Tag: Violence

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Rise Again (Rise Again #1) by Ben Tripp

Posted on by elishasbookreview

9781452676050

*No Spoilers*

Forest Peak, California. Fourth of July. Sheriff Danielle Adelman, a troubled war veteran, thinks she has all the problems she can handle in this all-American town after her kid sister runs away from home. But when a disease-stricken horde of panicked refugees fleeing the fall of Los Angeles swarms her small mountain community, Danny realizes her problems have only just begun – starting with what might very well be the end of the world.

Danny thought she had seen humanity at its worst in war-torn Iraq, but nothing could prepare her for the remorseless struggle to survive in a dying world being overrun by the reanimated dead and men turned monster. Obsessed with finding her missing sister against all odds, Danny’s epic and dangerous journey across the California desert will challenge her spirit . . . and bring her to the precipice of sanity itself. . . .

I thought I’d make a return to the zombie subgenre after a hiatus. This novel definitely satisfied my craving for a good zombie apocalypse. There’s action, suspense, violence, and plenty of blood and gore.

My major complaint with this novel was I felt like there were too many survivors that the author focused on. I found it difficult keeping track of who’s who and what motivates them.

I did like how the author made the protagonist a female veteran. Even with what she’s seen during her service and the injuries she’s suffered from, she was still able to feel fear and confusion throughout the novel. I felt this made her more likable and relatable.

My favorite character was Amy, the local veterinarian. Even though she worked on animals before the apocalypse, she was still able to help fellow survivors and give first aid when needed. She slowly gained the ability to lead the others after Danny goes alone to look for her sister.

When Danny goes rogue from her group to go look for her sister, the finality of the apocalypse sets in really strong during this time. Towns abandoned, littered with corpses and abandoned cars. It also foreshadows the coming conflicts between various groups of survivors. You can feel the tension as Danny is on her selfish mission.

I enjoyed this novel, and I am highly interested in reading the next one in the series. I would also recommend this for lovers of female protagonists, zombie apocalypse, and science fiction.

 

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Good Doctor by Juno Dawson

Posted on by elishasbookreview
BBC-Books-Thirteenth-Doctor

*No Major Spoilers*

On the planet of Lobos, the Doctor halts a violent war between the native Loba and human colonists. Job done, the TARDIS crew departs – only for Ryan to discover he’s left his phone behind. Again.

Upon returning, the Doctor finds that the TARDIS has slipped hundreds of years into the future and that something has gone badly wrong. The Loba are now slaves, serving human zealots who worship a godlike figure known as The Good Doctor.

It’s time for the Doctor to face up to the consequences of her last visit. With Lobos on the brink of catastrophe, will she be able to make things right?

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I am a huge fan of Doctor Who I’ve watched both the “modern” and the “classic” series. I also enjoy the spinoff novels as well. Some stories can’t be told in an hour, so I look forward to the novels.

When it was first announced that the 13th Doctor was going to be a woman, I was against it from the start. I thought they were ruining 50+ years of tradition by making this drastic change.

When I started watching this newest Doctor, I was still against the change, but hopeful. I thought the 11th and 12th’s Doctor was getting too silly and losing plot threads left and right.

Overall, I am lukewarm towards this past season of Doctor Who. I felt the writing was hit-or-miss with some episodes, and some of the companions felt useless and like spare luggage at points.

So when the newest batch of novels was announced, I was excited to read The Good Doctor in particular. Graham is my favorite companion, and with him being featured on the cover, I thought he was going to be the only companion featured in this novel. Even though I was wrong, I was still hopeful about this story.

I didn’t realize the native Loba was a dog-like creature. Until the end of the first chapter, I thought they were cat-like. I haven’t read many sci-fi novels where the aliens were dog-like so this concept gets bonus points from me.

I felt like this is how a Doctor Who story should be told. No limit on run-time, and no rush to end the story. This novel was welcomed and restored my faith in the new writers for Doctor Who. The story was complete, whole, and didn’t seem to be rushed at the end.

‘On the horizon, looming over the entire town was a vast tower. It was almost the same shape as a block of flats, but, even in the gloom, Ryan could see it was painted dark blue. There were huge rectangular windows at the top of the stucture.

“Remind you of anything, Ryan?”

It was unmistakable.

It was meant to be the TARDIS.’ – The Good Doctor

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I like the message this novel sends a message about war. No matter who is in “the right” or in “the wrong” the roles get swapped over time. However, there is hope in times of chaos and war.

I would highly recommend this novel for lovers of Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Time Travel, and stories about wars. This novel will show some of the bad side effects of traveling through space and time, and I think you will enjoy the story as much as I did.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: The Fixer (Lawson Vampire #1) by Jon F. Merz

Posted on by elishasbookreview

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*No Major Spoilers*

The members of the Council believe that vampires can coexist with humans. Some vamps disagree. That’s where Lawson comes in. He’s a Fixer. When a Nosferatu gets delusions of grandeur about taking over the world, it’s his job to take them out — with extreme prejudice.

I can’t remember the last time I read a vampire book. It feels like it’s been a while, and I’m excited to be back with the vampire subgenre.

This audiobook caught my attention because the model on the cover looked like a better and younger Tom Cruise. I’m all about secret agents and conspiracies. Action and mystery on every page are how I like my vampire novels.

I like how each author takes their own spin on vampire mythology. Some exaggerate their abilities and powers, some like this author make them more realistic to an extent. They look and act like any other human, but they live longer and wood is their enemy.

I felt like I could relate to the main character, Lawson. He is just a hitman with a job to do. In this novel, Lawson is after an old enemy. A vampire whose family has tainted blood and thus, makes him insane.

My favorite part was when Lawson and his human partner Talia were staking out the nightclubs trying to find their target, and the description of the clubs and what goes on in those places sounds about right, people being drunk and crazy.

Overall, I found this novel to be engaging and exciting. The action and adventure were enough to get my imagination going into high gear. I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who is looking for a good vampire story. Also for lovers of the supernatural and action, this is definitely worth a read.

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: The Montauk Monster by Hunter Shea

Posted on by elishasbookreview

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*No Major Spoilers*

On a hot summer night in Montauk, the bodies of two local bar patrons are discovered in the dunes, torn to shreds, their identities unrecognizable. . .

In another part of town, a woman’s backyard is invaded by four terrifying creatures that defy any kind of description. What’s clear is that they’re hostile–and they’re ravenous. . .

With every sunset the terror rises again, infecting residents with a virus no one can cure. The CDC can’t help them; FEMA can’t save them. But each savage attack brings Suffolk County Police Officer Gray Dalton one step closer to the shocking source of these unholy creations. Hidden on nearby Plum Island, a U.S. research facility has been running top-secret experiments. What they created was never meant to see the light of day. Now, a vacation paradise is going straight to hell.

I am a fan of conspiracy theories and the occult. This book is based on the conspiracy theory that the government is bioengineering creatures to be a better weapon of war. This book feeds into this conspiracy and blows it out of the water!

There’s violence, blood and gore, and some sex. A perfect guilty pleasure monster movie read!

I enjoyed this novel even though it was a bit silly and ridiculous. It was over the top and an exciting read. This was a nice read after all of the more serious books I have been reading lately.

My only complaint is that there are too many characters. I understand that the author wanted to demonstrate just how chaotic the city of Montauk had become. I still couldn’t keep up with most of them except for the main characters.

If you are looking for a guilty pleasure read, I would highly recommend The Montauk Monster by Hunter Shea. It’s fast-paced action, and even when things seem to slow down, they won’t be for long.

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Shark Island by Chris Jameson

Posted on by elishasbookreview
Shark Island

*NO SPOILERS*

Naomi Cardiff is not one to give up without a fight and now, after learning about a series of shark attacks in Cape Cod, she s joined a team of scientists to put a stop to the terror. The plan: to lure the sharks to a remote island far from the populated coastline. Meanwhile, a fierce Nor Easter is underway. . .

In the midst of the storm, an alarming number of Great Whites have come to slaughter the seals in a vicious feeding frenzy. When sharks ram and breach the hull, Naomi and her team must jump ship and swim desperately through a sea of circling fins and gaping jaws to the tiny island. But as the swells from the storm begin to swallow their rocky refuge, how will they manage to make it out alive?

Rating: 5 out of 5.

When I was at the library this book caught my eye. The stormy skies and the shark fins the dark waters reminded me of when the Discovery Channel runs Shark Week. The impending fear of there being a predator bigger than humans is terrifying in and of itself. This book has this in spades.

The story begins with Naomi who gets attacked by a shark while she was attempting to photograph a herd of seals that were living on the beach. A summer later, she will be traveling with a group of scientists to try and move the seal herd away from the mainland and onto a small island closer to Maine. Armed with her camera and her prosthetic leg, she makes this trek to prove to herself that she is no longer terrified of the ocean.

However, things go terribly wrong when a nor’easter threatens to postpone their trek. Not only are there troubles in the skies, but even more trouble in the waters as not only the seals follow the signal the scientist’s experiment is emitting, but the sharks are following the herds.

Now they have to survive on a rapidly flooding island when their boat crashes, and until help arrives. In the meantime,  can they survive the rabid sharks? Read this book to find out!

I enjoyed this epic, thrilling novel. The characters were fully fleshed out and when one of them died I felt sad along with the other characters. In Hollywood, you knew who was going to be monster food based on the fact they were cardboard stereotypes of people. At first, I was worried about how many characters were being introduced in the beginning, I was worried I was going to lose track of “who’s who”. I had no problems keeping up with the characters because they felt like real human beings being trapped in this horrible situation with death surrounding them on all sides.

Even though, I didn’t like the way the book ended (I predicted everyone was going to die or that it was all just a dream) I still loved how my favorite characters survived such a horrific event.

This is one of the more memorable books that I’ve read in a long time, so that’s why I’m giving this my Choice Award. The characters felt real and I could sense the tension and felt the fear that was written on each page.

Check out some other horror books I’ve reviewed!