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The Last Plague #2
The Last Outpost
Great Britain has fallen to the Plague and the war is lost. The few people left alive scavenge in the desolation of a ruined country. A lone man wanders the ravaged land, looting houses for food and hiding from the monstrous infected. Guilt-ridden for failing to save his family, there is nothing left for him but memories of the old world - until hope is whispered in a radio transmission promising safety and shelter from across the North Sea. He joins a group of desperate survivors and heads for the coast in search of transport and salvation. His last chance to make amends. But will they survive the journey, hunted by the infected and the desperate men who stalk the land? Will they find sanctuary at... THE LAST OUTPOST?
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2015
14 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 6, 2016
Rich Hawkins takes us on yet another gut-wrenching journey of survival with this outstanding sequel to The Last Plague. It's a devastating, disturbing and deliciously disgusting telling of a world gone to hell. A highly recommended read which will undoubtedly leave you with a see-saw of emotions and a yearning for more.
July 1, 2017
Maybe not so intense like the first one, but still, worth a read.
The monsters are here still hunting the survivors and something to eat is a rare treat. In this moment this is true for the both sides.
We still don`t know much about the infection or who put it and the story follows the hard destiny of a few survivors in this hell on earth.
I was expecting a big surprise in the ending, from the comments of the other readres, but it wasn`t the case. It`s true that the only thing unexpected was the ending of the main character. Big. big surprise it was!
In the whole affair of the infection this was not a step forward like expected from a sequel, but a way to only contemplate the destruction and the despair of the few survivors.
The writer has a good ideea in his hands, but only the future will tell if he manages to go all the way there.
Hope the next ones will reveal some new things!
The monsters are here still hunting the survivors and something to eat is a rare treat. In this moment this is true for the both sides.
We still don`t know much about the infection or who put it and the story follows the hard destiny of a few survivors in this hell on earth.
I was expecting a big surprise in the ending, from the comments of the other readres, but it wasn`t the case. It`s true that the only thing unexpected was the ending of the main character. Big. big surprise it was!
In the whole affair of the infection this was not a step forward like expected from a sequel, but a way to only contemplate the destruction and the despair of the few survivors.
The writer has a good ideea in his hands, but only the future will tell if he manages to go all the way there.
Hope the next ones will reveal some new things!
April 16, 2024
It turns out this wasn't really for me - it was a bit too bleak for me, and more towards the Resident Evil style of zombies, which aren't really my favourite. The narration was good, and I always enjoy a zombie novel set in the UK (particularly if it touches on areas I've lived in) but I like a bit more hope in my zombie fiction.
June 11, 2017
My first foray into the mind of Rich Hawkins was the genius The Last Plague, in which a group of friends battle the (not exactly) zombie apocalypse. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The vivid descriptions of the beasts, the killings, and the tension between the characters was all top drawer. So I was excited to finally get along to reading the second book in this trilogy.
I have to say, this book didn't quite live up to the excitement and awesomeness of the previous one, which would have been difficult to say the least. The story starts during the aftermath of the 'invasion' where the protagonist, Royce, is wandering across the barren countryside, trying to evade death and mourning not just the death of his wife and child, but the death of humanity.
He hides from the monsters, he battles them, he watches others ripped apart and consumed by them. He meets a couple of other survivors and they try to make it to somewhere they think may be a safe haven, though it probably isn't.
The writing is solid and the descriptions of the terrible actions of the zombie-type mutant bastard monsters are as guts-churning as in the first book. Whereas in The Last Plague the characters became aware of their plight as the story unfolded, here Royce already knows of everything that has happened and the world he now exists in is desperate and chilling. Hawkins beautifully describes the aftermath of the carnage and ingrains it into your mind so well you have to check around while reading just to make sure your reality is as it should be.
His struggle for food, the aching in his body as he walks for miles to find any signs of civilisation, the desperation of his situation is all brought to life wonderfully. It is grim, much like I'd suppose an apocalypse to be.
The only problem I had with the book was the plot. There were no real twists going on, in fact you could have taken a scene from the beginning of the book, planted it into the final third, and not really noticed any continuity errors.
Now I'm not saying that this is a bad thing. The fact that it was monster after monster with gore dripping from their bodies and disfigured limbs and faces that were eventually killed in all manner of ways, could make it a bit of 'more of the same', but this never came across. The action was great, my toes were curling and my mouth sneering as I read on. But there didn't really seem any point to any of it. If you're after a story with a beginning, middle, and end then this may not be for you. If you crave an experience, albeit a desolate and depressing one, then look no further!
I have to say, this book didn't quite live up to the excitement and awesomeness of the previous one, which would have been difficult to say the least. The story starts during the aftermath of the 'invasion' where the protagonist, Royce, is wandering across the barren countryside, trying to evade death and mourning not just the death of his wife and child, but the death of humanity.
He hides from the monsters, he battles them, he watches others ripped apart and consumed by them. He meets a couple of other survivors and they try to make it to somewhere they think may be a safe haven, though it probably isn't.
The writing is solid and the descriptions of the terrible actions of the zombie-type mutant bastard monsters are as guts-churning as in the first book. Whereas in The Last Plague the characters became aware of their plight as the story unfolded, here Royce already knows of everything that has happened and the world he now exists in is desperate and chilling. Hawkins beautifully describes the aftermath of the carnage and ingrains it into your mind so well you have to check around while reading just to make sure your reality is as it should be.
His struggle for food, the aching in his body as he walks for miles to find any signs of civilisation, the desperation of his situation is all brought to life wonderfully. It is grim, much like I'd suppose an apocalypse to be.
The only problem I had with the book was the plot. There were no real twists going on, in fact you could have taken a scene from the beginning of the book, planted it into the final third, and not really noticed any continuity errors.
Now I'm not saying that this is a bad thing. The fact that it was monster after monster with gore dripping from their bodies and disfigured limbs and faces that were eventually killed in all manner of ways, could make it a bit of 'more of the same', but this never came across. The action was great, my toes were curling and my mouth sneering as I read on. But there didn't really seem any point to any of it. If you're after a story with a beginning, middle, and end then this may not be for you. If you crave an experience, albeit a desolate and depressing one, then look no further!
August 28, 2017
"So, where are we with this trilogy? The Last Plague was immense. Superb in every way. The Last Outpost left me feeling a bit unfulfilled. In about half an hour I will start into The Last Soldier in the hope that the trilogy will finish on a high."
See here for the full review:
The Last Outpost
See here for the full review:
The Last Outpost
August 9, 2016
Bleak and mesmerising thriller
Hawkins' sequel to British Fantasy Award nominated The Last Plague is, by and large, a significant shift from the original. This is not to say this is a negative. If fact, the assured writing is ramped up several levels whilst the pacing is tightened to the point where these two elements are in such opposition the tension permeates to the reader, resulting in a truly emotional tour de force.
In Royce, our protagonist, we see the world in the aftermath of The Plague. The landscape is as bleak as it gets, comfort colder than the winter corpses at every turn. As Royce meanders through the dead landscape, he becomes a character study of human endurance, his need to survive forever at odds with his desire for absolution in a hopeless world. Yea there are the graphic, action set pieces that are fast becoming the writer's hallmark but it is the intimate nature of Royce and those few he comes across on his aimless journey that captivated this reader.
A powerful piece of work, given much weight by the quality of Hawkins' delivery. Think McCarthy's The Road (but without the pretence) and you will not be far away from the tone of this incredibly moving story. Horror works best when it taps into the psyche and leaves residue. For this reader The Last Outpost is an exemplar of such a premise.
Hawkins' sequel to British Fantasy Award nominated The Last Plague is, by and large, a significant shift from the original. This is not to say this is a negative. If fact, the assured writing is ramped up several levels whilst the pacing is tightened to the point where these two elements are in such opposition the tension permeates to the reader, resulting in a truly emotional tour de force.
In Royce, our protagonist, we see the world in the aftermath of The Plague. The landscape is as bleak as it gets, comfort colder than the winter corpses at every turn. As Royce meanders through the dead landscape, he becomes a character study of human endurance, his need to survive forever at odds with his desire for absolution in a hopeless world. Yea there are the graphic, action set pieces that are fast becoming the writer's hallmark but it is the intimate nature of Royce and those few he comes across on his aimless journey that captivated this reader.
A powerful piece of work, given much weight by the quality of Hawkins' delivery. Think McCarthy's The Road (but without the pretence) and you will not be far away from the tone of this incredibly moving story. Horror works best when it taps into the psyche and leaves residue. For this reader The Last Outpost is an exemplar of such a premise.
October 11, 2015
It takes a special kind of writer to create a world of emptiness, horror, and desolation, that the reader, along with the characters, are trapped in.
Very often as a reader we find ourselves staring into the pages of hell, from the comfort of our chair.
Rich Hawkins book, The Last Outpost is so beautifully written, that you cannot help feel like you too, wander in the bleak abyss, with Royce.
Of the many apocalyptic books i have read, this one alone, truly actualizes the utter desperation, the terror, and hopelessness, of a dead world.
Along with Royce and the other characters, you are alone, struggling to survive, waiting for a dreadful demise.
Rich Hawkins has garnered a good following, and huge praise with a writing style that H. P. Lovecraft would have been proud of.
The comparisons have been there since the beginning, but i believe that Rich Hawkins has brought Lovecraftian horror into a modern age.
And he has made it his own.
Very often as a reader we find ourselves staring into the pages of hell, from the comfort of our chair.
Rich Hawkins book, The Last Outpost is so beautifully written, that you cannot help feel like you too, wander in the bleak abyss, with Royce.
Of the many apocalyptic books i have read, this one alone, truly actualizes the utter desperation, the terror, and hopelessness, of a dead world.
Along with Royce and the other characters, you are alone, struggling to survive, waiting for a dreadful demise.
Rich Hawkins has garnered a good following, and huge praise with a writing style that H. P. Lovecraft would have been proud of.
The comparisons have been there since the beginning, but i believe that Rich Hawkins has brought Lovecraftian horror into a modern age.
And he has made it his own.
October 19, 2020
Much preferred this sequel to the precursor The Last Plague. Mostly concentrates on Royce and his seemingly hopeless attempts to survive in a desolate England overrun by the plague ridden. I hope that the Yanks never try to make a US based film as they would give it a vomit inducing mawkish ending. Downbeat but excellent read.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
March 21, 2016
A GRAND BUT SAD ADDITION TO THE TALE IT IS..
Hello, this story is great, but sad, very sad. The monsters or whatever the hell they are, are terrible and beyond comprehension in some ways. Damn fine stuff. Thanks.
Hello, this story is great, but sad, very sad. The monsters or whatever the hell they are, are terrible and beyond comprehension in some ways. Damn fine stuff. Thanks.
August 21, 2019
After devouring The Last Plague in just a few short hours and thinking that book is possibly one of the best books I've ever read (albeit it I've only read a few); moving on to The Last Outpost meant this book had massive shoes to fill.
I will preface this by saying though that The Last Outpost doesn't necessarily follow on from the events of The Last Plague; and as such you won't be reading about the remaining survivors from the end of the first book which is a little disappointing if I'm being perfectly honest.
However, the characters that are introduced in The Last Outpost are rather likeable, and I did find myself becoming rather attached to a few of them to the point where I was spurring them on during the more intense scenes.
The Last Outpost isn't as detailed in all it's gory glory as The Last Plague, with the 2nd book being more heavily focused on the narrative and the journey rather than the gore-filled death scenes and overly detailed descriptions of the infected.
All in all though, very good book to read and only adds to the amazingly written and crafted "The Last" world created by Rich.
I will preface this by saying though that The Last Outpost doesn't necessarily follow on from the events of The Last Plague; and as such you won't be reading about the remaining survivors from the end of the first book which is a little disappointing if I'm being perfectly honest.
However, the characters that are introduced in The Last Outpost are rather likeable, and I did find myself becoming rather attached to a few of them to the point where I was spurring them on during the more intense scenes.
The Last Outpost isn't as detailed in all it's gory glory as The Last Plague, with the 2nd book being more heavily focused on the narrative and the journey rather than the gore-filled death scenes and overly detailed descriptions of the infected.
All in all though, very good book to read and only adds to the amazingly written and crafted "The Last" world created by Rich.
July 25, 2024
A wonderfully grim read. The end of mankind. Not yet but it looks a likely scenario. Descriptive as ever, particularly in reference to the infected and unexplained demons in the black clouds. All about Royce as he wanders through the bleak landscape looking for food and water and the still living he meets.
February 22, 2021
3.75. Better than the first, grimmer though. Liked the tone and ambience of the book, just not enough interesting set pieces. Still quite good
June 27, 2025
Darkness, bleakest, most hopeless book in the entire apocalyptic horror genre?
Finished the last half of the audiobook with jaw permanently floored at the utter despair of it all...loved it!
Finished the last half of the audiobook with jaw permanently floored at the utter despair of it all...loved it!
October 3, 2017
I am normally not the biggest fan of horror genre sequels. Often I feel like what ends up on the screen or on the page is just a pale attempt to take the successful elements from the first story and shoehorn them into a different one. The Last Outpost blows that conception out of the water, picking up the story that was begun with The Last Plague and takes it to a whole new level, creating a new narrative shell for the story to live within, while at the same time, preserving the spirit of the first book.
I was a fan of The Last Plague and was definitely looking forward to this one. I feel like Hawkins' prose has really come together in this story, his ability to weave a narrative improved even more. In a cultural landscape where the dystopian and the apocalyptic have become so widespread that they are often immediately disregarded, this book manages to pump fresh blood into it and reminds you why you might have fallen in love with this genre in the first place.
The beginning of this book is somehow horrific and beautiful at the same time and Hawkins manages to create a captivating and engaging story despite having other people around for our protagonist to talk to. It's hard to pull off having so much description and so little dialogue but he manages it. Then, as the scope of the story broadens somewhat and more people are introduced, the course of events quickly spiral downward and Royce's story pulls you in, more and more while also making you dread what could possibly happen next for him. The story quickly veers into the tragic, but in some odd way, the tragedy also has an eerie way of seeming just as well. Are there really villains in this story? Or is it that villainous events draw the worst in some kinds of people.
It's cliche to say things like, "I loved every minute of reading that story" but, in this case, it's the best way to describe it. I will eagerly await any future books that may come in this series, but mostly I will be looking forward to more Rich Hawkins. Write on!
I was a fan of The Last Plague and was definitely looking forward to this one. I feel like Hawkins' prose has really come together in this story, his ability to weave a narrative improved even more. In a cultural landscape where the dystopian and the apocalyptic have become so widespread that they are often immediately disregarded, this book manages to pump fresh blood into it and reminds you why you might have fallen in love with this genre in the first place.
The beginning of this book is somehow horrific and beautiful at the same time and Hawkins manages to create a captivating and engaging story despite having other people around for our protagonist to talk to. It's hard to pull off having so much description and so little dialogue but he manages it. Then, as the scope of the story broadens somewhat and more people are introduced, the course of events quickly spiral downward and Royce's story pulls you in, more and more while also making you dread what could possibly happen next for him. The story quickly veers into the tragic, but in some odd way, the tragedy also has an eerie way of seeming just as well. Are there really villains in this story? Or is it that villainous events draw the worst in some kinds of people.
It's cliche to say things like, "I loved every minute of reading that story" but, in this case, it's the best way to describe it. I will eagerly await any future books that may come in this series, but mostly I will be looking forward to more Rich Hawkins. Write on!
March 5, 2021
I don't like to pigeon hole Rich, but he does "bleak" extremely well. He paints vast landscapes with words, so much so that you can picture exactly what he is trying to get across. So much so, that you feel as if you are there alongside the drifters. You feel their fear, their sadness. And within this book, there is nothing cheery. Brace yourself.
It's been a few years since i read the first book and im not sure why it took me so long to get round to this one but i finally got there.
It's a really good story of one man's journey across hellish country, wandering aimlessly whilst trying not to get eaten. Considering that the majority of this book is descriptions of surrounding scenery and not dialogue, i read this very fast. I think that speaks volumes for the talent Rich has.
Get yourself into this trilogy right away.
It's been a few years since i read the first book and im not sure why it took me so long to get round to this one but i finally got there.
It's a really good story of one man's journey across hellish country, wandering aimlessly whilst trying not to get eaten. Considering that the majority of this book is descriptions of surrounding scenery and not dialogue, i read this very fast. I think that speaks volumes for the talent Rich has.
Get yourself into this trilogy right away.
February 7, 2017
Beautifully written. I loved his word choice and the descriptions were both horrifying and poetic. But the plot did not really move along. I kept waiting for something to happen. When the plot picked up, the book was basically over. Liked the last scene of the book though!
September 7, 2024
This is the second on the series but was free on audible so I listened to it first. And I loved it. It was actually kind of scary. The horrifying world and body horror was wonderful. This was such a fun ride. There was never a point when I wasn’t entertained. I will absolutely read more from this author.
July 13, 2020
This is Horror!! Great Sequel
Rich Hawkins The Last Outpost is what I call “ Horror “
The story takes place some time after The Last Plague.
Well written, terrifying, unsettling and heartbreaking.
Not sure if there will be a third installment but I’m really hoping for one.
Rich Hawkins The Last Outpost is what I call “ Horror “
The story takes place some time after The Last Plague.
Well written, terrifying, unsettling and heartbreaking.
Not sure if there will be a third installment but I’m really hoping for one.
October 29, 2015
Grim. Grisly. Grotesque. Bleak. A worthy follow-up to The Last Plague. Read it with a shudder, and weep for all that was before this rapacious preternatural/alien plague had its wicked way with us.
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