Reviews

The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry

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bbabyok's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked everything about the book except for the main character.

stuckonamber's review against another edition

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4.0

Having enjoyed the first two Joe Ledger books, I was slightly disappointed with The King Of Plagues. Starting with the complete destruction of a hospital, featuring 2 hugely influential secret societies at war with each other, and with the level of control and influence the K8ngs displayed, I found it a bit hard to buy into. The latter half of the book, as DMS begin to close in on the bad guys got more engaging, although the final confrontation felt slightly underwhelming. My biggest struggle with this series is seeing this supposedly elite team of investigators miss seemingly obvious clues and leads. Good book overall, but not quite to the standard of the previous novels

hlizmarie's review against another edition

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4.0

Another fantastic piece of the series. Such a great mix of emotion, horror, action and story-telling. I can never put these down once I start reading them and this one's no different. Will eagerly await the next one!!

cdbaker's review against another edition

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4.0

I think that this one was my favorite so far. There were some ridiculous secret society things that got a bit much, but I really enjoyed his biblical conspiracy theories.

Also, the main character got a kickass dog sidekick in this one.

shan198025's review against another edition

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4.0

I love Joe Ledger. He was in rough shape in this book. After the events in the previous book (The Dragon Factory) he was having a hard time getting his headn straight. I liked the concept of the Ten Plagues and the Seven Kings, I kinda wish there ahd been more "gory" detail though. Part of what made Pateint Zero and Dragon Factory so good was that we were told a lot about the gross stuff. I guess in the first two I was grossed out and wanted that from this one also.

thegeekyblogger's review against another edition

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4.0

Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.50

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Holy Joe Ledger! The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry was packed with action and intrigue.

Overall Thoughts: (Quick Review) The King of Plagues was a little bit detective work and whole lot of kick ass Joe Ledger. OMG Jonathan can write a thriller. Even though I know this always has levels of Fringe, to me these are hands down some of the best thrillers on the market. Joe is a detective with some very special skills. His best one though is following a lead and deducting where the clues will take him. Sure he can kick ass, has an awesome dog, and has a highly trained team helping him but Joe is just brilliant. This story combines the very real (and timely in this case) threat of madmen trying to take over the world.

I want to add a quick note about the kick-ass women that Jonathan writes in this series. He never pigeon-holes them or makes them "eye candy". They are generally smart (book and street), diabolical (if that is their role), and just as important to the team as the guys. Thank you for the Mr. Maberry!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Ray Porter / Length: 16 hrs and 7 mins

This is one of those series that initially I didn't like on Audio. I admit that Ray didn't blow me away in book 1. However, now I can't see anyone else being Joe. His deliverance and pacing is perfect for Jonathan's writing.

Final Thought: On to the next one (this is another series that I am pacing so I don't get caught up) :)

billd's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry is the third book in the Joe Ledger action / thriller series and it doesn't let you down one bit. As the other ones the story moves from location to location, from person to person, keeping you on your toes and holding your breath.

It starts with the destruction of a major hospital in London. Joe Ledger is basically on leave and potential retirement due to the death of his lover grace Courtland but his boss Church has called him back to help investigate the bombing. Also the story follows Gault, a villain from previous book, who is being courted by the 7 Kings to fill a gap in the organization, that being the King of Plagues. We also meet Circe, who works for a secret organization, Terror Town, trying to track terrorists and other baddies. And, oh yeah, there is Nicodemus, a prisoner in Philadelphia, who somehow has everyone in the prison under his thrall and seems to know everything that is going on.

So, that's the basic premise. The Kings are sowing discord and chaos and have many plans in the mill. Joe and the DMS team are seemingly one step behind as they try to track down the next attack. Santoro, of the Kings, is their lead man, terrorizing people to get them to follow their plans.

Slowly, the DMS gather info as they continue to fight; facing attacks in the Nevada desert, on an island in Scotland, even a Starbucks in Pennsylvania. The body count mounts but DMS persists! It all comes to a climax on a cruise ship off Brazil where the high and mighty in the entertainment world and political world gather for a huge concert for charity.

It's all very exciting. Joe tries to sort out his feelings, is he a policeman, a killer, or what. It's exciting, introspective and filled with action and personalities. Circe is a welcome addition. Entertainment plus. (4.0 stars)

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