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Rot & Ruin #4
Fire & Ash
In the gripping conclusion to the action-packed standard bearer (Booklist) of zombie series, the threat of death is given new life.
Benny Imura and his friends have found the jet and Sanctuary, but neither is what they expected. Instead of a refuge, Sanctuary is a hospice, and the soldiers who flew the plane seem to be little more than bureaucrats who have given up hope for humanity's future. With Chong hovering between life and death, clinging to his humanity by a thread, Benny makes a startling discovery: A scientist may have discovered a cure for the zombie plague. Desperate to save Chong, Benny and his friends mount a search and rescue mission. But they're not the only ones on the hunt. The reapers are after the cure too, and they want to use it turn all the zombies into superfast shock troops and wipe humanity off the face of the earth.
In this riveting conclusion to the Rot & Ruin series, the battle to end all battles is just beginning.
Benny Imura and his friends have found the jet and Sanctuary, but neither is what they expected. Instead of a refuge, Sanctuary is a hospice, and the soldiers who flew the plane seem to be little more than bureaucrats who have given up hope for humanity's future. With Chong hovering between life and death, clinging to his humanity by a thread, Benny makes a startling discovery: A scientist may have discovered a cure for the zombie plague. Desperate to save Chong, Benny and his friends mount a search and rescue mission. But they're not the only ones on the hunt. The reapers are after the cure too, and they want to use it turn all the zombies into superfast shock troops and wipe humanity off the face of the earth.
In this riveting conclusion to the Rot & Ruin series, the battle to end all battles is just beginning.
537 pages, Hardcover
Published August 13, 2013
199 people are currently reading
7100 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maberry
514Ìýbooks7,679ÌýfollowersJONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-seller and Audible #1 bestseller, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, anthology editor, comic book writer, executive producer, magazine feature writer, playwright, and writing teacher/lecturer. He is the editor of WEIRD TALES Magazine and president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He is the recipient of the Inkpot Award, three Scribe Awards, and was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. His books have been sold to more than thirty countries. He writes in several genres including thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and mystery; and he writes for adults, middle grade, and young adult.
Jonathan is the creator, editor and co-author of V-WARS, a shared-world vampire anthology from IDW Publishing that was adapted into a NETFLIX series starring Ian Somerhalder (LOST, VAMPIRE DIARIES).
His young adult fiction includes ROT & RUIN (2011; was named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, an American Library Association Top Pick, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading winner; winner of several state Teen Book Awards including the Cricket, Nutmeg and MASL; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards); DUST & DECAY (winner of the 2011 Bram Stoker Award; FLESH & BONE (winner of the Bram Stoker Award; 2012; and FIRE & ASH (August 2013). BROKEN LANDS, the first of a new spin-off series, debuted in 2018 and was followed by LOST ROADS in fall 2020. ROT & RUIN is in development for film by ALCON ENTERTAINMENT and was adapted as a WEBTOON (a serialized comic formatted for cell phones), becoming their #1 horror comic.
His novels include the enormously popular Joe Ledger series from St. Martin’s Griffin (PATIENT ZERO, 2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel) and eleven other volumes, most recently RELENTLESS. His middle grade novel, THE NIGHTSIDERS BOOK 1: THE ORPHAN ARMY (Simon & Schuster) was named one the 100 Best Books for Children 2015. His standalone novels include MARS ONE, GLIMPSE, INK, GHOSTWALKERS (based on the DEADLANDS role-playing game), X-FILES ORIGINS: DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, and THE WOLFMAN --winner of the Scribe Award for Best Movie Adaptation
His horror novels include The Pine Deep Trilogy from Pinnacle Books (GHOST ROAD BLUES, 2006, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel and named one of the 25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium; DEAD MAN’S SONG, 2007; and BAD MOON RISING, 2008; as well as DEAD OF NIGHT, and its sequels, FALL OF NIGHT, DARK OF NIGHT, and STILL OF NIGHT.
His epic fantasy series, KAGEN THE DAMNED debuts in May 2022. And he just signed to co-author (with Weston Ochse) a new series of military science fiction novels that launches the SLEEPERS series. Jonathan will also be launching a new series of science fiction horror novels for the newly established Weird Tales Presents imprint of Blackstone Publishing.
He is also the editor of three THE X-FILES anthologies; the dark fantasy anthology series, OUT OF TUNE; SCARY OUT THERE, an anthology of horror for teens; and the anthologies ALIENS: BUG HUNT, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD (with George Romero), JOE LEDGER UNSTOPPABLE (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt); two volumes of mysteries: ALTERNATE SHERLOCKS and THE GAME’S AFOOT (with Michael Ventrella); and ALIENS V PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt). He is also the editor of DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, the official tribute to SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. His next anthology will be ALIENS VS PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt), debuting in spring 2022.
Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary series, ZOMBIES: A Living History and TRUE MONSTERS. And he was participated in the commentary track for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED.
His many nonfiction works include VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006); THE CRYPTOPED
Jonathan is the creator, editor and co-author of V-WARS, a shared-world vampire anthology from IDW Publishing that was adapted into a NETFLIX series starring Ian Somerhalder (LOST, VAMPIRE DIARIES).
His young adult fiction includes ROT & RUIN (2011; was named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, an American Library Association Top Pick, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading winner; winner of several state Teen Book Awards including the Cricket, Nutmeg and MASL; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards); DUST & DECAY (winner of the 2011 Bram Stoker Award; FLESH & BONE (winner of the Bram Stoker Award; 2012; and FIRE & ASH (August 2013). BROKEN LANDS, the first of a new spin-off series, debuted in 2018 and was followed by LOST ROADS in fall 2020. ROT & RUIN is in development for film by ALCON ENTERTAINMENT and was adapted as a WEBTOON (a serialized comic formatted for cell phones), becoming their #1 horror comic.
His novels include the enormously popular Joe Ledger series from St. Martin’s Griffin (PATIENT ZERO, 2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel) and eleven other volumes, most recently RELENTLESS. His middle grade novel, THE NIGHTSIDERS BOOK 1: THE ORPHAN ARMY (Simon & Schuster) was named one the 100 Best Books for Children 2015. His standalone novels include MARS ONE, GLIMPSE, INK, GHOSTWALKERS (based on the DEADLANDS role-playing game), X-FILES ORIGINS: DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, and THE WOLFMAN --winner of the Scribe Award for Best Movie Adaptation
His horror novels include The Pine Deep Trilogy from Pinnacle Books (GHOST ROAD BLUES, 2006, winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel and named one of the 25 Best Horror Novels of the New Millennium; DEAD MAN’S SONG, 2007; and BAD MOON RISING, 2008; as well as DEAD OF NIGHT, and its sequels, FALL OF NIGHT, DARK OF NIGHT, and STILL OF NIGHT.
His epic fantasy series, KAGEN THE DAMNED debuts in May 2022. And he just signed to co-author (with Weston Ochse) a new series of military science fiction novels that launches the SLEEPERS series. Jonathan will also be launching a new series of science fiction horror novels for the newly established Weird Tales Presents imprint of Blackstone Publishing.
He is also the editor of three THE X-FILES anthologies; the dark fantasy anthology series, OUT OF TUNE; SCARY OUT THERE, an anthology of horror for teens; and the anthologies ALIENS: BUG HUNT, NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD (with George Romero), JOE LEDGER UNSTOPPABLE (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt); two volumes of mysteries: ALTERNATE SHERLOCKS and THE GAME’S AFOOT (with Michael Ventrella); and ALIENS V PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt). He is also the editor of DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, the official tribute to SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK. His next anthology will be ALIENS VS PREDATOR: ULTIMATE PREY (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt), debuting in spring 2022.
Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary series, ZOMBIES: A Living History and TRUE MONSTERS. And he was participated in the commentary track for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED.
His many nonfiction works include VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006); THE CRYPTOPED
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 764 reviews
March 17, 2014
Benny waited, his whole body tensing for the argument, the outrage, the refusal that he knew was coming. The ranger looked past him at the three fierce girls on the other side of the trench. Then he turned and looked at the zoms, who were less than a quarter mile away. Finally he looked down at the torn piece of paper in his hand.
"You're doing all of this because of your friend? Because of that Chong kid?"
"I'm doing this because this is our world too. You don't have a right to shut us out of the process of saving it."
WARNING: This will contain major spoilers for books 1-3!
So, it took me a little over two months to get through the entirety of Fire and Ash. I did like it over all, and altogether this is a good series. However, I felt the first two books were much more powerful than the third and fourth.
I found the third book a bit disappointing, but I was still really looking forward to the fourth book since I knew it would be the final installment of the series. On top of that, the third book had quite a cliffhanger ending, what with Chong starting to turn into a zombie and all.
After finishing this one, I'm mostly happy with the way the series ended. However, in general I felt like the third and fourth books were kind of repetitive of each other, and might have just been condensed into one book. I think there were a lot of redundant scenes, some unnecessary point of view shifts, etc. that could have been cut out and it could have been focused on a more concrete plot. While there are exciting parts in books three and four, I think the story wandered a bit too much in both.
But I did still really like some of the characters in this one. I've always especially liked Lilah and Chong, and their relationship is probably the most compelling thing about the series for me. In this book it was especially painful to see what Chong was going through, especially since he's such a sweetheart and is usually the comic relief and everything. Lilah is just super awesome, and her dedication to Chong is so touching; it was heartbreaking to see her suffer so much over thinking Chong might die. Just ... agggh, so many feelings.
If you've read my reviews of the other books in the series, I'll probably sound like a broken record now, but ... yeah, I am not a huge fan of Benny and Nix––not as a couple, and not as individual characters. While neither of them is an awful character, I just never found anything super likeable or engaging about either of them. In terms of their relationship, I felt it kind of just happened with little development in the first book and continued to frustrate me throughout the series. I know relationships aren't perfect and that couples argue in real life and all that, but ... they just argue so much over stupid things and it always drove me a bit crazy. They would claim over and over again that they liked each other, but honestly I never really understood what they saw in each other or why they were compatible. One thing that did make me happy, though:
I do think the characters changed and matured over the course of the series. It's nice to see that change happen over the span of a few books. However, I also think the character development was kind of ... shoved down the readers' throats in a way. And by that I mean, I think we were told a little too often that the characters had changed. For example:
I'm not who I was, thought Benny as he fell into step behind Nix. This is who I am. I'm not Tom and I'm not little Benny anymore. I'm me.
See, I don't think the reader needs to be told this. It's supposed to be shown through the characters' actions, through how their attitudes and decisions change throughout the story. That isn't to say that the character development in the series wasn't good. All the characters did go through a lot, and they did change realistically, but I just wish we hadn't been told over and over again that the characters had developed when that was already pretty clear.
I had kind of mixed feelings about the ending. As I said earlier, I was happy with the conclusion to the series. But ... in some ways it felt kind of abrupt and I think it copped out a little. Maybe it's because the books are relatively long and the second half of the series dragged a bit, but the ending felt sort of rushed to me. But anyway, I do like that the ending wasn't perfect and that while it was happy in some ways it didn't just magically resolve everything.
The final word: I really enjoyed the series over all. The third and fourth books were not my favorite, but I still do think it was a solidly good series.
Pre-reading/reviewing rants under the spoiler:
February 23, 2014
Now is the time when I wish I had a better gift of writing to express my thoughts on these books. I do not understand why they are not more popular than they are because yep I'm gonna say it. These are my new favorite series of all times. Next to Lonesome Dove. I am a stingy bitch when it comes to giving books five stars. The book has to blow me out of the water. Guess what? This did it.
5 teenagers. Yes teenagers are out to save the world. Some of the better characters I've ever seen in books.
You have:
Benny Imura In the first book of this series I so wanted to smack the taste from his mouth. He was a whiny little turd. Over the series you see this boy grow up. He becomes a hero with a smart mouth and no fear. Facing the reaper group (a group of religious nuts bent on killing off everyone) "I know. Red mouths, tongues cut out. What is it with you guys and threats? you need to work on your people skills.
Lilah aka the Lost girl I think she has become my favorite female character ever. She is a survivor. "My reapers of te Red Brotherhood will slaughter you." Lilah said, "Look into my eyes. Tell me if you think I care." She frigging does not.
Nix RileyProbably my least favorite of the group but I still love her so that is saying a ton.
Chong A "town boy" who wasn't supposed to come along with the group. Every time I think the boy is going to get himself killed he pulls a fast one on me and not only pulls through. He shines doing it.
Rion She is the daughter of one of the cult leaders who left mom behind when she proved to be cuckoo for cocoa puffs. This is one tough little redneck talking girl.
So what do these teenagers do? They leave the safety of their town because they know that the town isn't going to last forever. That the zombies can't be all there is out there. Along the way the take down a place called Gameland. Where kids and adults are placed in pits and made to fight zoms for bets placed. They then come up against the Reapers. A religious group that belief the end is here. They think that their god has told them to cleanse the earth of all mankind. (They are some scare turds). Throw in millions of zombie action and hold on for the ride.
These books do not leave you hanging with questions. The author does a n amazing job of telling this whole story in a way that you believe every second is happening.
I'm gonna go fangirl for awhile now.
5 teenagers. Yes teenagers are out to save the world. Some of the better characters I've ever seen in books.
You have:
Benny Imura In the first book of this series I so wanted to smack the taste from his mouth. He was a whiny little turd. Over the series you see this boy grow up. He becomes a hero with a smart mouth and no fear. Facing the reaper group (a group of religious nuts bent on killing off everyone) "I know. Red mouths, tongues cut out. What is it with you guys and threats? you need to work on your people skills.
Lilah aka the Lost girl I think she has become my favorite female character ever. She is a survivor. "My reapers of te Red Brotherhood will slaughter you." Lilah said, "Look into my eyes. Tell me if you think I care." She frigging does not.
Nix RileyProbably my least favorite of the group but I still love her so that is saying a ton.
Chong A "town boy" who wasn't supposed to come along with the group. Every time I think the boy is going to get himself killed he pulls a fast one on me and not only pulls through. He shines doing it.
Rion She is the daughter of one of the cult leaders who left mom behind when she proved to be cuckoo for cocoa puffs. This is one tough little redneck talking girl.
So what do these teenagers do? They leave the safety of their town because they know that the town isn't going to last forever. That the zombies can't be all there is out there. Along the way the take down a place called Gameland. Where kids and adults are placed in pits and made to fight zoms for bets placed. They then come up against the Reapers. A religious group that belief the end is here. They think that their god has told them to cleanse the earth of all mankind. (They are some scare turds). Throw in millions of zombie action and hold on for the ride.
These books do not leave you hanging with questions. The author does a n amazing job of telling this whole story in a way that you believe every second is happening.
I'm gonna go fangirl for awhile now.
August 28, 2013
And this is how you end a series (yes I'm talking to you Charlaine Harris).
So, how shall I sum up the whole Benny Imura series? I'll let Maberry do that himself:
...nothing was more dangerous than living men. p241
Fire & Ash is a worthy ending to a very good series. And as it turns out, this series may actually be longer than I thought... but I don't want to ruin any surprises so I'll just leave you with that little teaser. You can read the series and decide for yourself.
The final book in the Benny Imura series brings the final confrontation between Benny's people, the Reapers and of course, the zombies. Will the Children of Lazarus inherit the earth?
Yes, the weirdo religious theme reaches full force in Fire & Ash, which of course made me very happy:
"There is a storm coming," he said. "It is the breath of my god, and it will be more powerful than any hurricane you've ever seen. The clouds will open and a rain of blood will pour down upon you. The coming storm will blow down the structures of your old world; it will seek out the blasphemers no matter where they hide. It will cleanse the earth, and when it has passed there will be no proof that you- that any of you- ever even lived." p233
Maberry also continues with the intelligent, profound life statements as well. As a military brat and spouse, this one hits close to home:
And that sparked a memory of something Tom once told him, an old samurai maxim that describes the apparent contradiction of those who prepare for war but do not crave it. "We train ten thousand hours to prepare for a single moment we pray never happens." p282
Of course there is also the humor that is characteristic of the predecessors as well:
"Should we split up?" asked Lilah. "I can-"
"Not a chance," said Joe. "This isn't a bad horror movie. We stay together and we watch each other's backs. No one goes into the basement in a negligee to investigate a strange noise." p314
I love that this is in there. I don't know how many times I have screamed at the television, yelling at the dumb girl who refuses to take off her stiletto high heels as a monster or murderer is chasing her. And I love that the teenagers don't get it. Why would they?
And the last thing I want to highlight- In a post-zombie-apocalyptic world, it makes sense that there would be a lot of profanity. However, since this series is a Young Adult series:
Riot proved that her earlier demonstration of foul language had only been a warm-up. She described an act so physically appalling and improbable that even Benny winced- and he appreciated this kind of thing. p225
Man that cracks me up! I'd include the iguana remark as well, but I want to leave something for you to discover for yourself.
By the way, the Walking Dead reference was a nice touch.
Fire & Ash is an outstanding book and a great ending to the entire Benny Imura series, which consists of 4 books. I highly recommend the series to adults and young adults alike.
Read
November 17, 2018One of the better books in the series so far.
So Benny and his friends have found the jet in a place called Sanctuary. They've learned that people have formed a new government. That there is even the possibility of a cure to the zombie plague. But the doctor who has the missing piece of the puzzle was supposed to be on the jet only she wasn't. The people at Sanctuary have pretty much given up trying to find her. But now that Benny's best friend Chong has been infected by a Reaper's arrow dipped in zombie flesh, he's somewhere between half dead and all dead. So now it's up to Benny and his friends to find this missing doctor, bring her, and hopefully the cure back before it's too later for Chong.
As always, you have to love the characters in this book. They have become so real and fleshed out that I seem to know them now. It has been interesting to see how the author has evolved all the characters. How they have changed in reaction to the situations and traumas they've been through. How it has affected the relationships between each of the characters. It's all been done very well and very realistically.
The plot started out a bit slow but then started to build up a level of tension that grows throughout the book. All these things start to happen that Benny and his friends don't know about. None of them are good for Sanctuary or for Benny and his friends. The excitement to see what happens is great!!!
I really am enjoying this series and would, at least so far, recommend it to anyone.
April 24, 2015
I love the Rot & Ruin series by Jonathan Maberry! The only exception would be Tom, and that is all I'm going to say on that one.
These new zombies in this book are freakin scary! I mean if all of the zombies were like those I don't think there would be much left on the planet for them to eat!
I was so happy that Joe played a big part in this book. I have been wanting to get a hold of that series as well. Now that I have a crush on him, I'm guessing I need to get them all up to date :) OH and I love Grimm! I was about ready to blow up some peeps if they hurt Grimm!!
There are many unexpected twists and turns in the book but I'm not giving out spoilers, just read it!
Lilah is still bad as ever! She is my fav! Although, I'm starting to really like Riot too. She's one tough cookie. She has some sad stuff happen to her, but who don't in the zombie apocalypse!
I loved the book and I have the next one on pre-order! Wahoo!
These new zombies in this book are freakin scary! I mean if all of the zombies were like those I don't think there would be much left on the planet for them to eat!
I was so happy that Joe played a big part in this book. I have been wanting to get a hold of that series as well. Now that I have a crush on him, I'm guessing I need to get them all up to date :) OH and I love Grimm! I was about ready to blow up some peeps if they hurt Grimm!!
There are many unexpected twists and turns in the book but I'm not giving out spoilers, just read it!
Lilah is still bad as ever! She is my fav! Although, I'm starting to really like Riot too. She's one tough cookie. She has some sad stuff happen to her, but who don't in the zombie apocalypse!
I loved the book and I have the next one on pre-order! Wahoo!
February 15, 2021
This has been a fantastic series which all takes place over the span of a year. High on action and excitement, this series went out on a real high.
January 18, 2016
Some things bugged me and if I didn't love this series as a whole I'd probably dock another star. This was a great ride though.
February 6, 2015
This is it lovers.
I'm a little sad when I finished this series. To be totally honest, even though Jonathan Maberry irked me a little because he killed Tom Imura, this series one of the good ones. The type that you can't sleep because you just finished the book and you didn't buy the sequel so you're wondering and suffering what will happen next?
This is it.
The ending is okay (I guess). I'm at peace with Benny and Nix's change of relationship and Chong and Lilah are two thumbs up for me.
The last two chapters are sort of a badass and Joe Ledger (sigh) is starting to become a favorite.
I'm a little sad when I finished this series. To be totally honest, even though Jonathan Maberry irked me a little because he killed Tom Imura, this series one of the good ones. The type that you can't sleep because you just finished the book and you didn't buy the sequel so you're wondering and suffering what will happen next?
This is it.
The ending is okay (I guess). I'm at peace with Benny and Nix's change of relationship and Chong and Lilah are two thumbs up for me.
The last two chapters are sort of a badass and Joe Ledger (sigh) is starting to become a favorite.
March 19, 2022
Overall Rating : A-
"Are you willing to become a monster to defeat monsters?"
Some tears shed - and a little bit cheesy on some places - but I wouldn't want this to end any other way.
"Are you willing to become a monster to defeat monsters?"
Some tears shed - and a little bit cheesy on some places - but I wouldn't want this to end any other way.
March 1, 2014
“It's just that I'm fifteen, and I have this crazy idea I might actually have a life in front of me. I don't see how it's going to do me much good to believe that the world is over and this is just an epilogue.�
� Jonathan Maberry, Rot and Ruin
Not sure how I feel about this installment. I think that the plot was intriguing but the pace dragged a little too much for my liking. I normally love big books but this one actually felt long if you get what I mean. I may be a little unfair in my criticism of this book though, in that I found myself comparing it slightly to the walking dead. The sheriff Rick Easter eggs in the series didn't really help to take away that comparison .
The "romance" in the story was irritating and I often wondered if I was reading a bad ass zombie novel or Twilight. The constant " I love you" " I hate you" over and over really tested my patience. I don't need romance in a novel to enjoy it and I feel like this book didn't need the romance aspect at all to make it a good novel. I felt like the "love story" actually took away from the overall quality of the book.
I did however love the ending. Benny's final monologue was insightful and wise and bittersweet, a perfect close. I did still have a lot of questions left at the end of the book, particularly pertaining to At the end of the day though, this is a zombie book and not everything is going to line up perfectly and I'm okay with that. 3.5/5
March 1, 2015
An epic conclusion to the much coveted Benny imura series. The only star left is for Tom.
There was action, adventure, romance, suspense, zombies, what more could you possibly want. If you want more then you are in the wrong place. Get out of YA category. And one more there is an epic friendzoning( it's a suspense). Although not awesome as Tom, ledger fills the role neatly.
As whole, the book was awesome.
There was action, adventure, romance, suspense, zombies, what more could you possibly want. If you want more then you are in the wrong place. Get out of YA category. And one more there is an epic friendzoning( it's a suspense). Although not awesome as Tom, ledger fills the role neatly.
As whole, the book was awesome.
August 1, 2017
„Fire & Ashâ€� ist der letzte Band der postapokalyptischen Geschichte rund um den Teenager Benny Imura. Gerüchten zufolge ist die Reihe „Rot & Ruinâ€� jedoch nicht abgeschlossen. Angeblich kündigte der Verlag Simon & Schuster für 2018 und 2019 jeweils einen neuen Band an. Diese beiden zusammenhängenden Bände sollen im gleichen Setting neue Charaktere und eine komplett neue Handlung vorstellen. Ich fand keine Belege für diese Behauptung, weder beim Verlag, noch auf Jonathan Maberrys Website. Der einzige Hinweis sind Einträge für die Bücher auf Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ und ich habe keine Ahnung, woher diese Informationen stammen. Ich werde wohl einfach abwarten müssen, ob sich die Gerüchte bewahrheiten.
Louis Chong ist tot. Alle in Sanctuary wissen, dass Benny Imuras bester Freund starb, als er sich infizierte. Nur Benny weigert sich, ihn aufzugeben. Würde nur endlich jemand versuchen, Dr. McReadys Unterlagen oder am besten die Wissenschaftlerin selbst zu finden, könnte das Heilmittel entwickelt werden, das nicht nur Chong, sondern die ganze Welt retten würde. Leider wird Sanctuary von verstockten Soldaten geleitet, denen die Wünsche eines Teenagers nicht das Geringste bedeuten. Benny hält es nicht mehr aus. Begleitet von Nix, Lilah und Riot macht er sich auf eigene Faust auf die Suche nach der letzten Chance, die Chong hat. Draußen im Rot and Ruin müssen sie jedoch feststellen, dass sie nicht die einzigen sind, die sich für McReadys Forschungsergebnisse interessieren. Der psychopathische Saint John und die Mitglieder der Night Church suchen ebenfalls nach dem Heilmittel, das in den falschen Händen zu einer gefährlichen Massenvernichtungswaffe werden könnte. Der Wettlauf um das Schicksal der Menschheit hat begonnen.
Wisst ihr, wodurch ich merke, dass mir eine Rezension schwerfällt? Ich merke es, weil ich versuche, mich vor dem Schreiben zu drücken. Plötzlich fallen mir hundert Dinge ein, die ich stattdessen tun könnte. Ich mache mir selbst etwas vor, weil ich zu stur bin, um einfach zuzugeben, dass diese oder jene Rezension eine harte Nuss für mich ist. „Fire & Ash� ist so ein Fall. Da, jetzt ist es raus, ich bekenne es. Ich kann nur leider überhaupt nicht erklären, wieso. Das (vorläufige) Finale der „Rot & Ruin� � Reihe ist nicht schlecht. Während der Lektüre empfand ich das Buch als mitreißend wie eh und je und im Anschluss habe ich fleißig Notizen gemacht. Ich war beeindruckt von Jonathan Maberrys überzeugendem wissenschaftlichen Erklärungsansatz für die Natur der Zombieinfektion, der auf mich fundiert recherchiert wirkte. Ich mochte das Motiv der Hoffnung, personifiziert durch Bennys Generation, die Erbe und Schöpfer einer neuen Welt ist. Jetzt sind einige Wochen vergangen und in meinem Kopf herrscht gähnende Leere. Ich weiß nicht, woran es liegt, aber irgendwie hat dieses Finale trotz bewegter Dramatik wenig bleibenden Eindruck bei mir hinterlassen. Vielleicht war die Geschichte doch zu vorhersehbar, denn ich habe nie daran gezweifelt, dass Benny und seine Freunde die Zombie-Postapokalypse überleben werden. Die Frage war lediglich, wie. Vielleicht war es der Schuss des guten, alten, amerikanischen Patriotismus, der meiner Ansicht nach vollkommen überflüssig für die Geschichte war. Vielleicht war „Fire & Ash� auch einfach etwas arg pathetisch, obwohl ich beim Lesen durchaus das Gefühl hatte, dass mich dieses Pathos berührte. Im Nachhinein hingegen kommt mir Entwicklung, die Benny durchlebt, übertrieben vor. Er erreicht einen Status kühler Klarheit, den ich für unglaubwürdig halte. Ich bezweifle nicht, dass Benny schnell und radikal erwachsen werden musste, doch seine Entfaltung zum idealen Samurai, der eine Kampfsituation und sich selbst gefasst analysieren kann, erscheint mir unrealistisch. Er ist trotz allem ein Teenager. Die positive Seite daran ist jedoch, dass seine Beziehung zu Nix eine für die Young Adult � Literatur recht ungewöhnliche Wendung nimmt, was mir sehr gut gefiel. Unsterbliche Liebe auf den ersten Blick unter extremen Bedingungen war noch nie sehr lebensnah; ich finde es toll, dass Maberry einen anderen Weg wählt, der möglicherweise eine direkte Folge seines vorbildlichen Umgangs mit den Geschlechterrollen ist. Er behandelt Männer und Frauen gleichberechtigt und besonders Bennys Freundinnen beweisen eine Stärke, die alle kruden Ideen der Prinzessin in Nöten im Keim ersticken. Gut, Lilah ging mir fürchterlich auf die Nerven, weil ihre Umgangsformen schlicht inakzeptabel sind, aber nichtsdestotrotz erkenne ich ihre Unabhängigkeit an.
Letztendlich weiß ich nicht genau, warum sich „Fire & Ash� nicht in dem Ausmaß in meinem Gedächtnis festsetzte, das ich erwartet hatte. Es handelt sich definitiv um ein angemessenes Finale und hat viel Positives zu bieten. Der Kampf gegen die Zombies mutierte im Lauf der Reihe zu einem Kampf der Menschheit selbst, gegen religiösen Fanatismus und die drohende Gefahr, die Fehler der Vergangenheit zu wiederholen. Jonathan Maberry erfasst die Konflikte, die sich innerhalb seiner beängstigenden Zukunftsvision ergeben, hervorragend und verleiht der gesamten Thematik der Zombie-Postapokalypse überraschenden Tiefgang. Ich kann nicht erklären, wieso mich „Fire & Ash� nicht nachhaltiger beeindruckte, obwohl es die vielen feinen Nuancen, die Maberry sorgfältig etablierte, zu einem explosiven, dramatischen Abschluss bringt. Ich vermute, dass es mir einen Hauch zu abenteuerlich und inszeniert war, möchte mich darauf aber nicht unumstößlich festlegen. Diese marginalen Schwierigkeiten qualifizieren sich jedoch als Jammern auf hohem Niveau, weshalb ich nicht zögere, euch die Reihe „Rot & Ruin� trotzdem zu empfehlen. Die Young Adult � Literatur ist so überflutet von flachen, klischeebeladenen, bedeutungsarmen Geschichten, dass jeder Versuch, es anders zu machen, enthusiastisch unterstützt werden sollte. Jonathan Maberry macht es anders und dafür gehören ihm mein Respekt und meine Anerkennung.
January 1, 2014
Straight after finishing the third book in the Benny Imura series, Flesh and Bone, I started reading Fire and Ash. It's quite rare that I binge read a series anymore - blogging tends to make it a bit too much of a balancing act, but once I had the momentum going, I really wanted to find out how this series ends.
As with the other books, Fire and Ash picks up pretty much immediately where the prior book left off. Benny, Lilah, Nix and their new friends, Riot, Eve and Joe, have found Sanctuary, where monks tend to the humans dying of diseases that would have been easily cured prior to first night, but the scientists are isolated from the survivors. This in itself poses an interesting question because more people are dying of disease than being bitten and rising from the dead - how quickly and severly would diseases such as TB, cholera and typhiod decimate survivors in any apocalyptic scenario once the stockpiled medicines and treatments run out?
I have mentioned previously that all the Benny Imura books follow a similar formula - what I didn't realise until reading Fire and Ash are that books one and two are closely linked, as are three and four - but the transition between books two and three is actually the biggest directional change in the whole series. This helps break up the feeling of rinse and repeat, and also allows more room to expand on the two major scenarios of this series.
The major introduction in Flesh and Bone is the religious zealots who believe that murder of the human race is the only answer to the zombie problem - and in Fire and Ash their intentions are really notched up a level - in both books I had a macabre fascination with them, but particularly in Fire and Ash I was shocked at the lengths they were willing to go to in the name of their cause.
Relationships continue to develop and change as they did in Flesh and Bone, but in particular, Benny and Nix begin to reevaluate their relationships as adults rather than teenagers, and are incredibly mature and measured in their approach. For me, this is the biggest arc in the growth of the characters - a theme that began with book one and ends perfectly in book four. Looking back and realising how the characters have grown, changed and adapted both physically and emotionally is bittersweet but also a great example of how Maberry can develop characters from immature teens into independent young adults.
I was once again excited to see Joe Ledger reappear in Fire and Ash and take on a far more pivotal role. By doing this, Maberry has also got me excited to continue the Joe Ledger series itself - I was reminded of how much I enjoyed Joe as a character as well as being curious as to whether the tie-in runs in both directions. Joe is an extra bonus for Maberry fans, but it's definitely not necessary to have read the Joe Ledger series to appreciate him as a character.
Fire and Ash is pretty much non-stop action, and it definitely kept me entertained all the way through. The fight scenes are particularly intense in relation to the rest of the series, and it also reflects again the growth and evolution of the characters.
The reason behind the zombie plague is touched upon for the first time in Fire and Ash, and there is also a lot more delving into the long-term plans of the survivors and the science that started to emerge in Flesh and Bone is finally explained in greater detail, and it makes for fascinating reading.
I'm quite sad to say goodbye to Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong, but I really enjoyed the journey I took with them, and seeing them grow. This is a series that has it all for zombie lovers - there's lots of new zombie ideas, great characters and action scenes that keep all the books flowing but without sacrificing some of the other aspects of the storyline.
As with the other books, Fire and Ash picks up pretty much immediately where the prior book left off. Benny, Lilah, Nix and their new friends, Riot, Eve and Joe, have found Sanctuary, where monks tend to the humans dying of diseases that would have been easily cured prior to first night, but the scientists are isolated from the survivors. This in itself poses an interesting question because more people are dying of disease than being bitten and rising from the dead - how quickly and severly would diseases such as TB, cholera and typhiod decimate survivors in any apocalyptic scenario once the stockpiled medicines and treatments run out?
I have mentioned previously that all the Benny Imura books follow a similar formula - what I didn't realise until reading Fire and Ash are that books one and two are closely linked, as are three and four - but the transition between books two and three is actually the biggest directional change in the whole series. This helps break up the feeling of rinse and repeat, and also allows more room to expand on the two major scenarios of this series.
The major introduction in Flesh and Bone is the religious zealots who believe that murder of the human race is the only answer to the zombie problem - and in Fire and Ash their intentions are really notched up a level - in both books I had a macabre fascination with them, but particularly in Fire and Ash I was shocked at the lengths they were willing to go to in the name of their cause.
Relationships continue to develop and change as they did in Flesh and Bone, but in particular, Benny and Nix begin to reevaluate their relationships as adults rather than teenagers, and are incredibly mature and measured in their approach. For me, this is the biggest arc in the growth of the characters - a theme that began with book one and ends perfectly in book four. Looking back and realising how the characters have grown, changed and adapted both physically and emotionally is bittersweet but also a great example of how Maberry can develop characters from immature teens into independent young adults.
I was once again excited to see Joe Ledger reappear in Fire and Ash and take on a far more pivotal role. By doing this, Maberry has also got me excited to continue the Joe Ledger series itself - I was reminded of how much I enjoyed Joe as a character as well as being curious as to whether the tie-in runs in both directions. Joe is an extra bonus for Maberry fans, but it's definitely not necessary to have read the Joe Ledger series to appreciate him as a character.
Fire and Ash is pretty much non-stop action, and it definitely kept me entertained all the way through. The fight scenes are particularly intense in relation to the rest of the series, and it also reflects again the growth and evolution of the characters.
The reason behind the zombie plague is touched upon for the first time in Fire and Ash, and there is also a lot more delving into the long-term plans of the survivors and the science that started to emerge in Flesh and Bone is finally explained in greater detail, and it makes for fascinating reading.
I'm quite sad to say goodbye to Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong, but I really enjoyed the journey I took with them, and seeing them grow. This is a series that has it all for zombie lovers - there's lots of new zombie ideas, great characters and action scenes that keep all the books flowing but without sacrificing some of the other aspects of the storyline.
February 18, 2014
Ok so this installment was by far my favorite one, and also the end of the series. What a journey this has been through a dramatic zombie apocalypse. And so very thought provoking! I think that Jonathan Maberry did an amazing job constructing the world, the premise, antagonists, and the protagonists. I really could not put this book down. It wrapped the series up nicely. I am also somewhat sad that the series has come to a close, but at the same time I applaud Maberry for knowing it was time to end it. So many authors often sabotage their own series because they can't find that end point and the series often turn monotonous and boring.
We get some new characters introduced into this book and of course all of our old favorites come back full tilt. One of things I love best about this series is the characters. And in this book they come into themselves and become different people, not because they wanted to be different, but because of being forced into the changes. Although I loved their innocence in the beginning of the series, I also love their growth into who they become, and I loved being able to watch them as they grew and made names for themselves.
I have to say that Riot fast became a favorite character for me in this book. She is tough as nails because of what she had witnessed and experienced, she learned from that. She also grew a heart of gold as well. She has so much spunk and energy. Even though she was not always likeable, she did grow on me starting in the last book and then full blown likability in this installment. Nix was another favorite! She can get a little uppity at times, but usually with good reason. She has a good head on her shoulders. All of them did I think. I loved how Maberry molded them and I got to watch all of them grow into who they eventually became. It says a lot about human nature and makes us think about what we would do in their circumstances.
There were also some pretty great villains in this book as well. Such as Sister Rose, Brother Peter, and Saint John. Wow I loved hating them, I hated what they stood for, and I hated the air about them and their holier than thou personalities. They were developed beautifully. Maberry did well making them grate on my nerves.
I actually wish that one part of the ending would have been a bit more dramatic. I don't wanna mention it here though because I don't wanna give anything away. I guess I should say I wish someone would have had their just due, but it says something about the characters when I think about it, and who they were. So I understand why it was the way it was. This book is so deserving of the 5 star rating.
As Tom would say "Be Warrior Smart!"
We get some new characters introduced into this book and of course all of our old favorites come back full tilt. One of things I love best about this series is the characters. And in this book they come into themselves and become different people, not because they wanted to be different, but because of being forced into the changes. Although I loved their innocence in the beginning of the series, I also love their growth into who they become, and I loved being able to watch them as they grew and made names for themselves.
I have to say that Riot fast became a favorite character for me in this book. She is tough as nails because of what she had witnessed and experienced, she learned from that. She also grew a heart of gold as well. She has so much spunk and energy. Even though she was not always likeable, she did grow on me starting in the last book and then full blown likability in this installment. Nix was another favorite! She can get a little uppity at times, but usually with good reason. She has a good head on her shoulders. All of them did I think. I loved how Maberry molded them and I got to watch all of them grow into who they eventually became. It says a lot about human nature and makes us think about what we would do in their circumstances.
There were also some pretty great villains in this book as well. Such as Sister Rose, Brother Peter, and Saint John. Wow I loved hating them, I hated what they stood for, and I hated the air about them and their holier than thou personalities. They were developed beautifully. Maberry did well making them grate on my nerves.
I actually wish that one part of the ending would have been a bit more dramatic. I don't wanna mention it here though because I don't wanna give anything away. I guess I should say I wish someone would have had their just due, but it says something about the characters when I think about it, and who they were. So I understand why it was the way it was. This book is so deserving of the 5 star rating.
As Tom would say "Be Warrior Smart!"
August 27, 2013
This book was so good, and so much better than the third book in the series that actually seems better in reflection.
Everything that I have complained about with this series in the past was not only fixed in this final installment -- it was proven to be intentional. What I thought was a lack of character development was actually character development so slow and gradual and deliberate that I could not even recognize it was taking place until it clicked in this book.
What I thought was distracting and clumsy religious imagery was actually an introductory course in one of the most interesting and disturbing treatises on belief and fanaticism that I have seen, culminating in a terrifying pair of villains in Saint John and Brother Peter.
By the end of this series, Benny, for all of his faults and shortcomings, is on par with a Tavi of Calderon in a discussion of favorite characters. Seeing him grow over the course of these novels was so rewarding, and put to shame the first book's "Tom is a badass, but you don't know that yet" coyness.
Was the book perfect? Of course not. Some of the dialogue (between Benny and Captain Ledger, between Benny and , plus anything involving Riot, J-Dog, or Dr. Skillz) was outright painful, Some of the character epiphanies were still a little hard (and long) to come by. Also, had that AMAZING scene where Benny witnessed his first quieting, and the book transcended it's genre. Do not look for such a moment in Fire & Ash.
All told, a great and redemptive ending to a series that is one of the best (and least known) that YA and zombie culture has to offer. If you're reading this and haven't picked up yet, check it out. If you read Rot & Ruin and haven't continued the series for any reason, I assure you that you will not regret following this path.
Everything that I have complained about with this series in the past was not only fixed in this final installment -- it was proven to be intentional. What I thought was a lack of character development was actually character development so slow and gradual and deliberate that I could not even recognize it was taking place until it clicked in this book.
What I thought was distracting and clumsy religious imagery was actually an introductory course in one of the most interesting and disturbing treatises on belief and fanaticism that I have seen, culminating in a terrifying pair of villains in Saint John and Brother Peter.
By the end of this series, Benny, for all of his faults and shortcomings, is on par with a Tavi of Calderon in a discussion of favorite characters. Seeing him grow over the course of these novels was so rewarding, and put to shame the first book's "Tom is a badass, but you don't know that yet" coyness.
Was the book perfect? Of course not. Some of the dialogue (between Benny and Captain Ledger, between Benny and , plus anything involving Riot, J-Dog, or Dr. Skillz) was outright painful, Some of the character epiphanies were still a little hard (and long) to come by. Also, had that AMAZING scene where Benny witnessed his first quieting, and the book transcended it's genre. Do not look for such a moment in Fire & Ash.
All told, a great and redemptive ending to a series that is one of the best (and least known) that YA and zombie culture has to offer. If you're reading this and haven't picked up yet, check it out. If you read Rot & Ruin and haven't continued the series for any reason, I assure you that you will not regret following this path.
September 15, 2020
This was a nice wrap up to the series. There was a lot more blood and violence, danger was turned up to eleven, and the zoms became the 5k version of zombies... marathombies? As you follow along this here journey with Benny and his pals you see a romance transpire between ole Benny and Phoenix and it always feels weird. As only a YA tale with teenagers whose horns are coming in can do. To my delight this book actually addresses that and fixes it in a cute sort of way, gag. But it worked for the story and the ending you get to the small band of warriors against their conflicts is bueno. I liked it and I have come to realize that this series ties into Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series as he becomes a key player in this. So, with that being said if you like Joe Ledger or your someone considering Jonathan Mayberry's books this is a good series to hop on to. I like Joe so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna shamble on over to his series and try that one too. I've said this about past books in this series and I'm gonna say it here too. I love the character growth of these characters i think it's well done and done in such a way you root for everyone. Recommend for an easy and enjoyable read. In an unrelated note it would be very entertaining to read a book that said "he said a no-no word" as opposed to the mental gymnastics required to interpret the cussing that takes place. But that's unrelated, still recommend.
There it is and there you have it.
There it is and there you have it.
October 27, 2015
Not quite as good as the first two books, all and all, but it was a very good ending to a very good series. So glad I read this series.
Highly recommending to fans of The Walking Dead. Also for people who don't read/watch much zombie stuff and want a way in that's a bit different than the average zombie tale.
Highly recommending to fans of The Walking Dead. Also for people who don't read/watch much zombie stuff and want a way in that's a bit different than the average zombie tale.
May 12, 2016
My favorite YA series to date!! Maberry is king!!! Even though it had a slower pacing at the beginning that ending more than made up for it!! EPIC!!!
April 18, 2018
So sad to say goodbye to this series...I know there if a 5th and 6th book coming out, but with different characters. Blah. Hopefully the gang shows up a few times in the next book.
August 18, 2013
This was an incredibly satisfying ending to a series with characters I have grown to love; it's sad to have to say goodbye to some of them for sure.
What I have loved most about this series is that it's a fantastic "gateway" book for my reluctant boy readers; I have hooked several boys over the years with Rot & Ruin which leads them to the other books in the series and then others past that. This is not to say that girls don't enjoy this as well-- it's successful with almost anyone I can get to read it-- but there's a tough, cynical population of boys that can be hard to get to read. I still have former students (boys, usually) who pull me aside to ask me eagerly in excited whispers if I know there is a new Rot & Ruin book that has come out? How cute is that??
The books have a wonderful blend of action, philosophy and incredible heart. This final installment had everything I hoped for-- Benny really came into his own and cast off some demons that had been holding him back. All the characters-- Nyx, Morgie, Chong and of course Benny all flourished into the young samurai warriors that Tom set out to make them in Rot & Ruin. The young women in this series I find especially inspirational, yet another reason I absolutely love my young men to read about them; they are tough, intelligent, loving and completely hold their own right along with all the boys. In fact, there is a moment when Benny starts to realize that the women he fights alongside are probably tougher than him even though his instinct is to always protect them... lovely. We also get more Joe Ledger here which makes me curious to read Maberry's Joe Ledger series.
Can I also say that Benny gets this really cool Inigo Montoya moment that gave me chills?
It's sad that the series is finished, but I anxiously await the next Jonathan Maberry series for young adults... at least there BETTER be one!
What I have loved most about this series is that it's a fantastic "gateway" book for my reluctant boy readers; I have hooked several boys over the years with Rot & Ruin which leads them to the other books in the series and then others past that. This is not to say that girls don't enjoy this as well-- it's successful with almost anyone I can get to read it-- but there's a tough, cynical population of boys that can be hard to get to read. I still have former students (boys, usually) who pull me aside to ask me eagerly in excited whispers if I know there is a new Rot & Ruin book that has come out? How cute is that??
The books have a wonderful blend of action, philosophy and incredible heart. This final installment had everything I hoped for-- Benny really came into his own and cast off some demons that had been holding him back. All the characters-- Nyx, Morgie, Chong and of course Benny all flourished into the young samurai warriors that Tom set out to make them in Rot & Ruin. The young women in this series I find especially inspirational, yet another reason I absolutely love my young men to read about them; they are tough, intelligent, loving and completely hold their own right along with all the boys. In fact, there is a moment when Benny starts to realize that the women he fights alongside are probably tougher than him even though his instinct is to always protect them... lovely. We also get more Joe Ledger here which makes me curious to read Maberry's Joe Ledger series.
Can I also say that Benny gets this really cool Inigo Montoya moment that gave me chills?
It's sad that the series is finished, but I anxiously await the next Jonathan Maberry series for young adults... at least there BETTER be one!
September 9, 2013
This was an exceptional end to what has become one of my favorite YA series. Jonathan Maberry excels at keeping readers on the edge of their seats. There were many points throughout this book when my stomach was in knots wondering what was going to happen. I could not read fast enough trying to get to the end. I won't get in to a lot of details because I wouldn't want to spoil what is sure to be a highly enjoyable read for others. I will say that Jonathan Maberry created wonderful characters who readers grow attached to and it is wonderful that he let us keep many of those characters. I was worried that he would go the route of many other series writers and start gratuitously killing off characters.
Many series tend to fizzle out as they progress but Fire & Ash never lost any of that initial terror and excitement that you found throughout the others. This one is jam-packed with action, violence and survival as well as the sarcastic wit of Benny's that readers have come to expect. With the current trend of turning all YA books in to a movie, I eagerly await the day when I read that Rot & Ruin et al will be given that treatment.
This is a series that I have turned to time and time again when I have bored looking middle schoolers come in to the library because their parents want them to read something. It has not failed me once. I now have kids coming in begging me for the next book in the series and the hold list for this item began months ago. Thank you Jonathan Maberry for this series. It is right on trend and has actually made my job easier many times. (OK, enough gushing).
Many series tend to fizzle out as they progress but Fire & Ash never lost any of that initial terror and excitement that you found throughout the others. This one is jam-packed with action, violence and survival as well as the sarcastic wit of Benny's that readers have come to expect. With the current trend of turning all YA books in to a movie, I eagerly await the day when I read that Rot & Ruin et al will be given that treatment.
This is a series that I have turned to time and time again when I have bored looking middle schoolers come in to the library because their parents want them to read something. It has not failed me once. I now have kids coming in begging me for the next book in the series and the hold list for this item began months ago. Thank you Jonathan Maberry for this series. It is right on trend and has actually made my job easier many times. (OK, enough gushing).
August 26, 2024
2024
2022
2019
What a stunning conclusion! And everything I ever wanted it to be!
Okay, so, Chong, as we all know, was turned into a zombie in the previous book. When it left off, we weren't sure of what his condition would be, if they'd be able to reverse it, if he'd have to be silenced. I won't ruin it for you, but he doesn't have to die! Honestly, it was my biggest worry because he was left in such a precarious situation. And Lilah would have been devastated.
Lilah did not handle Chong being sick very well. She really does love her town boy. She'd go visit him as often as she could. And she was willing to attack anyone who got in her way or insulted her town boy.
Benny and Nix broke up for a while. Nix realized that she had fallen out of love with Benny (although, who could blame her? If you are running around killing zombies and bad guys, then it's not surprising that you start to harden your heart a little bit). Benny took it like a man. He said he would wait and ask her out when all was over with. I think he also felt that maybe they needed a break.
The zombies got a bit of an upgrade thanks to the Reapers. The Reapers figured out the formula to make the zombies faster and smarter, so, naturally, they gave it to all the zombies they could find. Which makes for a pretty big, bad ass fight at the end. If zombies wanting to feast on your flesh wasn't scary enough, just wait until they are sprinting towards you with a hungry gleam in their eye.
2017
2022
2019
What a stunning conclusion! And everything I ever wanted it to be!
Okay, so, Chong, as we all know, was turned into a zombie in the previous book. When it left off, we weren't sure of what his condition would be, if they'd be able to reverse it, if he'd have to be silenced. I won't ruin it for you, but he doesn't have to die! Honestly, it was my biggest worry because he was left in such a precarious situation. And Lilah would have been devastated.
Lilah did not handle Chong being sick very well. She really does love her town boy. She'd go visit him as often as she could. And she was willing to attack anyone who got in her way or insulted her town boy.
Benny and Nix broke up for a while. Nix realized that she had fallen out of love with Benny (although, who could blame her? If you are running around killing zombies and bad guys, then it's not surprising that you start to harden your heart a little bit). Benny took it like a man. He said he would wait and ask her out when all was over with. I think he also felt that maybe they needed a break.
The zombies got a bit of an upgrade thanks to the Reapers. The Reapers figured out the formula to make the zombies faster and smarter, so, naturally, they gave it to all the zombies they could find. Which makes for a pretty big, bad ass fight at the end. If zombies wanting to feast on your flesh wasn't scary enough, just wait until they are sprinting towards you with a hungry gleam in their eye.
2017
January 28, 2014
5 Stars
A great ending to a great series. I am not sure how I feel about this story ending; not visiting with these characters anymore, except in a reread; and not knowing what the future holds for Benny and his friends.
As I have said so many times; this series is not about the zombies; it is about us. It is about human nature in the face of great adversity. Do we fight, run, or allow it to swallow us whole? How many would give up and how many would try and find that plane?
Entertaining, funny, tender and thought provoking; in my humble opinion. If you are ready to get hooked on another series, then this one is highly recommended.
A great ending to a great series. I am not sure how I feel about this story ending; not visiting with these characters anymore, except in a reread; and not knowing what the future holds for Benny and his friends.
As I have said so many times; this series is not about the zombies; it is about us. It is about human nature in the face of great adversity. Do we fight, run, or allow it to swallow us whole? How many would give up and how many would try and find that plane?
Entertaining, funny, tender and thought provoking; in my humble opinion. If you are ready to get hooked on another series, then this one is highly recommended.
March 12, 2015
Leave it to a bunch of teenagers to save the world!! I loved this last book. It wrapped up this series quite well. I wasn't sure if I would like this at first or not, but it grabs a hold of you from the first book. Excellent writing, great story building and characters are some better ones I have come across in a series. Good job indeed!!!
January 26, 2014
4 Stars
This is a series that is the perfect read for the young adult crowd, and adults as we'll. This is the final book in the series and is a great conclusion to the tale. Maberry is one of my favorite authors and one to not be missed.
This is a series that is the perfect read for the young adult crowd, and adults as we'll. This is the final book in the series and is a great conclusion to the tale. Maberry is one of my favorite authors and one to not be missed.
September 17, 2017
“Benny Imura sat in the dark and spoke with monsters.
It was like that every day.
It had become the pattern of his life.
Shadows and blood.
And monsters.
Everywhere.
²Ñ´Ç²Ô²õ³Ù±ð°ù²õ.â€�
The epic conclusion to my favorite zombie series of all time. That's correct, my favorite zombie series of all time is YA Sci-Fi/horror. It shocks me as much as you but if you sat down and took the time to read it, you would understand why.
If you've followed Benny and his friends from the beginning then you know, they've seen some shit. It all begin in a small fenced-in mountain town at the edges of the Ruin (what they call the decimated lands of the United States where only the dead wander), friends trading Zombie Cards of their favorite legendary mercenaries on the steps of the general store, innocent in their knowledge of life beyond fences. Their world was turned upside when they moved out from their safety net and began exploring a lost world. Blood, death and destruction followed in their wake. It all culminates to this, the last epic showdown for the sake of humanity.
Saint John of the Night Church brings not only his flock of reapers (his holy flock tasked with sending all living people into the darkness) but a massive horde of zombies, in his quest to please the god of death, Thanatos. The one true god. He and his flock will send the blasphemers of the Nine Towns to the darkness or they will kneel and kiss the blade to take up Thanatos' work.
How would several teenagers defeat a mad man and his horde of religious zealots and the hungering dead? Well kids, there's three other books leading up until this point for that tale. Unfortunately, it was a time before I did reviews and I couldn't possibly review it all for you now. SO much happens. It all leads up to this, stop this mad man now or stop him never. They may have to die to save the last chance humanity has to reclaim their world from the dead. Will they succeed?
I'm not telling. READ THIS FUCKING SERIES.
It was like that every day.
It had become the pattern of his life.
Shadows and blood.
And monsters.
Everywhere.
²Ñ´Ç²Ô²õ³Ù±ð°ù²õ.â€�
The epic conclusion to my favorite zombie series of all time. That's correct, my favorite zombie series of all time is YA Sci-Fi/horror. It shocks me as much as you but if you sat down and took the time to read it, you would understand why.
If you've followed Benny and his friends from the beginning then you know, they've seen some shit. It all begin in a small fenced-in mountain town at the edges of the Ruin (what they call the decimated lands of the United States where only the dead wander), friends trading Zombie Cards of their favorite legendary mercenaries on the steps of the general store, innocent in their knowledge of life beyond fences. Their world was turned upside when they moved out from their safety net and began exploring a lost world. Blood, death and destruction followed in their wake. It all culminates to this, the last epic showdown for the sake of humanity.
Saint John of the Night Church brings not only his flock of reapers (his holy flock tasked with sending all living people into the darkness) but a massive horde of zombies, in his quest to please the god of death, Thanatos. The one true god. He and his flock will send the blasphemers of the Nine Towns to the darkness or they will kneel and kiss the blade to take up Thanatos' work.
How would several teenagers defeat a mad man and his horde of religious zealots and the hungering dead? Well kids, there's three other books leading up until this point for that tale. Unfortunately, it was a time before I did reviews and I couldn't possibly review it all for you now. SO much happens. It all leads up to this, stop this mad man now or stop him never. They may have to die to save the last chance humanity has to reclaim their world from the dead. Will they succeed?
I'm not telling. READ THIS FUCKING SERIES.
January 23, 2019
I want to sob for Benny, Nix, Chong, Morgie, Lilah, and Riot's lost childhood, loss of innocence, and forced to face the darkest demon of a human's soul. I want to wail for Benny's lost love, of losing his family, of turning into a monster to face a monster, of coming to terms with the decisions made prior to First Night (14 years ago), and the choices he'll make that will shape the world; existing in a new world of infected, non-infected, and zombies.
Book 4 is powerfully written and it takes my breath away. It talks about how the Reaper Plague began, the direction to finding the cure, and the fanatics that wants to end the world of the living.
Even now, Tom's words and training radiate in the teenagers. They are now seasoned fighters and capable of tactical warfare, strategic planning, and logically poke holes in the plans to come up with backup plans. They know it is up to them to save the world because it is their world. The adults' government haven't worked and most of them are jaded. It is up to them to create a new world.
What an epic final battle to conclude such a fantastic story. By far, it is my favorite book from the series. If the world ever end up like the Rot & Ruin, I hope there will be people like these six who will defend it and breathe life to it. Warrior Smart.
Read by Tina
Book 4 is powerfully written and it takes my breath away. It talks about how the Reaper Plague began, the direction to finding the cure, and the fanatics that wants to end the world of the living.
Even now, Tom's words and training radiate in the teenagers. They are now seasoned fighters and capable of tactical warfare, strategic planning, and logically poke holes in the plans to come up with backup plans. They know it is up to them to save the world because it is their world. The adults' government haven't worked and most of them are jaded. It is up to them to create a new world.
What an epic final battle to conclude such a fantastic story. By far, it is my favorite book from the series. If the world ever end up like the Rot & Ruin, I hope there will be people like these six who will defend it and breathe life to it. Warrior Smart.
Read by Tina
March 18, 2024
This was an excellent ending for this series. I liked that the protagonist's relationship turned out NOT to be instant love, but they were going to give it a chance by going on a date. I still have question's, the biggest one being, Are Benny and Tom the brothers (or some other relation) of Sammy Imura from the Joe Ledger Series? I mean Joe Ledger is in the series, and I know he uses some sort of multiverse If not is Jonathan Maberry just trying to confuse me by using the same last name?
Technically, this is not the last book in the series. There is a short story collection called . I will be reading this one at some point also.
Technically, this is not the last book in the series. There is a short story collection called . I will be reading this one at some point also.
August 20, 2013
Shadows and blood. And monsters.
I hate when you reach the final book of a series that you love. It's always so sad, especially when the last book is so good. And Fire & Ash was so good. It was hard to put down, and it was action packed. You're proud of these kids, proud of how far they've come. The series spans only one year, but by the end they're adults and they've seen and been through a lot.
There are ups and downs, sad things and wonderful things, and in the end I'm very satisfied with where the book was left. Not everything was perfect, but things were on the mend. You have no idea how much I love a zombie novel that ends with hope. I like to think that humanity will win in the end, overcoming all the odds.
And there were also the funny's, not a lot of them, but a few times that you'd snicker are grin. Annnnnd there was even some name dropping! Let me know when you get there! :)
The only thing that I found disappointing was . Realistically I knew that it wasn't possible, but I couldn't stop myself from hoping.
The Benny Imura series is a consistent read from book to book, and it's really going to suck not having new ones to look forward to.
So... I guess you have to ask yourself, young samurai, how far would you be willing to go to stop Saint John if he was coming after you and yours? How scary are you willing to be in order to take the heart out of the enemy? Are you willing to be the monster in the dark? Are you willing to be the boogeyman of their nightmares? If you can look inside your own head and see the line that you won't cross, the limit that's too far, then I can guarantee you Saint John will win. No question about it."
I hate when you reach the final book of a series that you love. It's always so sad, especially when the last book is so good. And Fire & Ash was so good. It was hard to put down, and it was action packed. You're proud of these kids, proud of how far they've come. The series spans only one year, but by the end they're adults and they've seen and been through a lot.
There are ups and downs, sad things and wonderful things, and in the end I'm very satisfied with where the book was left. Not everything was perfect, but things were on the mend. You have no idea how much I love a zombie novel that ends with hope. I like to think that humanity will win in the end, overcoming all the odds.
And there were also the funny's, not a lot of them, but a few times that you'd snicker are grin. Annnnnd there was even some name dropping! Let me know when you get there! :)
The only thing that I found disappointing was . Realistically I knew that it wasn't possible, but I couldn't stop myself from hoping.
The Benny Imura series is a consistent read from book to book, and it's really going to suck not having new ones to look forward to.
America was born in the fires of a revolution, with people who wanted to push back against oppression. It was made tougher in the furnace of a civil war to make everyone free. In every single decade there were people who stood up and spoke out, people who made a stand. I look at you and what you represent, and I look at these four kids here and all their integrity and potential, and sister, you don't measure up too well.
December 22, 2014
When I first started the Rot and Ruin series I wasn't sure I would like the book. I hadn't read a lot of books with zombies in them. But this series isn't just a book about zombies, it's about the characters inside of it also. Fire and Ash is an amazing conclusion to the series, it's by far the bet series I've read since the Hunger Games.
Each character is amazing and well thought out. Benny is the main character, when we were first introduced to him he was self-centered and immature. But through out the series we saw him grow up. Benny became kind, caring, and he learned valuable lessons. Unlike most characters in book series, Benny had amazing character development. Nix, Lilah, and Riot are my most favorite trio of heroines. These three girls aren't portrayed as damsels in distress, they are in fact the rescuers in this book. I loved each and every girl, even Lilah. Each girl was kind and caring (except Lilah), but they also didn't wait for the men to come along and save them if they needed to kick ass, they most certainly kicked ass. I also loved their individual relationships with their friends. Chong wasn't featured very much through the book because he was a zombie most of the book, but I still loved him and his relationship with Lilah. The reapers were the enemy through out the whole book. I hated these characters especially Saint John and Brother Peter, their deaths were very much celebrated when I got to those parts.
The final battle between Benny (his friends) and the reapers was awesome, I loved how everyone was involved and it perfectly summed up the series. You would think the final battle would be between the zombies and humans, but it wasn't. I also loved how we got to find out about how the zombies came about.
Overall I loved this series and this book was an epic conclusion to an awesome series. I give it 5+ stars.
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