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Amanda Feral #3
Battle of the Network Zombies
In Seattle's undead circles, populated by werewolves, devils, and rampaging yetis, Amanda Feral is one of the beautiful zombies. But to maintain her stylish rep, Amanda needs cash. The quickest way: appear on the reality show, American Minions, hosted by lecherous wood nymph Johnny Birch. Soon, Amanda moves in to "Minions Mansion," crowded with immortal fame whores. But even the 24-7 video cameras can't catch everything. . .
When Johnny is found incinerated, Amanda channels her inner Miss Marple (minus the fugly cardigans) to find the culprit. Was it Hairy Sue, the white trash stripper yeti? Tanesha, the glamorous trannie werewolf? Angie, the Filipino vampire with a detachable head? Unveiling the killer in a heart-stopping finale won't just save the show from cancellation, it might just keep Amanda alive-or as close as a ghoul can get. . .
"Sexy, funny, and twisted. You've never read anything like this!" --Richelle Mead, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Happy Hour of the Damned
When Johnny is found incinerated, Amanda channels her inner Miss Marple (minus the fugly cardigans) to find the culprit. Was it Hairy Sue, the white trash stripper yeti? Tanesha, the glamorous trannie werewolf? Angie, the Filipino vampire with a detachable head? Unveiling the killer in a heart-stopping finale won't just save the show from cancellation, it might just keep Amanda alive-or as close as a ghoul can get. . .
"Sexy, funny, and twisted. You've never read anything like this!" --Richelle Mead, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Happy Hour of the Damned
288 pages, ebook
First published February 23, 2010
17 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Mark Henry
77 books371 followersMARK HENRY traded a career as a counselor to scar minds with his fiction. In stories clogged with sentient zombies, impotent sex demons, transsexual werewolves and ghostly goth girls, he irreverently processes traumatic issues brought on by premature exposure to horror movies, an unwholesome fetish for polyester and/or witnessing adult cocktail parties in the swingin' 70s. A developmental history further muddied by surviving earthquakes, typhoons, and two volcanic eruptions. He somehow continues to live and breathe in the oft maligned, yet not nearly as soggy as you’d think, Pacific Northwest, with his wife and four furry monsters that think they’re children and have a complete disregard for carpet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 10, 2016
I picked up this book from the library thinking it would be a fun comedy about the undead, however once I was a few chapters in did I realize that the book was aimed at a different crowd which didn't include me, one that would appreciate the sadistic humor and erotic necrophilia. Since I like to finish what I started, I continued reading. It wasn't until I was half-way through that I became immersed in the mystery of the events and the outcome of the characters.
The writer has created a fantastic setup of the supernatural realm where it seemingly exists within the living world. Most zombie books I've read are usually set in a distant apocalypse, where the zombies themselves are mindless creatures. However the zombies here seem to retain their personalities and memories of their past life. Thrown in the mix is a cultural blend of vampires, werewolf's, ghosts and fairy's which adds much more flavor as they all seem to have their differences and tensions with each other which adds to a much more intriguing story.
The main character herself "Amanda" puts up a bitchy attitude, but reading her side notes you can understand the reasoning behind this behavior and being surrounded by the sleazy characters in this world, one can also understand why she behaves this way. Underneath this tough exterior you can see glimpses of her humanity which I wish was delved into more. Actually I felt there is a lot of potential for this series which I wish was expanded on, such as the back-story's of the characters, their feelings regarding their previous life before they were zombified, the mechanics of how this supernatural realm operates and who the reapers are (we are just left with clues).
Overall I feel this book was most enjoyable, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to deviate from their comfort zone to try someone new and interesting.
The writer has created a fantastic setup of the supernatural realm where it seemingly exists within the living world. Most zombie books I've read are usually set in a distant apocalypse, where the zombies themselves are mindless creatures. However the zombies here seem to retain their personalities and memories of their past life. Thrown in the mix is a cultural blend of vampires, werewolf's, ghosts and fairy's which adds much more flavor as they all seem to have their differences and tensions with each other which adds to a much more intriguing story.
The main character herself "Amanda" puts up a bitchy attitude, but reading her side notes you can understand the reasoning behind this behavior and being surrounded by the sleazy characters in this world, one can also understand why she behaves this way. Underneath this tough exterior you can see glimpses of her humanity which I wish was delved into more. Actually I felt there is a lot of potential for this series which I wish was expanded on, such as the back-story's of the characters, their feelings regarding their previous life before they were zombified, the mechanics of how this supernatural realm operates and who the reapers are (we are just left with clues).
Overall I feel this book was most enjoyable, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to deviate from their comfort zone to try someone new and interesting.
March 8, 2016
was ok
February 21, 2018
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to like the other two books in the series. Henry is a solid writer with a firm grasp of the English language, the ability to weave a tight, if cheesy, plot, and his characters are enjoyable (though not necessarily likeable). That being said - the man needs to stop using footnotes. He uses footnotes as character asides to the reader, and they're everywhere. And it's one of the most obnoxious formats I have ever seen. I complained about it on the last two books of his as well. It takes you out of the story. It breaks continuity, and it makes suspension of disbelief neigh on impossible. You'd think by book three someone would have told him to stop it by now.
February 1, 2018
I think I had a hard time relating to any of these characters. Despite their living impairment statuses, they all live so much bigger and louder than I. But it didn't take away from the laughs that were had, and cringes that happened more often than not.
One thing that I have loved about all of the Amanda Feral stories are the numbered asides. Those little tidbits really made it feel like a story was being actively told
In the end, I think I like my female leads either nerdy or action hero-y. Fashionistas just confound and confuse me. But give Amanda Feral's story a go, maybe it will speak to you more than me.
One thing that I have loved about all of the Amanda Feral stories are the numbered asides. Those little tidbits really made it feel like a story was being actively told
In the end, I think I like my female leads either nerdy or action hero-y. Fashionistas just confound and confuse me. But give Amanda Feral's story a go, maybe it will speak to you more than me.
October 11, 2019
This seemed like a fun story, but it wasn't for me. I can't fault it for being what it is. The writing seemed pretty solid up to where I decided to set it aside.
May 11, 2020
I think the Amanda feral series has run its course for me.
September 25, 2013
Amanda Feral is back, but not as triumphant as she would like. Her advertising agency is on the verge of closing down. Her boyfriend leaves her because her celebrity status and material wealth is more important to her than their relationship. Then her car gets repossessed; she loses her condo; and she still owes oodles of money to the Reapers for fixing her up. Sleazebag wood nymph Johnny Birch offers Amanda her last chance for success as a judge on his new reality show American Minions. Although she hates his fairy guts, she takes the offer. The show doesn't go as planned when Johnny Birch is found murdered, but Amanda doesn't let it put an end to the show. In a stroke of genius (or self preservation), she turns it into a reality murder mystery. It could be any of the very colorful cast of characters, including a white trash stripper, a drag queen werewolf, and a very powerful voodoo witch. Let's hope she can catch the killer before she's next on their list.
The Amanda Feral series has been a guilty pleasure for me. It's so sleazy and dirty, but fun at the same time. I like Amanda even though she kind of a horrible person. She has grown over the course of the last 2 books and even humbled a little bit due to her crippling debt. Even though she's still very judgmental and quick to make biting comments, she actually reflects on how it might affect the people she loves and is even known to apologize for hurting them. Everyone else she hurts can die for all she cares. She's the same Amanda from previous books, just with a little more heart. I like that she has no remorse over eating people. It's a necessity to her survival, so why feel guilty? There is no typical paranormal romance angst here, which is refreshing.
I liked how the supernatural world was effected by real world woes. Amanda's company is circling the drain and verging on bankruptcy. Her boss is demanding and practically the only person that makes her feel inferior. She also owes quite a bit of money to the Reapers for specialized health care. Obviously, she can't just waltz into a regular hospital and the Reapers don't seem to take any sort of insurance, so it's all extremely expensive. Many people can relate to her predicament because of the state of the economy and our fucked up health care system.
I had quite a few problems with this book. The colorful cast of characters was really fun. I especially like Tanesha Jones the drag wolf and Maiko the beautiful Japanese smoke ghost. However, the new characters didn't get a lot of time to shine and their potential went untapped. Wendy is annoying and didn't really need to be in the story at all. Parts of the story were frankly hard to follow and needed some editing. I was underwhelmed by the ending and the story in the appendix was just a weird, disturbing way to end. I get that it was a glimpse into the formative years of Amanda Feral, but I just don't think it should be the last thing I ever read about her. Lastly, I hate this cover with a passion.
Battle of the Network Zombies is my least favorite of the series. I still enjoyed it, but it was lacking compared to the previous two books. It had a lot of potential, but didn't manage to deliver. I still very much enjoy Mark Henry's writing and will read whatever he writes next.
The Amanda Feral series has been a guilty pleasure for me. It's so sleazy and dirty, but fun at the same time. I like Amanda even though she kind of a horrible person. She has grown over the course of the last 2 books and even humbled a little bit due to her crippling debt. Even though she's still very judgmental and quick to make biting comments, she actually reflects on how it might affect the people she loves and is even known to apologize for hurting them. Everyone else she hurts can die for all she cares. She's the same Amanda from previous books, just with a little more heart. I like that she has no remorse over eating people. It's a necessity to her survival, so why feel guilty? There is no typical paranormal romance angst here, which is refreshing.
I liked how the supernatural world was effected by real world woes. Amanda's company is circling the drain and verging on bankruptcy. Her boss is demanding and practically the only person that makes her feel inferior. She also owes quite a bit of money to the Reapers for specialized health care. Obviously, she can't just waltz into a regular hospital and the Reapers don't seem to take any sort of insurance, so it's all extremely expensive. Many people can relate to her predicament because of the state of the economy and our fucked up health care system.
I had quite a few problems with this book. The colorful cast of characters was really fun. I especially like Tanesha Jones the drag wolf and Maiko the beautiful Japanese smoke ghost. However, the new characters didn't get a lot of time to shine and their potential went untapped. Wendy is annoying and didn't really need to be in the story at all. Parts of the story were frankly hard to follow and needed some editing. I was underwhelmed by the ending and the story in the appendix was just a weird, disturbing way to end. I get that it was a glimpse into the formative years of Amanda Feral, but I just don't think it should be the last thing I ever read about her. Lastly, I hate this cover with a passion.
Battle of the Network Zombies is my least favorite of the series. I still enjoyed it, but it was lacking compared to the previous two books. It had a lot of potential, but didn't manage to deliver. I still very much enjoy Mark Henry's writing and will read whatever he writes next.
May 4, 2010
The plot is fairly original, even in the paranormal subgenres that have emerged in recent years, but there are several issues I have with the text, the major one being that, though it's supposed to have been written first-person from the point of view of a callous, jaded, money-hungry, celebrity-hounding ad executive (Amanda Feral), it reads like it was written by an adolescent boy with a preoccupation with aberrant sexual habits and bodily functions (as so many adolescent boys are):
1. It's very, very gory, and not necessarily with any real purpose. Zombies may have to eat, but you don't have to describe every slurp.
2. References lots of kink in rather graphic ways. I did not enjoy that. Much of the kink (much of the entire text, in fact) is just plain gross.
3. Misused/misspelled words: "since" for "sense"; "effect" for "affect." I CRINGE.
There are other serious issues as well:
1. Lots of unexplained jargon. Sometimes you can get it contextually, but sometimes not. There isn't even an explanation about being a zombie - how she got that way, what it's like, etc. Eventually you kinda pick it up in bits and pieces, but it requires a bit of thoughtful follow-through and this really is not the book for that.
2. Several characters are introduced without much explanation for who they are in Amanda's life. Eventually you might pick this up, but you're left wondering for quite a while. For example, her mother appears periodically in the story and always in hateful, derogatory terms. There is no hint of a history for the relationship and you have no idea why she hates her mother so very, very much.
3. Disjointed sentences and extremely poor editing. Several syntactical and grammatical errors that even a novice proofreader should have eliminated. The most egregious ones make my skin itch, but I've been able to just grit my teeth and soldier on.
4. Footnotes. EVERYWHERE. Apparently Mark Henry fell in love with the footnoterphone from The Eyre Affair and they are now carrying on a torrid and blissful romance in this book. And as lovers do, they completely ignore the fact that no one else wants to be party to their public displays of affection. He uses footnotes to communicate as the protagonist with the audience in asides which would be much better handled as parenthetical references right in the text. A couple of times it's cute, but most of the time it's irritating because it drags you out of the story and into Amanda's mental digression. Then you have to find your place again and try to jump back into the story, remembering what you were reading before the rude interruption. The other bad point is that most of these little trickles of semi-consciousness are perfectly inane and do not add anything to the story whatsoever, except to emphasize Amanda's highly acerbic nature.
Because of its original premise, and the unique creatures in the book, it has the potential of being an excellent read, but it requires heavy editing. I would be wary of anything else coming from Kensington Publishers. I hope this is not a sample of their best editing.
1. It's very, very gory, and not necessarily with any real purpose. Zombies may have to eat, but you don't have to describe every slurp.
2. References lots of kink in rather graphic ways. I did not enjoy that. Much of the kink (much of the entire text, in fact) is just plain gross.
3. Misused/misspelled words: "since" for "sense"; "effect" for "affect." I CRINGE.
There are other serious issues as well:
1. Lots of unexplained jargon. Sometimes you can get it contextually, but sometimes not. There isn't even an explanation about being a zombie - how she got that way, what it's like, etc. Eventually you kinda pick it up in bits and pieces, but it requires a bit of thoughtful follow-through and this really is not the book for that.
2. Several characters are introduced without much explanation for who they are in Amanda's life. Eventually you might pick this up, but you're left wondering for quite a while. For example, her mother appears periodically in the story and always in hateful, derogatory terms. There is no hint of a history for the relationship and you have no idea why she hates her mother so very, very much.
3. Disjointed sentences and extremely poor editing. Several syntactical and grammatical errors that even a novice proofreader should have eliminated. The most egregious ones make my skin itch, but I've been able to just grit my teeth and soldier on.
4. Footnotes. EVERYWHERE. Apparently Mark Henry fell in love with the footnoterphone from The Eyre Affair and they are now carrying on a torrid and blissful romance in this book. And as lovers do, they completely ignore the fact that no one else wants to be party to their public displays of affection. He uses footnotes to communicate as the protagonist with the audience in asides which would be much better handled as parenthetical references right in the text. A couple of times it's cute, but most of the time it's irritating because it drags you out of the story and into Amanda's mental digression. Then you have to find your place again and try to jump back into the story, remembering what you were reading before the rude interruption. The other bad point is that most of these little trickles of semi-consciousness are perfectly inane and do not add anything to the story whatsoever, except to emphasize Amanda's highly acerbic nature.
Because of its original premise, and the unique creatures in the book, it has the potential of being an excellent read, but it requires heavy editing. I would be wary of anything else coming from Kensington Publishers. I hope this is not a sample of their best editing.
February 26, 2010
Stylish Amanda Feral has found herself with a bit of a problem – lack of funds. To keep her zombie self in the height of fashion takes work, and money. Even more important than her designer clothes is her body, which takes work to keep the scratches, gashes and body parts all intact. When a zombie gets a boo-boo it doesn’t heal, and they must turn to the reapers to patch them up, which comes with a high price tag. The reapers want payment – now. Amanda’s advertising firm took a turn for the worse when it was discovered that their new product, Necrophilique contained large amounts of fecal matter – not too attractive to prospective buyers.
All is not lost though – the resourceful Amanda has been invited on to a supernatural reality show, American Minions. Seeing the potential for a lot of money to be made, she reluctantly agrees. Wendy wiggles her way on the show as well, and the two of them get a little more than they bargained for when the host of the show turns up dead. Refusing to admit defeat (and just a little scared of the reapers) Amanda and Wendy take over the camera.
Meanwhile, Gil is battling a “gift” that a fellow lover left for him (involves painful urination, something Gil hasn’t done for decades) and Amanda and her sexy werewolf lover Scott find their relationship on the rocks. Amanda has plans to win him back - never underestimate a zombie on a mission.
Battle of the Network Zombies is the third installment in the Amanda Feral series and again, a wonderfully witty, fun book. Amanda must deal with her lack of money and her rotting body. For as snobby and stylish Amanda is, her body is a rotting time bomb. Any damage her body receives, even as little as a scratch, does not heal. So she is at the mercy of the reapers to fix her up, and that costs money. I love the contradiction to Amanda who is so fixated on looks and so quick to judge, yet underneath her designer duds is skin so pale and grey, and rotting breath. She accepts being a zombie full force, yet, she really does have to deal with disgusting issues.
Her relationship with Scott goes much deeper in this book, as he decides he has had enough of her shallow attempt at a relationship. When Scott walks away, Amanda dare I say, is sad. She realizes what she lost and is determined to get him back. Their love story is sweet in this book, and I found myself rooting for them to get back together.
Wendy and Gil round out the trio. Wendy is still battling her chocolate addiction and is there to support Amanda in her own special way. Gil is also looking for love, although his recent lover gave him more than he bargained for, he finds someone in an unlikely time.
In the past month, I have read all three books in the Amanda Feral series and I have enjoyed them so much. They bring something different to the urban fantasy genre, and I really hope we have not read the last of this great series.
All is not lost though – the resourceful Amanda has been invited on to a supernatural reality show, American Minions. Seeing the potential for a lot of money to be made, she reluctantly agrees. Wendy wiggles her way on the show as well, and the two of them get a little more than they bargained for when the host of the show turns up dead. Refusing to admit defeat (and just a little scared of the reapers) Amanda and Wendy take over the camera.
Meanwhile, Gil is battling a “gift” that a fellow lover left for him (involves painful urination, something Gil hasn’t done for decades) and Amanda and her sexy werewolf lover Scott find their relationship on the rocks. Amanda has plans to win him back - never underestimate a zombie on a mission.
Battle of the Network Zombies is the third installment in the Amanda Feral series and again, a wonderfully witty, fun book. Amanda must deal with her lack of money and her rotting body. For as snobby and stylish Amanda is, her body is a rotting time bomb. Any damage her body receives, even as little as a scratch, does not heal. So she is at the mercy of the reapers to fix her up, and that costs money. I love the contradiction to Amanda who is so fixated on looks and so quick to judge, yet underneath her designer duds is skin so pale and grey, and rotting breath. She accepts being a zombie full force, yet, she really does have to deal with disgusting issues.
Her relationship with Scott goes much deeper in this book, as he decides he has had enough of her shallow attempt at a relationship. When Scott walks away, Amanda dare I say, is sad. She realizes what she lost and is determined to get him back. Their love story is sweet in this book, and I found myself rooting for them to get back together.
Wendy and Gil round out the trio. Wendy is still battling her chocolate addiction and is there to support Amanda in her own special way. Gil is also looking for love, although his recent lover gave him more than he bargained for, he finds someone in an unlikely time.
In the past month, I have read all three books in the Amanda Feral series and I have enjoyed them so much. They bring something different to the urban fantasy genre, and I really hope we have not read the last of this great series.
September 11, 2011
As a child, Saturday mornings meant a big bowl of Lucky Charms and cartoons. I was a huge fan of Bugs and Friends. That’s no-brainer. However, there was another early morning favorite…Scooby Doo. I loved trying to solve the mystery before the rubber mask was pulled off to reveal the dastardly culprit. Mark Henry’s Amanda Feral series is replacing that empty spot in my adult (notice I didn’t say grown-up) heart.
I must come clean early and say that Battle of the Network Zombie is my least favorite so far. I’m not saying that it is a bad story; I liken it to a 20 point effort from Kobe Bryant. For most players, that is a good game. For Kobe…not so much. Mr. Henry set the bar high with his first two books and I just feel that Battle of the network zombies didn’t clear the height that he set by his past efforts.
After saying all that, make no mistake, Battle of the Network Zombies is still fun. For zombie snobs (of which I count myself as a member) I remind you that this is not standard fare. It is rude, snarky, and more than just a little nasty. Go into the series with an open mind. I would warn those easily offended, but seriously, we’re zombie fans…’nuff said.
Amanda and her friends are facing several problems in this current adventure. It seems the nation’s economic woes have filtered into the world of the supernatural as well. Lacking a comprehensive medical reform has taken its toll on the accident prone Amanda. Her boss, who may or may not be The Devil, is not pleased: that is the least of Amanda’s problems. There are rampaging stripper-yeti’s, evil, pre-pubescent, ponytail sporting little girls with fowler disposition than Tony Soprano, Amanda’s recently-turned-vampire mommy-dearest, a crazy voodoo woman…oh yeah, and a murder mystery.
Since the rules are fluid in the world Mark Henry has created, figuring out whodunit is a little bit wonky. The fun is watching over Amanda’s shoulder as the misfortunes pile up. At times, it did seem as if the story tried too hard to be necro-sexy #1 and drifted away from the normal hilarity. I only laughed out loud once or twice while reading Battle of the Network Zombies. That is above average compared to most books I read that try to be funny, but for a Mark Henry story, that number does not measure up.
Bottom line, the book was good. Not great, but good. I will still wait anxiously for the next installment. I have faith that Mr. Henry will not disappoint. Taste is a personal thing, and there just seems to be something missing. The story elements are in place for further misadventures, and I remain a fan of Amanda Feral. I still recommend the book, just not as highly as the first two.
#1Bing! Coined it! Readers of the series will understand. And really, if you’re reading the third review and have yet to read book one…then I’m glad that you don’t get the joke.
I must come clean early and say that Battle of the Network Zombie is my least favorite so far. I’m not saying that it is a bad story; I liken it to a 20 point effort from Kobe Bryant. For most players, that is a good game. For Kobe…not so much. Mr. Henry set the bar high with his first two books and I just feel that Battle of the network zombies didn’t clear the height that he set by his past efforts.
After saying all that, make no mistake, Battle of the Network Zombies is still fun. For zombie snobs (of which I count myself as a member) I remind you that this is not standard fare. It is rude, snarky, and more than just a little nasty. Go into the series with an open mind. I would warn those easily offended, but seriously, we’re zombie fans…’nuff said.
Amanda and her friends are facing several problems in this current adventure. It seems the nation’s economic woes have filtered into the world of the supernatural as well. Lacking a comprehensive medical reform has taken its toll on the accident prone Amanda. Her boss, who may or may not be The Devil, is not pleased: that is the least of Amanda’s problems. There are rampaging stripper-yeti’s, evil, pre-pubescent, ponytail sporting little girls with fowler disposition than Tony Soprano, Amanda’s recently-turned-vampire mommy-dearest, a crazy voodoo woman…oh yeah, and a murder mystery.
Since the rules are fluid in the world Mark Henry has created, figuring out whodunit is a little bit wonky. The fun is watching over Amanda’s shoulder as the misfortunes pile up. At times, it did seem as if the story tried too hard to be necro-sexy #1 and drifted away from the normal hilarity. I only laughed out loud once or twice while reading Battle of the Network Zombies. That is above average compared to most books I read that try to be funny, but for a Mark Henry story, that number does not measure up.
Bottom line, the book was good. Not great, but good. I will still wait anxiously for the next installment. I have faith that Mr. Henry will not disappoint. Taste is a personal thing, and there just seems to be something missing. The story elements are in place for further misadventures, and I remain a fan of Amanda Feral. I still recommend the book, just not as highly as the first two.
#1Bing! Coined it! Readers of the series will understand. And really, if you’re reading the third review and have yet to read book one…then I’m glad that you don’t get the joke.
April 18, 2013
3.5 stars
While I enjoyed this book, it failed to grab me as much as the first two entries in the Amanda Feral series (Happy Hour of the Damned and Road Trip of the Living Dead). I think my lessening enjoyment may actually be due to Amanda's snarkiness. Ordinarily, I love snarkiness, as it's so very humorous to me. However, in this third entry it was becoming juvenile. :-( However, Mark Henry did have Amanda "mature" a little bit; I was surprised and pleased to see her admit that she . The mystery of "Who Killed Johnny Birch?" wasn't as engaging as I thought it would be, either. Partly because I suspected that he and it turned out I was right. The denouement, on the other hand, was very enjoyable and surprising. For these two key story points to be predictable wasn't a good thing, especially as I am usually as mystified by events as the characters.
I did get a little confused as to who Lars was and when he came into the story. Gil's love life turns out to be mind-boggling in more ways than his penchant for needy men. :-) And lastly, the appendix at the end of the book was just bizarre. While I liked the story and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Amanda's younger (live human) life, I think it would have worked better as one of her "Interludes of the Bitter and Pathetic," though of course it wouldn't have been called such. (Perhaps "Intermission for a Fabulous Backstory" would have worked?) Part of the reason the appendix failed to wow me was because by the time I got to it, I had forgotten her earlier-in-the-book reference to it and so couldn't remember why she was telling us about Burt Friendly. As a result, the appendix lent a disjointed air to the book.
While I enjoyed this book, it failed to grab me as much as the first two entries in the Amanda Feral series (Happy Hour of the Damned and Road Trip of the Living Dead). I think my lessening enjoyment may actually be due to Amanda's snarkiness. Ordinarily, I love snarkiness, as it's so very humorous to me. However, in this third entry it was becoming juvenile. :-( However, Mark Henry did have Amanda "mature" a little bit; I was surprised and pleased to see her admit that she . The mystery of "Who Killed Johnny Birch?" wasn't as engaging as I thought it would be, either. Partly because I suspected that he and it turned out I was right. The denouement, on the other hand, was very enjoyable and surprising. For these two key story points to be predictable wasn't a good thing, especially as I am usually as mystified by events as the characters.
I did get a little confused as to who Lars was and when he came into the story. Gil's love life turns out to be mind-boggling in more ways than his penchant for needy men. :-) And lastly, the appendix at the end of the book was just bizarre. While I liked the story and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Amanda's younger (live human) life, I think it would have worked better as one of her "Interludes of the Bitter and Pathetic," though of course it wouldn't have been called such. (Perhaps "Intermission for a Fabulous Backstory" would have worked?) Part of the reason the appendix failed to wow me was because by the time I got to it, I had forgotten her earlier-in-the-book reference to it and so couldn't remember why she was telling us about Burt Friendly. As a result, the appendix lent a disjointed air to the book.
March 2, 2010
In the third installment of the Amanda Feral series Amanda is back, dirtier than ever. Her ad agency is on a downward spiral and her expense budget is in the toilet. In order to keep her condo and pay off her debt to the Reapers Amanda says yes to an opportunity to appear on a new reality show. Yet, things are never simple with Amanda and she finds herself in the middle of her very own murder mystery.
Amanda Feral books always makes me giggle and snort like kids do when they tell fart jokes. Battle of the Network Zombies was no different, it was funny, sarcastic, and disgusting. If you like crass humor with a side of wit, this series is for you.
Amanda and Wendy make a great crime solving duo even if when they seem to be at odds with one another. Gil once again provides comic relief and I found myself looking forward to his bits the most. He is definitely my favorite character of the series. Scott and Amanda’s relationship was a pleasant surprise and I look forward to more of him in the next book (fingers crossed!).
The book started off a bit slow for me, but the plot picked up the pace once wood nymphs started dying and the crazy character parade began. Amanda even shows signs of unexpected personal growth, proving her heart isn’t rotted out after all. Battle of the Network Zombies is another snort out loud story of zombies with killer fashion sense by Mark Henry. Fingers and toes crossed that Amanda Feral’s story doesn’t end here. Oh and the best part? Battle of the Network Zombies is only FREE for your kindle at Amazon right now. Go on, get the rest of the series too, you know you want to.
Amanda Feral books always makes me giggle and snort like kids do when they tell fart jokes. Battle of the Network Zombies was no different, it was funny, sarcastic, and disgusting. If you like crass humor with a side of wit, this series is for you.
Amanda and Wendy make a great crime solving duo even if when they seem to be at odds with one another. Gil once again provides comic relief and I found myself looking forward to his bits the most. He is definitely my favorite character of the series. Scott and Amanda’s relationship was a pleasant surprise and I look forward to more of him in the next book (fingers crossed!).
The book started off a bit slow for me, but the plot picked up the pace once wood nymphs started dying and the crazy character parade began. Amanda even shows signs of unexpected personal growth, proving her heart isn’t rotted out after all. Battle of the Network Zombies is another snort out loud story of zombies with killer fashion sense by Mark Henry. Fingers and toes crossed that Amanda Feral’s story doesn’t end here. Oh and the best part? Battle of the Network Zombies is only FREE for your kindle at Amazon right now. Go on, get the rest of the series too, you know you want to.
April 25, 2014
Reality shows are pretty crazy to begin with, but add in Amanda Feral and the insanity gets turned up to 11. Amanda agrees to be a judge on American Minions, which is kind of like a supernatural Big Brother, because she's broke. When the lecherous wood nymph host is killed inside the house, the show becomes a murder mystery instead, as her friend Wendy follows Amanda with a camera while she tries to catch the killer.
She also gets crime solving advice from her sometimes-boyfriend Scott, the former police officer. I enjoyed their attempts at rekindling the relationship, but the real stars are the residents of the reality show house. They include a yeti stripper named Hairy Sue, who we first meet in a redneck themed strip club, and a really likable cross dressing werewolf.
Meanwhile, Amanda's mother, now a vampire, has come back into her life, stolen her best friend and is trying to reconnect. She was a bad influence throughout Amanda's childhood, and time and undeath haven't helped much. Her products to promote her new business are both hilarious and just wrong. I didn't enjoy this storyline as much. But Amanda didn't like it either, so I suppose it's effective. I like Gil and wish he were back with the girls. He seems disloyal to forgive the mother just because she's a vampire now, after everything Amanda endured.
I have the same technical difficulties with the footnotes that I've had with the other Amanda Feral books, but I've just stopped reading them, or reading them in big chunks and then trying to remember where they went. Amanda's snark still comes through just fine.
She also gets crime solving advice from her sometimes-boyfriend Scott, the former police officer. I enjoyed their attempts at rekindling the relationship, but the real stars are the residents of the reality show house. They include a yeti stripper named Hairy Sue, who we first meet in a redneck themed strip club, and a really likable cross dressing werewolf.
Meanwhile, Amanda's mother, now a vampire, has come back into her life, stolen her best friend and is trying to reconnect. She was a bad influence throughout Amanda's childhood, and time and undeath haven't helped much. Her products to promote her new business are both hilarious and just wrong. I didn't enjoy this storyline as much. But Amanda didn't like it either, so I suppose it's effective. I like Gil and wish he were back with the girls. He seems disloyal to forgive the mother just because she's a vampire now, after everything Amanda endured.
I have the same technical difficulties with the footnotes that I've had with the other Amanda Feral books, but I've just stopped reading them, or reading them in big chunks and then trying to remember where they went. Amanda's snark still comes through just fine.
August 17, 2010
Pretty much the only reason I had this book was because it was a Kindle "Free Book of the Day," so I thought, "Why not?" I don't regret reading it, precisely, but I wish I had known a few things in advance. 1) This book was #3 in a series, so the main character--zombie Amanda Feral--makes several references to things that happened in previous books. Having not read books 1 and 2, I didn't know what she was talking about. Irritating. 2) This book had footnotes. As in the main character herself commenting on or clarifying something in the main text. In a paper copy of the book, this is fine. In the Kindle editon, however, one has to stop reading, move the cursor down to the footnote number, click on it, read the footnote, and then click back to the main text. There were over 100 such notes in this book, so it got a little old. 3) Sometimes, this author really sucks at writing dialogue. It was really only with one particular character. Whenever this guy would get going (he had a couple of short chapters where he was doing most of the talking), the dialogue often became stilted and unnatural. The quote marks indicated that these were the words coming out of his mouth, usually directed at Amanda Feral, but it would read something like this: "We were sitting on the couch. He glanced at me, his eyes smoldering. His hand moved seductively up my thigh, warming the skin through my jeans." WHO THE HELL TALKS LIKE THAT???? It was exceedingly distracting. I probably will not be reading another book by this author.
February 24, 2010
Amanda is back, bitchier than ever in Battle of The Network Zombies and I LOVED it! It's sad to think of this series ending, it so is... This book was hilarious!
Amanda is drowning in debt, she owes a lot of money to the Reapers, the supernatural version of Doctors, and the little bitches are trying to collect their money. What is a girl to do? Become a judge on a new Supernatural Reality Show, of course.
The craziness start even before we get to the show and it just gets more insane as we go along. All our beloved secondary characters are back, Wendy, Gil, Mr Kim, Honey, Scott, Ethel and much more. It was so great seeing all my favorite characters being creepier than ever hehe.
Amanda is extremely self centered and that takes a little getting used to, but in this book we got to see her mellow a little bit and I really enjoyed that. I Love Mark's writing, he has such a way with words and he is so creative, that makes it easy to get involved in that bizarre world he has created.
I have to say, it was really hard to keep this review spoiler free, but I did it! LOL
Amanda is drowning in debt, she owes a lot of money to the Reapers, the supernatural version of Doctors, and the little bitches are trying to collect their money. What is a girl to do? Become a judge on a new Supernatural Reality Show, of course.
The craziness start even before we get to the show and it just gets more insane as we go along. All our beloved secondary characters are back, Wendy, Gil, Mr Kim, Honey, Scott, Ethel and much more. It was so great seeing all my favorite characters being creepier than ever hehe.
Amanda is extremely self centered and that takes a little getting used to, but in this book we got to see her mellow a little bit and I really enjoyed that. I Love Mark's writing, he has such a way with words and he is so creative, that makes it easy to get involved in that bizarre world he has created.
I have to say, it was really hard to keep this review spoiler free, but I did it! LOL
January 14, 2010
In the deliciously vulgar third book in the Amanda Feral series, we see how far Miss Feral’s finances have taken a dive. Her car is repossessed, there’s all sorts of firings/layoff’s going on at Feral Inc. What’s a zombie to do when she gets offered the chance to judge a new reality show? Amanda judges for free people, why not get paid?! When Wood Nymph Johnny Birch is found murdered closely followed by the murders of two of the house guests, Amanda goes all Magnum PI, better dressed mind you and figures out who killed who.
This is some of Mark Henry’s best writing, it’s fast paced with Amanda’s trademark snark all included in hysterically funny footnotes. Never mind the “reality” supernatural tv show guide which was an excellent addition to the book, to bad they don’t really exist! I’d be all over that!
This is some of Mark Henry’s best writing, it’s fast paced with Amanda’s trademark snark all included in hysterically funny footnotes. Never mind the “reality” supernatural tv show guide which was an excellent addition to the book, to bad they don’t really exist! I’d be all over that!
April 15, 2010
Okay, I admit, I didn't know this was part of a series before I borrowed it from the library. The blurb on the back made it sound like a fun book and I've got nothing against vampires, zombies and other non-humans. I've enjoyed Carrie Vaughan's Kitty books, for example.
But I knew by the end of the first scene (set in an intentionally non-classy strip joint) that this book just wasn't for me. I might like books on the undead, but I can do without the gratuitous sexual references and foul language. Time to move on to something that's more me.
But I knew by the end of the first scene (set in an intentionally non-classy strip joint) that this book just wasn't for me. I might like books on the undead, but I can do without the gratuitous sexual references and foul language. Time to move on to something that's more me.
April 9, 2012
I'm not a prude, but this book had way to much nasty sex for me. Sex is ok when it fits into the story, but this was over the top trashy and disgusting in almost every paragraph. The concept of the undead world in our live world was somewhat interesting, but the main character Amanda is really not at all likeable. She's bitchy and super concerned with her appearance. I'm wondering if the man who wrote this book thinks that all women are concerned with are their looks and fashion. I know it's supposed to be funny, but it wasn't. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
November 19, 2009
(Advance Reading Copy)
So happy to see Amanda back and snarky as ever! To bolster her struggling finances, she agrees to judge a paranormal reality show... but then must figure out how to still make a buck when the obnoxious host is found incinerated. With the help of her fellow zombie chick Wendy, and (surprisingly) her newly vampirized and zombie strip-club-owner mother, Amanda sets out to solve the crime and keep herself in hot shoes and body repairs.
So happy to see Amanda back and snarky as ever! To bolster her struggling finances, she agrees to judge a paranormal reality show... but then must figure out how to still make a buck when the obnoxious host is found incinerated. With the help of her fellow zombie chick Wendy, and (surprisingly) her newly vampirized and zombie strip-club-owner mother, Amanda sets out to solve the crime and keep herself in hot shoes and body repairs.
June 22, 2012
A satisfying end to the Amanda Feral trilogy. Ms. Feral is just as feisty as ever, this time in the midst of bankruptcy issues and reality shows filled with new supernatural characters. As ever, working to keep her body from falling apart and looking gorgeous. I'm not sure why, but the reapers in this book seem even more frightening than previous books -- and Amanda's mother is in top form too. LOVED the whole trilogy, and am hoping for more Amanda books in the future (HINT HINT).
February 20, 2011
I was put off by the new cover art, I know that really shouldn't matter but I liked the cover art from the first two books very much and the cartoon look just didn't do it for me on the third, not classy enough for our Amanda...just my opinion. Usual Amanda shenanigans...and wicked quips, lot of fun.
August 6, 2010
A splendid conclusion to this irreverent series about a fashionista zombie and her BFF. Amanda tries her hand at mystery-solving when the host of American Minions, wood nymph Johnny Birch, is found murdered. Much mayhem and hilarity ensue in the now trademark Mark Henry style. This is a great read and I look forward to learning what Mr. Henry comes out with next.
August 14, 2011
Read this book 1st not knowing that it was part of a series and instantly fell in luv with the characters and the author ... So laugh riot funneh that I had to quiet myself while reading in public. Found myself talking about the book at length unable to put it down! ...
Recommended read for sure! ... A do not miss!
Recommended read for sure! ... A do not miss!
March 5, 2014
I like the concept of the book but found it almost unreadable. In fact, I didn't get past the fifth chapter. There are footnotes and insets throughout that were really annoying. The sentence structure was not my style. It was just too difficult to read. It was too violent and gory for my taste. I really wish I would have liked it.
February 9, 2010
Mark definitely takes his snark and his naughtiness to a new level in this book. Final line from my expanded review on my blog...
"This book is like having sex with a dislocated shoulder, it is really uncomfortable at times but you are having too much fun to stop."
"This book is like having sex with a dislocated shoulder, it is really uncomfortable at times but you are having too much fun to stop."
March 9, 2010
I loved this book! It was hilarious,sexy and full of swearing. Amanda is a zombie who works in showbiz and is making a supernatural reality tv show. Add a little murder, a transexual werewolf and a very unhygenic stripper and it makes one funny book.
January 13, 2011
I really like Mark Henrys snarky sense of humor and an interesting twist on zombies being in the regular world with jobs and friends. I would definitely recommend this book to zombie lovers who love mysteries and snarky humor.
August 23, 2013
Actually 2.5 stars but I'll round up and give the author the benefit of the doubt. It was okay but nothing special. As with too many series, this one got progressively worse. Thank goodness I only paid $3 for the book. Anything more and it would have been a waste of money.
July 14, 2015
This was my second time reading this book. As always, I enjoyed Amanda Feral's snark and catastrophes that bring about hilarious outcomes. My favorite character(s) in Amanda's world are the Reapers. Would love a book just on those scary demons(?)!!!
March 30, 2010
I won this book through Goodreads.com! This. Book. Was. Hilarious!!! I can't wait to read the first 2 books in the Amanda Feral series!!
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