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vikingwolf's review
4.0
With the tragic death of the author ZA Recht after book two, the fans wondered if we would get a conclusion to the trilogy so I was thrilled to hear that another author had agreed to use ZA Recht's notes and complete book three. There have been mixed opinions on how successful the author was but I still very much enjoyed the book. It is hard to judge the contents of the book as I don't know what ZA's notes were, how much of the plot is his and how much was filled in by the new author. So I can only judge it by how I reacted to it as I read it.
Sawyer is trying to convince his superiors to give him access to attack helicopters which will allow him to go after Anna's group at the facility. Harris and his group arrive at Abraham as hell breaks loose there thanks to an escape from the hospital by Lutz. Anna is having no luck with her work on the virus and she knows that time is running out for them. The survivors are determined to get Stiles safely to the facility as he could be the last hope of a cure.
I do have a few issues with this book compared to the first two novels. Firstly, why is Becky such a bitch these days? I liked her at the start of the series but she is a moaning faced cow in this book and I wasn't bothered if she lived or died. These people have kept her safe all this time and she is treating them There are also way too many pointless info dumps that add nothing to the book ie the contents of every person's room at the facility. How does this actually move the plot onwards? In fact, the whole plot is slow in places with too much inane chat and not the same break neck pace that we had in the first two books.
However the action scenes do not disappoint. The attack on the bridge and the following incidents at the transport museum were exciting, tension filled and edge of the seat stuff. It was well written and had you wondering who was going to make it out alive. It was certainly one of the highlights of the book. There are certainly a few shocks in this part of the book that I wasn't expecting, and it kept things interesting. Also, you have to feel sorry for the Sheriff of Abraham as his town comes under attack again by raiders and zombies-the poor guy must have wondered what his people had done to deserve their fates.
Everyone is converging on the facility-good and bad guys which leads to more trouble for our survivors. I was a bit disappointed by some of the things that happened in the last third of the book as a couple of characters that I liked were killed but such is the nature of zombie books. I was also quite lacklustre about the romance elements that were suddenly introduced. It lacked chemistry and there seemed no real point to it, instead detracting from the overall big battles at that stage of the book.
Basically, I'd say that I am glad the book was written and that we got a resolution to the story. It would have been even better to see what ZA would have done with the story but it wasn't to be. I still enjoyed the overall story and it an above average zombie read.
Sawyer is trying to convince his superiors to give him access to attack helicopters which will allow him to go after Anna's group at the facility. Harris and his group arrive at Abraham as hell breaks loose there thanks to an escape from the hospital by Lutz. Anna is having no luck with her work on the virus and she knows that time is running out for them. The survivors are determined to get Stiles safely to the facility as he could be the last hope of a cure.
I do have a few issues with this book compared to the first two novels. Firstly, why is Becky such a bitch these days? I liked her at the start of the series but she is a moaning faced cow in this book and I wasn't bothered if she lived or died. These people have kept her safe all this time and she is treating them There are also way too many pointless info dumps that add nothing to the book ie the contents of every person's room at the facility. How does this actually move the plot onwards? In fact, the whole plot is slow in places with too much inane chat and not the same break neck pace that we had in the first two books.
However the action scenes do not disappoint. The attack on the bridge and the following incidents at the transport museum were exciting, tension filled and edge of the seat stuff. It was well written and had you wondering who was going to make it out alive. It was certainly one of the highlights of the book. There are certainly a few shocks in this part of the book that I wasn't expecting, and it kept things interesting. Also, you have to feel sorry for the Sheriff of Abraham as his town comes under attack again by raiders and zombies-the poor guy must have wondered what his people had done to deserve their fates.
Everyone is converging on the facility-good and bad guys which leads to more trouble for our survivors. I was a bit disappointed by some of the things that happened in the last third of the book as a couple of characters that I liked were killed but such is the nature of zombie books. I was also quite lacklustre about the romance elements that were suddenly introduced. It lacked chemistry and there seemed no real point to it, instead detracting from the overall big battles at that stage of the book.
Basically, I'd say that I am glad the book was written and that we got a resolution to the story. It would have been even better to see what ZA would have done with the story but it wasn't to be. I still enjoyed the overall story and it an above average zombie read.
athenaevarinya's review
3.0
Alright, so I just finished the book and digesting it all. While I enjoyed it, for the most part, I feel the ending was a bit of a letdown. We're left with a possible viable vaccination and a chance for what's left of the human race to survive the virus once they get it, but no cure which makes sense when dealing with a virus-based problem. I don't know, I know it apocalyptic and all, but the death count at the end got to me mostly because it wasn't death against zombie problems, but a group of military men who are led by a shithead and nobody questioned the things he says.
So Sawyer claims there is a cure and they have to get Anna to get it. He claims they're trying to sell the cure to the highest bidder, but let's face facts here. The world is screwed beyond screwed with the zombies (sprinters and shamblers) being the majority and money is worthless. It makes no sense to be selling a cure if there was one. And considering the state of the sprinters, a so-called cure would wind up killing them because without the virus to push them, they'd drop dead before the could be nursed back. So considering that, it's ridiculous that Anna is hoarding a cure. And honestly, did none of those soldiers use their brain to question why they couldn't just go to where Anna was holed up to ask for a cure. Did they have to kill people who've managed to survive for who knows how long in a world of zombies?
So yeah, not really feeling the ending, but that's all we're going to get because the author passed away. And come to think of it, another reason why it doesn't really feel right is that the author died before finishing it and another guy took over to finish it. I'm thinking a lot of the deaths that I didn't like was his fault. =(
So Sawyer claims there is a cure and they have to get Anna to get it. He claims they're trying to sell the cure to the highest bidder, but let's face facts here. The world is screwed beyond screwed with the zombies (sprinters and shamblers) being the majority and money is worthless. It makes no sense to be selling a cure if there was one. And considering the state of the sprinters, a so-called cure would wind up killing them because without the virus to push them, they'd drop dead before the could be nursed back. So considering that, it's ridiculous that Anna is hoarding a cure. And honestly, did none of those soldiers use their brain to question why they couldn't just go to where Anna was holed up to ask for a cure. Did they have to kill people who've managed to survive for who knows how long in a world of zombies?
So yeah, not really feeling the ending, but that's all we're going to get because the author passed away. And come to think of it, another reason why it doesn't really feel right is that the author died before finishing it and another guy took over to finish it. I'm thinking a lot of the deaths that I didn't like was his fault. =(
darthbiblia's review
3.0
I'm glad that a ghost writer was found, but I am just not feeling this wrap up. So many unanswered questions, so many out of character actions. I'm glad that I read it, and I'm glad to have closure. I just wish that Z. A. Recht had been here to finish the story as it should have ended.
actovgod's review
3.0
Unfortunately the worst one in the Trilogy. I know that this is mostly due to the demise of the original author, so reader can notice the difference in styles - one typical for Recht - realistic, down to Earth, no writing about unnecessary things and terrible jokes and another shallow, Hollywood bad action movie style - bad jokes, unnecessary information (like the part about the surnames), shallow stereotypical Army jokes etc. It's still a good zombie novel, but not as nearly good as [b:Thunder and Ashes|3196717|Thunder and Ashes (Morningstar Strain #2)|Z.A. Recht|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388378260s/3196717.jpg|3229814].
I'm really sad about author's demise, because he really took this genre serious and made such remarkable books that really focused on important things - realistic combat, travelling, scavenging, etc.
I'm really sad about author's demise, because he really took this genre serious and made such remarkable books that really focused on important things - realistic combat, travelling, scavenging, etc.
hooptron's review
3.0
Overall this series doesn't cover any new or horribly interesting zombie territory. However, if you are looking for some light beach reading and you enjoy zombie books these are perfect.
jljaina's review
3.0
I really enjoyed the series, at least up until this book. While the book was not bad, it was definitely lacking. I suppose that is because this book was not finished be the original author, as he had passed away.
So, as for the book itself, we have many of the survivors (I will not give names so as not to spoil earlier books) in the Omaha Fac, trying to establish a more normal lifestyle and looking for a cure. We have the sailors from the Rammage desperately trying to follow the trek across the US to reach them, even stopping as familiar towns, with the one person known to be immune from Morningstar. And then we have Agent Sawyer, still on his power trip, determined to thwart everything to prove himself.
While the books was enjoyable, it just wasn't near as good as the first two. There were parts of the book the writing style was very different and character personality seemed off. However, I still think Thom Brannan did a fair job with what he had to work with as far as I could tell, but there were a few gaps. Although I was saddened that after all the travels and loss, some of my favorite characters died after all they had been through. Oh well, welcome to survivalist horror, right? Anyways, go enjoy the book.
So, as for the book itself, we have many of the survivors (I will not give names so as not to spoil earlier books) in the Omaha Fac, trying to establish a more normal lifestyle and looking for a cure. We have the sailors from the Rammage desperately trying to follow the trek across the US to reach them, even stopping as familiar towns, with the one person known to be immune from Morningstar. And then we have Agent Sawyer, still on his power trip, determined to thwart everything to prove himself.
While the books was enjoyable, it just wasn't near as good as the first two. There were parts of the book the writing style was very different and character personality seemed off. However, I still think Thom Brannan did a fair job with what he had to work with as far as I could tell, but there were a few gaps. Although I was saddened that after all the travels and loss, some of my favorite characters died after all they had been through. Oh well, welcome to survivalist horror, right? Anyways, go enjoy the book.
klieber's review
3.0
This book was very poor compared to the other two. This is most likely due to the author passing away before it was finished and someone else completing his work. Poorly.
You can definitely tell many of the sections where the new author took over. They're written in a more clinical manner, with less emphasis placed on the characters and more emphasis placed on the actions.
My biggest beef with this book is the crappy ending. It's rushed and very poorly written. The author uses what I call "magic pixie dust" to complete the book. The right group (brand new to the plot line), showing up at the right time, purely by chance to save the day.
Furthermore, there are plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. The whole series describes in great detail the transmission and infection vectors for the disease. Yet there's at least two people that get the disease in this final book that do not appear to be infected in any of these ways, one of whom is critical to the climax of the book. (more magic pixie dust)
You can definitely tell many of the sections where the new author took over. They're written in a more clinical manner, with less emphasis placed on the characters and more emphasis placed on the actions.
My biggest beef with this book is the crappy ending. It's rushed and very poorly written. The author uses what I call "magic pixie dust" to complete the book. The right group (brand new to the plot line), showing up at the right time, purely by chance to save the day.
Furthermore, there are plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. The whole series describes in great detail the transmission and infection vectors for the disease. Yet there's at least two people that get the disease in this final book that do not appear to be infected in any of these ways, one of whom is critical to the climax of the book. (more magic pixie dust)
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