Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies) [Paperback]

"Fighting To Survive" is absolutely brilliant! It's the second instalment of the 'As the World Dies' trilogy by horror writer, Rhiannon Frater. I loved the first book, 'The First Days' but this was even better. It was just so good I couldn't bear to put it down. I read it in two sittings and the story remained with me long after I finished the last page. The action came thick and fast and didn't let go, but was so wonderfully paced I didn't feel as though I was constantly trying to keep up.

The characterisation is just amazing, I love Katie and Jenni; they are such great protagonists and all the secondary characters are just as well rounded and all have a part to play in this zombie horror. It's these characters that make this particular horror novel touching, moving, as well as it being gruesome, suspenseful and horrifying.

There are multiple plots in "Fighting to Survive" but Frater manages to keep everything straight and not allow it all to become a jumbled mess. If fact, I really felt as though I was following Jenni and Katie's lives in almost real time and as each obstacle was presented to them I found myself trying to work out how to fix it with them. It gave the book authenticity, which I loved.

The relationships between some of the characters are deepened. There's also lots of drama, emotional turmoil, for me as well as the characters, and lots of fantastic action. The scenes where the characters enter the hotel to clear it of zombies is honestly one of the most tense scenes I've read. My stomach was in knots for the entire time I was reading it. I was so worried about the characters and Frater does a superb job at keeping the suspense nice and tight and not let it drift, which made the whole thing nerve-racking.

Jenni slips from reality a little further and sees the ghost of her husband, who was actually zombified in the first book. She's losing it but tries to keep it together. Jenni and Katie's friendship is stronger than ever. They are still the main characters, but we do get to know a little more about the other characters especially Travis and Juan.

Katie's sexual attack was pretty horrific, my heart went out to her, but it was warming to see her friends rally around and support her. It was interesting to see how the residents of the fort reacted to this, most were supportive of Katie, but a few sided with the attacker. This frustrated me no end, but I suppose it's the same as in real life. Luckily, the horrid little man got his comeuppance!

With hordes of zombies moaning and shuffling outside the fort's perimeters, there's a lot more to think about than romance. However, there is an element of romance throughout the novel for Katie and Jenni, which was a continuation from 'The First Days'.

VERDICT:

"Fighting To Survive" is a horror novel with heart. It's funny and endearing in places and sickening and gory in others, but always perfectly balanced between the two. This series is a fantastic addition to the zombie genre and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of `Siege' the final book in this phenomenal trilogy.

I gave this 9/10 on [...]

This was truly excellent, if possible it was even better than The First Days, it so rare for a sequel to be that good.

This book sets off pretty much where the first book finished. The mood is a little dark. Although the people of the fort have survived the first days of the Zombocalypse there is a real sense that they are scared. Although their fort seems solid and safe they are all too aware of how fragile this new world is and how easily it can all fall apart.

This book is absolutely full of action. Early on (as mentioned in book 1) the group finally decide that it is time to take over the hotel. With more survivors arriving all the time it is becoming too crowded and unsanitary. The chapters that deal with the clearing of the hotel are some of the most intense writing I have ever read. My heart was pounding all the way through and I just could not put it down until I found out what happened. The author writes suspense and action superbly, characters we have grown to love don't make it, she doesn't wuss out and let everyone live! Several times my jaw hit the floor when something happened that I didn't see coming and I shed more than one tear when someone died. As they cleared more and more of the hotel it got increasingly intense and at one point I think I stopped breathing with the anticipation. This book is worth reading just for the first quarter it is that good!

This isn't the end of the action. The survivors continue to trek into what they call the "Deadlands" outside the fort for supplies and to rescue survivors and the end of the book deals with a new threat. The threat of the living. It is all the more terrifying that they have to deal with bandits, like the ones who shot Ralph in book 1. It ends in a spectacular battle.

One of the author's greatest talents is her characterisation. am aware that this is a work of fiction but her characters are so real. She molds them so beautifully that I can see them in my head and hear them. There aren't many books where I have cared about the charatcers so much. We see a whole new side to Katie and Jenni becomes more than just this Loca zombie killer. My only gripe with the first book was that Jenni's reaction to losing her family didn't sit well and she moved on too quickly, but in this book we get to understand her better and see her trying to cope with her loss. Her bravado is a bit of a cover as she desperately fights to cling onto her sanity. I feel she is now a well rounded character and I undertsand her more.

There are lots of new growing relationships between different people which I have liked. Some books in this genre just focus on the zombies and the gore but I really enjoy seeing how people band together (or don't) and how they are building a new society with new rules. Nerit is fantastic, I would not want to mess with her. And Travis develops as a potential leader for the fort. I was glad to see more of Eric who I read about in the first volume of "Untold Tales" but I'd still like to see more.

Another favourite bit of this was right near then end we get a mini chapter from Jack's perspective. Yes Jack the German Sheppherd! It was so unexpected and very funny, the author wrote him brilliantly in his search for a cookie and, interestingly, we hear some conversations that may mean something in the next book but obviously, being a dog, Jack wouldn't have realized their significance.

This book was absolutely awesome. I can't say enough good things about it. The different plot threads are woven together superbly and the balance between action, suspense, romance and humour is very well done. I have pre-ordered my copy of Seige which is the final book in the trilogy and I can't wait to get my hands on it after the epilogue of "fighting to survive" has me in turmoil wondering what will happen next.

If you are a fan of the zombie genre then your collection would not be complete without this trilogy.

I didnt find this book as good as the first one but it still kept me reading it was a slow start unlike book one but it picked up in the middle, like I say worth reading but not what I was really thinking the second book would be like.