Valley of the Dead by Kim Paffenroth

Before I begin this review I want to make it clear that I have no idea what Dante’s Inferno is. From what I’ve gathered from the prologue, that was excellently written by Mr. Paffenroth, is that Dante was an Italian poet who was exiled from his town. After he was banished, he wandered around Europe and wrote a poem about his travels. There was a time when no one knew Dante’s whereabouts. Paffenroth wrote Valley of the Dead to fill in those blurred lines. I am writing this review on the book that was presented to me, I will not compare Dante’s Inferno with Valley of the Dead, mostly because what you just read is all I know on the subject.

Dante was exiled from Italy. It is unclear exactly why he was exiled, but some things were mention to the effect that he was accused of bribery. So, Dante begins wandering Europe. In his travels he comes to a town where the plague has gone berserk. The bodies of the dead are walking and attacking the townsfolk. Dante finds a young, attractive and very pregnant peasant girl named, Bogdana. Dante stares at her, as she does something that was not very lady-like at all. She was bashing the heads of the dead as they ransacked her village. After exchanging a few panicked words with Bogdana, she and Dante flee the village. A strong bond quickly grows between them.

Not long after, the two come to another village where an angry mob has formed and are about to execute a woman. But standing between the woman and the mob is a soldier by the name of Radovan. Dante comes to the woman’s defense, but quickly worries that the mob will soon turn on him and Bogdana. They begin to leave and are halted by Radovan, saying to not leave him as the woman’s only defender. That’s when the dead begin to storm the town, and the three of them flee further into the valley.

They stop at a nearby monastery where they meet a monk named, Adam. Brother Adam tells them about a passage that leads through the valley and over the mountains. As a sworn duty from God, Adam decids to follow the travelers and show them the road out of the valley of the dead.

I feel like I’ve already said too much so I’ll stop there. Valley of the Dead was an extremely well written book. Like I said before, I have no clue exactly what Dante’s Inferno is about so I entered this book with knowing that I was taking it at face value. Kind of what I did with the book Paul Is Undead. I knew nothing about Beatles history, but I read it for what it was. There are so many good things I want to say about Valley of the Dead, one of them is how interesting the story was. I love reading books that are not from my time period because of the character interaction. It’s different from what I’m use to in day to day life.

All of the characters were wonderfully thought out. Each one had good characteristics that really made them stand out from one another. Sure, Dante was our lead hero, but the other characters were equally interesting. There was one scene that really stood out for me and that was the part where Dante was bribing a man to let them pass through a pathway. I work for a pawnshop so I know how to make deals with people, and that scene was spot on.

With the superb writing, interesting characters and fascinating time period, I will have to give Valley of the Dead 5 Undead Heads out of 5.

Valley of the Dead can be found at your local bookstore. If it is not there, ask them to order one for you can support your local bookstore. If you’d rather shop online, please support Undead in the Head by clicking here to Amazon.com.

Thunder and Ashes by Z. A. Recht

A few months back I reviewed one of my favorite zombie books, Plague of the Dead. The review can be found here. I really enjoyed that novel. It had everything I wanted in a zombie story. Great interaction between the characters and zombies is what caught my attention. Thunder and Ashes is the sequel to Plague of the Dead. Did the sequel stack up to one of my favorite zombie novels? Let’s find out.

Thunder and Ashes starts almost immediately where Plague left off. General Sherman, what’s left of his men and the survivors are still making the trek to Omaha. They are heading there to rendezvous with Anna Demilio, the world’s leading expert on the Morning Star virus, who is also heading to Omaha. Both groups are hoping to find a research facility where Anna will try to create a vaccine. She is adamant that a cure cannot be created and the only hope for the remaining living population is a vaccine.

There are many side stories to Thunder and Ashes. General Sherman and his men try to overcome obstacles with a small town that's been untouched by the dead, but have been terrorized by local bandits. Anna and her gang are still dealing with a government agent hell bent on taking her down.

I really enjoyed Thunder and Ashes, words can’t explain how much. If you’re reading this review because you’re looking for a good read, stop now and go pick up both of these books. Once Plague ends you’ll want to start Thunder. I’ve been reviewing zombie books for a long time now and the only other book I felt this strongly about was Paul is Undead by Alan Goldsher (Review Here), two totally different genres but both of them equally grabbed me.

There were some moments in Thunder and Ashes that I kind of had to roll my eyes at. Main issues is that I think that the whole ‘bandits’ thing with zombies is played out to the point where If i see it again, the book is getting a 1 Undead Head rating. The chances of it happening during a zombie apocalypse are high, but the chances of every main character in a book running into them and having to fight for their lives is statistically unlikely. I myself try to stay away from this type of subplot when I write. But I do have to say that Recht did a fantastic job with it.

The feelings I had about the lead characters in Plague, rolled into this book as well. They were still very well written and each had that unique trait that made them, them. Recht’s passing truly left a void inside of me because of this book. The ending leaves the reader with that, “So, what happens next?” feeling. The third book in this trilogy will still be released, but is written by a ghost writer. I can only hope that this writer, whomever it may be, can capture the life Recht breathed into these characters. I’m going to have to just sit and wait.

I will have to give Thunder and Ashes a well-deserved 5 Undead Heads out of 5.

The Walking by Raven Gregory, Vic Drujiniu and Mark Roberts

Strolling around Barnes and Noble, checking out the comic books I came across The Walking. It was right next to The Walking Dead comics so at first, I thought it was one of them. I picked it up and started checking it out. I never knew that this comic existed. I had to pick it up and give it a review.

Everyone who has been murdered is coming back to life to avenge their deaths. Four police officers try to get to the bottom of this, but what they find, ends up being more than what meats the eye.

Right off the bat I want to say that this is probably the funniest comic I have ever read. When the dialogue between two detectives starts, it quickly begins to develop the characters personality. One of them is a big time joker, while the other is more serious. There’s something wrong with you if this comic doesn’t have you laughing within the first few pages.

The storyline was ok. Not really the traditional zombie, but the monsters are living dead creatures. They are not flesh eaters and headshots do not kill them. I can only assume because with all the action, none of the characters went for a headshot. The monsters were referenced as zombies by some of the characters.

There were a few dry and boring spots throughout the story, but not too many. It was one of those books that I put down for a few days and didn’t feel any excitement picking it back up.

The illustrations were wonderful to look at. The zombies looked great, but there weren’t to many of them. There were a few nude scenes and was packed with a lot of adult content. If there are children present, it might be best to keep this one away from them.

I will have to give The Walking, 4 Undead Heads out of 5.

If you’d like to check out The Walking, please stop by your local book store and pick up a copy. Or if you’d like to support the site please use the link below to buy this awesome comic.

Interview with Mark Allan Gunnells

Mark Allan Gunnells is the author of the zombie novella, Asylum. He is a fun-loving guy with a good since of humor. Enjoy the interview.

Lyle

Why did you decide to write about zombies?

Mark
I have always loved the Romero type zombie films, but when watching them, I always wonder where all the gay characters are. Seems like some of us would survive the zombie apocalypse. So I decided to write a story with almost all gay characters.

Lyle
What can you tell us about your novella, Asylum?

Mark
I always jokingly call it “Night of the Living Dead” set in a gay club instead of a farm house. I really use the zombies as an excuse to get all these different characters together and explore what makes them tick. I consider it a character-driven piece…with some flesh-eating goodness thrown in for good measure.

Lyle
Do you have any other published work?

Mark
Yes, I have published three books with Sideshow Press: A Laymon Kind of Night, a chapbook that collects a few short stories, Whisonant/Creatures of the Light, a book that collects two of my novellas, and Tales from the Midnight Shift Vol. I, a short story collection. I also have a digital short, “Dancing in the Dark,” through Darkside Digital.

Lyle
To you, what characteristics need to be present in order to be considered a zombie?

Mark
You need to be dead and still moving around. Oh, and hungry for some human flesh.

Lyle
Your novella, Asylum, does have strong homosexual content, have you received any flack because of that?

Mark
Actually none. I have to admit, it was a concern, but my publisher The Zombie Feed, an imprint of Apex Publications, seemed to have no qualms about the gay elements of the tale. I’m very pleased by the fact that readers by and large haven’t batted an eye.

Lyle
Are you a full time writer or do you have another job? What’s your writing schedule like?

Mark
I am a security guard, and I actually write mostly at work. I was once on third shift, and I had plenty of time to write. Now that I’m on first, I have less time, but I still have some downtime during which I can sneak in some writing. I’m very lucky that way.

Lyle
What are your thoughts on self-published work?

Mark
I’ve never gone that route myself, but I think it can be a great way for up-and-coming writers to get their work out there. My one stipulation is that I think writers who self-publish still need to find people to act as editors.

Lyle
Where can people pick up your books?

Mark
Asylum is available as a print and digital book at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. Whisonant/Creatures of the Night and Tales from the Midnight Shift Vol. I are available at www.sideshowpressonline.com. And “Dancing in the Dark” at www.darkside-digital.com.

Lyle
Do you have anything zombie related coming out?

Mark
Not anytime soon, but I am currently writing a zombie tale, a follow-up to Asylum, set on a college campus called Fort.

Lyle
Have you prepared yourself for the zombie apocalypse?

Mark
I’m just going to let myself get bit. If you can’t beat em, join em.

HUMAgeddon by Robert Butt and Illustrated by Scott Twells

KnightWatch Press is a new independent publishing house. Their first dabble into the publishing world is with the comic book HUMAgeddon written by Robert Butt and Illustrated by Scott Twells. David Naughton-Shires, one of the owners of KnightWatch Press, asked me to review their first zombie title.

The world as humans knew it had ended. The dead have completely taken it over and forced humans into isolated islands. A zombie family is enjoying dinner, when a knock comes at the door. It is none other than a mob of humans ready to fight and take back what was rightfully theirs. But the zombies aren’t going to make it easy for them.

HUMAgeddon was a fun and quick read that gives a different take on the zombie apocalypse. The zombies are not seen as a threat in the story, but humans are. I really enjoyed the plot, it was different and creative, but it did fall a bit flat at times. With this being the first comic issue, it was hard to really get into the meat of the story. However, this issue was a good set-up.

The illustrations by Scott Twells were very good. I really enjoyed the art style of the comic. It wasn’t too realistic, but then it wasn’t too cartoony. The gore was pretty cool too, it wasn’t too graphic where a kid would look at it and be scared for life.

This was a good start to something that has the potential to be a one of a kind comic. I will be looking forward to the next issue and will review it as soon as I can get my hands on it. I will have to give HUMAgeddon, 4 Undead Heads out of 5.

HUMAgeddon is available at the link below.

www.tiny.cc/BuyHUMAgeddon