Review: AfterLife by S.P. Cloward

AfterLife by S.P. Cloward
Published:  September 11, 2012
Publisher: Self published
Pages: 179
Series: AfterLife #1
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Prior to recorded history, a small genetic mutation occurred that created a race of humans now found among every civilization in every corner of the globe. Unrecognizable to the rest of mankind but living among us and dependent upon humans for survival, this race is known as Mortui; those whose spirits do not sever from their bodies when they die. They are the source of all living dead legends.

At the time of his premature death, Wesley Lohmann discovers he belongs to this select group. Wes' transition plunges him into the center of a struggle between those who seek to coexist peacefully with humans and those who wish to use and rule them, a struggle that carries over into the treacherous world of dreams. The delicate balance human and post-human societies have maintained for millennial is threatened by a recent scientific discovery that offers Mortui the hope of returning to human life, and human sensation, but at a terrible cost. As he struggles with new and past relationships and tries to find meaning for his continued existence, Wes discovers within himself the true meaning of being alive.

AfterLife transcends the typical zombie or vampire genre and audience to present a plausible explanation of where such stories come from in an unsettling but believable way. Even those who usually shy away from this type of science fiction are falling prey to the “what if” question that makes this book so unique and is attracting readers who typically enjoy other types of fiction.

My Review: This was such a disappointment. The concept of Mortui living in the world without anyone knowing is something that I find fascinating for some reason. I'm not a fan of zombies but I'm always up for a unique twist on vampires. Sadly this book was just not for me.

The only part that I really enjoyed about the book was the unique take on vampires and zombies. The rest of the book was kind of boring. The very beginning of the book was interesting but once Wes became a Mortui the book slowed down. It felt like nothing was happening even though time passed very quickly. A good portion of the book was just info dumping and Wes being told that he was a good guy. I shouldn't have to be told repeatedly that Wes is a good guy his actions should show that.

Wes is a very average character. He is special but he is way too perfect for him to be likeable. Even when he did something wrong someone would tell him that he's a good guy and then he would move on. He would think about what he did for a little bit and then it was never brought up again. Obviously he wasn't too upset about it. Wes also didn't do very much for most the book. He went through training but the training parts were boring. Most of them consisted of everyone being impressed with Wes. The end was a little better but not by much.

I also don't understand why Wes likes Emily. Honestly I don't think I could ever see them together. To me their relationship was purely friendship. I don't remember when Wes fell in love with Emily but it felt way too sudden. Especially since he claimed that he was in love with Jez before he met Emily.

Some parts of AfterLife were also told by Seth. He was supposed to be the villain and normally I like villains but I hated him. I don't understand his reasons for doing what he did. I believe he wanted to gain power but why? Doesn't he already have power? Don't the Mortui have everything they could possibly ever want since they are immortal and powerful?

So obviously this book wasn't my cup of tea mostly because I was bored for most of it. There were many parts that I think were supposed to be meaningful but I found it annoying when Wes would point out that he was having a philosophical conversation. It was an interesting idea but if more had happened throughout the book I probably would have enjoyed it much more.

*I received this in exchange for an honest review.