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Those Who Fight
The brand new YA Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia from the author of Those Who Survive!
“It doesn’t get easy. You never get used to it. You just have to accept it. This is the life of a soldier.”
A life none of us chose.
After six months in service for the Sector Protection Force—SPORE—Ashley Brown is exactly what she never wanted to an expertly trained killer who can take down the Infected in droves. Assigned to a new crew on the trail of a weapon that has the power to save humanity, Ashley is careful to keep her comrades at a distance, knowing there’s no point letting them in today when she’ll probably stumble across their remains tomorrow.
But when their trail leads them into a den of darkness and death, everything changes in an instant, and Ashley will be forced to is one life worth everyone else’s?
Praise for
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘This was everything that I was looking for … K. N. Milde has a strong writing style and I am excited for more’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘It's been SO long since I read a good dystopian / post-apocalyptic book … This book has total The Last Of Us vibes … If you are a fan of zombies, dystopia and post-apocalyptic stories, make sure you give it a go’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Omg! How can a person write a book like this? Is K.N. Milde a genius? Must be! It's a masterpiece!’
“It doesn’t get easy. You never get used to it. You just have to accept it. This is the life of a soldier.”
A life none of us chose.
After six months in service for the Sector Protection Force—SPORE—Ashley Brown is exactly what she never wanted to an expertly trained killer who can take down the Infected in droves. Assigned to a new crew on the trail of a weapon that has the power to save humanity, Ashley is careful to keep her comrades at a distance, knowing there’s no point letting them in today when she’ll probably stumble across their remains tomorrow.
But when their trail leads them into a den of darkness and death, everything changes in an instant, and Ashley will be forced to is one life worth everyone else’s?
Praise for
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘This was everything that I was looking for … K. N. Milde has a strong writing style and I am excited for more’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘It's been SO long since I read a good dystopian / post-apocalyptic book … This book has total The Last Of Us vibes … If you are a fan of zombies, dystopia and post-apocalyptic stories, make sure you give it a go’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ‘Omg! How can a person write a book like this? Is K.N. Milde a genius? Must be! It's a masterpiece!’
Paperback
About the author
K. N. Milde
2 books5 followersK. N. Milde is an Algerian writer and artist living in Germany. Her debut novel, THOSE WHO SURVIVE, is the first book in The Last Recruits series and a love letter to the zombie media. It was published in March 2025 with HarperCollins’s One More Chapter, and the series will continue in THOSE WHO FIGHT, scheduled for publication in March 2026.
K. N. graduated university in 2018 with a license degree in clinical psychology, and mental health tends to be a big focus in her writing. An avid lover of speculative fiction and the exploration of gray morality, whether she’s writing YA or Adult, K. N. strives to write accessible work that everyone can read and enjoy no matter their background.
When not writing, she’s either drawing, playing stressful or relaxing videogames (no in-between), or being a cat mama.
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/knmilde
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knmilde/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@knmilde
K. N. graduated university in 2018 with a license degree in clinical psychology, and mental health tends to be a big focus in her writing. An avid lover of speculative fiction and the exploration of gray morality, whether she’s writing YA or Adult, K. N. strives to write accessible work that everyone can read and enjoy no matter their background.
When not writing, she’s either drawing, playing stressful or relaxing videogames (no in-between), or being a cat mama.
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/knmilde
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knmilde/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@knmilde
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 10, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for approving me to read this I’m rating it 4.0 stars.
We are so back! I’m still locked into this with its expanding plot, dire stakes and ever changing alliances. We pick up from book 1 in an intense opening op mission and we are heavily reminded how quick things can take a turn. This story deals with a lot of loss, strategy, secrets and betrayals that make for an intense plot that builds momentum.
I think our FMC is flawed but a growing character, she thinks a little black and white sometimes but life keeps showing her why that isnt good enough. I enjoyed seeing her comprehend this lesson and use it, I’m not saying I agree with her choices because there’s a mixed bag there, but I like her and thats enough for me. The spore operation has them on abit of a wild goose chase in this book with the fugitives on the opposing side causing endless conflict and it’s really hard to figure out who’s the real problem here and I like that, the story has layers and as we get to know more about Lori and Zack it’s apparent we are just scratching the surface.
We are so back! I’m still locked into this with its expanding plot, dire stakes and ever changing alliances. We pick up from book 1 in an intense opening op mission and we are heavily reminded how quick things can take a turn. This story deals with a lot of loss, strategy, secrets and betrayals that make for an intense plot that builds momentum.
I think our FMC is flawed but a growing character, she thinks a little black and white sometimes but life keeps showing her why that isnt good enough. I enjoyed seeing her comprehend this lesson and use it, I’m not saying I agree with her choices because there’s a mixed bag there, but I like her and thats enough for me. The spore operation has them on abit of a wild goose chase in this book with the fugitives on the opposing side causing endless conflict and it’s really hard to figure out who’s the real problem here and I like that, the story has layers and as we get to know more about Lori and Zack it’s apparent we are just scratching the surface.
March 15, 2026
Those Who Fight is a YA zombie apocalypse dystopian novel that’s not afraid to explore themes of military conflict and the morality of taking a life, even if it’s that of your enemy.
I really enjoyed this sequel to Those Who Survive. We get to see how the fallout from the first novel has changed our characters and their relationships, and how they must now grapple with the morality of war and the repercussions of the actions they take on the battlefield. I also enjoyed the world-building we get in this novel from eerie labs at ground zero, to abandoned nuclear facilities, as well as glimpses at how those outside the protection of S.P.O.R.E. are potentially surviving. We also get some really intriguing new characters who add a different perspective and complexity to how our main character Ashley sees this morally grey landscape. (But don’t get too attached, as in the last book there are some brutal and emotional moments and many life or death situations.)
At times however some plot elements get a bit lost because there is so much happening in the narrative. The subplot involving the protests is in the periphery and I really wanted to know more about the movement happening in the background and who is behind it. We also leave off with the fate of many of the characters up in the air. The ending is satisfying, but I really hope there is a third novel that explores the fallout of this book’s events.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy. This review was written voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this sequel to Those Who Survive. We get to see how the fallout from the first novel has changed our characters and their relationships, and how they must now grapple with the morality of war and the repercussions of the actions they take on the battlefield. I also enjoyed the world-building we get in this novel from eerie labs at ground zero, to abandoned nuclear facilities, as well as glimpses at how those outside the protection of S.P.O.R.E. are potentially surviving. We also get some really intriguing new characters who add a different perspective and complexity to how our main character Ashley sees this morally grey landscape. (But don’t get too attached, as in the last book there are some brutal and emotional moments and many life or death situations.)
At times however some plot elements get a bit lost because there is so much happening in the narrative. The subplot involving the protests is in the periphery and I really wanted to know more about the movement happening in the background and who is behind it. We also leave off with the fate of many of the characters up in the air. The ending is satisfying, but I really hope there is a third novel that explores the fallout of this book’s events.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy. This review was written voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Disclaimer: I received an ARC for an honest opinion. Thanks again!
And we're back with the last recruits! What can I say? I was looking forward to it since I read the first book (also an ARC I read)!
It's the first book I've properly started and finished in 2026 and it was worth it.
We're back with our lovely Ash and our handsome Cris on our journey through this forsaken world full of zombies and crawlers and... other humans.
It's full of twists and turns, some more literal than others and I couldn't drop it once I've hit the last few chapters. The book also felt lengthier than the first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
And just like the previous book, we had drawings! Not as much as the previous one, but I liked them nonetheless.
Now, I definitely recommend the series as a whole if you're a fan of post-apocalyptic worlds, zombies, the last of us and/or the walking dead.
As for you, K.N. Milde, this is the second time you're making me wait for the next part now! 😳 (Gimme more!)
And we're back with the last recruits! What can I say? I was looking forward to it since I read the first book (also an ARC I read)!
It's the first book I've properly started and finished in 2026 and it was worth it.
We're back with our lovely Ash and our handsome Cris on our journey through this forsaken world full of zombies and crawlers and... other humans.
It's full of twists and turns, some more literal than others and I couldn't drop it once I've hit the last few chapters. The book also felt lengthier than the first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
And just like the previous book, we had drawings! Not as much as the previous one, but I liked them nonetheless.
Now, I definitely recommend the series as a whole if you're a fan of post-apocalyptic worlds, zombies, the last of us and/or the walking dead.
As for you, K.N. Milde, this is the second time you're making me wait for the next part now! 😳 (Gimme more!)
April 7, 2026
First of all, love the cover. Second of all, once again, the book was great.
It was a really good continuation of the last book and I like how it further builds up the world.
I liked seeing the characters grow as well. Ash is a great character and I'm excited to see where she goes next.
I'm also excited for the next book, I feel like there is so much more to explore! It's a really interesting world and I really hope to see it develop even further.
Again, great read and I highly recommend!
It was a really good continuation of the last book and I like how it further builds up the world.
I liked seeing the characters grow as well. Ash is a great character and I'm excited to see where she goes next.
I'm also excited for the next book, I feel like there is so much more to explore! It's a really interesting world and I really hope to see it develop even further.
Again, great read and I highly recommend!
April 16, 2026
Great worldbuilding and characters
Just like the first book, it was so difficult to put this book down! This is action packed with great worldbuilding and characters. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Who will die, who will survive, and who can Ashley trust? I really hope that there are more books to come in this series.
Just like the first book, it was so difficult to put this book down! This is action packed with great worldbuilding and characters. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Who will die, who will survive, and who can Ashley trust? I really hope that there are more books to come in this series.
April 21, 2026
If you like zombies, I'm mean, really like zombies this is the book for you. It was wave after wave of zombies and peril throughout. It's a very well written, evocative exploration of the grim realities in a dystopian future filled with the living dead and the endless fight to survive. Be ready to say goodbye to characters you love as death is just part of life. Absolutely 5 stars!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews