Book Review 6 - Aftershock by Mark Walden

In reality the cover is very shiny...and
the font is luminous - very nice. Only
thing is, this is the new style of cover,
and the only one available for Aftershock,
and I loved the old ones! They were all
black and cool...but I have to say after
seeing the rejacketed covers in person
they're much better than I thought they'd be.

As I've mentioned in my Waiting On Wednesday post about this book, I'm obsessed with the HIVE series. And now I've read the latest...I'm so happy! There is probably only one downside: now I will have to wait practically FOREVER for the next one!

Aftershock is the seventh book in the series, and delivers on every level of expectation: Mark Walden has finally revealed more about Raven's past (you know who she is, the world's deadliest ninja assassin, it's no big deal...but be warned: she's out there.), there is the usual hammering of action and plot twists and stunts, a smattering of romance, laugh-out-loud lines, and, oh, the looming civil war that threatens to destroy HIVE, GLOVE etc etc....

Its well-written and the pages seem to turn themselves. There's no lacking in description and we're reminded of the little details that make HIVE so unique - and of course, the characters are as brilliant as always.

A few months have passed since the events of Zero Hour, and as anyone who's read it will know that's turned the world of the books on its head a little, but Nero is there to try to keep things at HIVE as normal as possible - as normal as things can ever be at a school for villains. There are some new characters, too, which is great; adding some new blood into the mix keeps it interesting.

From the start I was intrigued, the little tidbits of the deeper mystery going on are just enough to keep you going, and I like the way the book is paced. It differs from the other books slightly, but pretty soon its all kicked off - though you'll have to read it yourself to find out exactly what's happening.

Aftershock is exciting, enthralling, light-hearted and Mark Walden's distinctive style of writing returns. I did think some parts dragged, and I wished there was more out of HIVE (and not in the icy wastes of Siberia) but once I'd reread it I was more satisfied, especially by the Raven flashbacks. The cliff hanger ending isn't for everyone, but it does at least mean an eighth book is guaranteed, so all is good on that front...

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot: 4/5/5
Impact: 4/5
In less than five words: action packed, eagerly anticipated, hilarious

Going to try to find an excerpt...

Allie

And did I receive my copy in advance of the publication date? Yes, yes I did :)