As someone who loves to read and enjoys all things weird, when the question was asked if I would like to review a book about a zombie apocalypse I jumped at the chance.
Step forward Time of Death: Induction.
Now you may feel that we have been saturated with zombies thanks to series such as The Walking Dead and iZombie, just a few that spring to my mind. You may ask how many different ways can you cover the same subject and keep people interested? Well Shana Festa has done a pretty good job of doing just that in my opinion, giving us an insight into the ability of humankind to adapt to a given situation.
The story is based in Cape Coral, Lee County, where we walk in the footsteps of Emma Rossi, a 37 year old, close to getting a degree in nursing from Jackson State College while working at St Vincent’s Hospital. That is until all hell breaks loose, instead of celebrating becoming a qualified nurse she battles to simply stay alive. All through the novel we take every step along the path that Emma walks, every moment of joy, despair, fear and courage. Not many people would pick a 37 year old nurse as the main focus of surviving such a cataclysmic event, but that is one of the things that helps draw you in when reading Time of Death. Emma’s character is someone I could imagine being friends with, in fact I can tell you for certain a few of the friends in my life would say and do things exactly like she does(the not being chased by the undead bits at least), which helps immerse you into her life and made this book hard to put down. “Just one more chapter, honest!”
During the journey Shana takes us down, we learn more about the people in Emma’s life, like her love for her husband Jake, which is only just ahead of the love for her dog Daphne. The moments between them is just one of the relationships we see that makes you smile, I know exactly what it’s like for the woman in your life to have such a bond with her pet, come on people we all know someone like that. We see many bonds gained and lost with people Emma meets as she searches for a safe haven, somewhere that hasn’t been lost to the hordes of undead.
As you would expect from a book involving zombies, there’s plenty of graphic moments. Using my overactive imagination and some detailed writing creating a picture in my mind that fully allows me to enter the world Shana Festa has endeavored to produce wasn’t difficult. It was only made easier with references to films I have seen, which aid in the immersion that is taking place. But there’s also some moments of genuine humor which help keep Time of Death grounded. Now without trying to spoil the story for potential readers, the one that sticks in my mind is the way Emma purposely keeps making a mess just to wind up Seth (who’s a soldier, not saying more) after he has cleaned up. Credit goes to the writer for showing all sides to the strange thing that is the human mind and how it would cope with such a scenario. I have no idea how I would keep sane during something like this, but people who know me will tell you humor would definitely be a part of it.
All in all I really enjoyed reading this book, it has just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you entertained and engaged. The characters weren’t far-fetched and the details made it quite obvious that the writer had done her homework on things such as nursing, weapons, even minor details of something as small as a special watch were nicely done to give a realistic feel to an imaginative story. So if you like a bit of undead monster action, sprinkled with a little humor and human spirit then this may be up your alley. Just remember to be quiet and check before you take the first step, you never know what’s lurking around the corner.
Author Bio
Shana Festa grew up in the small town of Northborough Massachusetts. As an impressionable tike, she shared in her father’s love for Horror, and spent most of her childhood hiding under the blankets worrying what nightmarish creature lurked in her closet. She grew up on a healthy diet of classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, Return of the Living Dead, American Werewolf in London, Child’s Play and Poltergeist.Her writing career was born from her long-time addiction to terrifying tales. Under her alter ego, The Bookie Monster, Shana reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis on zombie fiction. Her altruistic beliefs fuse seamlessly with The Bookie Monster’s mission to provide readers with honest reviews and to provide authors with a platform to promote their labors of love.
Shana holds a degree in nursing and now resides in Cape Coral, Florida with her husband and two adorable dogs. In addition to her apocalyptic series, TIME OF DEATH, she is a founding member of AT HELL’S GATES, a horror anthology series dedicated to supporting the brave men and women of our Armed Forces through the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
Promo links.
Author Website: http://www.shanafesta.com
At Hell’s Gates: http://www.athellsgates.com
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Author Bio