Tortured, starved, and on the run, Nina thinks she’s faced the worst that mankind has to offer, but she’s wrong. She may have survived this long, but she hasn’t come out of it unscathed, Nina’s trusty Doc Martens are showing signs of the zombie apocalypse, and she isn’t faring much better. With her snarky attitude guaranteed to get her in trouble, Nina needs to forgive the past, to live once more in the present, and learn that sometimes she needs to place her Because when people are faced with the end of times, they’ll do anything to survive.
Title: Odium II: The Dead Saga
Author: Claire C Riley
Genres: Dystopia, Horror, Zombies
Publication Date: May 9, 2014
Though there are new characters to get to know, the deaders don't take a back seat at all. They are still a constant threat to everyone - including our beloved characters from Odium.
Woven throughout Nina's, Emily's, and Mikey's story is a couple on the run from deaders, Deacon and Hilary, who is pregnant. But, there's a dark secret unknown to them that will be revealed later in the story.
And then there is Dean and Anne, a strange couple that the group encounters, with their unusual view of the apocalypse. I can't help wonder if their accidental genius idea will surface in Odium III.
What I find brilliant is how Claire was able to step up not only the visual descriptions of the deaders, but the smells as well. There is dried out flesh hanging in ribbons from puckered faces and rotten eyeballs dangling from graying sockets, which is awesomely disgusting. I found myself wrinkling my nose in disgust because I could smell the deaders as much as the characters could.
"We come within arm's reach of the deaders, most of us gagging and spitting out bile. It's not only the smell, though that's horrendous - kind of like rotten month-old raw toilet sewage mixed in with shitty baby diapers and left in the sun too long."
There is creative imagery like, "branches crudely piercing the snow-filled sky like rotten fingers dipped in vanilla ice cream" and a place that "looked more looted than whore's panties."
This book is definitely not for the faint of heart, with its descriptions and colorful language.
I'm not happy with the ending, though. But that's only because I have unanswered questions, and I don't want to wait around for Odium III.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Claire C Riley’s work is best described as the modernization of classic, old-school horror. She fuses multi-genre elements to develop storylines that pay homage to cult-classics while still feeling fresh and cutting-edge. She writes characters that are realistic and kills them without mercy.
Claire is the author of Limerence, Odium. The Dead Saga, Odium Origins. A Dead Saga Novella Part One, Odium II. The Dead Saga, Odium Origins. A Dead Saga Novella Part Two and a proud contributor to the charity anthology Let’s Scare Cancer to Death.
Claire lives in the UK with her husband, three daughters and one scruffy dog.
Coming up in 2014 are several projects including, Odium III. The Dead Saga, Odium Origins A Dead Saga Novella Part Three, Nina’s Odium, Limerence II: Mia, plus anthology contributions to several exciting projects including Fading Hope, The Murderous Campbell’s, and State of Horror: Illinois.
She can be stalked at any of the following.
