The Mesmerised by @RhiannonFrater #review @PermutedPress

Welcome to my spot on the book tour for Rhiannon Fraters latest book, The Mesmerised. A big thanks to Rhiannon for allowing me to take part in the tour and Permuted Press for my review copy. I’ve been a big fan of Rhiannon since I was lucky enough to receive an arc of her then latest book The First Days which was book one of the As the World Dies series. I instantly became a big fan and get gushy over her books because that series seriously rocked my socks. A zombie tale that had heart, soul, guns and ammo and hooked me from the start with those little fingers under the door.

It is silence, not screams of terror, which proclaims the end of the world…

Minji Nordim is vacationing in Las Vegas with her small family when she witnesses the beginning of a terrifying apocalypse. When humanity is transformed into mindless drones by a terrifying supernatural event only Minji appears to be immune.

Thousands die instantly, but the other affected people are drawn to the Nevada desert. Nothing stands in the way of the mesmerized. Not fire, not heights, not rubble. As the bodies pile in the streets and the relentless wave of the mesmerized plods into the deadly desert, Minji is trapped in a burning city attempting to rescue her affected family.
Can one woman save her family and the world?

While I felt it was easy to figure our where the book was heading The Mesmerised initially had me thinking this would be a zombie book similar to what I had previously read by Rhiannon. I found myself quite taken with the second half of the book, not wanting to put it down. In fact I quite loved it and I think this is because of the ending which I thought was simply perfect. The beginning had a quite disturbing build up with more and more people becoming mindless drones all heading off together in the same direction after each attack. How does a woman with a husband now one of the affected and two small children to care for keep them all safe from harm when everyone around her is either heading transfixed into the desert or dead and the few who are still with it are not exactly the best allies one can have?

I liked Minji a great character capable and headstrong, the desert had something far more curious in store for her than I had originally thought it would and this pleased me a great deal. Entertaining and with characters one can get behind I felt The Mesmerised was another example of why it is I enjoy Rhiannons work.

Excerpt from The Mesmerized

By

Rhiannon Frater

“Okay, the tigers are at The Mirage. So that’s our first stop,” Jake decided. “Then we can head to the Hard Rock. I want a t-shirt from there.”

Minji looped the end of the leash a few times around her wrist before taking Ava’s hand. “Perfect. Let’s get this show on the road.”

“It’s really crowded right now, so everyone stay close. I’m looking at you, Ava.”

Ava gave her father a plaintive look while tugging on her leash. “I can’t run away!”

“Good! I’d like my little girl to not go splat in the road.”

Minji winced at the memory of her daughter dodging into the road to greet Jake when he’d returned from an evening run. Luckily their neighbor had seen her in time and jerked her car onto someone else’s lawn, avoiding Ava completely. The mere idea of losing any of her family was enough to make Minji sick to her stomach.

Shoving negative thoughts away, Minji kept in her husband’s wake as he threaded through the crowd toward the escalators that descended from either side of the waterfall. The atrium loomed ahead filled with bright sunlight that reflected off the creamy walls and pillars.

The first sign that something was wrong came when her brain was assailed with what felt like millions of cold needles burrowing into the gray matter. With a whimper, Minji pressed her fingertips to her temples in a futile attempt to stave off the pain. Then the sensation intensified.

Screams echoed through the vast resort in a horrifying chorus. All around her, people flailed about, or gripped their heads in their hands. Jake grunted and stumbled as Bailey let out a shrill cry. Woozy, Minji reached for her screaming baby just as another stab of unbearable agony tore through her brain, blinding her. Rapidly blinking her eyes, she desperately attempted to restore her sight.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Ava wailed. “Mommy, my head hurts! I can’t see!”

Howls of agony reverberated through the mall corridors. Minji tugged on the child leash, dragging Ava into her arms. Unable to see, she clutched her daughter close. Paralyzing fear churned in her gut. The pain diminished, but the blindness remained.

“Jake!”

“I’m right here.” A familiar, warm hand floundered against her back then found her shoulder. “I’m right here, hon. I got you.”

Again there was a flash of icy discomfort, then the world returned to sharp focus. To Minji’s horror, blood streamed down the faces of some of the shoppers close to her. Bubbles of the rich liquid formed in their eyes, noses, and ran from their lips. Swaying slightly, the bleeders stared blankly past the faces of their frightened companions. Minji swiftly checked Ava, Bailey and Jake. None of them were bleeding. Lifting Ava onto her hip, Minji pressed against Jake’s side.

“Jake, are you okay?”

“My head is killing me,” he answered. “Check the baby.”

“She’s not bleeding, just crying. What the hell is happening?”

“I don’t know. Keep Ava close!” Jake wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her toward the far wall.

The Mesmerised is on sale for $2.99 till the 19th of December so grab a copy asap. You can enter to win a signed Hardcover copy of The Mesmerised below. The others taking part in the tour can be found on the tour page.

While I’m at it I’d like to wish Rhiannon a big Happy Birthday.

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of over a dozen books, including the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor), as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog), and other horror novels. She was born and raised a Texan and presently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets). She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.

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