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After Death #1
Raised: Part One
In a world where magic crashed to earth in a rusty spaceship full of starving blood suckers, it’s not easy being a reanimated dead guy. Take Pete’s undead word for it…
Pete has been murdered by a mentally unhinged and suicidal one night stand. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s been reanimated for reasons unknown by… persons unknown. This makes him an Animate without an owner, the human equivalent of a stray dog.
Afraid of who his owner may be and what they have planned for his undead ass, Pete does the only thing he can; he goes on the run. The King’s Guard are Scotland’s primary recruiters for Animates so Pete knows he has to leave Edinburgh to escape a fate that terrifies him.
The portal to Las Vegas could be his only hope or his biggest mistake...
Can Pete escape enslavement when it’s what he’s been raised for?
Warning: This book contains strong and frequent adult language and sexual references.
Pete has been murdered by a mentally unhinged and suicidal one night stand. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s been reanimated for reasons unknown by… persons unknown. This makes him an Animate without an owner, the human equivalent of a stray dog.
Afraid of who his owner may be and what they have planned for his undead ass, Pete does the only thing he can; he goes on the run. The King’s Guard are Scotland’s primary recruiters for Animates so Pete knows he has to leave Edinburgh to escape a fate that terrifies him.
The portal to Las Vegas could be his only hope or his biggest mistake...
Can Pete escape enslavement when it’s what he’s been raised for?
Warning: This book contains strong and frequent adult language and sexual references.
178 pages, ebook
First published August 14, 2013
14 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Stevenson
47 books301 followersI'm the twisted mind behind The Gallows Novels and the After Death Series. If you want to know a bit about me, here it is: I spend too much time indoors and probably watch too many horror films. Some of my favourite things are; Alone time, people who know when to shut up, having a drink, eating pizza (usually after having too much drink the night before), reading books, adult swim cartoons, bad horror and sci-fi movies, proper good TV shows like Dexter & The Walking Dead, and last but not least having a laugh with my hilarious other half - this would usually include some of the above.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 18, 2013
This is a zombie novel, although Stevenson refers to them as Animates, most people would identify them as zombies. I haven't ever gotten into the whole zombie thing. I tried watching the Walking Dead, but it just didn't interest me. This however was a enjoyable novel to read, because Stevenson takes the genre in a very different direction. First and foremost these aren't your shuffling, mindless, brain eating zombies that you're familiar with from George Romero's Night Of The Living Dead, and every movie and TV show that has copied him ever since. Stevenson's Animates are normal functioning people who just happen to be dead. Animates can still think, and they still have feelings, but they do have blue skin, and look pretty dead. The world around the Animates is filled with magic. There are Users, who are very similar to witches, who are the ones who raise Animates, and have a varying level of powers and abilities. There are Vampires who come from space and caused all the magic to be there in the first place. And there are AI creatures, which for the uninitiated is Artificial Intelligence machines who more or less think on their own and have their own personalities.
This novel revolves around Pete, a man who wakes up as an Animate after being stabbed by a girl he picked up in a bar. Now most Animates have a User who raises them for the purpose of 'Using" them as a slave, but Pete wakes up alone, which puts him on a quest to avoid being enslaved by a user. Like all of Stevenson's novels this one is based in Scotland, but at one point runs off to Las Vegas, and takes some pretty wild turns. As you're following Pete's adventure you get wrapped up in the relationships and personalties of the characters, because that's what Stevenson really does best, she infuses her characters with those kind of personalities that the reader can identify with, people you can point at and say I know a person like that, which is what good writers do, and when you can relate to the characters it makes reading about their various predicaments that much more engaging.
Now this novel may not be for everyone because it can get pretty graphic in places, with some bloody descriptions, some very adult language, and more than a few references to sexual situations. So if your easily offended by any of that you might want to avoid this book. But if none of that stuff bugs you, and you want to read a very entertaining spin on the Zombie/Animate genre, please check this book out.
This novel revolves around Pete, a man who wakes up as an Animate after being stabbed by a girl he picked up in a bar. Now most Animates have a User who raises them for the purpose of 'Using" them as a slave, but Pete wakes up alone, which puts him on a quest to avoid being enslaved by a user. Like all of Stevenson's novels this one is based in Scotland, but at one point runs off to Las Vegas, and takes some pretty wild turns. As you're following Pete's adventure you get wrapped up in the relationships and personalties of the characters, because that's what Stevenson really does best, she infuses her characters with those kind of personalities that the reader can identify with, people you can point at and say I know a person like that, which is what good writers do, and when you can relate to the characters it makes reading about their various predicaments that much more engaging.
Now this novel may not be for everyone because it can get pretty graphic in places, with some bloody descriptions, some very adult language, and more than a few references to sexual situations. So if your easily offended by any of that you might want to avoid this book. But if none of that stuff bugs you, and you want to read a very entertaining spin on the Zombie/Animate genre, please check this book out.
March 30, 2016
Good heavens! I walked into this expecting another "Walking Dead" clone - you know, grim survivors evading zombie hordes in some urban wasteland, except this time maybe with Scottish accents. Uh...no.
I know everyone says "this is a different kind of zombie story" but RAISED is actually, genuinely, no kidding, for real a different kind of zombie story. The main character Pete is Eurotrash along the lines of Shaun from "Shaun of the Dead." A sexist troglodyte who calls his bartender friend fat for laughs, Pete wants to do nothing better than suffer through his dead-end job so he can have enough money to sit on his couch and drink beer with his cousin. Then one day he wakes up as an "animate" - a magical zombie who's supposed to be bound to his maker. Or somebody. Except Pete is a dog with no leash, and an unclaimed Animate can't work, have sex, or (perhaps worst of all) even eat or drink. So in one fell swoop his old lifestyle is out the window along with his heartbeat.
From there Stevenson gradually reveals that this is the future - about sixty years from now - and the future is rife with ghosts, AIs, vampires, and magic users. Scotland is an independent kingdom and America is a bit of a mess with an 80% creationist population. Madcap hijinks abound as Pete draws more and more of his circle of friends into the consequences of his incompetence. RAISED is a zombie novel Douglas Adams could have written. I blew through this book in a breezy three or four days.
I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Pete and Kit the not-fat bartender. There were some points where the characters were having exposition-heavy "As you know, Bob..." conversations, but overall the writing was on point. I did find the gay subplot a little bit strange. Unless attitudes are very different in Scotland than they are in the U.S. I felt like all the gay panic seemed more appropriate for the 1970s than the 2070s. Or if society was supposed to have sort of cycled back around to a period of intolerance, that wasn't really made explicit. It just seemed a little strange that in a future where robots and zombies are NBD that characters should still be so worried about coming out. But maybe that's just me.
This is a hell of a book. Fast-paced, funny, and quite askew. If you're bored with zombies, never fear, your expectations are about to be RAISED.
I know everyone says "this is a different kind of zombie story" but RAISED is actually, genuinely, no kidding, for real a different kind of zombie story. The main character Pete is Eurotrash along the lines of Shaun from "Shaun of the Dead." A sexist troglodyte who calls his bartender friend fat for laughs, Pete wants to do nothing better than suffer through his dead-end job so he can have enough money to sit on his couch and drink beer with his cousin. Then one day he wakes up as an "animate" - a magical zombie who's supposed to be bound to his maker. Or somebody. Except Pete is a dog with no leash, and an unclaimed Animate can't work, have sex, or (perhaps worst of all) even eat or drink. So in one fell swoop his old lifestyle is out the window along with his heartbeat.
From there Stevenson gradually reveals that this is the future - about sixty years from now - and the future is rife with ghosts, AIs, vampires, and magic users. Scotland is an independent kingdom and America is a bit of a mess with an 80% creationist population. Madcap hijinks abound as Pete draws more and more of his circle of friends into the consequences of his incompetence. RAISED is a zombie novel Douglas Adams could have written. I blew through this book in a breezy three or four days.
I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Pete and Kit the not-fat bartender. There were some points where the characters were having exposition-heavy "As you know, Bob..." conversations, but overall the writing was on point. I did find the gay subplot a little bit strange. Unless attitudes are very different in Scotland than they are in the U.S. I felt like all the gay panic seemed more appropriate for the 1970s than the 2070s. Or if society was supposed to have sort of cycled back around to a period of intolerance, that wasn't really made explicit. It just seemed a little strange that in a future where robots and zombies are NBD that characters should still be so worried about coming out. But maybe that's just me.
This is a hell of a book. Fast-paced, funny, and quite askew. If you're bored with zombies, never fear, your expectations are about to be RAISED.
September 11, 2013
WHEN AN AUTHOR starts a new series, readers may have their doubts. Will old character personalities be recycled (Cassandra Clare)? Will the plot lines become too predictable (Terry Brooks)?
Luckily neither is the case here—unless you count Sharon Stevenson’s signature snarky banter, which is always welcome. I’ve read the Gallows Series, and this new cast of characters in Raised easily stands on their own as eclectic, sympathetic, and the type you would sling back shots with on a Friday night. Kit is a heavier girl who weathers through comments about her weight with fiery retorts and proud confidence, and Pete is a rather nice guy—despite finding out that he was killed to be “raised” as an Animate, aka, a zombie slave to the magicians known as “Users” (Well, at least they don’t sugarcoat what they do). The story drops right in on Pete waking up as a dead man walking, and as he attempts to find out who raised him and why, we’re introduced to his circle of friends and a whole crew of motley, fun villains and frenemies, including vampires from outer space.
I truly appreciated the unique take on zombies, the humor, and Stevenson’s consistently strong portrayal of female protagonists. The book may feel dark to readers unaccustomed to profanity and gory fights, but it really serves a purpose and brings the characters to life.
Read the full review here:
http://heatherheffner.blogspot.com/20...
Luckily neither is the case here—unless you count Sharon Stevenson’s signature snarky banter, which is always welcome. I’ve read the Gallows Series, and this new cast of characters in Raised easily stands on their own as eclectic, sympathetic, and the type you would sling back shots with on a Friday night. Kit is a heavier girl who weathers through comments about her weight with fiery retorts and proud confidence, and Pete is a rather nice guy—despite finding out that he was killed to be “raised” as an Animate, aka, a zombie slave to the magicians known as “Users” (Well, at least they don’t sugarcoat what they do). The story drops right in on Pete waking up as a dead man walking, and as he attempts to find out who raised him and why, we’re introduced to his circle of friends and a whole crew of motley, fun villains and frenemies, including vampires from outer space.
I truly appreciated the unique take on zombies, the humor, and Stevenson’s consistently strong portrayal of female protagonists. The book may feel dark to readers unaccustomed to profanity and gory fights, but it really serves a purpose and brings the characters to life.
Read the full review here:
http://heatherheffner.blogspot.com/20...
May 31, 2014
Pete wakes to find a lot of blood. He wakes to find a dead girl. What’s worse is that he wakes to find that he is dead too. Pete is an Animate, a dude brought back from the dead to be enslaved by a “User”. The problem is, Pete doesn’t know who his User is; he doesn’t know why he was brought back as an Animate—and he doesn’t want to know. Pete wants out, but going on the run might just be worse than sticking around.
Raised, by Sharon Stevenson, is the first book in a series, and if this opening novel is anything to go by it’ll be a hugely enjoyable collection of books. Stevenson has a unique and engaging style of writing; she knows how to make her characters breathe (even the zombified Animate dead ones), and she knows how to sustain a good plot. It’s a first person POV story, which usually isn’t my favorite for such a long piece of fiction, but Stevenson does a great job with this. The wording, the humor, the gore and sexual references are great, and really carry this book forward.
Traveling from Scotland to Las Vegas, encountering an enjoyable cast of “normal” people and alien vampires, in addition to our Animate zombie, Raised is a book that will have you enjoying the ride and hoping it’ll never end. Thankfully, with other books in this series on the horizon, it won’t end for a while.
Raised, by Sharon Stevenson, is the first book in a series, and if this opening novel is anything to go by it’ll be a hugely enjoyable collection of books. Stevenson has a unique and engaging style of writing; she knows how to make her characters breathe (even the zombified Animate dead ones), and she knows how to sustain a good plot. It’s a first person POV story, which usually isn’t my favorite for such a long piece of fiction, but Stevenson does a great job with this. The wording, the humor, the gore and sexual references are great, and really carry this book forward.
Traveling from Scotland to Las Vegas, encountering an enjoyable cast of “normal” people and alien vampires, in addition to our Animate zombie, Raised is a book that will have you enjoying the ride and hoping it’ll never end. Thankfully, with other books in this series on the horizon, it won’t end for a while.
May 29, 2015
A lively set of characters coming clear through multiple perspectives
Raised is a comic, supernatural novel, following Pete, who has, to his complete surprise been killed and “reanimated” into a sort of half life, and now has to avoid being recruited by the organizations and individuals who want to use him for their purposes. The beginning of the book is shrouded in mystery. It is comical, using the language of college roommates after a big night out, blurry details coming clearer until we realize our narrator, Pete, has woken up to find he’s covered in blood after a one night stand.
It’s a good idea that the author throws us straight into this strange world, but at times during this beginning chaos I felt I needed a little more of an anchor of time and place, and though Pete’s perspective was funny, especially his preoccupation during the police investigation with the cop’s donuts, the emphasis on comedy and lighthearted narration slightly stopped me being able to see the action clearly...
Read the full review at Towerbabel here: http://www.towerbabel.com/library/139...
Raised is a comic, supernatural novel, following Pete, who has, to his complete surprise been killed and “reanimated” into a sort of half life, and now has to avoid being recruited by the organizations and individuals who want to use him for their purposes. The beginning of the book is shrouded in mystery. It is comical, using the language of college roommates after a big night out, blurry details coming clearer until we realize our narrator, Pete, has woken up to find he’s covered in blood after a one night stand.
It’s a good idea that the author throws us straight into this strange world, but at times during this beginning chaos I felt I needed a little more of an anchor of time and place, and though Pete’s perspective was funny, especially his preoccupation during the police investigation with the cop’s donuts, the emphasis on comedy and lighthearted narration slightly stopped me being able to see the action clearly...
Read the full review at Towerbabel here: http://www.towerbabel.com/library/139...
November 6, 2016
The story is set in an alternative reality independent Scotland ruled over by a monarchy. Pete, reanimated from death for unknown reasons, tells his story in the first person, alternating with other characters' perspectives. For what purpose has he been reanimated? He attempts to escape by travelling to Las Vegas. A collection of odd-ball characters people the searing zombie-vampire-and-magic-ridden world of Sharon Stevenson's novel, delineated and permeated by a sense of at times overpowering touch and smell, a world propelled into colour and feel by finger-tip sensations. She creates a sensory-constructed world full of physical and sexual tension and immediacy, blood and guts, and brutal conflict between nightmarish phantoms and beings. Stevenson brings into existence an authentically shocking universe we easily enter into as we follow Pete and his mates and acquaintances on a bloodily vicious and excoriating journey, leading up to (along a succession of brutish episodes) the blood-splattered denouement between Pete, Britt, Kit and Nick, and a final twist between Pete and Kit. The beginning of a great series.
May 23, 2014
Everyone deserves a second chance even the dead. In the future the world is taken over by beings creating it so that there is magic to be harnessed. Pete has died and someone has brought him back to life, but he doesn't know who or why as he sets out on his journey to avoid being captured and forced into the military. Raised is a story that has characters that are realistic, well the main characters at least, and how realistic as a dead man can be. Sharon Stevenson will have you involved in the characters in a manner where you are going to keep flipping through to find out what happens next.
It usually takes me a little longer to read Sci-fi books. However with Raised I was able to zip through the book in a steady pace. The readers are in a fully developed world without the extra word jungle that I get lost in with some Sci-fi books. The main character has an array of emotions that the readers can understand because they are in the book's world. There are even plot twists. Hang on for book two though...
It usually takes me a little longer to read Sci-fi books. However with Raised I was able to zip through the book in a steady pace. The readers are in a fully developed world without the extra word jungle that I get lost in with some Sci-fi books. The main character has an array of emotions that the readers can understand because they are in the book's world. There are even plot twists. Hang on for book two though...
July 26, 2016
Raised: Part One (After Death Series)
Sharon Stevenson
Pete, an animate opens his eyes to find a bloody mess in this fantastic zombie-fueled read!
Enslaved and used he tastes the dead and confused in this new world he grapples with deranged thoughts and a blooded dead girl next to him.
The story is fantastic combined with an unusual slant on story-telling terrific. Without a doubt, this will keep zombie fans flicking rapidly through the pages for lovers of rotting flesh, dynamic action and numerous aching sexual scenarios.
The author has crafted a superb and biting world full of engaging characters and gripping plot twists. 'Raised' is a strong start and should prove to open a path to even greater books in the series. Certainly, Stevenson is a writer to keep an eye on in the future.
Very disturbed and paranormal freaks like me will love this one - think witch, powers, magic meets dead zombie-fest and get ready to eat out!
Excellent and highly recommended 5*****
Sharon Stevenson
Pete, an animate opens his eyes to find a bloody mess in this fantastic zombie-fueled read!
Enslaved and used he tastes the dead and confused in this new world he grapples with deranged thoughts and a blooded dead girl next to him.
The story is fantastic combined with an unusual slant on story-telling terrific. Without a doubt, this will keep zombie fans flicking rapidly through the pages for lovers of rotting flesh, dynamic action and numerous aching sexual scenarios.
The author has crafted a superb and biting world full of engaging characters and gripping plot twists. 'Raised' is a strong start and should prove to open a path to even greater books in the series. Certainly, Stevenson is a writer to keep an eye on in the future.
Very disturbed and paranormal freaks like me will love this one - think witch, powers, magic meets dead zombie-fest and get ready to eat out!
Excellent and highly recommended 5*****
April 11, 2014
In this new interesting novel Pete is raised from the dead by the Users. As he tries to get away from the Royal guard he is transported to Las Vegas where even stranger stuff is going on. I think Sharon sis a great job keeping the story in order so readers could follow this zombie type adventure. As you learn about Users, Healers and Animates the reader finds themselves captivated by this tale of the undead. Great job!
March 16, 2014
An entertaining spin on a zombie story and a fun read.
While I'm usually not one to pick up a zombie book, I had read one of Sharon's books from the Gallows series before I tried Raised. It was an easy read. A twist or two kept the action going. There was enough zombie lore without boring cliches, plus the character growth at the end left the door open for more zombie stories down the line.
While I'm usually not one to pick up a zombie book, I had read one of Sharon's books from the Gallows series before I tried Raised. It was an easy read. A twist or two kept the action going. There was enough zombie lore without boring cliches, plus the character growth at the end left the door open for more zombie stories down the line.
May 10, 2014
Different Take
This book was interesting in the beginning when Pete realizes he is dead and someone killed him. It was the first book I read that switches between POVs so I admit I had to keep up even though the chapters tell which POV it was. It was an enjoyable mystery that kept my interest wanting to find out questions not answered.
This book was interesting in the beginning when Pete realizes he is dead and someone killed him. It was the first book I read that switches between POVs so I admit I had to keep up even though the chapters tell which POV it was. It was an enjoyable mystery that kept my interest wanting to find out questions not answered.
October 20, 2014
A really fun read, and a nice fresh take on the zombie genre. Distinctive characters, novel ideas, fast-paced... There really isn't much to complain about.
There were a few typos in the e-book (including one or two that broke sentences) but the story takes itself just seriously enough, and is a great way to spend an hour or two.
There were a few typos in the e-book (including one or two that broke sentences) but the story takes itself just seriously enough, and is a great way to spend an hour or two.
September 15, 2013
This book was pretty good. I dont like how it is a part 1 of multiple deal but hey what are you going to do?
May 15, 2017
Let me start by saying I love the author's works. The Gallows series is top of the line in creativity when it comes to vampires, demons, witches and hunters. This series focuses on the undead and follows along that same snarky humor and dark plots. Pete is just your average bloke who wakes up dead and then takes to being on the run from all kinds of unfortunate events that can befall him. It's an interesting read if you like the zombie genre.
October 23, 2017
Dead Man Running Review
Imagine waking up from a night of drinking to find out that the psycho you brought home has killed you. You are now an Animate and waiting to find out who your User (owner) is and what you have to do. Well Pete decides to run in this funny, paranormal read. A great start to the Raised series.
Imagine waking up from a night of drinking to find out that the psycho you brought home has killed you. You are now an Animate and waiting to find out who your User (owner) is and what you have to do. Well Pete decides to run in this funny, paranormal read. A great start to the Raised series.
July 31, 2018
Although I an not sure zombie is the correct term in this case, it is what I would call a reanimated body. This is an interesting take on several things; magic, zombies, and vampires among those. I found myself pulled into this tale of Pete and his acquaintances. Murder, mystery, and mayhem are all accounted for.
April 20, 2017
This book had a warning at the start about bad language and sexual elements. I like when authors do this as it gives those who like clean books a chance to go elsewhere and avoid being offended. It's good that some authors take the time to think of that.
I'm not offended by bad language so I picked up the book. Now if you are going to choose to use bad language, I feel it needs to be appropriate to the plot and serve a purpose, not just shoved in for the hell of it. In the first 20 pages we had enough f's, c's and w's to make me feel like I was swimming around in sweary word alphabet soup! It wasn't amusing swearing, or vital to the plot swearing or expressing emotion swearing, all of which I find ok if it isn't on every page. It just felt like swearing for the sake of it and that always bugs me in a book. I just felt this book went a bit over the top and it turned me off the book right from the start.
I also didn't like the main character who of course was foul mouthed, rude and obnoxious, so I didn't really care what happened to him. That meant that I didn't really connect with the story.
Despite not liking the book, I don't think there was anything wrong with the writing style of the author. The story seemed to be well enough put together. It just didn't appeal to me personally.
I'm not offended by bad language so I picked up the book. Now if you are going to choose to use bad language, I feel it needs to be appropriate to the plot and serve a purpose, not just shoved in for the hell of it. In the first 20 pages we had enough f's, c's and w's to make me feel like I was swimming around in sweary word alphabet soup! It wasn't amusing swearing, or vital to the plot swearing or expressing emotion swearing, all of which I find ok if it isn't on every page. It just felt like swearing for the sake of it and that always bugs me in a book. I just felt this book went a bit over the top and it turned me off the book right from the start.
I also didn't like the main character who of course was foul mouthed, rude and obnoxious, so I didn't really care what happened to him. That meant that I didn't really connect with the story.
Despite not liking the book, I don't think there was anything wrong with the writing style of the author. The story seemed to be well enough put together. It just didn't appeal to me personally.
May 12, 2016
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters & the world that the author has created. It's so much fun & I can't wait to read the next in the series. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.
April 23, 2017
This was an intriguingly weird, wacky, and surprisingly sweet story, but it got off to a slightly rocky start. I felt disoriented at first, and it took some patience to let the worldbuilding unfold to the point that I started to feel like I knew what was going on. But what a fascinating world it is, with a neurotic ghost, zombie "Animates" controlled by magical "Users," alien vampires, unpredictable clones, and adorable but slightly cranky AIs. This could have been a really dark story, but the humor, romance, and growth of the characters kept it from feeling too grim.
I was not too sure about this story at first because I didn't initially like any of the characters. Our lead character, Pete, in particular starts out as kind of a jerk, lazy, whiny, and often mean to others. But Pete and his friends grew on me, and part of the fun of this story is getting to know the characters and watching them learn and grow and change throughout the story. I love books that balance action with character development, and author Sharon Stevenson did a really nice job of that here, occasionally even in ways that managed to surprise me.
The pace of the story definitely picks up as we race toward the conclusion. Initially, the story is told entirely from Pete's perspective, but after a while, we get alternating perspectives from several of the characters, which really worked both to help maintain the tension and to allow us to get to know the other characters better.
I did notice some grammar problems, but not so many as to seriously interfere with my enjoyment of the story. There are also some cultural issues for those of us who aren't from the UK and lack familiarity with Scottish products and expressions, but not enough to hinder enjoyment of the story.
The conclusion resolves the events of this story reasonably well, but does introduce problems to be resolved in the next book in the series, Death Magic Rules. I am definitely looking forward to finding out what happens next.
Recommended for fans of black comedy and urban fantasy, assuming you won't be disturbed by profanity, violence, discussion of sex between both heterosexual and homosexual couples, and necrophilia. Honestly, I didn't find any of it all that graphic or disturbing.
I was not too sure about this story at first because I didn't initially like any of the characters. Our lead character, Pete, in particular starts out as kind of a jerk, lazy, whiny, and often mean to others. But Pete and his friends grew on me, and part of the fun of this story is getting to know the characters and watching them learn and grow and change throughout the story. I love books that balance action with character development, and author Sharon Stevenson did a really nice job of that here, occasionally even in ways that managed to surprise me.
The pace of the story definitely picks up as we race toward the conclusion. Initially, the story is told entirely from Pete's perspective, but after a while, we get alternating perspectives from several of the characters, which really worked both to help maintain the tension and to allow us to get to know the other characters better.
I did notice some grammar problems, but not so many as to seriously interfere with my enjoyment of the story. There are also some cultural issues for those of us who aren't from the UK and lack familiarity with Scottish products and expressions, but not enough to hinder enjoyment of the story.
The conclusion resolves the events of this story reasonably well, but does introduce problems to be resolved in the next book in the series, Death Magic Rules. I am definitely looking forward to finding out what happens next.
Recommended for fans of black comedy and urban fantasy, assuming you won't be disturbed by profanity, violence, discussion of sex between both heterosexual and homosexual couples, and necrophilia. Honestly, I didn't find any of it all that graphic or disturbing.
April 29, 2017
Anything this author touches is nothing like anything else in the genre. I knew that going in, but I find that I was still surprised by how different this was. It's witty, and intelligent, and funny. The only shuffling, stumbling zombies in it that I could find was in one quick flashback scene. And there was a whole lot of explanation behind why that one was the way he was. I really enjoyed watching this group of misfits work together and I look forward to seeing what other mischief they get into.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews