The Wombat's Book Blog

I like reading. I like reading probably more than I like any other thing in the entire universe.

Siege

Siege - Rhiannon Frater So now, ghosts. Yep. Zombies and ghosts.

Could have worked. Didn't.

Every character is a stereotype. The saddest thing is that the plot (not this plot, but the plot of the whole series) had so much potential.

This one is definitely not getting a reread.

Fighting to Survive

Fighting to Survive - Rhiannon Frater More telling instead of showing. I was hoping that the writing would improve, but nope.

Also, if you are talking to your father, you can capitalise 'dad'. In all other cases, nope, no caps there. Same with mom.

Fire and Ash

Fire and Ash - Jonathan Maberry Really enjoyed it. Wish I could have spent more time with these characters.

The First Days: As the World Dies

The First Days: As the World Dies - Rhiannon Frater Not the best zombie novel I've ever read. Author does a lot of telling instead of showing.

Flesh and Bone

Flesh and Bone - Jonathan Maberry And now we have crazies who want to save everyone suffering by killing them.

I can kind of see it.

Dust and Decay

Dust and Decay - Jonathan Maberry Hunting a jet and signs of rebuilding, get chucked in a zombie pit instead. Ain't life in the zombie apocalypse grand?

Rot and Ruin

Rot and Ruin - Jonathan Maberry I don't know why I didn't finish this book the first time - it's grand fun to read.

Definitely going to check out Patient Zero (although from the blurbs of the following books the apocalypse gets averted, which... Nah.)

Fall of Night

Fall of Night - Jonathan Maberry I want to know what happens next! I mean, I know that this is a prequel to the rot & ruin books, buy I want to know what happens to these characters.

Dead of Night

Dead of Night - Jonathan Maberry I guess this is one way to do the zombie apocalypse.

The worms though... Ick.

I loved the descriptions of the consciousness of the zombies as they are helplessly trapped and eating people.

The Girl with All the Gifts

The Girl with All the Gifts - M.R. Carey That ending though...
SPOILER ALERT!

Islands of Rage and Hope

Islands of Rage and Hope - John Ringo They save Prince Harry from certain death in the Tower of London. I don't think I need to say any more, right? I mean, we all get it.

Also I'm pretty sure that one of the guys rescued from St. Barts is supposed to be Harrison Ford, but I could be wrong.

To Sail a Darkling Sea

To Sail a Darkling Sea - John Ringo So the start of this book was a bit problematic, what with the 'split' officer being forced to give it up to her compartment mates. I must be naïve, it took me quite a while to figure out what the hell a 'split' even is. So points for educating me, I guess?

Anyway the rest is pretty cool - blah blah fight zombies epic battles blah. Excellent fun. Really enjoyed it!

Still with the pop culture references, which make my day every time.

Under a Graveyard Sky

Under a Graveyard Sky - John Ringo My relationship with this book (and the series it belongs to) is...shall we say, complicated? Complicated covers a multitude of sins.

I tried to read this book, and gave up in disgust because, well, everyone was just too bloody badass! I'm serious here. Thirteen year olds with guns and...yeah.

What I'm trying to say is that this is not exactly the most realistic zombie novel ever, as far as that goes.

What it might be is the one that's the most fun.

The zombie fighting? Fun

The boating? Fun

Saving the world? Fun fun fun!

But the most fun thing is actually the incredible badassery of the main character (you don't think she's the main character for, like, the first 50 or so pages but trust me, she definitely is) Faith Smith.

Seriously.

Every person in this book took a level in badass.

And I could talk about the sort of sexist stuff going on, like all the women being pregnant but, you know what? I don't care. I like pregnant women. I've been a pregnant woman. And they're still badass, even when they occasionally have to take a break in zombie killing to toss their cookies.

Seveneves

Seveneves - Neal Stephenson Remember how I said in an earlier review that sometimes, you find a book that is just so awesome that you want to shove it in the face of everyone you have ever met and make them read it?

Well. I've found another one.

One of the best apocalyptic stories I've ever read, with the kind of nebulously hopeful ending I like.

Strands of Sorrow (Black Tide Rising)

Strands of Sorrow (Black Tide Rising) - John Ringo A much better finale to the series than the previous book would have been. Brilliant fun to read, especially the last part.

Can't really say much without spoiling it, but they find some people in D.C who aren't...let's say they're not entirely up to date with the status quo with regard to the shambling undead (who are neither shambling nor undead according to the canon, but fuck it, who cares anyway?)

Alas, Babylon

Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank I've been eyeballing this book for a while, wondering whether or not to read it.

I did, and it's just...well. I mean, I gave it five stars, so it's definitely not bad!

Being an older book it has its flaws - the racism is strong in the time period, and sexism is alive and well - but it's really a good story well written.

It may sound strange, being someone who reads a lot of apocalyptic fiction, but I like my apocalypses to end on a vaguely hopeful note, you know? Like, not 'everything is fixed now all go home,' but also not 'everybody died, the end.' I like the stories of the rebuilding, of salvaging something from the ashes. I like the stories where people overcome problems and build a new society.
This book does that very well, with just the right hopeful note to end on.