REVIEW: Battle of the Network Zombies by Mark Henry

As a child, Saturday mornings meant a big bowl of Lucky Charms and cartoons. I was a huge fan of Bugs and Friends. That’s no-brainer. However, there was another early morning favorite…Scooby Doo. I loved trying to solve the mystery before the rubber mask was pulled off to reveal the dastardly culprit. Mark Henry’s Amanda Feral series is replacing that empty spot in my adult (notice I didn’t say grown-up) heart.

I must come clean early and say that Battle of the Network Zombie is my least favorite so far. I’m not saying that it is a bad story; I liken it to a 20 point effort from Kobe Bryant. For most players, that is a good game. For Kobe…not so much. Mr. Henry set the bar high with his first two books and I just feel that Battle of the network zombies didn’t clear the height that he set by his past efforts.

After saying all that, make no mistake, Battle of the Network Zombies is still fun. For zombie snobs (of which I count myself as a member) I remind you that this is not standard fare. It is rude, snarky, and more than just a little nasty. Go into the series with an open mind. I would warn those easily offended, but seriously, we’re zombie fans…’nuff said.

Amanda and her friends are facing several problems in this current adventure. It seems the nation’s economic woes have filtered into the world of the supernatural as well. Lacking a comprehensive medical reform has taken its toll on the accident prone Amanda. Her boss, who may or may not be The Devil, is not pleased: that is the least of Amanda’s problems. There are rampaging stripper-yeti’s, evil, pre-pubescent, ponytail sporting little girls with fowler disposition than Tony Soprano, Amanda’s recently-turned-vampire mommy-dearest, a crazy voodoo woman…oh yeah, and a murder mystery.

Since the rules are fluid in the world Mark Henry has created, figuring out whodunit is a little bit wonky. The fun is watching over Amanda’s shoulder as the misfortunes pile up. At times, it did seem as if the story tried too hard to be necro-sexy #1 and drifted away from the normal hilarity. I only laughed out loud once or twice while reading Battle of the Network Zombies. That is above average compared to most books I read that try to be funny, but for a Mark Henry story, that number does not measure up.

Bottom line, the book was good. Not great, but good. I will still wait anxiously for the next installment. I have faith that Mr. Henry will not disappoint. Taste is a personal thing, and there just seems to be something missing. The story elements are in place for further misadventures, and I remain a fan of Amanda Feral. I still recommend the book, just not as highly as the first two.

#1 Bing! Coined it! Readers of the series will understand. And really, if you’re reading the third review and have yet to read book one…then I’m glad that you don’t get the joke.

Available at Amazon