Kill or Cure

The Afterblight Chronicles #2

by Rebecca Levene

Jasmine is part of a team of scientists who have discovered a cure to the deadly virus that has destroyed most of the world's population. However, it has a devestating side-effect, driving the recipient into a schizophrenic state. Now Jasmine must keep it together while trying to escape the clutches of the pirate rulers of the New Caribbean.

Genres: Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Fiction, Zombies, Adult

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 24, 2007

About the author

British author, editor and tv storyliner.
Educated at Clare College, Cambridge.
She has written books for Virgin's Doctor Who line, Abbadon books and Black Flame.
She also writes for Doctor Who Magazine and SFX.

Reviews

[Badseedgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture it: Back in 2015 towards the end of February, your Goodreads friend, Badseedgirl, developed a cold that quickly turned into what my grandmother would have lovingly referred to as "Walking Pneumonia." In my case it was more of a crawling, staggering, head spinning, "My God how are you still standing" pneumonia. It was during that time I read the first book in the Afterblight Chronicles. (you can see the results here. In addition to the number of atrocious spelling and grammar mistakes, I clearly said I was going to read the next book in the series.... and then completely forgot about the entire matter.

Here we are in 2021 and after accepting the 2021 Mt. TBR Challenge, I have again dipped my toe in the Afterblight Universe with Kill or Cure by Rebecca Levene. Perhaps it was the different author, perhaps it was the intervening 6+ years, but whatever the case I thoroughly enjoyed this wild, unrealistic romp down the Afterblight rabbit hole.

I still love the idea of a virus that attacks only certain blood types. I'll just tell you now, based on blood type, I would have been one of the millions of goners in this book. Did the characters act in any sort of rational way during this book? No, no they did not. Were there some plot holes large enough to drive a cruise ship through? Why yes there were, thanks for asking! All that being said, this was a wonderful summer read with just the right amount of action, pseudoscience, chases, and gunfire to make my bloody-minded heart pitter pat with happiness.

I have already purchased three more books in the series, because apparently the powers that be released a movie based on the next book, School's Out and because I love my Amazon overlords I wanted you to know I found out I can get all three books of Scott K. Andrews contribution to the series for the low, low price of $.99 HERE.

I don't think I have ever put so many links in a review before. I hope you stuck around to the end.

2025 Update: This stood up to the reread.

[Nicholas Whyte]

http://nhw.livejournal.com/902043.html[return][return]The second in a new series of novels set in a near-future world where a mysterious plague has killed off most of the population, from the same stable (roughly) as 2000 AD. If you like that sort of thing, you will like this, with plague, zombies, horrible secrets, love, loyalty, betrayal, a bit of hot girl-on-girl action, and basically a well-depicted world with (I suspect) more depth to it than you often get in this sector of the genre.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading post apocalyptic books for one big reason; the world setting. If I can't believe the setting then the story does not interest me as much at it could or should; the afterblight chronicles gives us a clear cut setting; a big nasty disease killed everyone except O-negatives in a record pace leaving the survivors unsure at what to do next.

But.... See the above is a simple but workable and believable setting but in the story Japan it seems, was able to save a lot more people but we are left in the dark how or why this is. Is that relevant you might ask? Well it is because one of the big new players in this world, queen M a former UK academic of Caribbean descent who decided that being a queen was right up her life goals list made her empire an aquatic one in the carribean. Fair enough, good weather, fertile islands, plunderable cities and oil right near the coast in the gulf of Mexico but she also needs people so she uses pressgangs to kidnap useful people from all over the world. Again sofar so good but she only kidnaps some and plants tracking devices in both her people and those she leaves behind.....

Where does she get all these tracking devices from? How do satellites still work? Is Japan maintaining them? Why would Japan allow Queen M to kidnap her citizens for her own little empire? Why does Queen M need to kidnap in the pacific region and Paris if there are still people living in the gulf of Mexico region? One of the characters in the story was kidnapped by her pressgangs when he was living in the north of Sweden in a small village where all the others had died?!!! how the hell did she know there was someone up there? Why would she waste so much fuel and risk precious manpower to kidnap people in Europe when the gulf of Mexico still had so many people?

Yeah the setting had some gaps that won't be filled up I guess, but all and all I could overlook them because it was a pleasant read. It had it's fair share of post apocalyptic clichés like people living in an abandoned amusement park, people dressing up, the party at the end of the world, a collector (we got to the preserve the arts!!) led faction and off course a lets remold this world to my own little fantasy obsession villain.

All of this would have made for uninspiring reading, but what really saves this book; is the main character Jasmine whose junkie years living alone in a bunker for 5 years while hearing voices, has given her this unhinged vibe that I find intriguing but who is also a perfect character to explore this world with because it is as new to her as it is to us. I also liked the side characters in particular Haru and Kelis but Ingo is not far behind. The fact that this book easily passed the Bechdel test was a relief and it shows what kind of difference a female author can have on the interactions between characters.

I think I will revisit this afterblight world and hope other authors manage to give a little twist to the known formula or at least use the ingredients knowingly.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty ok beach read so to speak. Tons of plot holes and timeline jumps but as long as you don't think too much, was alright.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the somewhat formulaic nature of the stories, I'm still enjoying the series. The one is no better or worse than the other two I read, though I like this one better than "The Culled" because it does not have that silly supernatural element, and I like it better than "School's Out" because it's less predictable. And, again (like Cherie Priest's novels), I appreciate that the female protagonist is not defined by her sex appeal or her relationship to men. The characters (while weakly developed) are good, the action is good, and the plot is good, though I could do without the gelding (shiver), but at least it was appropriate for the plot. The book's copy plays up the fact that Jasmine is crazy (indeed, mentally ill), but I don't think it comes across very strongly in the novel; for someone insane, the vast majority of her actions (for all but maybe five pages) are perfectly sane. Just referencing "the Voice" frequently does not make me feel her craziness.

[Carien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently I asked people what I should read next. That turned into a tie, so I picked up this book first, because the mention of rabid killers and plague just might mean zombies!

Even though it turned out there were no zombies (although the rabid killers certainly had things in common with them) this was a cool read.

Post-apocalyptic pirates, a mad lead character, rabid killers, and more: this book is filled with action and suspense. Because Jasmine is such an unhinged character it is pretty difficult to root for her, but there were some other characters I liked and who I rooted for instead.

Still if there's one thing I can say against this book, it's that I lacked a connection to the lead character. I had a hard time understanding why some of the others went along with her plans.

All in all this is a fast and entertaining read. I liked Levene's Anno Mortis better, but just looking at this book I would still pick up more books by Levene if they sound interesting.

[Ceejay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is another great novel in the Afterblight Cronicles Series. If you're into post-apocalyptic books, then here is a novel for you! I have a soft spot in my heart for British Science Fiction, and Rebecca Levene is yet another reason for my feelings. Interesting characters. Interesting plot. Fantastic ending. It's all here. You don't have to be familiar with the Afterblight series in order to read this book. The basic deal is that a disease has swept the world, killing everybody except for those with O negative blood. Each author who writes a novel in this series offers a take on this idea. Ms.Levene has written a brilliant Science Fiction adventure. I'll be going on line to see what other books she has written. Three cheers for the Afterbight Series. Three cheers for Rebecca Levene!

[Derek Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid post apocalypse thriller. Gun fights, (lots) pirates, zombies, conspiracies of madmen. While I am sure it might have helped to have read the first one, it certainly wasn't essential as the story was free standing and made sense on it's own. Apperently this is part of a sharred universe were other writers contircute their own stories to. Would defintaly pick up a couple more.

[Grw · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a rare thing when the second book in a series - albeit by different writers - is so much better than the first one, but that's the case with The Afterblight Chronicles. So much so that you could probably skip the first book completely and just start with this one.

The plot is fast moving, just complicated enough to be interesting without being confusing, with a steady release of information not just to progress the plot but to fill in the gaps about what went on before.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong follow up to The Culled that not only fleshes out the Afterblight world very effectively, but also sets up a story arc to take the series a lot further.

[Sean C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good - great premise (although the tracking capability a little unbelievable). I will continue with the series.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read.