Desolation discussion

This is a buddy read discussion of Desolation, through part 3.

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This Buddy Read is sponsored by members of the Zombies! group. If you're interested in zombies, come join us there:

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/909

This buddy read has been broken up into 3 parts:

Part one: Infernal (chapters 1-9, 58 pages).
Part two: Necrosis (chapters 10-19, 92 pages).
Part three: The Hiving of Refuge (chapters 20-31, 70 pages).

The reading schedule:

Part one: Read November 1st, discuss starting on November 2nd.
Part two: Read November 3rd, discuss starting on November 4th.
Part three: Read November 5th discuss starting on November 6th.

Links to discussion topics:

Through part one
Through part two
Through part three

And this is where we will post our comments on part three pages 152-221 the end of the story.

I've just finished part 3. I very much enjoyed this last section. I won't say more until you guys meet up here with me.

I have just finished as well. I am so swamped with work, domestic stuff, the BOTM, and a couple 'solo' reads, that I have just decided to wait until tomorrow or whenever anyone else posts to discuss the book in its entirety. I was going to go back to section 2 and respond to everything there, but I feel as though I may get mixed up, and I don't wanna drop a spoiler on anyone! I do expect this section to be the liveliest, since it was SUCH a crazy book! I will say, I only rated this one 2 stars (really 2 1/2- why doesn't goodreads allow for half votes?). I see you enjoyed the last section, Tammy. Does that mean you enjoyed the book as a whole? I, personally, felt as though WAY too much was going on, and I detested the lengthy 'metaphysical' necromancer powers Asher used. Balls of lightning, green and black viruses battling golden souls, and whoosing spirits set free was just way too much for me. Plus, Asher went from being a brand spanking new necromancer to Uber-Grandmaster-Necromancer, level 225! How the hell did THAT happen? This was simply 'too paranormal' for my taste. I thought there would be more zombies; less crazy. I was wrong! What did you all think?
~Teresa~

Yes I will likely be giving this book 4 to 4.5 stars.
I haven't written my review yet, you beat me on that part.
I do not have the book on this device, but when I get time this evening I'll post the three sections that I highlighted which I felt gave this book substance.
They all talk about life after loss.
I was pleasantly surprised to see such insight brought into this story.
It reflected growth in Asher.
I loved the twists of the villain. I had suspected that individual that was the true villain but was surprised at the character twist of Ulga. The author had left clues as to her personality but to learn how far back that that character was changed was a pleasing surprise. I didn't see it.
I thought the battle scenes in the final chapters were exciting.
The snakes in the ceiling was fricken creepy. I HATE snakes! Imaging that scene made me cringe.
I loved watching Asher abilities grow and learning what Asher really is......:-)
I didn't feel that this last part was too busy. But then it was the only book that I was reading so I went at a slow and steady pace.
The way this book ended leaving room for the next book Ruins has me wanting more.

Teresa in your book review you said that you did not know what the Witch Train were.

Page 70. Location 914

You said you met necromancers before?" Cleave asks.
"I’ve had the distinct displeasure, yes."
"Well, they are pretty abundant now, in some places they rule like kings. I can’t tell you the whole of it. The only reason we really know is because some of the people in the quarantine have been in their hives."
"Hives?"
"It’s what we call the major cities now. Most cities and larger towns have been taken over by necromancers, and they use those places to create a kind of hive where they sit as the "queen bee" behind the scenes, using zombies to do their bidding. We stay away from major cities, and try to nab people before they stumble into them."
"They have trains," I tell him.
"We suspect so; we have heard a train now and then rumbling toward Binghamton."
"No, on Zombie Zeb’s show, there was a guy named Jimmy I heard the other day who survived being taken to a hive. He’d been on a train and taken there. He said it was like the trains taking the Jews to the concentration camps. They were loaded into cars, and the train was manned by the dead."
"A train of the dead taking captives to these necropolises," Cleave shuddered. "I wonder what happens there."
"I can only imagine," I shudder. "Jimmy wouldn’t talk about it, when ZZ pressed the issue, he killed himself, but before he did Zeb had said something about Jimmy having been a living zombie?"

Poe tells Asher how his sister Alicia saved his life by stopping him from getting a witch train.
Page 140 Location 2037
"I lost someone too," he says. "It was on the outskirts of town. There was a train we all thought would take us to safety, but just as it pulled up and just as he stepped on it, Alicia pulled me back behind the rows of seats. She didn’t feel right about the train.
"I made to go after Lewis, but Alicia wouldn’t let me. I couldn’t help but see it, the zombies on the train taking him, pulling him in to the box and then taking off without us." He looks off into the distance speculatively. "It seems ages ago. Alicia and I fought horribly then, but in the end it was her that saved me, so I owe her my life."

The world of this book is not your average zombie-virus apocalypse world. As the book description implies, in this zombie apocalypse world there are necromancers, witches, spells and enchantments.
In short, this is a world of dark magic.
Which does not surprise me, because necromancers have always been thought of as dark magic users.

The build up of the Magic/witch world is a bit different than I have read before because in this book Witches are the top dogs of the magic world.
Where as in other necromancer books that I have read, the necromancers were top dog.

I have never heard of an Animancer. I like New approaches.
Page 208 location 3026
“Pfft,” Clari waves her hand. “She was obsessed with finding opposites like you. To become an animancer,” I remember seeing that word in the secret files, though I never knew what it was until now. So, there is an opposite of a necromancer.

It also explained why Asher could Banish the zombie virus. And it makes me wonder if when Anderson was healing, was that because he was an animancer?

Here are the parts that I highlighted out of this last section, which I felt gave this book "substance" and made putting up with Asher's Heartache drama worth it, when the character made these leaps in his understanding. I feel these help to give the character of Asher a fuller-feel.

Page 158 Location 2278

Conner wanted me to live, and that is so much more than breathing and eating and letting your heart continue to beat. Living is filling your lungs with potential, feasting on the triumphs and the memories of loved ones, and your heart racing with passion.

Page 161 Location 2209

After the shock of losing so many people we thought of as friends, it has been hard to carry on. Every death weighs on us still, straining the fragile sanity we cling to until little cracks start showing through. Each death fractures a little more, straining a little more, until you aren’t sure if there is enough strength to hold the madness at bay.

I agree with those passages being very heartfelt, but more importantly, BELIEVABLE coming from our characters. In other books we've read, the characters are kinda just like 'Whatever...blah blah blah' with no REAL emotion behind their words. And I'm sorry for the confusion; I know what a witch train IS, but not WHY its called a witch train. I must have missed something BIG, because I didn't have any witches in my e-book ;-) Seriously, though...I didn't remember a witch one...

"I know what a witch train IS, but not WHY its called a witch train."

I can not recall if there ever is a blanket statement that this (.......) is what a witch train is.

I searched my kindle for the first reference to witch train and found it when Jimmy was on the Radio with ZZ. (see book quote Below)

Now in the beginning chapters we (the readers) are kept in the dark about what a Necromancer is and what they can do with their powers/gifts. This slowly unfolds as the book progresses and is part of the Mystery element of the story.

Somewhere in the second part of the book, we learn that there is such a thing as a witch, and that a witch is a far different creature than a Necromancer.

It is only when we (the readers) have learned about the powers of the witch that we realize that it is the witches not the necromancers who are controlling the zombies on the trains.

It is also at this time that we come to understand that the radio broadcasts (which were always choppy and broken up) had told us (foreshadowed) the information about the witches and the corralling of the living for the witches devious purposes. (Think about what Clari was doing with the living humans at the refuge).

As I said in my book review, this is a story that you have to think about as you read it.
The story will unravel the more you think about it and put the clues together.
A couple times I had caught on to the correct villain but as I said already, I did not grasp the full extent of the plot twist.
I love that when that happens!

Now here is the quote:

Page 36 Location 3237

“The trains?”
“Oh, the trains,” Jimmy’s voice cracks and I rest my fork on the edge of the plate, turning my full attention to the story. “They are horrible.”
“Are you speaking of Witch Trains?” ZZ prompts.
“Yes.” There’s silence in which I feel my heart kick up a notch, just thinking of the word. “Trains of the dead, carrying the living to their nests.”
“Whose nests?”
“The necromancers,” Jimmy exhales again and I feel like I’m sitting in on an interview in a mental hospital. It obviously pains Jimmy to speak of it.
“And what –”
“Like the trains that took the Jews to the concentration camps. We were stacked in there tighter than you can imagine. Time after time, the zombies would come in, and no matter how good the necromancers controlled them, they had to eat. They would pluck one of us from the box car and . . . it was awful watching the other prisoners scream in their death throws and not being able to help them. But they would join the crew soon enough. If there were other living people aboard, we didn’t know of it.”
“And where did this train take you?” ZZ asks.
“New York City,” Jimmy whispers.

Tammy, I get all that, but my question is 'who was a witch in this book?' Would it be Clari? She's a necromancer, though, right? Like Ulga? So would a 'witch,' in the context of this book, just be an evil necromancer? I KNOW Asher is a good guy, but he is still a necromancer. I'm guessing that is what you mean...witches=evil necromancers. Correct me if I'm wrong. But the hives are all ruled by necromancers, not 'witches.' This seems to be a part of the book I just 'don't get.'

Ok, I am not able to look up quotes right now. I've got less than an hour til I have to head out to work. Still got to warm up the car and my pants aren't dry.
On the plus side the morning I've already showered, feed the cats, the coffee is brewing, my pop tarts are toasting, my coffee travel mug is ready and all I need is my pants.

So while I wait I'll say that both ulga and Clari are witches.
Who is the witch controlling the train was not resolved yet. That will probably be in the book or books to come.
We only know what Poe and Alison and Jimmy have told us about the Hive cities and the witches in them and that ain't much, just hints really

Pants are SUPER important, chick! LOL...but what I'm getting from this is that maybe 'witches' are the necromancers that were practicing BEFORE the zompocalypse. Cause Anderson's and Ulga's and Clari's 'shrines' are DEFINITELY pretty friggin creepy...if they aren't witches, I don't know who is! But they were never directly referred to as witches, were they??? And I'll be honest, here. I REALLY thought Ulga was going to turn out to be the white masked 'leafy lady.' I WILL say, I think that you'd almost HAVE to read the sequel to understand more about this storyline. Just my opinion, of course. I look forward to you getting off work to discuss this one more!

I'm home eating lunch. I do not have much time (yet again!) but I am going to take the time chat and relax a bit before I go back.

Ok As I have said before (and I think you said it too somewhere) this is book one of the series. As such, as such it's goals were to; introduce the characters, build up the world of the book, develop the plot of the this (the first) book AND the Plot of the series.

The questions that We are left to ponder are Series plot resolution.. meaning you have to read more of the series to find out :P

This books plot (aside from what I stated above) was mostly about Asher.
In a way this was a "coming of Age" story. Which focuses on find out who (what) you are, your place in the world, and gaining confidence.

Now I mentally see you nodding your head saying, Get on to the part about the witches already. So here is what I have to say on this
(and HOPEFULLY our other reading buddies will come out of the woodwork and join in the discussion.)
It is my understanding that some individuals where already working with magic.
It is my understanding that if the zombie apocalypse had not come, Asher would have (soon or later) developed his magical side.
After all he was already seeing ghost, and healing animals before the zombie's arrived on the scene.

SO the magic powers/gifts have nothing to do with the zombie virus (but I am not willing to state the opposite is not true).

Now in this story (as I understand it from my reading) After the zombies outbreak, individuals with those natural magical powers who were not already actively working with them, discovered them either by accident or by another individual with those powers/gifts recognizing that they too had the powers/gifts and tutoring them.

(Am I right so far guys? Because that is the way I recall it.)

Anderson and Asher did not know prior to the zombie outbreak that they had magical powers. Neither of them were actively working with magic to their knowledge.

Ulga and Clari Did Know that they had powers and were already working with them.
Not only did the know that they had these power/gifts they had both decided to become witches.

We know from Asher's studies of that magic book that to become a witch it take several steps one of which is a human sacrifice.

So on the levels of magic in this book it looks like this
*some people have magical powers from birth
*some people know about their powers/gifts prior to the the zombie outbreak, while other stumble upon the knowledge.
*You have to learn to use your powers through practice, book study, and or a mentor.
*Of the people with magical powers, some of them can control the dead aka Necromancers
*Some of the people who have the gift have chosen to become a witch.

Witches have more abilities than Necromancers.

Again I do not have the time to get you the references in the book, but that is the way I understood the book.

Tammy K. wrote: "
SO the magic powers/gifts have nothing to do with the zombie virus (but I am not willing to state the opposite is not true)..."

WOW! This is an EXZCELLENT point! I wonder if the 'zombie vaccine' is even real, or if that is just what the witches and necromancers tell people to keep them from asking questions. And yes, I agree that this is a 'coming of age' story. I'm sorry you only had a few minutes, because even though I didn't much care for the book, and you did, I think we could have some really good discussion about our views. Which brings me to another point. This buddy read kinda flopped. :-( Are we horrible people that just chase everyone away from discussing books with us??? I don't want to think that; I LOVE discussing books with other readers, I guess maybe others don't like it as much. Anyway, ?I was thinking...maybe our other 'buddies' are not getting 'updates' on this thread, especially if they haven't commented. Even on the app, if you comment on a thread, you don't get automatic updates. So I'm gonna post on section one asking how it's coming along for everyone (because the BOTM thread is pretty dead too, as per usual). Anyway, do you have the second book? Even though I didn't dig this one, it IS a part of a series, and I find it hard to judge one book out of a series. I would like to read further on. If you have it, you could lend it to me, and we could do another buddy read with that one (if not, I'll buy it and let YOU borrow it ;-) ). I'll be available until 9pm my time...its 'date night,' so I'll be snuggied up in loving arms watching a movie. I'll be getting back on around 11pm-mindnite my time to see if there is any more discussion. If not, we will discuss tomorrow (hopefully with ALL our buddies!!!!).
~Teresa~
(I'll be checking before 9pm, too, so I don't miss anything! lol)

Well for a gal who only gave this book 2 stars, you seem awfully willing to spend more $ to find out where the series goes. ;-)
As I understand it, the book Desolation is still "new" having a published date of May 2013.
I only know about the second book Ruin because it says at the back of the book, Coming soon: Ruin (Infernal Design Book 2) There was no release date for the sequel listed. :-|
However whenever the sequel is released, I wouldn't mind joining you in another buddy read.
I'd like to see where this mystery goes. How the virus was created and read more zombie fighting, hero rescuing scenes. Asher can seriously kick butt with his new powers. And I thought the way he saved Cleave's soul and put it back into his body was pretty cool!
I like the new Asher much better than the old.

Just updating...I'm almost done reading the book but not quite there, so I will make a massive push for it this evening when I get home from work.

I can't say that I wasn't disappointed that we had such a lack of follow through on this buddy read because I was/am. :-(

Yet when I look at the reality that there are only so many hours in a day, that double booking is something that even I tend to do, and that often priorities are set in moment by moment bases rather than the scheduled/agreed upon dates, than the lack of a "shared" experience is to be expected.

I will come back either tonight or tomorrow to look to see if the other buddies added their belated thoughts.

Still not finished, but spoilers smoilers! In Part 3 we have more of Asher fainting and waking up naked in strange places. Our boy's a veritable poster boy for nudity. The mysterious Ulga is getting more mysterious...and well, Asher's got another boy-crush, this time with Cleave. *Sigh* But! He did learn how to shoot lightning at the zombies! Good times!

(I think I'm so tired right now I'm enjoying teasing this book.)

Post away, good folks! What are your thoughts on Asher and his necromancy? Why "Desolation" on those mysterious computer files? What is Ulga's involvement in all of this?

Well, you'll find Ulga's motivation out in due time, my dear! And I never put much thought into it, but that is a VERY good question about 'Why Desolation as the password.' Not one I can hazard a guess to, though! Asher's necromancy is a bit too much for me...he goes from a 2 bit 'Oh, wait...whaaa...I'M a necromancer?' to grand master Necromancer of the nth degree. That kinda frustrated me. BUT, as I told Tammy, I hate judging a single book of a series. No, I didn't care much for this one. However, I feel like I need more story to REALLY make up my mind. Time to wait for a sequel, I suppose! And I believe Tammy and I just kinda quit chitter chattering because i know how she feels about the book, and she knows how I feel about the book, so I was just kinda waiting for someone else to speak up. Don't feel bad about being behind...I STILL haven't finished Kraken!!! That's tomorrow's project! ;-) (and yes, I've been saying that for weeks now, but I STILL know what's going on cause I listen to the same chapter every nite on my way home, with the plan of reading more when I arrive at the homestead, but inevitably collapse from exhaustion. But this time I'm serious! Tomorrow, I'm tackling that Kraken- unless we are super busy at work ;-) )

Tammy: HOPEFULLY our other reading buddies will come out of the woodwork and join in the discussion.

Who? What? Oh. This is me crawling out of the woodwork.

Teresa: Plus, Asher went from being a brand spanking new necromancer to Uber-Grandmaster-Necromancer, level 225! How the hell did THAT happen? This was simply 'too paranormal' for my taste.

I tend to agree, but I enjoyed it all the same. However, having enjoyed it, I find I'm not anxious to go on to a second book. The necromancer aspect, as portrayed, just took it too far from being a zombie story.

They're pretty much relegated to the level of the snakes, but the end of the book. Actually, the snakes are more important, because of the scaly skin they gave Clari.

But I'm not really interested in a story about such magical paranormal beings.

Tammy: It reflected growth in Asher.

Too much. And he's still a hormonal mess. For example, when meeting William, "His eyes were like chocolate pools"...

Tammy: ...but was surprised at the character twist of Ulga.

Caught me off guard as well, but there was plenty of foreshadowing for it, as Asher noted.

Tammy: It is my understanding that if the zombie apocalypse had not come, Asher would have (soon or later) developed his magical side. SO the magic powers/gifts have nothing to do with the zombie virus (but I am not willing to state the opposite is not true).

I didn't get that at all. I felt the zombies were all-magical creatures. Certainly, Infernals were.

Tammy: So on the levels of magic in this book it looks like this...

Your levels make sense to me. But I still think the zombies are just another magical creature. Maybe created by accident and unleashed, going full tilt out-of-control from the original creator?

Until others that could use magic found they could control the zombies. And used them to carve out their kingdoms.

Teresa: I was thinking...maybe our other 'buddies' are not getting 'updates' on this thread, especially if they haven't commented.

I chose not to get updates on this section, by not following the link to Tammy's first post of this section, because I hadn't finished yet. That's really why I wanted to divide it up into 3 separate topics. I could still participate in the first two. If you guys had started discussing the 3rd section there, I wouldn't have been able to make any further comments on the first two sections.

Teresa: because the BOTM thread is pretty dead too

*sigh* I did get the book. As I told Tammy last month, I've been addicted to an online game. And I'm way behind on my Hulu queue. I just am not a fast reader these days. Or at least not consistent.

Tammy: I'd like to see where this mystery goes.

It went too far, too fast for me. The power of magic is too great. Zombies are nothing compared to the magic. Just a tool of magic.

Netanella: But! He did learn how to shoot lightning at the zombies!

And I'm just thinking, "Oh my, what next? Geez."

Randy, it's that whole 3-Ring Circus thing we were discussing earlier. At the end of the book, I almost felt like the author was just taking ideas and throwing them at the zombies. Or us. I do agree: there were way too many elements thrown together in this book that did not appear to be thought out.

Thank you Randy for finishing the book and offering your thoughts ♥

As for Teresa comment about Asher being a super necromancer she was wrong and I showed her that in the quote I posted. Asher was Not a necromancer!
He was an animancer which was defined as being the opposite as a necromancer powers. Which is why he could COUNTERACT the necromancer.
If you guys did a words search for the word training you'd find that there was a lot of training going on. Asher was at that library studying for more than just the information on desolation.
Anyway I get that you all have read a book outside your preferred interest.
I'll keep the necromancer magic zombie apocalypse books out of my book recommendation for you guys, sorry.
I have learned a bit more about your personal preferences this way and you mine.
Because the story was so interesting to me, I guess I was engrossed in the story to pay attention to the parts that you guys missed?
As I said in my review and to Teresa above, I felt the characters and plot developed along the way. With each section unfolding more of the mystery and growth of the character.
Is the mystery solved? No, there would be no need for a sequel if it was.
Are the characters done growing? No, there would be no need for a sequel is they were.
I wasn't sure what Natanella would think of this book, she and I have yet to match up on book that we've read together in a BOTM.
I wasn't too shocked that Teresa didn't much care for the book because she like bloody gory details like those found in the zombies! Group current BOTM.

Side comment on that BOTM book: the slaying of two young children, one just a baby is utterly vile to me.
But to each there own, right?
However, I would never get past such vile in a book and had I been in that BOTM, I would have voiced distaste for that and other repulsive scenes in that book!
Also I would not have tolerated the author taking curtain calls in the BOTM questions either! Vanity is thy name.
That BOTM has become a publicity stunt. It shows just how far down the Zombies group BOTM have sunk, becoming tools for pimping out the books!
But I have digressed as I so often do.

Tammy...you are right! I forgot about the 'animancer' thing, although, as I understood it, an animancer IS a necromancer, just one that chooses to use their powers for good (like healing), right? Anyway, you probably are right that I might have missed something because I'm still unsure of the differences between witches and necromancers. Are you using necromancers as a synonym for witches? THAT would make sense to me. Or are the witches just the uber powerful and super evil necromancers that have hives? Also, even though I ultimately didn't give this book a high rating, I'm still holding you to that buddy read for the sequel! I still want to see more! I have questions, damnit! Don't knock yourself; we all agreed to read it, so it isn't your fault that some of us liked it less than others. I'll read anything once, at least! Keep the suggestions for buddy reads coming, girl! I'll do them all lol. By the by, do you have any suggestions for me for the 3/50/3?
Oh, and as for the BOTM, no comment! ;-)

Well to kill a human so that you can live forever actually until destroys your soul vessel is pretty evil don't you think?
And for Clari to drain the souls of Refuge dry of their life force to make living zombies is pretty dark too, don't you think? Or is that just me?
When I say necromancer I mean oh where is my kindle... Somewhere in the book Asher states what a necromancer can do. Let me look that up and post it in a bit.
And what a witch can do.
But I am on my Acer Tablet ATM and I don't have the book on this device.
But in short, I feel that the power to control the dead is a magic gift.
Not all people with magic are necromancers
Not all witches are necromancers.
I get that concept from having read many other Magic (paranormal) books.

See, I don't read that many paranormal books, so that MAY be my hang-up. I must have missed the passage about witches, so I would be grateful for those passages. Yes, I agree with you that those things you mentioned are INCREDIBLY dark & evil. And for some damn reason, I keep forgetting that people like Ulga and Clari had been practicing witch-craft LONG before the zompocalypse. They are way too skilled and knowledgeable about their powers to have just started using them. So yeah, witches were around BEFORE some *making mental note so I don't forget again* Here's a question for y'all: Do you ultimately feel as though Ulga was 'good' or 'bad'? I find the fact that she wanted to be free of the curse she was under redeeming (even though she seemed to have been working the 'dark side' for quite some time). What do you guys think?

This will so teach me not to delete a book off my kindle until everyone has voiced themselves!

Guys and Gals, since I read this book, I have read three other books and am on my fourth. The details of this book are starting to get blurred in my mind.

I found the section that I was thinking of and Man-oh-Man it is long.
Sorry guys but I am not typing all that!
Go to chapter 17. Down about 8 paragraphs or so. I am not counting just look for the part where he goes to the library to look for the files on Desolation.

"There are so many of them I don’t know where to start. Some of them catch my attention, but there is one I zone in on. “Necromancy.” I wonder......"

Now read down that section.

It looks like Clari and Ulga were Lich not witch? or lich and witch and necromancers.

Now I notice that Asher says he is a necromancer but I am still going to call him an anitmancer because of what is revealed above by Clari. (see post #7)

Wait I read your question wrong.Sorry.

Is Ulga bad?
When Ulga was laying on the bed hitting herself. We learned later that Ulga soul was stored in that ruby ring.
The ruby ring kept hitting the body.
Hmm let me look that up.

Now that I have pulled the section of her hitting herself up (page 199) I think you were right about Ulga.

When I first read that section and came to the fact that Ulga was a lich whose soul was stored in the ruby ring, I thought at Ulga Soul was fighting the body.
The body wanted to die but Ulga (aka the ruby ring) wanted to live.
But now that I think about the fact that Clari was controlling Ulga, it might be that Clari had control over the hand that held the ruby ring?

I would think the difference between animancer and necromancer would be more like oncologist versus podiatrist. It's a chosen profession, based on skill and training, not something that each person is destined for, and limited to. The old "Nature vs Nurture" argument.

But, since animancer is something the author made up, who knows?

And, as always, there is the meme that "Power corrupts...". So, good or evil? It may just be a matter of time. In other stories, there is usually some type of warning that magic has a price. Maybe here it is corruption of the soul.

Asher has to feel he is MORE than human now. Will Cleave's essence counter-act that? Will he lose his way if Cleave were to die? Become evil, because of the desire to lash out? Maybe. Maybe not.

Good and Evil can often just be a perspective or context, or just a label, not an absolute. For example, a "freedom fighter" to one person may be a "terrorist" to another.

Randy "...But, since animancer is something the author made up, who knows..."
I Google animacier.
http://www.google.com/search?q=animan...

Guess it is a term that's been around, just not something I was familiar with.

Randy, "Good and Evil can often just be a perspective or context, or just a label, not an absolute. For example, a "freedom fighter" to one person may be a "terrorist" to another."

Good point

Randy,
Putting aside all the romance and teen angst, what did you think about the combat scenes?
Both the ones with Asher and the ones where the team's went out on missions?
How about the final ones in the with Asher leaving his body?

I liked the Asher combat scenes in the first 70% of the book, even though they were way over the top.

But when he starts using powers that can zap hundreds (maybe eventually thousands?) of zombies at a time, I didn't care for that at all.

I did like his struggles with trying to drive the zombie "virus" from individuals, attempting to heal them. I didn't care for the final "different type of energy" that was there.

I guess once the Necromancer angle went full tilt, my interest waned.

Now see buddy once "the Necromancer angle went full tilt' I got all excited!
Shooting fire from his hands :-O "Oh Yeah! Give me more :-)"
When he meditated out of his body and went floating down the hall. Yup! I am all over that kind of action.

But Paranormal is my cup of tea. Where as bloody violence and abuse/murder of women and children is not. (Not saying that is your cup of tea or anyone else in the Buddy read here).
We all have our own favorite Zombies, right?

Teresa wrote: "And for some damn reason, I keep forgetting that people like Ulga and Clari had been practicing witch-craft LONG before the zompocalypse. They are way too skilled and knowledgeable about their powers to have just started using them...."

There's a passage in the second section when Ulga tells Asher that she's been doing this (necromancy) "for ages" when she explains her ease in controlling a large group of zombies. You have to wonder who she's been practicing on...

Tammy K. wrote: "Randy,
Putting aside all the romance and teen angst, what did you think about the combat scenes?
Both the ones with Asher and the ones where the team's went out on missions?
How about the final one..."

Personally, I thought the author's descriptions of the fighting scenes had....opportunity for much improvement. The author spent much more attention to detail describing the personal interactions of Asher and his love interests. In these passages, you can get lots of details of Cleave's stomachs, or Conner's butt, etc. But many of the details of the fight scenes are glossed over. Heck, I had a hard time visualizing the layout of Refuge, besides the fact that the areas of Refuge were color coded.

Netanella wrote: "Personally, I thought the author's descriptions of the fighting scenes had....opportunity for much improvement. The author spent much more attention to detail describing the personal interactions of Asher and his love interests. In these passages, you can get lots of details of Cleave's stomachs, or Conner's butt, etc. But many of the details of the fight scenes are glossed over. Heck, I had a hard time visualizing the layout of Refuge, besides the fact that the areas of Refuge were color coded...."

I have been noticing in your comments on this book that you are fully aware of Asher's Teen hormonal moments.
As I said in my review, I too found that they were a bit hard to swallow at times.
Yet as I also said in my review had Asher not had such a strong range of emotions, than the character change in him (thinking only with his ... parts .. into boldly face Ulga and Clari and fight to save the refuge) would not have happened.
Asher grew into his role as hero.

So Apart from the angst, boy crushes that you are struggling with, is there anything that you are enjoying about this book?

Tammy K. wrote: "I wasn't sure what Natanella would think of this book, she and I have yet to match up on book that we've read together in a BOTM...."

To each her own, and that's what makes us all unique and different! If we all had the same opinions and thoughts about everything, how boring would that be? Heck, we'd be clones of each other! Dare I say, "Tankbread!" :_)

My thoughts on the current BOTM are much different than those expressed by others on this thread, but again, we should all value the diversity of thought among us. And we all have one common, undying element in common: ZOMBIES!

And yes, Randy, that pun was intended.

So, in short, Tammy, I will probably give this book a stupendously low rate of 2. It was okay - I didn't dislike it, but it could have been so much more.

You know, I liked the snakes.
I liked the grimoire. (Did I spell that correctly?) I liked the resurrection of Mary from near-zombie status....and wished the author would have done more with that.
I liked the witch trains...and again, wished the author would have done more with that.

It is quite possible that the sequel to this book will explore more of this...

Hey Netenalla,

I do hope to see you more around Goodreads. Thank you for sharing this buddy read with me.

I think that about wraps up this buddy read? Lana never made it past the first day. Elizabeth was a no show but.... the four of us got her done!

Randy, I will see you in emails and of course I will be haunting your homepage (better block me now while you have the fair warning ;-))

Teresa, I will see you on Sunday, if not before. And hopefully we will get P.D. up and running before long.

Netanella wrote: "You know, I liked the snakes.
I liked the grimoire. (Did I spell that correctly?) I liked the resurrection of Mary from near-zombie status....and wished the author would have done more with tha..."

Yes, I hope that the sequel will deal more with the mysterys that were left unresolved.
And Hopefully, that teenage angst will be toned down a couple notches.
But as Randy already commented, it is likely the new love interest (Cleave) will become Asher's new drama!
I hope not! but lets face the facts there will probably be all that new relationship ... stuff. :)

Okay, so my handy dandy Kindle search feature informs me that there are 14 instances of the word "naked" in Desolation. Compare that to 13 instances of the word "lich" and 2 instances for the root word "animan" for animancy or animancer.

What does that mean? Not much, probably, just bored. :)

Netanella wrote: "Okay, so my handy dandy Kindle search feature informs me that there are 14 instances of the word "naked" in Desolation. Compare that to 13 instances of the word "lich" and 2 instances for the root..."

It means you are focused on that naked boy.. tsk tsk tsk LOL j/k

See you around the threads, Tammy!

Netanella wrote: "See you around the threads, Tammy!"

Hopefully, Yet Goodreads is a big place and I have zero motivation to go back to our old hangout grounds.

Netanella wrote: "I liked the snakes. I liked the grimoire. (Did I spell that correctly?) I liked the resurrection of Mary from near-zombie status....and wished the author would have done more with that.
I liked the witch trains...and again, wished the author would have done more with that."

Agreed on all counts. As I said, it was when it went full tilt paranormal that I lost interest.

To me, that was like reading a zombie apocalypse novel, and then, out of the blue, God Almighty came down out of the Heavens to smite all the zombies. End of story.

Randy wrote:
To me, that was like reading a zombie apocalypse novel, and then, out of the blue, God Almighty came down out of the Heavens to smite all the zombies. End of story.

Reading the books synopsis.... How did you not think necromancer ?
How did you not think magic when you seen the word necromancer?
How did you not think paranormal when you thought magic?
Wasn't it you who corrected me when I added this to the virus thread in the one group ?

Tammy K. wrote: "How did you not think paranormal when you thought magic?"

I said I liked many of the paranormal things Asher could do (see Netanella's list). It was the "super" paranormal things I didn't like.

What's the point of the grimoire and all of the spells if Asher can use his powers without any of that?

How can anything be a threat to him from this point out? I can only assume his powers will grow.

I wonder if one of his powers was to make guys gay? It would explain a lot. :)

WOWZA!!! I'm super late to this party!!! But work was a bleepity bleeping bleep bleep bleepity bleepin NIGHTMARE tonite!!! Like LITERALLY...my craziest shift EVER, EVER, EVER!!! So I am more than bummed out that the ONE SINGLE bleepity bleepin day I DIDN'T obsessively check Goodreads at work was the day the buddy read discussion finally 'launched.' Up, up, and....away...without me :,( And, due to the mind-blowing insanity I had to deal with today, I'm just too mentally and physically exhausted to stay on the thread. Usually, I'm just physically tired and my mind is racing! Tonight, I've expelled EVERY OUNCE of mental energy I had throwing absolute nut jobs out of our establishment. I was halfway scared I was being cased for a hold-up! WHEW!!! Just glad this day is over, and I made it through unscathed (mostly). So its nighttime for this chick; I will respond to some of your responses (that sounds funny hehe) in the A.M. Nighty-nite! Happy reading, everyone!
~Teresa~