Herald of Ruin: The Sanford Files by Tim Pratt - Book Review

 

'The enigmatic Carl Sanford is the master of all things occult in Arkham, until a charismatic newcomer threatens to take everything away from him in this dark mystery set in the world of Arkham Horror.

'Carl Sanford's mastery of the Silver Twilight Lodge gives him unbridled power and influence, but unforeseen turmoil is coming to Arkham... A new occult curiosity shop in the city, opened by newcomer Randall Tillinghast, draws Sanford's ire, challenging his formerly unrivalled authority. Sanford expects to crush the newcomer like an ant and take what he wants from the wreckage, but Randall Tillinghast isn’t quite as humble and harmless as he seems. In possession of an array of magical artifacts, Tillinghast begins to subvert Sanford’s reputation in more ways than one, forcing Carl Sanford to call all the monsters and magic at his disposal to stop him. Will it be enough?'

Last year I read The Ravening Deep by Tim Pratt and found it to be one of the most engaging and entertaining books in the Arkham Horror series, with some great characters, superb world building, and a plot that kept me hooked throughout. I was surprised to find out that the book wasn't a stand-alone adventure, however, as Herald of Ruin sees the return of several of the characters that made the previous entry in the series such a delight. Whilst this return was a surprise, it was a thoroughly pleasant one.

One of the biggest changes is that this time round one of the antagonistic figures from the first book, Carl Sanford, who became something of an unwilling ally to our protagonists, steps into a lead role; forcing the audience to have to fully embrace the moral greys that make Arkham its home as you begin to root for a character you really shouldn't.

Carl Sanford runs the Silver Twilight Lodge, a secret society that makes Arkham its home, and whose study into the occult and the mystical can be considered dangerous at best, or downright evil at worst. Sanford is a man who is used to power, both in the world of men and in the world of the occult, and uses his position to gather as much as he can. As such, when a new occult book shop opens in the city it adds a wrinkle into Sanford's carefully crafted world. The shop owner, Randall Tillinghast, gives one of Sanford's followers an item that Sanford has always wanted it begins to form cracks in his carefully created kingdom. 

It's easy to paint certain characters as truly bad, especially in works of horror where people tend to fall onto one side or another in moral alignment. Carl Sanford would absolutely be evil in the hands of a lesser writer, a character who would be almost cartoonish in his quest for power and dominance. However, Pratt has managed to craft a surprisingly layered character here, one who you absolutely wouldn't trust, but one that you can enjoy spending some time with. The same can be said for another returning character, Ruby, who was on the opposite side of Sanford for much of the first book in the series. A thief by trade, Ruby has come to work for Sanford, despite knowing what kind of person he is, both for the thrill of the work and the obscene amount of money that she can make working for him.

Whilst the book spends a great deal of time making you cheer Sanford on, much to your own surprise, you also start to lose some respect for Ruby, and she does some stuff during the book that makes you wonder just how many of her morals she's going to have to go against whilst on this path. It's an interesting journey to go on, seeing a villain from the last book become your protagonist, whilst one of your previous protagonists starts to lose her way more and more. Despite this, it's still great to see both characters return, and they make for some truly enjoyable additions to the Arkham Horror universe, and now that we've had one sequel I hope that this leads to more books featuring the two of them.

Much like the first book, the Silver Twilight Lodge is a great excuse to explore some fun parts of the universe, and there are a ton of tiny easter eggs and lore nuggets scattered throughout the book that grab your interest. Thanks to Sanford being a voracious collector there are a number of times throughout the book where you learn a little about the things he has in his private collection that could be the star McGuffin of its own story and you find yourself wanting to learn more about them. It's not just Sanford who brings this wealth of lore with him, however, as Tillinghast's shop is a plethora of cool items and interesting books that make this feel like a bit of a cameo-fest in the best possible way.

Pratt doesn't just fill the pages with these small treats and hints at bigger things though, as he also crafts a wonderfully enjoyable narrative. The story has twists and turns, surprises, betrayals, and plots that feel like they'd be at home in a gangster story as much as they do here. Sanford almost operates in a world of organised crime, just with dark magic, and Pratt really seems to know how to convey this on the page. You get small mentions of things early on in the book that come to matter in big ways later on, and expected tropes get subverted in surprising ways. 

Fans of the Arkham Horror game series will get a lot out of this entry in the novel series, but it will absolutely appeal to non-gamers too. The story works well as a stand-alone too, and knowledge of the previous novel isn't vital to enjoy this one, meaning that anyone with a passing interest will be able to pick it up and have a brilliant time with it. Hopefully this won't be the last time that Tim Pratt gets to play in this universe, as he brings some fantastic things to the table when he does.

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The Shadow on the Glass by Jonathan L Howard - Book Review

 

'When two spiritist swindlers accidentally summon something horrific from beyond the stars, they must thwart a sinister time-spanning plot, in this first Victorian-era gaslight fantasy set in the world of Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu. London, 1891. 

'Elizabeth Whittle and William Grant enjoy scalping London’s bourgeoise, taking on the persona of grand spiritist Cerulia Trent and her agent to connect the living and the dead. When a detective arrives, sniffing out fraud with a scientifically minded spiritualist society, the duo decides to take one last job before escaping to the continent. However, their final séance ends horrifically… and soon Lizzie isn’t Lizzie anymore. William, desperate to banish whatever monster they summoned, is soon embroiled in an electrifying eldritch mystery where he makes a deal with the devil to save his friend and stop an even greater evil from transforming the known world.'

I have a very soft spot for Victorian era fiction, especially when it involves horror or the unusual, and as such finding out that the Arkham Horror series was going to be branching out into this era made The Shadow on the Glass a book that I was absolutely going to read. 

The Shadow on the Glass takes readers to Victorian London, where we meet a pair of con-artists, William Grant and Elizabeth Whittle, who are taking advantage of the rise of spiritualism in Britain at the time to make some quick cash off of some gullible rich folks who want to contact the spirit world. With Elizabeth posing as the medium Cerulia Trent, the two of them think that they might have pushed things a little too far and need to leave the country and lay low. However, before leaving, they decide to do one last job, targeting Sir Donovan Clay, a wealthy businessman who's just returned to England from Australia, and is looking to contact his late wife.

The two con-artists put on their usual show, pretending to contact the spirit world; but when the ritual takes a strange turn it leave Elizabeth changed. Now it seems like the world of the paranormal the two of them were mocking, that they didn't believe in, has come calling, and it's ready to make the two of them pay a heavy price.

Jonathan L Howard has some experience writing in this field, having received acclaim for his Johannes Cabal series, which featured the supernatural, dark entities, and con-men. Having not read his other series, I can't say how similar the those are to this, but from my understanding it fits well within the tone of this book, including the small sprinkles of humour scattered throughout. Howard seems able to walk this wonderfully fine line between horror and humour, with a ton of great characters and interesting lore building thrown in. Just from what I read here, his work reminds me a little of one of my favourite authors, Derek Landy, who does this with younger readers in mind, but also manages to capture this kind of flavour well.

Whilst there is humour in the book this doesn't mean that this a comedy by any means, and the narrative is still very much dictated by horror with some truly spooky moments that will cause you to shudder. The dark, gaslit streets of Victorian London make for a perfect setting for the kind of horror that Howard does here, and it's also a perfect marriage for the Lovecraftian horror that the Arkham Horror series is beloved for. It's such a good fit that my mind often thinks that this is the kind of era that most of Lovecraft's stories, and the subsequent fiction that draws upon them, are set in. I often have to remind myself that it takes place decades later, but this time round I didn't have to do that, and I loved the experience. Much like the recent exploration into the Regency era for the series with Secrets & Sacrifices it seems that taking the elements of the Arkham Horror series and putting them in new locations leads to some of the more interesting and original feeling books in the range. 

For those that enjoy the Arkham Horror books but are looking for a different take on things, or who might be finding the same setting as usual a bit stale, The Shadow on the Glass makes for a wonderful refresh, a grate palate cleanser that offers something new that can reinvigorate your enjoyment of the franchise. The things that you like about these stories, the questionable characters, the evil cults, ancient gods, and unknowable horrors, are all here, and so long time fans will very much feel at home.

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City of the Undead: A Zombicide Black Plague Novel by CL Werner - Book Review

 

'Witch Hunter Helchen mourns her dear friend, one of many heroes The Black Plague has sent to their grave as it consumes the kingdom. Yet she is determined to save what remains of humanity. Helchen and her companions travel to the labyrinthine canals of Zanice to obtain magical resources that would change the course of the zombie plague. Horrendous swaths of the undead mark their journey, and the companions are pursued relentlessly by necromantic forces of evil. When they discover a friend turned foe, Helchen must decide if all zombies are monsters… or if a new darkness is taking shape across the land.'

The Black Plague novels have been one of my favourite reads in the Zombicide line. I've always had a liking for fantasy, and as an avid D&D player I can't help but view a story like this through the lens of what would make for a good game. And that's perhaps one of the things I like most about this series, it doesn't do epic fantasy, its not worried about political dealings, kingdoms at war, or world altering quests. For the most part its a group of people who'd never normally talk to each other, let alone be friends and allies, fighting just to survive. It's a very small kind of story, even if this group of heroes are fighting to save a city.

Having travelled to the island lair of a wizard in the last volume, Isle of the Undead, our heroes have recovered an ancient artefact that can destroy the undead in vast swathes. However, the victory was bittersweet as they lost their friend Alaric von Merts, who gave his life killing the dragon that had been plaguing them across the island. Their mission was a success, though, and it seems not a moment too soon as the group arrive at Korbara, one of the last holdouts against the zombie plague, as a zombie assault is about to overwhelm the defences. Using the artefact to destroy the zombies, the monastery is saved; but the artefacts power is running out. 

With it being their only real defence against the armies of the infected, a solution needs to be found. Helchen and the rest of her team are asked to travel to the city of Zanice, where an archive may hold the information that will allow them to recharge the weapon. Accompanied by some new allies, including a sorcerer, and an untrustworthy ranger, the group heads to the canalled city in hopes of finding answers. However, little do they know that the evil necromancer Gogol is still on their trail, and that he has not only resurrected the dragon Flamefang to his cause, but has also turned their friend Alaric into a new kind of zombie, one who can think, who is aware of who he is, but is doomed to obey his master. Set on making the group suffer, Gogol sets out after them with revenge in mind. 

The third volume in the Black Plague series might be my favourite in the set so far, but at the same time do I have some bones to pick with author CL Werner. By now I've come to really care for the core group of survivors that make up Helchen's team (her having become the de facto leader with the loss of Alaric). The characters that have been around since the first book are some of my favourites, and whilst I like the new characters that become part of the group along their journey it's these book one characters that I love the most. So seeing them suffer as much as they do this book really upsets me; even if it is good storytelling.

A big part of the suffering that they go through this book is thanks to the new condition that Alaric finds himself in. Brought back from the dead, able to think and feel as he once did, but forced to follow the orders of his most hated enemy, it's easy to say that Alaric suffers a lot this time round. However, his mere presence also brings pain to his friends. Gaiseric, a character who began the series with an antagonistic relationship with Alaric, is one of the characters to seems to take his friends reappearance the worst. Their bond had become so strong, their friendship so important to him, that Gaiseric experiences a trauma reaction to Alaric's return. It's incredibly sad at times, and makes for some of the best interpersonal drama in the series to date. 

Zanice also makes for an interesting new location. As the name might suggest, it's based upon Venice, and the confined walkways, the canals that make up most of the streets, and the tightly packed buildings make for some interesting and tense moments as the team must deal with the shuffling undead. There are a number of set-pieces that stand out as some of the more interesting fights and locations in the series yet, and much of the fun of these moments comes down to the city limiting what the heroes can do, or forcing them into a tough situation. 

Whilst the story is incredibly simple when boiled down to its base elements (it's a fetch quest) the journey along the way makes for a truly engaging read. And slight spoilers, the loss of much loved characters also helps to make this a book that you don't want to put down. There were times reading that I was begging the book not to do what it was doing, where I was left feeling sad, where the despair that the characters were feeling was shared by me. It's perhaps the bloodiest book in the series, with the highest body count for the living. If you love this series you're going to love this book, but it's also going to hurt you.

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The Market of 100 Fortunes by Marie Brennan - Book Review

 

'Enthralling fantasy mystery from the world of Legend of the Five Rings as two samurai risk everything to rescue an old friend from the clutches of a shadowy trickster.

'Having vanquished demons and halted invasions of devious creatures from the Spirit Realms, Asako Sekken and Agasha no Isao Ryotora are finally going to be married. But when a note from their old ally Sayashi arrives unexpectedly, the samurai find themselves dragged into another supernatural mystery.

'Their investigation leads them to Crane lands and an ancient market ruled by a mysterious being. Now Sekken and Ryotora must use all their wit and charm to save Sayashi from a hundred year bargain before they find themselves embroiled in a conflict with a forgotten deity of unimaginable power.'

I've only had the briefest experience with Legend of the Five Rings world, having read a few of the books before, and I didn't realise going into The Market of 100 Fortunes that this particular novel was one of a series, with the main characters having been used in previous books. Despite this, Marie Brennan makes this latest entry in the franchise feel incredibly accessible to new readers, and it was easy to slip into this world and these characters stories as we get taken on a story of mystery and adventure.

Having read the second book in this series, The Game of 100 Candles, it was easy to slip into this story as it picks up directly following those events. Even though I had a small amount of experience with Sekken and Ryotora, Brennan makes the beginning of the book easy to get into, and much of the details from the first two books is given over when needed in order to catch people up and to introduce things to new readers. There was a lot of stuff that I wasn't completely sure of that was from the first book, but I found that I never got lost once as I re-joined these two characters for their latest tale as they prepare to marry in the Dragon Lands.

After the events of the last book our two heroes seem to be looking for something of a quiet life, and things seem to be going well for them until Sayashi, an old friend of theirs, writes to them asking for help in the distant Crane Lands. Knowing that they cannot leave their ally alone and in trouble, they head off, leaving their wedding behind and travel to the distant Market of 100 Fortunes. 

As with previous entries in this series, the book is filled with mystery, and Ryotora and Sekken are forced to search for clues and work alongside new allies as they try to help their friend find the entrance to a supernatural market. The book blends the world of the ordinary, filled with rigid tradition and order, with that of the supernatural well, and our two leads definitely feel like they're trapped between the two; forced to go against their leaders in order to help out a friend and ally in their hour of need not because it's the proper thing to do, but because it's the right thing to do.

The story also evolves the relationship of the two leads in some new and interesting ways. At the end of the last book the two of them found themselves with a new connection, one that means they're bonded in ways in which most people wouldn't understand. This book sees them exploring that connection, figuring out what it means for their relationship, and tests them in ways that neither of them would first expect. However, it helps that they have both new and old allies along for the journey to keep things running smoothly.

Brennan does a fantastic job with the setting, and the melding of historical inspired setting with the fantastical is something that she has done well across her career in several novels; and she certainly brings it to The Market of 100 Fortunes in spades. Even those who have no experience with this series and this game world but have a love for Japanese history and mythology would enjoy the world that Brennan has brought to life here. It feels like something familiar, yet also something with a fresh and interesting twist on it at the same time; and if you're like me you'll come away from the book wanting to learn more about the world of Legend of the Five Rings.

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Welcome to Arkham: An Illustrated Guide for Visitors - Book Review

 

'Witness Arkham like you’re walking its streets, peering into its shadows…

'It is the height of the Roaring Twenties. Flappers and young fellas dance the Charleston at raucous jazz clubs gleaming bright with electric lights. Beneath this gilded glamour, bloody turf wars rage, funded by gangsters and crooked cops who frequent rival speakeasies and gambling dens. Amid these changing times, old New England towns hold their secrets close. Off the Aylesbury pike, in reclusive Dunwich, rolling hills hide decrepit farms and witch-haunted hollows. Past Cape Ann, the remote fishing village of Innsmouth rots from within. At the mouth of the Miskatonic River, mist-shrouded Kingsport lies dreaming. All the while, historic Arkham broods on the upper banks of the Miskatonic, its famed university delving into the world’s darkest, most ancient mysteries.

'Welcome to Arkham invites you to venture deeper than ever before into this legend-haunted city, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos and made famous by the Arkham Horror series of tabletop games. Welcome to Arkham is a complete guide to the city of Arkham and the neighboring towns of Dunwich, Innsmouth and Kingsport, detailing 115 fabled locations and featuring more than 500 illustrations. Walk the streets of Arkham, ride the Essex County Express, hitch a ride to Innsmouth (and pray you can find a way out), or take a ferry down the Miskatonic River, and read between the lines to discover what other mysteries lurk deeper still in the pages of this tattered old book…'

I've yet to actually play an Arkham Horror game, having not found anyone who knows the game or has interest in playing it. I have however, come to really enjoy the world of monsters, cults, and daring heroes that the game has created thanks completely to the work of Aconyte Books. Yes, I have experience with the works of Lovecraft, but the Arkham Horror novel series has been one of the best places to take the concepts that he created and expand upon them; and they've been some of my favourite Lovecraftian reads.

But, when you've got the foundation of Lovecraft himself, the creations from the game and it's various updates and expansions, and the books, it can be a lot to keep track of. It's not the biggest and more lore heavy tabletop game around, but it is a pretty expansive one in its own right. Rather than keeping copious notes and spreadsheets trying to keep track of everything, Aconyte offers fans a much better way with Welcome to Arkham: An Illustrated Guide for Visitors.

Written by the Arkham Historical Society, this travel guide for new visitors to the town is the perfect thing to pick up to help you learn more about the city, or to prepare yourself for a visit. The book is written within universe for the most part, acting like a regular travel guide to Arkham and some of the surrounding areas in the Miskatonic River Valley, including infamous locations such as Dunwich, and Innsmouth. Each location is given a write up, telling you about its history, and notable buildings and locations in each area, accompanied by beautiful full colour artwork that show of the beauty and horror of the place.

But the book doesn't just cover geographic locations, but includes a ton of easter eggs and nods to the wider world. This includes stuff like playbills, restaurant menus, newspaper and magazine articles, and other bits and pieces that have been collected together to give a wider view of the area. Care and attention is given to making the book feel as real as possible, and each of the pieces included in it is given a little bit of age, weathering, and general wear and tear in order to make it feel like something that someone could have put together themselves rather than the glossy new publication that it actually is. 

For those eagle-eyed readers, however, there's a little something extra hidden amongst the pages of this guide. We all know that Arkham isn't a normal place, that the world of the paranormal and extraordinary seeps through around the edges of your perception. And this book is no different. Early on there's a hint of a missing person case. Scattered throughout the book are bits and pieces that add to this mystery, hinting at answers waiting for an intrepid reader to discover.

Whether you're new to the world of Arkham Horror, or if you're an old hat at the game and know every piece of lore and detail there is, Welcome to Arkham: An Illustrated Guide for Visitors is sure to delight and enthral. Having only read the digital version I can only imagine how good the book looks in person. The digital version is fantastic to read through, or even just flicking through the pages to stare at the gorgeous art. But this is definitely a book that I'm going to want to see in person too. It has the feel of something a little bit special, something that elevates the world of Arkham Horror in new and creative ways. 

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Song of Carcosa: An Arkham Horror Novel by Josh Reynolds - Book Review

 

'An occult thief takes on a sinister society threatening to tear the fabric of this world apart, in this daring noir-thriller from the bestselling world of Arkham Horror. Countess Alessandra Zorzi, reformed thief and acquirer of occult artifacts, faces her greatest challenge yet as she searches for an elusive artist in possession of the powerful Zanthu Tablet; the only thing that can stop the strange psychic malaise afflicting Alessandra’s assistant, Pepper. The countess’s quest takes her to the crooked heart of Venice, where an eerie organization is planning a grand performance that will engulf the city in chaos. As Pepper slips into an inescapable alien world, Alessandra must defeat powerful forces to save her friend. One wrong move could bring the curtain down on them all.'

Having previously read Josh Reynolds Akrham Horror novel The Wrath of N'Kai I was already somewhat familiar with the character of Countess Alessandra Zorzi, a femme fatale thief who has a history of stealing magical and mystical artefacts for the small community of rich and powerful people who have an obsession with the occult. It was in that book that Alessandra learned that her old life wasn't the safest, for her or others, and that led her to changing her ways somewhat, going after occult artefacts to keep them away from her old clients instead of supplying them to them. It was also that book that saw her teaming up with her protégé, Pepper. 

However, that's not the only book that paves the way for Song of Carcosa, as the anthology novel Secrets in Scarlet is also somewhat required reading too. This book contains several stories that introduces readers to the Red Coterie, a group of powerful, and impossibly old, individuals who go after artefacts and power in order to make themselves stronger. Whilst they're a group, they're not completely unified, and most act on their own towards their own ends; and as such they prove to be an unpredictable lot, whose actions you can never really count on knowing. Whilst you don't need to read either of these books to be able to enjoy Song of Carcosa if you have you'll be going into the novel with a solid foundation for the things to come. 

The book focuses on Alessandra and Pepper as they arrive in the city of Venice, a location that's tied to the Red Coterie . Pepper has been plagued by strange dreams, dreams of an impossible city that doesn't exist. Fearing for the young woman's sanity, and life, Alessandra is hoping to find a way of helping her in Venice. Unfortunately, them arriving in the city also brings them into the attention of powerful individuals who aren't afraid to exploit the two women for their own ends. 

Much like with The Wrath of N'Kai, this entry in the Arkham Horror series is putting strong women front and centre, and Alessandra is the determined, strong willed, and capable woman readers will remember. Set in a time where women were not given the chances and opportunities they are now, and in a place that touches on the rising fascism in Italy at the time, Alessandra is often having to put herself in danger in order to prove she's worthy of the respect of the men around her. Thankfully, Reynolds is always able to have her rise to the occasion, and even when things are getting to their worst Alessandra is a wonderfully powerful protagonist. 

Venice has been used in some previous stories in the Arkham Horror line, and it's been hinted at that there's more to this city on the water than first appears. Water, and the things that hide beneath the surface, have been a big part of the mythology that Lovecraft developed, and thus Venice feels like the perfect location to bring into this world. The idea that there's something dark and terrible beneath the city, that it's a magnet for the horrors of the world, takes an already interesting place and dials that up to eleven. I really wanted the book to spend more time exploring this new corner of the Arkham Horror world, and whilst it does do this I would have loved to have even more of it, and would be more than happy to see Reynolds return readers here again in the future. Just the fact that we've ventured so far outside of the traditional New England setting marks this as an interesting read, as some of the best entries in the franchise so far have done so.

If you were a fan of Alessandra in her previous stories and want more from her this book is definitely going to appeal to you. And if you're looking for interesting new expansions on the universe, and the exploration of a place that's very different to the titular Arkham and its surroundings then Song of Carcosa is not a book that you're going to want to sleep on. 

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Death System: A Zombicide Invader Novel by S.A. Sidor - Book Review

 

'Cybernetically enhanced zombie-aliens want to devour the universe and only a crack team of murderous misfits can stop them, in this non-stop action-adventure from InvaderWhen decorated military pilot Shawna Bright is convicted of a heinous crime and incarcerated, she is determined to prove her innocence. However, flying the getaway ship during a prison break wrecks that hope. Forced to land on the terrifying Xeno-ridden planet, PK-L7, Shawna must survive both ravenous alien-zombies and a crew of dangerous criminals. When they discover Xenos with cybernetic implants, Shawna uncovers a deadly plan to wreak havoc across the universe. She must do everything in her power to stop it… even if she goes down in history as one of the bad guys.'

Despite having not played any of the Zombicide games I've come to really love the franchise due completely to the work of the novels. Aconyte Books have produced some fantastic books in these settings, and whilst the regular Zombicide books, and the Black Plague series all follow the same group of survivors and their stories, the Zombicide Invader series gives us something almost completely new each time. This time readers are treated to a daring prison escape from some of the worst of the worst in the galaxy; an escape that leads our colourful cast of characters to an even bigger nightmare. 

Death System begins in prison, in one of the worst maximum security prisons in the galaxy. Here we meet a number of the most high profile prisoners, such as Bak-Irp, the bounty hunter turned killer, Nero Lupaster IV, the super rich head of a criminal guild, Shawna Bright, the military pilot who shot down and killed her own unit, and Dr Lemora Pick, a scientist who created a weapon that killed a planet. Nero, who still has a lot of very powerful friends, has been carefully paying off one of the guards, getting him on side, and arranges for a very special package to be snuck into the prison and given to Lemora, another of his people. A package containing a deadly, infectious mould. 

During a prisoner transfer that sees a few dozen of the prisons worst placed onto an old and beaten-up ship, Lemora uses the mould in a small explosive she's made, detonating it in the cabin. The mould begins to infect the non-humans on board, transforming them into ravenous zombies. It's in this chaos that Nero and his group stage their escape; an escape in which Shawna finds herself having to fight to survive. However, when the ship lands on a planet filled with more of the deadly zombie creatures the survivors will have to work together to try and make it out alive.

One of the fun things about Death System is that very early on there's almost no one you want to root for. Shawna is made to be sympathetic from the start, as Sidor makes it clear that she believes that she was framed for her crimes, and that she did not murder her team, but other than that there's no one in our group of survivors that deserve to get out alive. This group are some of the worst of the worst characters, mass murderers, psychopaths, and worse, yet as the story progresses you start to like the characters more and more, to the point where you start to feel bad when these very terrible people begin to die.

There are a lot of stories out there that try to make criminals sympathetic, and most of the time I find that they tend to fail. These stories often come across as romanticising crime and brutality, with the creators having to try to make despicable characters into victims of circumstance rather than out and out bad people in order to make them sympathetic. Sidor doesn't try this though, most of the characters are unrepentant, they don't have tragic backstories that justify their heinous acts, and most of them don't even care that they've done bad. Despite this, their personalities are what make them so likable. Lemora is uncaring, she has killed countless people and thought nothing of it, yet I couldn't help but come to like her because of her relationships with the other survivors and they small ways in which she was made quite charming. 

Because of the work that Sidor puts into making these characters likable when the killing starts you do actually care when they die, and there are moments that had me letting out audible groans as someone who I was enjoying in a scene just a moment ago is brutally ripped to pieces by the hordes of undead storming the facility our characters are holding up in. 

I can't really talk too much more about the story without spoiling too much, as there are so many twists and turns in the book that I wouldn't want to spoil anything for anyone, but if you like sci-fi horror, and have enjoyed the other books in the series this will definitely appeal to you. I had a great time reading it, and by the time the end came I was annoyed that it was over and wanted more. S.A. Sidor has written some of my favourite books with Aconyte, and this absolutely enters that category. Absolutely great fun. 

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The Division: Hunted by Thomas Parrott - Book Review

 

'An Agent turned rogue poses an apocalyptic threat to the Division, unless her former friends can eliminate her first, in this rip-roaring instalment of the Operation Crossroads series. Division agent Maira Kanhai is alive. Maira Kanhai has gone rogue. When Brenda Wells learns that her old recruit’s – and close friend’s – watch has turned red, she refuses to believe it. Yet the agents sent to track Maira down have irrefutable evidence saying otherwise. With the threads holding the Division together fraying under heavy assault, Brenda desperately assembles a specialized Division cell and heads out to learn the truth. In the blistering heat of the American Southwest, they face grave danger at every turn. There they learn that other deadly parties are stalking Maira too, hoping to use her to destroy the Division once and for all.'

The second instalment of Thomas Parrott's The Division series ended on something of a shocking note. Series lead Maira Kanhai appeared to be killed in the final confrontation, but in the final pages of the book we learned that she was in fact still alive, taken prisoner by a mysterious new faction. The third book picks up where that story left off, with the surviving members of Maira's team, and Brenda, the woman who brought her into the Division, learning that she's still alive and trying to bring her home. Unfortunately, Some within the Division believe that Maira has gone rogue, and it becomes a race against time for her team not just to rescue her, but to clear her name too.

Each of the books in this series have told a single, cohesive story, yet manage to feel like they have their own tone and focus, and this book is very much more character driven, with the team having to come together to save one of their own, rather than having to deal with some huge looming threat (though of course there is that too).

Because of this, a good portion of the start of the book is focused on Maira, on both where she is and what she's doing in the present, but also her past. We've gotten a decent idea of who the character is up to now, especially in the first book in the series, but this feels like the first time in a while we've had this deep a dive on the character; and it's done really well. Parrott makes Maira feel like a more conflicted and complex character than would first appear, and for what you'd expect for a character who's essentially an action game star. 

One of the things that surprised me during the focus on her, though it has features in small ways in previous books, is Maira's sexuality. Of course, her being attracted to a woman will cause certain fans of the series to cry in outrage, and I've already seen a review that calls her sexuality 'forced' and decided to use a slur to describe her. This is what happens when something that 'gamers' latch onto in any way includes a minority group or representation. The same week that I'm writing this review I've seen people playing the new Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League complain about a progress flag being in the game; a game where you can play as a canonically bisexual character, and Batman is voiced by his most famous actor who is himself a gay man who based his portrayal of Batman on his own experiences as a gay man. Despite what these people will say, Maira's queerness isn't forced, isn't being done for 'PC points' or any such rubbish, but is simply a realistic inclusion of people from different backgrounds, and it's handled really well.

As with any book in this series The Division: Hunted includes a good deal of action and gunfights, and there are parts of the book that are so well done. Parrott is able to write action with such attention to detail and well crafted descriptions that it feels like you've been dropped right into the middle of things. You don't have any trouble picturing the flying bullets and the explosions, and it almost feels like you're watching an action movie over simply reading the descriptions. Parrott is so good at immersive action that whenever you know an action scene is coming up you can't help but get excited for it.

With The Division being such a popular game series with fans who've put hundreds of hours into them it could be hard to bring that to life in book form in a way that doesn't feel like it's missing out on something, but this book manages to be an almost perfect addition to that universe. It slips into what's come before without disrupting things, and eagle eyed fans will notice connections to the games that are sure to delight. Whether you're someone who loves the franchise, or are simply looking for some cool Tom Clancy inspired reading, this book has you covered.

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The Hunger: A Marvel Zombies Novel by Marsheila Rockwell - Book Review

 

'The Incident has infected the planet, creating zombified Super Heroes who destroy everything they swore to protect. Doctor Strange realises the plague cannot be allowed to spread to other realities, but his Hunger is irresistible…

'Now Earth’s only hope is the Sanctum Sanctorum librarian, Zelma Stanton. She knows every spell in the book, but she’s no fighter. Enter witch Nico Minoru, monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone, and Deadpool. They plan to trap the zombies in a time loop, but it goes horribly awry (thanks, Deadpool), crushing a million butterflies, and the timeline unravels, making the original Incident look like a cakewalk. It’s going to take magic bullets, bloodstones, and brains to fix this flesh-eating nightmare.'

The original Marvel Zombies books were a very joyless, nasty affair. Not only were beloved characters dying in horrible ways, the nature of the zombie virus meant that even those infected with the disease were still suffering; Spider-Man eating his own family and then being wracked with guilt over it being a prime example. Whilst they might be entertaining books there's little joy to be found in them, and not a whole lot of hope. It's a good thing then that Marsheila Rockewell's new Marvel Zombies novel seems to be set in another universe entirely, and gets to do its own thing without being beholden to the comics that have come before. 

The book begins with something landing on Earth, crashing into downtown New York. Doctor Strange is one of the many heroes who heads out to find out what's happened, along with some Avengers, Spider-Man, and a few other solo heroes. This is New York after all, this could very well be the start of some kind of planet wide invasion, and it's all hands on deck. Captain America is the first to head into the crater to find out what happened, and soon stumbles out of it clutching a wound, before turning into a ravenous zombie and biting his fellow heroes. 

The super hero community quickly falls, with the super powered populace making for the most dangerous zombies you can imagine as they still have access to their powers and abilities. As the heroes begin to infect each other Doctor Strange tries to make it back to his Sanctum, but is captured by a flesh hungry Spider-Man.

In the sanctum, his apprentice, Zelma Stanton, prepares for another day managing Doctor Strange's library for him. However, when she finds a zombified Strange devouring the other residents of the building she learns that the end of the world has come. Thankfully, eating flesh has returned some semblance of control and personality to Strange, and he's able to help prepare Zelma for what has happened, and gets her to lock him away in the basement. Alone now, Zelma begins to try to find a way to repair the damage and put things right. Whilst searching through the world via magic, however, she discovers others like her, and begins to gather allies to help her in her mission.

The Hunger is perhaps the nicest Marvel Zombies story that I've read, the one with the most hope to it, the most heart. A large part of that is down to the fact that the book doesn't revel in the death and terror of the zombie plague, avoiding gratuitous death and dismemberment. The other reason is that the book gives us a central cast who are enjoyable to be around. Zelma is a young woman who has some confidence issues, who worries a lot and likes to shut herself away from things, but she has a good heart and cares about things, making her a surprising, but very likeable leader. 

Our group of heroes also includes Nico Minoru from Runaways, who has a harder edge to her than Zelma, but also brings a lot of heart and emotion with her. Elsa Bloodstone is a sassy, sarcastic monster hunter who acts like the most dangerous and important person in any room she's in, yet never manages to come across as unpleasant. And Deadpool is Deadpool, a bit of lighthearted weirdness thrown into a situation where the team need someone to crack a joke or two, even if they're rolling their eyes at it.

The book is split into some distinct parts, with the first part showing the gathering of the group. Zelma is our main character for this, as she's the only one there from the start, and there are several chapters with her on her own just tying to survive inside the weirdness that is the Sanctum Sanctorum. The gathering of the troops is enjoyable read, and whilst Nico's recruitment is somewhat easy, the two of them going off to try and find Elsa is a lot more complex, and gives readers both action and horror to entertain them.

The latter half of the book, however, sees our team of mismatched protagonists trying to save the world by messing with time, trying to undo the zombie infection. But, as with most time travel stories when you mess with the flow of time it can have unintended consequences, and we get to see our heroes dealing with those consequences and trying to make things right in some unusual circumstances.

The Hunger is an enjoyable take on the Marvel Zombies formula, one that is doing its own thing and at times feels a lot more enjoyable than the comics its drawing from. The characters picked for the group are an odd one, and that oddness works well for the story, with most of the characters you'd normally expect to be the ones to save the world off the table thanks to the spread of the infection. If you're looking for something a bit different in the Marvel Universe, and don't want the same kind of Marvel Zombies stories this book is absolutely worth trying out.

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The Ravening Deep: An Arkham Horror Novel by Tim Pratt - Book Review

 

'A nightmarish power unleashed from the depths infiltrates Arkham in this nautical-horror pulp adventure from the acclaimed  Arkham Horror  game world.

'When dissolute fisherman Abel Davenport discovers an ancient temple in the deep ocean, he under the influence of a long dead god. In his attempts to restore the god’s cult, Abel unleashes a plague of twisted doppelgangers on Arkham. Horrified by the consequences, Davenport realises that he alone cannot stop the monsters from resurrecting the Ancient One. Sometimes the only way to end one cult is to start another… Teaming up with redeemed cultist Diana Stanley and notorious thief Ruby Standish is the first step. The second is convincing Carl Sanford, the powerful leader of Arkham’s Silver Twilight Lodge, to join their cause. Together they might be the only hope of averting a cataclysmic eldritch invasion.'

It feels like it's been a long while since I was able to read an Arkham Horror novel (the start of the year was my last one), and it's so good to dive back into this universe; and The Ravening Deep is such an engaging, exciting, and tense novel that it stands out as one of the best examples of the series.

The start of The Ravening Deep focuses on a fisherman down on his luck, and at the end of his rope. Abel Davenport has lost his home, is living on a boat that's falling to pieces, and is barely making enough fishing to feed himself, with whatever little he does make doing towards drink. When a huge storm starts to roll in he's the only fisherman who heads out that day, part of him not caring if the storm ends up killing him. The sea is rough, and the ship goes down, and Abel loses consciousness. When he awakes he finds himself on a spur of rock jutting out of the middle of the ocean, a great stone spire in the middle of the sea. Finding a hidden cave on the spire, a cave bigger than it could possibly be, Abel discovers the remains of an altar, and a strange gemstone necklace. When Abel puts on the necklace he is assaulted with visions of a great, ancient power, one that needs his help to reawaken. Finding himself back on the mainland, Abel sets out to bring his new god back to life.

Jumping forward weeks, and now in the city or Arkham, we meet Diana, a young woman who moved to the city to open her own business. Trying to cater to the rich and powerful in Arkham, Diana joined the Silver Twilight Lodge, a well respected social club within the Arkham. However, Diana soon learns that the Lodge is the public face for a cult, one headed up by the powerful Carl Sanford, and Diana learns that there are dark things in the universe. Desperate to get out of the cult, and to bring it down, she encounters a drunk, dishevelled Abel in the alley behind her shop, and is ready to move him on when he mumbles something about the Lodge.

Once Abel sobers up he tells Diana about his story, about how the powers granted to him by his god allowed him to quite literally create a cult of his own, growing copies of himself; but that one of these copies called Cain, betrayed him. Learning that Cain is trying to access the Silver Twilight Lodge in hopes of stealing back a piece of his god, Abel and Diana agree to team up to stop him. It's then that they meet Ruby Standish, a daring female thief who's nearly killed by Cain's ever growing army of monstrous duplicate Arkhamites. Knowing that anyone could have been replaced, and that the fate of the world hangs in the balance, the three of them come up with a plan to try and stop Cain.

The Ravening Deep is part Lovecraftian cosmic horror, part crime caper, part cult thriller, and part Invasion of the Body Snatcher, and its utterly delightful in its execution. Tim Pratt does a wonderful job at weaving multiple narratives together, taking characters on separate paths and bringing them together in a way that not only feels believable, but creates new and exciting additions to the narrative. There are four main characters in the story, and each of them brings something new and interesting to the group.

Our first character, Abel, makes for an interesting figure, a man who'd given up on life and was ready to die who finds new purpose and meaning when he discovers an ancient power. But when we re-meet him in Arkham he's a drunk living in back alleys. His life fell apart a second time; but rather than give up, he gets inspired to fight against the dark forces that he's let loose on the world even if that likely means that he will die in the process.

Diana is an odd mirror for Abel, like him she got involved in a cult without knowing the full extent of what it was. Abel started his cult not really realising the evil of his god and what it would mean for the fate of the world, whilst Diana thought she was in a social club with some eccentric activities and a focus on history. When she's confronted with the true horror she's a part of she realises that she's been complicit in evil acts, and wants to try and make amends for it despite being wholly unequipped to do so. She's a kind and decent person who ended up making a few bad choices and is trying to make up for it. She's a kind of character that we rarely see in the Arkham Horror series, as we don't often see a cultist trying to make good.

Ruby, however, does feel a bit like characters we've seen in the series before. She's not the first female adventurer thief in the Arkham Horror line; the first book released (Wrath of N'Kai) featured a similar character in Countess Alessandra Zori. But despite being a recognisable archetype Ruby manages to feel different from the others that we've seen before. She has a sense of self preservation and greed that means whilst she does fall on the side of good she's not above skirting the line of bad if things require it. She's something of more in the grey than Abel and Diana, and her quick wits, her skills, and her ability to jump into action make her the most competent of the trio.

There is, however, another character we focus on, one who eventually comes to join the group in their fight against Cain and his cult. Carl Sanford. Sanford is an evil character. He knows that he's messing with dark powers, he's happy to make sacrifices to ancient powers, and he knows that he makes deals with monsters, but as long as it brings him power and wealth he doesn't care. He's cold, calculating, and puts his own interests first every single time. But thanks to the ever growing threat Cain presents he's forced to work alongside the real heroes of the book; and this is the best decision the book makes. Sanford should not be a hero, he shouldn't be working with the good guys, but he works so well as part of the team, and adds a lot of fun whenever he's with them. It takes the book from incredibly good to absolutely delightful to read.

Pratt has a lot of fun with the horror of the book too. The opening scenes with Abel finding the ancient church feel right out of Lovecrafts stories of discoveries of ancient civilisations and long dead religions. Cain's cults ability to replace and duplicate anyone means that both the heroes and the reader can never trust any character that comes along, and a simple scene like walking down the street becomes a tense moment as you're waiting for something bad to happen. And, there are also monsters. Ghouls, shoggoths, and monster men pop up here and there and add an extra dose of horror into the mix in wonderful ways.

The Ravening Deep is a incredibly well crafted story, one that draws you in super quickly and gets you interested in finding out what happens next. It's paced and structured in such a way that even the quieter moments feel tense and exciting, and there's always something new and exciting to discover. A masterclass in how to bring the game series to life.

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Mockingbird: Strike Out - A Marvel Heroines Novel by Maria Lewis - Book Review

 

'S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Bobbi Morse needs to get out of LA. Like, yesterday. With her painful divorce from Hawkeye still being hashed out, Bobbi could do with a new job to take her mind off the mind-numbing mediations. Luckily, an old friend and mentor of Bobbi’s is missing, so a jaunt to the UK might be the perfect distraction. What Bobbi isn’t anticipating is having to team up with the snarky and handsome Lance Hunter, but her options are limited if she wants to solve this mystery. Someone is trying to recreate and weaponize the original Super-Soldier Serum which could spell global disaster. To save the world, Bobbi will have to face her past, put her problems behind her, and let the Mockingbird take flight.'

Whilst I've read a decent amount of Marvel over the years, Mockingbird is a character that I've not really encountered before, and my only real experience with her is with her character from the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series. That being said, when I saw that the latest book in the Marvel Heroines line was going to feature her I was excited to read the character for the first time. Then I read the description and saw that Lance Hunter, another character I had no comic experience with but had enjoyed in the television series, was going to be in the book, and I was absolutely on board.

Mockingbird: Strike Out begins with Bobbi Morse, the titular Mockingbird, dealing with a difficult chapter of her past as she's going through divorce proceedings with her husband, the fellow costumed hero Hawkeye. Things are not going well for her, not only has her difficult marriage fallen apart, but she and her husband seem to be at each others throats and trying to make things as hard as they can be. Tired at fighting with Clint over who gets what, Bobbi jumps at the chance to leave the country for a while for a special mission for S.H.I.E.L.D..

When a former mentor of hers, who's been working in Oxford as a professor, goes missing, Bobbi is sent to investigate. It might be nothing, but the fact that her professor used to work on a super soldier programme, and her having left under a dark cloud, means that her disappearance might indicate something more nefarious is going on, and that she might be walking into danger. Not long into the investigation Bobbi ends up running for her life, alongside S.T.R.I.K.E. agent Lance Hunter, who's also been investigating the professors disappearance. When the two agents are ordered to work together by their respective organisations, they start to find that they actually work really well together; and as the investigation goes on Bobbi finds herself becoming more and more attracted to the man. But is it too soon for her to jump back into the world of romance once again?

 There seem to be certain stories that work well in the comic book medium. Bright costumed heroes flying through the air, punching monsters through buildings, and performing great feats might work well in prose, but the drawn pages of a comic is where they excel. And whilst there have been some fantastic espionage style comics over the years, I've found that those kind of tales tend to just click more when presented in the prose format, and Mockingbird: Strike Out really exemplifies this, as a story that would have been a really good comic becomes an excellent novel thanks to the format it's been presented in.

One of the best things about this book is that we get to go deep into Bobbi Morse. Comics will allow the reader to do this to a certain degree with thought bubbles and narration boxes, but even then limited page space means that these tend to just be snippets. Mockingbird: Strike Out spends a lot of time getting to know Bobbie, and there are multiple times where we leave the world around her behind and go into her thought process, her emotions, and her history in a way that enhances both her character and the story around her. I loved getting to see such an intimate dive into a character that I've never gotten to read in the comics before, and came out of the book feeling like I'd gotten to know her really well. It was interesting to see how her mind worked, to see that she's not a cold, calculating secret agent super spy, but a woman with insecurities, passions, and a deep well of emotion. It humanised her wonderfully.

The book being able to slow down like this also helped with the style of story that it was telling. Instead of trying to cram things into a couple dozen pages of comic issues, chapters had room to breathe, and it meant that our heroes could take their time investigating, that they could explore more avenues, and that we the reader could have things explained to us in more detail so that we could keep up with it. Scenes like Lance explaining how they're going to figure out where a set of three historic keys would work based on their time periods and blueprint designs felt like an interesting deep dive into history and architecture; but it also felt like the kind of scene that would either be very cut down, or cut completely, from a comic. With this being a mystery story, one where investigation and the finding of clues is a key part of the narrative, being able to take as much time as needed and not being constrained by the format helped in spades; and I came away from the book thinking that this is probably the best way for stories with these kinds of characters to be told. Nick Fury would probably be a much better character in novel form than he is in the comics.

We also got a lot more time given over to the romance that forms between Bobbi and Lance, and it ended up feeling both incredibly natural, and well earned over the course of the book. Having only really known these characters from the TV series they were in, them getting together felt like the most obvious direction to take them; and I wasn't disappointed to see it happen here. Lance is also written very similar to his TV incarnation; though I don't know if that's because his comic counterpart is like that too. Maria Lewis manages to bring a lot of charm to a character that could easily slip into brash or annoying.

Lewis also does a good job at leaving hints throughout the story that I completely missed until moments later in the book that led to a big reveal or two. Looking back on it, some were less obvious than others, but there was one I was slapping myself for not having seen. She manages to make you think one thing is happening before throwing something ridiculously fun into the mix that reminds you this is a world of big, weird characters, and that it's not just a spy story set in our world. I think Marvel fans are going to have a lot of fun when these moments happen.

I had a great time with Mockingbird: Strike Out, and it was a genuine delight getting to know Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter in this way. Whilst I've enjoyed all of Aconyte's Marvel novels, I really hope that we get more with these two characters in the future, as their style of adventures suit the format well, and it feels like so many more adventures with them can be told.

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Isle of the Undead: A Zombicide Black Plague Novel by C.L. Werner - Book Review

 

'Necromancers and dragons stand between a heroic knight and victory over the zombie outbreak chewing its way through the fantasy realm of Zombicide Black Plague.

'The Black Plague’s terrible toll never ends, unleashing a new wave of zombies with disastrous consequences. Low on hope, Knight Alaric von Mertz and his companions flee their crumbling sanctuary, and soon come under the unlikely wing of murderous pirates. There, they learn of a legendary artifact called Mournshroud that could destroy swathes of the undead, but to claim it they must defeat an evil sorceress on an isolated island. Guarded by a dragon! A knight’s honor demands he defend his kingdom, no matter the cost. Yet, as the undead hordes close in on them, a familiar evil waits in the shadows, plotting revenge on Alaric and everything he holds dear…'

Zombies are big business, they're a hugely popular monster thanks to a number of reasons. They can be relatively easy to kill, though can be made into much scarier creatures thanks to mutations, or hordes. They can stand in for real world issues and themes. There's the horror of never knowing who might become one. And there's the angst of them being former people, and the twisted scenarios where you might be fighting for your life against a former loved one. They're easy to mould and adapt into different stories, and because of that there has been a lot of zombie stories over the years; to the point where they've almost begun to get a bit boring. But one of the ways in which they can be given instant new life is to put them in places where they don't often turn up. Forget our modern world, zombies in historical, or wildly different fictional settings always feels new and interesting. And this is something that the Zombicide series is doing so well, and one of the reasons why this is such an enjoyable book.

In the previous entry in the Black Plague series we are transported to a world under siege. A cabal of necromancers have come together in a way never seen before, and are using their immense dark powers to raise the dead across the land. This black plague is turning the dead into monstrous creatures, corpses with a desire to eat and destroy the living. Worse still, some of the dead have become twisted monstrosities, such as large, hulking beasts capable of tearing through people like paper.

As the world fell we met a small group of survivors trying their best to stay alive, noble Knight Alaric von Mertz, the rogue Gaiseric, witch hunter Helchen, orc warrior Ratbag, and dwarf explosive expert Ursola. Together, the group was able to defeat one of the necromancers, and take over his fortified tower in the centre of the city, securing it to protect the survivors that had fled there. Now, Gogol, the necromancer that has been searching for revenge against Alaric, has created a new breed of undead, ones impervious to almost all attacks. Launching an assault upon the tower, Gogol's new creatures are able to breach the defences, and the survivors are forced to flee.

Leaving the city far behind them, the heroes lead the civilians to what they hope will be safety, thought Gogol's forces continue to pursue them. When all hope seems lost, salvation arrives in the form of a pirate ship, captained by the beautiful and cunning Sylvia, who claims that she and her crew are bringing survivors to a secure stronghold. With the threat of death hot on their tail the survivors are forced to go with the pirate captain; a choice that will lead them to new allies, and a dangerous new mission the likes of which they've never encountered before. 

One of the things that Isle of the Undead does very quickly is set itself out as being different from the book that came before it. Whilst the first book was incredibly enjoyable, doing more of the same wouldn't have helped the sequel to stand out. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Werner isn't content to just go through the motions and have the same old story of survivors looking for a safe haven, losing it, looking for a safe have, losing it that other, more boring zombie stories have been content to do for decades (sorry The Walking Dead, but it's true). Instead, Werner decides to flip things on its head as soon as possible, introducing a frightening new form of undead, and taking away our characters sense of security.

The book doesn't spend too long with the characters on the road either. There's a few chapters of the heroes leading the survivors through the zombie infested countryside, trying to find a place where they might find a little safety, but it's a relatively small section of the book. This could have been stretched out, and could have been the focus of the novel entirely; but Werner has something much more interesting in store for the readers instead. After joining up with the pirate crew, our heroes do indeed get taken to a new safe location, one that seems to actually be able to withstand the zombie plague. Rather than making the drama about whether or not these people can be trusted, or how long the stronghold will last (other very overused tropes in the genre) our heroes get sent out on a quest to locate a powerful magical artefact that could end the undead once and for all. Yep, we get an action packed fetch-quest instead!

This change in pace is great, as it means we can ditch the civilians, and we can just focus on our heroes being competent zombie killers as they head to an island fortress to steal an artefact from an ancient sorcerer. But of course, the island has fallen to the undead too. Not only are there hosts of zombie goblins and orcs there, led by an orc necromancer, but the island is also home to a monstrous dragon. In a lot of ways this story feels like a Dungeons and Dragons quest, something that seems simple on paper, but gets more and more complex and dangerous as it goes. And if you're a fan of fantasy games like that you're going to get on really well with the story here.

The returning characters all get a lot of stuff to do as well, and whilst there are still a few characters who get a bit more of the spotlight than the others, such as Alaric, Gaiseric, and Helchen, everyone gets to do something important that helps the team survive the events of the book. Since the last book some of the characters have been through some changes too, Ursola seems to be learning to put some of her dwarvish prejudices to bed, working alongside Ratbag for example, though it's something that she's still having to work on; leading to her being the grouch of the team more often than not. Helchen has also gone through quite a journey after becoming friends with a man that her order would have persecuted, and then losing him. The loss of Hulmul at the end of the previous book seems to have had quite the effect on the witch hunter, and she's beginning to question the actions of her order. Not only that, but she's started to use magic herself; something that the old her would rather have died than do. Her journey is perhaps the most interesting in this book, and I'm super excited to see what happens with her next. 

The one character who appears to have changed the most over the course of the two books, however, is Gaiseric. The thief was introduced as a very shady character, someone who was only ever out for himself, was adverse to combat if it could be avoided, and who was only working with Alaric because it was the best option open to him at the time. But by the end of Isle of the Undead he's become a whole lot more than that. There's a moment in the book where the group finds a weapon capable of killing the undead incredibly quickly, and Gaiseric tries to give it off to the other members of the group. Each of them refuses the weapon, for various reasons, leaving it to him to wield. Gaiseric tries to tell them that this is the kind of weapon that a hero should wield, and Alaric basically tells him that a hero is wielding it. It's a lovely moment where it seems like Gaiseric finally sees how much he's changed, how he's become a man who volunteers to go into danger, who has protected the innocent, and is fighting to save the world. It's a lovely moment.

Isle of the Undead isn't just a good successor to the book that came before it, but one that expands on it in new and interesting ways. The characters continue to evolve and grow, and the new heroes who join the group feel like worthy, interesting additions to the team. The story doesn't play it safe, and instead chooses to make some bold decisions that already seem to be setting up for an even more exciting third chapter. There is some great action scattered throughout the book, and some truly impressive set pieces. And there's a loss that is going to leave a huge impact upon not only the characters, but the series going forwards. C.L. Werner has done a fantastic job with the story, and I'm super excited to see what future books have in store for us.

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