Siege

As the World Dies #3

by Rhiannon Frater

Siege is the conclusion to Rhiannon Frater’s As the World Dies trilogy, which should appeal to fans of The Walking Dead. Both The First Days and Fighting to Survive won the Dead Letter Award from Mail Order Zombie. The First Days was named one of the Best Zombie Books of the Decade by the Harrisburg Book Examiner.

The zombie illness has shattered civilization. The survivors who have found tenuous safety in Texas defend their fort against the walking dead and living bandits.

Katie has made peace with the death of her wife and is pregnant and married to Travis, who has been elected Mayor. Jenni, her stepson, Jason; and Juan—Travis’s righthand man—are a happy family, though Jenni suffers from PTSD. Both women are deadly zombie killers. In Siege, the people of Ashley Oaks are stunned to discover that the vice president of the United States is alive and commanding the remnants of the US military. What’s left of the US government has plans for this group of determined survivors.

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Apocalyptic

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor) as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog).

She was born and raised in Texas where she currently resides with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).

She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.

Reviews

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler free even for those new to the series.

Wow. Just. Fucking. Wow!

I read The First Days and thought it was an all around great zombie novel with strong characters. A few weeks later I read Fighting to Survive. Only a few pages in did I realize that by that point, I was completely invested in these characters. They got into my heart, they made me laugh and cry, they made me love them uncontrollably, and I always will! Not just Katie and Jenni, every single one. Even crazy Calhoun (he's freaking awesome!). By the time I read Siege, this had become of my favorite series, I didn't want it to end, and I envy those who get to experience it all for the first time.

Siege, the final book in the As The World Dies trilogy, is undoubtedly the most emotional of the three, as well as the most life changing. Katie and Jenni are as bad-ass as ever, and as in Fighting to Survive, zombies are only the start of their problems. Even through all the death, through all the despair, it's surprising how much happiness you can feel in every little corner. It's wonderful to see how strong humans can be, how selfless, how much we are willing to do to assure we kick this zombocalypse's ass! Realism is one of the strongest trait of this series. Everything that happens, every single thing - including the undead, is incredibly realistic. So yes, I talk about it as if it was real, because if the dead started walking today, THIS is what we would be facing; this is how humans would react.

The suspense, the anticipation, the terror - I can't get over how remarkably well written it all is. Action scenes so intense, flashing from one character to another, making us experience the terror through glimpses of every one's horrifying situation. I could see it so clearly in my head it might as well have been happening to me. Heck, it definitely felt like it was. The emotions are all so deeply vivid. This is it, this is the finale, people die - a LOT of people die, not only is it the first book to ever make me cry, she has me relive these deaths every time loved ones learn about them; every time a character reminisces, it's like a stick to the heart.

Really, do yourself a favor, and read these! Don't shy away because it's a zombie book. Sure there are zombies, and I won't be the one to tell you it's not terrifying, but this story is not about the terror and gore, it's about survival, it's about humans joining together and starting over, it's about rebuilding a society that has been torn apart by infinite horror. You will be frightened, you will be touched, you will experience love and loss, and I can assure you- it WILL stick with you!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[carol. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was the writing this awful in the first two books? Most likely it was, but there was too much happening to notice, or I was distracted by the zombies. What I notice now is that someone got out her thesaurus and did her very, very best to replace every single "said" with another verb. They confided, decided, answered, suggested and scoffed. It sounds like that point when you know your writing is lacking in skill and sophistication, and you are trying to jazz it up, but can't think of what to do. Then there's the weak attempt to add descriptors. A bit in the pine trees had me annoyed with its 'fragrant' needles and 'crackling' needles (which were they? a little herb secret: usually fragrant and dried don't go together). Even a gun-toting super-Loca couldn't save me when I read about the zombies' "delighted moans" as they chomped on a human feast. Oh-oh. Is someone channeling a romance novelist?

"Siege" begins with a variation on the last two books, the image of Jenni waiting for her baby to poke his fingers under her bedroom door. She's fallen asleep on a supply run, and is rudely awakened by a zombie slathering at her car door. They pick up a few more survivors on the way home, after another zombie altercation, and integrate them into fort life, with the exception of Rune, a Harley-loving medium (as in "I see dead people," not the size. Actually, he's a rather large guy). Troubles at the fort peak again, leading to one of the few incongruities I've noticed in the series--an evil character shoots someone in the chest and they stay dead. The violence results in the survivors realizing they lack medical equipment (!), and the solution is to make a run on a hospital, which have been "notorious death traps" (we know this because every character says or thinks so) due to the outbreak first being treated as an illness. The hospital scene is done in best zombie movie style, but it surprised me that we are on book three and the survivors still seem to be failing the learning curve for fighting zombies. On the way out, two of the scavengers are hijacked by a military unit contemplating action against the fort.

One thing you can say about Frater is, she knows her character tropes. There isn't much subtlety in the forces of human selfishness here, and that's a shame. Blanche, the fort "Whore of Babylon" (as labelled by Frater in the chapter heading), and her sister, the equally selfish and evil senator, are described without nuance, and run true to every rich-witch stereotype, even though they apparently grew up in the trailer park. They had multiple plastic surgeries, are racist, have affairs, are obsessed with material goods, manipulate men through sex, believe might makes right, and most importantly, they foolishly believe the normal world will return and their wealth will still have meaning. Zombies are such an obvious villain; the interesting part of apocalypse novels is what happens with the human element, and by depriving the antagonists of subtlety, Frater minimizes the drama and opportunities for deeper meaning in her book.

Speaking of tropes, when the Vigilante was revealed, I was completely unsurprised, except by the apparent effort to turn him into a schitzophrenic. What a character cop-out--she should have left the character the courage of conviction without mental illness.

Ah well, it is what it is, right? Filled with all the best zombie tropes(except for the ones where the heroes turn into zombies as well), it's about what one could expect. This book in the series was a little more self-consciously referential. A little more mystical. I believe there may have been talk of a savior that sounded suspiciously like Terminator. But it was a fast read, a pleasant break, and now the series is done. Hurray for book OCD.

[Peter Monn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! Best Zombie series EVER! Check out my full review on my booktube channel at http://youtube.com/peterlikesbooks

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something going on in Zombie books that I don't fully understand. The idea of a small group of people building a fort to stand against a feared hoard of some kind seems to be a recurring theme in fiction and film. Because I don't really understand the mindset, when I read these stories I find myself spending stupid amounts of time trying to figure out what the author is saying about political or social issues.



Jenni and Katie survived the Zombie Apocalypse (The First Days), they found a home and people they love (Fighting to Survive), now in this the final book they must not only do battle with the undead but with a corrupt government which wants to enslave them.



I'm sure there are zombie aficionados out there who can talk for hours about the rules of zombie books, the political subtext and maybe even how to survive the coming zombie apocalypse. Not me. I know very little about this genre, and to be honest I don't even know what genre it belongs to.

What I can say is this series is thoroughly entertaining and completely addictive. Each book somehow manages to be better than what came before and this the climax is close to perfect. Totally in love with this book.

[Leslee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The final novel in Frater's "As the World Dies Trilogy". The novel continues to follow the struggle of a group of civilians that have banded together in creating 'the fort', a new eden in a world that has become increasingly ravaged by the bane of the undead.

Unfortunately for Frater, the world seems to die with a whimper, and not a bang. The novel suffers from some of the same issues that plagued earlier novels, namely villains that seem to have no redeeming qualities, and poor characterization. However, some new problems come to the forefront in Seige that overshadow the characterization. For instance, I felt that Seige suffered from too much trying to happen in too few pages. The Seige, with thousands of zombies attacking the fort, gets delegated to the final 15 pages. The rushed pacing leads to a lack of excitement and tension and makes you feel like she just had no idea how to truly write an effective seige (a good example of an effective, bone-tiring, absolutely wearying siege would be Steven Erikson's Memories of Ice).

The introduction of the metaphysical of the novel I felt also brought down the action and cheapened the storyline somewhat. Everytime a ghost appeared it felt extremely deus-ex-machina and I would have preferred to see Frater attempt to solve the situations with living, breathing individuals instead of 'I'm a ghost and I came here for an important mission or to tell you something vital!'.

I'm not saying that the novel didn't have its good points, it was an enjoyable read that held my attention and Frater is good at manipulating emotions and making you feel the sadness of the losses of some major characters, but overall I felt like this was a weak ending that with some good editing and better framework could have been a much stronger offering.

[Zombiefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read but could've been better.

If you want blood, gore, car chases and near-misses there's plenty. But character development was not good for me. A lot of potentially great characters were not fleshed out enough and some who did develop throughout the trilogy were kind of , well, meh. Like the battered-housewife-coming-into-her-own could have been a great character but to have Jenni almost instantly morph from helpless-shellshocked-needy to a horny, wisecracking GI Jane and eventually Savior Of The World lacked a lot of "middle story" for me. And Katie deteriorating from a nice strong multi-faceted character in the beginning to weepy, clingy arm decoration for her husband by the third book was equally meh. Even her verbal "confrontation" with the cartoonish villainess of this third installment had none of the promised fireworks and added nothing to the story.
And although I certainly do not read zombie books for plausibility the introduction of the supernatural ghosty aspect in this third book was weird. I love ghosts and all ghosty possibilities but to have them become corporeal was a bit much and introduced a very deep supernatural aspect that the first two books did not have. The author never previously referred to anything supernatural regarding the way the the zombies came about --- there was constant mention of residual "brain activity" and "reptilian instinct" and hinting towards some pseudo-scientific explanation for the zombocalypse. So the lack of introduction and buildup of the ghost aspect made it confusing. In this sense the character of the medium (Rune) could have been used really well --- he was one potentially superinteresting character who never got going. In the end he was just a guy who saw ghosts ???!!?? and threw a couple of grenades --- again, a character who ended up meh where he could've been wow. Just like the final battle which ended with a fizzle instead of a bang. I sigh at the potential knockdown drag-out fight with the military that was hinted at but never happened.
Still I was entertained although I felt this book (and the rest of the trilogy) had real potential to be much better. Best of luck to the author for her next books, I hope she continues to grow in her craft.

[Felicia A Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. Em. Gee. I laughed, I cried. What. A. Freaking. Ride. I cannot, however, rate this book. I cannot even discuss this book without ruining it for anyone who is reading the series.

I'm sad about that, as I would like to let EVERYONE know that this is definitely one for their collection. But to review it would definitely ruin it for other readers, so I won't.

I will say that Rhiannon Frater took some serious risks in this book and every single one worked out seamlessly. Rhiannon told us that people died...people we liked. I cried over one death, actual real tears. Best of all, it's REAL. This story reads like it could actually happen, and it's very real.

The story flows, the character development is outstanding, and (this is not a spoiler!) MY favorite characters made it. :-)

Nice and thick, this book is 383 pages of rich zombie goodness.

EDITED TO ADD:

I wrote this in my review of the second book in this trilogy:

The second book in this trilogy was a good follow up. Was not as fabulous as the first one, but was still good. I think that was because the threats were more human than zombie. Important distinctions about how humans can be such monsters even when they are technically alive.


Having now read the book following the above comment, I have to say that I think Rhiannon nailed it. I was a little leery of the whole "ghost" aspect, and wondering where she was going with the human rather than zombie threat at the end of Book 2. I wasn't sure I was loving where it looked like she was heading with the human threat, but gawdamn she nailed both the mystical aspect (ghosts) AND the human threat, while still keeping the rotting shamblers front and center. Well done, Madame.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to write a massively long shining review but anything I have to say will provide unforgivable spoilers and part of what makes this book and the entire series great is to have no idea how everything ends.

Just consider this to be a mass recommendation. Read the series. It was a wonderful emotional roller coaster.

[Thee_ron_clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third installment in Frater's zombie apocalypse series. The story mainly takes place in the fortress that was built by Texas survivors over the past two novels.

Internal issues within the fort leads to one of the main characters being badly injured. A trek to find the appropriate medical supplies leads to an encounter with other survivors, who have their own designs for the fort and the people within it.

During this time, issues are made worse by the fact that a huge horde of thousands of undead are staggering toward the fort.

On a good note, I enjoyed some of the strategies put forth in this novel. Frater demonstrated some great creativity in this. She also built a few solid characters that we began to hope for during the course of this trilogy.

Personally, I expected more. Ghosts begin to appear to people in this book, unlike the previous two. I might have accepted this initially with the introduction of one new character who had spiritual ties and was haunted by apparitions. Sure, I could go with that even with his silly name given to him by his mother "because she knew there was something special about him." It just got a bit silly to me that everyone then became able to see ghosts, even the zombies.

I also thought the antagonist was a little ridiculous. Perhaps as a long-time military veteran, I find it difficult to understand why so many film makers and authors feel that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen would simply follow orders without question from any politician or officer regardless of the insanity in such orders. I don't know. In this story, soldiers were enforcing some ludicrous rules under the guidance of a politician.

Another thing while I am on the subject of the military is titles. The grade of a lieutenant is seldom used when addressing said lieutenant. In nine years, I never heard a lieutenant addressed as First Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant when spoken to outside of a ceremony of some type. I know it might seem a small thing, but I firmly believe that more people need to pay attention to such details or even ask around a bit.

Another thing that got to me was the biker with a bagful of hand grenades. Has anyone ever thrown a hand grenade here? I have thrown a few. I am not sure how comfortable I would be riding a motorcycle while retrieving a grenade from a bag, pulling the pin from the grenade, dropping the spoon, and accurately tossing the grenade so that it not only hits the intended target area but does not affect me. Five meters. That's what we were always told the blast radius was. Anyway, I thought this hero was a bit out there.

I also felt that there were way too many characters who were difficult to follow. I had to skip back in the book a couple times to place some of the names with who they were. In other circumstances, I think we were simply expected to know who all of the characters from previous novels were. I get that this was written as one complete epic. However, when split into three novels it would have been appropriate to fill readers in on the previous parts mentioned in case they were reading this without reading one or both of the previous novels. People do that sometimes.

My last area of complaint is that some incidents were just pounded into the reader. At one point, a character is killed. OK. That happens. Two pages later, the author gives us the exact details again but from the perspective of another character. Same details. Just a couple more emotions.

As I said, I expected more after the first two novels.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was damn awesome. :) Siege was hands down my favorite from this entire series. I loved how everything was concluded because it was far from perfect and typical of what one might expect from a world with zombies: nothing ever goes right and NO ONE is safe!! In Siege, fighting the zombies has become the least of their worries. After a member of their community betrays them it causes everyone to realize that the zombies are not the only things that people need to fear.

The thing I loved most about this small community of survivors was how strong, independent and extremely resilient they all were. (Almost) everyone was ready and willing to work hard and do their part in the community but of course there were the individuals that still thought themselves better in various ways and wouldn't be 'reduced' to menial labor. Those particular characters cracked me up because I know for a fact there will always be those people in the world; especially the women still wearing high heels and makeup while the world is going to shit.

This one had me on the edge of my seat for almost the entire story. It was exciting, nerve-racking, emotional and incredibly realistic... a real nail biter. A well written story of survival and doing anything and everything to secure it. Siege didn't lose any of its original snarky humor but still managed to be one highly emotional thrill ride. If you're any kind of zombie fan, do not deny yourself this series!

[Sean C · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK, this story line really went downhill in this last novel.

- The characters became bi-polar. No one rose up against the Senator/Dictator, but they suddenly did later with not one, but two groups choosing to leave the fort.
- The introduction of ghosts. Really? Talk about a horribly cheap plot device that is never explained.
- The main characters never foresaw the senator's treachery? Really? Did they all suddenly become stupid?
- The operation to divert the massive horde. How is it that people in a helicopter can't see crowds of zombies on the ground? This cost them the lives of two of the characters???
- And generally, the author is really took liberties with plausibility to advance the story. The fight between Travis and Curtis. We are supposed to believe no one walks around in the zombie apocalypse carrying a gun? Are you kidding me?

This was disappointing.

[S.K. Munt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly awesome zombie series. Just that right balance of romance, action and inevitable waiting around in contemplation. there are a lot of things that I could say about the third instalment in this review (some I did leak out in my progress reports) but I'm going to hold it all in, otherwise it'd be spoiler central.

A lot of very cool things happen in this book. A lot of really, really shitty things happen too. I'm personally not impressed with one particular plot twist, but the author sort of found ways to make up for it (emphasise on 'sort of' not 'did') and still managed to tell a pretty awesome series.

Somehow, I don't know how, this assemble;age of 3-4 star novels ended up equalling out as a five star (Five ZOMBIE stars that is:Twilight it ain't) series for me because it was perfect for what it was supposed to be and delivered everything you need in a zombie series.

Get reading!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG Rhiannon!!!! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! I think I might be able to write an intelligent review tomorrow. Maybe. Definately need to process what the hell just happened!
*Tomorrow*
Ok I think I might be able to form something intelligent about this book. We'll see.
This book picks up with our favorite zombie killing ladies right were it left off in Fighting to Survive. I would give you a rehash of the plot but seriously people just read it. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do that without giving away spoilers.
The good:
The writing. It flows, man. As I would have said in the early 90's...it's totally legit. Rhiannon created a world and just continues to fill it with great characters and scenes that we love.
Plently of action but not overdone. Plenty of drama. Plenty of heroines. Plenty of people you want to bitch slap. Plenty of people you want to throw over the wall.
Nerit...oh may gawd I want this lady to be my mother/grandmother. Please can I have her. Oh I'm gonna tear up when I think about what happens to her. After my moms recent health struggles Nerits really touched me.
Calhoun. Aww man what a crazy old man. I loved him. I would have never guessed he was a "crazy old cat/dog lady either".
The not so good:
IT'S THE LAST BOOK IN THE SERIES!! Aww I'm gonna miss these people!
SO happy for Rhiannon. She rocks! I wish her all the best and can't to read more by her.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for www.BookChickCity.com

**Warning – may contain spoilers, read at your own risk!**

“Siege” is a bittersweet end to an amazing trilogy. Frater isn’t afraid to shock her readers by killing off certain main characters. This book was littered with the bodies of characters I’d come to know and love.

The Fort and it’s residents have to deal with so much, from the violence of the military and government, to thousands of zombies descending upon their beloved home.

As usual there’s plenty of action, which moves the story along at a high pace. I really enjoy Frater’s writing style and she always manages to pull me into her zombie world from the outset.

There isn’t as much of Jenni and Katie in this instalment as in previous books as we get to see the world from the perspective of many of the secondary characters as well. Although I enjoyed reading about the other characters, I did miss Jenni and Katie and wish the book had more from their view point. However, each character is so interesting it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book.

There are, however, two aspects of “Siege” that didn’t sit well with me. The first one was the introduction of ghosts. I realise this is a novel about zombies, but I need to believe what is happening to my character’s and the world which surrounds them. Frater does this beautifully. However, the ghost aspect of the plot didn’t really work for me. What was possibly just a sign of Jenni’s madness in the previous novels became reality in this one and it gave the story a slightly unrealistic, and dare I say it, silliness, which made me uncomfortable, as I love this series SO much.

The second aspect was a life-changing incident that although didn’t shock me, as I had my suspicions it was coming, it did sadden me to the core. One of the main characters dies!! It wasn’t that this particular character died that upset me, as I think it was a gutsy and brave decision by the author, but that the character made the choice to die even though they had loved ones back at the Fort who depended on them, and it just seemed so out of character. I really want to go into my reasons more but it would be a huge spoiler, so I’ll refrain.

The pace picks up speed as it reaches it’s conclusion, lots of tension, action and suspense. And the death of certain characters linger.

I can still visualise the Fort in detail, the surrounding countryside littered with hungry zombies, the residents of the Fort, and of course Katie and Jenni.

Although there doesn’t look as though there will be any future instalments featuring these two amazing, strong female heroines, they have made such an impression on me that I will remember them for a very long time indeed.

I’m very sad to say goodbye…

VERDICT:

A bittersweet end to an amazing trilogy – I’ve loved these books, the characters, the world, and Frater’s exciting writing style. Definitely three of the best zombie novels in the genre today and a series I would recommend without hesitation.

[Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

ATWD: Siege opens with a letter from Dr. Pus (seriously?!) of the Library of the Living Dead Press and Podcast. He warns the reader right away that "'Seige' will answer all the questions you've been wanting to ask since you read 'The First Days' and 'Fighting to Survive'. Rhiannon addresses them all, but you won't like some of the results. That's because she is such a talented writer that her characters are ones you have come to love, care about, have empathy and sympathy for. Her characters are us. And even though we all want them to win, it just isn't always possible in Rhiannon's universe." And already, before even starting the book, I'm wondering ... who won't survive? what's going to happen? ... even more so than after reading Fighting to Survive.

Rhiannon describes the trilogy as "...the tale of two women who find a rare and powerful friendship at the end of the world and help rebuild a new one through love and sacrifice."

I don't want to spoil the series for anyone who hasn't yet discovered it. The title says it all, as well as the introduction from Doc. It's now time for the fort group to fight, more than just zombies, as the fort comes under siege.

The kids at the fort join the fight, "inventing diabolical ways to take out the zombies". More new characters join the group. One of them, Rune, has the ability to see ghosts. But, in this new world, he's not the only one. "...They haven't really moved on. They're all around us. All the time. Some are stronger in this world than in the other, but they are all caught between the world of the living and the dead. It got all messed up. All the dead rising like that. The natural order of things got screwed up." Other additions to the fort feel they are better than the rest of the group and don't need to contribute, but deserve to be waited on since that's the life they have become accustomed to.

The group realizes that "...every moment of happiness ... {is} sweeter because of every other horrible moment {they've} experienced...". They are all trying to live their "new life" to the fullest, taking joy out of the little things while battling the threats they face each day.

Very few books make me cry, but this one had me bawling! Seriously, snot and sniffles. It was ugly. I had to walk away from the book several times, but quickly returned because I just had to find out what happened next. I couldn't read it fast enough, yet I wanted it to last longer knowing it was the end of one of the best trilogies I've ever read. Don't get turned off - this book is not all tears, there are definite moments of happiness for the fort family.

Did I mention ... THIS IS A MUST-READ series!! ?!?!


***** Favorite Scenes/Quotes (Possible Spoiler Alert) *****

Chapter 6

"'And what do you do if you see a zombie?' Nerit asked in a loud voice.

'Poke it in the eye!'

The chorus of children's voices made Jenni look over .... a group of twenty kids, all ages, had gathered around Nerit and a dummy made up to look like a zombie. The kids all held the fort's makeshift spears.

'And then what do you do?'

'Stake it hard!'

'Why?'

'To make their brain soup!' some little wise-ass called out. The kids broke up into wild peals of laughter.

Nerit smiled slightly, then ordered, 'Okay, line up! Let's make zombie brain soup!'"


Chapter 8

Lenore and Ken, her gay best friend, are heading outside the fort ...

Lenore asks Ken: "So why did you come?"

Ken crossed his legs and gave her his most annoyingly cute look. "Guess."

"Dale."


"That was easy!

Lenore scowled at him. "You do realize, twinkle toes, that we are going into a highly dangerous situation where we will most likely get our asses eaten."

"He's really cute, don't you think? All rugged and strong. Dreamy," Ken said, smiling widely.

"Eaten. By Zombies. Not a cute guy. A zombie."

"You do realize I only heard the words 'eaten' and 'cute guy' just then."


Another Lenora & Ken moment ...

Ken tells Lenora "{Felix} likes you."

When she doesn't believe him, he tells her it's kinda funny because "...Dale signed up {for this mission} to be part of the fort. I signed up to impress him with my prowess. You signed up to save my ass. And Felix signed up to watch yours. It's the circle of life."


Chapter 34

Super nasty gore moment

"...the first zombie to swim into view was vile beyond belief. A large woman, half eaten, her womb torn open to reveal the fetus inside, its small limbs moving, came into sharp view... Ewwwwwwww! Love it!


So happy to read, in Rhiannon's letter to the reader at the end, that she ... will never rule out diving back into deadlands to see how {the characters} are shaping their new world...". YES, PLEASE! MORE!



[Format Read: eBook]

[Danny McGuffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the other two books that made up this series. As some have mentioned in their own reviews, the ghosts and the metaphysical aspect of book 3 versus books 1 and 2, really made it seem like the writer was using a crutch to answer certain things and to make this work out and it really took away from the story as a whole. I could understand it being used maybe once, twice would be a stretch, but just off of the top of my head there were at least 7 times that it was used and in some cases it made no sense.

Not a spoiler, but do we really need to have a ghostly visit from someone to let someone else know they have cancer and are going to die?

Calhoun was solid, I think the writer could have used him in a much more effective manner than she did, and could have used him in a lot of places that would have nullified the need of "ghostly" visitors. Was it a fun book? Yes. Was it the best of the trilogy? No. Will I ever reread this book again. No.

Decent trilogy, but really took a turn downward. Reminds me of the original Star Wars, first two were really good, third one had too many damn Ewoks and took away from the main story.

[R.M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

What?! This story continued to go down the "black guy," "racist guy," "homophobic guy," "rich bitch" path - the writer seemed obsessive about making everything about race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation. It was as if R. Frater was shoving down the reader's throat the whole way. The story was so cartoonish that it didn't even feel like what the world might really be like if we were forced to rebuild. Don't even get me started on the random ghost intervention at the end. What started out as promising in book 1 ended up a hot mess. I'm sure there could have been a great story with two ass-kicking protagonists - but the story went all kinds of random directions with all kinds of cartoonishly stereotypical characters, i just didn't care any more. I'd recommend the author work on subtlety in her next novel - most people are savvy enough to pick up racial, sexual and other societal undertones without being hit over the head with it.

[Shanon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! I love this whole series and I love the way that Rhiannon Frater finished it off.

I have been so completely captivated and taken in by the world that Katie and Jenni live in that the zombies seemed real to me. In fact, in the beginning a new character is introduced who claims to be a medium - he sees ghosts. My first thought was "Yeah right - now we're getting into some pretty unbelievable stuff" uhhh... okay, let's think this throuh. They are fighting ZOMBIES, the walking dead, and I had a hard time believing in ghosts! So apparently accepting zombies was realistic to me??? I'm now a believer in not only zombies but also ghosts :)

Such a great story and if you haven't started the series yet I highly recommend you do!

[Twilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke my heart! When she died I stopped reading it. I was so sad and so mad that I couldn't read anymore! But after a few weeks I went back and finished. This book and this series has been some of my all time favorite reads it many years. I would love to see this author write more stuff just like this only with more romance! Rhiannon give me some more!!!

+++Reread+++ So I finished this late, late last night and even knowing the bad thing was coming it still made me cry but this time I was able to continue unlike the first time. Last year this series was my all time favorite read for the year and this year even with a lot of Kristen Ashley under my belt this series still is at the top of my list. I recommend this series to anyone who is reading this review!!!

[Marita · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! Fantastic books about how a group of survivors in a gruesome world manages to survive, even though the odds were against them. I have no words, these books are just great.

[Gwennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to give this review my best shot, but I can already tell that this is going to be a tough one for me.

Katie, Jenni and the gang have made a home. A home that another group of survivors (including a senator) want to take over. Horrible things happen, and people we love don't make it. It hurt, and made me cry messily at work!

Despite all that, this trilogy ends on a hopeful note, still full of love and fighting to survive.

We got some wonderful new characters in this final book, which makes this story full of different people and multiple view points.

Rune is a biker who can see the dead. Not the same dead that everyone else is seeing these days, but the spiritual dead. He's an interesting nomadic character, ever settling down for too long otherwise the ghosts will know that he can see them.

Kevin made a brief appearance in the first book but he joins our cast of characters more full time in this one, and he grew on me quickly.

Dale... lol... Who brought out the books first and only triangle, that actually didn't annoy me at all.

I'm sorry... this review sucks. I am mentally exhausted. Just worn out. I'm also in mourning.

I did struggle with the ghost aspect. It was one thing when Dale could see them, it was another when the whole town was able to see them. And I'm still not sure why all of the sudden they were able to cross over to the other side. They never really explained why they started going toward the white light.

So much happened in this book that I'm at a loss for how to review it without including spoilers. (Leea, I hope you captured it better than I did.)

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa, what a ride. I finished this in a few hours. It was both exhilarating and sad. Jenni really grew on me in this novel, she came into her own. I loved that she saved Margie, Troy and Holly. As always I loved Katie and Travis...also Nerit, Lenore, Ken, Dale, Roger, Bill, Katarina, Jason, Calhoun (he was awesome) and Jack the dog. I grew fonder of Juan as he grew closer to his little family. This book was fun and quick to read, I finished it in a few hours. It wasn't brilliant but it was hugely entertaining...definitely the best of the trilogy.

[Hayat · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! This book is the best yet!



As usual, Ms Frater gives us an epic end to this beloved trilogy full of unexpected twists, turns, epic romance, heart wrenching loss of beloved characters and sweet comeuppance on evil characters and one hell of an ending. I'll be amazed if this series doesn't get turned into a TV show or a movie! And now I'm off to discover other works by Ms Frater.

[Lindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked ths book because it did a good job of wrapping up the series. However, the ending was anti-climactic, and the direct comparisons to Dawn of the Dead in the writing annoyed me. The similarities were already apparent, so pointing them out just made it worse. The writing still wasn't the greatest, but I enjoyed the characters. So just good overall.

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Well, it's finally over. My only nit is that the story felt a bit disjointed at times. As expected, people die during zombie wars, and it was no different here. But at least their deaths held meaning.

[Leea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending to an heart stopping, pulse racing, laugh out loud funny Trilogy by Ms. Frater. 5 stars...

“So many ways to die,” Jenni said with a sigh from the backseat.

I find myself feeling like i've just stood on top the old hotel while a Siege of Zombies is racing towards the fort, my fate unknown and the ones I love, lives hang in the balance. Yes, I know this is just a book... but I became emotionally connected to these characters and unfortunately no one is left unscathed in the final book in the As the World Dies Trilogy... No one!

“You are standing on the brink of a new world. Whether the dead or the living rule will be decided. I know you think of yourselves just as survivors, but you are more than that. You are the new Eden. You are the new beginning. There are other enclaves of survivors, but this is the place that was chosen to give birth to a new world. The choices you make tomorrow have ramifications far beyond what you can understand or see.”

Amazing Characters fill the pages of Siege some you love and some you love to hate but we get and deeper view into those characters that will always our personal favorites. Here are mine and why I just love them... Jenni, damaged, raw, young at heart and truly nieve at times. She doesn't quit. her life changed drastically the day the zombies took over the world and for her it was a turning point, no longer was she a victim of an abusive husband and from that moment forward Jenni grabbed life and lived it. Ms. Frater wrote her so amazingly well, deeply layered and flawed beyond belief. It really was the connection between Jenni and Katie that sealed the deal for me. They have a friendship forged out of survival, a need to live another day but also a deep and lasting love for each other. Katie is strong, confident, beautiful and a heartbroken survivor. In this story Katie has followed her heart and is married and pregnant with Travis's child. Taking on this new world with everything she has, her and Travis have a deep emotional relationship forged out of friendship and love. Bill, police officer and widower, he's still reeling from the loss of his wife to cancer. Bill is transformed by this new world, in a way it gave him his life back or something to live for. He's vital to the Fort, he keeps the people safe and law and order. There is a new character, Rune who comes into this story and shakes things up a bit, he's a medium, yeah like, "I see dead people." In a world filled with zombies and a huge portion of the population is now dead, there are a lot of ghosts out there. Rune, is a bad ass 40 something biker with a heart of gold. He makes his way to the Fort with a bag of grenades and a goatee, finds his way into the hearts of this group.

I cannot forget Calhoun, old crazy clone conspiracy theorist that in the end may have been right. He took us back to the laughing even when the Fort was faced with unimaginable odds. You can only really understand him from Ms. Frater words because mine cannot describe what a valuable character he is to this story.

“Dear God, woman! Do you understand the gravity of what I am doing? No, you do not! I am trying to make this fort safe from the messed-up clones.” Calhoun pointed down at the corpse in the road. “They don’t even have the decency to cover their junk. Heathens!”

“We need milk and eggs anyway,” Calhoun said. “Keeps our brains sharp against the aliens. ’Sides, army’s been circling my farm. Don’t need them taking my stuff,” Calhoun said darkly. “Don’t take kindly to martial law. Didn’t vote for that yokel in the White House.”

Nerit, ohh man... I have never wanted to be a 60 something ex-Israeli sniper in my whole life. The women is my hero, she's strong, confident, loved by many, protective of those she cares about and never - I mean NEVER quits. She was like a mother to Jenni and Katie. Nerit took over protecting the Fort, she taught so many of it's citizens how to arm and protect themselves and she was the one that made a sniper out a Katerina. The women rocks!! Plus half the men in the fort, young and old are trying to get in her pants - Love her!!

“My boys were hoping I’d ask you out,” Ed said casually. Nerit choked on her smoke. Ed continued, “I told them that you’re too much of a man for me. That you could probably kick my ass ten ways till Sunday.” Half-coughing, half-laughing, Nerit grinned. “Probably.”

Fantastic group dynamics. Can we all say it together "Sociology experiment." Very nice... The Psychologist part of my brain could not look past the interesting group dynamics that the Fort presented. For one, you have a group of people with different beliefs, values, morals and even sexual orientation all gathered together and forced to get alone and survive. I have to say that the Fort became the new Main street USA for many people and at the end of this book several characters really showed their true colors (don't want to spoil anything). Second, how do you feed, clothe, wash, and emotionally support 200 plus people is one small confined environment without fights, rioting or even violence? The leaders of the Fort did this by making the residences feel useful and needed, everyone had a job and everyone participated in the upkeep and safety of their new community. Now at times, this felt too good to be true and in a way it was. But it was still fun to read...

Heart stopping action filled the pages of Siege. To the point that the end was a little anti climatic for me. You see there are so many amazing characters lost in the pages of this book that I was laughing one moment and then crying the next. These characters did not go down quietly, i'm proud to say. Each had one heroic death after the other and I was so worn out after reading this book, I almost needed a nap. Ms. Frater brings you to the edge of your seat time and time again, throwing your favorite character, who may have just found the women/man of her dreams, reunited with a loved one or has finally come to terms with living in this new world to ultimately die. Many made choices that shocked me and many sacrificed their lives to save the fort. In the end, my pulse raced and my tears flowed but I could not take my eyes away from the page.

“Up close and personal decapitations of the zombie kind. I went whacky-whacky with my trusty ax.”

In clonclusion, I loved this series, may go down as one of my favorite Zombie series of all time. Mainly because it had everything: Non-stop action, kick ass female heroins, strong cast of characters, and very very funny.

They would continue to rebuild, to bring a new world out of the ashes of the old. It was a wonderful world to bring their daughter into. The new parents gazed down at their newborn in awe. Bryce yawned—a tiny pink sigh—as she dozed off. “Welcome to the new world,” Katie said to her sleeping infant.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like by this time, a lot of really good series start to fall off. This one is still going so strong. I will admit that there were some slow parts but this one really made me stay up past my bedtime to finish and to be honest, made me scared to go to sleep. Highly recommend!
(update: it DID in fact give me nightmares so be warned)

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good ending, a bit bittersweet. As you can guess, not everyone survives. I really enjoyed this series!

[Laura Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed. I cried. I celebrated but man, what an epic ending to an epic trilogy!!!!!