A review of Jason Brant’s Gehenna

Jason Brant did not disappoint. Gehenna is a book like no other I have ever read. Zombies, prostitutes, and cowboys in the old west…who would have thought of that? Well, apparently Jason did, and boy did he do it well. This book grabs you from the very first page. The characters are well thought out, the ride wild, and the losing your lunch optional, though I almost lost mine.

The very beginning starts off like so many historical romances, believe it or not. The first few pages leave you totally unprepared for what is only a few pages away. The main character, Karen, is introduced as a smart prostitute in a brothel. The brothel owner, Ellis, is berating her for scaring off customers. He tells her, “You got to be the worst hooker I ever had” as well as, “I knew I should have taken those books away from you. Women got no place learnin’ from those things. Nothin’ good comes from it.” You can tell it is all bluster because he treats his girls well, and has a soft spot for Karen. He was actually one of my favorite characters.

I love Karen. She is just my type of girl. She is smart, knows what she wants and will do anything to get what she wants. She does not believe that she has to have a man to survive. She is her own person and she is one of those girls that kick ass.

Most of the characters are introduced in the first few pages and then the excitement starts with screams heard from the street. You know that this is not just some historical romance from then on out. The people in the saloon notice that there are two people eating a woman outside. These people are not just ordinary men as they both had multiple arrows sticking out of their bodies and of course, they are EATING a woman!

Right after that, another main character is introduced. He is ‘Mad Dog’ McCall, an outlaw that is in jail. In this part of the book you realize that guns are outlawed in Gehenna and by then you are really glad you don’t live there. McCall is a great mix of outlaw/hero.

There are also many biblical aspects of this book, but it was like no part of the bible that was ever pointed out to me. I will give you one clue: Leviticus 26:28. You will never think about zombies again in the same way, I promise you that.

I do not want to spoil the whole book but I am going to point out a few things. In the old west, there were no such things as zombies, so in this book they have no idea what in the hell is going on. They have no guns and are totally unprepared for these ‘Moaners’ that are eating and changing everyone. The scenes are so realistic that you will literally shudder with horror when you read them. I have never read such a graphic book, nor have I ever read one that I had to put down while I was eating like I did with this one.

The twists and turns are astonishing. Jason makes you think about the book long after you are done. The ending is like no other. I could not believe it was over with the twist that was just thrown out there at the very end. I am hoping for a sequel or this book is going to haunt me forever. It is just that kind of book. All in all, this book is a non-stop, action packed adventure. It is a must read.

I am inserting a link for Gehenna below. If I have talked you into reading this book, once again let me say, please leave a review where you bought it. Every review helps the author! Thank you!

Gehenna