits to be reunited with her friends. With the help of friends, the drive of determination, and the power of hope, these four characters meet again and learn answers that could change everything.

The reivew:

I liked Unwind. I liked UnWholly even a little bit more. But I pretty much loved UnSouled.

I made a little listy-poo to help me organize why I liked this book so much:

1) The first reason I liked this book was also present in previous stories, but I noticed it more so in this installment. I really appreciated that all of the kids/young adults in this book excel in one area or another. At first this annoyed me because I couldn’t understand how every character could be SO brilliant in one concentrated area or another (technology, leadership, etc.) – it just didn’t seem realistic. It was particularly hard to swallow the fact that even the characters that were supposed to be less intelligent were basically awesome masterminds. But then I started to look at it a little differently. I began to think that maybe, as an adult, I underestimate the intelligence and drive of young people. Perhaps the author wanted the readers to see each person in the novel as important and valuable in their own right. Possibly he wanted me (and I’m sure other adults) to not limit the capabilities of others. There is the real possibility that we don’t know what someone is really capable of until they are put into a situation where they have no other choice than to be amazing. MAYBE I’m seeing too much into this, but I just really ended up liking that aspect of the novel (in an I-hated-it-then-loved-it-because-I-over-think-things kinda way).

2) The second reason I liked this novel is the emphasis placed on the creation of unwinding. It was fascinating to see how Shusterman spun that aspect of the book. I really felt for the people who, inadvertently, invented the one thing that would change the history of the world as they knew it in such a disturbing way. It was saddening to see how people who just wanted to help the human population, instead see the horror that they caused.

3) The third reason was that the “Oooos and Ahhhhs” in this book really wowed me. There was one particular ‘reveal’ that I hadn’t anticipated. When this ‘reveal’ occurred, it really hit me hard; it not only made me feel like my insides were being squeezed, but also really made me think. It made me think about the process of unwinding, specifically unwinding that happens due to parts pirates. I thought deeply about what it must be like for someone to be caught, for someone to know they are going to die, and for family/friends to know that someone has been taken to be unwound.

Overall:

These were only a few things that stuck out to me. Generally I enjoyed this book more than the previous two because I felt like the process of unwinding and the setting of the story had been established. I felt like this book allowed me to focus more on the emotional aspect, and less on the sensationalism of unwinding itself.

Donners of the dead

I was given a copy of this book in advance. Thank you!

The skinny: Eve Smith, a young half-native girl, is requested to be a part of a search party in exchange for a handsome payment. This search party is purportedly looking for a never-returned group of people who had been seeking information on the doomed Donner party. They need Eve, and her well-known tracking skills, to help guide them on their trip. Along the way, Eve, and her friend Avery, quickly realize that all is not as it seems, not only amongst their search party, but also out in the vast wilderness of the Sierra Nevada.

The review:

“Fear was a heavy hand at my back, panic was a breath on my neck”

This book was simply spine tingling good fun!

There is a romance with someone who I imagine to look like this *wiggles eyebrows*:

I was surprised when I was reading and realized that there was going to be a romance, because the love interest, Jake, was kind of a jackass to Eve at first. At the beginning of the story he was quite nasty to her about both being a Native American and a woman. As the story progresses, we hear more of Jake’s history, and some of his past behavior towards her can be seen a little differently. Some people will find his treatment of Eve inexcusable, even after considering his past and the time period in which this story is written. I am not one of those people. I ended up loving the romance and especially the somewhat cheesy ending.

There are also these hella creepy things that might look sort of like so:

These creatures added a very spooky element to the story. I was never quite sure when they were going to pop up, and what horrific thing they were going to do next.

Overall: This story had romance, mystery, creepiness, and action. ALL things that I like, YAY! This was a quick read that held my interest the entire time. I loved it.

Dream of the Serpent

4.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. In exchange, I am offering an honest review.

The skinny:

Cody seems to have it all; perfect fiancée, a lucrative job lined up, and his whole life mapped out. One mistake, one tiny, seemingly inconsequential mistake changes it all for him. Cody is then thrust into a world of agony, and broken dreams. But, as Cody soon realizes, not everything is as it seems. One word, Ourboros, changes his life forever.

The review:

Mindfuck. That is the first thing I think of when looking back on this book. When I was reading, I really had no idea where the author was going to take the story next. An event would occur, and I had the fleeting idea that I had everything “all figured out.” Wrong. Oh, so wrong. Past, present, and future all played a role in this story, and you couldn’t consider one without the other. The addition of the Ouroboros and its symbolic meaning added the “mindfuckery” to the story.

I loved this story because I didn’t have any idea how the book was going to end until the last few pages. I feel that this is a mark of a good book. If I can figure out the story and how it’s going to end within the first half, then the author is doing something wrong.

Cody himself also added an integral part to this story. Cody went through a transformation as a character. At the beginning of the book, I almost felt that he was a tad selfish, and thought primarily of himself and his life. When his accident occurred, he naturally found it hard to forgive at first, but he took this further when he refused to forgive when it was time to. As he progresses through the book, Cody begins to think of his life and the world differently. Suddenly, someone else’s life seems equally important as his own. This change in Cody really made the book for me.

Overall:

This story made me feel. I had times where I was angry, sad, sympathetic, confused, etc. I loved the more fantastical elements of the book, and feel that they gave the story an almost dreamlike quality. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author!