What do you think?
Rate this book
The Company of Death
The zombie apocalypse was just the beginning of vampire hunter Emily’s problems. Now she must team up with Death himself in this thrilling apocalyptic adventure series!
It’s been two years since the zombie uprising devoured 99% of the world’s population—and the vampires have come out of the shadows to claim the spoils. It’s Emily Campbell’s job to destroy vampire communes and rescue their human herds, but when a mission goes wrong, and she faces certain undeath, she would rather die than ever let them transform her. The problem is that when she makes a desperate suicide attempt, not only does the Grim Reaper fail to take her life—he also somehow loses all his powers in the process.
Now neither alive nor dead, Emily is stranded in the California desert with Death himself. She has heard the remnants of human civilization are developing a cure that could make her alive again in New York—all the way on the other side of the vampire- and zombie-swarmed continent. Only with Death’s help does she have a chance to complete the journey.
But without his powers, Death is mired in a crisis of his own. And he is not used to having company.
It’s been two years since the zombie uprising devoured 99% of the world’s population—and the vampires have come out of the shadows to claim the spoils. It’s Emily Campbell’s job to destroy vampire communes and rescue their human herds, but when a mission goes wrong, and she faces certain undeath, she would rather die than ever let them transform her. The problem is that when she makes a desperate suicide attempt, not only does the Grim Reaper fail to take her life—he also somehow loses all his powers in the process.
Now neither alive nor dead, Emily is stranded in the California desert with Death himself. She has heard the remnants of human civilization are developing a cure that could make her alive again in New York—all the way on the other side of the vampire- and zombie-swarmed continent. Only with Death’s help does she have a chance to complete the journey.
But without his powers, Death is mired in a crisis of his own. And he is not used to having company.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2019
83 people are currently reading
1100 people want to read
About the author
Elisa Hansen
4 books617 followersElisa Hansen is a recovering musical theatre major who enjoys graveyards, haunted mansions, gothic fashion, decorative skulls, black tea, and red wine. She is a vampire scholar and possesses one of the largest collections of Phantom of the Opera memorabilia east of the Pacific. Born and raised in Southern California, she lived fifteen years in New York City before settling in Charlotte, NC, where she is part of the Charlotte Writers community.
When she’s not reading or writing books, you can find her at Mensa events, hosting a local SFF book club, or on YouTube as her alter-ego, The Maven of the Eventide. Her humorously analytical video essay webseries, Vampire Reviews, examines the evolution of vampire tropes and social allegories in media and pop culture through a feminist lens.
When she’s not reading or writing books, you can find her at Mensa events, hosting a local SFF book club, or on YouTube as her alter-ego, The Maven of the Eventide. Her humorously analytical video essay webseries, Vampire Reviews, examines the evolution of vampire tropes and social allegories in media and pop culture through a feminist lens.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
March 18, 2019
I'd never read this book if it wasn't for Youtube, and that is a really strange feeling.
Reading the very first pages I was not impressed: the writing reminded me of fanfiction (good one though) and the setting was not really my thing. But then I got captivated, by the worldbuilding in particular but also by the story, the characters and yes, even the writing.
I liked that the three different narrators effectively shifted my point of view while I was reading. I liked that there were hints to social issues of today but that they weren't shoved in your face. I like the way reading Scott chapters made me empathize with him while at the same time what he was doing and saying and thinking made me hate him.
And the scene in the closed room between Emily and Scott is probably the most tense writing I've ever read.
Reading the very first pages I was not impressed: the writing reminded me of fanfiction (good one though) and the setting was not really my thing. But then I got captivated, by the worldbuilding in particular but also by the story, the characters and yes, even the writing.
I liked that the three different narrators effectively shifted my point of view while I was reading. I liked that there were hints to social issues of today but that they weren't shoved in your face. I like the way reading Scott chapters made me empathize with him while at the same time what he was doing and saying and thinking made me hate him.
And the scene in the closed room between Emily and Scott is probably the most tense writing I've ever read.
November 11, 2020
Recommended for fans of Zombieland or Stephen King’s The Stand.
I can honestly say that I’ve never read a post apocalyptic book with vampires, zombies, androids, AND the Grim Reaper as characters. There’s no way that it should work, but it does. This book is more fun and...zany? than the cover implies. I read it on vacation and it’s fast paced and diverting. The author has a good ear for dialogue and a good sense of pacing.
I can honestly say that I’ve never read a post apocalyptic book with vampires, zombies, androids, AND the Grim Reaper as characters. There’s no way that it should work, but it does. This book is more fun and...zany? than the cover implies. I read it on vacation and it’s fast paced and diverting. The author has a good ear for dialogue and a good sense of pacing.
January 17, 2019
I received a E-ARC from the author in return for a fair and honest review. You can read the full review at The Outerhaven along with our review policies.
Death, a half-zombie, a robot, a human and a vampire meet in the apocalypse. Sounds like the start of some humorous turn of phrase, but this debut novel ain't no joke. Elisa Hansen's The Company of Death takes a tried-and-true premise about the end of the world and throws the whole thing into overdrive to tell a story of humanity...even when the protagonists aren't exactly human.
The Company of Death follows Emily Campbell, one of the last surviving humans in a world torn apart by both zombies and vampires. She's with a paramilitary force known as the Life Preservation Initiative, which is trying to eradicate the zombie threat in the hopes that soon, humans will be able to take back the Earth. However, something goes horribly wrong, and to avoid becoming a zombie, Emily kills herself...or at least she tries to. For as she does, she gets bitten by a zombie, and Death (yes, the embodiment of death itself) is stripped of his powers by Time.
This leaves Emily in a strange position of being undead like a zombie but still able to talk and think. So she does what any of us would do - she follows Death around to get some answers, answers she hopes are in Manhattan. From there, they meet a human and robot duo, Scott and Carol, who are looking headed in the same direction on a mission of their own, and Leif, a vampire who is looking to escape the consequences of his actions.
Emily makes for an interesting protagonist. At first, I struggled with her very adamant need to remain "pure" which is to say that she never wanted to be bitten by a vampire or turned into a zombie. There's not a strong sense of where this obsession comes from, though it is hinted to being tied to her mother's abandonment, and her father's and brother's death. Still, it's not something that's just brought up and then dropped once Emily meets her fate. It is definitely something that comes up in dialogue in regards to Scott, the humans of the group, and I think it's smart to and how she's going to deal with it in later books.
Death is pretty par for the course in terms of this kind of character. Stoic, mysterious, proper, but also a bit of a softy when push comes to shove. Even though the book is, in part, about his journey to get back to business, I'm not sure I feel compelled by it particularly. We do get hints that he has a bigger backstory waiting to be explored, so I'm looking forward to that. I like that he has the other horse-people of the apocalypse to play against, with all of them having pretty compelling reasons to throw Death under the bus. We don't get to see much of Time here but I'm guessing there's similar chemistry to be found, just later on.
My favorite character was Leif, though he's the one we spend the least time with. Hansen also goes by The Maven of the Eventide, a YouTuber who dissects vampire media, so I really shouldn't be surprised that she was able to create such an enthralling vampire character. His penchant for the dramatic, his love of music, and his craft ways of getting out (and then back into) trouble are a lot of fun.
In terms of this being Hansen's debut novel, I think it's a really great first step into a long-term writing career. It's clear that a lot of thought and care went into the story, with the fluidity of the narrative really working to keep readers engaged. I think where she shines most is in the dialogue, with each character have a unique linguistic quirk that sets them apart. This also means that the chemistry between characters is dynamic, which really helps you get invested in the protagonists' plights. In fact, the best scenes, in my opinion, are between the four horse-people of the apocalypse, and when Emily is trying to convince Scott and Carol to let her come along with them. The narration is also not too-detail heavy, which as someone who is not into that Tolkien-ian style of writing, is very welcome.
I do have to say there were some points that I got a bit turned around. The scene where Emily is watching Death and Time interact was confusing, which could be because she was half dead, but I kept having to go back to that part. As a result, I felt that middle section sag a little. Fortunately, it doesn't last long and you can jump right back in. I also think Scott and Carol's introduction was particularly jarring, given that they have no connection at first to any of the rest of the plot, unlike Leif, but their subsequent chapters and exposition help clear that up fast.
Some readers might be annoyed that we don't get a lot of backstory about how exactly the zombies arose and where all the vampires came from, but to me, less is more. As it is only the first book of a trilogy, I don't think there's any reason to rush the exposition, especially when there's so much of the premise that needs to be worked through before we get all five of our characters together. This first book is some parts Hellsing, some parts Pratchett, with a dash of World War Z, and frankly, it works really well. If you're looking for an engaging, supernatural monster mash, this is the book for you.
January 5, 2019
Full Disclosure: I edited this book.
One of the books I lifted from the slush pile has finally made it to print after a year of hard work.
The zombie apocalypse is just the beginning of Emily's problems. And Death isn't used to having company. Road trip anyone?
One of the books I lifted from the slush pile has finally made it to print after a year of hard work.
The zombie apocalypse is just the beginning of Emily's problems. And Death isn't used to having company. Road trip anyone?
January 12, 2019
Full disclosure: I received an E-ARC of the book for a review.
I’ve been hearing about this book for a while since I watch the author’s video series so I knew a bit of what to expect; a post-apocalyptic setting with zombies, vampires, and queer characters? Sign me up! When I heard the premise I was reminded of Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series which I really liked until the main character got boy crazy and the plot stopped being interesting as a result. Since Company of Death has an asexual main character I feel reasonably confident that won’t be a huge concern in the future books. Also can we take a moment to appreciate ace representation? Huzzah! There’s actually quite a bit of representation among the cast which is usually one of my first gripes with fantasy books (be it urban or high fantasy). I’m being a bit intentionally vague as to who the cast is exactly to avoid spoilers but it’s a diverse crew.
Our backdrop for the story is that we’re in a post-apocalyptic situation because of… (spin the apocalypse wheel) …zombies! What makes this book different from most zombie lit is that we also have vampires on the scene who are trying to maintain some food stock before the zombies eat everyone. The central conflict for the series appears to be between these 3 factions though there are hints that the lines might not be so clearly defined. So with that established who wants to take a cross country road trip with a living(?) embodiment of Death? Despite being the titular character Death is a bit of a mystery (as he should be). He is oddly sympathetic and likable for… well, Death. A lot of his motivation is unclear and I really look forward to learning more about what makes him tick. Also his siblings are kind of jerks.
The book has a lot of set up for the rest of the series to come which almost inevitably results in one of my main criticisms; there’s a slow chunk in the middle. The first part of the book is filled with delicious tension as we figure out the world we’ve been dropped in and fear for Emily as she’s knocked around by forces beyond her control. Then our fear for her life, uh… stops being a concern. It gets replaced by a new concern later but there’s a lot of buildup first. A little breathing room in the middle while we flesh out our characters is completely normal but I caught myself late in the book wondering what the third act was going to be. I will say that very shortly after wondering the third act broke down the door barging in so the book certainly has one. Hansen writes tension very well so I’m looking forward to seeing more of it in the upcoming books.
My one other criticism is extremely subjective and I may be the only person who has this concern.
But let’s get back to a happier topic, like vampires! It would feel wrong not to mention the vampires in anything Elisa Hansen is part of (let alone writes). Our vampire among the main cast is Leif and I admit I headcanoned him as a bit of a manic pixie dream vampire. He’s suave and refined, dashing about with his ipod while committing acts of mayhem for reasons we aren’t yet privy to. He’s a delight every time he graces the story with his presence despite appearing to be a bit of a hedonist. But what good is a vampire who isn’t enjoying himself? Lestat carved the way for the joyful vampire and Leif is carrying the torch well. I look forward to his future acts of explosions.
All in all this is a very character driven story which I tend to like and I’d recommend it to fans of zombie/vampire/post-apocalyptic fiction. I’m very interested in where the story will take us especially with the juicy hints a certain vampire has been dropping so I’ll be sticking with the series for sure. Just please don’t break my heart the way Blood of Eden did.
I’ve been hearing about this book for a while since I watch the author’s video series so I knew a bit of what to expect; a post-apocalyptic setting with zombies, vampires, and queer characters? Sign me up! When I heard the premise I was reminded of Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series which I really liked until the main character got boy crazy and the plot stopped being interesting as a result. Since Company of Death has an asexual main character I feel reasonably confident that won’t be a huge concern in the future books. Also can we take a moment to appreciate ace representation? Huzzah! There’s actually quite a bit of representation among the cast which is usually one of my first gripes with fantasy books (be it urban or high fantasy). I’m being a bit intentionally vague as to who the cast is exactly to avoid spoilers but it’s a diverse crew.
Our backdrop for the story is that we’re in a post-apocalyptic situation because of… (spin the apocalypse wheel) …zombies! What makes this book different from most zombie lit is that we also have vampires on the scene who are trying to maintain some food stock before the zombies eat everyone. The central conflict for the series appears to be between these 3 factions though there are hints that the lines might not be so clearly defined. So with that established who wants to take a cross country road trip with a living(?) embodiment of Death? Despite being the titular character Death is a bit of a mystery (as he should be). He is oddly sympathetic and likable for… well, Death. A lot of his motivation is unclear and I really look forward to learning more about what makes him tick. Also his siblings are kind of jerks.
The book has a lot of set up for the rest of the series to come which almost inevitably results in one of my main criticisms; there’s a slow chunk in the middle. The first part of the book is filled with delicious tension as we figure out the world we’ve been dropped in and fear for Emily as she’s knocked around by forces beyond her control. Then our fear for her life, uh… stops being a concern. It gets replaced by a new concern later but there’s a lot of buildup first. A little breathing room in the middle while we flesh out our characters is completely normal but I caught myself late in the book wondering what the third act was going to be. I will say that very shortly after wondering the third act broke down the door barging in so the book certainly has one. Hansen writes tension very well so I’m looking forward to seeing more of it in the upcoming books.
My one other criticism is extremely subjective and I may be the only person who has this concern.
But let’s get back to a happier topic, like vampires! It would feel wrong not to mention the vampires in anything Elisa Hansen is part of (let alone writes). Our vampire among the main cast is Leif and I admit I headcanoned him as a bit of a manic pixie dream vampire. He’s suave and refined, dashing about with his ipod while committing acts of mayhem for reasons we aren’t yet privy to. He’s a delight every time he graces the story with his presence despite appearing to be a bit of a hedonist. But what good is a vampire who isn’t enjoying himself? Lestat carved the way for the joyful vampire and Leif is carrying the torch well. I look forward to his future acts of explosions.
All in all this is a very character driven story which I tend to like and I’d recommend it to fans of zombie/vampire/post-apocalyptic fiction. I’m very interested in where the story will take us especially with the juicy hints a certain vampire has been dropping so I’ll be sticking with the series for sure. Just please don’t break my heart the way Blood of Eden did.
July 8, 2021
Well this was a disappointment. I’ll preface this by saying that my opinion on this is partially dependent on how I read this which was in audiobook format which I do not recommend if this is your first time reading this book. This book has multiple povs which I did not remember being part of the summary for the book, and when listening to it, you are given no indication that the povs have changed between chapters which is really jarring and takes you out of the story. And then there’s the characters. Emily was ok but a bit boring and lacked any real character motivation outside of “must get cure”. Death just felt like a walking plot convenience which having read The Book Thief and Terry Pratchet is a real shame. The vampire was mildly interesting but otherwise felt tacked on as a pov. The robot AI was the most interesting character in the whole book and we never got a pov with her. And then there’s the third pov…. While Emily is ok and the vampire tolerable, the third pov is INSUFFERABLE. He’s so bad I refuse to remember his name. Why was he a pov? What use did he serve other than to have us see that there’s a much better character with the robot AI girl? And oh my gods, the misogyny this man child spewed. Literally every other thought in his head is him objectifying every woman he has ever come across or blaming them for all of his problems. And none of this is ever contradicted by the other characters in his pov and I. Can’t. Stand. It. There were a few points in the story where we almost got rid of him and I would have welcomed it. Overall, this book was such an utter disappointment and it’s a shame cause I’d been looking forward to reading it for a long time. Maybe if I read this instead of listening to it I would feel differently but as it stands right now I never want to read this book again and I doubt I’ll be picking up the sequel.
June 3, 2019
THE COMPANY OF DEATH is by Elisa Hansen, one of the authors of the Twilight parody Awoken (where a young teenage girl falls in love with Cthulhu). She is also a well-loved web reviewer of vampire fiction under the stage name the Maven of the Eventide. Her persona there is a perky Goth who fangirls over vampire fiction while also giving incisive commentary on the feminist, racial, sociological, or even environmental subtext of things like Daybreakers or Kindred: The Embraced.
The Company of Death surprised me as I was fooled by her persona to an extent and expected something a bit more Gothic Horror rather than full-on zombie apocalypse. It's not a straight horror novel but an interesting combination of horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy. It is a story that strangely reminds me of Good Omens combined with The Walking Dead.
The premise is the world has been overrun by zombies but that's not the only problem. The world is also afflicted with vampirism. The intelligent undead have gathered large number of survivors into communes where they're kept safe from the zombies in exchange for their blood. There is a third faction, an ostensibly "good" faction in the Life Preservation Initiative. It is an alliance of human scientists, soldiers, and survivors that attempt to liberate commune while working on a "cure" for zombie-ism in Manhattan.
The protagonist is Emily, a sprightly young woman who successfully escaped with her mother to join the LPI. She lost her mother along the way and it has left a profound disgust and hatred for vampire feeding on her. This is a problem when they want her to infiltrate a commune by serving as a vampire snack. Emily refuses and ends up going on a much more dangerous mission to avoid losing her "purity." How does it end? Well, it results in her meeting the anthropomorphic embodiment of Death.
I really enjoyed Emily as a character and her relationship with Death. As mentioned, it's a bit like Good Omens or Terry Pratchett's Discworld in that the embodiments of reality are quirky living characters. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse make an appearance in the book as does Time. However, the real heart of the book, for me, is the world-building as well as character interactions with the mortal (as well as undead).
The vampires in this book are not remotely romantic and are depicted as horrifyingly disgusting predators who keep their humans in filthy hovels. Even the most powerful and characterized one is treated as a monster rather than a sexy romantic foil. Even so, I felt like the Life Preservation Initiative seemed like it was unintentioanlly sympathetic by targeting the communes. Don't they have bigger problems right now?
Interestingly, the end of the world didn't seem to occur during "our" present and seems to have happened decades or even a century into the future. There's fully functional and sentient androids (or gynoids) in the setting. One of them is even a major character in the book. This science fiction element adds another interesting layer to the world-building. I also give props to Elisa Hansen for creating a self-identified asexual protagonist, which is not something you ever see in fiction.
The Company of Death is a strange and fascinating little book that doesn't go for horrific desperation but a kind of dark fantasy macabre quirkiness (not a sentence I ever thought I'd use). The situation is terrible and never played for comedy but when you have a party consisting of a god, an intelligent zombie, a robot, a human, and vampire--it never quite feels horrifying either. I like the characters and am interested in seeing where the story goes next. This is clearly at least a trilogy's worth of plot that doesn't get resolved at the end.
9/10
The Company of Death surprised me as I was fooled by her persona to an extent and expected something a bit more Gothic Horror rather than full-on zombie apocalypse. It's not a straight horror novel but an interesting combination of horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy. It is a story that strangely reminds me of Good Omens combined with The Walking Dead.
The premise is the world has been overrun by zombies but that's not the only problem. The world is also afflicted with vampirism. The intelligent undead have gathered large number of survivors into communes where they're kept safe from the zombies in exchange for their blood. There is a third faction, an ostensibly "good" faction in the Life Preservation Initiative. It is an alliance of human scientists, soldiers, and survivors that attempt to liberate commune while working on a "cure" for zombie-ism in Manhattan.
The protagonist is Emily, a sprightly young woman who successfully escaped with her mother to join the LPI. She lost her mother along the way and it has left a profound disgust and hatred for vampire feeding on her. This is a problem when they want her to infiltrate a commune by serving as a vampire snack. Emily refuses and ends up going on a much more dangerous mission to avoid losing her "purity." How does it end? Well, it results in her meeting the anthropomorphic embodiment of Death.
I really enjoyed Emily as a character and her relationship with Death. As mentioned, it's a bit like Good Omens or Terry Pratchett's Discworld in that the embodiments of reality are quirky living characters. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse make an appearance in the book as does Time. However, the real heart of the book, for me, is the world-building as well as character interactions with the mortal (as well as undead).
The vampires in this book are not remotely romantic and are depicted as horrifyingly disgusting predators who keep their humans in filthy hovels. Even the most powerful and characterized one is treated as a monster rather than a sexy romantic foil. Even so, I felt like the Life Preservation Initiative seemed like it was unintentioanlly sympathetic by targeting the communes. Don't they have bigger problems right now?
Interestingly, the end of the world didn't seem to occur during "our" present and seems to have happened decades or even a century into the future. There's fully functional and sentient androids (or gynoids) in the setting. One of them is even a major character in the book. This science fiction element adds another interesting layer to the world-building. I also give props to Elisa Hansen for creating a self-identified asexual protagonist, which is not something you ever see in fiction.
The Company of Death is a strange and fascinating little book that doesn't go for horrific desperation but a kind of dark fantasy macabre quirkiness (not a sentence I ever thought I'd use). The situation is terrible and never played for comedy but when you have a party consisting of a god, an intelligent zombie, a robot, a human, and vampire--it never quite feels horrifying either. I like the characters and am interested in seeing where the story goes next. This is clearly at least a trilogy's worth of plot that doesn't get resolved at the end.
9/10
April 18, 2019
The Company of Death is outside of my typical genre of reading. Keeping this in mind, I enjoyed the story. I don't read a lot of zombie/vampire books but when I realized this book also had robots and the four horsemen (it is called the Company of DEATH after all) then I was all aboard.
I've never read another book that examines the four horsemen in detail and this was the most interesting aspect of the work to me. I enjoyed how the author was able to combine and merge multiple cliched and tired subjects in a new and interesting way. And I was just thankful there were no werewolves. ;)
I think my only criticism of this book was once the story got going, it slowed to a putter and then picked up in the end only to be cut off without a full resolution. I realize this is part of a larger overarching trilogy, but I would have appreciated a more complete story. So be aware going in, you'll need to pick up the next book to find out what happens. But the world the author has crafted is an interesting and intriguing one with fully rounded characters. I can't wait to find out what happens to Death in particular.
I've never read another book that examines the four horsemen in detail and this was the most interesting aspect of the work to me. I enjoyed how the author was able to combine and merge multiple cliched and tired subjects in a new and interesting way. And I was just thankful there were no werewolves. ;)
I think my only criticism of this book was once the story got going, it slowed to a putter and then picked up in the end only to be cut off without a full resolution. I realize this is part of a larger overarching trilogy, but I would have appreciated a more complete story. So be aware going in, you'll need to pick up the next book to find out what happens. But the world the author has crafted is an interesting and intriguing one with fully rounded characters. I can't wait to find out what happens to Death in particular.
March 2, 2020
This book was recommended to me by a collegue and friend of mine so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The Cover is horrible. Very ugly and badly made... but as the saying goes you shouldn't judge a book by its Cover (no Star was substracted because of design choices)
I was pleasantly surprised by the fun and interesting direction the story took. Sometimes the descriptions were a bit weird with metaphors that were not very great (but not bad either). The author has some great ideas and I am looking forward to the next book. I hope there will be a bit more worldbuilding as "vampires and zombies exist because of pestilence" did not really satisfy me and maybe the characters will be a bit less cryptic as that was getting on my nerves a bit.
4/5 Stars as I had a lot of fun reading the book and it took my mind off of current stressfull things in my life.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fun and interesting direction the story took. Sometimes the descriptions were a bit weird with metaphors that were not very great (but not bad either). The author has some great ideas and I am looking forward to the next book. I hope there will be a bit more worldbuilding as "vampires and zombies exist because of pestilence" did not really satisfy me and maybe the characters will be a bit less cryptic as that was getting on my nerves a bit.
4/5 Stars as I had a lot of fun reading the book and it took my mind off of current stressfull things in my life.
March 21, 2025
That was such a fun book!!!
I picked it up as I wanted to use it to fulfill my Horror Bingo prompt for death personified (hard mode) and someone mentioned on Reddit that this one has Grim Reaper. Otherwise I’ve never heard of this book before! It’s such a shame that it flies under the radar of so many readers!
In the beginning I was a bit confused seeing Zombies and Vampires in one place and even though I know where the zombies came from in this book, I’m still not sure about the vampires.. or maybe I missed something? 🤔
Anyway.. after I got the gist of the story I was like oh yeah!!! That’s so much fun!! And it was so funny in places too! Especially when “Zombilie” was having some of her conversations with Death 😂
It was just a fan book to listen to!!
Love how at the end all these characters ended up together on one mission - a very unlikely union you might say 😅
The way it ended, it seems like it’s a part of a series, but I haven’t seen book two yet. Would love to read it!
I picked it up as I wanted to use it to fulfill my Horror Bingo prompt for death personified (hard mode) and someone mentioned on Reddit that this one has Grim Reaper. Otherwise I’ve never heard of this book before! It’s such a shame that it flies under the radar of so many readers!
In the beginning I was a bit confused seeing Zombies and Vampires in one place and even though I know where the zombies came from in this book, I’m still not sure about the vampires.. or maybe I missed something? 🤔
Anyway.. after I got the gist of the story I was like oh yeah!!! That’s so much fun!! And it was so funny in places too! Especially when “Zombilie” was having some of her conversations with Death 😂
It was just a fan book to listen to!!
Love how at the end all these characters ended up together on one mission - a very unlikely union you might say 😅
The way it ended, it seems like it’s a part of a series, but I haven’t seen book two yet. Would love to read it!
September 26, 2019
Honestly I only read this book because I follow Elisa on YouTube were she often goes by maven. Fun road trip book. I mean what could be more fun than going on a road trip with death and a half zombie? The ending leaves you wanted more. I believe this is planned as a trilogy. And if I remember correctly, this was one of the bestsellers from the publisher that published this book so I have no doubt we'll get it
March 26, 2019
This book was just a lot of fun. It’s a road trip story featuring a sort-of zombie, a vampire, a robot, and human, and a Death who has lost his powers. It’s post-apocalyptic with high stakes and a lot of fun. I can’t wait for the rest of the trilogy!
January 31, 2019
A tad bit slow in the beginning, but once it got going (about a third into the book), I found it hard to put it down. Can't wait for the next book. :)
April 10, 2020
Jag är en hängiven tittare av Vampire Reviews på Youtube där Elisa Hansen under namnet Maven of the Eventide recenserar vampyr- böcker, filmer, serier mm. Så det är inte en chock att hennes debutroman innehåller både vampyrer och andra övernaturliga saker.
När berättelsen tar sin början så är zombieapokalypsen ett faktum och vampyrer erbjuder människor beskydd i utbyte mot blod. Emily, vår protagonist hatar alla former av odöda, men råkar bli en själv. Tillsammans med Döden (slängkappa, dödskalle, röst som får ditt blod att isa etc) beger hon sig mot New York som är människornas sista utpost där hon hoppas hitta botemedel för sin odödhet, eller i alla fall kunna bidra till forskningen med sitt unika tillstånd.
Döden är en stereotypisk Döden, och jag kommer på mig själv att tänka att han pratar ENDAST MED VERSALER, likt Döden i Terry Pratchetts Discworld. Boken har även en viss humor, men i övrigt inte så mycket gemensamt med Discworld-böckerna. Det är en ganska mörk berättelse om identitet och självständighet, och det är en typisk första-bok-i-serien-bok. Den lägger en bra grund för serien att bygga vidare på, med karaktärer och storylines som startas upp men inget som blir avslutat.
Jag är nyfiken på vilken riktning som bok två kommer att ta, denna bok går balansgång mellan att vara action baserad och att vara karaktärsdriven och jag undrar om författaren kommer klara av att fortsätta detta eller om boken kommer tippa över till antingen det ena eller det andra. Det är svårt att skriva om zombieapokalyps utan action, men baserat på Elisas egna recensioner av andras verk så tycker hon det är viktigt med huvudpersoner som får utvecklas, så jag hoppas hon lyckas hålla balansen.
Berättelsen igenom får vi se representation av olika hudfärger och även till viss del olika kulturella bakgrunder. För de allra flesta karaktärer är detta inte en plot-point, men Emily har endel bagage med sig om sin bakgrund och sitt utseende. Jag gillar att författaren har med båda dessa sätt, dels visar upp en mångfald av personer utan att göra en grej av det, dels visar upp den rasism en kan möta om en inte är vit.
Jag tycker absolut att denna bok är läsvärd, men jag tror den kommer vara mer läsvärd när hela serien är klar, så har du inte läst den så säger jag avvakta tills nästa del har kommit ut, så kan du sträckläsa.
talaomte.se
När berättelsen tar sin början så är zombieapokalypsen ett faktum och vampyrer erbjuder människor beskydd i utbyte mot blod. Emily, vår protagonist hatar alla former av odöda, men råkar bli en själv. Tillsammans med Döden (slängkappa, dödskalle, röst som får ditt blod att isa etc) beger hon sig mot New York som är människornas sista utpost där hon hoppas hitta botemedel för sin odödhet, eller i alla fall kunna bidra till forskningen med sitt unika tillstånd.
Döden är en stereotypisk Döden, och jag kommer på mig själv att tänka att han pratar ENDAST MED VERSALER, likt Döden i Terry Pratchetts Discworld. Boken har även en viss humor, men i övrigt inte så mycket gemensamt med Discworld-böckerna. Det är en ganska mörk berättelse om identitet och självständighet, och det är en typisk första-bok-i-serien-bok. Den lägger en bra grund för serien att bygga vidare på, med karaktärer och storylines som startas upp men inget som blir avslutat.
Jag är nyfiken på vilken riktning som bok två kommer att ta, denna bok går balansgång mellan att vara action baserad och att vara karaktärsdriven och jag undrar om författaren kommer klara av att fortsätta detta eller om boken kommer tippa över till antingen det ena eller det andra. Det är svårt att skriva om zombieapokalyps utan action, men baserat på Elisas egna recensioner av andras verk så tycker hon det är viktigt med huvudpersoner som får utvecklas, så jag hoppas hon lyckas hålla balansen.
Berättelsen igenom får vi se representation av olika hudfärger och även till viss del olika kulturella bakgrunder. För de allra flesta karaktärer är detta inte en plot-point, men Emily har endel bagage med sig om sin bakgrund och sitt utseende. Jag gillar att författaren har med båda dessa sätt, dels visar upp en mångfald av personer utan att göra en grej av det, dels visar upp den rasism en kan möta om en inte är vit.
Jag tycker absolut att denna bok är läsvärd, men jag tror den kommer vara mer läsvärd när hela serien är klar, så har du inte läst den så säger jag avvakta tills nästa del har kommit ut, så kan du sträckläsa.
talaomte.se
January 21, 2019
Can't wait for the next one
I loved this book, I finished it in about two days. It was very fast and kept my eyes glued to the screen. All the characters grew on me and I am very excited to read the sequel a it comes out!
I loved this book, I finished it in about two days. It was very fast and kept my eyes glued to the screen. All the characters grew on me and I am very excited to read the sequel a it comes out!
September 6, 2019
I fell in love with the characters of this book and their storylines. To anyone who loves a good adventure and the supernatural, this is the book to read. Elisa is amazing and absolutely blew me away with her writing skills. I laughed, I smiled, I couldn’t keep the book down.
The next book better be popped out soon or I’m going to go through some major withdrawal! 😹
The next book better be popped out soon or I’m going to go through some major withdrawal! 😹
February 10, 2021
ahaha where’s book two? 🙂🙂🙂
March 2, 2019
Short Take: This is the weirdest freakin road trip story ever. Minus the trip.
(*Note - I received a copy of this book from the author for review.*)
I’ve said a few times that I find zombie apocalypse stories fairly boring by now. Shambling brain eaters, plucky survivors, improvised weapons, food foraging, it’s all been done over and over and over.
So when I first saw “zombie apocalypse” in the description, I kind of went “meh”. But then the blurb went on, and well, when I saw vampires, Death (the dude, not the concept), and robots well, my nerdlings, I sat up a little straighter.
This particular End Of The World started with the Ecuador Explosion, which created the zombies, who quickly started turning most of humanity into mindless, biting, walking corpses. Of course, this was bad news for the vampires, who need a steady diet of blood from living creatures, so they came out of hiding and offered protection to any human willing to be sipped from occasionally.
Not very surprisingly, some humans choose a third option, which involves killing all the undead of both flavors, and this is where we find Emily. She’s a member of a group tasked with the aforementioned undead-slaying. But when a mission goes horribly wrong, she’s on her own, kind-of dead but not really. She’s also forced to partner up with capital-D Death (a newly de-horsed deity), to try to make it across the country to Manhattan, the last bastion of civilization. Emily is hoping for a cure for her condition, and Death is going to settle his sibling rivalry with his fellow horsemen once and for all.
We also meet up with Scott, a human who’s really not cut out for this whole apocalypse thing, and his female partner/robot protector Carol, who are also headed to New York to find Scott’s sister for very different reasons.
And oh yeah, Leif the vampire is also going to Manhattan along the same road, with plans of HIS own. None of these characters has a reason to trust any of the others, all are keeping secrets, and all of them have their own agendas. Plus, all of them have very good motivations (and means) to kill the others. It’s a fantastic setup.
The problem is that it doesn’t really go anywhere. I understand that The Company of Death is the first book in a planned series, but it suffers from a serious lack of plot. There’s the big event that introduces Emily to Death, and then, for the next three hundred pages… nothing really happens. There are a few inconsequential fight scenes, and a lot (A LOT) of conversations about Death vs. Undeath, a bit of character building (Leif’s solitaire addiction is a particularly amusing bit), a few chunks of exposition for the two humans, some traveling in circles, and that’s about it. Just when it looks like it’s going to go somewhere, it’s over.
It’s like if The Breakfast Club ended when everyone arrived at detention, and one of my biggest pet peeves about some series - if you want me to buy your book, then give me a whole book, not an extended advertisement for your next book.
The other major problem I had with this book is that Emily is a VERY frustrating character. It seems like at every critical juncture, she decides to withhold information, putting everyone around her in jeopardy. She also has this odd fixation on “purity” but not the creepy daddy-daughter-dance kind of purity. Even though no human really WANTS to be a rotting but mobile corpse, or a mostly-living juicebox, her “standards” are brought up repeatedly, without any explanation or reason why her bodily autonomy should be taken more seriously than anyone else’s.
It’s a really great setup though, and Ms. Hansen has a beautifully sensual, lyrical style. And the character of Death is infuriating in all the most hilarious ways.
The Nerd’s Rating: Three Happy Neurons (and some protein bars, the kind with nuts and caramel. You know, the ones that say “Snickers” on the wrapper.)
(*Note - I received a copy of this book from the author for review.*)
I’ve said a few times that I find zombie apocalypse stories fairly boring by now. Shambling brain eaters, plucky survivors, improvised weapons, food foraging, it’s all been done over and over and over.
So when I first saw “zombie apocalypse” in the description, I kind of went “meh”. But then the blurb went on, and well, when I saw vampires, Death (the dude, not the concept), and robots well, my nerdlings, I sat up a little straighter.
This particular End Of The World started with the Ecuador Explosion, which created the zombies, who quickly started turning most of humanity into mindless, biting, walking corpses. Of course, this was bad news for the vampires, who need a steady diet of blood from living creatures, so they came out of hiding and offered protection to any human willing to be sipped from occasionally.
Not very surprisingly, some humans choose a third option, which involves killing all the undead of both flavors, and this is where we find Emily. She’s a member of a group tasked with the aforementioned undead-slaying. But when a mission goes horribly wrong, she’s on her own, kind-of dead but not really. She’s also forced to partner up with capital-D Death (a newly de-horsed deity), to try to make it across the country to Manhattan, the last bastion of civilization. Emily is hoping for a cure for her condition, and Death is going to settle his sibling rivalry with his fellow horsemen once and for all.
We also meet up with Scott, a human who’s really not cut out for this whole apocalypse thing, and his female partner/robot protector Carol, who are also headed to New York to find Scott’s sister for very different reasons.
And oh yeah, Leif the vampire is also going to Manhattan along the same road, with plans of HIS own. None of these characters has a reason to trust any of the others, all are keeping secrets, and all of them have their own agendas. Plus, all of them have very good motivations (and means) to kill the others. It’s a fantastic setup.
The problem is that it doesn’t really go anywhere. I understand that The Company of Death is the first book in a planned series, but it suffers from a serious lack of plot. There’s the big event that introduces Emily to Death, and then, for the next three hundred pages… nothing really happens. There are a few inconsequential fight scenes, and a lot (A LOT) of conversations about Death vs. Undeath, a bit of character building (Leif’s solitaire addiction is a particularly amusing bit), a few chunks of exposition for the two humans, some traveling in circles, and that’s about it. Just when it looks like it’s going to go somewhere, it’s over.
It’s like if The Breakfast Club ended when everyone arrived at detention, and one of my biggest pet peeves about some series - if you want me to buy your book, then give me a whole book, not an extended advertisement for your next book.
The other major problem I had with this book is that Emily is a VERY frustrating character. It seems like at every critical juncture, she decides to withhold information, putting everyone around her in jeopardy. She also has this odd fixation on “purity” but not the creepy daddy-daughter-dance kind of purity. Even though no human really WANTS to be a rotting but mobile corpse, or a mostly-living juicebox, her “standards” are brought up repeatedly, without any explanation or reason why her bodily autonomy should be taken more seriously than anyone else’s.
It’s a really great setup though, and Ms. Hansen has a beautifully sensual, lyrical style. And the character of Death is infuriating in all the most hilarious ways.
The Nerd’s Rating: Three Happy Neurons (and some protein bars, the kind with nuts and caramel. You know, the ones that say “Snickers” on the wrapper.)
April 10, 2019
If I could, I'd probably really give this book three-and-a-half stars. I found the beginning a bit difficult to get into; to be honest, the writing felt fanfictiony in the beginning, especially where Emily's story was concerned. However, the gradual introduction of our monster mash of side characters--especially our not-iPod loving vampire Leif and deadly but cautious robot Carol--kept me interested until the book really kicked into gear around chapter 10, when we meet Death. So far, I think he's a great character--mysterious and cool, yet quirky with dry humor--and I'm curious to know more about how he exists as a figure of nature in the world of this pending trilogy. I already feel like I would love a book about Leif to know more about him as well, and I wish he had been featured a bit more in this book (after the way this one ended, I'm hopeful for Book 2 though). His dialog in particular is deliciously written. I hope the author won't mind me comparing him to Twilight's Aro; as I remember that character, the cheerful politeness is what did it for me. But, that being said, Leif definitely has a unique voice in this book. All the characters do, while still having those voices and points of view clearly informed as members of particular types of monsters. I appreciate that the book is also relevant to current sociopolitical topics, such as being LGBTQIA friendly and racially diverse (literally and monster mashly) at a time when greater representation is being demanded from our stories, but there is a moment at the very end of the book that I thought was too soon in this apocalyptic story, and that is when Leif drives a truck through a ravenous mob of zombies. It reminded me far too much of what we saw at Charlottesville in 2017. (For those who were affected by the events of Charlottesville and want to read this book, the moment is on the second to last page of the paperback and is very brief.) If this had been done by any other villainous character in different context, I'm sure the moment would have come across more effectively as additional political commentary, but instead it comes at a time that optimistically sets up our characters' immortal journey for Book 2 by an entertaining character who's not part of the vampires colonizing humans for food. It's an out of place moment when we're meant to be cheering our characters on after such an intense fight scene. And there are a lot of intense writing in this book--from first meeting Leif and Carol and Emily and Scott's time alone in the shed to that truckload of zombies--and those are the chapters where this book really shines. In sum, this is not a book I would have picked up if I hadn't already been a fan of the author through her "Maven of the Eventide" youtube series (narratives about apocalypses or zombies are not my thing, and I was never aware of the Urban Fantasy genre until Hansen did some book reviews from it on her youtube channel), but I am definitely glad I read it. Once the story picked up, there were a lot of moments that made it hard to put down, and it definitely made my commute all the more interesting. Looking forward to Book 2!
January 18, 2022
I will be the first to admit (well maybe not the first) I have never been a big fan of zombies. Vampires? Yes. Post-Apocalyptic films? To a degree. Throw those elements into a melting pot with the undead and I might be semi-curious to see what that tastes like.
That's how I can start by reviewing this book. I'm a fan of Elisa Hansen on her vastly popular YouTube channel as "The Maven of the Eventide" since I also enjoy vampire media and a taste for Gothic culture though I may not look it. I was half expecting a vampire book until I bought it with Christmas money and read the blurb.
Instead, I got the first part in a tale that was a twist of "The Stand" and "I am Legend" rolled into one. Humans are almost obsolete, vampires keep zombies as weapons, androids more akin to "Metropolis" than "Blade Runner" help to wipe out the undead alongside remaining humans...and Death is quite handy with modern technology.
We follow the main protagonist, Emily Campbell, for a bit in her life as a vampire hunting, zombie burning badass with trauma at her core. I was thrown when we started following other characters but soon realized they all would eventually converge. I won't say too much more as not to spoil it but a human named Scott Sullivan, an android named Carol, a vampire named Leif as well as the Grim Reaper...of course.
It will be interesting to see where the rest of the story goes but I wasn't bored, I wasn't distracted by chapter shifts to different characters and I found the plot not too unbelievable or unimaginable.
I was curled up on the couch reading The Company of Death while watching re-runs of Castle and I couldn't think of any other I would have enjoyed it more. Whatever you watch, this book will pair with it well...
That's how I can start by reviewing this book. I'm a fan of Elisa Hansen on her vastly popular YouTube channel as "The Maven of the Eventide" since I also enjoy vampire media and a taste for Gothic culture though I may not look it. I was half expecting a vampire book until I bought it with Christmas money and read the blurb.
Instead, I got the first part in a tale that was a twist of "The Stand" and "I am Legend" rolled into one. Humans are almost obsolete, vampires keep zombies as weapons, androids more akin to "Metropolis" than "Blade Runner" help to wipe out the undead alongside remaining humans...and Death is quite handy with modern technology.
We follow the main protagonist, Emily Campbell, for a bit in her life as a vampire hunting, zombie burning badass with trauma at her core. I was thrown when we started following other characters but soon realized they all would eventually converge. I won't say too much more as not to spoil it but a human named Scott Sullivan, an android named Carol, a vampire named Leif as well as the Grim Reaper...of course.
It will be interesting to see where the rest of the story goes but I wasn't bored, I wasn't distracted by chapter shifts to different characters and I found the plot not too unbelievable or unimaginable.
I was curled up on the couch reading The Company of Death while watching re-runs of Castle and I couldn't think of any other I would have enjoyed it more. Whatever you watch, this book will pair with it well...
February 21, 2019
Ever since hearing about this book series, I was incredibly intrigued and stoked when it finally came out! I finished reading it and the story did NOT disappoint! The characters as a whole were very engaging, while our protagonist Emily was quite likable and you could understand her struggles very well. She's strong, wants to fight for what's right, has her struggles and is an all-around three-dimensional character.
An interesting note also was the portrayal of Death, especially as the book went on. He starts off very much like you would likely expect Death to be; very by-the-book and unfazed by pretty much everything. As we spend more time with him, it's incredible how his dialogue seems to shift more and more into something not-quite-human but more identifiable. You can empathize with him and understand where he comes from and why he's feeling the way he does. I just really got into that!
I even learned about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which I knew next to nothing about beforehand! That in itself was an interesting scene, especially considering that it was the start of Death's character shifting quite a bit.
The story being set in the zombie apocalypse may not be anything new, but it honestly works and I definitely liked it for that. Having it be a road trip feature fit perfectly and I enjoyed how it played out so far. This was a great start to the series and had a great balance of setting up for sequels, but also keeping the focus on the story we're being told right now.
Overall, it was a great read! I enjoyed it immensely and I'm looking forward to where the series goes along.
An interesting note also was the portrayal of Death, especially as the book went on. He starts off very much like you would likely expect Death to be; very by-the-book and unfazed by pretty much everything. As we spend more time with him, it's incredible how his dialogue seems to shift more and more into something not-quite-human but more identifiable. You can empathize with him and understand where he comes from and why he's feeling the way he does. I just really got into that!
I even learned about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which I knew next to nothing about beforehand! That in itself was an interesting scene, especially considering that it was the start of Death's character shifting quite a bit.
The story being set in the zombie apocalypse may not be anything new, but it honestly works and I definitely liked it for that. Having it be a road trip feature fit perfectly and I enjoyed how it played out so far. This was a great start to the series and had a great balance of setting up for sequels, but also keeping the focus on the story we're being told right now.
Overall, it was a great read! I enjoyed it immensely and I'm looking forward to where the series goes along.
May 10, 2020
The most enjoyable novel I’ve read this year. Original, page-turning, fun and scary.
The personification of death, skeletal and robed, has lost its horse, scythe, and purpose in Elisa Hansen’s post-apocalyptic world. Death must reach New York in order to set the world right and resume its life-reaping ways.
Told with multiple points-of-view characters, the story centers around Emily, one of several humans who works to free their kind from enslavement by vampires in locations called communes. Apparently before the world fell apart, technology such as robotics and artificial intelligence was further along than today, though now quite hampered by the scarcity of fuel and electricity.
When a planned raid on a commune goes wrong, overrun by zombies, Emily’s life takes a strange and unprecedented turn. Even Death is stumped. Their destinies now entwined, Emily accompanies Death on its march to Manhattan.
Along the way they encounter Scott, also a human heading east. He had twice missed a chance to get to NYC by airship before the world ended. Now he’s running on fumes, though not alone. With him is Carol, a laser-packing robot who reminds Scott of his sister, because she had built it.
With plenty of mistrust among the four, they must nonetheless work together to reach their destination, all the while being pursued by Leif, a long-lived vampire with his own agenda.
Hansen wonderfully sets up the characters and their motivations, and also raising the intriguing question: what happens when Death no longer reaps?
This is Book 1, so there is more to the story, but I think it ends at a good point after a suspenseful climax.
The personification of death, skeletal and robed, has lost its horse, scythe, and purpose in Elisa Hansen’s post-apocalyptic world. Death must reach New York in order to set the world right and resume its life-reaping ways.
Told with multiple points-of-view characters, the story centers around Emily, one of several humans who works to free their kind from enslavement by vampires in locations called communes. Apparently before the world fell apart, technology such as robotics and artificial intelligence was further along than today, though now quite hampered by the scarcity of fuel and electricity.
When a planned raid on a commune goes wrong, overrun by zombies, Emily’s life takes a strange and unprecedented turn. Even Death is stumped. Their destinies now entwined, Emily accompanies Death on its march to Manhattan.
Along the way they encounter Scott, also a human heading east. He had twice missed a chance to get to NYC by airship before the world ended. Now he’s running on fumes, though not alone. With him is Carol, a laser-packing robot who reminds Scott of his sister, because she had built it.
With plenty of mistrust among the four, they must nonetheless work together to reach their destination, all the while being pursued by Leif, a long-lived vampire with his own agenda.
Hansen wonderfully sets up the characters and their motivations, and also raising the intriguing question: what happens when Death no longer reaps?
This is Book 1, so there is more to the story, but I think it ends at a good point after a suspenseful climax.
June 26, 2020
Zombies and zombie apocalypses aren't really my thing, so I was a bit iffy at the beginning of this book. I also didn't really like the main character, Emily, in the first few chapters. However I kept going out of curiosity, and ended up getting really hooked in the story once Death shows up. It was definitely worth the read.
The three POVs we get are very different from one another, and each has a lot to offer on its own. I ended up loving all the characters, although my favorite was definitely Leif. Given that the author is a major vampire fan, it's no wonder that she writes very interesting vampires.
The worldbuilding is also very solid and I want to dive in to this world even more. I can't wait for the sequel. Even in a wasteland/post apocalyptic setting, the world has a lot to offer and leaves you with a sense of wonder, which not a lot of zombie stories manage for me. All I knew before starting this book was that there were vampires, the personification of death, and androids. I wondered how all of these elements could mix, but it all came together naturally. Nothing felt out of place in the story.
But most of all, what shines in the story is the relationship between Death and Emily. Their dynamic is the heart of this book, and it makes Death truly endearing without losing the sense that he's an inhuman being that has existed for a long, long time.
As a side note, I listened to the audiobook. It took me a while to get used to the narration, but I ended up loving it. It's worth listening to it.
Overall, it was an enjoyable ride and a good start to a series. I can't wait to read more in the future.
The three POVs we get are very different from one another, and each has a lot to offer on its own. I ended up loving all the characters, although my favorite was definitely Leif. Given that the author is a major vampire fan, it's no wonder that she writes very interesting vampires.
The worldbuilding is also very solid and I want to dive in to this world even more. I can't wait for the sequel. Even in a wasteland/post apocalyptic setting, the world has a lot to offer and leaves you with a sense of wonder, which not a lot of zombie stories manage for me. All I knew before starting this book was that there were vampires, the personification of death, and androids. I wondered how all of these elements could mix, but it all came together naturally. Nothing felt out of place in the story.
But most of all, what shines in the story is the relationship between Death and Emily. Their dynamic is the heart of this book, and it makes Death truly endearing without losing the sense that he's an inhuman being that has existed for a long, long time.
As a side note, I listened to the audiobook. It took me a while to get used to the narration, but I ended up loving it. It's worth listening to it.
Overall, it was an enjoyable ride and a good start to a series. I can't wait to read more in the future.
September 10, 2020
Mix in a post apocalyptic world where a woman is Undead but is not a Zombie; a cranky Grim Reaper; vindictive entities of Time and Space, Zombies, Vampires, and an very protective Android and you have some new an interesting concepts in the genre.
I found out about this audio book from the writer's entertaining and informative Youtube series "Maven of the Eventide." As a fan of her channel I ordered this book for my library and was excited to read it and.... well, it is just okay.
As I stated in my first paragraphs. There are some really cool and interesting concepts within the pages of this book, however they are dragged down by way to much wordy conversations and not enough plot progress or action to keep the story moving. The first three discs are primarily back stories of the characters and how they feel about each other. *Spoiler Alert* all the characters except for the main character Emily are killed off and somewhat appear at the end of the last disc. I feel that I wasted like three hours listening to them drone on and on about their lives. Then the Grim Reaper's moody and cryptic conversations with Emily grew old really quickly.
I appreciate the author trying to paint a picture in the readers minds about the way the characters feel, their reasons for why they feel that way, their histories, and their surroundings. However, in this case less is more. The book ends on an exciting cliff hanger, but after reading through the story to get to it I do not know if I am willing to continue this literary ride into book two in the series.
I found out about this audio book from the writer's entertaining and informative Youtube series "Maven of the Eventide." As a fan of her channel I ordered this book for my library and was excited to read it and.... well, it is just okay.
As I stated in my first paragraphs. There are some really cool and interesting concepts within the pages of this book, however they are dragged down by way to much wordy conversations and not enough plot progress or action to keep the story moving. The first three discs are primarily back stories of the characters and how they feel about each other. *Spoiler Alert* all the characters except for the main character Emily are killed off and somewhat appear at the end of the last disc. I feel that I wasted like three hours listening to them drone on and on about their lives. Then the Grim Reaper's moody and cryptic conversations with Emily grew old really quickly.
I appreciate the author trying to paint a picture in the readers minds about the way the characters feel, their reasons for why they feel that way, their histories, and their surroundings. However, in this case less is more. The book ends on an exciting cliff hanger, but after reading through the story to get to it I do not know if I am willing to continue this literary ride into book two in the series.
February 27, 2019
This is a good story. Unique, fresh, and gripping.
I found the first several chapters a little drawn-out and hard to follow (though, to be fair, I often have trouble with beginnings), but when things really got moving I found it all more than worth it.
My favorite aspect was Hansen's use of Death (the character), a powerful entity reduced to a wandering specter in an undead free-for-all. Death's revelations were as mind-blowing as they were entertaining. I loved the dimensions of this character and all "he" represented.
Then there's the rest of the principal cast. As a Soldier, I could relate to Emily's desperate grasp of self and enduring sense of duty (in a way, I felt the same for Carol). As a native Californian, I could feel Scott's unrealistic hope in such a disjointed predicament. Leif reminded me a little too much of Anne Rice's Lestat, but I easily understood his situation and am left very curious about the role he will play in the end of it all (in relation to Emily, Scott, Carol, and Death). I enjoyed their interaction, which was amusing, endearing, and greatly plausible for a fantastic situation like theirs.
All in all, this book is a delightful read and a good start for its series. I definitely want more.
I found the first several chapters a little drawn-out and hard to follow (though, to be fair, I often have trouble with beginnings), but when things really got moving I found it all more than worth it.
My favorite aspect was Hansen's use of Death (the character), a powerful entity reduced to a wandering specter in an undead free-for-all. Death's revelations were as mind-blowing as they were entertaining. I loved the dimensions of this character and all "he" represented.
Then there's the rest of the principal cast. As a Soldier, I could relate to Emily's desperate grasp of self and enduring sense of duty (in a way, I felt the same for Carol). As a native Californian, I could feel Scott's unrealistic hope in such a disjointed predicament. Leif reminded me a little too much of Anne Rice's Lestat, but I easily understood his situation and am left very curious about the role he will play in the end of it all (in relation to Emily, Scott, Carol, and Death). I enjoyed their interaction, which was amusing, endearing, and greatly plausible for a fantastic situation like theirs.
All in all, this book is a delightful read and a good start for its series. I definitely want more.
March 2, 2022
I wanted to read this book because Elisa Hansen is the Maven of the Eventide–a youtuber specializing in vampire media. And friend to Lindsay Ellis, who I’ve talked about before.
But the book has a fatal flaw–amateur writing. There are adverbs everywhere. There are long sentences. There are pacing problems. So much telling. Bad dialogue to narrative ratio. It’s like the stuff I read from people putting their novels up for critique.
This is a flaw that can be fixed over time, but it won’t be fixed in this text, so I decided to stop (see previous comment on joy sparking). There is charm there, and the content sounds plenty promising (there’s a zombie apocalypse at the same time as a vampire horde takeover). And if you can get past the writing style, maybe this is the book for you. Maybe I’m not the right audience for it.
But right away, I could tell this is an issue book (fair disclosure, I’m probably biased because I knew as much going in–I follow her on Twitter and saw how this book came about). And that issue is asexuality.
It’s a topic I don’t know much about it but was hoping to learn. Hansen herself identifies as asexual. I don’t understand it, but I was looking forward to learning about it in this book. But I couldn’t get past the beginning. Sorry Elisa.
But the book has a fatal flaw–amateur writing. There are adverbs everywhere. There are long sentences. There are pacing problems. So much telling. Bad dialogue to narrative ratio. It’s like the stuff I read from people putting their novels up for critique.
This is a flaw that can be fixed over time, but it won’t be fixed in this text, so I decided to stop (see previous comment on joy sparking). There is charm there, and the content sounds plenty promising (there’s a zombie apocalypse at the same time as a vampire horde takeover). And if you can get past the writing style, maybe this is the book for you. Maybe I’m not the right audience for it.
But right away, I could tell this is an issue book (fair disclosure, I’m probably biased because I knew as much going in–I follow her on Twitter and saw how this book came about). And that issue is asexuality.
It’s a topic I don’t know much about it but was hoping to learn. Hansen herself identifies as asexual. I don’t understand it, but I was looking forward to learning about it in this book. But I couldn’t get past the beginning. Sorry Elisa.
February 8, 2021
This book was written by Elisa Hansen, a talented reviewer of vampire media (Maven of the Eventide on youtube). I was worried I would not get the opportunity to access this book during a pandemic, and I am so thankful that my library had the audiobook! I enjoyed the audiobook and would recommend it!
As a first book in a planned series, I enjoyed this book! It introduced the cast of characters and their dynamics well, and I especially enjoyed the banter between the protagonist and Death.
The set up for the world was really interesting, as the world has fallen into both a zombie AND vampire apocalypse, and the characters must now face a world where you cannot truly die. Death is facing obvious problems because of this, and I really enjoy the aspects of Death and the other old deities such as Time and the Four Horsemen. I've never read a book that used them well (haven't read Good Omens lol) The only issue I have is that I wish the vampire character was more prominent, but that's bias talking.
I can't wait for the follow up of the series. I highly recommend it if you enjoy intense action, a compelling cast including zombies, vampires, androids and the grim reaper!
As a first book in a planned series, I enjoyed this book! It introduced the cast of characters and their dynamics well, and I especially enjoyed the banter between the protagonist and Death.
The set up for the world was really interesting, as the world has fallen into both a zombie AND vampire apocalypse, and the characters must now face a world where you cannot truly die. Death is facing obvious problems because of this, and I really enjoy the aspects of Death and the other old deities such as Time and the Four Horsemen. I've never read a book that used them well (haven't read Good Omens lol) The only issue I have is that I wish the vampire character was more prominent, but that's bias talking.
I can't wait for the follow up of the series. I highly recommend it if you enjoy intense action, a compelling cast including zombies, vampires, androids and the grim reaper!
November 29, 2022
I’m disappointed that I didn’t enjoy The Company of Death more, since the premise of a dethroned Death hanging around with survivors of a zombie/vampire apocalypse is wonderfully demented. While the book has strengths (mostly the worldbuilding around said concept), the characters never really captured me; and that's a pretty significant problem, since the plot is basically stringing along without any clear end goal (which makes sense in an end-of-times sanctuary-seeking scenario, but that's a situation where you really need the interpersonal material to pick up the slack). The multiple POVs didn’t help with this, since they meant we never really got to spend too much time with any one character.
Easily the best part of the novel is Death itself. Only Death's scenes have dialogue exchanges that really work, and in these moments, the relationships and story take on an intrigue and dry humor that isn’t present elsewhere. Ironically, Death is where the book really comes to life.
Also, I couldn't stop picturing Death from Hogfather any time that Death showed up, which was highly entertaining and an indirect point in the novel's favor.
Easily the best part of the novel is Death itself. Only Death's scenes have dialogue exchanges that really work, and in these moments, the relationships and story take on an intrigue and dry humor that isn’t present elsewhere. Ironically, Death is where the book really comes to life.
Also, I couldn't stop picturing Death from Hogfather any time that Death showed up, which was highly entertaining and an indirect point in the novel's favor.
June 25, 2019
First in a trilogy
Hansen, host of a vampire reviews and analysis show on YouTube, started a trilogy here in a post-apocalyptic setting. Something happened and much of the human race has turned into zombies. Vampires also emerged to act as "protection" for willing survivors. Everyone else is fighting back against all of the undead. But then something happens and we're left with three point of view characters. Emily is the lone survivor of a strike team after an ambush went bad. She's traveling with a somewhat powerless Grim Reaper. Scott is try to get from Utah to the safety of Manhattan. He has an android for protecting. And Leif is an old vampire who misses the ways things used to be. The situation isn't good for any of them. Can they survive?
I felt Hansen's work to be OK for a new author. She has some interesting world building and mythology going on here. Emily and Scott weren't as compelling as I might have liked, but the trilogy is off to a good start with some solid mysteries and has the potential to it get better from here.
Hansen, host of a vampire reviews and analysis show on YouTube, started a trilogy here in a post-apocalyptic setting. Something happened and much of the human race has turned into zombies. Vampires also emerged to act as "protection" for willing survivors. Everyone else is fighting back against all of the undead. But then something happens and we're left with three point of view characters. Emily is the lone survivor of a strike team after an ambush went bad. She's traveling with a somewhat powerless Grim Reaper. Scott is try to get from Utah to the safety of Manhattan. He has an android for protecting. And Leif is an old vampire who misses the ways things used to be. The situation isn't good for any of them. Can they survive?
I felt Hansen's work to be OK for a new author. She has some interesting world building and mythology going on here. Emily and Scott weren't as compelling as I might have liked, but the trilogy is off to a good start with some solid mysteries and has the potential to it get better from here.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews