Bonus Post

In keeping with the tradition I began last year, I have a Christmas in July surprise planned, but the 25th falls on a Wednesday this year. Soooo... I thought I'd give you a review of a great book I read recently. You know, just to tide you over.

I've been singing Jon F. Merz's praises ad nauseam for a while now. Get over it. There are just certain authors I believe deserve it. Bernard Schaffer's another one... And William Vitka... Tony Healey... Wait, where was I? Oh yeah, Merz.

Anyhow, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that Jon's one of my favorite authors because of his Lawson vampire series. Well, his latest is about zombies and it's awesome. What truly pushes it over the top for me is that it's got a badass female main character and it's aimed at the young adult market. It's like a trifecta of fiction goodness.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, it's a serial, so you'll see more. But that's good. Because you'll want to. (I knew I shouldn't have had Mountain Dew with dinner.)

So after you take a look at the cover art, read my official Amazon review then get your butt over there and download it. Or go to Kobo... Or Barnes & Noble... Or Smashwords... You get the point.

I feel very lucky because I got to enjoy this first installment of Zombie Ryu before its publication. I was already a fan of Jon's writing and I'm very pleased to say that this piece stands up to the quality his fans have come to expect.

His existing fans will enjoy this book, most likely the entire series, just as much as they enjoy his Lawson adventures. However, with its strong female main character in a male-dominated world, Jon Merz's latest creation provides an excellent reason for young adults to read.

Immediately, the reader is immersed in the story and drawn from one minor adventure to the next in epic fashion reminiscent of Tolkein. But that is not what impressed me the most.

What really captivated me as I read is the beautiful style Merz brings to everything he writes with a shift in voice that suits each micro-genre individually. It's easy to recognize this as Jon's work, but this is by no means a Lawson adventure. At no point was I expecting my favorite Bostonian vampire to come bursting onto the scene and save the day.

Zombie Ryu deserves every one of its five stars.

Happy Reading!