Lynn has been rescued from deep within the heart of a night runner lair. The answer why she was taken remains a mystery. Sandra lies in a pool of her own blood ending her desperate measures to draw Jack to her. As Red Team celebrates their joy of Lynn’s freedom, they are unaware that a sight is centered on them from afar. A bullet tears through the air, streaking their way.
Harold discovers information that stuns the small group of survivors and further threatens their fragile handhold on existence. They have overcome one challenge only to find that a new, more dangerous one replaces it. There’s more to this new world than Jack ever suspected.
With only a single team at his disposal, Greg is sent to continue the search for survivors. Separated from the group and unable to call for help, the small group must journey along lonely and perilous back roads in the hope of finding family members. In the end, Greg must decide between saving others and the safety of his team. Meanwhile, with the crew anxious to get home, Captain Leonard sails down the western seaboard to search for answers as he struggles to come to grips with the world.
The group tries to stay one step ahead but there’s trouble infiltrating from the north. And Michael is stirring from within the depths of his lair.
John O'Brien is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations for the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, John became a firefighter/EMT with a local department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he fell into the Information Technology industry in corporate management. Currently, John is writing full-time.
As a former marathon runner, John lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads.
Conspiracy is the eighth book in John O'Brien's 'A New World' series. I've read them all, the series has been one of my favorites in the genre; and I have awarded six of the eight books five stars. But I had difficulty engaging with the last two releases. Though still a very good book, the main focus has changed from O'Brien's original breed of zombies (the night runners) to...well...Conspiracy. So I guess the title is aptly fitting. The characters I've become invested in play bit parts in this new release, and instead a new group (or two) take center stage.
There is no shortage of action sprinkled with multiple plot lines and conflicts. Conspiracy is character driven. As well it should be since it is introducing additional antagonists. One group makes their way by submarine in search of survivors to rescue while another group attempts to thwart them. What's good here is the push and pull of forces between what could be perceived as a fight between good vs. evil.
I'm all for change and progression so long as the main concept is followed through to the end. So my 3.5 star rating is due to the change from zombie horror to a military skirmish. However, I am optimistic for the next book as the ending hints at a return to focusing on humanity vs. night runner. There have been some amazing gems throughout the series where I'd like to see more development. To me, the moments that have been the most intriguing are when the night runners show their cunning ruthlessness, or a bit of humanity peeks through the disease. My favorite part is definitely the change from zombie back to human. I'm dying to get more on those arcs.
Overall, Conspiracy feels less of a complete story and more of a set up for the next book in the series. I haven't given up on 'A New World', it's been too exceptional to abandon now. O'Brien is a talented writer with abundant imagination. But when writing with his Special Ops experience cap on, it tends to go over my head and get monotonous. Bring back the gratuitous killing and bloodlust, I say!
This series just has a habit of sucking you in. I even dropped the newest book from one of my other favorite series because I just had to know what happened next. Really recommend these books to anyone.
The plot thickens ! This is such a great story. A real nail biter ! Had some teary moments. Two more books to go. Don't want the series to end ! Highly recommended!
The 8th book in the "A New World"-series is easily the best of the bunch, and that's saying a lot - as the previous 7 has been packed with intense action since the world collapsed and the Night Runners took over the show.
The reason this book is the best of the lot is the pacing. O'Brien has slowed it down a notch, and gives more room to let his characters grow. We've gotten reasonably well under Captain Walkers skin - and he's naturally the stronges character of the lot. Not necessarily because he is, but because he's the one who's head we've been inside the most.
This time he let's a bunch of the supporting cast get their turn to breathe and speak. And it works. It really brings life to the series, which easily could stagnate and turn repetitive.
But the strength of the book is also it's weakness. Because there ends up being a thread or two too handle. In his wish to let us learn to understand these people, we just get a bit overwhelmed with too much personal information to digest - all the while trying to follow the action-filled main plot.
And speaking of the main plot. Waiting until book 8 to incorporate a world-wide conspiracy is juuust a bit too much. By next book it'll be allright, but when seeing the series as a whole, I wish that would have been introduced a bit earlier to make it a bit more believable. If something like that actually exists in a book about living dead ;)
Still - I love this series, and I love the fact that O'Brien takes it to another level in this book. Can't wait until the next one!
This book brings a whole new angle to the plot. Captain Jack had eliminated Night Runner leader Sandra and successfully rescued Lynn at the end of the previous book. This would effectively lessen the pressure on Jack's group, but now we have a new player in the game. A secretive group of very high level financial players had lofty plans to eliminate 60% of the worlds population, seize most of the worlds resources, and then take the ultimate power position over what is left and rebuild to their liking. The virus vaccine and the infected who followed hosed up all their plans. Now they sit, along with a battalion of troops and equipment, in a large underground communications bunker administered by a female ex Mossad agent attempting to resurrect what they can of their original plan. This seems near impossible since they appear to be the only remaining survivors of their once large clandestine force. They still have satellite reconnaissance and it is with this that Captain Jack's operation has come to their attention. They are not happy that another group, as well or better equipped than they, exists. Especially a group led by an ex intelligence officer with a highly classified and mysterious record. Thus begins the effort to surveil, identify, and ultimately eliminate Captain Jack. Meanwhile, Greg is out with a squad looking for family survivors and running into bands of infected.
I've been a fan of John O'Brien's books ever since I read the first in this series. I was very excited when I learned O'Brien was working on book eight... and even more excited when he announced that it was ready for purchase. I immediately purchased a copy for my Kindle and was not disappointed. This book is a little different from the others in the series in that the reader is allowed to "follow" some of the other key characters in the books. I liked that.
My favorite kind of stories are those that let me get to know the characters inside and out. John O'Brien seems to have a gift for making that happen in his stories, and even more so in this one. Not only that, but I find myself liking and caring for the good characters. The main characters have a strong sense of morality, and it is fascinating to see how this plays out in the day-to-day challenges of living in a terrifying post-apocalyptic world.
I am on to book 9 now...This was a bit of a different twist on this tale, and I can see how some people liked it, and some people were on the fence...I happened to have liked it..it really showed the different aspects of what you could expect in an apocalyptic world..People are more dangerous than the night runners are...people can be cruel and selfish...We had another sad loss in this book...and it was really heartbreaking...we also meet some new people...some good, some really bad..and we do see there really is a conspiracy going on..even in an almost empty world, there are people who will vie for control no matter what the cost!
the book delivers. the characters are great, and the storyline works well against the tactical elements all characters posses. the author does an excellent job keeping the storyline rocking and rolling without drowning you with the special forces elements that dominate this series. This series is worth a read and I love the characters and enjoy each installment. can't wait to see what happens next!
Can't wait to see where things are going. This was a nice set up book for the introduction of added plot points.
I have read all so far, and while I occasionally get a bit impatient, I remind myself that all stories and characters need moments of development and exposition.
I just have to know what's happening and sometimes get impatient waiting for the answers. Overall still a great series.
Another awesome one for the series. O'Brien managed to throw in a great mix of suspense, intrigue, conspiracy, action and drama with this one. The continuation of the cooperation with the Santa Fe submarine crew, the introduction of the elite's doomsday group and the inclusion of some more small groups throughout the region really kept this one interesting. The overall picture is definitely building up to a climax.
Things to love about this book: introduction of interesting new characters, insights into how the entire mess started, the incredible new threat, and last but not least...Lynn made it out alive! (Sorry for the spoiler but I really like her character!) Things to hate about this book: Having to wait for the next one!!
Another great read from the military mind of John. His attention to detail might be a bit annoying to some but I find it let's me really understand the teams and individuals. How the weapons and smarts come together and allow the group to get bigger and better. Not a zombie book in the purest sense but a great end of days read Off to start #9 yeah
after purchasing my new kindle I read the first book in the series. I was hooked. John tells a good story with characters who you can like. I real lit like how he uses his experiences in the military to wrap everything together.
Yeah, I love zombie books. This is the 8th in a series about a group of survivors. Each book has been better than the last. Hope the author has a few more books in him.