Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Blurb On The Back:

You gave a man one of the famed Sardian horses to reward him greatly. You gave him four or five to exalt him above his fellows, propel him towards rank, and earn him jealousy, possibly mortal jealousy. Two hundred and fifty is an unthinkable gift, a gift to overwhelm an emperor. But that is what Shen Tai is given by the bartered Kitan Princess: not so much a gift as very possibly a death warrant ...

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The Verdict:

This is a beautifully written fantasy with a complicated storyline and a wide cast of characters and Kay has a fine eye for depicting loss and compromise. Saying that, there were some parts that felt redundant and for me the final third contained a rushed pay-off that was at odds with the leisurely build up of Shen Tai’s return to the normal world. Despite this, I found it an absorbing and moving read and am definitely going to check out Kay’s other work.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.

The Dead by Charlie Higson

The Blurb On The Back:

A terrible disease is striking everyone over the age of fourteen. Death walks the streets. Nowhere is safe.

Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren’t the only kids trying to escape the ferocious adults who prey on them.

Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids – nerds, fighters, misfits. And one adult. Greg, a butcher, who claims he’s immune to the disease.

They must work together if they want to make it in this terrifying new world. But as a fresh disaster threatens to overwhelm London, they realise they won’t all survive ...

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Although this bone chilling sequel to the excellent THE ENEMY is actually a prequel, it’s nevertheless a cracking YA horror read, with plenty of violence and death and a fascinating take on zombies. I’ll definitely be checking out the next book.

The Executioner by Chris Carter

The Blurb On The Back:

Imagine your worst fear – and then meet your worst nightmare ...

Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest’s head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim’s chest, the figure ‘3’ has been scrawled in blood.

At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?

Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims’ minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.

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The Verdict:

I wasn’t a fan of THE CRUCIFIX KILLER and while this is a better paced read, the clichés and stereotypical characters just made it too difficult for me to engage with it and I won’t be continuing with this series.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the free copy of this book.