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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Disclosure: I received this book as part of a giveaway on GoodReads.
This is like a poor novel adaptation of what probably would have been a pretty good graphic novel. I find myself thinking about how many of the characters are described as attractive and how I would have dismissed that if they were drawn as such. I think this is a natural and fair comparison as it seems pretty obvious the work was heavily influenced by the genre, even directly referencing The Watchmen, in an appropriately tongue-in-cheek way, at one point.
The interpersonal relationships are underdeveloped. Most of the character development is done in flashbacks. (So, in that way at least, a lot of the book is like a collection of origin stories. Given this is the first book in a series, I suppose that makes sense.) Some of the reveals are decent, but some are unfortunately cliché.
In the end, the cover copy is pretty spot on. If you love zombies, post-apocalypse, and super heroes, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If you’re looking for something new or different from what you’d get in most of stories containing those elements, well, this one is probably not for you.
This is like a poor novel adaptation of what probably would have been a pretty good graphic novel. I find myself thinking about how many of the characters are described as attractive and how I would have dismissed that if they were drawn as such. I think this is a natural and fair comparison as it seems pretty obvious the work was heavily influenced by the genre, even directly referencing The Watchmen, in an appropriately tongue-in-cheek way, at one point.
The interpersonal relationships are underdeveloped. Most of the character development is done in flashbacks. (So, in that way at least, a lot of the book is like a collection of origin stories. Given this is the first book in a series, I suppose that makes sense.) Some of the reveals are decent, but some are unfortunately cliché.
In the end, the cover copy is pretty spot on. If you love zombies, post-apocalypse, and super heroes, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If you’re looking for something new or different from what you’d get in most of stories containing those elements, well, this one is probably not for you.
How would superheroes react to the zombie apocalypse? That’s the question behind Peter Clines’s Ex-series, the first of which is Ex-Heroes.
Upon the arrival of the zombie horde, ordinary humans wake up with the realization that they’ve gained superpowers of some sort. There’s the man who can generate electricity (who, slight spoiler alert, is hooked up to the main survivor city to generate their electricity), the one who has super speed (duh), and then there’s St. George, who’s pretty much impervious (but he’s not gonna test that against zombie teeth).
At first it appears that George, nicknamed by the “normal” humans (meaning the non-powered, non-zombified ones) St. George the Dragon, is the main character of the novel, but that quickly evolves throughout the book and its sequels to feature most of the other, still-living superheroes.
Yes, superheroes are affected by the zombie virus, too. As if worrying about the encroaching zombie horde wasn’t bad enough, now you’ve also got to worry about the superpowered zombies that unfortunately now reside within the horde.
We catch up with the survivors of the apocalypse about a year after the main event has occurred. As with most zombie stories, the main plotline is that the survivors, in their great walled city, are running out of resources. Someone has to go and collect those resources, and usually that someone is St. George or the other heroes. Their mission is also to search for survivors, or even another place to move their encampment (because being trapped in Los Angeles in the middle of the zombie apocalypse is not the greatest place to be).
The zombie threat is growing smarter, though, and its numbers are growing by the day, as more and more people succumb to the virus. There’s something running the zombies now, directing their every move, making them out to be more than just the mindless corpses that the heroes once thought them to be.
And then you find out who really caused the virus outbreak. And it’s a shocker.
If you’re a fan of superheroes, zombies, or science fiction in general, this novel (and its sequels!) should find itself a high place on your to-read list. The writing is pretty dang great (as I’ve read several of these in a day, because even though they’re thick, I was so entranced by them that I couldn’t put them down). The female characters aren’t just there for eye-candy, either…although the leader of the survivors, who may or may not actually have superpowers, is described as you would expect a man to describe a “vivacious” African-American female: “exotic.” Which, as we all know, is a terrible way to talk about anyone.
I promise you won’t be let down by this series. And if you are? Please, tell me why. I’m always open for a debate on books I love. It’s a recommended read at 3.5/5 stars. It’s not overly spectacular, but it got me hooked enough that I devoured three of these in one day. (You read that right.)
Upon the arrival of the zombie horde, ordinary humans wake up with the realization that they’ve gained superpowers of some sort. There’s the man who can generate electricity (who, slight spoiler alert, is hooked up to the main survivor city to generate their electricity), the one who has super speed (duh), and then there’s St. George, who’s pretty much impervious (but he’s not gonna test that against zombie teeth).
At first it appears that George, nicknamed by the “normal” humans (meaning the non-powered, non-zombified ones) St. George the Dragon, is the main character of the novel, but that quickly evolves throughout the book and its sequels to feature most of the other, still-living superheroes.
Yes, superheroes are affected by the zombie virus, too. As if worrying about the encroaching zombie horde wasn’t bad enough, now you’ve also got to worry about the superpowered zombies that unfortunately now reside within the horde.
We catch up with the survivors of the apocalypse about a year after the main event has occurred. As with most zombie stories, the main plotline is that the survivors, in their great walled city, are running out of resources. Someone has to go and collect those resources, and usually that someone is St. George or the other heroes. Their mission is also to search for survivors, or even another place to move their encampment (because being trapped in Los Angeles in the middle of the zombie apocalypse is not the greatest place to be).
The zombie threat is growing smarter, though, and its numbers are growing by the day, as more and more people succumb to the virus. There’s something running the zombies now, directing their every move, making them out to be more than just the mindless corpses that the heroes once thought them to be.
And then you find out who really caused the virus outbreak. And it’s a shocker.
If you’re a fan of superheroes, zombies, or science fiction in general, this novel (and its sequels!) should find itself a high place on your to-read list. The writing is pretty dang great (as I’ve read several of these in a day, because even though they’re thick, I was so entranced by them that I couldn’t put them down). The female characters aren’t just there for eye-candy, either…although the leader of the survivors, who may or may not actually have superpowers, is described as you would expect a man to describe a “vivacious” African-American female: “exotic.” Which, as we all know, is a terrible way to talk about anyone.
I promise you won’t be let down by this series. And if you are? Please, tell me why. I’m always open for a debate on books I love. It’s a recommended read at 3.5/5 stars. It’s not overly spectacular, but it got me hooked enough that I devoured three of these in one day. (You read that right.)
How would superheroes react to the zombie apocalypse? That’s the question behind Peter Clines’s Ex-series, the first of which is Ex-Heroes.
Before the arrival of the zombie horde, ordinary humans wake up with the realization that they’ve gained superpowers of some sort. There’s the man who can generate electricity (who, slight spoiler alert, is hooked up to the main survivor city to generate their electricity), the one who has super speed (duh), and then there’s St. George, who’s pretty much impervious (but he’s not gonna test that against zombie teeth).
At first it appears that George, nicknamed by the “normal” humans (meaning the non-powered, non-zombified ones) St. George the Dragon, is the main character of the novel, but that quickly evolves throughout the book and its sequels to feature most of the other, still-living superheroes.
Yes, superheroes are affected by the zombie virus, too. As if worrying about the encroaching zombie horde wasn’t bad enough, now you’ve also got to worry about the superpowered zombies that unfortunately now reside within the horde.
We catch up with the survivors of the apocalypse about a year after the main event has occurred. As with most zombie stories, the main plotline is that the survivors, in their great walled city, are running out of resources. Someone has to go and collect those resources, and usually that someone is St. George or the other heroes. Their mission is also to search for survivors, or even another place to move their encampment (because being trapped in Los Angeles in the middle of the zombie apocalypse is not the greatest place to be).
The zombie threat is growing smarter, though, and its numbers are growing by the day, as more and more people succumb to the virus. There’s something running the zombies now, directing their every move, making them out to be more than just the mindless corpses that the heroes once thought them to be.
And then you find out who really caused the virus outbreak. And it’s a shocker.
If you’re a fan of superheroes, zombies, or science fiction in general, this novel (and its sequels!) should find itself a high place on your to-read list. The writing is pretty dang great (as I’ve read several of these in a day, because even though they’re thick, I was so entranced by them that I couldn’t put them down). The female characters aren’t just there for eye-candy, either…although the leader of the survivors, who may or may not actually have superpowers, is described as you would expect a man to describe a “vivacious” African-American female: “exotic.” Which, as we all know, is a terrible way to talk about anyone.
I promise you won’t be let down by this series. And if you are? Please, tell me why. I’m always open for a debate on books I love. It’s a recommended read at 3.5/5 stars. It’s not overly spectacular, but it got me hooked enough that I devoured three of these in one day. (You read that right.)
Originally published at https://booksareonlythebeginning.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/book-review-exheroes-by-peter-clines/
Before the arrival of the zombie horde, ordinary humans wake up with the realization that they’ve gained superpowers of some sort. There’s the man who can generate electricity (who, slight spoiler alert, is hooked up to the main survivor city to generate their electricity), the one who has super speed (duh), and then there’s St. George, who’s pretty much impervious (but he’s not gonna test that against zombie teeth).
At first it appears that George, nicknamed by the “normal” humans (meaning the non-powered, non-zombified ones) St. George the Dragon, is the main character of the novel, but that quickly evolves throughout the book and its sequels to feature most of the other, still-living superheroes.
Yes, superheroes are affected by the zombie virus, too. As if worrying about the encroaching zombie horde wasn’t bad enough, now you’ve also got to worry about the superpowered zombies that unfortunately now reside within the horde.
We catch up with the survivors of the apocalypse about a year after the main event has occurred. As with most zombie stories, the main plotline is that the survivors, in their great walled city, are running out of resources. Someone has to go and collect those resources, and usually that someone is St. George or the other heroes. Their mission is also to search for survivors, or even another place to move their encampment (because being trapped in Los Angeles in the middle of the zombie apocalypse is not the greatest place to be).
The zombie threat is growing smarter, though, and its numbers are growing by the day, as more and more people succumb to the virus. There’s something running the zombies now, directing their every move, making them out to be more than just the mindless corpses that the heroes once thought them to be.
And then you find out who really caused the virus outbreak. And it’s a shocker.
If you’re a fan of superheroes, zombies, or science fiction in general, this novel (and its sequels!) should find itself a high place on your to-read list. The writing is pretty dang great (as I’ve read several of these in a day, because even though they’re thick, I was so entranced by them that I couldn’t put them down). The female characters aren’t just there for eye-candy, either…although the leader of the survivors, who may or may not actually have superpowers, is described as you would expect a man to describe a “vivacious” African-American female: “exotic.” Which, as we all know, is a terrible way to talk about anyone.
I promise you won’t be let down by this series. And if you are? Please, tell me why. I’m always open for a debate on books I love. It’s a recommended read at 3.5/5 stars. It’s not overly spectacular, but it got me hooked enough that I devoured three of these in one day. (You read that right.)
Originally published at https://booksareonlythebeginning.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/book-review-exheroes-by-peter-clines/
Super glad that Barnes and Nobles puts a great display of books out on there up front tables.
Peter Clines [a:Peter Clines|3396842|Peter Clines|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1314048538p2/3396842.jpg] Ex-Heroes [b:Ex-Heroes|16479439|Ex-Heroes (Ex-Heroes, #1)|Peter Clines|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360646185s/16479439.jpg|10753679] would have probably been over looked by me if not. I will thank my friends Gabi and Wesley for one wanting the book and the latter buying it for her while I was in his presence. <--- not really a good review yet :)
The book is great! I am a huge comic book fan and this spoke to me immediately. I love the characters and their unique powers. And for a first book Peter killed it. Just the right amount of action, sex, and fun that I want and descriptive enough for me to be engrossed in the look and feel of a post apocalyptic world with Ex's and Superheroes fighting it out.
ALSO my mind just blew up to find out (literally seconds ago) that there are 4 books in this series!!!! I guess I will be buying 3 more books :)
Peter Clines [a:Peter Clines|3396842|Peter Clines|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1314048538p2/3396842.jpg] Ex-Heroes [b:Ex-Heroes|16479439|Ex-Heroes (Ex-Heroes, #1)|Peter Clines|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360646185s/16479439.jpg|10753679] would have probably been over looked by me if not. I will thank my friends Gabi and Wesley for one wanting the book and the latter buying it for her while I was in his presence. <--- not really a good review yet :)
The book is great! I am a huge comic book fan and this spoke to me immediately. I love the characters and their unique powers. And for a first book Peter killed it. Just the right amount of action, sex, and fun that I want and descriptive enough for me to be engrossed in the look and feel of a post apocalyptic world with Ex's and Superheroes fighting it out.
ALSO my mind just blew up to find out (literally seconds ago) that there are 4 books in this series!!!! I guess I will be buying 3 more books :)
3.5/5…Not the Clines that I have gotten used to, but still an interesting mashup of the superhero and zombie genres.
If you like books filled with sexism and unnecessary, extreme gore this book is for you!
Plot was good. Writing- eh...
Plot was good. Writing- eh...
An awesome read! Fun, fast paced and action packed. I loved it!
This was fun. Like an action movie sort of fun. But also had some dark moments, because not everything is peachy in Super-hero-ville.
The heroes felt unique, both in their abilities and their approach to problem solving, but not to the point of sowing discontent. I guess I am a sucker for stories about people working together for some common goal, it gives me hope that not everything is lost.
I do have a few of complaints though. First, the sexualization of Stealth is annoying. Once or twice, it was worth a mention, but after that I could really do without. Second, it was concerning that I could figure out what was going on before the super smart strategist did, while we were given the same information. I mean, yeah Stealth is not infallible, but it breaks the immersion when the smartest hero grabs the 'idiot ball'. Third, Zzzap is very overpowered. I do understand the difficulty of making heroes both awe inspiring and yet vulnerable, but having a literal god hang around fixing things or being conveniently absent is very hand wavy on the part of the author.
I will definitely read book 2, if only because my brain is craving junk food reads, while also hoping it gets better.
The heroes felt unique, both in their abilities and their approach to problem solving, but not to the point of sowing discontent. I guess I am a sucker for stories about people working together for some common goal, it gives me hope that not everything is lost.
I do have a few of complaints though. First, the sexualization of Stealth is annoying. Once or twice, it was worth a mention, but after that I could really do without. Second, it was concerning that I could figure out what was going on before the super smart strategist did, while we were given the same information. I mean, yeah Stealth is not infallible, but it breaks the immersion when the smartest hero grabs the 'idiot ball'. Third, Zzzap is very overpowered. I do understand the difficulty of making heroes both awe inspiring and yet vulnerable, but having a literal god hang around fixing things or being conveniently absent is very hand wavy on the part of the author.
I will definitely read book 2, if only because my brain is craving junk food reads, while also hoping it gets better.
This will certainly be optioned as a movie (if it hasn't yet), and it'll be a good summer popcorn flick. But it was pretty silly at many points.