A necromancer and her two friends get on a cruise ship expecting to have a good time. They are all part of a group that resurrects the dead for those who want one more chance to speak to the dead. This should be just another job followed up with some fun afterwards. What actually happens? Few could have predicted. Looking for your next zombie read that will throw a twist we promise you won’t be expecting? Check out author Nzondi’s DeathCon: A Zombie Story.
DeathCon draws the eye of readers with a cover that is dominated by blues reflective of the ocean and black. In the background is a cruise liner that comes to mind for most when it comes to sea voyages and parties. Super imposed over the cruise ship are three individuals we’re going to presume are Cozy, Jess, and Squiggy. While they don’t necessarily appear to be dressed for a “party” the two young women appear to be dressed to definitely kick ass and take names. The guy appears like he’d dare anyone to try something.
In the middle of the cover is a curved knife, a kukri. The blade is stained with blood and there is blood splatter behind it decorating the title of the story. Absolutely makes sense for that in light of the fact that this is a zombie story. So, there’s going to be quite a bit of gore and splatter coming your way. So it’s a great reminder. LOL!
Author Nzondi starts DeathCon off with quite a harrowing moment for one of the characters. No one specifically is mentioned, but many will deduce that it’s Cozy that is the focus of this dark moment. She’s hurt badly. Something traumatic has taken place, and she believes that her back is broken. An undead has gravely injured her. The situation seems bleak. What will happen next as the undead inch forward to devour her? Well, you’ll have to wait and find out.
From this first chapter, author Nzondi shifts the story backward in time. We’re thrown off the island this young woman was on, and tossed out to sea. Welcome to the Sea Queen, the spot to be for DeathCon 2025. Packed with thrill-seeking college kids and adults who absolutely are obsessed with horror, it’s packed with people looking to have a good time. Well, until the real screams begin to break out.
We appreciate how author Nzondi starts things off in an innocuous manner. Things seem like everything is normal on this horror-themed cruise ship party. But it doesn’t take long for that sense of “normalcy” to be shattered. Cozy crosses paths with an elderly woman who appears to be having some sort of issue. But is she? Or is all part of an act for the ship and the big party gearing up? It’s hard to tell, until the woman appears to get worse. But then…she disappears.
No, she doesn’t disappear like a ghost. Cozy turns her back to talk to some other guests on the ship, and when she turns back…the woman is gone! If that doesn’t catch your attention and draw you into the story, well, there’ll be more to come. LOL! But seriously. An older woman, appearing to be ill, coughing up dark fluids…if she’s not part of the act…it should be cause for concern.
Of course, with her mysterious disappearance, there isn’t much that Cozy can do about it, so off to the main event we go! Things are about to get wild, but for sure readers are about to get to know Cozy a little better first. You wouldn’t know it by looking at her, but Cozy is mourning the loss of someone she believed she really cared about. A guy who disappeared a couple of years ago. Everyone was told that he’s dead. It seems that this cruise has a dual purpose – make some money, and help her avoid thinking about that sad moment in time.
Everything is going great, and then we get to the fun part…the raising. Brace yourself, author Nzondi is going to have things go off the rails here for a minute. Very little is what it seems in DeathCon, so be prepared for absolute chaos to break out more than once. It will for sure keep readers on their toes because you just won’t know what to expect.
DeathCon is told from the first-person POV and follows Cozy throughout. Cozy is quite the dynamic character. You really don’t know what you’re going to get with her. Her personality is truly all over the place. One minute she’s giving you the impression that she’s going to kick butts and take names, and then she’s practically melting into a puddle because the guy she believes she loves is telling her all the things she’s always wanted to hear.
Cozy is a complicated character. One minute we’re #TeamCozy and then the next we’re giving her some serious side-eye. If there was one word to truly describe Cozy’s personality, it’s rollercoaster. She’s a truly mercurial character of where you just don’t really know what you’re going to get with her. She’s up and then she’s down and she just really keeps you on your toes.
One thing that you’re going to notice throughout this book is an apparent “issue” with her name. Her full name of Cozimel. Her nickname? Cozy. Apparently, people have made “porn-related” jokes and she’s not down with that? If you think of any…let us know…because we drew a blank. LOL! But we were left confused when she tells certain characters to not call her Cozy because “she doesn’t like it.” This honestly left us so confused because literally everyone calls her Cozy. So, what’s the issue? And what is the alternative? None is offered. So, it was…odd…and more than a little confusing for us.
One thing we appreciate about DeathCon is how author Nzondi takes the expectations surrounding a zombie raising and flips it on it’s ear. You’d think that when the zombie is raised that it will be a raving monster “eager” for slaughter. What we get with author Nzondi is quite the opposite. It’s an interesting twist and quite the surprise.
But what do you do when people start getting sick…and the “docile” zombies aren’t the ones that you’re dealing with? Well, that’s when all hell breaks loose. Of course, the question is – what is the origin of the outbreak? Was someone bitten onboard and thereby infected? Or is it something more human the source and cause of it all?
If DeathCon is going to claim anything it is going to be that this book is packed with twists and turns. The cruise ship is in absolute chaos and then… BAM! The story takes a twist, and the horror of the overarching situation is dropped in your lap. DeathCon is a story of where nothing is what it seems. This will drive readers to delve deeper into the story for answers. Because you will want to know…what is happening?!
DeathCon is a book that will 100% keep you on your toes. Just when you think you’ve gotten the storyline figured out author Nzondi is going to throw another twist at you. You truly will not see it coming. Be forewarned, DeathCon does end on a cliffhanger. We know what you’re thinking. “I thought that this book was a standalone novel.” We did, too! But it’s not! Not with the way that this book ends. There’s more coming…or there has to be! LOL!
DeathCon is a wild ride. Honestly and truly. We appreciate the unique writing style that author Nzondi brings to the horror genre. Readers who enjoy zombie stories with tons of unexpected twists then this is a book that you’re going to want to pick up. DeathCon is chaotic, it’s wild, and it is an absolute whirlwind of drama, and situations that will leave you flopped back in your chair wondering… “What did I just read?”
Pros:
- Dynamic storytelling
- Unique locations
- Tons of twists and turns
- Diverse cast of characters
Cons:
- Story needed more backstory to tie it all together.
- Cozy’s character (personality) needed more balance.
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