A lot can change in
three months: wars can be decided, nations can be forged... or entire
species can be brought to the brink of annihilation. The Morningstar
Virus, an incredibly virulent disease, has swept the face of the planet,
infecting billions. Its hosts rampage, attacking anything that remains
uninfected. Even death can't stop the virus-its victims as cannibalistic
shamblers.
Scattered across the world, embattled groups have
persevered. For some, surviving is the pinnacle of achievement. Others
hoard goods and weapons. And still others leverage power over the
remnants of humanity in the form of a mysterious cure for Morningstar.
Francis Sherman and Anna Demilio want only a vaccine, but to find it,
they must cross a countryside in ruins, dodging not only the infected,
but also the lawless living.
The bulk of the storm has passed
over the world, leaving echoing thunder and softly drifting ashes. But
for the survivors, the peril remains, and the search for a cure is just
beginning...
My Review:
The first thing I need to say before getting into the review
is that it will have spoilers to a few things that happen in book one,
so if you read this and haven't read book one, it will spoil the story
for you! As this is one of my favourite zombie series EVER I urge you to
read the books before my reviews if you love zombie action! OK now
strap yourself in and lets get into this review.
It picks up
exactly where the first one cuts off. Sherman's group get back on the
road after the disaster at Hyattsburg and decide to stop at an airport.
Mark Styles, bitten on the supply run in town, hides in a comic book
store to wait for the end. Anna's group realise that Sawyer knows where
they plan to go and is stalking them, ready to ambush them at any
moment. Those remaining on the USS Ramage decide to abandon ship and
follow the route they think Sherman took, hoping to catch up to them on
the road. With everyone now on American soil, they have to be aware of
rampaging zombies, unfriendly locals and dangerous bandits.
This
book moves at breakneck speed, following three main groups-Sherman,
Harris and Anna. The story switches between the three as they all head
towards the secure facility, and the tension is pretty much non stop.
The action scenes again are brilliantly written, leaving you anxious
about your favourite characters. There are zombie attacks, corrupt
psycho agents, rescue raids, bandit attacks, and survivors trying to
rebuild communities in protected towns. It is not just about the action
and zombie gore, it is about groups of people trying to stay alive and
remain people, not monsters.
Character wise, I loved the
introduction of the community at Abraham, who agree to help Sherman's
team repair vehicles damaged by the bandits, if the military men will
help to rescue the women that the bandits took hostage. This leads to a
whole new danger, not just in the actual raid, but the war that will
start between Abraham and the bandits. Anna's group discover that Sawyer
has gone rogue and wants to capture Anna because he believes that she
already has a cure and he wants it. Her group have to deal with repeated
attempts on their lives by Sawyer and his allies, while Sherman is
dealing with a full scale combined bandit and zombie attack on the town.
There is certainly never a dull moment in this sequel! Harris and his
men have to run the gauntlet in Hyattsburg as they correctly guess that
Sherman has gone this way and get a few surprises there.
Harris
realises that they may have the key to a cure if they can get to the
facility safely and they have no way of contacting Anna or Sherman for
help or to tell them of their discovery. Sawyer has sent people ahead to
the facility to lay a trap for Anna. Anna and Sherman are both en route
to the facility...and things are getting very exciting! I'm not going
to go into details of the plot or who survives and dies but each time I
read this series, I am still caught up in the story even when I know
what will happen. It was so good to read and so well written.
It
was sad that the author died after completion of this book, at the age
of 26, which was tragic on an epic scale for his loved ones. These were
his first two books and we can only imagine all the wonderful stories
that he had planned for a future that sadly he never got to see. His
publisher and author Thom Brannan, agreed to use his notes to complete
the trilogy which was a fitting tribute. I can tell you that the third
novel does not disappoint and will be reviewed by me shortly.
Zombie fans really need to treat themselves to this brilliant series!
