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7 billion zombies. 1 law.
Twelve years after the zombie apocalypse, New LA is finally at peace. 3 bunkers have signed the treaty, the demons are gone, and Amo's people think they're finally safe.

They're wrong.

Lara falls sick, hit by destructive hallucinations that threaten her life, just as The Laws arrive in New LA, fellow survivors with a very different idea of what survival is. Nothing will be the same again.

Whose law will stand?

'House of Cards' crashes full-throttle into the zombie apocalypse, crammed with gore, twists and political carnage.

The Laws is the 6th post-apocalyptic thriller in the Zombie Ocean series. Burning questions will be raised and answered, like:

- What price does true survival require?
- What kind of people will pay it?
- Can they be stopped?

153 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

11 people are currently reading
49 people want to read

About the author

Michael John Grist

57 books109 followers
Michael John Grist is a British/American author and ruins photographer who lives in London, UK. He writes dark and weird science fiction and fantasy books, such as the fantasy novel Ignifer’s Rise and the SF series The Ruins Sonata.

For 11 years he lived in Tokyo exploring Japan’s modern ruins, such as abandoned theme parks, military bases, and ghost towns, gaining millions of hits on this website with his photographs and stories.

The best of these adventures are now collected in his unique travel book Into the Ruins, which thriller bestseller Barry Eisler calls, “gorgeous, haunting, stunning.”

Now Michael enjoys working out in the gym, watching TV and movies, and of course writing stories and novels. He lives in London with his wife, and works as an academic English lecturer at university.

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5 stars
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22 (26%)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Marinda.
379 reviews7 followers
February 16, 2017
Let me start by saying I've read a lot of zombie books in my day but nothing like this series is out there, it's a totally new spin on a old subject and I'm totally hooked!! I was up until the wee hours racing to finish it, I couldn't stop turning the pages , I just had to know what was going to happen on the next page!
I've really enjoyed each of the books in this series but I have to say that this one is my favorite. From the beginning I've loved Lara and Amo and all the others in this great series. I've watched them all mature and grow into people who are strong and capable.
They decide to move from New L.A. to Scaramento so they're harvesting the last of their crops and then heading out. When there's an illness they have to rush back to the Chinese theatre and there they get a huge shock. It goes way way down hill from there.
Everything Amo is and had done is thrown back at him ten fold by a megalomaniac who thinks repopulation is the only way to win against the bunkers.
Lara finally finds her true self thanks to visions she has after the demon attack and decides what's most important and how to show her solidarity with Amo.
There's more deaths and relations change with the bunkers and this in my opinion is the best book of them all. I can't wait to read book 7, I'm dying to know what is going to happen now that they've all left New L.A. and what's going to happen with the people in the bunkers.
I'd give this series a 10 if I could but I can't so I'll settle for a 5. Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.
Profile Image for PJ Lea.
1,064 reviews
December 23, 2016
Who is the real monster?

Every time I say this is the best book in the series Mr Grist surpasses himself and gives us another amazing book.
Amo's moments of introspection are incredibly sad as he struggles with his thoughts, whilst Lara is struck down by a debilitating illness and can't be there for him when he needs her most. The arrival of Drake and the Laws causes division and upheaval among the survivors. Anna and Ravi have their own problems as they cross Europe after the demons and ocean.
I loved this book, the uncertainty of who would survive all of the encounters had me gripped and everything went to the wayside until I reached the very end. Then I took a breath.
Would I recommend this book? Without a shadow of a doubt, because I know it's a story I'll be reading again and again.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
14 reviews
September 21, 2017
In this latest installment of the Zombie Ocean series, author Michael John Grist really punches us hard and gives us much food for thought. We have come to love Amo, Lara, Anna, and the rest of the survivors and have come to trust in his vision of the New World. The Demons are at bay for the moment, babies are being born, crops are being grown, and their small society seems to be doing ok. Or is it really? It is a fact that without more genetic diversity within the group humanity will die out in a few short generations. The question is, where to find more survivors? Amo's Cairns have brought in a few here and there, but it's just not enough. And, they are also wrestling with trying to decide if they should just pack up and move to a more viable location with a better water supply and more fertile land in which to grow the crops they need to feed the community. What about all the Bunkers, what is to be done about the thousands of people still alive underground that cannot come to the surface? Lots of big decisions to be made by the Last Mayor in America, and these decisions weigh heavily on Amo. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, in a dead cruise ship, is Drake. He is a violent, purpose-filled man with only one thing on his mind. Escape the ship, find other survivors, and procreate. This is his vision of saving humanity, his Law. It is the only Law, and he devotes his remaining life to fulfilling it, at the cost of all else. How he achieves this, those he hurts-or kills-none of this matters. Only The Law matters. Is he evil? Maybe. Is he right? Maybe. You must decide for yourself. When Drake's group eventually meet up with Amo's group some very hard choices must be made. Life and Death decisions are brought to bear. Who will win? Who is supposed to win, for the sake of the human race? And who the HELL are these commando guys that just seem to want to destroy EVERYTHING?!!! Read this book. Read the entire series of books, they really are one of the best survival/post apocalyptic series of books I have ever read. And, BONUS, there are Zombies! Seriously, you just cannot get any better than that. Thank you Michael John Grist for a gripping, on the edge of my seat, really thrilling and un-put downable story. I cannot wait for the next installment!!!
Profile Image for Susan Ploskon-strauss.
2 reviews
September 30, 2017
The Laws

It's been 12 years since the Apocalypse.

Anna is engaged to Ravi and happy about their future.

Amo and Lara are talking about having more children.

Crops are growing in Chino Hills.

There are cairns and caches of supplies across the U.S.

New L.A. is tapped out of most supplies so everyone is going to head to Sacramento. Perhaps trade with Wetzgenstein's more religious group in Oregon .... who is thriving very well since being exiled. Life seems ..... good. Enter Drake and his 'family'. Drake's family has children .....LOTS of children. The women are in various stages of pregnancy. None of them .... men .... women ..... children .... necessarily look happy.

Who is Drake? Why has he traveled across the ocean and descended upon New L.A. Because he wants to take over and enforce the 'First Law' ..... be fruitful and multiply. He's managed to take over everyone in New L.A. AND the splinter group already in Sacramento within an hour after arriving.

Lara has a vision. The big white eye in the sky. New L.A. and a nuclear blast. Who will survive? Where did it come from?

You cannot miss Book 6 in the Zombie Ocean series. I lost a night's sleep beause I could not put this book down from the first jaw-dropping scene to the last page. Of course, then I went through my day like a zombie (lol) but it was sooooo worth it.

7 billion zombies and 1 Law. Who will survive?
372 reviews3 followers
December 5, 2017
This is strictly about The Laws, third book in this under-priced box set. I have reviewed the other two, as I finished them, separately.
In the five series novels so far, the human spirit has managed to rise above disaster and despair many times. And maybe you don’t want to find out how much worse things could possibly get for Amo and Lara?
I found that the novels all began fairly slowly. MJG could have moved things faster – cut to the chase – but there is so much more to learn about the characters that people this series. So that part is more detailed and more thoughtful because there are vital choices to make, and none are easy. Other authors (especially of “thrillers”) will start you out with bullets flying and things blowing up and then go to the actual beginning. But if you have read the others in this series, you know that conflict and death has its place as the story evolves.
The Laws has the scariest villain I think I have ever encountered in a novel – and Julio (a character in a couple of the earlier novels) was almost too scary to start with.
I have #7 and #8 in the series, and Michael John Grist is working on #9.
609 reviews1 follower
December 26, 2016
Awesome read

Very emotional and exciting addition to the series. By now you are attached to the characters and invested in what happens to them. They are friends and family. It hurts when something happens to them, especially the children. There were parts that made me laugh and others that caused me to tear up. Please say that you as already have a good start on the next book. I would recommend this series to anyone interested in post-apocalypse stories. Great twists and gut wrenching situations. Really can't wait for the next book. I want to know what happens. Preferably right now!!! Thank you for such a rollercoaster ride.
Profile Image for Jaime Andrews.
Author 2 books14 followers
June 24, 2020
I love love love this series. Technically it's a zombie apocalypse series but then again, its sooooo not. 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️🧟‍♂️
The dynamic between the characters is great. The characters and they're multitude of flaws make it so much more believable and intense.
The zombies aren't normal generic zombies and the survivors are few and far between.
This particular book focuses on Lara and a new set of characters, a cult more or less. I zoomed through this book it was so good!
Can't wait to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Mark Heath.
375 reviews2 followers
July 10, 2018
This one was quite intense, with the coming and going of a psycho.
As the world seems to come to an end can Amo, Anna and co save themselves and humanity?
Bring on book 7
51 reviews
October 11, 2019
Good story!

I had dropped the series for a while. So many books so little time. So I picked the laws up to remind and it was just as good the second time
5 reviews
March 10, 2017
Didn't expect to love this series as much as I have!!

I received the first book at no cost and seriously thought about deleting it. But I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. This series gets better and better, and I read the entire series available so far back-to-back. The zombie apocalypse for the thinking person is how I would describe this series. I love the characters and the uniqueness of this plot. It's not just another zombie apocalypse book. I highly recommend it.
Author 2 books11 followers
December 23, 2016
recieved an advanced copy what can i say about the laws its amazing better than the rest and considering how good they are that is saying something you get to no a good bit more about lara in this one which is good and the laws make there apperance lead by the giant of a man drake who has other plans than amos but what kind if plans ? well im not going to spoil it all in the books amazing
5 reviews
December 24, 2016
I have previously read the other books in this series and from the start I loved it. The author is well written and has an energy that permeates each book. For this book in particular I felt that it was all about the backstory. Lara's backstory, Drake's backstory, a little bit from each of the other characters as well. It feels like it's a setup for some very big and interesting events to come. Excellent use of characters to foreshadow the future. By the last quarter of the book I was turning pages frantically to find out what happens next. My only disappointment with this book is that it ended and now I have to wait for the next one to be written.
Profile Image for Joseph.
71 reviews6 followers
December 23, 2016
This is where stuff starts to get real

Okay, so things got pretty real in the last book. And they've been pretty real from the start. But this the trauma comes purely from other people. There are a few callbacks to the earlier books (Drake is eerily reminiscent of a character in the first book) but things are definitely moving forward. There's some pretty graphic person-on-person violence. I think the whole series is a great take on the zombie apocalypse genre. This is a really nice addition.
2 reviews
December 24, 2016
Michael John Grist is a wonderful storyteller. His characters have depth and draw you into their lives. You learn to love and fear them as you read this series. I highly recommend you read the series in order. This is a writer you will want to follow as he continues on his way with new challenges for our survivors to face and overcome.
Be prepared to stay up late into the night racing to get to the next book. Well worth your time and money.
23 reviews
January 4, 2017
Best one yet

Wow ! I've read a lot of apocalyptic fiction and probably only 2 other books ( Mr Howie and Dave's journeys in the undead series and the last in the deadinburgh series) have had my heart racing like this one did as it built towards a wonderfully unexpected climax. Loved it !!
Only slight criticism would be the dream sequences which had me skipping through a few pages.
Profile Image for Charla.
106 reviews1 follower
January 3, 2017
A Totally Unexpected Twist

This book began and ended so unlike what I thought and re-thought throughout the entire ride. Heart pounding, jaw dropping, and then it kept on till the very end. Really looking forward to the next installment!!!
Profile Image for Rebecca Mark.
3 reviews1 follower
Read
January 10, 2017
Wow. Just wow. What a way to leave us hanging!!! Excellent series and I hope book 7 comes soon~
Profile Image for Tasha.
65 reviews27 followers
February 7, 2017
Took this one slow as I knew it was the last one out so far. Loved every minute of it! The best indie series I've read in a while.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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