TRIBE OF DAUGHTERS by Kate L Mary @kmary0622

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
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On Goodreads
On BookBub

How I discovered this book: in my Kindle library; I've read lots of this author's books before, and downloaded this some time ago.

In a Nutshell: In a post-apocalyptic world, a village exists up a mountain which is ruled by women

The novel is set 70 years after a plague wiped out most of the population, and takes place in a strange village up a mountainside - a matriarchal society, in which the men do as they're told, and women choose husbands to make more daughters from the 'yieldlings' within the village (men who have grown up there), or 'foundlings' - men from outside, who are kidnapped.

The story starts when Jameson is abducted along with 4 other members of a working party.  He is chosen as a husband by Wilderness, the daughter of the village Elder.  The story is told in the alternate POV chapters of Jameson and Wilderness.

When I first started reading this, I thought, oh, this is fun - a society in which women make men feel as unimportant as the men of the past used to make women feel; some of the parallels amused me, as I saw the foundlings' outrage about aspects of their new lives that the women of history put up with, without question, for hundreds of years.  But as the story when on, I saw how sinister it was, and how it was no better than any patriarchal society of the past.  Really, it's a story about control, and its evils.  Jameson decides to stick with it, as his life back in the post-apocalyptic city wasn't so great, either, and he tries to teach Wilderness that this way of living is far from utopian.

I liked the story a lot; it's original, and Kate Mary's books are always so readable.  At first I was a bit unsure about aspects of the world left behind, which is only talked about in vague retrospect, though we do see more evidence later, and of course all post-apocalyptic writers see the effects of disaster differently; no one knows how it actually would be.  I was also unsure about the way the villagers talked - in just 70 years they had gone back to talking like something out of a Jane Austen novel, at times, saying things like 'Good morrow' to each other, but later on I understood that this was all part of the initial control by the woman who started the community; when Wilderness meets men from the 'outside', she thinks how strange it is that they 'run their words together'.

Yes, it's good.  Recommended!

THE LOUDEST SILENCE by Kate L Mary

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read stacks of this author's books and actually can't keep up with the rate at which she writes them!

In a Nutshell: Zombie apocalypse, nine years in, set in Oklahoma.  Possibly YA.

A new zombie apocalypse series, set in the same world as the fabulous Broken World series, but in Oklahoma, starring Reagan, a 21-year-old who has been taken care of by her brother's best friend, Kellan, since the collapse occurred, nine years before, when their families all died.  They're now in a secret underground shelter, with four others - I liked that three of the characters actually come from one of the short stories in Broken Stories - love this sort of detail/connection.

Kate Mary is as readable as ever, and this story zips along, with some great new plot ideas that make it stand out from the usual collapse/survival/fight off zombies and scary people scenarios - I liked, too, that it started nine years in.  

Ms Mary does incorporate a fair bit of romantic suspense into her post apoc stories - a warning for those who don't like this element.  Whereas I was mostly fine with it in the Broken World series, because Vivian and Axl's relationship was so heartrendingly real, I wasn't so keen in this one.  Like, we knew they were going to end up together, so I didn't need to read about Reagan's frustrated hormones and Kellan's avowals of 'I have to keep you safe' every few pages; I was keen to get back to the survival/danger aspects.  But perhaps that's just me, not being into romantic suspense.  If you are, you'll love it.

I didn't find the characters quite so compelling in this story as the previous series, but I still kept reading because I loved the setting, the plot is excellent, and she writes so well.

UPRISING by Kate L Mary @kmary0622

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I read Outliers, Book #1 of this series by one of my favourite writers, and was looking forward to the next episode.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Adventure, Fantasy.

This series is set in a world many years after the downfall of a previous society.  A group called the Sovereigns rule this new world, aided by the strength of the soldier tribe, the Fortis.  The Outliers are made up of four tribes, who work for them.  The main character in the series is Indra, a young woman from the Winta tribe.  In the previous book she fell foul of those in power and saw her husband die at their hands, and also developed feelings for a Fortis soldier, Asa.  Though women in the Winta trible are expected to be submissive and concentrate on things domestic, Indra finds a strength she didn't know she possessed.  When Book #1 ended, she was out in the forests, hunting both animals for her tribe to eat, and Fortis soldiers.

Uprising concentrates on Indra's growth, as circumstances conspire to decimate their tribe.  Taking survivors into hiding, she sees what must be done to right the injustices done to her people and the other Outlier tribes.

Kate Mary is just such a good writer.  Her characters spring off the page and she has a real knack of illustrating the passion between two people without saying very much at all; Asa in this book is, in my mind, another version of Axl in her Broken World zombie apocalypse books, who was very much in the Daryl Dixon mode; suits me!  The ending is great, and I assume there will be more...

There's no recap from the last book and I've got a really bad memory, so I downloaded Book #1 again (I've downloaded them both on Kindle Unlimited) to read the last 10% of it to remind me what was going on.  The books are not stand alone; you need to read them in order, as it's a continuing story.   I thought the pace was just right, the story imaginative, and I'd definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes this genre.

OUTLIERS: Volume 1 by Kate L Mary @kmary0622

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read almost all the books in the Broken/Twisted World series by this author, so Amazon kindly let me know when she had a new book out. 😉

Genre: Post Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Futuristic 

I really liked this book, as much as Kate Mary's zombie series.  Protagonist Indra is a member of one of the four tribes of Outliers, in a world where the Sovereign people rule, with the Fortis providing the muscle.  The Outliers are the workers, the weak, who rely on hereditary jobs in the Sovereign's kingdom.  Immediately, I wanted to know where this strange land is supposed to be; a fantasy world, or Earth?  The suggestion that it's Earth comes at just the right time, as Indra is shown the remains of one of the cities.  Centuries before, their world had been overcrowded, with technology so sophisticated that the inhabitants' weapons could wipe out whole kingdoms; this they did, unleashing 'poison' into the world that rendered much of it a wasteland.  'What they had fought over none of us knew for certain, but we know that it had not only destroyed them, but left the earth barren and dry... poisoning it for future generations.'     

Yes, I think it's mean to be Earth, but we don't know.  Books exist, containing writing that no one can understand.  I love that the question was put into my mind but not answered fully, and hope there will be more about this in future episodes.  There are other clues ~ the rich Sovereign have grown weak, small and plump because they are waited upon and spend much time eating and drinking, and the women make all the decisions (!!).  However, in the wilds, where Indra's tribe (the Winta) live, women are the weaker sex; they tend the home fires while the men go out hunting.

The beginning of this new series builds up nicely, painting pictures of the world I know I am going to continue to read about.  I liked how KLM has done this; it's not a big information dump, but she skillfully sets up all the info we need about the Sovereign, Fortis and Outliers within the first few chapters of the story, so we're good to go for the rest.  I was engrossed from the start.

After lots of terrible things happen to Indra, her friends and family, she looks around at the women of her tribe ~ women unarmed, women defenceless and useless.  This, she knows, must change.

As I was reading, I thought, 'KLM has been watching Outsiders', and in the Author's Note she thanks the show for giving her the name Asa for the guy I had my eye on as the main love interest/hero of the hour.  Works for me ~ I love Outsiders (I picture Indra looking like G'Winveer, for anyone else who watches it).

This first instalment of the Outliers saga is a real 'easy-read' at the same time as being a totally gripping page-turner, and I read 90% of it in one day.  Any negatives?  There are a few small editing glitches (the same information repeated more than once, a couple of minor instances that seemed like afterthoughts dropped in, instead of being threaded through the story), but nothing that would worry most readers, and I give this a wholehearted thumbs up.  Roll on May, when Book #2 is published!

TWISTED MEMORIES by Kate L Mary @kmary0622

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read all the other books in this series, links at bottom of Twisted World review 😀 Genre: Zombie Apocalypse.

The first book in this series takes place 20 years after the group from the Broken World series, Vivian, Axl and co, finally find perceived safety in Atlanta.  I liked it very much, but was longing to know what happened in those intervening 20 years.  This is the book I was waiting for!

Best of all is the character of Angus James, the Merle Dixon of Kate L Mary's zombie world, who is imprisoned for experimentation at the CDC after it's discovered that he's one of the few people in the world who are immune from the virus.  I felt every tear he cried, I'm sure I did, and his strange relationship with the icy cold Dr Helton kept me completely engrossed.   It's one of those books that's so frustrating, because you, as the reader, can see the peril that the cast are in, and you want to scream at them, 'Go back to Colorado!  Now!  Just go!'  Of course, that I felt so strongly shows how good the characterisation and general storytelling is.

I very much liked some elements of the sinister practices going on behind the Atlanta population's back, such as the orchestration of an uprising, leading to a couple of deaths, so that the evil Star's government could put new, restrictive laws in place under the guise of keeping the people safe.  Something that *many* think happens in the real world....

The pain of the characters I've grown to know so well was heartrending, and some of this book was the very best stuff I've read by this author.  She has a real knack of choosing exactly the right POV for each part of the story, and really seems to understand that sometimes a not fully informed, third party account of another character's situation can tell the reader so much more than the actual words.

This is an excellent book; my only slight complaint is that it seemed a bit rushed at times, with some areas needing more detail; I thought it might have been better stretched over two books, as I didn't get a feeling of time passing.  But I still loved it, and the fact that I would have liked it to be two books instead of one says it all, really. 😌

PLAYING THE ODDS by Kate L Mary @kmary0622

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book:  I've read loads of Kate Mary's zombie apocalypse novels, novellas and short stories (click tag at end of review for more), and downloaded this one when I fancied a nice, light, entertaining book that I was pretty sure wouldn't be a disappointment.  I first discovered her via an Amazon browse, and this is the third in her series of novella-length, zombie apocalypse love stories.  Yep, you read that right.

Cole is (was) a professional poker player who breaks into a winery in the Napa Valley, which happens to be already occupied by Alessa, who happens to be totally hot and the only survivor of her Italian vintner family, aside from Antonio, her over-protective, football playing cousin who is built like a brick s**t-house and resents Cole's interest in Alessa.

Enter zombies, and several waifs and strays who are invited to join them at the vineyard, including dodgy Daren, who Cole is suspicious of from the word 'go'.  

Kate Mary's characterisation is always spot on.  This is told from alternating points of view of Cole and Alessa, and I like the way she made Alessa's attraction to Cole sexually orientated but romantic, whereas Cole was initially just doing the sexual bit; she never falls into the trap of writing men out of the head of a woman.   There's more pulsating desire/rampant pheromones and less post apoc survival in this novella than in the first one of this series (More Than Survival, which I loved), but it's still a well-told story, and I enjoyed it.  

Two other points I liked; firstly, the grapes and dice graphics at the beginning of each chapter.   Also, there are instances of spoken Italian in this.  The author's note says that she did this by internet translation as she doesn't speak it or know anyone who could help her with it, so apologises if she has made any errors.  I wouldn't have a clue if she has or not, but I thought this was a nice touch.  Like, "I did my best, and if there are errors, so be it, but please don't complain; you have been warned."    

All at 99p (and couple of free ones)! Great books for under £1 each ~ genuine recommendations

I've got something for anyone currently spending their book budget on Christmas shopping ~ all the books listed below are permanently under £1!  They're genuine recommendations, books I've enjoyed and rated highly, not just a random selection of cheapies.  A click on the title will (in most cases) take you to my review, which includes buy links to Amazon.  A couple I have not reviewed on this blog, in which case the link will just go to Amazon.

I've also included links to the books of my own that are permanently on sale at 99p, and a couple that are permanently free, too :)


First, some outstanding historical fiction: The Bastard Princess by Gemma Lawrence.  The early years of Elizabeth I.

Wonderful short stories set in Suffolk: Sandlands by Rosy Thornton

Gangster thrills and spills in LA: Hollywood Shakedown by Mark Barry.

**FREE from Feb 25-27!**
My novella about three writers struggling to make it, with a few moral dilemmas: Best Seller 

Doesn't get any funnier than this!  Barb Taub's memoir of her travels in India ~ Do Not Wash Hands In Plates

More short stories, this time set in zombie apocalypse ~ a terrific collection, and I've read all the other books in the series, too! Broken Stories by Kate L Mary. 

The first part of the highly acclaimed romantic suspense/mystery Grayson trilogy by Georgia Rose: A Single Step

And more excellent short stories: What Tim Knows by Wendy Janes

My novella Round and Round: one woman, four men, and a guardian angel.  It's one of those 'what would have happened if I'd taken the other path' stories! 

Epic fantasy ~ the first part of the Storm trilogy by Antony Lavisher ~ Whispers of a Storm

 
I loved this Brexit thriller novella by Joel Hames: Brexecution

My two novels about a rock band, and various love triangles: Dream On and Full Circle

 
Very good long short story about a life not lived: Doppelganger by Jenny Twist

...and another long short story, this one a psychological thriller, very good indeed. The Kindness of Neighbours by Matthew Iden.

Great memoir about life on the waterways ~ Watery Ways by Val Poore. 

Last of all, my own collection of short stories: Nine Lives.

These two are permanently FREE!

Wonderful classic The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Witch hunts in the 17th century ~ this is an awesome novelette length prelude to the main book: Blackwater by Alison Williams

 Hope you find something here that appeals :)

TWISTED WORLD by Kate L Mary

4.5 out of 5 stars

Post Apocalypse/Zombies

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

I was so looking forward to this after reading the eight Broken World books.  This takes place twenty years later, when Megan, the daughter of the heroes of the previous series (Vivian and Axl) is struggling through her days in the dark and sinister New Atlanta.  Her father is missing, her mother has lapsed into a strange twilight zone, and so many questions are going unanswered as she begins to realise how corrupt and dangerous the government of the new settlement truly is.

The story is in some ways the opposite from those currently in vogue, with unforeseen twists (not least of all those written by me....!); I liked the way Kate Mary has done this, so that the reader knows more than the two narrators, Megan, and haunted convict and fighter, Donaghy.  It really works, as gradually they begin to piece together what we can already see, and Megan finds out some of the stuff we read about in the previous series.  There's plenty of new intrigue to keep those pages turning, too!  

I guessed the identity of the mysterious gray man immediately, but it didn't spoil it for me at all (and I was wrong about Glitter!).  I liked the brief inclusion of one of my favourite characters from Broken World, Jim; he said what I was just thinking, ie, that the survivors' old homes in Colorado had been, on the face of it, more basic and more dangerous, but seem like paradise in retrospect, when compared with the dark and depressing new civilisation.  I loved seeing all the old gang together at the end, but I shall say no more for fear of 'spoilers'.

Any negatives?  I found some of the dialogue a little unrealistically information heavy at the beginning, but when considering how difficult it must have been to weave in the back story of a whole series, I could deal with that.  My only other very slight complaint is that there wasn't much difference between the 'voices' of Megan and Donaghy, who take the helm in alternative chapters, to the extent that once or twice I forgot which point of view I was reading from, which was a little confusing.  Generally, Kate Mary's characterisation is excellent, though, and I still loved the book ~ and can't wait to see what happens next.  I daresay I am one of the readers to whom Kate referred in her author's note at the back, who badger her for more; I shall unashamedly continue to do so!  That's me drumming my fingers on my closed Kindle, waiting for the next one....

Reviews for the first six Broken World books can be found HERE 

...and for Silent World and the excellent Broken Stories (short stories related to the series) HERE

 

MORE THAN SURVIVAL by Kate L Mary

5 out of 5 stars

Zombie Apocalypse Novella

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

I love Kate Mary's zombie apocalypse books, and this one is every bit as good as my favourites in the Broken World series.  

Lucy was nine when the virus hit, and has spent the past eleven years in relative safety in a mountain cabin with her uncle.  During that time, she's grown from child to woman without having experienced any of the 'normal' growing up stuff that girls do.  Then she meets Sawyer....

I knew this was a zombie apocalypse book (favourite genre) crossed with romance (one of my least favourite genres), and feared there might be too much emphasis on the latter, with not enough to satisfy my devastated world/survival cravings, but this was not the case.  It's a terrific story and so well written, I read it over the space of three or four hours, and found it completely unputdownable.  The relationship between Lucy and Sawyer was totally believable, and there was lots of info about what the world is like eleven years on - fascinating, and all possible.  

There's no indication that there will be more about Lucy and Sawyer, but they make a great team, and there is some unresolved stuff going on in the settlement down the mountain, so I hope Kate M is going to tell us what happened next!  Great stuff, and nothing to do with the Broken World series, so you can read this without having read any of her other books.  

Broken Stories is reviewed HERE, leading to links to my reviews of the rest of the Broken World series.

SILENT WORLD by Kate L Mary

4.5 out of 5 stars

Zombie Apocalypse, US

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

'For all the fans who aren't ready to let go of the Broken World series yet...'

You know a series is working for you when you've read the 8th book in it! I was so pleased to spot this on Amazon, a 'side' story about Jim and new character Amira from Kate Mary's Broken World series ~ I'd wondered what happened to Jim!  Good to see a bit more about the sinister, terrifying group called The Watchers, too...

I bought this yesterday afternoon and finished it at 10 this morning, couldn't put it down.  I loved Jim in the last book, and Amira is great, too, a deaf girl who was waiting for her father to return from a food run.  I would have given it the full five stars because I think the writing in this series is getting better and better, if it wasn't for the slightly overdone sexual tension thing between Amira and Jim; Kate Mary writes it very well, it's realistic, and the growing love between them makes their quest for safety more urgent, but there's just too much of it in this book.  I like zombie apocalypse series because I want to read about survival, adventures, extreme circumstances, the worst of humanity and the best pulling through; if I wanted pages of love and desire I'd buy romantic suspense!  But it's mostly concentrated in the middle, after which it's back to the story.

The popularity of these books indicates how good they are ~ and I am still not ready to let go of the Broken World series, Kate, so any time you feel like writing a bit more....(especially about The Watchers!) :)

Review of Broken Stories, and links to all other books in the series can be found HERE

BROKEN STORIES by Kate L Mary

5 out of 5 stars

7 short stories/novelettes: out-takes from the Broken World Zombie Apocalypse Series

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

I just spent a very happy happy two and a half hours reading these, a snip at 99p!

If you've finished the Broken World series and wish there was another book, or haven't read it yet and wonder if you're going to like it, this collection is a terrific introduction to it. 

Some of the stories are about characters we have already met or heard of in the series (such as Brady in Colorado, Vivian's father Roger, two of the girls who got out of the catastrophe at the Monte Carlo casino, and the girl down on Key West who was immune to the virus ~ you'll like the ending to that one, if you've already read the series!).  Others, though, are about people from different places: a girl in rural Oklahoma whose dad was a survivalist, another couple who had made the wrong decision to stay put in a city centre.  Roger was particularly well drawn; shades of Angus, but basically a bad guy, whereas Angus was basically good.

As with the other books in this series, there are a few editing and proofreading errors, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment; Kate Mary is a terrific storyteller.  I would have liked seven more, and hope that some day she will write another book in the series ... I want to know what happened to Brady, Jim, the people at Hope Springs, and some of the new people I met in these stories.  And I'm not finished with Viv and Axl yet! 

Definitely recommended.

Reviews for the 6 books in the BROKEN WORLD series can be found HERE

Review for TWISTED WORLD, the first in the 20-years-later series, is HERE

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.