Mark Walden gets better with every book. Although the title does not quite fit with the actual storyline, it was the best H.I.V.E yet in my opinion. It starts off slower paced, and speeds up towards the end, however all the pre-action is necessary to understand what happens near the end. The book has several laugh out loud moments, which are mostly provided by Franz, along with sudden twists, especially the ending (waiting for the next book will be extremely difficult!). Finally, Raven's backstory is explained, with flashbacks throughout the book. I loved this as she is my favourite character by a long shot, although there is less 'present day' action because of that. However, if you dislike her character, you may not enjoy 'Aftershock' as much as the other books, as so much is focussed on her. This is a book I will read again and again!