FORGOTTEN WORLD by Kate L Mary

5 out of 5 stars

The final book of a 6 part zombie apocalypse series

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

What makes a really good book?  These are some of the things: a believable plot, a pace that keeps you turning the pages, characters you feel you know, and care about, situations that affect your emotions.  Forgotten World has all of these; it's the best in this series.  

Vivian, Axl and the gang set out to get their one hope, the virus-immune Angus, to Atlanta, where the CDC are working on a cure.  The road trip is hazardous beyond their expectations, and people get lost on the way.  There were three instances in the second half of the book that actually made me cry - I mean real tears running down my cheeks and sniffing, not just a watery eye!  I can't say which they are or I'll give the plot away, though.  

There were some things about the book I was a bit disappointed with - not knowing what happened to a new favourite character, and the quick disposal of a menace who could have run and run.  And what about The Watchers?  So sinister - I wanted to know more!  Yes, there are editing errors, too - quite a few instances of the wrongly assigned dependent clause (eg, something like "Walking down the road, the bus ran me over" - if you don't know what's wrong with that, ask an editor!), the constant lack of the word 'of' after 'couple' (a couple years, a couple blankets) - fine when in Axl and Angus's dialogue, not so good in Vivian's narration.  Some basic proofreading errors, like backwards apostrophes.  But I'd still recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre; Amazon tells us that 5* means 'I loved it'.  I did, I loved this book, and I was so sad to say goodbye to the characters (especially the one we lost last!).   I think the series could have done with one more book, but I've just seen that Kate Mary has also produced 'Broken Stories', so perhaps some of my questions will be answered in that....  I've just downloaded it to start reading immediately!
  
BROKEN WORLD, the first in this series by Kate Mary is reviewed by me HERE, with links to my reviews of the other four books.  All have Amazon buy links.

NEW WORLD by Kate L Mary

4.5 out of 5 stars

Part 5 of Zombie Apocalypse Series

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

So there was me, with The Walking Dead withdrawal symptoms and in need of more zombie apocalypse stuff, when I remembered this series I'd meant to keep up with.  I re-read the first and the second, then decided to get this next one.  I have no longer got episode 4, Lost World, as I'd downloaded it on Kindle Unlimited, and I have a shocking memory, but, happily, most of the story made its way back into my head as I started reading this, and I discovered that it actually works okay as a stand alone, or near enough.

The two groups from Lost World are enduring their first zombie winter in snow-covered Colorado, and wondering what happened to their friends from whom they were separated.  One group is in a small community of about twelve, one in a much larger one, numbering about 200.  But, of course, with any community comes leadership wrangles that are only just beginning. And what will happen when the zombies thaw out?

It's never NOT a good time for a picture of Norman Reedus...

This is a cracking series, a real easy read if you like this sort of thing.  It's told from the points of view of ex stripper Vivian, redneck-with-a-heart Axl, former Hollywood actress Ginny, and her man, Jon.  The characterisation is excellent - I found a new one to love (Jim) and one to hate, too (Dax), and of course there are other worries for all survivors: sometimes the humans are more dangerous than the zombies.  I'm still not sure that Hope Springs holds the answer....

For anyone who's been reading these books, there are two sad losses, from the original group, one of which brought tears to my eyes. I have downloaded Book 6, Forgotten World, and am going to start it as soon as I have posted this!

Book one, BROKEN WORLD is reviewed HERE, with links to my reviews for other 3 books in the series, all with Amazon buy links.

LOST WORLD by Kate L Mary

4.2 out of 5 stars

Zombie apocalypse

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

Book 4 in the Broken World series ~ a bit better than 4 stars but not quite 4.5!

So many of the reviews for this series say that Kate Mary has borrowed much from The Walking Dead that I won't point out all the similarities; I thought at first that we had a guest appearance of Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, too, aka Brady, the educated, articulate dwarf who can beat a man twice his size with verbal arrows, but he didn't turn out to be him after all, about which I was pleased!  But is Hope Springs as sinister as whatever-The-Governor's-community-was-called?  We will have to wait until Book 5 to find out!

Something the less positive reviews have failed to point out, though, is that there is a hell of a lot in this series that isn't TWD.  Daryl Dixon might be Ms Mary's ideal, but Axl in the Broken World series is very much his own man.  There are plenty of characters and situations that are the author's own invention, and very good they are too.  The love stuff isn't over the top in any of the books and the (very occasional) sexy bits aren't smut-for-the-sake-of-it, they're just real.  These books are not about zombies, they're about people.  And people fall in love, get jealous, feel insecure, argue - and do sex.  Vivian and Axl's relationship is too believable, too down to earth, for a moonlit kiss fading to asterisks!

 It never isn't a good time for a picture of Daryl Dixon...

 

I was disappointed not to have chapters from Axl's POV in this one, as in Book 3, but Hadley's story was a good diversion from the main one, and her 'voice' very different from Vivian's.  I enjoyed this book very much, and the scene at the end when we nearly lost a main character is terrific, so well done, the best I've read in these books so far.  The dialogue is great, the characters clear and easily identifiable, all the way through.

The Broken World series is not great literature, it's popular, easy read fiction, but that requires as much storytelling talent as any other sort, and Kate Mary has this in spades.  

Recommended for any fellow lovers of this genre, and I can't wait to read New World when it comes out in the summer!

Book 1, Broken World is reviewed HERE, with links to my reviews of books 2 & 3