Review: Worth the read - good but not great
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 10, 2014
In a world plagued by zombies, sometimes the real monsters are human.Like most, Victor is completely unprepared for life in a mob-run forced labor camp. He's well aware that he doesn't possess the stamina or strength to last in this environment and decides his best chance at surviving is to align himself with someone in authority. He chooses the prison guard Crunch as his ally. Enamored with Victor's good looks and fine ways, Crunch quickly singles out Victor and the two begin a relationship.I liked this book but didn't love it. As a character-driven story, I had trouble believing the connection between Victor and Crunch. I liked Crunch, a lonely, purpose-driven man who shows compassion when he can. Victor is understandably manipulative but that kept me from warming up to him.Placing the story in 1907 was interesting, making the struggle for survival more personal - no machine guns mowing down zombies here folks. I enjoyed the setting of the camp and some of the twists the authors included were really well-crafted. Unfortunately the overall world building was a little vague for me; I wanted more of the backstory. This is a stand-alone book, complete in itself.  But I would have had a richer experience had I read the other books set in this universe.Is it weird that I wanted more of the shambling undead?  Yeah, I think it probably is. But still, bring on the zombies! I was expecting more of a horror slant to this book but the focus is on the romance. I liked the romance aspect but I wanted more scare in the story.  Although the book lagged in the middle, there are several scenes at the end that I felt were very well-written, intense and truly suspenseful.Oh and kudos on the cover, which I thought was both creepy and sensual.  I'm off to read the first story in this series, 'cause I really do want the backstory now.I received a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.