Book Review for Serendipity at the End of the World by Karissa Laurel

 Serendipity at the End of the World by Karissa Laurel

Published November 14, 2023 by Red Adept Publishing LLC

 

Taken from Goodreads:  Steampunk, Zombies, and Romance…

Serendipity Blite inherited her father’s crackerjack shooting skills, while her sister, Bloom, got his knack for mechanical engineering. The siblings’ talents make them a formidable pair capable of surviving the apocalyptic aftermath of the Dead Disease. Their skills also attract the unwanted attention of Moll Grimes, a ruthless woman intent on building a new empire in a city infested with undead.

When Bloom goes missing, Sera suspects Moll has something to do with it, but attempting a rescue mission on her own would be suicidal. Sera seeks help from a band of unlikely allies, including Erik LaRoux, an enticing young man with a curious scar, and a collection of alchemists obsessed with developing a cure for the Dead Disease.

Sera’s alliance with Erik challenges her old ways of coping, and so do his kisses. Her fierce independence won’t be enough to save her sister. But as she opens herself to new possibilities, an unfortunate accident sets Sera teetering on the edge of a deadly abyss. Surrendering to it would bring an end to her grief, pain, and fear, but surviving could mean finding family, love, and maybe even a cure.

 

My Thoughts:  This book is far out of my comfort zone that I almost did not read it.  But I have read Karissa Laurel before and have always enjoyed her books, so I gave it a try and am glad that I did.   I will not become a zombie book reader, but I will read more of the genre from Karissa Laurel.  

I kept picking up my ereader to read just a little more, just a couple more pages, wanting to know what was going to happen to Bloom.  Is Erik really going to help Sera?  I was invested in the story and needed to know what was going to happen next.  The descriptions of the city inhabited by the living dead had me picturing the streets as Sera and Bloom traveled them to find ways to stay alive.  I could picture Erik helping Sera out many times.   There were many twists to the story that I did not foresee but I enjoyed them all.

The ending seemed rushed, almost like the book hit the right number of pages so it had to end.  I very much hope that there will be more to Bloom and Sera’s story.   There are many loose ends to tie up. 

Thank you Red Adept Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):  Karissa lives in North Carolina with her son, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a polka-dotted puppy named Puzzle. Some of her favorite things are Southern cuisine, crocheting, superheroes and Star Wars. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. In the summer she's camping, kayaking, and boating at the lake. In the winter, she's curled up on the sofa with a skein of yarn and a good audio book.