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The City #3
Instauration
Sunset Park is gone. People are missing.
Sylvie, Eric, and the other survivors have crossed the water to the security of a new Safe Zone, where they hope to heal their battered hearts, amass an armory, and get back at the ones who took it all away. But with zombies on the move and few resources to speak of, it’s harder than expected to plot their revenge. For some, it’s harder still to garner their resolve, since vengeance means more of them will die.
But safety is ephemeral in a city where food is short and tensions are high. It seems fate may leave them no choice but to fight—and perhaps die—to restore their city to a place they can call home.
Sylvie, Eric, and the other survivors have crossed the water to the security of a new Safe Zone, where they hope to heal their battered hearts, amass an armory, and get back at the ones who took it all away. But with zombies on the move and few resources to speak of, it’s harder than expected to plot their revenge. For some, it’s harder still to garner their resolve, since vengeance means more of them will die.
But safety is ephemeral in a city where food is short and tensions are high. It seems fate may leave them no choice but to fight—and perhaps die—to restore their city to a place they can call home.
807 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2018
314 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Lyons Fleming
16 books1,474 followersI'm a wannabe prepper and lover of anything pre-apocalyptic, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic—-or anything in between. Add in some humor and romance, and I'm in heaven.
Besides an unhealthy obsession with home-canned food and Bug Out Bag equipment, I love books, making artsy stuff and laughing my arse off. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, I now live in Oregon with my family and, in my opinion, not nearly enough supplies for the zombie apocalypse. But I'm working on it.
Besides an unhealthy obsession with home-canned food and Bug Out Bag equipment, I love books, making artsy stuff and laughing my arse off. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, I now live in Oregon with my family and, in my opinion, not nearly enough supplies for the zombie apocalypse. But I'm working on it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
October 13, 2024
I can’t believe I’ve read all this authors books and have loved them all, when it comes to this genre no one does it better, and if you love big books let me tell you, she doesn’t disappoint. This took me a few days to read..
I grew to love these characters like they were family, I felt the losses like they were my own, I love how this author focuses on the characters themselves and not making the zombies the focal point, just gives you such a strong connection with the characters and their struggles, their losses, their bonds to non blood people.
Now what to read next, the struggle is real, because even though this author has pulled me out of bookfunks she’s also the cause of a few when nobody else compares to her writing.
I grew to love these characters like they were family, I felt the losses like they were my own, I love how this author focuses on the characters themselves and not making the zombies the focal point, just gives you such a strong connection with the characters and their struggles, their losses, their bonds to non blood people.
Now what to read next, the struggle is real, because even though this author has pulled me out of bookfunks she’s also the cause of a few when nobody else compares to her writing.
January 1, 2019
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This book was absolutely fantastic! Less than a year ago, I picked up the first book in Sarah Lyons Fleming's Until the End of the World Series and had finished everything that I could find with her name on it just a few months later including the first two books in The City Series. Since then, I have regularly checked to see if I could figure out when the next book would be available. I had planned to wait just a little longer for the audio to be released to enjoy this story. I didn't stick with the plan. I downloaded this book just as soon as I saw that it was available and found myself reading it every chance I could find. I went into this book with some really high expectations and I can now say that all of them were met. This is one of those stories that remind me how great it is to completely lose yourself in a story.
This book picks up shortly after the events of the previous book. Things were not going well for Sylvie, Eric, and the rest of the gang and that is saying it mildly. They are trying to pick up the pieces and move on because there really aren't any other options. Things are different and they must learn to adapt to a new environment and way of living but it is proving to be a difficult adjustment.
This series has some absolutely fantastic characters. I feel like I really know each of these people and honestly care about them. I was angry when they were angry, scared when they were scared, and experienced joy right along with them. These characters are not perfect and each one of them does something they probably shouldn't have during the course of the story but those flaws only made them feel more authentic. They are not perfect but are doing the best that they can manage in an impossible situation.
This book had everything that I was looking for when I picked it up. There were a lot of really exciting scenes that kept the momentum moving forward. There were some pretty impressive twists that took me completely by surprise. There were times that I felt like my heart was broken into a million tiny pieces and I wanted to cry along with the characters. I enjoyed all of the zombie scenes and found the descriptions of everything that went into basic survival to be incredibly interesting. There are quite a few touching and hopeful scenes that worked to keep the tone positive overall.
I would highly recommend this series to others. As soon as I finished this book, I wanted to go back to the beginning of the trilogy and start all over. I do still plan to get my hands on the audio as soon as it is available so that I can experience it that was as well. This was a rather long book with over 900 pages but I didn't want it to end and I don't think a single page was wasted. I can't wait to read more from Sarah Lyons Fleming.
Initial Thoughts
Ridiculously good. This book has pretty much taken over every second of my free time since I was able to get it on my kindle. I told myself that I was going to wait for the audiobook but I guess I was impatient. Lots of surprises, lots of excitement, tons of emotions, and just a really awesome story.
Book source: Kindle Unlimited
This book was absolutely fantastic! Less than a year ago, I picked up the first book in Sarah Lyons Fleming's Until the End of the World Series and had finished everything that I could find with her name on it just a few months later including the first two books in The City Series. Since then, I have regularly checked to see if I could figure out when the next book would be available. I had planned to wait just a little longer for the audio to be released to enjoy this story. I didn't stick with the plan. I downloaded this book just as soon as I saw that it was available and found myself reading it every chance I could find. I went into this book with some really high expectations and I can now say that all of them were met. This is one of those stories that remind me how great it is to completely lose yourself in a story.
This book picks up shortly after the events of the previous book. Things were not going well for Sylvie, Eric, and the rest of the gang and that is saying it mildly. They are trying to pick up the pieces and move on because there really aren't any other options. Things are different and they must learn to adapt to a new environment and way of living but it is proving to be a difficult adjustment.
This series has some absolutely fantastic characters. I feel like I really know each of these people and honestly care about them. I was angry when they were angry, scared when they were scared, and experienced joy right along with them. These characters are not perfect and each one of them does something they probably shouldn't have during the course of the story but those flaws only made them feel more authentic. They are not perfect but are doing the best that they can manage in an impossible situation.
This book had everything that I was looking for when I picked it up. There were a lot of really exciting scenes that kept the momentum moving forward. There were some pretty impressive twists that took me completely by surprise. There were times that I felt like my heart was broken into a million tiny pieces and I wanted to cry along with the characters. I enjoyed all of the zombie scenes and found the descriptions of everything that went into basic survival to be incredibly interesting. There are quite a few touching and hopeful scenes that worked to keep the tone positive overall.
I would highly recommend this series to others. As soon as I finished this book, I wanted to go back to the beginning of the trilogy and start all over. I do still plan to get my hands on the audio as soon as it is available so that I can experience it that was as well. This was a rather long book with over 900 pages but I didn't want it to end and I don't think a single page was wasted. I can't wait to read more from Sarah Lyons Fleming.
Initial Thoughts
Ridiculously good. This book has pretty much taken over every second of my free time since I was able to get it on my kindle. I told myself that I was going to wait for the audiobook but I guess I was impatient. Lots of surprises, lots of excitement, tons of emotions, and just a really awesome story.
Book source: Kindle Unlimited
February 4, 2023
After Walt and his gang attacked Sunset Park Safe Zone in Brooklyn, Sylvie and Eric and the few survivors flee to the Styvesant Town Safe Zone to regroup. But things are anything but secure. Walt is still out there and he won't give up until he has killed every last one of his enemies.
In the city, there are things worse than the zombie apocalypse. There are psychopaths who think nothing of murdering those who stand in their way
The conclusion of The City series is brutal. It's total war and uncomfortable. Most zombie books are fluff but Instauration is a shocking and difficult book to read at times. You desperately want the happy ending. You want all of the characters you have grown to love to survive. Not all of them will.
In the city, there are things worse than the zombie apocalypse. There are psychopaths who think nothing of murdering those who stand in their way
The conclusion of The City series is brutal. It's total war and uncomfortable. Most zombie books are fluff but Instauration is a shocking and difficult book to read at times. You desperately want the happy ending. You want all of the characters you have grown to love to survive. Not all of them will.
March 16, 2019
Well, what can I say???!!!
A friend tipped me off to this author and the End of the World Series last May, I listened to book 1 on audible and promptly downloaded and listened to the rest of the series one after the other before moving straight on to the City series!
I really don’t know where to begin in writing a review of these books or this book in particular. All I can say is that this is a wonderful conclusion to a wonderful story and it will both break and warm your heart in equal measures and make you cry, smile and laugh.
If you haven’t yet discovered this author, you are in for a fabulous treat!!
A friend tipped me off to this author and the End of the World Series last May, I listened to book 1 on audible and promptly downloaded and listened to the rest of the series one after the other before moving straight on to the City series!
I really don’t know where to begin in writing a review of these books or this book in particular. All I can say is that this is a wonderful conclusion to a wonderful story and it will both break and warm your heart in equal measures and make you cry, smile and laugh.
If you haven’t yet discovered this author, you are in for a fabulous treat!!
January 18, 2019
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I am so in love with this book! In fact, I love this book enough to listen to the audiobook just a few short months after reading it on my e-reader. I knew that I wanted to listen to this book since the audiobook production of the earlier books in the series was so well done but when the e-book came out months before the audiobook, I found myself reading it before I even knew what was happening. This is not a short book with the e-book having over 900 pages and the audiobook coming close to 27 hours. I can honestly say that I loved every single minute that I have spent experiencing this story.
Things were not looking good for Eric, Sylvie, and the gang at the close of the second book. I couldn't wait to see how everything would work out for them. This story was epic. I felt the characters' pain when they experience low points and their joy when things were looking up. I laughed when they joked around with each other and felt fear when they were faced with evils even worse than the zombies that surrounded them.
Luke Daniels and Therese Plummer did an amazing job with this audiobook. They really brought this story to life. I love the fact that Luke Daniels performed all of the male dialogue and Therese Plummer takes care of the female voices throughout the audiobook regardless of the point of view. I think that this style of narration makes the dialogue in the story feel a lot more realistic and the character voices stay consistent throughout the book. They are both fantastic narrators and I think that they bring a lot of emotion into their performances.
I highly recommend this story to others. This is a wonderful story filled with a lot of characters that are easy to fall in love with and a few that are fun to hate. I found this story to be exciting, heartbreaking, and hopeful often at the same time. I liked this book even more the second time around and plan to read it again and again in the future. I can't wait to read more from this talented author.
I received a copy of this audiobook from the author.
Initial Thoughts
Yes, I already re-read a book that was just released at the end of September. Why? Because it is just that good! The story was fantastic and the narrators did an amazing job with the audiobook production. I liked it even more the second time through. This is a series that I plan to read many many times in the future.
I am so in love with this book! In fact, I love this book enough to listen to the audiobook just a few short months after reading it on my e-reader. I knew that I wanted to listen to this book since the audiobook production of the earlier books in the series was so well done but when the e-book came out months before the audiobook, I found myself reading it before I even knew what was happening. This is not a short book with the e-book having over 900 pages and the audiobook coming close to 27 hours. I can honestly say that I loved every single minute that I have spent experiencing this story.
Things were not looking good for Eric, Sylvie, and the gang at the close of the second book. I couldn't wait to see how everything would work out for them. This story was epic. I felt the characters' pain when they experience low points and their joy when things were looking up. I laughed when they joked around with each other and felt fear when they were faced with evils even worse than the zombies that surrounded them.
Luke Daniels and Therese Plummer did an amazing job with this audiobook. They really brought this story to life. I love the fact that Luke Daniels performed all of the male dialogue and Therese Plummer takes care of the female voices throughout the audiobook regardless of the point of view. I think that this style of narration makes the dialogue in the story feel a lot more realistic and the character voices stay consistent throughout the book. They are both fantastic narrators and I think that they bring a lot of emotion into their performances.
I highly recommend this story to others. This is a wonderful story filled with a lot of characters that are easy to fall in love with and a few that are fun to hate. I found this story to be exciting, heartbreaking, and hopeful often at the same time. I liked this book even more the second time around and plan to read it again and again in the future. I can't wait to read more from this talented author.
I received a copy of this audiobook from the author.
Initial Thoughts
Yes, I already re-read a book that was just released at the end of September. Why? Because it is just that good! The story was fantastic and the narrators did an amazing job with the audiobook production. I liked it even more the second time through. This is a series that I plan to read many many times in the future.
March 4, 2019
Full review to follow shortly. . .
October 15, 2018
ALL the stars to the best zombie apocalyptic book/series I've read so far! This is the 6th book I've read by Sarah Lyons Fleming, all set in the same world, and all have been 5 out of 5 star reads. This conclusion to The City Series could not have been any better. I literally have nubby fingernails as I've been chewing on them for the last two hours of this book.
As I probably noted in my last reviews, if I were to survive any kind of apocalypse, I hope I get in with a group of people like Eric, Sylvie, Indy, Paul, Jorge, etc. I've read so many PA books where the majority of survivors are evil and monsters, but in Sarah's books, the majority are good people. I love that her books are hopeful and full of love!
The conclusion, especially that epilogue, was everything I hoped it would be.
I am a huge fan of Sarah's and can't wait to read her next series!
As I probably noted in my last reviews, if I were to survive any kind of apocalypse, I hope I get in with a group of people like Eric, Sylvie, Indy, Paul, Jorge, etc. I've read so many PA books where the majority of survivors are evil and monsters, but in Sarah's books, the majority are good people. I love that her books are hopeful and full of love!
The conclusion, especially that epilogue, was everything I hoped it would be.
I am a huge fan of Sarah's and can't wait to read her next series!
October 2, 2019
OH MY GOD, that was freakin intense in a good way. I can’t even with how much I didn’t want that book to be over knowing what I know now. I want more!
Twists and turns you never knew what was going to come and you can’t help but keep on rooting for your favorites. My favorites changed a lot through out these three books. But one stayed the same Sylvie girl she was awesome.
I am sad to be finished but so glad I gave them a shot!
The narration was FANTASTIC!
Twists and turns you never knew what was going to come and you can’t help but keep on rooting for your favorites. My favorites changed a lot through out these three books. But one stayed the same Sylvie girl she was awesome.
I am sad to be finished but so glad I gave them a shot!
The narration was FANTASTIC!
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December 13, 2018
Okay.
So.
Book 2 ended.
Sunset Park is gone. Maria is dead. Grace, Eli, Guillermo and so many others are missing—along with my sweet precious baby Bird.
Sylvie and Eric are struggling to adapt to life in StuyTown, but revenge—and internal and external politics—dominate their minds and threaten their entire ways of life.
~
This book is long. And intense.
Long and intense.
I rotated in between laughter, bated breath and tears, sometimes all at once, and often in the same chapter.
A lot of things happen, and it's a roller coaster of emotion as favorite characters are rediscovered (living, dead or undead—no spoilers from me!) or thrown into danger, and the fate of New York City is finally decided.
It's a funny thing when zombies are the least of your problems—or at most a logistical struggle—and the real danger comes from the humans within your midst.
I felt like some of it could have been trimmed down a bit, but this is really an epic story and it is told so very, very well that I really didn't want it to end. There was also a lot more diversity than I remembered, maybe because I've started to actually look for it. LGB characters, POC, disabled characters, people on various socio-economic levels.
It's NYC at its finest. And its worst.
One of the running themes throughout this series is, obviously, survival and the price of living. It delves heavily into what people do to survive, and the motives of people who take advantage of others in a horrible situation. In particular, one theme is what women specifically endure--how they sacrifice their bodies, mental health and lives to live (and for their children to live)--and how men tend to overlook this suffering because this is generally something they don't have to deal with.
I loved Eric a little less in this one, mostly because Golden Boy finally cracked, and loved Sylvie, Indy, Kate, Jorge, Leo, Bird, Farina, Mo, and Brother David a lot more.
And bonus: we finally get to know what Sylvie did pre-Zombie.
While I'm sad to see Sylvie and Eric go, I'm excited to see what else Sarah is writing!
So.
Book 2 ended.
Sunset Park is gone. Maria is dead. Grace, Eli, Guillermo and so many others are missing—along with my sweet precious baby Bird.
Sylvie and Eric are struggling to adapt to life in StuyTown, but revenge—and internal and external politics—dominate their minds and threaten their entire ways of life.
~
This book is long. And intense.
Long and intense.
I rotated in between laughter, bated breath and tears, sometimes all at once, and often in the same chapter.
A lot of things happen, and it's a roller coaster of emotion as favorite characters are rediscovered (living, dead or undead—no spoilers from me!) or thrown into danger, and the fate of New York City is finally decided.
It's a funny thing when zombies are the least of your problems—or at most a logistical struggle—and the real danger comes from the humans within your midst.
I felt like some of it could have been trimmed down a bit, but this is really an epic story and it is told so very, very well that I really didn't want it to end. There was also a lot more diversity than I remembered, maybe because I've started to actually look for it. LGB characters, POC, disabled characters, people on various socio-economic levels.
It's NYC at its finest. And its worst.
One of the running themes throughout this series is, obviously, survival and the price of living. It delves heavily into what people do to survive, and the motives of people who take advantage of others in a horrible situation. In particular, one theme is what women specifically endure--how they sacrifice their bodies, mental health and lives to live (and for their children to live)--and how men tend to overlook this suffering because this is generally something they don't have to deal with.
I loved Eric a little less in this one, mostly because Golden Boy finally cracked, and loved Sylvie, Indy, Kate, Jorge, Leo, Bird, Farina, Mo, and Brother David a lot more.
And bonus: we finally get to know what Sylvie did pre-Zombie.
While I'm sad to see Sylvie and Eric go, I'm excited to see what else Sarah is writing!
December 1, 2018
I loved this series so much! It hit all my buttons: thinking about survival. Liking/hating people, etc.. This was probably my favorite/most fun set of books in 2018 - which is saying a lot since I read so many!
October 2, 2018
We did the right thing by coming here. We did the only thing by coming here. If we’d stayed in Brooklyn with no food, surrounded by zombies, we’d have started the slow crawl to starvation by now. Hardly any ammo, few weapons, fewer people. Kids. It was the right thing. Maybe if I tell myself that enough, I’ll be able to piece together whatever scraps of my dignity survived Walt’s deceit.
***
It took me a few moments to start this review, as I had to dry the tears in my eyes. Happy tears. But I am not sure how much I am going to be able to tell you all about this amazing book without trespassing over onto spoiler ground. I won't spoil it though. I will say that I have waited patiently and not so patiently for this book and it has been well worth it. It’s not a quick read by any means, and I think anyone who has read this series and waited for this release will be thankful for that fact.
From the very first word to the very last,there is a lot that happens and you will be swept up into Fleming’s amazing apocalyptic world. Seriously. So. Much. Happens. There is love, betrayal, heartbreak, death, and joy. There is uniting of loved ones and tearing apart of friends and family. There is celebration of newness and there is mourning of lives loss. It will get you in your feels and have you reading until you cannot read any longer. It will have you picking up your book at any all chances you have. It will consume you so much you will feel as if you are in this world when you are not reading. It is all consuming.
My heart stayed in my throat through most of the story and my nails have seen better days. But the emotion that this book alone has brought forth will forever be in my heart. I have loved these characters and these books since the beginning. And I can only hope we get another glimpse in the future as to how they are doing. 5 All The Stars!
***
It took me a few moments to start this review, as I had to dry the tears in my eyes. Happy tears. But I am not sure how much I am going to be able to tell you all about this amazing book without trespassing over onto spoiler ground. I won't spoil it though. I will say that I have waited patiently and not so patiently for this book and it has been well worth it. It’s not a quick read by any means, and I think anyone who has read this series and waited for this release will be thankful for that fact.
From the very first word to the very last,there is a lot that happens and you will be swept up into Fleming’s amazing apocalyptic world. Seriously. So. Much. Happens. There is love, betrayal, heartbreak, death, and joy. There is uniting of loved ones and tearing apart of friends and family. There is celebration of newness and there is mourning of lives loss. It will get you in your feels and have you reading until you cannot read any longer. It will have you picking up your book at any all chances you have. It will consume you so much you will feel as if you are in this world when you are not reading. It is all consuming.
My heart stayed in my throat through most of the story and my nails have seen better days. But the emotion that this book alone has brought forth will forever be in my heart. I have loved these characters and these books since the beginning. And I can only hope we get another glimpse in the future as to how they are doing. 5 All The Stars!
July 23, 2025
"'Weltschmerz.' World-pain. A weariness that the world isn’t how it should be."
A little bit slow to get started but then is really cranked it up into angst territory. Loved how these two worked through their mess up. Also, the usually really annoy me but I appreciated that Sylvie complained about how uncomfortable she was the whole time.
This definitely dipped its toes into some darker subjects, more than some of her other content but it didn't go into so much detail that it caused real distress.
Sad this series is over and I hope Sarah Lyons Fleming is out there writing more books!!!
"We don’t need each other the way we need oxygen; we went on breathing when apart, even though the air quality sucked. We chose each other. We make each other better."
A little bit slow to get started but then is really cranked it up into angst territory. Loved how these two worked through their mess up. Also, the usually really annoy me but I appreciated that Sylvie complained about how uncomfortable she was the whole time.
This definitely dipped its toes into some darker subjects, more than some of her other content but it didn't go into so much detail that it caused real distress.
Sad this series is over and I hope Sarah Lyons Fleming is out there writing more books!!!
"We don’t need each other the way we need oxygen; we went on breathing when apart, even though the air quality sucked. We chose each other. We make each other better."
November 5, 2019
Una trilogía fantástica, la empecé con un poco de miedo porque soy una cobardica pero me ha encantado, el último ha sido un broche perfecto. Genial de verdad, en cuanto se me pase un poco la resaca de zombies iré a por la otra serie.
January 23, 2019
Fantastic book. I can't recommend it enough.
May 3, 2019
It’s all over. That’s it. No more of these people that I feel are like a second family!
But also thank goodness, because I don’t think my heart can take any more. But Bird! My heart joyously sings for Bird!!
Only reason this one didn’t get full stars is the length. The other books were all so action packed start to finish, no time to breathe or rest, but this one had quite a few dull moments early on that given the over 900 pages of this book, probably could have been sped up a little.
I’ve loved every moment of this and the the UTEOTW series and will miss being in this world dearly.
But also thank goodness, because I don’t think my heart can take any more. But Bird! My heart joyously sings for Bird!!
Only reason this one didn’t get full stars is the length. The other books were all so action packed start to finish, no time to breathe or rest, but this one had quite a few dull moments early on that given the over 900 pages of this book, probably could have been sped up a little.
I’ve loved every moment of this and the the UTEOTW series and will miss being in this world dearly.
April 25, 2023
After finishing The City Series, Sarah might be my new favorite author. That was SO good, and I’m immediately moving onto the Until the End of the World series.
Ahhhh. Loved it.
Ahhhh. Loved it.
November 5, 2023
It was fine. The dialogue is atrocious in all of the romantic scenes but the situations they faced in a zombie apocalypse were good.
August 26, 2020
Okay, what a series! I’m a big fan of the “end of the world as we know it” type of books but usually steer away from the Zombie ones. I’ve had this series in my TBR for way too long and decided to finally dive in.
This was a very long series, the final audiobook being 24hrs long. Of the three books, this final book had a ton of action in it, some a bit hard to hear. As with any dystopian type read, no all of the side characters survive the aftermath. I was sad to see some of the characters in the story not make it but it did make the story a bit more believable.
Narration on this series was great. There were a few times I felt Luke Daniels went a bit too over the top but was still enjoyable. I’m definitely going to check out the other series down the road (definitely need a small break from the walking dead 😉)
This was a very long series, the final audiobook being 24hrs long. Of the three books, this final book had a ton of action in it, some a bit hard to hear. As with any dystopian type read, no all of the side characters survive the aftermath. I was sad to see some of the characters in the story not make it but it did make the story a bit more believable.
Narration on this series was great. There were a few times I felt Luke Daniels went a bit too over the top but was still enjoyable. I’m definitely going to check out the other series down the road (definitely need a small break from the walking dead 😉)
February 14, 2019
🔆Kindle Unlimited with Audiobook🔆
Hate to see it end.
Wonderful.
Loved it!
All 3,166 pages of the whole series!
Hate to see it end.
Wonderful.
Loved it!
All 3,166 pages of the whole series!
January 3, 2020
😀
Soooooo happy right now. For the perfect finish to a series (both end of the world and city series) that I have read and reread waiting for this to be released. Thank you Sarah for the time and research you have put into this series. Funny poignant sad exciting and believable (as believable as a zombie apocalypse can be). My family have disliked me immensely the past few days as I have not been with them, I have been 1000's of kms away in a zombie filled NY.
Thank you again and i can reccomend this and the whole series.
Soooooo happy right now. For the perfect finish to a series (both end of the world and city series) that I have read and reread waiting for this to be released. Thank you Sarah for the time and research you have put into this series. Funny poignant sad exciting and believable (as believable as a zombie apocalypse can be). My family have disliked me immensely the past few days as I have not been with them, I have been 1000's of kms away in a zombie filled NY.
Thank you again and i can reccomend this and the whole series.
September 29, 2018
Sad...
So sad to read the ending in this series. After two series (UTEOTW) these characters become like family. Sarah has perfected them...They all stand out in their own way.
These books started with a zombie apocalypse, but they are so much more. Love in it's truest form, unforgettable friendships, pain & sadness at the loss of someone special.
I hope Sarah knows how much enjoyment she has brought to so many people. She is an excellent author...and I so hope we get to revisit these friends again.
Until then I will be patiently waiting for what comes next...😢😊
So sad to read the ending in this series. After two series (UTEOTW) these characters become like family. Sarah has perfected them...They all stand out in their own way.
These books started with a zombie apocalypse, but they are so much more. Love in it's truest form, unforgettable friendships, pain & sadness at the loss of someone special.
I hope Sarah knows how much enjoyment she has brought to so many people. She is an excellent author...and I so hope we get to revisit these friends again.
Until then I will be patiently waiting for what comes next...😢😊
January 11, 2020
Oh wow... I seriously loved reading The City series! There's so many great characters but my most favourite is definitely Sylvie. Like I've said before in previous reviews, when an author can make me hurt when a fictional character dies... they're doing something right!
I wish Ms. Sarah Lyons Fleming writes a series that includes the awesome characters in the Until the End of the World and The City series because having Eric and Cassie reunite, and for all the characters to meet would be AH-MAY-ZING!
So yes... if it wasn't obvious, I loved this book!
I wish Ms. Sarah Lyons Fleming writes a series that includes the awesome characters in the Until the End of the World and The City series because having Eric and Cassie reunite, and for all the characters to meet would be AH-MAY-ZING!
So yes... if it wasn't obvious, I loved this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2022
A three book series with two great books to start it off. This one dragged a lit and would have benefited from being a few hundred pages shorter. At over 900 pages when 500 would have made the book on par with the first two
But a great story none the less.
But a great story none the less.
Read
January 29, 2020A well-rounded ending to the series with a satisfying answer to all the questions I had.
***As of January 2020 I no longer leave star ratings for my reviews
***As of January 2020 I no longer leave star ratings for my reviews
January 12, 2019
I had a long wait for this book - and boy oh boy was it ever worth it! This is a long one - 900 pages or 26+ hours of listening. And I actually didn't want it to end. I love this world, as crazy as that sounds, and I love these characters.
This last book in the series picks up where the last book, Perepeteia, left off. Suffice it to say that there's been a huge takeover. The zombies here are really more the backdrop than the thing to be survived - this whole series is much more about tribal warfare. There's always a bad seed who wants control of everything and this world has a doozy of one. When the story begins in this third book, people are missing and/or presumed dead (or "turned"), the survivors are starving with nowhere to go and getting out of this situation is precarious at best. Things go from there. In some cases, they get better, in some they get worse. There's a lot of time in 900 pages to go all over the place.
I loved the way our characters changed. Fleming takes these flawed characters and grows them, but not too much. It's more a case of bringing their good points forward and letting the bad stuff recede. In the case of Sylvie, her compassion and inner nature continues to flourish despite her automatic tendency to withdraw. Eric the Golden Boy loses some of his shine. Paul gets over himself. India becomes less of a leader and more of a team player. Roger continues to be an enigma and Walt is a great villain.
My only criticism (and it's a tiny one) is that I would like for the ending to have been bigger. It was pretty big - don't get me wrong - but it focused more on survival rather than justice. It's not that justice isn't served, it's that it isn't as personal as I would have liked. SLF has a way of turning you, as a reader, into a bloodthirsty avenger rather than someone who doles out mercy. In many ways, the characters here took the high road.
But don't be fooled. It is a spectacular ending. And the epilogue is even better.
I cannot imagine a better audio performance than the one given by Therese Plummer and Luke Daniels. Daniels has a tendency to overdo his characters - but in this case, it was appropriate. He was the perfect Eric. And Therese Plummer is at the top of my favorite narrators especially for this kind of story. She was able to personify each of the female characters distinctly. I always had not just the sound of them, but a feel for their individual personality. That's a pretty good trick.
One other thing about the audio - it's done with Plummer voicing all the female characters and Daniels doing all the male characters. So whenever a female character is speaking, it's Plummer's voice and vice versa with Daniels. It really brings the story to life in a much more vibrant way, bridging the gap between just a two-perspective narration and a full cast. I loved it.
I hate leaving this world, but they're in a good place. I'll be back to visit at some point. But - it will take some emotional fortitude. Sarah Lyons Fleming isn't messing around.
This last book in the series picks up where the last book, Perepeteia, left off. Suffice it to say that there's been a huge takeover. The zombies here are really more the backdrop than the thing to be survived - this whole series is much more about tribal warfare. There's always a bad seed who wants control of everything and this world has a doozy of one. When the story begins in this third book, people are missing and/or presumed dead (or "turned"), the survivors are starving with nowhere to go and getting out of this situation is precarious at best. Things go from there. In some cases, they get better, in some they get worse. There's a lot of time in 900 pages to go all over the place.
I loved the way our characters changed. Fleming takes these flawed characters and grows them, but not too much. It's more a case of bringing their good points forward and letting the bad stuff recede. In the case of Sylvie, her compassion and inner nature continues to flourish despite her automatic tendency to withdraw. Eric the Golden Boy loses some of his shine. Paul gets over himself. India becomes less of a leader and more of a team player. Roger continues to be an enigma and Walt is a great villain.
My only criticism (and it's a tiny one) is that I would like for the ending to have been bigger. It was pretty big - don't get me wrong - but it focused more on survival rather than justice. It's not that justice isn't served, it's that it isn't as personal as I would have liked. SLF has a way of turning you, as a reader, into a bloodthirsty avenger rather than someone who doles out mercy. In many ways, the characters here took the high road.
But don't be fooled. It is a spectacular ending. And the epilogue is even better.
I cannot imagine a better audio performance than the one given by Therese Plummer and Luke Daniels. Daniels has a tendency to overdo his characters - but in this case, it was appropriate. He was the perfect Eric. And Therese Plummer is at the top of my favorite narrators especially for this kind of story. She was able to personify each of the female characters distinctly. I always had not just the sound of them, but a feel for their individual personality. That's a pretty good trick.
One other thing about the audio - it's done with Plummer voicing all the female characters and Daniels doing all the male characters. So whenever a female character is speaking, it's Plummer's voice and vice versa with Daniels. It really brings the story to life in a much more vibrant way, bridging the gap between just a two-perspective narration and a full cast. I loved it.
I hate leaving this world, but they're in a good place. I'll be back to visit at some point. But - it will take some emotional fortitude. Sarah Lyons Fleming isn't messing around.
January 5, 2019
I am a huge fan of dystopian/end of the world fiction. I especially like to read about how people go about surviving in postmodern society without the luxuries and burdens we deal with day in and out. Imagine having to travel by bike BUT never having to worry about a mortgage or student loan payment again. Instead, you are forced to survive amongst those who are either lawless or civil, but at times it is hard to tell who is who until their true colors appear.
Akin to these sorts of stories you have a catalyst (the apocalypse/zombies/emps, etc.), you have communities of people trying to ban together in order to survive - though it is hard at first to trust one another. Often we have to go on guts and faith. Here's a clue, if the women and children of the group appear to be well fed and happy, and adult wise are not inhibited from having weapons, the group is likely ok. However, if it mostly men, the women and children seem underfed or oppressed, get the hell out of there. Just some friendly advice on how to spot less than favorable groups. But I digress. Once again, we return to Eric and Syl along with their friends who have managed to survive an attack on their community. I won't mention more details here in case you haven't read the 2nd one yet - but needless to say some sensed something was off but it was too late. The typical themes often found in this type of fiction are here - abuse of power (mostly men trying to take over safe zones and control the people in them), the suffering of survivors, the unknown state of loved ones, etc. but there is also happiness and unexpected reunions and new friendships. This book, like the others, is cleverly written, and well told (read Audible). I would highly recommend this series to anyone into zombies or end of the world fiction.
Akin to these sorts of stories you have a catalyst (the apocalypse/zombies/emps, etc.), you have communities of people trying to ban together in order to survive - though it is hard at first to trust one another. Often we have to go on guts and faith. Here's a clue, if the women and children of the group appear to be well fed and happy, and adult wise are not inhibited from having weapons, the group is likely ok. However, if it mostly men, the women and children seem underfed or oppressed, get the hell out of there. Just some friendly advice on how to spot less than favorable groups. But I digress. Once again, we return to Eric and Syl along with their friends who have managed to survive an attack on their community. I won't mention more details here in case you haven't read the 2nd one yet - but needless to say some sensed something was off but it was too late. The typical themes often found in this type of fiction are here - abuse of power (mostly men trying to take over safe zones and control the people in them), the suffering of survivors, the unknown state of loved ones, etc. but there is also happiness and unexpected reunions and new friendships. This book, like the others, is cleverly written, and well told (read Audible). I would highly recommend this series to anyone into zombies or end of the world fiction.
September 11, 2023
I really enjoyed the final installation of this trilogy, but I'm also really glad it's over lol. These were longer than the first trilogy and this one in particular did feel as though it was never ending.
I preferred the first trilogy, because there were more zombies. This trilogy was very like the later seasons of Walking Dead when it became much more about the monsters we are as people rather than the monsters we become as zombies.
I did really love Sylvie though, and honestly most of the characters! I lost some beloved ones too 😭
I was RELIEVED by that epilogue because those few chapters before that really hurt and stressed me out lol.
Overall an enjoyable series. I understand the other series in this world isn't complete yet, so will be waiting a little longer to dive in. I also definitely need a break from zombies cause they're getting into my dreams -- I realised I'd be terrible in an apocalypse lol
I preferred the first trilogy, because there were more zombies. This trilogy was very like the later seasons of Walking Dead when it became much more about the monsters we are as people rather than the monsters we become as zombies.
I did really love Sylvie though, and honestly most of the characters! I lost some beloved ones too 😭
I was RELIEVED by that epilogue because those few chapters before that really hurt and stressed me out lol.
Overall an enjoyable series. I understand the other series in this world isn't complete yet, so will be waiting a little longer to dive in. I also definitely need a break from zombies cause they're getting into my dreams -- I realised I'd be terrible in an apocalypse lol
December 14, 2023
12/14/23 Notes:
4.5 Stars for Narration by Luke Daniels & Therese Plummer
This trilogy is one of the few audiobook productions that has continuous dual narration of fe/male parts. It was done very well and gave more nuance to a slice of life zombie apocalypse story.
Characters remain the strong point for the trilogy. I wasn't a fan of the first 1/3 of a 27 hr audiobook re-establishing characters + setting. Uneven pacing made the story bland vs having a rise and fall of tensions based on key events.
4.5 Stars for Narration by Luke Daniels & Therese Plummer
This trilogy is one of the few audiobook productions that has continuous dual narration of fe/male parts. It was done very well and gave more nuance to a slice of life zombie apocalypse story.
Characters remain the strong point for the trilogy. I wasn't a fan of the first 1/3 of a 27 hr audiobook re-establishing characters + setting. Uneven pacing made the story bland vs having a rise and fall of tensions based on key events.
October 1, 2018
I can't stop crying
That epilogue though. I can't stop crying. I've spent many years and looking late nights reading and rereading The City and The End books. I'm ridiculously invested in the characters. Instauration was just perfection.
That epilogue though. I can't stop crying. I've spent many years and looking late nights reading and rereading The City and The End books. I'm ridiculously invested in the characters. Instauration was just perfection.
October 5, 2018
Omg I can't believe it's the end.
It was brilliant, it made laugh but also made me cry.
And I couldn't believe that some things happend that way and
I was NO NO NO way.
But I love the ending (didn't want it to end though).
Its a very long book but absolutely worth it.
It was brilliant, it made laugh but also made me cry.
And I couldn't believe that some things happend that way and
I was NO NO NO way.
But I love the ending (didn't want it to end though).
Its a very long book but absolutely worth it.
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