REVIEW: FALLING TO ASH

Author: Karen Mahoney
Series: Yes, Moth #1
UK Publisher: Corgi
UK Release date: 27th September 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal
Read via NetGalley
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Trapped between two very different worlds, newly made vampire Moth is struggling to find her place in either. Not only does she have to answer to her strict Irish-Catholic Dad, but her over-protective maker, Theo, is intent on making her the star attraction in his powerful Boston vampire clan. Moth will have to pull off the double-act of the century to please both of them...
Adding to her problems is the dangerously attractive Jason Murdoch, a trainee vampire hunter who loves to play cat and mouse in his spare time (Jace = cat; Moth = mouse). But when the teenagers of Boston’s wealthiest families start to disappear, it forces Moth and Jace into an uneasy truce. Will they be able to solve the mystery behind the disappearances—before someone winds up undead? (Goodreads)

I have to admit, I'm a bit fed up with vampire stories. But Falling to Ash didn't bore me at all. For starters, Moth is a little rough around the edges as a vampire. She wears a leather jacket, steel toe capped biker boots and is extraordinarily witty. It kind of made me feel good though that even as a vampire, Moth wasn't unnaturally perfect all the time. The fact that Moth could still feel pain and had to overcome that to get things done made her character tougher and somehow more humane. Having been turned against her will, Moth is undergoing the emotional turmoil of trying to reconcile her new vampire life with with old life and family. Her protectiveness of her younger sister was really sweet. Moth may be a kickass heroine, but she will capture your heart.

Although the murder mystery was easy to predict, there was plenty of action and twists to the story. Surprising things happened after the murders, which I won't tell you about but were a little gruesome and made some interesting links.

I loved the relationship between Moth and Jace and the fact that they already had a backstory that affected how they interacted at the start of the book. Jace, following in the footsteps of his fathers, was a monster-hunter. And Moth was considered the monster. Despite the fact that Jace had been brought up to kill vampires, Moth and Jace were perfectly balanced. Both in strength and charisma. When they both start investigating the murders of local teenagers they form a tentative alliance. And as Moth is so down to earth, Jace slowly started coming around to seeing her as a person and not just a human blood-sucking killing machine. The fact that he could overcome all the believes his father had instilled in him was impressive and endearing.

This may sound patronising, but it isn't meant to be in the slightest. As Karen is a British author, I was really impressed by how authentic the writing was to the American setting. OK so I haven't  ever been to Boston, where the book is set, but the locations described felt so real. And the language and style really did make me believe Moth was a born and bred American. With Irish roots ;)

Dark, witty and with a dash of romance, Falling to Ash is a refreshing addition to the vampire genre.

Rating: 4*

FILM REVIEW: OSOMBIE

Director: John Lyde
Release date: 2012
Genre: Zombie
UK premiere viewed at Sci-Fi-London 11.

The story follows Dusty, a yoga instructor from Colorado, who is on a desperate rescue mission to save her crazy brother Derek, a conspiracy theorist who is convinced Osama bin Laden is still alive, despite having (reportedly) been buried at sea. In Afghanistan, Dusty falls in with a team of NATO Special Forces on a secret assignment. It turns out Derek is not so crazy after all, and Osama has returned from his watery grave to gather together an army of zombie jihadists. When the NATO group crashes headlong into the growing zombie apocalypse, Dusty and the troops must find and destroy the root of the zombie insurgency before it infests the rest of the world.

With plenty of action, Osombie pulls apart historic events and gives it a humorous zombie twist. As the title would have you believe, Osama Bin Laden is the key focus of the film. However this isn't the case. Yes, the film revolves around the conspiracy theory that he wasn't actually killed, and it takes this idea one step further and adds in the zombie element. But the story actually follows a small group of NATO troops on a secret mission. I would have liked to have seen more of the terrorist leader turned zombie, but I have to admit I did like following the story of the different characters within the troop. Each had their own distinct character and personality, and several characters had a nickname to describe their key traits such as 'Tomboy' or 'Joker'. Although the film tried to make a fairly serious point there was plenty of humour, with one male character always ending up topless shooting zombies, and another screaming profanities at his ex-wife whilst blowing up zombies with a heavy machine gun.

There were a few inconsistencies and cheesy scenes…cue the upset 'tomboy' practising martial arts against a setting sun. But there were also some serious moments as different characters were bitten and likewise bit the dust. Even military training and ammunition provisions couldn't stop flesh-eating zombies and when soldiers died, I felt the emotion of the rest of the troop which was testament to the casting and writing.

Conspiracy theories, gun-toting, and a stunning desert backdrop combined well in Osombie to give a zombie enemy worth fighting against.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Author: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Quirk Books
UK release date: April 2009
Genre: Zombie, Historical fiction
Kindly sent by the publisher for an honest review

In order to fight the blight of zombies plaguing 19th century England, the Bennet sisters have been trained in the deadly arts of fighting unmentionables. However all their mother can think of is seeing her daughters married off to rich and handsome men. Whether Elizabeth will find the haughty Mr Darcy a suitable prospect when she has set her heart to killing zombies is another matter.

Review: Seth Grahame-Smith took on the hard task of reworking a well-known classic fiction by Jane Austen and adding in zombies. Imagine the Bennett sisters in their ball gowns slaying zombies. I can imagine many a Jane Austen fan might blanch at the thought, but oddly enough it works. To start it is a little difficult to adjust to changes and additions to the story but as you get further into the story it takes on a life of its own.

I was surprised by how much of the original text was kept and that the plot was very much the same, however adapted as it is, it’s amazing to see how well the zombie element fits into the original plot. It didn’t distract from the story of the Elizabeth and Mr Darcy but very much added another layer to it. Soldiers are employed to wipe out unmentionables, training in the deadly arts is another way for higher society to condescend those below them, and the plague itself can be seen as a metaphor in the case of Charlotte who is inflicted during her marriage to Mr Collins.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies takes the humour, wit and irony that Jane Austen infused into her characters and kicks it up a notch. There are some real humorous and comic moments that will have you smiling in twisted glee. Indeed Elizabeth is sassier, cheekier and even more brazen, but completely in keeping with her true character.

I also can’t help but think that Seth Grahame-Smith gave some characters their just deserts, and who could blame him. His cutthroat approach to dealing with malevolent characters certainly brings them down a peg and you can’t help but smile and agree.

Having studied the book in school and appreciated Jane Austen’s wit and irony, I can see how well the zombie element adds to this. But I can easily imagine that those new to the story entirely may find zombies and 19th century social satire a rather odd mix especially when faced with the original language and focus on women marrying and social standing.

Humorous, romantic and gruesome, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies takes the best of the original story and gives it an entertaining zombie injection.

Rating: 4*