As one year ends, and our old world fades into memory, a new future is born. On a frozen archipelago, where it is too cold to farm, a few thousand survivors from across the Atlantic have found a refuge. The arduous process of turning a sanctuary into a home begins once more for these weary travellers who’ve been chased from Britain, from Ireland, from France and Denmark. But their work is not yet done. The missing Marines cannot be left behind. The French and Ukrainians cannot be abandoned. The cartel can never be forgotten. As soldiers once again become civilians, the dangers of malnutrition replace the everyday spectre of starvation. Potential mutiny supersedes being overrun by the undead. Boredom replaces fear. Slowly, they relax, allowing themselves to enjoy the simple pleasure of music and plays, of weddings and births, of life without the imminent prospect of death. But all is not what it seems in the snowy wastes surrounding their town. While Europe is a zombie-filled radioactive wasteland, there are other continents. Other oceans. Other survivors. Other communities, just like their own, who will fight to keep what they’ve the clawed from the grip of the apocalyptic nightmare. Set in Northern Europe, Eastern Canada, and the tumultuous seas between, as one year ends, and a new civilisation dawns.
Enjoyable, and gripping in places. However feel at times goes off at tangents which loses me.
Great to catch up with characters, and read about some back history previously not known. However at times the book bogged down in politics or character speculation of what to do I had to go back a few times to recap and tune in to what was happening as it lost me Less action than previous books, with more emphasis on planning for mankind's future. Still liked it a lot, and looking forwards to next one.
Book seventeen. The first port of call in this installment finds us in Faroe. A communal wedding to bring the community together brings signs of dissent. The aftermath and the losses of Calais are still raw. The Faroese show no signs of accepting the group on a long term basis and a grim discovery linked to Malin Head provoke the group to make plans for an exit earlier than planned. Nilda,Chester & Sholto are tasked to explore Iceland, Greenland and Nova Scotia with a view to the group heading that way to settle. One Iceland and Greenland are found to be non starters, Sholto comes across a group in Canada he has links to, and they inform him that Lisa Kempton was seeking his help in the days after he left Maine.
Book seventeen in the Surviving the Evacuation series, is probably more for those that have read all proceeding instalments than for new readers. If you like a dystopian, post apocalyptic tale, then these books are for you. Some of the writing style is a little tiresome but there’s something about the story that leaves you wanting to know what happens next.
The survivors, having fled from the rest of Europe, have found a temporary home on the Faroe Islands. But the local Faroese may not be all that they seem and keep themselves at a distance. Some of the protagonists have left their safe haven to explore Greenland and Canada, with the ultimate aim of finding out what the continent of America has to offer, if anything. Has it been overrun by the undead and laid waste by nuclear warfare? Finding a welcome and possible future destination for settlement in Nova Scotia, they continue sailing down the East Coast and stumble on survivors in New York, who are far from friendly.
And are the undead starting to die?
Another great instalment for fans of the genre and series, and yet again I really do want to know ‘what happens next’.
It's only because enjoyment of earlier books in this series made me a fan and invested me in this saga that I slogged through this installment. Fortunately, this book got better as it went along, but the first chapters and some sections of later chapters read as dull data dumps or place-setting. Many aspects of the dialogue seemed stilted, also; some dialogue was repetitive, indicating the need for better editing; and numerous characters' actions and logic trains were wildly implausible (e.g., Sholto's going solo to DC, which had been severely overrun when he left it). I forced myself to continue, and hope these complaints are an aberration that won't be repeated in future installments.
Great work as always. My only criticism is that the ending feels more like an ad break. Of course, we’re all expecting more, but i’d prefer either a real cliff hanger or something more ‘resolved’. In a time of pseudo-apocalyptic pandemic, when many of the situations feel all too real, it’s interesting to note how the behaviour of the characters is reflected in real life. COVID-19.might not bring the dead back to life, but it’s showing us how grim the end of the world might look.
I've followed and loved this series since the very beginning and I feel like I've ridden a very big rollercoaster. However, this is the first time I've given less than five stars. It was a laboriously tedious task getting through this book, very little action and adventure, the survivors feel to me like they're now bored of living and looking back, did anything actually happen here? Oh yes, Kemptons mansion was a good chapter and she might still be alive. The four stars represent this as part of a bigger story. I hope the next is more of what we're used to.
As per usual, another well written instalment of this post apocalyptic story. Frank has the ability to write books that are easy to visualize and suck you in immediately. With the current world situation, you can believe that this is a possible outcome....and as we're all in lockdown, I expect the next few chapters to arrive soon!!
Great book however did jump about a bit in the story, but can see this as more of a bridging book to the continuing story. Can’t wait for the next instalment or the continuing story of if outback outbreak especially now were entering the American/Canada phase Great Aurthor. Roll on the next book
I love this set of books you really get to know the cast well and you keep willing them in hopping they well survive . I would recommend these books to anyone whether a zombie fan or not just a great story. Loved the fact that I recognised some of the places is the small towns and villages in Britain.
I loved this book. I love reading about the characters that I’ve known since book one and it’s almost like I know them or more a know of them. Mr Tayell makes each book seem like a brand new story he even makes the zombies more interesting. A great book and recommend it to anyone.
Returning to the main narrative - the British and Irish evacuees arrive in the Faroes, where they have been granted leave to stay for the winter. An expedition is sent across the Atlantic to investigate the situation there, with a view to perhaps finally settle there.
Most of the cast are by now familiar - and the increasingly desperate attempts to establish a permanent home are difficult. There are a couple of flashbacks but most of this book covers events in December, some 10 months after the outbreak...
One of my favourite authors. Frank brings characters to life and you find yourself at the end of each book wishing it wasn't over until next time. Thank you Frank for another great read.
Frank Tayel. Continues with the survival of the Anglesey survivors, the Irish and the french and the Tower of London folk. Into the Faroes, and exploration of further afield to find land that is fertile for planting and harvesting.
This series of books just keeps getting better with every new instalment in the story. Really well written with some great characters and intriguing plot twists. Very much looking foreard t seeing what happens next.
New jeopardy for our protagonists, with the zombie threat more complex and less obvious. A long awaited addition to the series, there we stood, certainly feels like a bridge between story arcs. An enjoyable, if slightly slower, story.
Still enjoying these zombie apocalypse stories after 17(!) books. I like the problem solving they need to do to survive using stuff from the old world to fit with the "new world" to try and find somewhere to call home.
I’ve now read the whole series and can’t wait for book 18 to come out. In the meantime, since I like the writing style so much, I think I’ll give the deceive novels a go. Always a great read from this author!
Continuing where the last installment left off, we see the survivors desperately trying to find a new, permanent home, where they can really put down roots and look towards the future. But that future seems as far off as ever...
Not sure what to say except so far I wish this was a movie lol . I would definitely watch it. I’m not huge into zombie books but this series definitely has kept me entertained.
As a 72 year old I never thought I would ever read a ‘zombie’ book least of all enjoy it! Just finished book 17 and hoping there will be more! I don’t want this series to finish!
Brilliant story set around Canada and the us. Loved the locations and the changing zombie dynamic. If you’ve read the rest in the series read this! Enjoy!
Not as good as the others in the series but I think it is setting up the next installments by tying up stories and hinting at what is to come. Still very enjoyable as always. Excited for the next one.