In 1983, the world changed. A nuclear war was accidentally started. Assured mutual destruction was, well, not assured, as a series of errors and failures saw the United States decimated, leaving behind 1% of the 234 million population. With many changed by radiation, the Gieger Lands are home to lawless gangs, mutants, and serial killers (aka slashers). One such victim became known as Razortooth!
Razortooth! A deadly sounding name! If that name sounds familiar it will be because you have read about her before. Razortooth is a prequel to the extremely gory, terrifying, but fun, Slashvivor! by Stephen Kozeniewski and Stevie Kopas that takes readers back on a harrowing journey through a world ravaged by destruction and ruled by a merciless vigilante militia. It’s here that we met one of my favourite characters, Razortooth – the girl with the razor-sharp metal teeth and nails. And now we get to find out how this sweet Georgia peach became a deadly murderous assassin who can climb walls with ease and whose bite is definitely worse than her bark.
The story follows Belladonna Beauregard, an ordinary girl from Georgia whose life is turned upside down when the bombs reduce the country to ash. In the wicked aftermath, Belladonna is captured by a cruel militia and transformed into a mutant assassin, forced to kill for the very people who destroyed her home and family.
Overall, Razortooth is an excellent story of how one of Slashvivors favourite characters came into being. It is a bit more sedate and less gory than its predecessor, although there is still plenty of killing to keep the reader gripped.
While Slashvivor was more of a gorefest, a splatterpunk (hardcore / extreme horror) novel, Razortooth brings the story of a great character to life and explains how she became how she is, as she wasn’t born that way. It also explains how she got her vicious sounding name, and it was long before she got her metal additions.
It is an excellent story of the transformation of a legendary slasher that is horrifying, fascinating and thrilling. It excels in its vivid descriptions and intense action scenes. I loved the character of Razortooth and Belladonna is a complete contrast that makes compelling reading, a real a page-turner for fans of the horror / splatterpunk genres.
The authors, Stephen Kozeniewski and Stevie Kopas, have created another excellent read which expertly blends elements of horror, science fiction, post-apocalyptic survival and even a bit of humour to create an engaging storyline.
While Slashvivor was more all-out action with gory murder on nearly every page, Razortooth is slightly different as it is telling how a sweet and innocent child becomes a killer, so there is less murder but is fabulous fun with plenty of graphic violence. And it is also telling the story of what people will do to try and protect their families.
Alongside Razortooth there are some excellent characters, from the wonderful George’s and gimps to body part harvesting doctors. The character development of Belladonna to Razortooth is exceptional, creating a much more well-rounded character that readers can engage and sympathise with.
A dark and thrilling read with a splattering of humour thrown in for good measure. It will sink its razor-sharp teeth in and won’t let go. A great read that is not for the faint-hearted. A tale of vengeance and the resilience of the human spirit.
I’m hoping that there will be more adventures with Razortooth and some of the other Slashvivor characters in the future.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £7.99 (Paperback) / £1.99 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
DISCLOSURE: I was provided with a free copy of this book for the purposes of writing a honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the Amazon link.
Click here to read our interview with the author Stephen Kozeniewski
