The sequel to Peter Clines’s debut novel is faster and punchier than Ex-Heroes, and is downright hard to put down.
Months after the battle for the Mount, a predator drone is spotted over Los Angeles. Contact is made with an army base outside Yuma, Arizona, where the Army’s super-human project is alive and well in post-apocalypse America. Led by Captain Freedom, an augmented human capable of bench pressing more than a ton, these soldiers are reaching out to rebuild the nation under the command of the President. When the Heroes find out the Army is also using electronically-controlled zombies to maintain defenses they balk, but the promise of a restored America keeps them from running home.
The Good:
This book is a sequel in the true sense, so if you haven’t read Ex-Heroes, stop reading and go do it now… Fun, wasn’t it? Well, I have a treat for you: everything that’s good in Ex-Heroes is great in Ex-Patriots. Though it was released before I wrote my review, it’s almost as if he took my (mild) criticism to heart when writing the sequel.
Clines focuses his attention on only a few characters — mostly St. George, Cerberus, and Stealth — and spends enough time on them that you really, truly care. The pace is faster even without much “action” in the first third of the book, and the action is tight, well-written, and easy to picture.
The plot twists are excellent, and numerous enough to make this book hard to review without spoilers. There were several reveals where I found myself feeling that I should have guessed them, but didn’t. One unbelievable character action that really annoyed me turned out to make perfect, brilliant sense in retrospect, and the ending will leave you drooling for a sequel.
The Bad:
Some of the flashbacks are disorienting, because it takes a while for the reader to figure out who the narrator is. Several of these flashbacks could have been narrated by Captain Freedom and really fleshed out his character, but instead are told by bit players. Though he keeps the focus tight on few characters throughout most of the book, a few of them are a little two-dimensional and predictable, and Stealth is still too much of an enigma for the reader to relate to her.
Part of the book hinges upon the motivations of a civilian named Doctor Sorenson, whose psyche has cracked under strain and loss. While he is supposed to be crazy, his motives are central to a huge plot twist, and there isn’t quite enough there to justify his decisions. Even so, these are more of a failure to add to the experience, rather than a detriment — the book is good regardless.
The Ugly:
The only thing ugly about this book are the zombies, and them in a good way.
The Verdict:
If you liked Ex-Heroes, you’ll love Ex-Patriots. If you thought Ex-Heroes was only okay, you’ll still love Ex-Patriots. I wouldn’t recommend it as a stand-alone book, because Clines doesn’t waste time re-telling you what you should already know, so what you should do — right now — is buy both books, then call in sick to work. They won’t need you tomorrow anyway. Honest.
Available at Barnes and Noble, Indigo, and Amazon
