Fire and Ash

When I get to the end of a great series it is always with mixed emotions. This is no different. The final book in Jonathan Mayberry's FANTASTIC Rot and Ruin series was complete satisfaction. Benny and his friends must find a way to defeat the evil Saint John and his band of merry reapers as they try and end humanity. Oh and also find the lost Dr. who may or may not have a cure for the zombie plague. Oh and find a way to cure Chong who is locked in a cage trying to eat Benny. Oh and bring Lilah back from the brink of insanity after losing her 'town boy'. No biggie. After all Benny is at the ripe old age of fifteen. And he just lost his brother- one of my favorite all time characters- Tom Imura. The kids must find a way to be 'warrior smart' and be willing to become the monsters they are fighting when their hometown of Mountainside is threatened by the Reapers. I can't say how much this series means to me. It shows that in times of war, humans can be the biggest monsters of all. And on the flip side, what humans will do to protect and defend each other and humanity. So, while this is a book about the zombie apocalypse, it so isn't  a book of the zombie apocalypse. It's about people and where they stand when the chips are down. And how friends can become family. And how courage can move mountains. And how love can save the day. That being said, I will miss the world of Benny Imura, but I know that he is out in Tomsland with his red haired wild girl protecting the world from the humans who would do it harm. Tom Imura would be proud. Well done Mr. Maberry. Well done. Happy reading my friends!