Tide of Souls

Author(s): Simon Bestwick

Publisher: Abaddon Books

Publication Date: 2009

Name of Reviewer: Mark ‘Wally' Wall

Review: This is another book in the fantastic Tomes of the Dead series from Abaddon Books. This tale has been told from 3 different perspectives; Katya, Robbie McTarn and Stiles. Katya is an ex-prostitute (not of her own volition) who witnesses the waters, from flash floods, and consequently, the dead, rising from them. She manages to escape her brothel and end up on an island with McTarn and Stiles. McTarn is an ex-soldier, who has been brought in to front an operation to find Stiles. Stiles is the man who knows how all of this started. The characters were brilliant and I really believed their back stories and the situations they got themselves into. I can't say that I was as addicted to this book as I have been with others from this series, but it was still a jolly good read.

 

Zombie Fear Factor: 4 Brains out of 5

These zombies are like none I've ever read about before. They live in the flood waters and only venture out of them to attack. Basically, the humans who have survived the floods and the first course of the banquet for the zombies are pretty much fucked whilst being stranded on an island surrounded by said zombies. Bullets and food are running out and the dead are growing in numbers. I'd pretty much say that was a big fear factor!

Zombie Behaviour: 3 Brains out of 5

This is a tough category for this book. Sometimes they shamble, sometimes they get a bit of a sprint on, heck, they even set up elaborate traps by guessing what the humans' next moves are. They are a bit all over the place, but all is revealed in the confusing, but somewhat gripping conclusion, as we read Stiles' side of the story.

Zombie Threat: 5 Brains out of 5

The treat is huge. As I explained in the fear factor section, they are surrounded on all sides and their only means of escape, a Chinook, is very nearly out of fuel. The threat increases as the book goes on. The zombies learn things and grow in numbers, as more make their way to this small island. It's almost impossible to stop yourself from thinking that there is no hope for any of the poor buggers on the island.

Gore Content: 5 Brains out of 5

Gore Content: 5 stars

The gore content is top notch. Not a description is spared in this book, which makes it feel all the more hopeless for the ‘survivors'. The water bloated bodies of the dead are illustrated in great detail, from their puffed out rotting stomachs, to their glowing green eyeballs. These creatures can be slowed by removing limbs etc, but can only be destroyed by shots to the head, so as to extinguish their glowing eyes.

Overall Quality: 4 Brains out of 5

It was easy to put this book down and to one side, but only once you'd gotten through one of the main character's stories. It is told in first person and once one of the stories was complete, it took a little time to go from action and then straight back to someone's back story again, only to build it up to the same action sequence that you were at before. It may sound a little contradictory, but I didn't mind this, as it gave me a nice relaxed read and I could pick it up when the mood took me. This being said, it is extremely well written and a lot of thought has been put into joining all of the stories up in the end.

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