First, my apologies to the author, who probably thinks I'm the world's biggest git for not getting this review out months ago, despite how much I LOVED this book. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure this is my favorite book of the year. Though I haven't read as much as I usually do, X Varient still beat a LOT of other books! Reading the book was just bad timing - I read it right before I had surgery, and though I thought I was going to be laying around in bed, bored out of my mind recovering, in fact all I did was sleep, and then sleep some more, and then went right back to work, when all I did for another 6 weeks was work, and sleep, and then sleep some more. Then it was getting read for vacation & taking vacation, the end of my band concert season for another year, our anniversary, etc etc... and I just never got around to the review. Please know, the author was amazing and has been very patient in dealing with pain in the butt me and the delay was not due to how amazing the book was!

 

So, all of that to say the book was great. I mean, a time traveling zombie book? Who knew? This is the first book of a series & I can't wait to read the next one & I hope the author is kind enough to let me get my hands on a review copy...

Kala is just the right kind of heroine - she's brave - but not crazy ridiculous brave so you don't believe it brave, and smart, but not that annoying kind of smart where you can't even talk to the person. She's confident, but not full of herself. She has flaws, which makes her human and relatable and likable. Most of the other characters are that right blend of qualities that makes you like them, believe in them, root for them. That's what makes a book a five star book to me, it's the characters that make you fall in love with them.

The world building in this is just amazing too - I hate books that you can't picture the world around you, those books just fall flat for me, but from the very beginning you can see the action happening, and i kept thinking what a great movie this would make, because I could see the movie forming in my head.

If you aren't a big fan of the zombie genre, this book is a good one for you to get your feet wet - yes, it's a zombie book and yes, you will see zombies, but the book is about the people and survival, and not the big gruesome blood & guts scenes you see in shows or comics like the Walking Dead.

 

 This review was originally posted on Rambling Reviews