Release Date: 17/11/11
SYNOPSIS:
Movie rights in the HATER series were snapped up by PAN'S LABYRINTH/HELLBOY director Guillermo del Toro and producer Mark Johnson (The NARNIA movies). Perfect for fans of HBO's THE WALKING DEAD, the series reaches a shattering conclusion...The war which has torn the human race apart is finally nearing an end. The population has been devastated, and the earth has been reduced to a poisoned ruin. Most of the towns and cities are uninhabitable, and with the country in the grip of a savage nuclear winter, both Haters and Unchanged alike struggle to survive. Hundreds of Hater fighters have settled in the east, in the relatively undamaged coastal town of Lowestoft, under the command of the ruthless Hinchcliffe. His fledgling society is harsh and unforgiving, and he'll stop at nothing to eradicate the last few Unchanged and consolidate his position at the top of this new world order. Danny McCoyne is the exception to the rule. His ability to hold the Hate has given him a unique position in Hinchcliffe's army, for he uses his unique skill to hunt out the remaining Unchanged. But as the enemy's numbers shrink, so the pressure on McCoyne increases, until he finds himself at the very centre of a pivotal confrontation. The outcome will have repercussions on the future of everyone who is still alive. It's down to him alone: will it be Them, or Us?
REVIEW:
As people know I’m a huge fan of the horror genre, and I love a good scare as much as the next person. What the first book in the series did was set up the whole zombie scenario from a different point of view, as if the inhabitants of the body were still there but a chemical change made them hate anyone dissimilar to others of their kind. It was cleverly thought out, it had great scope for the author to play with and overall it gave the reader a real thriller to hang on for.
Yet the second book really didn’t further the concept and unfortunately whilst it had moments that I loved within, the third really fell into the same category when, had I been writing it, I’d have condensed the series into a duology rather than the trilogy to keep it sharp and snappy. Don’t get me wrong the writing is decent, the authors use of prose nicely done, but the overall plotline structure felt a little flat and almost padded out rather than getting to the meat of the matter for me. All in a reasonable read but one that won’t stay with me for long as it didn’t have enough going for it to keep the pace at the level I expected.
Release Date: 20/01/11
SYNOPSIS:
A disease of unimaginable ferocity has torn across the face of the planet leaving billions dead. A small group of survivors shelter in the remains of a devastated city, hiding in terror as the full effects of the horrific infection start to become clear. The sudden appearance of a company of soldiers again threatens the survivors' fragile existence. Do they bring with them hope, help and answers, or more pain, fear and suffering?
REVIEW:
Having read David Moody’s work before I was hoping that this one would be different, as it featured Zombies rather than altered humans but alas it was pretty much the same as all his other titles except rather than still being living, breathing altered humans they died and were re-animated as the living dead. As the days grind on the survivors noticed that the deceased were becoming more intelligent as each day passed almost as if they’d undergone a rebirth and were having to learn things from scratch which made this a real hook.
Sadly that’s as good as the story gets as the rest is mundane, depressing, annoying and to borrow an overused word from Shaun Hutson (which it felt like David did within this title) sucked. The characters were weak, two dimensional and to be honest you really wished them to get munched quicker. All in a disappointment with the worst part being getting to the end only to find that there’s another title that you’re going to have to wait months for to carry on the tale which needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. A great shame all in as some of the ideas were quite novel and could have made this something special that no one else has utilised before rather than a humdrum, over used cliché that it was.
Release Date: 28/10/10
BOOK BLURB:
In less than twenty-four hours a vicious and virulent viral epidemic destroys virtually all of the population. Billions are killed, within minutes. There are no symptoms and no warnings; within moments of infection each victim suffers a violent and agonising death. At the end of ten minutes, only a handful of survivors remain. By the end of the first day those survivors wish they were dead. By the end of the first week, as the dead get up and walk, they know they are in hell.
REVIEW:
David Moody is one of those authors who can definitely talk the talk on the book blurb, but at times his writing is pretty similar and can leave the reader feeling a little cheated in much the way that they did in his last release in the Haters series. Here in this book, you get a story that has emotional content and if that’s what you want in a book blended with a tale of zombies then its going to be ideal. However if you want blood, guts and brain matter everywhere this may not be your best choice.
All in it’s definitely cleverly written with the lead character having some great hooks to keep you going and personally generated a story that I found acceptable if not totally novel in its concept. A good bit of escapism all in and with the way that the weathers set in could be something that might keep you interested whilst you ignore the cold outside.
BOOK BLURB:
The world has suffered a catastrophe of unknown cause, dividing humankind into two: the Haters and the Unchanged. Each group believes the other to be the enemy; each group is fighting for survival. Only by working together can the enemy - whoever that enemy is - be defeated. There are no other choices. Danny McCoyne has managed to break free, and after days of indiscriminate fighting and killing, he is determined to make his way home, to recalim the only thing of any value to him in this strange new world: his daughter Ellis. Unlike his wife and son, Ellis is like him, and he knows, in his heart of hearts, that she is not dead. His dearest wish is for Ellis to be fighting for the world at his side - but Danny soon discovers his daughter is worth far more than just another fighting body. Others like him have discovered that children are absolutely vital to the cause. They are strong, small, fast, and they have no inhibitions. They are pure Haters ...
REVIEW:
A sequel to David’s original novel Haters and one, that I’ll let you know now, has to be read in sequence. IE Do not try and pick this up without first having read the original or you’ll be pretty scuppered.
Danny McCoyne returns as the principle protagonist searching for his missing daughter Ellis who is also afflicted with the same disease as himself, ie she’s an Hater too. Not wanting to get involved with the whole war between Haters and Unchanged he finds himself drawn into the fray. Whilst the first was pretty darn good, this novel however felt a little flat due to it feeling like more of a novella that could have been added onto the original rather than drawn out over the course of a secondary title which made this pretty tedious at times and felt more than a little padded to hit required length.
The Fight sequences were pretty much identical, the subsequent cast members were forgettable and to be honest it was pretty depressing and not up to par of the original. Had I not been asked to review this book I’d tell you now that it’s a title that I’d have quit quite early on and with the titles blurb pretty much explaining what happens you could save yourself a lot of time and cash by just getting that gist. Add to the mix a pretty poor twist at the end (which at this rate I suspect will make the author a third title) and I suspect that this once great idea is about to sink fast.
Release Date: 17/11/11
