Review: Dead of Night - Jonathan Maberry

Title Dead of Night

Author Jonathan Maberry

Year 2011

Stand Alone or Series Dead of Night #1)

Pages 358

Reading Time 39 days (May and June)

Synopsis

A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave.  But all drugs have unforeseen side-effects.  Before he could be buried, the killer wakes up.  Hungry.  Infected.  Contagious.  This is the way the world ends.  Not with a bang…but a bite.

Review

Zombie books are one of my favourite genre. So when I got this novel I start planning to read it. Overall I am very satisfied with this experience. 

Plus Sides

- Multi viewpoints. We've got Dez Fox, the she-devil police officer. Billy Trout a reporter with a old crush with Dez. Doc Hartnup, the first person bitten by (and) Homer Gibbon - the first zombie. We've got also some viewpoints from the president, military man and other one-chapter characters. 

- Doc Hartnup - was the best innovation that this novel brought. A person bitten who remains sentient even if it lost all control of his actions. Truly a remarkable character who deserved more air time.SPOILER I was truly glad of his ending SPOILER END

- The Army, president and such - they were portrait as almost soulless bastards which do anything to hide their mistakes. Even if the end they repent themselves.

- Zombie Infection - The author gives a detailed information about the plague was created and even hinted on historical and factual events. Quite good.

- Pace of the book - The writer wrote the book so we could read it in a couple of sips. Quick but informative at times.

Down Sides

- Character Behavior - The characters sometimes behave as you expected. Stereotypes everywhere. From the main characters to the army and such. SPOILER JT death, boy saves girl, army behavior..  END SPOILER. Doc Hartnup was the truly inovation as I said before but, don't get me wrong. For people like me who wants to read about zombies and Romero films and such it is expected. That's a thing of this kind of novels.

Neutral

- Sequel? - The last chapter gives the writer opportunity to enter once again the town of Stebbins, Dez, Trout and Homer Gibbon. 

Should I advice this book? Yes. To anyone who likes Zombies. A must have. 8.5/10

Book Review: M for Magic - Neil Gaiman

Title M For Magic

Author Neil Gaiman

Year 2007

Stand Alone or Series Anthology

Pages 250

Reading Time 21 days (March 2012)

Neil Gaiman is a wonderful writer and at last I read this anthology that had been given to me almost three years ago.

Gaiman is a master story-teller and a couple of this stories are printed on my mind. 

October in the chair is a tale where the twelve months are sitting on by a fire and telling stories. They each acts as we know the months "act" if you get my meaning. 

Chivalry in which the a parallel world a tea-lady (Mrs. Whittaker) have the holy grail and Galahad want's it. WHAT A STORY. A Must read I must say. To anyone!

The Price is another good horror tale. This was one of the best tales around. Even so because it has a cat. A short-story but Gaiman can really make you worry about the cat.

The Witch's Headstone is the prequel of The Graveyard Book . What a great story. Now I want to read it.

The other stories are okay but easily forgotten.

Review - Ancient Blood Robert Earl

Title Ancient Blood

Author Robert Earl

Year 2008

Stand Alone or Series Stand Alone

Pages 416

Reading Time 40 days

Review

Another great tale by Robert Earl. That's the main point.

First in went to Lustria now we learn about about the Striganny and the Strigoi. For what I know, the other Lorenzo books he goes to Brettonia and Ogre Kingdoms. The Corrupted (which I have already read) is set on a empire city and The Chaos Wastes. 

If you like to learn about the Olde World inhabittants and beasts then this is a book for you. If you like Striganny and Strigoi then this is the book for you. Here you will learn about their life, their problems, the relation with the Strigoi (Old Fathers) and their god Ushoran. You will also learn more about Their past and future.

The book sets as the elector count of Averland and Stirland want to rid the Olde World of the Striganny. For that he enlists other powerful lords and amass a huge army of mercenaries led by a ruthless commander. The Striganny in the other hand just want to continue their life but are pushed together to Flintmar where they are told they will be safe. There they must join, instead of fighting independently, because each caravan is led by a Domnu (leader) and a Petru (a magic person) and renew old pacts. The Strigoi which we learn are the protectors of the Striganny people (pay attention to chapter 13, to me one of the best fluff scenes in any warhammer books) aid them from the shadows. Here Ushoran the leader of the Strigoi and God of the Strigany make a decision to reinstate the old court of Morkhai, destroyed by Orcs several millenia before. The Striganny also make the decision if they go to Morkhai or stay and be hunted in the Empire. The ending is good and leaves the author with the possibility of another book but I don't think he will do it because the ending is quite good this way.

The characters are solid and remind me of Gypsies (of course) of old times. Not the nowadays gypsies but the gypsies of europe that travel between cities in circus and traders. Averland and the commander of the mercenary army are quite good as well but Ushoran is undoubtly the best character there. I didn't knew about him and now... I do. 

The battle scenes are fast and good, never dwelling much on independent fights but as a whole. 

Conclusion

I recommend as I said to anyone who wants to learn more about the Vampire Strigoi, Ushoran, Strigany, Dogs of War and the Empire in the time of the Three Emperors. 8/10

Objectives II

How is my objectives so far?

1. Read 100 books (34)
2. Watch at least one movie a week (Not by a long shot)
3. Go to the movie theater at least once a month  (Not by a long shot)
4. Read at least seven books with at least 500 pages (0)
5. Read at least one book with at least 1000 pages (0)
6. Read at least three trilogies (Started three trilogies)
7. Read at least 15 books published by Black Library (4)
8. Read at least 5 classics (0)

So as you can see I am going poorly on my objectives... At least I start dating again which is quite good :)