Get To fuck, maggie May

Book review Deadinburgh (hunted) Mark Wilson

dEaDINBURGH: Hunted (Din Eidyn Corpus #4)

So,  my favourite series of books comes to a final conclusion. I would be dismayed but the ending of this series leaves a door open for similar fayre from the talented Mark Wilson (Can’t really elaborate further without spoiling plot..Y’know the score).

Anyone who’s followed my reviews on here will know how much I’ve enjoyed the series thus far. The story began with the initial imprisonment of plague sufferers under the grounds of St. Marys church in Edinburgh and how centuries later all hell was let loose in Edinburgh when the crypts were opened and zombie-like survivors ate and killed through the population of Modern day Edinburgh.  In a short time, the UK government erected a wall / fence around the entirety of Edinburgh sealing in survivours and Zombies (The Ringed) alike.

Throughout the series we have gotten to meet some of the survivours including the main young heroes of the tales (Alys and Joe), as well as other regulars like Steph, James and one of my favourite villains of all time, “Bracha” (whose true identity is revealed in book 3 of the series, causing your humble narrator to spit out his rice crispies in utter shock and mirth!) There have been important characters throughout the books, none more so I guess, than Joe and Steph’s parents and Joes adopted father Figure, Jock.  

Wilson brings them all to life with unnerving reality (especially given the nature / genre of the books) Each and every character is brought to life, flaws and all. This is no twee Young Adult series…not by a long chalk. The killings, battles, fights and even the family relationships are brutal.  But there is humour, sadness and Uplifting moments aplenty throughout all of the first 3 books of the series and (thank you Mr Wilson) an epic good versus evil battle. (theres also a story changing  twist  to the end of book 2 Deadinburgh, Alliances). I thought that was it….,game over after the defining book 3 battle.  I was gutted. I felt that there was so much more to build on.

I was right.

This final instalment not only ties up all the loose ends brilliantly, it also introduces brilliant new characters like The Deacon, Jess, The Eunuch and a  whole new sinister cult, founded decades earlier when they sealed their privileged arse's in a golf club house community and its surrounding lands, away from contamination and the Ringed.

Joe’s father makes an unexpected and unwelcome return and thankfully, for everyone’s entertainment, the twisted and tortured Bracha returns.

This is where it’s difficult to discuss without giving too much away to you unfortunates who haven’t read any of the series.

Behind the scenes of the internal hunts, battles, infections and slayings is an even more sinister monster…and after Joe and Alys meet up with Joes father an even bigger event unfolds that puts the entire world at risk.

Will it survive, will our heroes survive? ..I swear that I read the final few chapters open mouthed as Wilson uses his literary talents to paint images of despair, hope, victory, defeat, death and life and  more death firmly in your mind’s eye.

I was genuinely happy / sad when it all finally ended as Wilson has such a brilliant knack of drawing you in emotionally to his characters. The ending for these particular group was nigh on perfect for me…and around this ending Wilson intertwined some new twists and tales that firmly opened the door for a new adventure that left me with a smile on my face whilst my brain and heart were mourning the final end of the Deadinburgh stories.

I can’t recommend this book (and its 3 predecessors (Vantage, Alliances and Origins)  enough.

Enthralling. 5 out of 5

Buy it here

Ins & Outs The End Fanzine January 2016

INs

Exploding robins

Bald children

Balancing a peanut on your penis

Agent LVG

Starting a gang in your fifty's

Inexplicably sounding like Lee Marvin in mid sentence.

Talking in back slang to your dog. 

Yearning for nothing in particular.

Finally grasping the complexities of earl grey tea.Claiming to have copped for a female Kurdish freedom fighter.

Completely missing the point and getting smacked because of it.

Boycotting boycotts.

Fiddle players crotch area,

Mary MacGregor's nipples

Having a perpetual look of disgust.  

Becoming all teary eyed about Checkmate (club)

The sinister re- emergence of Bowie Kecks.

Jürgen klopps omnipresent smile.

Having a semi erotic dream about Pauli walnuts of soprano’s fame.

Singing 'Salisbury hill' in your sleep.

Shoulder charging a snail

Wearing yer sisters tights for work

Yodelling in the street end

Fantasising about runny yolks

Building a life size coffin with your kids lego set

Smoking a kipper in a big fat cone

Being a daft ‘apeth

Holding on to your mates testicles for dear life

Buying your mate Lidl Trainees for his birthday

Wooden curtains

Friendly lesbians

Frisky sausages

Mouldy old dough (in the star and garter)

Stashing yoghurt in your undies

Crotchless socks

Telling your dad he is gay

Having a big toe that looks like an index finger

Dating a Salmon

Jeremey Corbyn’s wrinkled elbows

“mind yer car mate?”

Having an affair with Peter Purvis

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OUTs

Pointing out my spelling erors

Joggers skin tags

Deluded fat people calling other people fat

Wool behaviour

Reunions.   

Knowing the right people

Getting beat up in a cupboard

Temporary insanity.

Coming home after six months with an Alberto Moreno haircut.

The past catching up with you.

Your nan catching up with you

Polishing your knee’s

Sundried chips

Saying "stranger things have happened".

Hilary Benn's treacherous eyes.

Lying about your age.

Regurgitating the same old shite.

Tracking down unfunny comedians.

Going missing from Facebook.

Indiscriminate Bombings of little country's

Noticing Fiddle player crotch area’s

Fiddling with fiddle players crotch area

Ian Ayres crotch rot (caught from his leather motorbike cecks)

Biting bricks to impress the ladies

Badgering Burnley fans

Bumming a rolie

Surprising yer local bobby with a friendly can of marrowfat peas

Being spiked in the 02

Proud of being a gobshite

Finding out Cameron also fucked an eel

Pimping out your poodle

Working for the clampdown

Ambling

Having an index finger that looks like a big toe

Thinking you are Shirley Valentine

Starting a phone sex line up in the lounge of the Throttles nest

Scurrying

Flirting with your neighbours wheelie bin