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Zombie Boyz #1-3
Zombie Boyz
Board up the windows, push an old dresser against the door and load your shotgun. A zombie apocalypse is about to hit Wilde City, and if you want the best survival tips, six of Wilde City’s boys are here to help.
You’ll never want to exercise again as Eric Arvin and TJ Klune turn a gym full of hunks into a smorgasbord of terror in GHOUL’S GYM.
Gather your friends and fight for the man you love, as Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine turn Vegas into a zombie nightmare in SURVIVING SIN CITY.
And bring a date to dinner to celebrate Grumpy Grampy’s 90th birthday and introduce your family to your new zombie boyfriend in Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day’s GUESS WHO’S COMING AT DINNER.
You’ll scream with terror and howl with laughter as Wilde City’s boys bring you our first undead anthology ZOMBIE BOYZ.
You’ll never want to exercise again as Eric Arvin and TJ Klune turn a gym full of hunks into a smorgasbord of terror in GHOUL’S GYM.
Gather your friends and fight for the man you love, as Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine turn Vegas into a zombie nightmare in SURVIVING SIN CITY.
And bring a date to dinner to celebrate Grumpy Grampy’s 90th birthday and introduce your family to your new zombie boyfriend in Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day’s GUESS WHO’S COMING AT DINNER.
You’ll scream with terror and howl with laughter as Wilde City’s boys bring you our first undead anthology ZOMBIE BOYZ.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 17, 2013
4 people are currently reading
857 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Klune
69 books61.6k followersTJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 17, 2016
Wow! Just WOW!!!
As much as the first story made me laugh, the last one has made me cry equally hard! I loved all three books. Each of them has a different theme, different plots for zombies, but they're all equally good. But because I'm a suckler for strong emotions, I am declaring the last one my favourite. I'm left reeling by its ending. An awesome anthology!!!!!
Ok, now that I have slept for a while, I can elaborate on all three stories.
1. Guess Who's Coming At Dinner - This story is a laughing crackpot right from the first line! I feel sad to say that because of my personal life, I couldn't do this story proper justice by inhaling it in a single read. It actually took me over a week of sporadically managing to read a couple of sentences a day to finish it! But it was all worth it. It kept me entertained all through the week! Amazing new take on zombies, for me. Not that I am an expert on this genre after reading a couple books on it! ;-)
2. Surviving Sin City - Hmm, this one was a tricky, bumpy, serious ride after all the fun in the previous story. We got to know deep about the zombies. It was a great effort, and it was amazing to read. How both the MCs will get together at the end after all the fights they have, how they will beat this apocalypse. Great read, this one.
3. Ghoul's Gym - Whoooaaa!
Forewarning: A lot of gore ahead. Read at your own risk!
This story was kickass! I was constantly on the edge of my seat because the plot takes a negative turn right at the beginning. And that's what made it even more exciting to read, because then you are forever vigilant for how the MCs will meet up and reconcile and get together and beat this apocalypse. The ending is totally not what I was expecting (read: was hoping for). But I still love this one the most, even though I would like to tell the handful of people who read my reviews that the first one is competing for the 'favourite' position against this third book.
As much as the first story made me laugh, the last one has made me cry equally hard! I loved all three books. Each of them has a different theme, different plots for zombies, but they're all equally good. But because I'm a suckler for strong emotions, I am declaring the last one my favourite. I'm left reeling by its ending. An awesome anthology!!!!!
Ok, now that I have slept for a while, I can elaborate on all three stories.
1. Guess Who's Coming At Dinner - This story is a laughing crackpot right from the first line! I feel sad to say that because of my personal life, I couldn't do this story proper justice by inhaling it in a single read. It actually took me over a week of sporadically managing to read a couple of sentences a day to finish it! But it was all worth it. It kept me entertained all through the week! Amazing new take on zombies, for me. Not that I am an expert on this genre after reading a couple books on it! ;-)
2. Surviving Sin City - Hmm, this one was a tricky, bumpy, serious ride after all the fun in the previous story. We got to know deep about the zombies. It was a great effort, and it was amazing to read. How both the MCs will get together at the end after all the fights they have, how they will beat this apocalypse. Great read, this one.
3. Ghoul's Gym - Whoooaaa!
Forewarning: A lot of gore ahead. Read at your own risk!
This story was kickass! I was constantly on the edge of my seat because the plot takes a negative turn right at the beginning. And that's what made it even more exciting to read, because then you are forever vigilant for how the MCs will meet up and reconcile and get together and beat this apocalypse. The ending is totally not what I was expecting (read: was hoping for). But I still love this one the most, even though I would like to tell the handful of people who read my reviews that the first one is competing for the 'favourite' position against this third book.
August 27, 2016
Ugh, I have such mixed emotions about this anthology. I am not a zombie fan OR a horror fan... so why did I read this one? I'll tell you why: T.J. Klune. That's it. I couldn't resist trying a story that has him collaborating with his boyfriend, Eric Arvin, who is extremely talented in his own right. I also was excited to read more Ethan Day and try out some other authors that I haven't read before.
I'll do a brief sum up of each story- my emotions mostly and my ratings:
1) "Guess Who's Coming at Dinner"
Rating: 4 stars for quality, 4 stars for enjoyment.
If I had to pick my type of zombie story, this would be it. I like my zombies kind of lovable and extra extra horny. Minimal guts and gore and lots of awkwardness and laughs. This was most most "enjoyable" out of the bunch.
2) "Surviving Sin City"
Rating: 4 stars for quality, 3 stars for enjoyment.
Now we are kind of creeping into horror territory and my comfort level goes way down. A real, down and dirty zombie apocalypse story with some hot sex thrown in to boot. I liked the MCs and their chemistry and really dug the shifting POVs. Well down all around here!
3) "Ghoul's Gym"
Rating: 5 stars for quality, 2.5 stars for enjoyment.
This one is the one that I had the hardest time with. By far. It is gory, so much so that I had to skim very very often. This is probably the reason my enjoyment level is so low, that and the fact that this story was a real tear-jerker. However, the collaboration between Eric and TJ? Just beautiful. The writing was fabulous- seamless and filled with emotion. I think these two men together are a force to be reckoned with. However, I think I'm going to stick with their non-rip-your-face-off fare from now on.
I'll do a brief sum up of each story- my emotions mostly and my ratings:
1) "Guess Who's Coming at Dinner"
Rating: 4 stars for quality, 4 stars for enjoyment.
If I had to pick my type of zombie story, this would be it. I like my zombies kind of lovable and extra extra horny. Minimal guts and gore and lots of awkwardness and laughs. This was most most "enjoyable" out of the bunch.
2) "Surviving Sin City"
Rating: 4 stars for quality, 3 stars for enjoyment.
Now we are kind of creeping into horror territory and my comfort level goes way down. A real, down and dirty zombie apocalypse story with some hot sex thrown in to boot. I liked the MCs and their chemistry and really dug the shifting POVs. Well down all around here!
3) "Ghoul's Gym"
Rating: 5 stars for quality, 2.5 stars for enjoyment.
This one is the one that I had the hardest time with. By far. It is gory, so much so that I had to skim very very often. This is probably the reason my enjoyment level is so low, that and the fact that this story was a real tear-jerker. However, the collaboration between Eric and TJ? Just beautiful. The writing was fabulous- seamless and filled with emotion. I think these two men together are a force to be reckoned with. However, I think I'm going to stick with their non-rip-your-face-off fare from now on.
March 16, 2018
Posted at Shelf Inflicted
I was a huge fan of The Walking Dead. I’m not sure what happened in the last few seasons. While I am happy that Rick’s gang is no longer a passive victim of Negan’s menacing Saviors, I’ve become unhappy with the show’s direction. The episodes feel long and drawn out, with no surprises or forward momentum. There are far too many secondary characters that I’ve lost track of them, plot threads left dangling, and weak dialogues. Yet, I will continue to watch until the end. Despite their predictability, I enjoy zombie stories for their exploration of human behavior when society falls apart, the challenges of survival when vital supplies diminish and zombies multiply, and the violence and mindless action that allows one to escape from the world’s problems for a little while.
Zombie Boyz is a collection of three very different zombie tales:
Who’s Coming at Dinner ★★★★
Told from the perspective of geeky teenager, Chandler Cox, we get to meet his hunky jock boyfriend, Zane Addison, celebrate his grandma’s 90th birthday, and learn why eating hamburgers is bad for you. I love how this starts with a birthday party and ends with a birthday party. This is a lighthearted and very humorous zombie romance that focuses less on gore and more on family relationships, falling in love, coming out, and...coming. Chandler’s family was priceless.
Surviving Sin City ★★★
Though this was more of a classic zombie tale, strong characterization and blistering action scenes made it shine. Told in alternating perspectives by Kaleb and Cooper, we get to see how both their worlds gradually fall apart. They were so peevish and Cooper so fiercely independent that it took some time for them to grow on me. There was hot sex too. Fear not, dear readers, no zombies were involved.
Ghoul’s Gym ★★★★★
Uly and Jake are going through a little rough patch. Despite that, there is no question that after a year they are still deeply in love and have an agreement not to go to bed angry. While this is by far the most romantic story in this collection, there is plenty of gore, erotica and despair to go around. After meeting the Alphabet Twinks, you will never look at zombies the same way again. This exquisitely written story was a balm for my horror-loving and romantic soul and definitely a unique take on zombies!
I was a huge fan of The Walking Dead. I’m not sure what happened in the last few seasons. While I am happy that Rick’s gang is no longer a passive victim of Negan’s menacing Saviors, I’ve become unhappy with the show’s direction. The episodes feel long and drawn out, with no surprises or forward momentum. There are far too many secondary characters that I’ve lost track of them, plot threads left dangling, and weak dialogues. Yet, I will continue to watch until the end. Despite their predictability, I enjoy zombie stories for their exploration of human behavior when society falls apart, the challenges of survival when vital supplies diminish and zombies multiply, and the violence and mindless action that allows one to escape from the world’s problems for a little while.
Zombie Boyz is a collection of three very different zombie tales:
Who’s Coming at Dinner ★★★★
Told from the perspective of geeky teenager, Chandler Cox, we get to meet his hunky jock boyfriend, Zane Addison, celebrate his grandma’s 90th birthday, and learn why eating hamburgers is bad for you. I love how this starts with a birthday party and ends with a birthday party. This is a lighthearted and very humorous zombie romance that focuses less on gore and more on family relationships, falling in love, coming out, and...coming. Chandler’s family was priceless.
Surviving Sin City ★★★
Though this was more of a classic zombie tale, strong characterization and blistering action scenes made it shine. Told in alternating perspectives by Kaleb and Cooper, we get to see how both their worlds gradually fall apart. They were so peevish and Cooper so fiercely independent that it took some time for them to grow on me. There was hot sex too. Fear not, dear readers, no zombies were involved.
Ghoul’s Gym ★★★★★
Uly and Jake are going through a little rough patch. Despite that, there is no question that after a year they are still deeply in love and have an agreement not to go to bed angry. While this is by far the most romantic story in this collection, there is plenty of gore, erotica and despair to go around. After meeting the Alphabet Twinks, you will never look at zombies the same way again. This exquisitely written story was a balm for my horror-loving and romantic soul and definitely a unique take on zombies!
October 28, 2014
Zombie Boyz is a collection of three short stories. They all have a common theme - zombies, duh! - but are very different from each other. So they deserve their own mini-reviews.
1) "Guess Who's Coming at Dinner" by Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day
1-29% of the book
***** 5 favorite-story stars *****
First of all, the start was a bit confusing before I realized it started with a glimpse of the present, and then going back to the beginning.
Anyway...
THIS.WAS.SO.FUNNY!
The writing, the descriptions, the characters. So over the top! LMAO!
My stomach still hurts from laughing so hard!
Please check my updates. :)
But also, so sweet! It's more "awww" than "ewww"!
A definitely recommended read!
2) "Surviving Sin City" by Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
29-67 % of the book
** 2 meh.. stars **
Kind of a classic zombie tale (whatever that is :P)
It didn't work for me, though. I didn't connect with the characters. Kind of exciting with the zombies, especially with the "super zombies", but it could have been made into so much more. From the middle maybe, or towards the end at least, I was skimming the pages wishing it to end. And this was suppose to be the most thrilling part! And I also skimmed the smexy scenes! Yes, I know. ME skipping sex scenes?! WTF?
..'twas disappointing. :-/
3) "Ghoul's Gym" by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
67-98% of the book
*** 3 horrifyingly hilarious stars ***
Wow, this sure was something else! This was a blood-splatter-gore-fun-fest galore, Deluxe edition!
This was like taking a emotional roller coaster where it's a bit angst in the beginning, like "how will this end?" and it builds and builds, turning creepy before you reach the top and you know something's going to happen. Then the top is right there, you can't get away and the ride totally takes off!
Aaaaaaaahhhh!
It's exhilarating! Horrifying! Awful and awesome!
It feels ridiculous, your eyes are squinting and you're squealing. Laughing hysterically the whole way, being totally freaked out and maybe throws up a little in your mouth.
When the ride is over it grinds to a heart wrenching halt, and you're sitting there, panting, eyes wide and your hair's a mess. And thenyou I f'ing cry over the ending!
Wait, was this a gory zombie story or a great love story? Huh?
Teaser moments from this book:
"A gym bunny with ankles in the air." LOL!
A blow job gone bad, reaaaaaly bad! I'm so glad I'm not a guy right now. Phew!
The Alphabeth Twinks? Oh my god... a whole new LEVEL of creepy.
The water polo scene? (cannot describe the expression on my face)
"I remember him now. Him. My heart. My soul." *bites lip to stop me from crying*
1) "Guess Who's Coming at Dinner" by Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day
1-29% of the book
***** 5 favorite-story stars *****
First of all, the start was a bit confusing before I realized it started with a glimpse of the present, and then going back to the beginning.
Anyway...
THIS.WAS.SO.FUNNY!
The writing, the descriptions, the characters. So over the top! LMAO!
My stomach still hurts from laughing so hard!
Please check my updates. :)
But also, so sweet! It's more "awww" than "ewww"!
A definitely recommended read!
2) "Surviving Sin City" by Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
29-67 % of the book
** 2 meh.. stars **
Kind of a classic zombie tale (whatever that is :P)
It didn't work for me, though. I didn't connect with the characters. Kind of exciting with the zombies, especially with the "super zombies", but it could have been made into so much more. From the middle maybe, or towards the end at least, I was skimming the pages wishing it to end. And this was suppose to be the most thrilling part! And I also skimmed the smexy scenes! Yes, I know. ME skipping sex scenes?! WTF?
..'twas disappointing. :-/
3) "Ghoul's Gym" by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
67-98% of the book
*** 3 horrifyingly hilarious stars ***
Wow, this sure was something else! This was a blood-splatter-gore-fun-fest galore, Deluxe edition!
This was like taking a emotional roller coaster where it's a bit angst in the beginning, like "how will this end?" and it builds and builds, turning creepy before you reach the top and you know something's going to happen. Then the top is right there, you can't get away and the ride totally takes off!
Aaaaaaaahhhh!
It's exhilarating! Horrifying! Awful and awesome!
It feels ridiculous, your eyes are squinting and you're squealing. Laughing hysterically the whole way, being totally freaked out and maybe throws up a little in your mouth.
When the ride is over it grinds to a heart wrenching halt, and you're sitting there, panting, eyes wide and your hair's a mess. And then
Wait, was this a gory zombie story or a great love story? Huh?
Teaser moments from this book:
"A gym bunny with ankles in the air." LOL!
A blow job gone bad, reaaaaaly bad! I'm so glad I'm not a guy right now. Phew!
The Alphabeth Twinks? Oh my god... a whole new LEVEL of creepy.
The water polo scene? (cannot describe the expression on my face)
"I remember him now. Him. My heart. My soul." *bites lip to stop me from crying*
Want to read
July 7, 2013Ah, here we are again, nearing another release day. Can you believe it's my fourth this year? This s more than I have ever published before, and while it can be exhausting, I am so very happy this book is coming out.
First, it's my first time publishing with a publishing house other than Dreamspinner. Wilde City Press is a publisher started by authors Geoff Knight and Ethan Day. They've been fantastic, and I can't wait to have more stories with them.
Eric Arvin and I wrote Ghoul's Gym. This story actually started off as a joke between Eric and me, just bouncing ideas of each other last year at GRL. We really had no intention of writing it.
Then I finished John & Jackie, and needed to write something different. I don't remember when or how or why it happened, but this story started to actually become reality.
Ghoul's Gym started out to be a satire on how man gay men have the obsession of obtaining the perfect body. I am happy to say, however, that it became so much more than that. Ghoul's Gym has a lot of heart and an emotional wallop I don't think people will expect. It's funny, sexy, sad, sweet, and heartbreaking (I mean, hello; who do you think you're reading here?)
To be fair, first and foremost this is a zombie story. So it will be scary and gory, but not so much so that you'll be vomiting your cheerios on your Kindle (Though, word of warning: don't eat Italian food when reading/watching something scary. Seriously. I watched Dawn of the Dead while eating lasagna and it started to look like small intestines. It was delicious).
This is also the first story I have ever co-written. It also just so happens my co-writer is also my boyfriend so... you know. We celebrated when we finished a bit differently then other co-writers probably do. (Ha! I'm dirty).
Ghoul's Gym is the beginning of a series we are calling The Art Of Man. There will probably be five novella length stories all together. This book, while it does leaves questions, does have a definitive ending. And it will be one I don't think you will expect.
So grab your favorite blanket, curl up and leave enough room to be able to cover your eyes. Eric Arvin and I have something to show you. Over here.
In the dark.
Tj
First, it's my first time publishing with a publishing house other than Dreamspinner. Wilde City Press is a publisher started by authors Geoff Knight and Ethan Day. They've been fantastic, and I can't wait to have more stories with them.
Eric Arvin and I wrote Ghoul's Gym. This story actually started off as a joke between Eric and me, just bouncing ideas of each other last year at GRL. We really had no intention of writing it.
Then I finished John & Jackie, and needed to write something different. I don't remember when or how or why it happened, but this story started to actually become reality.
Ghoul's Gym started out to be a satire on how man gay men have the obsession of obtaining the perfect body. I am happy to say, however, that it became so much more than that. Ghoul's Gym has a lot of heart and an emotional wallop I don't think people will expect. It's funny, sexy, sad, sweet, and heartbreaking (I mean, hello; who do you think you're reading here?)
To be fair, first and foremost this is a zombie story. So it will be scary and gory, but not so much so that you'll be vomiting your cheerios on your Kindle (Though, word of warning: don't eat Italian food when reading/watching something scary. Seriously. I watched Dawn of the Dead while eating lasagna and it started to look like small intestines. It was delicious).
This is also the first story I have ever co-written. It also just so happens my co-writer is also my boyfriend so... you know. We celebrated when we finished a bit differently then other co-writers probably do. (Ha! I'm dirty).
Ghoul's Gym is the beginning of a series we are calling The Art Of Man. There will probably be five novella length stories all together. This book, while it does leaves questions, does have a definitive ending. And it will be one I don't think you will expect.
So grab your favorite blanket, curl up and leave enough room to be able to cover your eyes. Eric Arvin and I have something to show you. Over here.
In the dark.
Tj
November 18, 2016
I LOVE everything zombies so when I saw one of my friends, Tanu Gill reading a M/M book of 3 short zombie romances, it caught my eye’s and I just had to read it too.
Book 0ne, Guess Who’s Coming For Dinner
5 STARS! LOVED IT! Cute, Funny & SEXY!! Not too much heat added in but the sexual tension was off the charts.
Book Two, Surviving The City
4.5 Stars! This one had a bit more action and gore added in and I enjoyed every moment of it! The heat level was SCORCHING and had some sensuality added in. The only reason I did not rate it 5 stars was the ending, I wanted more.
Book Three, Ghouls Gym
3.5 Stars, this one was really freaky. LOADS of imagination added in. The goriest of all three. Heat Level? Lots of naked men running around and having sex. One sex scenes for the hero’s which was HOT. For me what ruined this one was the ending, I HATED IT!
All in all these 3 shorts from different authors that was a really enjoyable read for me. I wish there was more, maybe there is more, I’ll have to check it out because YES, I definitely would like more.
September 6, 2013
”When the world goes to shit, honesty seems to be the best policy.”
Zombie Boyz is a collection of three stories FILLED with all kinds of zombie mayhem, love, and gore! I can zombie talk until the end of days, so to avoid one long, excited rave and ramble—I’m pulling out the quick and dirty style. Come on! Who doesn’t like it quick and dirty every now and again and again? :D
Guess Who’s Coming At Dinner
By Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day
Our first tale kicks off with more “aww”s than “eww”s. Zane and Chandler are adorable, hilarious and horny! I have a super soft spot for the jock with a heart of gold and the supposed geek of the school romance. Plus Zane could be the cutest zombie ever to stagger and stutter across the zombie stage. His charming zombie ways stole my heart…
Add bad burgers, vomit, and blood to the warm family fun vibe and you get one adorable zombie ride. :) Pure fun! I was smitten at first bite and sight.
Surviving Sin City
By Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
”Bite me, Brit boy”
It took me awhile to warm up to Sin City boys, Kaleb and Cooper. Their prickly chemistry was stutter and stall for most of the story for me. But they did grow on me… eventually.
My love for this tale lives in the language. The best zombie words of the book! Lovely, lovely words like—hordes, stragglers, chow, and chomp! Hehe…The language and descriptions had me grinning ear to ear.
An action packed story with movie references, nail guns, smirks, and cross bow cravings! Plus any tale with whispers of gets huge love from me.
Now….*rubs hands together* Story number three….
Ghoul’s Gym
By TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
”I may be dipskittles, but there’s a spark of hope in that lunatic.”
Klune and Arvin’s story is a thing of beauty! Horror at its best. Images that will stick, glow, and repeat in your head. Gore that will make you flinch and jump. And characters that you will never forget. Never!
Jake and Uly lead us through this fast paced gorefest at the Art of Man gym. A place where muscles flex, stretch, and strain—well…that is until the chewing, pulling, and biting begins! Blood, chunks, cum and more splatter, cake, and cover every inch of this story. Ghoul’s Gym is absolutely gross! *grins*
As much as I loved Jake and Uly’s sweet, sexy, sad chemistry—the star of this story was the Alphabet Twinks! Not since Cujo, killer kids, or death by escalator has horror filled my heart with such glee. They felt like a brand new bag of creepy. Born right here on the pages of this book. I loved how they moved, talked, and touched. All in unison, moaning, sharing, and finishing each other’s thoughts and orgasms. They are something special. Creepy, sexy, and vicious!
”All three snap their gazes to me. And smile. It’s terrible. Feral. C sniffs the air in my direction. B and D tilt their heads and watch me. I don’t think they blink.”
A gorgeous and gory blast of zombie love and horror.
This zombie mix is warm, fast, and bloody! Just how I like ‘em. :D I’m off to find more from all the authors. Zombie Boyz provides a wonderful, addictive taste from each and every voice. More please.
Have fun with the z-boys!
December 7, 2016
Guess Who's Coming at Dinner
This is a total comedy set in a zombie apocalypse.
Nerdy high school student Chandler is hopelessly in love with the school's hot muscled quarterback, Zane 'No Stupid Nickname 'Addison.
But nothing can ever come of it, so he simply keeps selling cheap burgers at Beefcake Bob's, appreciating his favorite hunk from afar.
Things slightly change when he witnesses Zane (and a couple of other students) throw up in the hallway. It doesn't take long and all hell breaks loose when a Zombie apocalypse takes over the world.
And what caused it?
We had it coming, right? So much for globalization. Go vegan, bitches.
Holing up at home, boards nailed tightly over the doors and windows, Chandler spends months and months with his crazy family: Two bitching grandparents, a grand-aunt who may possibly be a zombie but is most likely just an alcoholic (in any case: she's creepy), a sister who switches between being emo wearing black lipstick and a religious fanatic calling herself Sister Mary Abigail. And of course mom and dad who are so perfectly normal you'll want to ask them what pills they take to live through a f***ing zombie apocalypse unfazed!
When Chandler learns about a he is determined to find his man and be there for him on the rocky road
I absolutely loved the humor in this story. It was perfectly lighthearted and entertaining, although it took away any feeling of horror or creepiness that a story about zombies naturally entails.
I admit I missed the sex here, but then, the short glimpse of greyishly-green pre-cum that we get here is probably proof enough that I do NOT want to see sex with a zombie, no matter how hot he is/was...
Lots of hearts to Chandler and Zombie Zane and 4 stars to a perfectly entertaining zombie romp!
Ghoul's Gym
I can't say I'm a fan of Eric Arvin's work. I don't really like his often-used theme of socially accepted steroid abuse due to a lack of self-confidence among gay men.
The same theme can be found in this horror novella. A is turning the members of a gay gym into mindless zombies, killing their peers and spreading blood and gore in their wake.
The characters are quite exaggerated: A golden-hearted über-hunk (who literally ), a muscled gay priest (of the Catholic kind, of course, otherwise it wouldn't be half as creepy), two former Abercrombie models, a Hollywood-Superhero type of guy with an 'ass of steel' (), a drug dealer daddy with a harem of muscle twinks aptly called A, B, C and D - and acting like the gay steroid-abusing brothers of Dracula's brides.
The utter craziness of the story would justify only two stars for me.
BUT, the MCs are awesome and carrying the story perfectly well: Slim twink Jake who desperately wants to be bigger and muscled like his boyfriend, gorgeous bodybuilder and professional fitness trainer Uly (quite a name, huh?), who has a heart of gold and loves Jake dearly. Their thoughts, dreams and feelings totally convinced me. I nearly cried at the end, it simply broke my heart. Any story that has me in tears is a good one in my book.
The end is a very dark one, but then that's what you expect with a zombie story. I think you could even interpret a reference to the into that ending, which scared me to the bone. Pretty impressive.
Jake and Uly raised the overall level of the story to 4 stars and my personal recommendation to read this blood fest.
Lesson learned: Stay away from steroids - and gyms (sorry, couldn't resist ;-)
4 stars!
I haven't read Surviving Sin City yet. I think I need a break from zombies before daring to pick up yet another story, LOL.
This is a total comedy set in a zombie apocalypse.
Nerdy high school student Chandler is hopelessly in love with the school's hot muscled quarterback, Zane 'No Stupid Nickname 'Addison.
But nothing can ever come of it, so he simply keeps selling cheap burgers at Beefcake Bob's, appreciating his favorite hunk from afar.
Things slightly change when he witnesses Zane (and a couple of other students) throw up in the hallway. It doesn't take long and all hell breaks loose when a Zombie apocalypse takes over the world.
And what caused it?
We had it coming, right? So much for globalization. Go vegan, bitches.
Holing up at home, boards nailed tightly over the doors and windows, Chandler spends months and months with his crazy family: Two bitching grandparents, a grand-aunt who may possibly be a zombie but is most likely just an alcoholic (in any case: she's creepy), a sister who switches between being emo wearing black lipstick and a religious fanatic calling herself Sister Mary Abigail. And of course mom and dad who are so perfectly normal you'll want to ask them what pills they take to live through a f***ing zombie apocalypse unfazed!
When Chandler learns about a he is determined to find his man and be there for him on the rocky road
I absolutely loved the humor in this story. It was perfectly lighthearted and entertaining, although it took away any feeling of horror or creepiness that a story about zombies naturally entails.
I admit I missed the sex here, but then, the short glimpse of greyishly-green pre-cum that we get here is probably proof enough that I do NOT want to see sex with a zombie, no matter how hot he is/was...
Lots of hearts to Chandler and Zombie Zane and 4 stars to a perfectly entertaining zombie romp!
Ghoul's Gym
I can't say I'm a fan of Eric Arvin's work. I don't really like his often-used theme of socially accepted steroid abuse due to a lack of self-confidence among gay men.
The same theme can be found in this horror novella. A is turning the members of a gay gym into mindless zombies, killing their peers and spreading blood and gore in their wake.
The characters are quite exaggerated: A golden-hearted über-hunk (who literally ), a muscled gay priest (of the Catholic kind, of course, otherwise it wouldn't be half as creepy), two former Abercrombie models, a Hollywood-Superhero type of guy with an 'ass of steel' (), a drug dealer daddy with a harem of muscle twinks aptly called A, B, C and D - and acting like the gay steroid-abusing brothers of Dracula's brides.
The utter craziness of the story would justify only two stars for me.
BUT, the MCs are awesome and carrying the story perfectly well: Slim twink Jake who desperately wants to be bigger and muscled like his boyfriend, gorgeous bodybuilder and professional fitness trainer Uly (quite a name, huh?), who has a heart of gold and loves Jake dearly. Their thoughts, dreams and feelings totally convinced me. I nearly cried at the end, it simply broke my heart. Any story that has me in tears is a good one in my book.
The end is a very dark one, but then that's what you expect with a zombie story. I think you could even interpret a reference to the into that ending, which scared me to the bone. Pretty impressive.
Jake and Uly raised the overall level of the story to 4 stars and my personal recommendation to read this blood fest.
Lesson learned: Stay away from steroids - and gyms (sorry, couldn't resist ;-)
4 stars!
I haven't read Surviving Sin City yet. I think I need a break from zombies before daring to pick up yet another story, LOL.
July 20, 2013
As a kid/teen of the '80's I grew up on Zombie movies. Middle School sleepovers were spent on movie marathons sucking down Mountain Dew through Red Vines and eating anything with a Hostess label on it. The sugar fueled analysis of everything George Romero was ongoing until the wee hours of the morning.
Eventually zombie movies became more campy than scary and we drifted apart (except for Serpent and the Rainbow - THAT shit was scary!). The "Dead" can only "Dawn" so many times.
Zombie movies came back though, just like everything else, with new twists, better effects and many had humor that added to the story instead of just making them a campy joke. The best Zombie movies come from the newer batch in my opinion: Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland and 30 Days of Night (yes, I know this is a vampire movie, but I thought of them as zombie vampires when I saw it the first time and I thought of it while reading this book - and Josh Hartnett).
This book has everything the best newer zombie movies have, the scare factor, the gore, the humor and the love. Yes, love can conquer zombies, not all the time, but it can happen. All three stories in this book are similar enough to come together for this book, but so completely different in execution it would be impossible to pick a Sophie's Choice favorite.
1 - Guess Who's Coming at Dinner
The first few pages had me say, "Um, what?" as we go from present-ish day to back story and then full circle to HEA. This story was laugh out loud fun with crazy family cooped up together at home waiting for the world to come back to normal, unrequited love and teenager-type hope for the future. The Beefcake Virus brought Zane and Chandler together in the sweetest of ways and Chandler got to be Zane's hero, the geek saved the jock, which I absolutely loved. Who knows if they would have gotten together without the virus? I'd like to think so, but small town life being what it is, it might never have happened and THAT would have been the tragedy. I also wish I had an Aunt Tilly.
2 - Surviving Sin City
This story was more traditional zombie fare and these two heroes would NOT have come together without the zombies. Kaleb is a local Vegas boy and Cooper is an on vacation Englishmen who end up helping each other, reluctantly, as the world falls apart around them. Kaleb needs to get to his brother and Cooper just wants to go home. Vegas is on lockdown and not only are there zombies, there are super zombies who show intelligence and have speed that your run of the mill zombies don't. As they make there way to the airport and eventually to Kaleb's brother they discover they really do work well together and they are much better off together than they are apart. HEA for our heroes, but not so much for the rest of the world, so a true zombie apocalypse story that leaves you happy for the MC's and just enough hope that if anyone is going to survive, it will be them.
3 - Ghoul's Gym
I was really interested to see how the collaboration between these two writers would happen. It was a completely seamless union. They both have a gift for taking a huge thought or emotion and putting it into one succinct sentence. Uly is an unfortunately named gym bunny bottom who is madly in love with his partner Jake. Jake is your everyman who wants to be so much more than he is for Uly that it distracts him from what they have together. Uly loves Jake just as he is and he makes sure Jake knows it, but like most everyone, Jake just wants to be more. In an emotional moment of desperation he visits the local 'roid dealer and basically makes a deal with the devil. He tries to back out at the last minute, but without going into spoilery details, it doesn't happen and my heart broke knowing what was going to come next.
I won't go into details about the how and the why as this story had more mystery to it and you have to read it to appreciate that aspect of Uly and Jake's story. The ensuing drama made me laugh, cringe and broke my heart. It was a lot of emotional places to visit in a short amount of time and I loved every minute of it. I loved and hated the ending. Again, without being spoilery, it had to end the way it did, anything else would have cheapened what was already created, but the girly part of me wanted the miracle to come along and make it all better.
All that being said, I would TOTALLY be down with a follow up to this story. The premise is full of awesome possibilities!
So, yeah, this is super-duper long, but I was really anxious to read this book and it was worth every last bit of patience to finally be able to read it and I just had to share all the awesome while it was fresh in my zombie free brain. Thank you to all the writers for a fun and unique diversion, it was much appreciated!
Eventually zombie movies became more campy than scary and we drifted apart (except for Serpent and the Rainbow - THAT shit was scary!). The "Dead" can only "Dawn" so many times.
Zombie movies came back though, just like everything else, with new twists, better effects and many had humor that added to the story instead of just making them a campy joke. The best Zombie movies come from the newer batch in my opinion: Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland and 30 Days of Night (yes, I know this is a vampire movie, but I thought of them as zombie vampires when I saw it the first time and I thought of it while reading this book - and Josh Hartnett).
This book has everything the best newer zombie movies have, the scare factor, the gore, the humor and the love. Yes, love can conquer zombies, not all the time, but it can happen. All three stories in this book are similar enough to come together for this book, but so completely different in execution it would be impossible to pick a Sophie's Choice favorite.
1 - Guess Who's Coming at Dinner
The first few pages had me say, "Um, what?" as we go from present-ish day to back story and then full circle to HEA. This story was laugh out loud fun with crazy family cooped up together at home waiting for the world to come back to normal, unrequited love and teenager-type hope for the future. The Beefcake Virus brought Zane and Chandler together in the sweetest of ways and Chandler got to be Zane's hero, the geek saved the jock, which I absolutely loved. Who knows if they would have gotten together without the virus? I'd like to think so, but small town life being what it is, it might never have happened and THAT would have been the tragedy. I also wish I had an Aunt Tilly.
2 - Surviving Sin City
This story was more traditional zombie fare and these two heroes would NOT have come together without the zombies. Kaleb is a local Vegas boy and Cooper is an on vacation Englishmen who end up helping each other, reluctantly, as the world falls apart around them. Kaleb needs to get to his brother and Cooper just wants to go home. Vegas is on lockdown and not only are there zombies, there are super zombies who show intelligence and have speed that your run of the mill zombies don't. As they make there way to the airport and eventually to Kaleb's brother they discover they really do work well together and they are much better off together than they are apart. HEA for our heroes, but not so much for the rest of the world, so a true zombie apocalypse story that leaves you happy for the MC's and just enough hope that if anyone is going to survive, it will be them.
3 - Ghoul's Gym
I was really interested to see how the collaboration between these two writers would happen. It was a completely seamless union. They both have a gift for taking a huge thought or emotion and putting it into one succinct sentence. Uly is an unfortunately named gym bunny bottom who is madly in love with his partner Jake. Jake is your everyman who wants to be so much more than he is for Uly that it distracts him from what they have together. Uly loves Jake just as he is and he makes sure Jake knows it, but like most everyone, Jake just wants to be more. In an emotional moment of desperation he visits the local 'roid dealer and basically makes a deal with the devil. He tries to back out at the last minute, but without going into spoilery details, it doesn't happen and my heart broke knowing what was going to come next.
I won't go into details about the how and the why as this story had more mystery to it and you have to read it to appreciate that aspect of Uly and Jake's story. The ensuing drama made me laugh, cringe and broke my heart. It was a lot of emotional places to visit in a short amount of time and I loved every minute of it. I loved and hated the ending. Again, without being spoilery, it had to end the way it did, anything else would have cheapened what was already created, but the girly part of me wanted the miracle to come along and make it all better.
All that being said, I would TOTALLY be down with a follow up to this story. The premise is full of awesome possibilities!
So, yeah, this is super-duper long, but I was really anxious to read this book and it was worth every last bit of patience to finally be able to read it and I just had to share all the awesome while it was fresh in my zombie free brain. Thank you to all the writers for a fun and unique diversion, it was much appreciated!
November 27, 2016
GHOUL’S GYM
TJ Klune & Eric Arvin
(117 pages)
~4 stars~
Who knew being sexy could be so deadly?
Jake seems so lost lately. He's a thirty-year old with body issues, whose boyfriend, Uly, is a fitness instructor at the Art of Man . Jake wants to be bigger,stronger and faster. Just a killing machine. Figuratively. For now. He knows it doesn’t matter to Uly, but it matters to him. And a new muscle supplement can be a help trough injecting into his body. And there are the things in his head that are telling him to bite and tear and kill. Literally. Apparently, many others fitness members have already taken a shot from this miraculous drug, and therefor as a consequence we have an outbreak at the Art of Man. And the fitness center is in utter chaos. Who will survive?
I love a tragically epic ending, but here it was a bit more rushed and just a hope that in the future everything will be worth it- it’s all for you, baby.
I've never ever thought that two compliantly different writhing style could be compatible, but actually it is the most spectacular effect with a slight decrease in the tone of Arvin's imaginative prose.
'Damn! It’s a pristine morning on Euclid Avenue. Makes a fella happy to be alive, don’t it? The grass is glistening wet in the sun from the oscillating lawn sprinklers. The trees are filled with a chorus of birds who take up the same verse every day. Neighbors’ dogs play and bark, and the children dress up their cats in pirate outfits, for every day in suburbia is Halloween.' ~Uly~
'All I see is red.
All I taste is flesh.
I love you
—there’s a flash in the rage. Movement. It comes forward. I see a face that causes my bones to ache, though I know not why. It bursts through the bite, and the tear, and the kill and even though it’s red, it’s there, and I can hear him. He’s there with me.' ~Jake~
It's been a very very special experience.
SURVIVING SIN CITY
Ethan Stone & Daniel A Kaine
(144 pages)
~3 stars~
What the fuck is going on in Vegas?
Kaleb is delivering a pizza to a friend of him, and his wife come out of their place, walking all funny like she can’t bend her arms. Then she is gonna kiss her husband, but instead she bits him. She takes a chunk out of his neck- blood and skin hanging off her lips. Many other people are ticking time bombs waiting to go off and chomp on the nearest person. He needs to get out of here and fast.
Cooper and his partner were supposed to be coming together in Vegas for a vacation, but they have been having a a disagreement for a while and he is alone here. Hi is sitting in a bar when a television set catch his eye. The headline: “Love Bites—Woman tears a chunk out of her husband’s throat”. He needs to get out of here and come back to London.
And....
There is no surprise that Kaleb and Cooper cross their paths in order to survive from the epidemic spreading rapidly through Las Vegas.
It's been a crazy action-packed ride of survival- shootings, furious speed and fights against the zombies. And a strong chemistry between two opposite character- a cocky American and a Brit with a self-esteem issue. But there were some moments that bother me. For example: How Kaleb could even think about whether Cooper is uncut or not like he’s heard most British guys are at such a time? Call me old-fashioned, call me narrow-minded, call me whatever you want, but I did not get it. And Cooper, 25 yo, was presented as a super naive, childishly excusing his boyfriend cheating on him.
GUESS WHO’S COMING AT DINNER
Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day
(100 pages)
~4 stars~
Coming out to his family at his grandfather’s birthday dinner with the shocking news that he is in love with a zombie is just another apocalypse. The literal one, the disease, comes from mosquitoes that have been hatched in stagnant pools of nuclear waste-outside the old reactors of Qinzhou. The mosquitoes have transferred the virus to cows in a nearby field, many of which have been unknowingly sold over a period of months as part of the beef trade. They've been turned into beef patties, frozen, and have exported to thousands of fast food chains around the world. And the first stop is our protagonist working place- Beefcake Bob’s Burgers! The place when he hands to his crush, Zane, a contaminated burger.
Despite the walking dead across town,the whole love story is fun and refreshing with a little bit writhe in the pants, pushing the denim of the jeans this way and that to announce itself.
I've very recently discovered this magical world that Eric Arvin created for us. A beautiful place to get lost. A place to call home. The way he phrases things makes a desire to memorize every word on every page. It's always a delight to pick up some Eric Arvin story.
And the destiny knows its work.
In connection with 4th anniversary celebration of On Top Down Under Book Reviews, I've been honored to win the contest. These 6 of Eric Arvin's e-books are a gift of love.
Thank you very much to the donors who made the prizes possible- Wilde City Press, and of course Mr. Arvin. And Cindi love you so much!
TJ Klune & Eric Arvin
(117 pages)
~4 stars~
Who knew being sexy could be so deadly?
Jake seems so lost lately. He's a thirty-year old with body issues, whose boyfriend, Uly, is a fitness instructor at the Art of Man . Jake wants to be bigger,stronger and faster. Just a killing machine. Figuratively. For now. He knows it doesn’t matter to Uly, but it matters to him. And a new muscle supplement can be a help trough injecting into his body. And there are the things in his head that are telling him to bite and tear and kill. Literally. Apparently, many others fitness members have already taken a shot from this miraculous drug, and therefor as a consequence we have an outbreak at the Art of Man. And the fitness center is in utter chaos. Who will survive?
I love a tragically epic ending, but here it was a bit more rushed and just a hope that in the future everything will be worth it- it’s all for you, baby.
I've never ever thought that two compliantly different writhing style could be compatible, but actually it is the most spectacular effect with a slight decrease in the tone of Arvin's imaginative prose.
'Damn! It’s a pristine morning on Euclid Avenue. Makes a fella happy to be alive, don’t it? The grass is glistening wet in the sun from the oscillating lawn sprinklers. The trees are filled with a chorus of birds who take up the same verse every day. Neighbors’ dogs play and bark, and the children dress up their cats in pirate outfits, for every day in suburbia is Halloween.' ~Uly~
'All I see is red.
All I taste is flesh.
I love you
—there’s a flash in the rage. Movement. It comes forward. I see a face that causes my bones to ache, though I know not why. It bursts through the bite, and the tear, and the kill and even though it’s red, it’s there, and I can hear him. He’s there with me.' ~Jake~
It's been a very very special experience.
SURVIVING SIN CITY
Ethan Stone & Daniel A Kaine
(144 pages)
~3 stars~
What the fuck is going on in Vegas?
Kaleb is delivering a pizza to a friend of him, and his wife come out of their place, walking all funny like she can’t bend her arms. Then she is gonna kiss her husband, but instead she bits him. She takes a chunk out of his neck- blood and skin hanging off her lips. Many other people are ticking time bombs waiting to go off and chomp on the nearest person. He needs to get out of here and fast.
Cooper and his partner were supposed to be coming together in Vegas for a vacation, but they have been having a a disagreement for a while and he is alone here. Hi is sitting in a bar when a television set catch his eye. The headline: “Love Bites—Woman tears a chunk out of her husband’s throat”. He needs to get out of here and come back to London.
And....
There is no surprise that Kaleb and Cooper cross their paths in order to survive from the epidemic spreading rapidly through Las Vegas.
It's been a crazy action-packed ride of survival- shootings, furious speed and fights against the zombies. And a strong chemistry between two opposite character- a cocky American and a Brit with a self-esteem issue. But there were some moments that bother me. For example: How Kaleb could even think about whether Cooper is uncut or not like he’s heard most British guys are at such a time? Call me old-fashioned, call me narrow-minded, call me whatever you want, but I did not get it. And Cooper, 25 yo, was presented as a super naive, childishly excusing his boyfriend cheating on him.
GUESS WHO’S COMING AT DINNER
Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day
(100 pages)
~4 stars~
Coming out to his family at his grandfather’s birthday dinner with the shocking news that he is in love with a zombie is just another apocalypse. The literal one, the disease, comes from mosquitoes that have been hatched in stagnant pools of nuclear waste-outside the old reactors of Qinzhou. The mosquitoes have transferred the virus to cows in a nearby field, many of which have been unknowingly sold over a period of months as part of the beef trade. They've been turned into beef patties, frozen, and have exported to thousands of fast food chains around the world. And the first stop is our protagonist working place- Beefcake Bob’s Burgers! The place when he hands to his crush, Zane, a contaminated burger.
Despite the walking dead across town,the whole love story is fun and refreshing with a little bit writhe in the pants, pushing the denim of the jeans this way and that to announce itself.
I've very recently discovered this magical world that Eric Arvin created for us. A beautiful place to get lost. A place to call home. The way he phrases things makes a desire to memorize every word on every page. It's always a delight to pick up some Eric Arvin story.
And the destiny knows its work.
In connection with 4th anniversary celebration of On Top Down Under Book Reviews, I've been honored to win the contest. These 6 of Eric Arvin's e-books are a gift of love.
Thank you very much to the donors who made the prizes possible- Wilde City Press, and of course Mr. Arvin. And Cindi love you so much!
July 21, 2013
GUESS WHO'S COMING AT DINNER- by Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day
***** 5 STARS
I haven't laughed like that while reading a story in a very long time. From beginning to end I had a big stupid grin on my face, probably much like Zombie Zane's. It would be impossible to list all of my favourite parts but here's a few.
1- Chandler's Family. How they managed to write such a complicated, completely fucked up, lovable family into a short story is beyond me. But did they ever.
2- Dong. The twirling, feather boa wearing, singing BFF who says goodbye by channeling ABBA.
3- Dancing like Beyonce to prove you're not a zombie. Who thinks up shit like that?
4- Daisy the self milking zombie (does that need any further explanation?)
5- VA-JJ. Or, the vag vaccine, as Chandler names it. Best vaccine name I've ever heard.
6- The infected human eating cows. Anyone else seen the movie Black Sheep? Well just yesterday someone at work asked me if I'd ever seen a movie as "good" as Sharknado. Had I remembered Black Sheep at the time, it would have been my answer. That was about human eating sheep. Some story lines are just classics, I guess.
While I appreciate the message that people need to accept all forms of love, it was the humor that will make this story so memorable to me. Actually, who am I kidding. You had me with the naked Charlie Harding centerfold.
SURVIVING SIN CITY- by Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
***** 5 STARS
This is what I was expecting when I began reading this anthology. A classic zombie tale complete with shotguns, brain eating and a road trip to rescue loved ones. What can I say except I loved it. Coop is the vacationing Brit and somewhat zombie expert who just wants to get home to his crossbow and cheating ex. Kaleb is the gun toting pizza delivery guy who needs to track down his missing brother. Once these two band together there's Hollywood levels of car theft, plane theft, ATV runs through the desert, super smart zombies and "we could die tomorrow" sex. Pfft, men. Again, I loved it.
GHOUL'S GYM- by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
***** 5 STARS
Holy. Shit. Jesus. God. What goes on in the minds of these two writers? I don't know where or how to begin. As always Arvin and Klune deliver only the best, their writing blending seamlessly in this first joint offering. I've read horror stories in the past but this was something else. This was twisted, messed up, smutty gore and it was oh so brilliant. It's the story of Uly and Jake. A love story, definitely, but a zombie love story so nothing is guaranteed. Well actually no, I can guarantee that there is grisly, bloody deaths and dismemberments. When I say this story includes fisting and cock eating twinks just remember I'm not describing your usual gay romance. But of course it wouldn't be a story written, at least in part, by TJ Klune if it didn't make you cry until you're nothing but a blubbering mess of tears and snot. Too graffic an image? Then you're definitely not ready to read this story. Ghoul's Gym is a rom-com-horror-Star Wars referencing mash up all of which sounds like it should combine to create one big old mess but, instead, it shows that Klune and Arvin could look to conquering any genre they turned their sights towards.
***** 5 STARS
I haven't laughed like that while reading a story in a very long time. From beginning to end I had a big stupid grin on my face, probably much like Zombie Zane's. It would be impossible to list all of my favourite parts but here's a few.
1- Chandler's Family. How they managed to write such a complicated, completely fucked up, lovable family into a short story is beyond me. But did they ever.
2- Dong. The twirling, feather boa wearing, singing BFF who says goodbye by channeling ABBA.
3- Dancing like Beyonce to prove you're not a zombie. Who thinks up shit like that?
4- Daisy the self milking zombie (does that need any further explanation?)
5- VA-JJ. Or, the vag vaccine, as Chandler names it. Best vaccine name I've ever heard.
6- The infected human eating cows. Anyone else seen the movie Black Sheep? Well just yesterday someone at work asked me if I'd ever seen a movie as "good" as Sharknado. Had I remembered Black Sheep at the time, it would have been my answer. That was about human eating sheep. Some story lines are just classics, I guess.
While I appreciate the message that people need to accept all forms of love, it was the humor that will make this story so memorable to me. Actually, who am I kidding. You had me with the naked Charlie Harding centerfold.
SURVIVING SIN CITY- by Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
***** 5 STARS
This is what I was expecting when I began reading this anthology. A classic zombie tale complete with shotguns, brain eating and a road trip to rescue loved ones. What can I say except I loved it. Coop is the vacationing Brit and somewhat zombie expert who just wants to get home to his crossbow and cheating ex. Kaleb is the gun toting pizza delivery guy who needs to track down his missing brother. Once these two band together there's Hollywood levels of car theft, plane theft, ATV runs through the desert, super smart zombies and "we could die tomorrow" sex. Pfft, men. Again, I loved it.
GHOUL'S GYM- by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
***** 5 STARS
Holy. Shit. Jesus. God. What goes on in the minds of these two writers? I don't know where or how to begin. As always Arvin and Klune deliver only the best, their writing blending seamlessly in this first joint offering. I've read horror stories in the past but this was something else. This was twisted, messed up, smutty gore and it was oh so brilliant. It's the story of Uly and Jake. A love story, definitely, but a zombie love story so nothing is guaranteed. Well actually no, I can guarantee that there is grisly, bloody deaths and dismemberments. When I say this story includes fisting and cock eating twinks just remember I'm not describing your usual gay romance. But of course it wouldn't be a story written, at least in part, by TJ Klune if it didn't make you cry until you're nothing but a blubbering mess of tears and snot. Too graffic an image? Then you're definitely not ready to read this story. Ghoul's Gym is a rom-com-horror-Star Wars referencing mash up all of which sounds like it should combine to create one big old mess but, instead, it shows that Klune and Arvin could look to conquering any genre they turned their sights towards.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2013
Things I learned from reading this book:
*Zombie books can be really funny.
*Zombie books can be quite disgusting (especially if you like to picture everything that is happening).
*Zombie books can be pretty hot (see above note).
*Zombie books can make you cry (Thank you TJ Klune and Eric Arvin).
*Zombie books can cause extreme book hangovers. (Again, thank you TJ and Eric).
Who knew???
I loved this collection of stories. I don't read zombie books. I rarely even read sci-fi or fantasy books. I typically stick with indie romance and contemporary fiction. But, I heard a lot of great things about this. Plus, TJ Klune was involved and I love everything he's written. It couldn't be that bad, right? So glad I took a chance on this one. I laughed; I cried; I threw up in my mouth a little....and I loved every minute of it. Get this book. Read it. Love it. And start preparing for the zombie apocalypse; it's coming. :-)
*Zombie books can be really funny.
*Zombie books can be quite disgusting (especially if you like to picture everything that is happening).
*Zombie books can be pretty hot (see above note).
*Zombie books can make you cry (Thank you TJ Klune and Eric Arvin).
*Zombie books can cause extreme book hangovers. (Again, thank you TJ and Eric).
Who knew???
I loved this collection of stories. I don't read zombie books. I rarely even read sci-fi or fantasy books. I typically stick with indie romance and contemporary fiction. But, I heard a lot of great things about this. Plus, TJ Klune was involved and I love everything he's written. It couldn't be that bad, right? So glad I took a chance on this one. I laughed; I cried; I threw up in my mouth a little....and I loved every minute of it. Get this book. Read it. Love it. And start preparing for the zombie apocalypse; it's coming. :-)
April 20, 2015
~
Reviews for each of the 3 anthology stories are posted on their individual GR pages, below:
---------------------------
Guess Who's Coming at Dinner by Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day
3 Stars: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
---------------------------
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
4 Stars: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
---------------------------
Ghoul's Gym by T.J. Klune & Eric Arvin
4 Stars: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
---------------------------
Reviews for each of the 3 anthology stories are posted on their individual GR pages, below:
---------------------------
Guess Who's Coming at Dinner by Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day
3 Stars: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
---------------------------
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
4 Stars: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
---------------------------
Ghoul's Gym by T.J. Klune & Eric Arvin
4 Stars: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
---------------------------
January 2, 2014
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: 4 stars
Clearly the best story in the bunch this had me laughing right from the start. The two MC’s have liked each other from afar for quite a while and do to some hilarious bad meat at a fast food chain have their traditional romance go askew. One MC is the typical “outsider” and one the “popular jock” and the jock ingests some spoiled zombie meat (along with numerous others) and the town and world goes crazy. Chandler as the lovable nerd was fantastic and I LOVED that he got to be the hero for Zane. Every freakin’ line had me cracking up and at the same time was so brutally honest that it broke my heart a few times. But their love is so sweet and pure despite the gore and death that I fell in love with them and this story.
Surviving Sin City: 2.5 stars
This was more standard zombie fare and while it was good quality as far as writing and story; I found myself consistently losing interest and hoping it was over. It was fine and would have made a great starting point for a movie or TV show, but it wasn’t enough for me to get invested in the characters or the outcome. Set in Las Vegas, Kaleb is a local and Cooper is a vacationer alone because his boyfriend refused to come. It’s mostly all about getting them away from their location, fighting and running to a plane. But the story kind of just ends and it left me feeling like I said above: that I got the pilot episode in a TV series. It held promise, but didn’t fully deliver.
Ghoul’s Gym: 1 star
Sorry. I hated this story so much it’s ridiculous. Every single thing about it annoyed the ever-living crap out of me. I think Uly might be one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever read. He’s the innocent, hyper gym bunny bottom whose inner monologue made me wish he’d come to a slow and violent death. I normally like stories by these authors to some degree but this was just a hot mess. Jake was insecure, bitter and rambling and Uly’s character traits were told to me often but never shown. Anything hidden beneath that I was supposed to know about him I didn’t read about except that he liked to make odd statements that aimed for humor but fell so, so flat. The ‘roid dealer and that whole scene bored me to tears, felt so clichéd and gimmicky and disappointed me really in the potential for this story. Once at the gym and the big showdown I felt the story picked up, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the rest and once it was over I kept thinking what in the hell did I just read?
Clearly the best story in the bunch this had me laughing right from the start. The two MC’s have liked each other from afar for quite a while and do to some hilarious bad meat at a fast food chain have their traditional romance go askew. One MC is the typical “outsider” and one the “popular jock” and the jock ingests some spoiled zombie meat (along with numerous others) and the town and world goes crazy. Chandler as the lovable nerd was fantastic and I LOVED that he got to be the hero for Zane. Every freakin’ line had me cracking up and at the same time was so brutally honest that it broke my heart a few times. But their love is so sweet and pure despite the gore and death that I fell in love with them and this story.
Surviving Sin City: 2.5 stars
This was more standard zombie fare and while it was good quality as far as writing and story; I found myself consistently losing interest and hoping it was over. It was fine and would have made a great starting point for a movie or TV show, but it wasn’t enough for me to get invested in the characters or the outcome. Set in Las Vegas, Kaleb is a local and Cooper is a vacationer alone because his boyfriend refused to come. It’s mostly all about getting them away from their location, fighting and running to a plane. But the story kind of just ends and it left me feeling like I said above: that I got the pilot episode in a TV series. It held promise, but didn’t fully deliver.
Ghoul’s Gym: 1 star
Sorry. I hated this story so much it’s ridiculous. Every single thing about it annoyed the ever-living crap out of me. I think Uly might be one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever read. He’s the innocent, hyper gym bunny bottom whose inner monologue made me wish he’d come to a slow and violent death. I normally like stories by these authors to some degree but this was just a hot mess. Jake was insecure, bitter and rambling and Uly’s character traits were told to me often but never shown. Anything hidden beneath that I was supposed to know about him I didn’t read about except that he liked to make odd statements that aimed for humor but fell so, so flat. The ‘roid dealer and that whole scene bored me to tears, felt so clichéd and gimmicky and disappointed me really in the potential for this story. Once at the gym and the big showdown I felt the story picked up, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the rest and once it was over I kept thinking what in the hell did I just read?
December 16, 2013
Full review of each story can be found at On Top Down Under Book Reviews.
When I saw this was coming out my immediate thought was a big "Uh, no. I don't do zombies" but then I saw the list of authors who contributed and knew that I would be reading it as soon as I could get my hands on it. Each story is co-written by some of the best M/M authors out there. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started but I knew it would be entertaining. Each story has humor and there is quite a bit of gore thrown in as well. There's sex, intrigue and well, zombies. So grab a stiff drink, make everyone go away for awhile and get ready for a wild ride. Oh, and you know that TJ Klune is one of the contributors so I highly suggest you grab a box of tissues while you're at it. This is the first anthology I've ever read (and I've read quite a few) where each story was an easy 5 stars for me.
This book was provided by Wilde City Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Favorite Books of 2013 .
When I saw this was coming out my immediate thought was a big "Uh, no. I don't do zombies" but then I saw the list of authors who contributed and knew that I would be reading it as soon as I could get my hands on it. Each story is co-written by some of the best M/M authors out there. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started but I knew it would be entertaining. Each story has humor and there is quite a bit of gore thrown in as well. There's sex, intrigue and well, zombies. So grab a stiff drink, make everyone go away for awhile and get ready for a wild ride. Oh, and you know that TJ Klune is one of the contributors so I highly suggest you grab a box of tissues while you're at it. This is the first anthology I've ever read (and I've read quite a few) where each story was an easy 5 stars for me.
This book was provided by Wilde City Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Favorite Books of 2013 .
August 25, 2013
Zombies. They are the stuff of nightmares, several nail-biting and terrifying movies, a few campy ones and nearly always gory with ample amounts of body parts and...well, more gore. According to some conspiracy theorists, this is the way that science will eventually go mad and eradicate most, if not nearly all, of the population of the earth as we know it. The "zombie apocalypse" will certainly mean survival of the fittest or at least those who can run like hell and avoid being eaten.
The anthology Zombie Boyz does little to dispel these ideas, it just does so with incredible imagination, wit, a bit of sadness, and, yes, mad writing skills! This is the dream team by any standard. Six incredible authors cut loose and give us three stunningly well written stories that are as different as night from day...(pun intended). Did I have a favorite? No, because each was so uniquely different from the other that every one of these gems was more than worth the accolades I am about to give them. So, for those who like to keep track of rating scores, each of these novellas is rated a 5--but for very different reasons. Let's begin with:
Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Ethan Day & Geoffrey Knight
Oh. I need to catch my breath. You see I am not sure if I ever stopped laughing from word one of this story. When the Pandemic Transviral Apocalypse of 2013 breaks out, Chandler is a freshman in college, still living at home, and working at Beefcake Bob's the local burger joint and apparent ground zero for the spread of the zombie virus in the United States. This brilliantly hilarious young man and his zany extended family have no idea what is about to hit them. Chandler has maintained a crush on Zane Addison, the football star of their high school and essentially hands-off demigod. On the night Chandler serves up the sack of death burgers that will unleash the inner zombie in many, Zane comes to his defense when a few other football jerks taunt poor Chandler at the drive in window. The story that then springs from the collective team of Knight and Day is a roller coaster of fun that carries you breathlessly along as Chandler determinedly saves the now zombified Tyler and the two fall hopelessly in love.
These two authors are, admittedly, known for their humor and over the top characters. But this little story surpassed my wildest expectations. It was hysterical. This was a tender first love that morphed into comedy genius. There was not one wasted moment in this novella. Each character, wonderfully fresh and well drawn, was not only like-able but endearing. Our hero, Chandler, was a classic snarky teen with the mind of a forty year old. Tyler was the quintessential sweet, mildly confused jock who would eventually stand up for his man and save the day. Chandler's family...well..words fail me. They were the most absurdly sweet and yet oddly crass group of adults I have ever encountered and each one of these characters were larger than life and oh so very funny. This was comedy writing at its finest. And with it, this anthology was off with a bang and led nicely to the second novella:
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone & Daniel Kane
From the sublime to the serious, we arrive in Las Vegas where two closeted men from different continents collide in the very epicenter of the zombie explosion. Kaleb Pierce, a young twenty something pizza delivery boy is not unfamiliar with the seedier parts of Vegas. He carries a Glock in his glove compartment and definitely seems to know some fairly shady characters whom he loosely calls, "friends". He lives with his mother and brother, Pat, and his family is blissfully unaware that he is gay and that is the way Kaleb prefers it, for now. Across town, the carefully prepared survivalist, Cooper Lockwood is trying to enjoy his holiday despite the fact that he left his lover back in England after finding out the man was cheating on him.
However, in Cooper's twisted perspective, it was all his fault that Ewan had cheated on him and then left him because you see Cooper refused to come out of the closet and live openly with his boyfriend. When all hell breaks loose and these men are thrust into the madness that becomes a violent and scary nightmare whose main casts consists of a type of thinking, planning "super zombie. This encounter leaves both finding that others discovering they are gay is the least of their worries. In order to survive, they are going to have to throw their lot in together and hope that they can "get out of Dodge" before they become someone's next meal.
Surviving Sin City evoked memories of film noir and those deliciously wonderful detective movies where the scruffy, hard bitten detective is a genuine good guy who meets and falls for the very person he sets out to help. Kaleb was written in a way that he is wise beyond his years yet with a sweet vulnerability that flashes onto the page occasionally like when he finally comes to terms with the fact that his own mother became a zombie and was killed. Coop, on the other hand, is a misguided stoic who struggles with just a bit of self-loathing and tons of guilt. In his mind, his breakup was all his fault, his desire to remain hidden the factor that "made" his boyfriend cheat. Both these men are wounded warriors, who rise above their own petty differences to not only help each other but save the few loved ones they can. Along the way, walls come down, and just a hint of a possible lasting love comes in as the story closes out.
I really enjoyed these characters--this story. They were complex and the plot never pandered to the idea that all would be insta-love for these guys, instead, the mere idea that love could possibly blossom was introduced and then respectfully mixed in with a very realistic fight against death. The super zombies were just plain creepy and the headlong flight that carried Kaleb and Coop to find Kaleb's brother Pat and rescue him left me breathless. This was a taut, well written horror story that wasted not one word in the telling. And that leads us to the last offering in this anthology:
Ghouls Gym by Tj Klune & Eric Arvin
I am at a loss as to where to begin. First, this was the bloodiest of the three novellas and definitely not for the faint of heart. This was the saddest of the three books as well, heart wrenching in many ways and most assuredly not a happy ever after kind of story. However, this was the most beautiful love story ever, that was wonderfully disguised inside a horror novel that was so realistically gory and violent that I almost had to hide my eyes as I read with growing fear that all was not going to be well by novella's end. Ghoul's Gym was a stunning story that made me cry and stayed with me long after the last word on the page was read.
Ulysses Florence Hoak (Uly) is a buff, muscle bound giant who works at an exclusively gay gym with a pervy, disgusting boss who goes by the name of Stephen Dorian. The love of Uly's life, Jake Howell, is the polar opposite of Uly physically and keenly aware that many, including Dorian, feel that Uly is wasting his time with the decidedly unbuff, slightly neurotic Jake In a wonderful twist, Jake is the dominant sexual partner in their relationship and Uly just worships the ground that his boyfriend walks on.
Unfortunately, this also makes Uly somewhat oblivious to Jake's near paranoid worry that Uly will one day wise up, see him for the loser he is, and leave him, especially if the hound dog Stephen Dorian has his way. So, it is this unrealistic fear that prompts Jake to seek out one of the shadier patrons of the gym and purchase the steroid cocktail that will set him on the path to blissful buffness and allay his worries that Uly will leave him for someone bigger and better. Unfortunately, the juice that Jake is accidentally injected with is a "new and improved" version stolen from the military that turns the recipient into a violent, sex crazed killer. All hell breaks lose inside the gym that same day as others who are using the drug begin to change and that leaves Uly and a few friends running for their lives and Jake struggling to hold onto his own identity rather than succumb to the mindless, blood seeking mind of a killer.
I must tell you that this would be by any standard a gore-fest of a story. This writing team does not spare any space on the page when describing the bloody havoc that is wreaked by these jacked up zombies. But, the incredible twist, the element that transformed this from a simple horror story into a heart-wrenching tale of love and tenderness was the written moments of Uly and Jack's meeting and their shared hopes and dreams for the future. Arvin and Klune interweave this sweet love story into the fabric of a horrifying and violent apocalypse and, by doing so, they pull you back from the edge again and again into this tender relationship. So when the outcome of this story hangs the life of these two men in the balance, you experience that "heart in your throat" moment and the person you hear saying, "no, no, please, let him live" is you, silently begging these two brilliant authors for a happy ever after. This was not just a "zombie story". Ghoul's Gym was a glimpse at how love can be selfless and courageous and lasting, despite fate's intervention. Just beautiful.
Zombie Boyz has a little something for any type of reader. From the silly to the sublime, the action adventure to the horror, this anthology offers up three deliciously different tales that will have you howling with laughter and wiping away tears of sadness. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection!
The anthology Zombie Boyz does little to dispel these ideas, it just does so with incredible imagination, wit, a bit of sadness, and, yes, mad writing skills! This is the dream team by any standard. Six incredible authors cut loose and give us three stunningly well written stories that are as different as night from day...(pun intended). Did I have a favorite? No, because each was so uniquely different from the other that every one of these gems was more than worth the accolades I am about to give them. So, for those who like to keep track of rating scores, each of these novellas is rated a 5--but for very different reasons. Let's begin with:
Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Ethan Day & Geoffrey Knight
Oh. I need to catch my breath. You see I am not sure if I ever stopped laughing from word one of this story. When the Pandemic Transviral Apocalypse of 2013 breaks out, Chandler is a freshman in college, still living at home, and working at Beefcake Bob's the local burger joint and apparent ground zero for the spread of the zombie virus in the United States. This brilliantly hilarious young man and his zany extended family have no idea what is about to hit them. Chandler has maintained a crush on Zane Addison, the football star of their high school and essentially hands-off demigod. On the night Chandler serves up the sack of death burgers that will unleash the inner zombie in many, Zane comes to his defense when a few other football jerks taunt poor Chandler at the drive in window. The story that then springs from the collective team of Knight and Day is a roller coaster of fun that carries you breathlessly along as Chandler determinedly saves the now zombified Tyler and the two fall hopelessly in love.
These two authors are, admittedly, known for their humor and over the top characters. But this little story surpassed my wildest expectations. It was hysterical. This was a tender first love that morphed into comedy genius. There was not one wasted moment in this novella. Each character, wonderfully fresh and well drawn, was not only like-able but endearing. Our hero, Chandler, was a classic snarky teen with the mind of a forty year old. Tyler was the quintessential sweet, mildly confused jock who would eventually stand up for his man and save the day. Chandler's family...well..words fail me. They were the most absurdly sweet and yet oddly crass group of adults I have ever encountered and each one of these characters were larger than life and oh so very funny. This was comedy writing at its finest. And with it, this anthology was off with a bang and led nicely to the second novella:
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone & Daniel Kane
From the sublime to the serious, we arrive in Las Vegas where two closeted men from different continents collide in the very epicenter of the zombie explosion. Kaleb Pierce, a young twenty something pizza delivery boy is not unfamiliar with the seedier parts of Vegas. He carries a Glock in his glove compartment and definitely seems to know some fairly shady characters whom he loosely calls, "friends". He lives with his mother and brother, Pat, and his family is blissfully unaware that he is gay and that is the way Kaleb prefers it, for now. Across town, the carefully prepared survivalist, Cooper Lockwood is trying to enjoy his holiday despite the fact that he left his lover back in England after finding out the man was cheating on him.
However, in Cooper's twisted perspective, it was all his fault that Ewan had cheated on him and then left him because you see Cooper refused to come out of the closet and live openly with his boyfriend. When all hell breaks loose and these men are thrust into the madness that becomes a violent and scary nightmare whose main casts consists of a type of thinking, planning "super zombie. This encounter leaves both finding that others discovering they are gay is the least of their worries. In order to survive, they are going to have to throw their lot in together and hope that they can "get out of Dodge" before they become someone's next meal.
Surviving Sin City evoked memories of film noir and those deliciously wonderful detective movies where the scruffy, hard bitten detective is a genuine good guy who meets and falls for the very person he sets out to help. Kaleb was written in a way that he is wise beyond his years yet with a sweet vulnerability that flashes onto the page occasionally like when he finally comes to terms with the fact that his own mother became a zombie and was killed. Coop, on the other hand, is a misguided stoic who struggles with just a bit of self-loathing and tons of guilt. In his mind, his breakup was all his fault, his desire to remain hidden the factor that "made" his boyfriend cheat. Both these men are wounded warriors, who rise above their own petty differences to not only help each other but save the few loved ones they can. Along the way, walls come down, and just a hint of a possible lasting love comes in as the story closes out.
I really enjoyed these characters--this story. They were complex and the plot never pandered to the idea that all would be insta-love for these guys, instead, the mere idea that love could possibly blossom was introduced and then respectfully mixed in with a very realistic fight against death. The super zombies were just plain creepy and the headlong flight that carried Kaleb and Coop to find Kaleb's brother Pat and rescue him left me breathless. This was a taut, well written horror story that wasted not one word in the telling. And that leads us to the last offering in this anthology:
Ghouls Gym by Tj Klune & Eric Arvin
I am at a loss as to where to begin. First, this was the bloodiest of the three novellas and definitely not for the faint of heart. This was the saddest of the three books as well, heart wrenching in many ways and most assuredly not a happy ever after kind of story. However, this was the most beautiful love story ever, that was wonderfully disguised inside a horror novel that was so realistically gory and violent that I almost had to hide my eyes as I read with growing fear that all was not going to be well by novella's end. Ghoul's Gym was a stunning story that made me cry and stayed with me long after the last word on the page was read.
Ulysses Florence Hoak (Uly) is a buff, muscle bound giant who works at an exclusively gay gym with a pervy, disgusting boss who goes by the name of Stephen Dorian. The love of Uly's life, Jake Howell, is the polar opposite of Uly physically and keenly aware that many, including Dorian, feel that Uly is wasting his time with the decidedly unbuff, slightly neurotic Jake In a wonderful twist, Jake is the dominant sexual partner in their relationship and Uly just worships the ground that his boyfriend walks on.
Unfortunately, this also makes Uly somewhat oblivious to Jake's near paranoid worry that Uly will one day wise up, see him for the loser he is, and leave him, especially if the hound dog Stephen Dorian has his way. So, it is this unrealistic fear that prompts Jake to seek out one of the shadier patrons of the gym and purchase the steroid cocktail that will set him on the path to blissful buffness and allay his worries that Uly will leave him for someone bigger and better. Unfortunately, the juice that Jake is accidentally injected with is a "new and improved" version stolen from the military that turns the recipient into a violent, sex crazed killer. All hell breaks lose inside the gym that same day as others who are using the drug begin to change and that leaves Uly and a few friends running for their lives and Jake struggling to hold onto his own identity rather than succumb to the mindless, blood seeking mind of a killer.
I must tell you that this would be by any standard a gore-fest of a story. This writing team does not spare any space on the page when describing the bloody havoc that is wreaked by these jacked up zombies. But, the incredible twist, the element that transformed this from a simple horror story into a heart-wrenching tale of love and tenderness was the written moments of Uly and Jack's meeting and their shared hopes and dreams for the future. Arvin and Klune interweave this sweet love story into the fabric of a horrifying and violent apocalypse and, by doing so, they pull you back from the edge again and again into this tender relationship. So when the outcome of this story hangs the life of these two men in the balance, you experience that "heart in your throat" moment and the person you hear saying, "no, no, please, let him live" is you, silently begging these two brilliant authors for a happy ever after. This was not just a "zombie story". Ghoul's Gym was a glimpse at how love can be selfless and courageous and lasting, despite fate's intervention. Just beautiful.
Zombie Boyz has a little something for any type of reader. From the silly to the sublime, the action adventure to the horror, this anthology offers up three deliciously different tales that will have you howling with laughter and wiping away tears of sadness. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection!
November 7, 2013
"Guess Who's Coming at Dinner": four stars.
There are so many ways this title could be interpreted and they all work in this 'coming of age' setting for a wee love story in the zombie-pocalypse.
There is believable, enjoyable humor weaving its way through the nailbiting, unique set of rules in this particular z-poc. And yes, it is a love story, have no doubt. The supporting characters are fantabulous. I love these two young men, wonderful characters. Not a lot of gore in this one and it will make you smile and squirm. ;)
"Surviving Sin City": three and a half stars.
This one starts out well, not really letting on where it's going and I like that. One MC was well drawn, while it took a bit of time to get a grasp on the other, more of the understanding coming from the other MC's reactions towards him. There is hotness, the level of gore escalates in this one and the rules are a bit more 'classic' when one thinks of zombie stories, with an interesting twist thrown in. The dialogue felt a bit forced now and then but nothing that really slowed down the pace of the read. You can see the possibility of more story with this one.
"Ghoul's Gym": five zombiefied stars, YO.
I was laughing and yanked into this story from the first words, the first scene. Then... it turned frustrating... then it got sweet, and we haven't even encountered the 'z' factor yet. Two wonderfully drawn characters, I was made to care for them both immediately. Jake and Uly.
Now *ahem* the gore factor is definitely high in this one, nothing is held back. These two writers took the z-pocalypse and fucking ran a marathon with it in this short. Creativity, y'all, CRE.A.TIV.IT.Y.
Love it!! Won't even allude to the ending, but I'll repeat here what I said in one of my last updates while reading this: it takes a good writer, two in this case, working so well together, to put an emotionally induced lump in my throat at the same time they give me a serious case of the icks. Yes, they went there. This, my friends, is how you do the zombie-pocalypse up right.
There are so many ways this title could be interpreted and they all work in this 'coming of age' setting for a wee love story in the zombie-pocalypse.
There is believable, enjoyable humor weaving its way through the nailbiting, unique set of rules in this particular z-poc. And yes, it is a love story, have no doubt. The supporting characters are fantabulous. I love these two young men, wonderful characters. Not a lot of gore in this one and it will make you smile and squirm. ;)
"Surviving Sin City": three and a half stars.
This one starts out well, not really letting on where it's going and I like that. One MC was well drawn, while it took a bit of time to get a grasp on the other, more of the understanding coming from the other MC's reactions towards him. There is hotness, the level of gore escalates in this one and the rules are a bit more 'classic' when one thinks of zombie stories, with an interesting twist thrown in. The dialogue felt a bit forced now and then but nothing that really slowed down the pace of the read. You can see the possibility of more story with this one.
"Ghoul's Gym": five zombiefied stars, YO.
I was laughing and yanked into this story from the first words, the first scene. Then... it turned frustrating... then it got sweet, and we haven't even encountered the 'z' factor yet. Two wonderfully drawn characters, I was made to care for them both immediately. Jake and Uly.
Now *ahem* the gore factor is definitely high in this one, nothing is held back. These two writers took the z-pocalypse and fucking ran a marathon with it in this short. Creativity, y'all, CRE.A.TIV.IT.Y.
Love it!! Won't even allude to the ending, but I'll repeat here what I said in one of my last updates while reading this: it takes a good writer, two in this case, working so well together, to put an emotionally induced lump in my throat at the same time they give me a serious case of the icks. Yes, they went there. This, my friends, is how you do the zombie-pocalypse up right.
August 17, 2013
All awesome stories. Surviving Sin City was my favorite. I think I just liked the characters voices? Like I could relate to them the most. NASTY at times, as zombie stories should be. Please, please do a Zombie Boyz2!
Note to my friends--this is awesomely written, funny at times, great characterization, great pacing, good plots BUT it is very violent and gory at times. It's zombies. If your easily grossed out, consider yourself warned.
Note to my friends--this is awesomely written, funny at times, great characterization, great pacing, good plots BUT it is very violent and gory at times. It's zombies. If your easily grossed out, consider yourself warned.
September 28, 2014
I never expected to like this anthology as much as I did.I am so not into Zombie but this book change some of my notion specially the 1st story of the book.
1.Guess Who's coming at Diner.By Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day
This story was the sweetest story of the lot and the best,it was filled with humor and witty dialogue.Very lovable MC and side characters.Made me fall in love with zombie particularly one
Read it to Know more.Its a highly recommended read.
2.Surviving Sin City.By Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
This was an okay read with nothing out of context happening that made me feel yeah its different.Specially after the first story this was bit low if I compare.A fine normal Zombie story...of survival[image error]
3.Ghoul's Gym.By TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
I so should have read this story first.It was such promising funny cuddly tale but all of a sudden I was jolted
WTH????It just turned into horror filled gory tale of sorrow:(
Moral of Zombie tale is I should have started reading the book from last to first story....
Merged review:
I never expected to like this anthology as much as I did.I am so not into Zombie but this book change some of my notion specially the 1st story of the book.
1.Guess Who's coming at Diner.By Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day
This story was the sweetest story of the lot and the best,it was filled with humor and witty dialogue.Very lovable MC and side characters.Made me fall in love with zombie particularly one Read it to Know more.Its a highly recommended read.
2.Surviving Sin City.By Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
This was an okay read with nothing out of context happening that made me feel yeah its different.Specially after the first story this was bit low if I compare.A fine normal Zombie story...of survival[image error]
3.Ghoul's Gym.By TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
I so should have read this story first.It was such promising funny cuddly tale but all of a sudden I was joltedWTH????It just turned into horror filled gory tale of sorrow:(
Moral of Zombie tale is I should have started reading the book from last to first story....
1.Guess Who's coming at Diner.By Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day
This story was the sweetest story of the lot and the best,it was filled with humor and witty dialogue.Very lovable MC and side characters.Made me fall in love with zombie particularly one
Read it to Know more.Its a highly recommended read.2.Surviving Sin City.By Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
This was an okay read with nothing out of context happening that made me feel yeah its different.Specially after the first story this was bit low if I compare.A fine normal Zombie story...of survival[image error]
3.Ghoul's Gym.By TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
I so should have read this story first.It was such promising funny cuddly tale but all of a sudden I was jolted
WTH????It just turned into horror filled gory tale of sorrow:(Moral of Zombie tale is I should have started reading the book from last to first story....
Merged review:
I never expected to like this anthology as much as I did.I am so not into Zombie but this book change some of my notion specially the 1st story of the book.
1.Guess Who's coming at Diner.By Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day
This story was the sweetest story of the lot and the best,it was filled with humor and witty dialogue.Very lovable MC and side characters.Made me fall in love with zombie particularly one
Read it to Know more.Its a highly recommended read.2.Surviving Sin City.By Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
This was an okay read with nothing out of context happening that made me feel yeah its different.Specially after the first story this was bit low if I compare.A fine normal Zombie story...of survival[image error]
3.Ghoul's Gym.By TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
I so should have read this story first.It was such promising funny cuddly tale but all of a sudden I was jolted
WTH????It just turned into horror filled gory tale of sorrow:(Moral of Zombie tale is I should have started reading the book from last to first story....
July 19, 2013
O.M.G.! These stories were gross, graphic, thrilling, sweet, funny, and, and, argh! :-) There are three stories:
Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day - I think this is the one that made me laugh out loud the most. High school angst during a zombie apocalypse. Heh heh! The supporting characters were awesome, best of the three stories in that aspect.
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone & Daniel A Kaine - I really enjoyed this one. I liked the idea of Super Zombies (not just your average mindless zombie, but thinking zombies). Definitely a cringe-worthy concept. The MCs couldn't be more different but they fit together well. And hey, it's a Brit and a Yank which is a combo that is near and dear to me and parallels my life. :-)
Ghoul's Gym by TJ Klune & Eric Arvin - I laughed a lot at this one too, but ewwwwww. I think this was the most graphic, water polo scene anyone?? Shudder! The genocide aspect of the zombie infection just made me want to lay some smack down (not towards the writers, obvs, but to the "bad guys" in the story).
I've read several of TJ Klune's books but none of the other authors though I've had a book of Eric Arvin's on my Kindle wishlist for a while (pre Klarvin). :D Definitely makes me want to seek out the other authors' works.
Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Geoffrey Knight & Ethan Day - I think this is the one that made me laugh out loud the most. High school angst during a zombie apocalypse. Heh heh! The supporting characters were awesome, best of the three stories in that aspect.
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone & Daniel A Kaine - I really enjoyed this one. I liked the idea of Super Zombies (not just your average mindless zombie, but thinking zombies). Definitely a cringe-worthy concept. The MCs couldn't be more different but they fit together well. And hey, it's a Brit and a Yank which is a combo that is near and dear to me and parallels my life. :-)
Ghoul's Gym by TJ Klune & Eric Arvin - I laughed a lot at this one too, but ewwwwww. I think this was the most graphic, water polo scene anyone?? Shudder! The genocide aspect of the zombie infection just made me want to lay some smack down (not towards the writers, obvs, but to the "bad guys" in the story).
I've read several of TJ Klune's books but none of the other authors though I've had a book of Eric Arvin's on my Kindle wishlist for a while (pre Klarvin). :D Definitely makes me want to seek out the other authors' works.
October 23, 2016
Loved all 3 stories.
August 27, 2013
I. Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Ethan Day and Geoffrey Knight
I chuckled just reading the title. I was outright laughing after reading the first scene:
“Is that what I think it is?” Grammy Gabby shrieked, her eyes bulging so big that her gigantic, tinted 70s-style specs slipped an inch down the bridge of her nose.
And all my studly zombie boyfriend Zane could do was grin that big, stupid, handsome, kinda-undead smile of his while he pawed and tugged at the raging tentpole erection in his ripped jeans and announced to the whole table in that animalistic tone of his, “Me haaaaaawny.”
My mother dropped her fork. Clang!
My father started choking on his beans. “Blarrrk!”
My sister, Sister Mary Abigail, crossed herself several times and started talking in tongues. “Muhl-sun-lun-acka-clacka-yada-zirka-blirka!”
Grumpy Grampy cupped his hand around his ear to hear better and shouted, “What that little sonuva-bitch just say?”
My drunken Aunt Tilly just chuckled calmly with a “he-he-he” and said, “He’s a real tiger, ain’t he!”
Zane took it upon himself to confirm Tilly’s suspicions by growling at me as if he were an actual tiger before announcing loudly again, “Me horny, Chand-lerrrr!”
As the intro scene suggests, we meet a zany and lovable cast of characters in this story. It is narrated by Chandler, a nineteen-year-old who has just brought his first ever boyfriend home to meet his family. Only he's not quite sure how to drop the bomb that 1) Zane is his boyfriend, and 2) Zane is a zombie. Hey, zombies need love, too!
But wait, back up... how did that happen? Ethan Day and Geoffrey Knight bring you the hillllllllllarious tale of the Pandemic Transviral Apocalypse of 2013. Find out how it all started, how Chandler and his family escaped zombification, and how Chandler rescued the love of his life from a fate worse than death.
If you like your zombie stories sans gore, rest assured, this one's a safe bet. References to cannibalism and killer cows are kept to a minimum, and actual flesh-eating occurs off-page. Zombie Zane will steal your heart (figuratively speaking, of course!) while Chandler and his amusing commentary will leave you in stitches. This is the funniest story I've ever read. EVER. And so sweet! Pure zombilicious fun!
II. Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine
Cooper is an Englishman on holiday in Vegas. He was originally supposed to be there with his boyfriend, but they've broken up, so he's there on his own. While having a drink at the bar, he sees a disturbing news broadcast and immediately suspects the worst: a zombie apocalypse. He's been anticipating something like this for a while now. In fact, he has an emergency shelter back home, stocked with supplies and weapons. If only he can get out of Vegas and get back home to England, he knows he'll have a fighting chance. While trying to make his escape, a task that becomes more and more difficult by the minute, he runs into Kaleb, who is desperately trying to find a safe place to hide.
This is a more traditional sort of zombie story. Here we have two young heroes who are ordinary people, joining forces to fight for survival under extraordinary circumstances. The zombies are what you'd typically expect: drooling, mindless, shuffling undead who chow down on living flesh. There is a bit of a twist and an added element of danger, though. Not all zombies are created equal...
There's an element of romance to the story as well. Cooper and Kaleb make a connection, and despite the threat of flesh-eating zombies lurking around every corner, they manage to make time for some bow-chicka-wow-wow. The male sex drive is a powerful thing. Not even a zombie apocalypse can get those boys down. *snickers*
III. Ghoul's Gym by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
For me, the scariest part of any horror story is the anticipation of what’s about to happen—that moment just before sh*t gets real. In Ghouls Gym, we get some seriously creepy build-up. I admit, I was scared, even before the first real zombie makes his appearance. The scene where Jake meets A, B, C, and D? Eeek!! Plenty of eerie foreshadowing sneaks in to let you know it’s time to raise your guard. Something ain’t quite right… To quote Jake: It would be hot if it wasn’t so goddamn creepy.
The story is about Uly and Jake. Although they’ve just had a lover’s spat, they have a mutual understanding—no matter how bad things get, they never walk away from each other without saying good-bye. So they say their “I love you’s” and part ways for the day. Uly heads off to the gym where he works and Jake leaves to run an errand. When the zombie apocalypse strikes, Uly and Jake have only one desperate goal: to find each other and face their fate together. My creys!
Part of the story is told from the point of view of someone turning into a zombie. This was masterfully done! The confusion, the clouded memories, the overwhelming urge to bite, tear, kill, while struggling to maintain his sense of self—it was heart-wrenching, and yes, horrific.
When the zombies attack, they hold nothing back. It’s gruesome. There are dangling bits. Prepare to make your most unflattering “eww” face on occasion. But the gore is balanced with humor. Uly (with his band of bulging brothers) provides some much needed comic relief and is a lovable hero.
“The only way is up. Or at least, that seems the safest choice at the moment. I know if this were a horror movie, that wouldn’t be the smartest choice, but f*ck Wes Craven. That’s where we’re heading.”
Uly and Jake’s reunion? Wait—is this a zombie story or a love story? Cuz I’m crying buckets here…
If I hadn’t known ahead of time, I wouldn't have realized the story was a collaboration between two authors, each writing one of the two main characters. The writing flows naturally between the two. I liked the way the varying paragraph and sentence lengths were used to create fast-paced tension in the story. I loved the rhythm and repetition of certain words like bite, tear, kill and bam, bam, bam— they intensified my fear and heightened the level of suspense. Kudos to both Klune and Arvin for scaring the bejeezus outta me.
There were a few lines, however, that could only be attributed to Arvin, such as:
Thad is the level-headed one in the group. The superhero. He’s the one who gets the most dates. He’s also got the biggest set of glutes I’ve ever seen. Seriously. The man has a huge ass. An intrepid explorer could get lost in that rump canyon if Thad would allow it.
Tell me “rump canyon” doesn’t scream Eric Arvin. ;-)
Was I satisfied with the ending? Well, no. Not really. It felt more like a beginning than an ending, but I hear Klune and Arvin have plans to make this a series, and this story will be a great lead-in to what promises to be some cray cray adventure.
Zombie Boyz offers a well-rounded collection of stories that deliver laughter, love, tears, and terror. Well done, boys! Well done.
Purchase Link
July 20, 2017
Well I’m finally able to get back into the swing of reading to my hearts content! Hooray, I survived another fall tax season!
Anyhew, I’m in the mood for some seasonal books and this has been on my bookshelf for a bit and it was the perfect ‘jump off’ I needed. I read the first two and skimmed my way through the third.
The first book was Guess Who’s Coming at Diner, and it was freaking funny! What a romp this was-what an imagination these authors have! I love how they concocted how the disease spreads, I love Dong (would have loved more of him) and how he wants to sing his tearful goodbye, of Chandler’s crazy family (and his sister-yikes!) and the surprisingly tender moments between Zane and Chandler. This story carried the anthology as far as I’m concerned.
The second book is Surviving Sin City which I liked more as a survival story than a romance. You don’t feel a connection to the two as love interests but reading about their hunkering down, stocking up on ammo and supplies and fighting super zombies was interesting. Didn’t care that the two got together and it certainly didn’t feel realistic as a ‘we’re going to make a go of this relationship’ based on what should have stayed a one night stand. Meh.
The third is Ghoul’s Gym by two stars in the MM writing industry. I tried, I really did but this book was not for me. A little too sacrilegious for one thing…but yes gory and so on. And the ending…so obviously I am not the best person to give an opinion on this, I didn’t even read it all the way through. But I still adore TJ Klune and Eric Arvin!
I absolutely intend to check out more by Geoffrey Knight and Ethen Day who wrote the first story-if their other works are anything like what I read here, I will be delighted!
Anyhew, I’m in the mood for some seasonal books and this has been on my bookshelf for a bit and it was the perfect ‘jump off’ I needed. I read the first two and skimmed my way through the third.
The first book was Guess Who’s Coming at Diner, and it was freaking funny! What a romp this was-what an imagination these authors have! I love how they concocted how the disease spreads, I love Dong (would have loved more of him) and how he wants to sing his tearful goodbye, of Chandler’s crazy family (and his sister-yikes!) and the surprisingly tender moments between Zane and Chandler. This story carried the anthology as far as I’m concerned.
The second book is Surviving Sin City which I liked more as a survival story than a romance. You don’t feel a connection to the two as love interests but reading about their hunkering down, stocking up on ammo and supplies and fighting super zombies was interesting. Didn’t care that the two got together and it certainly didn’t feel realistic as a ‘we’re going to make a go of this relationship’ based on what should have stayed a one night stand. Meh.
The third is Ghoul’s Gym by two stars in the MM writing industry. I tried, I really did but this book was not for me. A little too sacrilegious for one thing…but yes gory and so on. And the ending…so obviously I am not the best person to give an opinion on this, I didn’t even read it all the way through. But I still adore TJ Klune and Eric Arvin!
I absolutely intend to check out more by Geoffrey Knight and Ethen Day who wrote the first story-if their other works are anything like what I read here, I will be delighted!
November 21, 2017
'Zombie Boyz' is an anthology containing three separate stories, each co-written by two authors. As a zombie fan lover who is ready for the zombie apocalypse, this book was definitely right up my alley. Considering it features some of my favorite authors, it was a no brainer that I was going to be reading it.
Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Ethan Day and Geoffrey Knight
"But this is what people had to do post-PTA. They started mending relationships, putting aside petty squabbles, and living in larger groups, because everybody knows that the family who hoards and boards together remains uninfected by the undead together."
I absolutely love Ethan and Geoffrey and that quote is a stunning example of why. They have such wonderful senses of humor that I'm constantly kept laughing. Their story is about Chandler, a nineteen-year-old young man, and Zane, his zombie boyfriend. Just to be clear, Zane wasn't a zombie when they met. Oh no. Zane was a regular high school kid in the same class as Chandler, although in Chandler's eyes there wasn't anything "regular" about gorgeous, muscled, quarterback Zane. And there definitely wasn't anything remotely normal about Zane when the PTA (Pandemic Transviral Apocalypse) occurred.
Nobody really knows what started the PTA, although it became known as Beefcake Fever on account of it starting at Beefcake Bob's, the fast food restaurant where Chandler worked. Chandler's best friend, Dong, was showing him a video of killer cows in China the same day their entire world fell apart, so it stood to reason that tainted beef was responsible. On his way home from school that fateful day, Chandler sees Zane, looking like death warmed over (pun totally intended), and in a moment of fate, Zane saves Chandler from being run over by an ambulance.
So, Chandler takes the soon-to-be zombie to the hospital and has to leave him. In the coming months researchers speculate on many things, one being that anyone infected while they were madly (HA!) in love, seem to be able to reject the symptoms of the disease, if not the disease itself. I was wondering how the authors were going to get around the whole "I want to eat your brains" thing.
How Zane comes to be with Chandler and his completely insane family, I'm not telling. You have to read the book to get the details. But Zane remembers Chandler when they meet again because Zane loves Chandler and that has stayed prominently in his diseased brain the whole time. This was hilariously funny and, at the same time, wonderfully tender and sweet. I absolutely loved it with all the wacky and zany humor and the sweet and gentle love that Zane and Chandler share. I totally recommend this story and it gets a big A+ from me!
NOTE: The review of the individual story can be found here.
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone and Daniel A. Kaine
Can you imagine doing a routine pizza delivery and watching the zombie apocalypse begin, right in front of your face? That's what happens to Kaleb and he's pretty much terrified. Even worse? He goes home to find his mother has turned into a zombie. What is Las Vegas coming to?
Cooper is on vacation in Las Vegas, alone, because of a fight with his partner back in England. When the news reports begin about people attacking and biting others, Cooper knows the zombie apocalypse is starting and he tries to get back to the airport so he can get home where he's prepared for this eventuality. His friends and neighbors might call him crazy, but he's stockpiled weapons and supplies for just this occurrence. When his cab driver tries to eat him, Cooper is left alone wandering blindly in an unfamiliar city until he meets Kaleb. Reluctantly pairing up with Kaleb (only for the night), Kaleb leads Cooper to an abandoned and secured bookstore where they can hide. Cooper is pretty disgusted with the Yank's ability to survive and Kaleb wonders how he got stuck with the arrogant and pissy Brit.
Luckily for Cooper, Kaleb isn’t as inept as Cooper believed. Kaleb knows where to get weapons and they weren't at legitimate gun stores. So even when Cooper takes off on his own leaving Kaleb sleeping, Kaleb finds transportation and weapons before he tracks the crazy Brit down and saves him from three zombies attacking. Of course Cooper isn’t about to thank Kaleb. Sheesh! They do end up working together to take a back road on an ATV to try to get Cooper to the private airport in Henderson, and much to Cooper's relief, he and Kaleb are a great team together. Well, except for Kaleb's nosiness about what happened between Cooper and his boyfriend.
You're going to have to read the book if you want to know whether they made it safely out of Vegas or if Cooper found a way back to England, leaving Kaleb to fend for himself. This story was packed full of excitement and a distinct level of gruesomeness that I reveled in. It was definitely a little more down-n-dirty than the previous story and I adored that. Great job Ethan & Daniel!
NOTE: The review of the individual story can be found here.
Ghoul's Gym by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
This story begins with Jake and Uly who've been together a year and just bought a home together a few months ago. Something is going on with Jake, though, and it's worrying Uly because he won't talk about it. Uly works at a gay muscle gym and he and his friends are all gigantic ripped men. Jake is tall and lanky and constantly feels like a shadow next to Uly even though Uly always tells him he loves him just as he is. The fact that Uly's boss, Stephen, is constantly hitting on him and making snide remarks about Jake, while Jake is standing there, isn't helping Jake's mental health. So, in an attempt to bulk up, Jake makes a stupid decision, without Uly's knowledge, to buy steroids. Jake tries to back out of it when he sees what this "new, military grade stuff" has done to some other guys, but one of them attacks him and injects him anyway. Uh-Oh.
It came as no surprise that Stephen is the one providing this zombie-making drug and when Jake discovers that he heads to the gym to keep Uly safe, bringing Dusty and his Alphabet twinks who are all infected along. Meanwhile Uly is dealing with his own problems at the gym. *snort* Really, guys? The shower scene? EEEEWWWWWW! Apparently there are quite a few members who've been taking Stephen's new "supplement" that will make them crazy monster big. He had no idea how true that was. Poor, poor Griff. Bad idea to let the Alphabet twinks loose in the gym. HA! Okay, so it was crazy gory and I loved it. It made me think of really bad B-rated slasher films. And, yes, I'm just sick enough to have laughed. Seriously? The pool? The water polo team? Poor Thad. *grins*
Jake is trying to find Uly in the midst of all this madness while simultaneously keeping the "bite, tear, kill" thoughts from taking over. He's doing everything he can to remember the love he shares with Uly in an attempt to retain his humanity. "Even as we move, I try and find something, anything, in the recesses of my mind, something that isn't buried in rage, something that can still be my own. Something that happened the way I remembered it happening. Something about me and him. I push through all the memories, but I can't find anything free. Anything clear. Nothing."
Trust my TJ and Eric to not do the predictable with the ending. Oh no. They made me cry and it was a hard cry, one that kept creeping back up on me throughout the day. The whole story was sweet, sad, funny, bloody, and heartbreaking. They also left me with some questions and I really hope they plan on answering them. *hint, hint* I loved 'Ghoul's Gym' so thank you to my guys.
NOTE: The review of the individual story can be found here.
Guess Who's Coming At Dinner by Ethan Day and Geoffrey Knight
"But this is what people had to do post-PTA. They started mending relationships, putting aside petty squabbles, and living in larger groups, because everybody knows that the family who hoards and boards together remains uninfected by the undead together."
I absolutely love Ethan and Geoffrey and that quote is a stunning example of why. They have such wonderful senses of humor that I'm constantly kept laughing. Their story is about Chandler, a nineteen-year-old young man, and Zane, his zombie boyfriend. Just to be clear, Zane wasn't a zombie when they met. Oh no. Zane was a regular high school kid in the same class as Chandler, although in Chandler's eyes there wasn't anything "regular" about gorgeous, muscled, quarterback Zane. And there definitely wasn't anything remotely normal about Zane when the PTA (Pandemic Transviral Apocalypse) occurred.
Nobody really knows what started the PTA, although it became known as Beefcake Fever on account of it starting at Beefcake Bob's, the fast food restaurant where Chandler worked. Chandler's best friend, Dong, was showing him a video of killer cows in China the same day their entire world fell apart, so it stood to reason that tainted beef was responsible. On his way home from school that fateful day, Chandler sees Zane, looking like death warmed over (pun totally intended), and in a moment of fate, Zane saves Chandler from being run over by an ambulance.
So, Chandler takes the soon-to-be zombie to the hospital and has to leave him. In the coming months researchers speculate on many things, one being that anyone infected while they were madly (HA!) in love, seem to be able to reject the symptoms of the disease, if not the disease itself. I was wondering how the authors were going to get around the whole "I want to eat your brains" thing.
How Zane comes to be with Chandler and his completely insane family, I'm not telling. You have to read the book to get the details. But Zane remembers Chandler when they meet again because Zane loves Chandler and that has stayed prominently in his diseased brain the whole time. This was hilariously funny and, at the same time, wonderfully tender and sweet. I absolutely loved it with all the wacky and zany humor and the sweet and gentle love that Zane and Chandler share. I totally recommend this story and it gets a big A+ from me!
NOTE: The review of the individual story can be found here.
Surviving Sin City by Ethan Stone and Daniel A. Kaine
Can you imagine doing a routine pizza delivery and watching the zombie apocalypse begin, right in front of your face? That's what happens to Kaleb and he's pretty much terrified. Even worse? He goes home to find his mother has turned into a zombie. What is Las Vegas coming to?
Cooper is on vacation in Las Vegas, alone, because of a fight with his partner back in England. When the news reports begin about people attacking and biting others, Cooper knows the zombie apocalypse is starting and he tries to get back to the airport so he can get home where he's prepared for this eventuality. His friends and neighbors might call him crazy, but he's stockpiled weapons and supplies for just this occurrence. When his cab driver tries to eat him, Cooper is left alone wandering blindly in an unfamiliar city until he meets Kaleb. Reluctantly pairing up with Kaleb (only for the night), Kaleb leads Cooper to an abandoned and secured bookstore where they can hide. Cooper is pretty disgusted with the Yank's ability to survive and Kaleb wonders how he got stuck with the arrogant and pissy Brit.
Luckily for Cooper, Kaleb isn’t as inept as Cooper believed. Kaleb knows where to get weapons and they weren't at legitimate gun stores. So even when Cooper takes off on his own leaving Kaleb sleeping, Kaleb finds transportation and weapons before he tracks the crazy Brit down and saves him from three zombies attacking. Of course Cooper isn’t about to thank Kaleb. Sheesh! They do end up working together to take a back road on an ATV to try to get Cooper to the private airport in Henderson, and much to Cooper's relief, he and Kaleb are a great team together. Well, except for Kaleb's nosiness about what happened between Cooper and his boyfriend.
You're going to have to read the book if you want to know whether they made it safely out of Vegas or if Cooper found a way back to England, leaving Kaleb to fend for himself. This story was packed full of excitement and a distinct level of gruesomeness that I reveled in. It was definitely a little more down-n-dirty than the previous story and I adored that. Great job Ethan & Daniel!
NOTE: The review of the individual story can be found here.
Ghoul's Gym by TJ Klune and Eric Arvin
This story begins with Jake and Uly who've been together a year and just bought a home together a few months ago. Something is going on with Jake, though, and it's worrying Uly because he won't talk about it. Uly works at a gay muscle gym and he and his friends are all gigantic ripped men. Jake is tall and lanky and constantly feels like a shadow next to Uly even though Uly always tells him he loves him just as he is. The fact that Uly's boss, Stephen, is constantly hitting on him and making snide remarks about Jake, while Jake is standing there, isn't helping Jake's mental health. So, in an attempt to bulk up, Jake makes a stupid decision, without Uly's knowledge, to buy steroids. Jake tries to back out of it when he sees what this "new, military grade stuff" has done to some other guys, but one of them attacks him and injects him anyway. Uh-Oh.
It came as no surprise that Stephen is the one providing this zombie-making drug and when Jake discovers that he heads to the gym to keep Uly safe, bringing Dusty and his Alphabet twinks who are all infected along. Meanwhile Uly is dealing with his own problems at the gym. *snort* Really, guys? The shower scene? EEEEWWWWWW! Apparently there are quite a few members who've been taking Stephen's new "supplement" that will make them crazy monster big. He had no idea how true that was. Poor, poor Griff. Bad idea to let the Alphabet twinks loose in the gym. HA! Okay, so it was crazy gory and I loved it. It made me think of really bad B-rated slasher films. And, yes, I'm just sick enough to have laughed. Seriously? The pool? The water polo team? Poor Thad. *grins*
Jake is trying to find Uly in the midst of all this madness while simultaneously keeping the "bite, tear, kill" thoughts from taking over. He's doing everything he can to remember the love he shares with Uly in an attempt to retain his humanity. "Even as we move, I try and find something, anything, in the recesses of my mind, something that isn't buried in rage, something that can still be my own. Something that happened the way I remembered it happening. Something about me and him. I push through all the memories, but I can't find anything free. Anything clear. Nothing."
Trust my TJ and Eric to not do the predictable with the ending. Oh no. They made me cry and it was a hard cry, one that kept creeping back up on me throughout the day. The whole story was sweet, sad, funny, bloody, and heartbreaking. They also left me with some questions and I really hope they plan on answering them. *hint, hint* I loved 'Ghoul's Gym' so thank you to my guys.
NOTE: The review of the individual story can be found here.
August 19, 2013
I really, really don't know how to rate this book. Firstly, a warning, Ghoul's Gym - so ghoulish it broke my e-reader. Seriously, worked fine before, started reading and it went kaput. THAT is the sign of a good horror!
I found this book amusing and grim and sweet, in places. I'm not really a zombie fan, though I do like to read out of my favourite genres from time to time. If you are into zombies, I'm pretty sure you'll love it. All the stories are quite different - and in a couple we even get an HEA (well as HEA as it can get in a world filled with gruesome killing monsters). From science mutations to government conspiracies to a cure and hiding Alaska - it's all there.
Guess Who's Coming at Dinner - well with a title like that who wouldn't want to carry on reading? It's about Zombies, the mind boggled! I enjoyed it though and definitely laughed out loud at times.
Surviving Sin City, loved this story. And the British guy, Cooper, chuckled at his British-isms - mate. Glad to see there was no stereotyping going on!;) (Though - pissed off is when you're annoyed, pissed is getting drunk.)
Ghoul's Gym - well apart from it's electronic device mutilation abilities all I can say, it's everything you expect from team Klarvin and not at all what you expect. The gym shower - even I crossed my legs and I'm female.
Confused - well go and buy the book and judge for yourself. This is the most impossible review I've ever written. If you like Zombies or have an insane sense of humour read this book. Just be warned, the e-reader, like the characters, may or may not make it to the end...
I found this book amusing and grim and sweet, in places. I'm not really a zombie fan, though I do like to read out of my favourite genres from time to time. If you are into zombies, I'm pretty sure you'll love it. All the stories are quite different - and in a couple we even get an HEA (well as HEA as it can get in a world filled with gruesome killing monsters). From science mutations to government conspiracies to a cure and hiding Alaska - it's all there.
Guess Who's Coming at Dinner - well with a title like that who wouldn't want to carry on reading? It's about Zombies, the mind boggled! I enjoyed it though and definitely laughed out loud at times.
Surviving Sin City, loved this story. And the British guy, Cooper, chuckled at his British-isms - mate. Glad to see there was no stereotyping going on!;) (Though - pissed off is when you're annoyed, pissed is getting drunk.)
Ghoul's Gym - well apart from it's electronic device mutilation abilities all I can say, it's everything you expect from team Klarvin and not at all what you expect. The gym shower - even I crossed my legs and I'm female.
Confused - well go and buy the book and judge for yourself. This is the most impossible review I've ever written. If you like Zombies or have an insane sense of humour read this book. Just be warned, the e-reader, like the characters, may or may not make it to the end...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2016
2.5
Anthologies are often heterogeneous, but here I didn't like most of the stories. The one I preferred was ''Guess Who’s Coming At Dinner''.
Anthologies are often heterogeneous, but here I didn't like most of the stories. The one I preferred was ''Guess Who’s Coming At Dinner''.
July 30, 2013
Guess Who’s Coming at Dinner is more comedy than sexy M/M Romance with some fantastic one liners and an absolutely hysterical chapter around the dinner table. 19 year old Chandler has crushed on Zane for as long as he can remember. When Zane is infected by the recent zombie pandemic, it doesn’t stand in the way of true love. Knight and Day weave a tale that is so far fetched it’s actually believable with GWCAD. Chandlers ongoing commentary will have you giggling and Zane with steal your heart (figuratively speaking, of course). Flesh eating zombies, mad cows and sexiness are kept to a minimum in this first part of Zombie Boyz.
Surviving Sin City is more the traditional zombie story, with two consenting adult males pounding each other into oblivion as an added bonus! Cooper is a Brit on vacation in Las Vegas when he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. While trying to get out of Vegas and back to England he runs into Kaleb, an American trying to stay alive and hide while he looks for his brother. The sexual chemistry is evident from the start and it doesn’t take long for Kaleb to find a safe place to bury himself, if you catch my drift. Can these two find Kaleb’s brother as well as safety while surrounded by hoards of zombies that get smarter with each brain they eat? This second story of Zombie Boyz is definitely more hard core with lots of blood, guts, brains and some sexy guy on guy action when Cooper and Kaleb redefine the term “mile high club”!
Ghouls Gym is full on zombie bloody and scary. There is a wee bit of sex and a whole lot of naked men throughout the story. A manipulated strain of a virus goes rogue resulting in a gym full of naked, horny, gay zombies. There wasn’t nearly enough sex in this part for me, and although I loved the concept that Klune and Arvin were aiming for the story was slightly chaotic and disjointed. Ghouls Gym is “B” horror movie meets gay movie.
I’d recommend fans of the M/M genre give this one a go, if you like zombie stories as well that is a definite plus! I’d love to see a full story for Chandler/Zane and Cooper/Kaleb, sadly I’d have to pass on Uly and Jake.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Surviving Sin City is more the traditional zombie story, with two consenting adult males pounding each other into oblivion as an added bonus! Cooper is a Brit on vacation in Las Vegas when he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. While trying to get out of Vegas and back to England he runs into Kaleb, an American trying to stay alive and hide while he looks for his brother. The sexual chemistry is evident from the start and it doesn’t take long for Kaleb to find a safe place to bury himself, if you catch my drift. Can these two find Kaleb’s brother as well as safety while surrounded by hoards of zombies that get smarter with each brain they eat? This second story of Zombie Boyz is definitely more hard core with lots of blood, guts, brains and some sexy guy on guy action when Cooper and Kaleb redefine the term “mile high club”!
Ghouls Gym is full on zombie bloody and scary. There is a wee bit of sex and a whole lot of naked men throughout the story. A manipulated strain of a virus goes rogue resulting in a gym full of naked, horny, gay zombies. There wasn’t nearly enough sex in this part for me, and although I loved the concept that Klune and Arvin were aiming for the story was slightly chaotic and disjointed. Ghouls Gym is “B” horror movie meets gay movie.
I’d recommend fans of the M/M genre give this one a go, if you like zombie stories as well that is a definite plus! I’d love to see a full story for Chandler/Zane and Cooper/Kaleb, sadly I’d have to pass on Uly and Jake.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
September 21, 2013
Guess Who’s Coming at Dinner Out of all the stories in the book I thought this one was the most humorous and sweet one. Chandler is narrating and he's pretty funny with the comments he makes. His family is also a hoot with the way they act and what their priorities are during the zombie apocalypse. Zane is another added bonus with his zombification when meeting Chandler's family. I had a few great laughs and I was highly amused with the story.
Surviving Sin City I thought this was the more romantic of the other 2 stories in the anthology. Kaleb and Cooper meet during the zombie apocalypse and not really on good terms. But despite it all, they end up caring for one another and looking after each other. I have to admit at first I didn't like Cooper since he kind of came off as a jerk but after getting to know him throughout the story he kind of changed my mind about him. For those looking for sex scenes this one has a couple.
Ghoul's Gym A good mix of creepy, gruesome, and humor in this one. Beware you might need some tissues since it's also the saddest of all the stories in the anthology. It really helped to have the humor between the gruesome scenes, it lessened the icked out feeling from reading about certain male anatomy being chewed off. The altering POV from Uly and Jake helped amp up the creep factor in this story especially with Jakes first meeting with A,B,C,D and Dusty.
They were all really great stories and fun to read. The take on how the zombie outbreak and the different ways the MC's dealt with it was entertaining.
Surviving Sin City I thought this was the more romantic of the other 2 stories in the anthology. Kaleb and Cooper meet during the zombie apocalypse and not really on good terms. But despite it all, they end up caring for one another and looking after each other. I have to admit at first I didn't like Cooper since he kind of came off as a jerk but after getting to know him throughout the story he kind of changed my mind about him. For those looking for sex scenes this one has a couple.
Ghoul's Gym A good mix of creepy, gruesome, and humor in this one. Beware you might need some tissues since it's also the saddest of all the stories in the anthology. It really helped to have the humor between the gruesome scenes, it lessened the icked out feeling from reading about certain male anatomy being chewed off. The altering POV from Uly and Jake helped amp up the creep factor in this story especially with Jakes first meeting with A,B,C,D and Dusty.
They were all really great stories and fun to read. The take on how the zombie outbreak and the different ways the MC's dealt with it was entertaining.
December 29, 2014
I'm really not a horror story aficionado. Really not! But every once in a while, now that I'm in my cronage, I crave a zombie story. I figure if it gets too bad I can just stop reading, right?
So, the first story: Guess Who's Coming at Dinner by Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day, was my kind of zombie tale...light on the gore, a bit of humour and a bit of romance. I liked it.
Second came: Surviving Sin City by Daniel A. Kaine and Ethan Stone. A more classic zombie tale that had two interesting MCs coming together in order to survive the zombie horde. A good read.
And then there was story three: Ghoul's Gym by T.J. Klune and Eric Arvin. Way, waaaaay past my comfort zone, it was horrifying and gross and gruesomely...not sexy but sexual. And it was a love story. A love story that kept me hoping for a miracle right up to the very end. And even though I wanted to stop reading several times the need to know the fate of the MCs compelled me to continue. Did I enjoy it? I don't know. But I did feel it.
So, the first story: Guess Who's Coming at Dinner by Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day, was my kind of zombie tale...light on the gore, a bit of humour and a bit of romance. I liked it.
Second came: Surviving Sin City by Daniel A. Kaine and Ethan Stone. A more classic zombie tale that had two interesting MCs coming together in order to survive the zombie horde. A good read.
And then there was story three: Ghoul's Gym by T.J. Klune and Eric Arvin. Way, waaaaay past my comfort zone, it was horrifying and gross and gruesomely...not sexy but sexual. And it was a love story. A love story that kept me hoping for a miracle right up to the very end. And even though I wanted to stop reading several times the need to know the fate of the MCs compelled me to continue. Did I enjoy it? I don't know. But I did feel it.
August 7, 2013
4.5 Stars
...the boyz of Zombie Boyz do a remarkable job of integrating the pop culture clamor for everything zombie into the gay romance genre and are very adept at making zombies in the right setting sexy! I was pleasantly surprised at how well all three stories made zombies, if not lovable, at least made them somewhat human and a catalyst for love to take shape. Each of the stories reads well, and gave at least this reader much more than was anticipated. This book is a great way to give your brain a taste of everything zombie!
Brains! It’s the new super food for romance.
You can read Bruce's full review at The Novel Approach
...the boyz of Zombie Boyz do a remarkable job of integrating the pop culture clamor for everything zombie into the gay romance genre and are very adept at making zombies in the right setting sexy! I was pleasantly surprised at how well all three stories made zombies, if not lovable, at least made them somewhat human and a catalyst for love to take shape. Each of the stories reads well, and gave at least this reader much more than was anticipated. This book is a great way to give your brain a taste of everything zombie!
Brains! It’s the new super food for romance.
You can read Bruce's full review at The Novel Approach
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