false 5 0 false false Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Sat Jan 26 11:55:04 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 26 11:55:50 -0800 2008
The enshrouding atmosphere of this novel was perpetually vivid; the numerous descriptions of the barren and heat scorched Earth were astounding in their surrealistic quality and easily conveyed the nightmarish perception of our planet gone awry. Despite the heavily laden atmosphere of morbidity and impending doom, the author still persisted in maintaining an aura of hope causing the characters' struggles to be more realistic and their personal dilemmas more relevant. Each elegantly worded phrase, each smoothly flowing sentence, conveyed the utter horror of the situation whilst maintaining an underlying tone of hope despite circumstances that are seemingly devoid of sanguineness.

The author refrained from employing stereotypical good and evil characters. Rather, each vivid character presented in this book, both the heroes and the villains, were thoroughly brought to life and contained both good and evil attributes causing them to appear more realistic and thus enhancing my reading experience. Although this novel boasts no great length (190 pages) and the author continually presented the reader with fast paced events never allowing the story to be pulled into a quagmire of inertia, the characterization was astoundingly complex thus lending an air of reality to an otherwise fanciful adventure. Instead of focusing on inconsequential details of the character's lives and uneventful circumstances inherent in their daily routines, their raw emotions - - - the very souls of the characters - - - were exposed to the reader revealing deep heartfelt emotions and poignant events causing them to become instantly endearing. I was completely immersed in the story and was able to feel deep concern for the plights of the individual characters and to understand their various emotions and actions. The main villain was chilling in his aura of haughty contempt and malignant intent. His actions and emotions were well detailed, although only briefly described, allowing the readers insight into his motivations and his devious machinations concerning the destruction of the human race.

The action in this novel was thoroughly described and the ceaseless adventures of the brave Guardsmen, attempting to save their brethren from another unmerciful onslaught of the gruesome atrocities that shambled across the sun scorched landscape, proved most stimulating. The author refrained from allowing uninteresting respites of trivia and thus, although admittedly short, the story conveyed an immense amount of action and a stunning display of poignant scenes within its mere 190 pages. I was pleased to note that no lull in the story was ever present thus this mesmerizing tribute to the horror genre maintained my full dedication until the last powerful sentence.

Although this novel was not replete with gruesomeness, there were numerous scenes where zombies were attacked and graphically decapitated therefore, I recommend that those who boast little tolerance for gore proceed with caution. Overall, I did not feel that the gruesome sequences detracted from the novel, nor were they over dramatized. Rather, they caused the story to have a distinct feel of urgency easily transmitting the character's fear laden emotions and doom laden premonitions to the entranced reader.

The most outstanding attribute of this consuming story of horror and hope was the highly original ideas that permeated every elegantly written page. The author expertly combined the crucial elements of extreme action, devastating sadness, shocking horror, uplifting persistence, and science fiction to create an outstanding story with extreme scope. As can be ascertained by reading the story synopsis this is not a typical tale of woebegone zombies mercilessly creating unessential mayhem. Rather, the unique plot and unfolding drama proved to be completely original and not only entertained the reader, but also caused serious questions to arise about modern warfare and unethical scientific endeavors thus lending this novel a chilling air of foreboding for the future.

Due to the original aspects of the novel, and the author's skill, further development in the story was never predictable causing me to be continually shocked by unfolding events as well as the numerous unexpected deaths of many of the characters. Be warned, the author does not follow the typical practice of allowing favored characters to escape death's grasp. Rather, he presents this novel in a more true to life fashion where the rain falls on both the just and the unjust.

As can be ascertained through my lengthy attempt to convey the surrealistic atmosphere and thoroughly mesmerizing plot of this novel, I was completely entranced and entertained throughout this poignant dedication to a world gone awry and the desperate struggle of its unfortunate denizens to bring peace and life to a decimated planet. Each aspect of this novel wove together like a brightly colored tapestry of great value to reveal the intricacy of humanity and the never ending struggle to right the numerous transgression of a corrupted world. I highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate grand scope and an all encompassing read fraught with drama and chilling realism.

(A NOTE ON THE BINDING) Unlike most paperback editions, this novel, although paperback is almost the size of a hardcover.

Ravenova
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"Where is my love?
Far under the earth---
Crowned by the worms
The mold gives birth.

"Who is my love?
The scion of Death---
Whose kisses drown me
With sweet, cold breath."

(A quote from Ravenloft's novel "Tower of Doom" page 198 ]]>