Firstly, I have to warn you that I’m an erotic romance author who mostly reads romance. So an expert in the horror genre, I am not. Normally, I wouldn’t read a book like this. For a start, the cover scared the bejesus out of me. You will most likely laugh, but I had to avert my eyes from that freaky little creature on the front. However, I met the author on twitter and he struck me as a very decent person with quite a sense of humour and…he’s not scary at all. Mostly.
Anyway, to the book.
Mason—a misanthropic man with a rather large “I don’t give a shit,” attitude—finds himself in two situations with which he has no prior experience:
1) Fighting for survival in the midst of a zombie apocalypse
2) Being relied upon for survival by a small and defenceless girl.
I liked the fact that the little girl, Mackenzie—who was made vulnerable by blindness—had such an optimistic and kick-ass attitude. It was also nice to see the previously disillusioned Mason, rise to the challenge of being carer and protector.
I appreciated the fact that the author allowed Mason’s character to grow and develop in response to the little girl’s belief and trust in him, even when they were in the midst of such a dire situation.
This novel has plenty of drama, non-stop action and blood, guts and gore galore—which I’m sure horror fans will absolutely love. It also has a warm and fuzzy… No, no, horror fans, don’t run screaming in the other direction! Let me rephrase— It has an ever-so-slightly fuzzy-ish relationship underlying it all. Sheesh, I hope you’re still with me!
Stage 3 is a well-written thriller that will keep you turning the pages at a rate of knots.
It has inspired me to bust out of my usual genre and explore further afield.
And has reinforced the old adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Thank you, Ken Stark.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Aside: I used to work in skin banking. I’ve been at autopsies where the top of the skull is sawn off and the brain is taken out. Body is cut open and organs come out. Been in a roomful of cadavers to practice skin retrieval. Had to wash up equipment in a room filled with jars of body parts, including the head of the bug-eyed man above the sink. Hung out in operating theatres. I’ve seen—and unfortunately smelled—a lot of blood and guts. I did not flinch. This cover, however…it gives me serious flinches!
