Reading: UNDEAD MESSIAH VOL. 2 - Gin Zarbo

Undead Messiah Volume 2 picks up pretty much where volume 1 left off: our zombie killer hero, 15-year-old Tim, wakes up attached to an I.V. in the small, locked room of what appears to be a castle. In a crib nearby lies the baby Tim and M-Kay were trying to get back from the bandaged-faced messiah in book one, before being snatched by the military, and soon Tim comes face-to-face with the man himself: Dr. Ritch, the raven-haired messiah behind the bandages determined to bring the world into a New Age - and install Tim as their new prophet. Tim, of course, has other plans - particularly when he realizes the purple liquid in the i.v. pouring into his veins will turn him into the kind of creature perfect for Dr. Ritch's cause. To say much more might risks spoilers, suffice to say Undead Messiah Vol. 2 has the same level of gorgeous and gory artwork as book one, this time with the story taking place - for the most part - in a Swiss castle Dr. Ritch uses as his hideout/fortress, complete with a gang of undead kids serving as both minions and experimental guinea pigs to their master. For this reader, book two didn't pack nearly the same wallop as book one, and unearthing Ritch's precise plan and motivation behind it all seemed drawn out a bit. Granted, much like any series part one is always supposed to start with a bang to draw you in, part two providing more exposition and back-story for the characters and what's going on ... and this one certainly does that, as well as providing part two's most important device: The Cliffhanger Ending, when all appears lost and yet even one most disaster occurs on the very last page to make you want to throw the book (or your Kindle) across the room and whine-whine-whine until Volume 3 is released! That is exactly what happened here, and it's definitely a testament to the quality of  this well-written/produced series that I will still be gnashing my teeth until book three drops in July. 3.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.