It is my absolute pleasure today to introduce my lovely readers to a series that snuck up on me in the best possible way. The Army of the Lost is the thrilling third installment of the Deadlands dystopia series in which mother-daughter writing duo give readers a story unlike no other. Under the pseudonym, Lily Herne, Savannah and Sarah Lotz have crafted a story that embraces both the political climate of South Africa and a backdrop of a zombie apocalypse...and yes, it is that amazing!

The Army of the Lost Synopsis

One of us is dead, one of us is broken, one of us will betray the others and one of us will have to sell her soul to survive...

Eleven years after South Africa was ravaged by the walking dead, most of Johannesburg's survivors are forced to scratch out a living in the filth of Sandtown, an enclave in the old Sandton City mall, ruled over by a minority of rich, self-serving bureaucrats. Tommy, a bullied fourteen-year-old Sandtownite, dreams of joining the Army of the Left, a radical organisation intent on setting the city free of the dead that lurch around its walls. But fate has other plans for him.

Betrayed by one of their closest allies and sold to the highest bidder, Lele, Ash, Ember and Ginger - the remaining Mall Rats - find themselves sucked into the dark heart of Jozi's twisted political system. While Ash is forced to face his traumatic past and Ginger struggles to regain his sanity, Lele goes head to head against Jozi's most powerful manipulator - a man who has sinister plans for her. Meanwhile, left for dead on the outskirts of Jozi, Saint begins her own journey. A journey that she hopes will provide the answers to all of the Mall Rats' unanswered questions.

1. What made you choose a South African setting for your dystopian novel? Did past political unrest play some sort if part?

We live in Cape Town, so familiarity played into that choice quite a lot. At the time we wrote the first in the series, no one had written a walking dead novel set in SA, and someone had to address this appalling state of affairs (!) There is a political element to the novels – it’s almost impossible to write anything set in SA and not include an element of social critique. It’s in our DNA and the fallout from apartheid is still evident all around us. For example, there’s a huge rich-poor divide, which we’ve tried to comment on in the novels.

2. If you could use just five words to describe your protagonist, what would they be, and why?

In the first novel, our narrator Lele is sulky, gutsy, honest, jealous and impetuous. She also has the tendency to be quite rude (although that would make it six!) But as the series progresses, the people and traumatic events she encounters force her to deal with issues and situations with more maturity (she will always sulk though – we reckon that’s her signature emotion!)

3. What do you think sets your books apart from other dystopian novels, and what do you hope readers will take away from reading them?

Lauren’s Beukes’s fabulous Zoo City and Charlie Human’s insanely brilliant Apocalypse Now Now aside, there’s not a great deal of dystopian YA set in South Africa, so the setting probably sets the novels apart. In a departure from the first two novels in the series, The Army of the Lost is set in Johannesburg, and we had a great time coming up with different settlements and considering how the survivors in this city might have corralled themselves out of reach of the walking dead. For example, there’s an almost utopian society who have holed up in the self-sustaining Johannesburg Zoo, and as mall culture is quite prevalent in Jozi, the majority of the survivors are crammed into the Sandton City mall complex, ruled over by a handful of greedy bureaucrats (which isn’t dissimilar to what’s actually happening!) Primarily, we hope readers have a blast reading them!

4. What do you do to make sure your series continues strong from one novel to the next?

As well as (hopefully) including some plot twists that readers won’t see coming, we’ve tried to focus on character development and show how our protagonist have changed after experiencing the various horrible events we’ve forced them to endure. They aren’t the same people as they were at the beginning of the series (and they might not all be alive at the end of it…)

5. If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Savannah: I’d be a professional gamer, but as this really isn’t an option, I’d love to be an extra in The Walking Dead.

Sarah: Gosh. Tricky question. I love cars and driving, so I wouldn’t mind being a stunt/precision driver (!)

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Doesn't it sound absolutely amazing?! Be sure to check out the other books in the series (Deadlands and Death of a Saint), as well. But for now - here's your chance to win a copy of The Army of the Lost all for yourself! This giveaway is open internationally and will end promptly at midnight MST on 4/25/14. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: Sick 
Author: Tom Leveen (Twitter)
Publisher: Abrams
Publish Date: October 1, 2013
Genre: YA, Horror
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher

Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They’re the misfits and the troublemakers—the ones who jump their high school’s fence to skip class regularly. So when a deadly virus breaks out, they’re the only ones with a chance of surviving.

The virus turns Brian’s classmates and teachers into bloodthirsty attackers who don’t die easily. The whole school goes on lockdown, but Brian and his best friend, Chad, are safe (and stuck) in the theater department—far from Brian’s sister, Kenzie, and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem, Laura. Brian and Chad, along with some of the theater kids Brian had never given the time of day before, decide to find the girls and bring them to the safety of the theater. But it won’t be easy, and it will test everything they thought they knew about themselves and their classmates.

Sick embodies everything that pop culture is completely fascinated by these days, which is a huge plus for the author of this one-of-a-kind story, Tom Leveen. As a reader, I love the idea of different lifestyles and cliques being forced into unimaginable circumstances together and challenged to either get along and overcome the obstacles, or simply fall to pieces. I also love zombies. I don't even need to elaborate upon that because it's truly the highlight of this novel. Sick doesn't hesitate to show readers the true, gruesome and gory nature of zombies, which is too often watered down in YA fiction.

Sick is marketed to readers as "The Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead." I urge readers not to put too much stock in this tagline. Here's the thing. This book might actually have met audiences better without that because, going in, we expect the charm and ingenue of misfits uniting to soar through the story. Unfortunately, we're offered a high-stakes and highly implausible relationship that actually took away from the story. Had we simply been left with misfits dealing with a new-age type of zombie (for the record, they sparkle, and that bothers me), Sick might have succeeded.

While overall well-written, I felt a bit cheated by Sick. I expected one thing and was give something almost entirely different. The author's writing is solid, but the plot and the romance really detracted from the story for me. I give it a 3 out 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy horror and zombies. 

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Every Other Day
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publish Date: December 27, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

Kali could very well be your everyday average teenage girl, if it weren't for the fact that she lives one day as a human and the next as a savage, butt-kicking hunter of all things supernatural. She doesn't know why she is the way she is, but she's learned to cope and live with it. Perhaps it's a gift, or maybe it's a curse, but it's her life, and she deals with it the best she can - even if that means spending a day in her real life and a day on the warpath. But when a curveball is thrown her way, Kali must save someone in her human form - but it's dangerous, and she could very well die trying.

Every Other Day is girl-power, action, grit and drama into one very action-packed book. The brainchild of author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Every Other Day features a kickass protagonist who just so happens to have the very best human qualities, as well - a quality that is often lacking in the genre these days. Every Other Day is rife with action and tension from start to finish, featuring Barnes' signature and descriptive prose that allows you access to the characters' innermost thoughts while opening up a whole new world of adventure. Above all else though, Every Other Day is gripping and tense, never letting you go until well after the last page.

I have to be honest, I was getting a very strong Buffy vibe while I was reading Every Other Day. Well, if you combined Buffy with Same & Dean Winchester, that is. Truthfully though, Kali was a fantastic protagonist. She was a strong, independent and resilient girl that just so happened to be able to kill supernatural beings every other day. At the same time, however, she didn't lose her humanity or the vulnerability that made her likable and real. Kali's character was flanked by two seemingly polar opposites - Bethany, the cheerleader that's snooty yet snarky and Skylar, the kooky one who you can't help but love. The trio of characters is unstoppable, and their character chemistry fuels the already-gripping plot even more so. I also have to mention the elusive Zev, who just so happens to be a voice in Kali's head, yet he's more when she needs him to be. He's a bit of a mystery, to be honest, but his scenes were powerful and captivating because you just want to understand him. I have to say that the pacing of Every Other Day, however, was the true strength. We're given highs and lows, searing action and gory battles, but then we'll have a lull that leads us to that false sense of calm just in time to shock us again. It's a teasing pace, but it's endlessly addicting.

All in all, Every Other Day was a really fun and entertaining book to read. I did feel that I wanted more of a satisfying answer to Kali's condition though, but that's personal opinion, of course. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal tales.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Dearly, Departed
Author: Lia Habel
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Published: October 18, 2011
Genre: YA, Steampunk, PNR
Pages: 544

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead.

Ummmm...yes. Steampunk? Zombies? Romance? Sold on all accounts! Dearly, Departed is a blend of a whole mess of my favourite things, plus it sounds so bloody original that I'd be sold on that alone. There's something about the blend of past and future in steampunk that totally speaks to me, and I haven't seen enough such books in the YA market lately. It doesn't hurt that that's one gorgeous cover, too. I'm such a cover slut. I'd apologise, but it would be entirely insincere. Anyway, despite the doozy of a page count, it sounds fabulous! What do you think, and what are you waiting on this week?

Title: The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses
Author: Ty Drago
Publisher: Jabberwocky
Published: April 1, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 480
Source: Publisher

"On a sunny Wednesday morning in October, a day that would mark the end of one life and the beginning of another, I found out my grouchy next door neighbor was the walking dead. When you turn around expecting to see something familiar, and instead see something else altogether, it takes a little while for your brain to catch up with your eyes. I call it the 'Holy Crap Factor.'"

Forced to flee his home and family, twelve-year-old Will Ritter falls in with the Undertakers-a rag-tag army of teenage resistance fighters who've banded together to battle the Corpses.

Will wakes up one Wednesday, and it's just like every other day until he sees his neighbor, then his principal, then his teachers have all become a part of the living dead. Is it a new thing? Yes, and no. Will's one of the special few who can see these zombies among the living, making him an Undertaker with a special destiny. Suddenly, in addition to his twelve-year-old angst, pre-teen life, and all the glory that comes with it, Will is sent along a path with others like him because his gift dictates it. He might be a part of humanity's last line of resistance between the living and the dead, but that also means that his life will never be the same again.

Remember when vampires became popular? Then werewolves, angels and witches followed. Well, zombies have been on the train lately with shows like The Walking Dead and Zombieland popularizing the lore. The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses, however, does what few books and films say they will do - it takes the original idea, turns it on its tail and makes it into something entirely new. Author Ty Drago clearly had some clever mojo going when he wrote this one because he combined two seemingly polar opposite tales into a single, fully-functioning novel that's suspenseful, age-appropriate and seriously witty.

The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses truly is one of the freshest MG reads that I've got my hands on in a while. Will is a great protagonist. He's charming and smart, but he acts his age. Yes, there were a few moments where he slipped and I wondered why he suddenly sounded more mature, but overall, he felt entirely real. Will's friend, Tom, also consistently evolved throughout the book, and I felt their progression and character changes, although mostly subtle, were in sync with the plot. Speaking of the plot...wow. Talk about a fresh idea! I'm not going to spoil it for anyone, but let's just say that the zombies in The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses are nothing like what you read before. In fact, they might not be from this planet. Ponder that one.

All in all, The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses was a fun, fast-paced and action packed read. It sounds like a long book, but it reads well, and I finished it quickly, all the while wanting a sequel. I give it a firm 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend this to both YA and MG audiences. I also think reluctant readers would enjoy this quick plot and fun premise.

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Delacorte
Published: March 10, 2009
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 308
Source: Personal Copy

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her.

She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Mary lives in a world that's sheltered and hidden, governed by the laws of the Sisterhood for her own protection. The Forest of Hands and Teeth lies beyond the walls of her village, and it's for her own safety that she lives in the world in which she lives. But when her Mother is lost to the Forest, Mary finds the desire to learn what is beyond the walls and in the depths of the Forest. Her life takes an unexpected turn, leading her to the ultimate decision of with whom she stands in the end.

I'm late to the party reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, but I hate reading books when the hype is high and everyone seems to love them. I'm almost always disappointed. That said, I was sold on the fact that it's a zombie book, and I loved the fact that it stayed true to that. Rather than romanticizing the concept of zombies, author Carrie Ryan spun a haunting tale that drew from the sadistic nature of zombies and fueled the heartfelt tale of Mary's life. The prose was powerful and real, lending an element of truth to an otherwise paranormal tale.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth has this rich sort of darkness coursing through it, and the environment in which Mary lives is extremely tangible. I loved how deep and haunting the portrayal of the Unconsecrated was because it put me in Mary's shoes and let me feel the extent of her fear. All that aside though, I will say that (at times) Mary annoyed me. I felt that her voice was grating, and while I felt her story and shared in her pain, joy and turmoil, her emotions were almost too overdone for my taste at times. However, that one gripe was tempered by the overall power of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

When all is said and done, I'm a big fan of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Rich and powerful, creepy but exhilarating, it was a page-turner until the very end. I give it a strong 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all fans of the YA genre, especially those who enjoy paranormal and fantasy tales, as well as those who enjoy zombies.