Island of the Flesh Eaters

The first novella that I've read this year has the potential to be the best novella of the year!

Just released yesterday, I read this one last night, and it is a near perfect read! There isn't a slow point in the story. Coming in at just 100 pages, it reads like a movie playing in your head (and you can read it in the amount of time it would take to watch a movie).

The story is totally engaging, as are the characters, and the descriptions are nauseatingly wonderful. I enjoyed this one even more than Flower's Planet of the Dead.

5/5 Skulls

Here is the synopsis:

THE DEAD HAVE RISEN TO EAT THE LIVING!

From the author of Planet of the Dead and War for the Planet of the Dead... 

Houston, Texas, 1985, while investigating the affluent and seedy Gasper family, Rachel Hawkins, a junior reporter with the Galveston Daily News, stumbles upon a story that will make her career. 

Billy Gasper, son to the billionaire tycoon Gasper Family is missing. His yacht found near the Port of Galveston, abandoned all but for a seemingly deranged captain. Where are the crew? And where is Billy?

Meanwhile, while searching for his missing sister who was last seen with her boyfriend Billy Gasper, RadioShack manager Mark joins an ex-military security team hired by Mr. Gasper to find his son. Hidden away, Hawkins joins Mark and the hired goons as they race across the Gulf of Mexico to a private tropical island resort. 

All attempts at radio communicate with the island have failed. Its as if the entire resort with hundreds of vacationers and staff have disappeared.

What is really going on? And what will the rescue team find when they get there? 

For fans who love Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE and Bruno Mattei's HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD comes... ISLAND OF THE FLESH EATERS!!!

Midnight Crossroad

I am one of the few who enjoyed watching Midnight, Texas when it aired on NBC, and I was disappointed when they cancelled the show, after only its second season, a few weeks ago. So, I have decided to just read the books that the show is based on. This is book one (of the trilogy).

I am just going to come out and say it. As rare as it is, in this particular situation, I feel that the show is actually better than the book - believe it or not! (Note: I did not feel this way with True Blood. In that case, I felt that the Sookie Stackhouse series was far better than the show.)

First of all, whoever cast the show basically threw the book out the window! (Not really an issue, just saying.) The first season followed this first book very closely, so there were really no surprises. My biggest issue with the book is that the character's supernatural abilities were hardly touched upon. There was only a lot of subtle foreshadowing. For instance, when a woman entered the Rev's church, she immediately ran out "as if a tiger were chasing her". Or with Joe & Chuy's angelic Halloween costumes, their wings looked so realistic. . . (fans of the show will get these subtleties without spoilers)

All in all, I still enjoyed the book. I am just hoping that the next two will expand more upon the characters.

4/5 Skulls

Siege of Stone

After reading Shroud of Eternity (Volume 2 of Goodkind's 'The Nicci Chronicles'), I was slightly concerned that Siege of Stone would seem just as repetitive. I need not have worried! Not only is this book the best of the series so far, it is right up there with some of the best of the Sword of Truth series as well.

This one is perfectly paced and an extremely exciting read. The next book cannot come soon enough!

Here is the book's synopsis:

Set in the world of the Sword of Truth saga, the ramifications of New York Times bestseller Terry Goodkind's Shroud of Eternity extend throughout all of the Old World as familiar allies, dangerous magic, and creatures created by twisted sorcery all work at cross purposes to either save or destroy Ildakar in Siege of Stone.

The Sorceress Nicci, the Wizard Nathan Rahl, and the young swordsman Bannon remain in the legendary city of Ildakar after a great internal revolt has freed the slaves and brought down the powerful wizards council. But as he fled the city, capricious Wizard Commander Maxim dissolved the petrification spell that had turned to stone the invading army of General Utros fifteen centuries earlier.

Now, hundreds of thousands of half-stone soldiers from the ancient past have awakened, led by one of the greatest enemy commanders in history.
Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon have to help Ildakar survive this unbreakable siege, using all the magical defenses of the legendary city. Even as General Utros holds Ildakar hostage and also unleashes his incredible army on the unsuspecting Old World, an equally powerful threat arises out in the sea.
Nicci knows the battle won’t remain in the city; if she can’t stop this threat, two invincible armies can sweep across the Old World and destroy D’Hara itself.

The Ridealong

Is the first book that I chose to read this year the rip-roaring read that I was hoping for?

Unfortunately not. However, it is still worth mentioning as you may enjoy it more than I did . (Based on the reviews, I am in the minority on this one.)

I found the story interesting, yet it never seemed to reach it's full potential. I will say that it is worth reading for the ending alone though.

3/5 Skulls

Here is the book's synopsis in case you are interested:

It was supposed to be just one more ridealong, a night when high schooler Melissa Latham accompanies her father on his patrol. But when a serial killer targets them for a dark, disturbing game, the night turns into a high-speed chase where there is no prize for second place.

They have to find a killer before he murders the next one of their friends.

They have to find a killer before they are caught and charged for the murder of the men he's already killed.

They have to find a killer... before he finds them.