Review - Dead Girl's Blog by Donna Burgess

Dead Girl's Blog: Two Short Tales of Zombie Horror by Donna Burgess is a collection of 2 short stories, both dealing with zombies (which should be evident from the title, but you never know).

Warning: There be spoilers ahead!

Dead Girl's Blog by Donna Burgess

Blurb:

Meet Audrey Scott. She has it all. She’s the most popular girl at Lincoln High and dates Tommy Barker, the cutest boy in the senior class. She has a credit card with no limit, is head cheerleader and was probably going to be homecoming queen again this year—until she was bitten by a Deader. Worst part of it? He ruined her best jeans. But that’s just the tip of the putrid iceberg.

This story is exactly what it sounds like. It's a collection of blog entries from a self-involved, image conscious brat with no sense of responsibility who get bitten by a zombie. The blog is her account of her last few days as a human before the virus takes over.

I didn't enjoy this short story. While it was an interesting idea, chronicling the virus as it takes hold, there was no character growth. Audrey was a spoiled brat when bitten, and she was a spoiled brat when she turned. There was no inner realization, no sense of the brevity of life or what it means to be human, no character development at all unless you count the physical change from living to undead. Audrey was angry that her popularity declined as she started rotting, and remarked that the rejection she felt must be how she made "losers" feel when taunting them, but there was no sense of regret on her part. No understanding that, just like her, those she taunted deserved better treatment. There was no sense that she regretted her actions or grew as a person. Overall, while an interesting idea and format (I enjoyed the use of blog entries to convey the narrative), it felt rather pointless to me.

Burgess's writing and concept were solid. This story simply wasn't my cup of tea. Perhaps fans of straight YA horror would enjoy it more.

Rating: 2.5/5


Under a Blanket of Blue by Donna Burgess

Description:

Sam Clark is a loser. He spends his days immaturely passing the time and pissing off his wife, until the undead rise. When he happens upon his wife eating their toddler, it's time to hit the road. Journeying to his family home away from the coast, he runs into his first love. But are they really safe?

I enjoyed this short story far more than Dead Girl's Blog. Sam is self aware. He knows his limitations and weaknesses, and he accepts them. He knows he is not the kind of guy who can make it on his own in a zombie apocalypse, so he does what he has to. The story has an open ending, allowing the reader to decide what final action Sam has taken.

Rating: 3.5/5

This short story collection (is it a collection with only 2 stories?) is available on Nook and Kindle for only $.99 cents. Buy it for Under a Blanket of Blue. I would like to read more from this author.

~Lily

Review - Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter by Dan McGirt

Take a trip into the wonderful world of vampire/twilight plus political snark in Dan McGirt's novella Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter.

Blurb from site:

"Sarah Palin vs. Vampires! Vampire hunter Palin and her team visit Twinkle, Oregon a tiny town with a big vampire problem. For teenage Stella and her undead boyfriend Edmund (not to mention werewolf Jake) life--and unlife--will never be the same! A madcap mix of humor, horror, and wild guns-blazing vampire-fighting action!"

McGirt intended this story to be completely tongue-in-cheek sarcasm dripping goodness. Palin hunts Twilight-esque vampires in order to protect the American public in their natural habitat...Walmart. Oh yes, get your 'walmart feet' comments ready lol. Of course no Twilight parody would be complete without the werewolves, so they show up too. Even the infamous plumber from the presidential campaigns has a part and a woman that is...Tonya Harding, I believe? The political commentary of Palin and her "renegade" speak are front and center. The ending wasn't all I had hoped for; however, it was worth a few laughs. This story is not meant to be an in-depth, well-written, piece of prize winning fiction; it is a black humor snarkfest. As long as you go in with the right expectations, you will not be greatly disappointed. Bottom line, at a price of about 2 dollars, you really can't go wrong.

Rating: 2.5/5

~Helena

Recommendsday Review - Under Wraps by Emily Cale

Blurb:

For once, Dr. Aaron Prentiss' life is coming together. The arrival of a perfectly preserved mummy in his lab guarantees him tenure and a gorgeous woman is showing interest in him. Still, something seems out of place, mainly his mummy. Aaron doesn't believe in curses, but even he has his suspicions. For Adriel, the time to convince Aaron that curses exist is short. Once every hundred years she gets a three day window to try and break free of her mummified body. She knows that Dr. Prentiss can solve the mystery, but can she convince him before time runs out?

***Spoilers Ahead***

This is another one of those books I wanted to like so much more than I did. In the paranormal landscape, tales involving mummies are actually quite rare (considering it's hard to throw a stone in a bookstore without hitting a vampire book. Not that I throw stones in bookstores. Ok, I digress). To make the plot even more unique, the mummy in question is not Egyptian. It's from South America. Emily Cale had a unique paranormal idea on her hands.

Great set-up, interesting premise, poor execution.

It's not that Cale's writing style has any major flaws. There are a few instances of telling instead of showing, and a few places where the shift in POV threw me, but overall I really, really liked Cale's voice. The primary problem for me was length. It was simply too much story to cram into this short a format without hurting it. The actions, reactions, and even resolution simply happened too quickly, without enough background, emotion, or motivation to make them realistic and engaging.

Even so, in this short length Cale was able to make me care about the characters, care enough that I wanted to see more of what they were going through. I wanted to know about Adriel's life before she died and became a mummy. Why was she cursed? What had it been like for her, only getting a few days of life every hundred years? What did she suffer as a result of the failures of those who had tried to free her previously? Her back story could be so rich and wonderful, it saddens me that we don't see it explored on the page. And with Aaron, I wanted to see more of the internal conflict; how a man of science could come to accept an occurrence everyone in the scientific community would regard as ridiculous folklore. Not to mention, what happens after the resolution? This is not a story where the hero and heroine can ride off into the sunset without further comment. I want to know how Aaron and Adriel made their HEA work.

Like I said, I'm saddened by the amount of story that went untold. I hope Ms Cale chooses a longer format for her next book, because I'm sure she could keep readers riveted. Her ideas are great, we just need to see further exploration of them on the page.

Rating: 2.5/5 (I so want to give it a 3 because I did enjoy it, but in fairness I can't)

~Lily

Review - Steamed

From Katie MacAlister's site:

"Computer technician Jack Fletcher is no hero, despite his unwelcome reputation as one. In fact, he's just been the victim of bizarre circumstances. Like now. His sister happens to disturb one of his nanoelectromechanical system experiments, and now they aren't where they're supposed to be. In fact, they're not sure where they are when…


…they wake up to see a woman with the reddest hair Jack has ever seen-and a gun. Octavia Pye is an Aerocorps captain with a whole lot of secrets, and she's not about to see her maiden voyage ruined by stowaways. But the sparks flying between her and Jack just may cause her airship to combust and ignite a passion that will forever change the world as she knows it…"


This is the first story of Katie MacAlister's that I've read. And while I adore almost everything steampunk, I'm afraid I didn't like this story as much as I had hoped.

First, the good: MacAlister pays fine attention to detail in the creation of her steampunk world. The language, slang, technical terminology, history, and explanation of machinery all set the scene of a multi-layered alternative universe in which electricity is deemed too dangerous to be used in home and business. This part of the story is executed skillfully. Also, the twist involving Octavia and her past is foreshadowed so subtly early on, that I didn't even realize it was coming until the reveal at the end. Very well done.

At the same time, I think the primary story has holes in it. Not enough to kill the overall enjoyment of the tale, but enough to leave nagging little doubts in my head after I finished reading. For me, Jack accepts his place in the steampunk world far too easily. I think his sister's reaction more likely, even with Jack's scientific interest in the world, and his sexual interest in Octavia. The frequent steampunk references are kind of hokey, like a megaphone in the ear announcing "THIS STORY IS A STEAMPUNK STORY!". I also think there is a great deal of buildup involving Octavia's past lovers and the conspiracies of the world that don't really go anywhere. Jack's jealousy where Octavia is concerned seems forced, and the way he speaks to her, especially in front of others, rings somewhat false. Finally, for me at least, it is hard to believe how frequently Jack is able to disregard his sister's kidnapping to hookup with Octavia under the pretense of "we've done all we can for now, might as well have sex." I would have liked to see a bit more concern from him, as well as more purposeful action taken to save the poor girl, and less coincidence.

Overall, the tone of the story is a bit too flippant for my tastes. I realize this is a personal preference, and although the light, comedic nature of the story didn't work for me, it may be a draw for others. I find that while I enjoyed the individual story components, the whole seemed somehow less than the sum of its parts. For example, I loved the eccentric, over-the-top secondary characters. In the course of the story, however, their actions seem at odds with the strict adherence to protocol and rigid standards initially purported by Octavia. I just can't believe that she'd let her crew act so unprofessionally. It doesn't seem in her nature, and it became an element that bothered me for the course of the story.

I didn't hate Steamed by any means, but it isn't something I see myself rereading in the future. I've consistantly heard good things about MacAlister's writing and I fully plan on giving some of her other series a try. Steamed just didn't work for me.

Rating: 2.5/5

~Lily

Review - The Vampire Affair by Livia Reasoner

From Silhouette Nocturne:

"The world knew Michael Brandt as a playboy tycoon. The underworld knew him as a fierce vampire hunter. Armed with a wooden stake and superior strength, Michael targeted the most powerful overlords in a clandestine do-or-die operation…and then tabloid reporter Jessie Morgan uncovered his secret.

Only once before had Michael allowed a woman into his secret lair. Now he'd fight heaven and hell to keep Jessie from the same fate. But he couldn't fight the attraction that drew him to her like a bloodlust. An attraction that might prove deadly…or worse. For Michael was going up against the most powerful of the undead—and that vampire had his fangs bared for Jessie."

The Vampire Affair by Livia Reasoner is a quick read that hearkens back to the classic days of paranormal romance, when vamps were evil minions of darkness and slayers were the called upon dispensers of holy justice. Enter Michael Brandt, the alpha-male hero who's a flamboyant playboy by day and a superhuman crime fighter by night. He's kinda like batman without the latex. And, unfortunately, without the dark, brooding sex appeal.

While Jessie Morgan is a feisty heroine who all but leaps off the page, Brandt didn't became anything other than a romantic archetype. Emotions and motivations were hung on him like clothing, but he never really donned them. Because of this, the romance between Brandt and Jessie just seems a little...flat. The love story is best described as the difference between watching a play in person and hearing a recap of a play from a friend who saw it. The story may be the same, but the level of engagement doesn't even compare. And the subplot dealing with Brandt's previous lover and her tragic fate feels forced. The secondary characters, Brandt's sidekicks and Jessie's grandmother, are scene stealers. Partly because they are very well written, and partly because the action between the main characters simply isn't engrossing enough to keep readers focused solely on the main storyline.

The Vampire Affair is by no means a bad or boring story, it simply doesn't live up to the potential you can feel on the page. If this were a single title (with a large word count) I think it could be a more engaging and intricate story. As a category story, however, the word count limits seemed to restrain what could be a truly fantastic paranormal romance.

Rating: 2.5/5

~Lily