Chloe wakes up from an overnight bender blowing five years
of sobriety in a new world. She quickly finds out that other
people from Earth are here, too, in what is known as the
Wasteland. A pair of siblings, brother Jack and sister
Kitty, who came from the Wild West time period, seem to be
in charge, and before she can get used to this strange
place, she finds herself killing demon-possessed monks and
avoiding bloedzuigers, the local vampires of sorts. Besides
all of this, a mysterious and evil man named Ajani wants her
for himself. Who does she trust?
THE ARRIVALS has one of the most unique storylines that I've
read in
a long time. I loved Melissa Marr's worldbuilding and the
characters are decently developed; some could have
been explored more, but I think she left the mystery there
on purpose, such as in Hector's case. There is a very
satisfying end to the story arc between Kitty and Edgar, but
I can't exactly say the same for Jack and Chloe. They had
two brief but very intense steamy encounters, but I wanted
them to go all the way and get down and dirty. That was a
frustrating bit for me, but not a deal breaker by any means.
The Wastelands are fascinating and the picture the author
paints with her prose is one of a stark and unforgiving
landscape filled with dangers and otherworldly monsters. I
also loved the bloedzuigers. They are a fantastically
creepy addition, and the way things turn out in the end
between the Arrivals and the bloedzuigers is excellent!
Jack, Kitty and Edgar all held a special place in my heart
and I hope that she writes a sequel, if even to explore some
of the first years that Jack and Kitty endured at the
Wasteland. A fun, exciting and unpredictable read, THE
ARRIVALS is perfect for the horror, fantasy, and even
science fiction fan.
The Arrivals is the second novel for adults by
internationally bestselling author Melissa Marr.
Chloe walks into a bar and blows five years of sobriety.
When she wakes, she finds herself in an unfamiliar world,
The Wasteland. She discovers people from all times and
places have also arrived there: Kitty and Jack, a brother
and sister from the Wild West; Edgar, a prohibition
bootlegger; Francis, a one-time hippie; Melody, a mentally
unbalanced 1950s housewife; and Hector, a former carnival
artist.
None know why they arrived there--or if there is way out of
a world populated by monsters and filled with corruption.
Just as she did in Graveminder, Marr has created a vivid
fantasy world that will enthrall. Melissa Marr’s The
Arrivals is a thoroughly original and wildly imagined tale
about making choices in a life where death is unpredictable
and often temporary.