I am back after a little bit of a break- there will be a post in the coming weeks explaining this little mini break, as I have been busy! But welcome to a review of what has possibly become one of my favourite books of all time.

A great big thank you to Titan for sending me this copy, this has been really not disappointed, and as Ive said, it is definitely up there with my all time favourites.

Now, I am going to be completely honest, I have a bit of a odd history with Tim Lebbon. I attempted to read his book Relics several times, and just couldn’t get into it, so I wasn’t having the biggest expectations going into Eden. Though the concept sounded so good that I felt I just had to give it an attempt, but now after how much I have loved Eden I am going to give Relics another try.

In a time when Earth’s rising oceans contain enormous islands of refuse, the Amazon rainforest is all-but destroyed, and countless species edge towards extinction, the Virgin Zones were established in an attempt to combat the change. Off-limits to humanity and given back to nature, these thirteen vast areas of land were intended to become the lungs of the world.

Dylan leads a clandestine team of adventurers into Eden, the oldest of the Zones. Attracted by the challenges and dangers posed by the primal lands, extreme competitors seek to cross them with a minimum of equipment, depending only on their raw skills and courage. Not all survive.

Also in Dylan’s team is his daughter Jenn, and she carries a secret–Kat, his wife who abandoned them both years ago, has entered Eden ahead of them. Jenn is determined to find her mother, but neither she nor the rest of their tight-knit team are prepared for what confronts them. Nature has returned to Eden in an elemental, primeval way. And here, nature is no longer humanity’s friend.

Has that tempted you?

There are two things that I feel carry this book, the character and the descriptive setting.

Eden is described as such a beautiful but mysterious place, and the description is just that- beautiful. Its rare that I find a book where I can just sink in and be completely submerged in the setting. That being said at times this was a bit scary through the book, but thats the joy of great descriptive writing within a horror novel.

‘ final look at the body, the wild rose bush, its stem thick and green, its blooms lush and healthy. It was well fed.’

Now you may not understand the quote until you read the novel, but its just a great example of how the beauty of the writing is also so dark and twisted!

The relationships witihn this is are just so fascinating to see adapt to the situation and see progress through out the story. With a variety of different relationships, with parental, romantic, as well as distant past relationships and blooming new romantic. Looking at how a group of people with various relationships having to work together as one unit, would never be an easy situation, and this book perfectly sums up the tensions that can form.

Now although this is a horror, I didn’t feel like it was one of those that you have to make sure you keep the light on for. But rather it gave me more of a fear of being alone, and possibly a little of being out in the open.

Overall this book is just perfect! I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this one, as it is definitely now up there with some of my all time favourite books. Any horror, thriller or sci-fi fans really should give this a try, I think you will not be disappointed, it truly is a fantastic novel.  Easy FIVE STAR read!

My understanding is that the Kindle version is already available, however the physical will not be on sale until June now, but that gives you plenty of time to get your pre-order in.