The undead blanket the land. The living struggle to survive.
Amidst the wreckage and decay, Mike and his friends fight to continue their quest, risking everything to find Kate's daughter.
But can they ever hope to prevail, as the forces of nature turn against them? Through earthquakes that ravage the very earth upon which they journey, and the devastating waves of furious tsunamis, their greatest challenges await.
It is no longer just a struggle against the undead.
It is a battle to survive in a land of utter desolation.
This is the fourth book in the LZR-1143 zombie apocalypse series, and I thought it was the last, as it was published in 2016 and there has been nothing since, and no updates on the author’s website, but apparently at least one more is planned. I’m not actually into zombie novels, we gave up on The Walking Dead a season or two ago, and I can’t say I enjoy all the shuffling, moaning, decomposing and disintegrating, but I do like End of the World survival stories, and this one takes your standard PA adventure and turns it up to 11.
Former action movie star Mike, his partner Kate and the teenager they have unofficially adopted, Ky, are travelling North to Vancouver in the faint hope of finding Kate’s daughter, Liz. When a nuclear submarine, at the end of its mission, dumps its payload, inadvertently triggering a monster earthquake and tsunami that devastates the West Coast, life becomes even harder for the small bands of survivors, and as if constantly battling the undead were not enough, a new threat appears in the form of a marauding gang of man-haters. Meanwhile a little girl waits alone in the safest building in Vancouver...
This book was longer, darker, and even more action-packed than the previous three. Instead of it all being told from Mike’s first person point of view, we get a third person narrative for much of it to follow Kate and Liz’s escapades, as well as Morgan Freeman (in my head anyway) describing the geological catastrophes that befall the country. There are some entertaining new characters like Eli the child with the eidetic memory and bickering old lovebirds Ethan and Rhi, as well as some who seriously need to get eaten.
This one had a lot more typos and formatting errors than the earlier books - missing paragraph breaks making the unexpected transitions between POV sections rather jarring. There were long sections where I kept asking “what about Romeo?” as our heroes would seem to forget all about him, before he’d reappear miraculously unharmed. It makes no sense that the zombies wouldn’t eat him, but even allowing for this, he seems to be carried along without difficulty but also not being much use.
Even so, this is an excellent action survival series, that just happens to feature zombies, with likeable MCs and sometimes unbearably drawn out suspense, with a shock ending that is mitigated by the free sample of the next book at the end, and the promise that the next book is due in “early 2019”. It’s late July, Mr James, please don’t wait me wait too long to find out what happens next!
My true rating is 2.7 stars. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The final installment of the series failed to capture my interest. It's not that the characters were unlikable—I found them engaging at the series' outset—but they, along with the plot, have become somewhat monotonous. The narrative revolves around a quest to locate someone whose survival is uncertain. The action felt repetitive, and although I understand the difficulty in maintaining originality, it didn't resonate with me.
The world has fallen.
The undead shrouds the earth. The living are in a constant battle for survival.
Among the ruins and decay, Mike and his companions persist in their mission, risking all to find Kate's daughter.
Yet, is there any hope for triumph when nature itself becomes an adversary? With earthquakes shattering the ground beneath their feet, and the relentless onslaught of massive tsunamis, they face their most formidable obstacles.
The fight transcends the undead.
It's a struggle to endure in a world that's become a wasteland of complete ruin.
Micheal, Ky, and Kate continue their quest to reach Vancouver and rescue Kate's daughter. En route, they have to survive roving hordes of zombies, soldiers gone bad, and earthquakes/tsunamis caused by a nuclear sub crashing into one of the faults off of the Pacific coast of the United States.
While crossing a swollen river through a crashed ferry that crashed into one of the remaining bridges, Mike and the girls get separated. The storyline continues to follow each of the two groups separately - Mike joining up with survivors that nurse him back to help after he's injured in the ferry, and Kate and Ky are eventually rescued/captured by a group of sadistic female soldiers. Mike's rescuers lead him to a group of survivors holed up in one of the major dams and attempts to lead them to safety and blowing up the dam to drown millions of the undead who are heading their way through the valley below.
There is another side story here about Kate's daughter in Vancouver, who survived so far, but was stuck in a high-rise that was surrounded by millions of zombies. Part of her escape plan is to travel through the vent system of the building. It looks like she is finally trapped and that part of the story ends.
The ending is something that I didn't expect, and I'm disappointed that the author decided to finish it like this. Thinking that this was the finale of the series, I was surprised to see the author include a preview of the next book that was due earlier this year (2019)...it's mid-July and not out yet.
Perhaps, the next installment will answer many questions that remain - especially about Kate's daughter's escape from the building to the point where she suddenly appears and meets up with the group in the final chapter of the group.
One final point, this installment was rife with errors and typos...much more than the previous editions. It also appears, to me anyway, that the fight scenes between humans and zombies are becoming blase and repetitious from one scene to the next. However, I do have to give kudos to the author for keeping my interest during this long and arduous journey.
I sincerely hope Mr. James never stops writing this series! I was never one for anything dealing with zombies: in truth, I always felt they were the stupidest of paranormal creatures. But his books have opened my eyes to JUST how dangerous they COULD be. I adore the character, Mike. His smart ass mouth and unpredictable ideas never fail to crack me up. He's like the best dad anyone could hope for and he doesn't even have kids! It's great! I can't wait to see what happens next. I just KNOW it can't end like it did!
Read the entire series and loved it from the first book. It was so refreshing to watch the characters develop and become their own small family in a world filled with death, destruction, and zombies! Can't wait to read more by this author.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Mr James is a talented author and story teller. The last book wrapped up a little too quickly, but the series was worth the read. Can't wait to check out his next project.
I love this story. it has so many interesting twists to it. The characters are really well done. It is easy to become involved emotionally in this book. I can't wait for the next one.
Once I started reading this series I couldn’t stop! I’m eagerly awaiting the next book. The characters are strong and well rounded. I definitely recommend this author
Just when I was all ready to be all kinds of mad because Kate dies just as her daughter appears...bam! Preview for the next book. Hopefully we will get the backstory of Liz and her friend's escape from Vancouver. I can't wait for the next book!
An exceptionally well written and entertaining story about a Post apocalyptic world with great main Characters in Mike, Kate and Ty and how they deal with the good and bad in their journey to find Kate's daughter. Cannot wait to read the next instalment
I really enjoy this series. The fact that the heroes' plans never work out as they continue in their journey to save the world, really makes this series more believable. I can't wait for book 5# !
I really enjoyed the book series and I have read quite of few “zombie” books. The stories are great and the writing style and slight humor kept me reading way into the night. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Third book in the series, lots of zombies, and like most dramas more stuff happens than can be imagined and then the survivors do stupid stuff, but good enough to read 3 books, probably not the 4th
Don't think I'll be reading the next installment in this series, if there is one. The protagonist is likable and the books are okay, but the numerous ridiculous scenarios and monumentally unfunny "that's what she said" jokes are just too much. If you're looking for a good undead series, try the Mountain Man books by Keith C. Blackmore. Absolutely the best reluctant hero story I've ever read.
As far as zombie apocalypse books, this is one of the best I've read! The story is epic, the characters larger than life and the action is non-stop! Every time you think things are going to grind to a stop, it just gets better! This author is a true wordsmith, with the rare ability to make you laugh out loud. Don't pass this one up!
Loved this installment, my only complaint is the wait till the next one! Fast paced, energetic story telling! Just remember we are waiting for a miracle to wake Kate next time :)
The series, as a whole, was pretty good. The humor, mixed with real emotions was a nice touch. Lots of blood and gore, as any zombie series should. But the ending.... Not a fan of the ending. But obvious that a 5th book is on the way.