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ethanzo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars for me. Going into this book, I had not read the original source material that this world takes place in, which I don't think is a hindrance to the reading experience necessarily, but I think I would have seen myself enjoying it more if I had. I quite like the idea of incorporating countries that aren't typically showcased into the narrative of the post-apocalyptic world, and the setting was done well and really lent itself to the ways in which the monsters worked. I think I may have misunderstood the level of cognitive ability of the monsters, which is on me, I think, but they were very interesting and honestly a lot scarier than a typical apocalypse baddie, specifically due to their disposition to extreme violence. I felt that the characters were decent, though when your main characters are all very well prepared for the apocalypse and well versed in its tropes, it does lower the stakes a bit, in my opinion. I think the setting and the creatures are a big enough draw that I'll continue the series, though with how book one turned out, I'll make sure not to get too attached to any characters.
vikingwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is another series that started as 'fan fiction' for the wonderful Extinction series, and proved so popular that it was rightly published. This is my review in the first of four currently published books.
Jack is on a solo hike in the mountains in New Zealand when he gets the call from his wife Dee about the apocalypse beginning. In a panic, he has to try and find his way back home through the rural areas full of vicious beasts and towns with criminals banding together to take advantage of the chaos. At home Dee decides to shelter in place until he arrives, taking in a few passing survivors and trying to keep them safe while the deadly Variants scour the area for people to eat or turn.
I liked having the story split into two as their apocalypse experiences were totally different. Jack is out in a rural area on his own when his story begins, and although he has a working vehicle, being chased by Variants flooding from all over is a scary experience, and of course the closer he gets to populated areas, the worse it gets as more people are bitten and turned. Fleeing people are jamming up the roads with their cars, making dangerous bottlenecks for Variants to attack. Having to go on foot has the advantage of stealth if he can stay hidden and avoid the criminals but on foot against racing monsters could be deadly unless he can find his way to a boat and use the river.
Dee has a pantry full of tinned food and her own house to hide in but she faces her own trouble as the monsters roam the roads searching for people. She has to decide who to invite into her home and how to hide themselves from harm. A group of strangers stuck inside together soon start to get on each others nerves and disagree with a plan of action. Dee wants to get to the rural cabin where it might be safer but the potential danger of the journey divides the group. At the back of her mind is the growing fear about what is happening to Jack.
I like that both of them are capable characters to root for but not superhuman. They use common sense to come up with a plan, they get things wrong, they do things that make me pull my hair out...but they are fleshed out well as real normal people just trying to do their best. I liked the fact that the two of them have to cope without an arsenal of guns, using garden tools and similar to fight the beasts. I liked seeing how much they loved nature, the fact that Jack was a film nerd. It helped to make them feel like real people. I also liked seeing the addition of Boss, a teenager whose main interest is gaming, but he is more likable than most teenage characters with just the odd stubborn strop, again making him a character to like. My favourite character is Ben but I can't say more without spoilers!
There is a lot of action in this book and it comes thick and fast. We start with Jack hearing about the danger and chaos quickly follows. There is no boring bit as our heroes are constantly fleeing or hiding from either monsters in the beginning, then encountering the worst of human survivors. We see those who are taking advantage of the situation to kidnap, rape and murder. We also see those who would do anything to survive at the expense of others. We also see the best of humanity working together to try and survive. It is a human story as much as a survival one and I really enjoyed the book.
The author has a good way of telling the story, and it flows pretty well. The monsters are well described and are really scary. The characters are well written and make you want to root for them. I enjoyed the plot as it unfolded in unexpected and shocking ways, especially towards the end. The characters we love are in danger all the time, so be ready for that, and there is an attempted rape and bad things happening to kids. Moving straight on to book two.
Jack is on a solo hike in the mountains in New Zealand when he gets the call from his wife Dee about the apocalypse beginning. In a panic, he has to try and find his way back home through the rural areas full of vicious beasts and towns with criminals banding together to take advantage of the chaos. At home Dee decides to shelter in place until he arrives, taking in a few passing survivors and trying to keep them safe while the deadly Variants scour the area for people to eat or turn.
I liked having the story split into two as their apocalypse experiences were totally different. Jack is out in a rural area on his own when his story begins, and although he has a working vehicle, being chased by Variants flooding from all over is a scary experience, and of course the closer he gets to populated areas, the worse it gets as more people are bitten and turned. Fleeing people are jamming up the roads with their cars, making dangerous bottlenecks for Variants to attack. Having to go on foot has the advantage of stealth if he can stay hidden and avoid the criminals but on foot against racing monsters could be deadly unless he can find his way to a boat and use the river.
Dee has a pantry full of tinned food and her own house to hide in but she faces her own trouble as the monsters roam the roads searching for people. She has to decide who to invite into her home and how to hide themselves from harm. A group of strangers stuck inside together soon start to get on each others nerves and disagree with a plan of action. Dee wants to get to the rural cabin where it might be safer but the potential danger of the journey divides the group. At the back of her mind is the growing fear about what is happening to Jack.
I like that both of them are capable characters to root for but not superhuman. They use common sense to come up with a plan, they get things wrong, they do things that make me pull my hair out...but they are fleshed out well as real normal people just trying to do their best. I liked the fact that the two of them have to cope without an arsenal of guns, using garden tools and similar to fight the beasts. I liked seeing how much they loved nature, the fact that Jack was a film nerd. It helped to make them feel like real people. I also liked seeing the addition of Boss, a teenager whose main interest is gaming, but he is more likable than most teenage characters with just the odd stubborn strop, again making him a character to like. My favourite character is Ben but I can't say more without spoilers!
There is a lot of action in this book and it comes thick and fast. We start with Jack hearing about the danger and chaos quickly follows. There is no boring bit as our heroes are constantly fleeing or hiding from either monsters in the beginning, then encountering the worst of human survivors. We see those who are taking advantage of the situation to kidnap, rape and murder. We also see those who would do anything to survive at the expense of others. We also see the best of humanity working together to try and survive. It is a human story as much as a survival one and I really enjoyed the book.
The author has a good way of telling the story, and it flows pretty well. The monsters are well described and are really scary. The characters are well written and make you want to root for them. I enjoyed the plot as it unfolded in unexpected and shocking ways, especially towards the end. The characters we love are in danger all the time, so be ready for that, and there is an attempted rape and bad things happening to kids. Moving straight on to book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Minor: Rape
errmma's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
xkay_readsx's review
4.0
This book was fun if you're in this sort of thing- unknown virus and monsters. Just like its main series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith (Extinction Cycle) stinking Variants somehow arrived in New Zealand and wreak havoc to this picturesque country. Men, women and children fought to survive this nightmare, no Marines here. I'm very curious to know what happens next!
entee's review against another edition
4.0
I don't normally really get much into the zombie apocalypse genre. I can't quite reconcile the image of zombies (even millions of them) standing up to a modern military with tanks and especially air strikes from several thousand feet in the air.
But this one is set in New Zealand. New Zealand doesn't have any tanks, nor any fighter jets. Zombies in New Zealand might just have a solid shot at taking over!
Being half Kiwi, and a total Kiwiphile, I loved the setting and characters of the story. I was engrossed from page one! Which is a good thing, because it's a short novella, it'd already be over if it took 100 pages to get going!
But this one is set in New Zealand. New Zealand doesn't have any tanks, nor any fighter jets. Zombies in New Zealand might just have a solid shot at taking over!
Being half Kiwi, and a total Kiwiphile, I loved the setting and characters of the story. I was engrossed from page one! Which is a good thing, because it's a short novella, it'd already be over if it took 100 pages to get going!
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