Author: Rhiannon Frater
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: November 8, 2011
Pages: 368
Source: Paperback/Library
It’s time to clear the hotel.
The fort has grown crowded as survivors of the zombie apocalypse have found safety between its walls. Winter is coming; soon it will be too cold to live in tents and other makeshift shelters. The leaders of the survivors—Katie, Jenni, Juan, Travis, and Nerit—decide it’s time for an assault on the zombie-occupied hotel that looms over the town square.
A pitched battle in the banquet room is the start of a harrowing, room-by-room struggle from Reception to roof. As the sun sets, the people of Ashley Oaks gather in the hotel’s rooftop ballroom and gazebo to celebrate their survival. Gazing out over the beauty of the surrounding Texas countryside, it’s hard to believe that death and danger lurk around every corner.
The fort’s search and rescue teams have attracted unwanted attention from bandits who see the fort as competition for food . . . and as a ready source of women. The first attacks are minor, but everyone knows there is worse to come.
And beyond the fort’s walls, the zombies shamble, moaning, eyes fastened hungrily upon the living.
Review: I loved this book as much as I loved the first!!! Ok, so there was only one complaint I had about this book and that was that it kept switching between like I think 6-8 people's POV's. It was confusing a few times to figure out who was speaking so I'd have to go back a reread to figure it out. While I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of it, I did however feel like it added to the story in a good way so I'm not complaining too much. I really loved when they did the dog Jack's POV. That seriously made me giggle so much. "I want a cookie!" Hahahahahaha! We needed that lighthearted moment when the rest of the book seemed to be so dark.
Ok. In all seriousness here... This book was definitely darker still than the last book. There was a lot more urgency to get into the hotel, especially after one of the other surviving groups they were in contact with was wiped out in a tornado. Travis realized that they couldn't wait til the perfect time to go in. They had to go in as soon as possible or something else beyond their control might get to them first. So having realized that, they got together their forces and stormed the hotel. Man!!!! I so did not see all that happened actually happening in the hotel. Ok, first of all, there was like ten times more zombies than anyone expected. Apparently there was an event going on at the hotel the day people turned so it was perfect breeding ground for a whole army of zombies. I was pretty scared for everyone that went into the hotel after finding that out!!! There was just so much danger around every corner and the freaking zombies kept getting people!!!! AH!!! I was really sad with the number of people that ended up dying thanks to the zombies. But hey, those people sacrificed themselves for the good of everyone else being able to use the hotel. It was freaky how fast some of those people changed though! I mean on person just got a scratch and she changed within minutes. FROM A SCRATCH! It was like what????? You never know how long it can take someone to turn. Lesson learned for everyone.
So in this book we really see what happened finally taking a toll on Jenni. We also still see Katie struggling with everything as well. We know in the last book Katie was struggling with moving on because she didn't want to dishonor Lydia's memory. But she made a lot of progress in this book. She finally comes to terms with it and accepts that its ok to move on and that Lydia would want her to move on and be happy. This led to her finally giving into being with Travis. Finally!!!!!!! I loved seeing these two together! It was such a nice change seeing Katie happy and in love. Jenni... She started really struggling with stuff. She was having a lot of nightmares about that first day when her family turned. And on top of that she felt like Lloyd's ghost was haunting her, trying to get her to die and come be with the rest of them so he could control her again. I felt so bad for her. Even after finally getting away from him, he's still finding a way to get to her. I felt so bad for Juan because Jenni wouldn't let him help her, or even talk to him about it. He just wanted to help her, or at least comfort her but she just wouldn't let him. But they were still so cute together when Jenni wasn't dealing with that stuff. I'm hoping she will let Juan in more in the next book if she starts struggling with it again.
So this whole thing with the bandits. Ok, first of all. I DESPISE these bandits!! What they were doing was just wrong! In the last book they just up and killed Ralph and now their going around murdering whole groups of people, and then taking some of the women and just raping them until they get tired of them and kill them too. Its just wrong!!!! I'm so glad everyone in the fort decided it best to try and go out and save as many people as they could in the few places they knew there was survivors. Even though they were too late to save a bunch of people they still did save a few and each person they saved counted!! I was also very happy and impressed with what Nerit had come up with to lure the bandits in to take some of them out! That was a seriously awesome plan!
So one thing we still don't find out is who the vigilante is thats killing people from the fort. I'm seriously getting annoyed! There are so many people that would make good suspects for being the Vigilante that I cant figure out who I think it could be. We better find out in the next book!!! I need to know who it is!!! Also, that freaking epilogue! It definitely sets up something interesting for Siege! I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!
5 Stars!
