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mneiger's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
straylight's review against another edition
4.0
A quick read and a satisfying story, Clines produces another enjoyable mashup of superheros versus zombies in his latest book in the Ex series. If what I've heard is true, a fourth installment ("Ex-Purgatory") is in the works, and I look forward to it with happy anticipation.
jwanz86's review
4.0
Attaboy! Muuuuch better! The new characters introduced in this book refresh the series, making it a bit more dark and twisted, and draw back into the strengths of the first book.
teachinsci's review
5.0
This series keeps getting better. I love the new hero and her ties to the previous stories and feel like her background was one of the most fascinating reads of a background since the first book. I eagerly await the next installment.
eatenbysharks's review
4.0
Not as strong as the first two books in the series but still a very enjoyable read.
pjwhyman's review
4.0
The continuing comic-bookesque adventures of the last humans in zombie-infested Los Angeles. It's pulp, but it's fun pulp and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next one already.
soccer_al's review
4.0
A good continuation of the story line. If you liked the previous books you'll enjoy this.
tasharobinson's review
3.0
For me, this was easily the most enjoyable of the Ex- books. Most of the world-building and character-establishing is done by this point, so apart from one significant new character introduced here, the book is free to charge straight ahead into a great deal of satisfying action, seemingly resolving at least one dangling plot thread from the first book, and bringing in several more organically. These remain pretty conceptually simple superhero-comic-book novels, packed with heroes and villains and lots and lots of action scenes. But they're full of quick reversals, and they move along nicely. This one isn't going to convert anyone who had problems with the previous books — if anything, it's even more dismissive of a vast percentage of humanity, with all the human characters as background noise, usually being shrill and annoying with their religious beliefs or pesky misunderstandings of everything that's going on. They remind me of the low-level characters on Lost, the ones who only assert themselves when the story needs a frustrated mob or a victim. But this particular volume focuses much more exclusively on hero-level problems and solutions, and much less on navigating the tricky, difficult waters of human/superhero interaction in a world where all of the important and significant characters are superheroes. In many ways it's a less ambitious book than the previous two, less concerned with illustrating a believable post-apocalyptic society, and more focused on determined people up against a seemingly impossible enemy. Short, simple, and satisfying.
ktjawrites's review
5.0
While many series seem to loose steam the further they go, Clines continues to deliver exciting twists and turns in a series I can’t get enough of.
alice_digest's review against another edition
3.0
As with all my review of these Ex-Heroes books I'm going to struggle to say more than 'Zombie; Superheroes; Awesome!' Switch off half your brain (the literary critic part) and have fun with the ride as zombies and monsters get kicked, bunched and incinerated! I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the previous two, but it was still great entertainment that I struggle to put down.
In this one, the clue is in the title, the subject of people returning from the dead is central. I mean back from the dead in a more conscious living form than the hordes of exes! Max aka Cairax has been hanging around as a spirit only Barry can communicate with, and now wants a body to inhabit plus Doctor Sorenson's daughter Madelyn isn't as dead as everybody assumed. Things get a little more magical and religious with spirits and demons to tackle!
I liked Maddy well enough andI thought the way she was introduced was cool. Playing Dragon Age has taught me you don't trust a guy who spends his time messing with demons, so I was wary of Max. Plus remember the story of how he got infected and died? I wish Clines would stop bringing that up. It's interesting to mix the sorcery stuff with the more science-fiction world of zombies, I quite like that we've now just chucked everything into the big crazy pot.
There is lots of Captain Freedom being AWESOME in this book. He is HARDCORE. He shares driving more of the story with George which I liked. George is cool and all but I like to hear more from the others. There isn't much Stealth, although you learn more about who she is under the mask and she is softening up a tiny tiny bit! There was barely any Cerberus/Danielle which I missed.
My main criticism is that I'm pretty sick of Legion. He's back again. I know that he can't really be killed because he doesn't have a body any more.. but I wish they'd find a way!
I can't say much more than that.. these books are what they are - comic books written in prose! - and I love them for it.
In this one, the clue is in the title, the subject of people returning from the dead is central. I mean back from the dead in a more conscious living form than the hordes of exes! Max aka Cairax has been hanging around as a spirit only Barry can communicate with, and now wants a body to inhabit plus Doctor Sorenson's daughter Madelyn isn't as dead as everybody assumed. Things get a little more magical and religious with spirits and demons to tackle!
I liked Maddy well enough andI thought the way she was introduced was cool. Playing Dragon Age has taught me you don't trust a guy who spends his time messing with demons, so I was wary of Max. Plus remember the story of how he got infected and died? I wish Clines would stop bringing that up. It's interesting to mix the sorcery stuff with the more science-fiction world of zombies, I quite like that we've now just chucked everything into the big crazy pot.
There is lots of Captain Freedom being AWESOME in this book. He is HARDCORE. He shares driving more of the story with George which I liked. George is cool and all but I like to hear more from the others. There isn't much Stealth, although you learn more about who she is under the mask and she is softening up a tiny tiny bit! There was barely any Cerberus/Danielle which I missed.
My main criticism is that I'm pretty sick of Legion. He's back again. I know that he can't really be killed because he doesn't have a body any more.. but I wish they'd find a way!
I can't say much more than that.. these books are what they are - comic books written in prose! - and I love them for it.