by Alden Bell
pub: Tor
cover: Arcangel
At the point the story starts there has been a zombie apocalypse about 25 years earlier, the lead Temple, is around fifteen and has only ever known life with the slugs in it. Temple is a road warrior, always travelling and keeping just ahead of her own memories. She is adept at dealing not only with the zombies, but also the more human horrors of the road.
The writing is straight and bleak, fitting the world it describes. Temple is practical and tough dealing with the only world she has ever known, but there is a humanity to her that makes her more than just a kick ass heroine. She has a strange spirituality about her too, holding onto her belief in a slick God and she is utterly compelling.
The side characters, good, bad and something other cover the range of potential reactions to the strange new world giving a rich sense of realism. The descriptions of the road and the cities, some devastated, some simply abandoned are haunting and grounding at the same time.
This novel is utterly absorbing, bleak and dark but oddly optimistic too. I simply cannot recommend it enough, even if you don't think you like zombie novels, because really, that's just the back drop.
2 comments:
Almost finished this and omgosh I love it :D sorry about radio absence recently hopefully will fit in reviews soon :D xxx
no worries chick, isn't it awesome!!
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