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.

Book Summary

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.