If you’ve read my review for Beautiful Creatures, the first book in the Caster Chronicles series, you will know that I gobbled up that book like delicious cake. Therefore, when I discovered ARCs of Book #2 at the ALA Annual Conference, I may have squealed with glee and snatched a copy greedily. (Okay, so I did.) Afterward, I lovingly squirreled away the book as a special treat for when I finished my revisions on my own novel. That didn’t last very long.
Beautiful Darkness is 512 pages, a fact that alarms me when I consider that I read the book in two sittings. I couldn’t help myself, though, because the story wormed its way into my imagination even when I was doing mundane activities like eating cereal or watching TV. If you haven’t read Book #1, go read my review for that. If you have read Book #1, then continue reading this review for Book #2.
Beautiful Darkness satisfies my need for:
(1) Twisted magic that draws upon voodoo and curses from the Civil War. Also, twisted magic in the hands of a likely dangerous girl, rather than a ubiquitous brooding guy.
(2) Romance. But not easy-peasy, standard-issue, star-crossed “we must be together every second of our waking existences!” romance, the bittersweet kind that involves people getting pissed and not talking to each other for realistic reasons.
(3) New characters who are just as crazy fun as the last batch. Though I will admit to liking the new L better than the old L. (Shhh! No spoilers.) Just because the new L is fabulous.
(4) More exploration of the South and its patchwork of cultures. For example:”Decorating graves was another one of Gatlin’s contests–a way to prove that you and your family members, even the dead ones, were better than your neighbors and theirs. People went all out. Plastic wreaths wrapped in green nylon vines, shiny rabbits and squirrels, even birdbaths, so hot from the sun they could burn the skin right off your fingers. There was no overdoing it. The tackier, the better.” I adore paranormal fiction well-rooted in reality.
I will stop this review right here, since I don’t want to tread into the realm of spoilers, and believe me, Beautiful Darkness is chock-full of twists that you will just have to discover on your own.
(I got this as an ARC from ALA, if you didn’t see that above.)
I think zombies are hot. Well, not physically hot, considering how rotting flesh and “eeeerrreeeuuuu!” noises don’t go well with the latest in lingerie. But I’ve kept a special place in my heart for zombies from books, movies, and video games for awhile now, and the trend seems to be at last surfacing in the mainstream. Quirky zombies are a particular favorite of mine, like the Lassie-style zombie in the dark comedy film Fido. Having a 1950’s inspired dystopian (or pseudo-utopian, in the case of Fido) setting for the zombies to frolic in also helps. And Rot & Ruin definitely delivers.
Rot & Ruin introduces us to a post-apocalyptic America populated primarily by zombies, with human survivors hiding in communities walled off by chain-link fences. Only the bravest of bounty hunters venture out into the wilds known as the Rot and Ruin. There, they hunt down celebrity zombies for fame, and ordinary zombies at the request of families seeking closure. Our intrepid protagonist, a “gee, whiz!” kind of 15-year-old named Benny, scoffs at his older brother Tom’s boring attitude toward zombies, despite Tom’s great reputation as a zombie killer. Instead Benny idolizes bounty hunters who make a brutal sport out of whacking zoms.
When Benny actually ventures out into the Rot and Ruin with Tom, however, he realizes that zoms aren’t just mindless shuffling monsters, especially when you can put names to their rotting faces. Zoms are, of course, the walking dead–but most people forget the emotional and ethical aspects of death itself.
Rot & Ruin actually got me sort of sniffly as I was reading; I was surprised by how sensitive of a book it can be. I also loved the good old-fashioned action adventure scenes, with plenty of charging horses through seas of zombies, escaping traps laid by bounty hunters, and various sword-fighting moves. I’m crossing my fingers that there will be a sequel, since the ending hints at one, because I’ll be ready to jump back into the next story and satisfy my love of zombies.
(I snagged this ARC at the ALA Annual Conference.)
A bell jingles when I push open the door. I inhale the familiar musty scent—I always think it smells like secrets, if they have a smell. Ranks of rainbow books crowd the shelves. A ginger cat lounges in a square of sunlight.
Maybe you’re curious to visit the inspiration for the used bookstore where Tavian works in Other. Well, now’s your chance to find out! On Thursday, July 22nd, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, visit Uppercase Books in my hometown of Snohomish, Washington for the official book launch for Other. I will be there signing copies, giving away bookmarks, and parading the Pooka toy. Hope to see you there!
