Blood Lust 2: The Carrion

Rhys A. Wilcox

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

Cameron and Gillian are an odd boyfriend and girlfriend - he's a vampire and she's a reanimated corpse - and ever since they became living-dead, trouble has followed them around like a bad smell. A good-intentioned trip to see his father coincides with a Satanist serial killer's plan to control the primal force of Death. This, in turn, causes the dead to rise and go on a human flesh-devouring rampage across the city and Cameron is forced to use his powers to save himself, Gillian, his family and ultimately the World. Again.

The Carrion is a comedy, schlock horror, gore-fest fusing multiple horror myths and popular cultural references to produce a self-parodying, action-adventure that would appeal to the likes of Pratchett and Rankin fans and horror readers who don't mind their classics getting a wry remix.

Review by Nigel (100208) Rating (8/10)

See who won a signed copy of the first book in the series, Blood Lust, here.

Review by Nigel
Rating 8/10
There is, as you are probably aware, no certification system for books as there is for films. However, if there was such a system this book would certainly be classified 18 (NC-17 in the USA)... and if it were released on DVD the little information box at the bottom would read:

Language: Frequent, coarse, very strong
Sex: Some, graphic, sometimes a bit gross
Violence: Strong, frequent (pretty much all the time)
Theme: Horror, Comedy

Cameron and Gillian are back alive and well. Ok, not necessarily alive but doing alright for themselves after the events in Blood Lust.

Cameron is late for his meeting with Gillian at Waterloo, where they intend to set out on the seemingly simple journey of going home to visit Cameron's father in Portsmouth and 'sort things out'. Cameron's journey to meet Gillian is fraught with problems that had me laughing out loud, particularly the police interviews. Upon their arrival the family recriminations start and things go downhill. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem but as it turns out Portsmouth has more than its fair share of the undead in one form or another.

Enter the reanimated assistant of a mad scientist, the daughter of the Devil, a whole host of Satanists, the odd Demon and Death looking a little like James Dean. As the dead start to rise they have only one thing on their minds... flesh. Portsmouth is about to understand the meaning of living hell.

The story won't suit everyone but for those who can see the funny side to films like Evil Dead 2 and Shaun of the Dead then you will love this book. It is very well written, flows nicely and above all is entertaining... in a sick blood and gore way. For some reason Jay and Silent Bob also turn up for a cameo.

Lastly, I have to mention the scene where the corpse made out of blood can't talk and communicates by playing Charades... watch out for it, hysterical.
Nigel (10th February 2008)