Extinction Edge (The Extinction Cycle Book 2)
Reviews (179)
Okay Second book in the series
I was excited to continue reading this series. The second book did not disappoint overmuch. I like the fast-paced speed of the story, although I'm not a big fan of most of the dialog. I feel an element is missing. It's starting to become too "human vs Variants." As their evolution continues and becomes even more difficult to kill, I felt the human vs human angle was being missed and survivors that were left were all in agreement all the time, which made it kind of boring and predictable. We know Reed will always go out on every single mission, no matter how injured he is or being on zero sleep, and we always know he'll get in some squirmish where it looks like the end for him and his crew, but they always manage to make it out. I'll continue to the next book in the hopes a new foe will be introduced along with the Variants, which I'm sure will continue to change considerably and constantly. I'm still intrigued to see how the humans will deal with their Variant foes.
Non Stop!!
So, after the events of the first book, Dr Kate Lovato has succeeded in creating a.... cure, of sorts. It killed billions of the infected but not all. What is left seem to be evolving rapidly and are harder to kill. Beckham and Team Ghost are tasked with going into New York and taking back the city from the remaining Variants. They are told there should only be a few thousand left but they don't realise the extent of the survivours till it's too late. They also don't know that the surviving Variants are quicker, smarter and can communicate. How do Team Ghost handle themselves when they are the hunted? So book 2 picks up after book 1. Kate has created an antidote but is afraid that she might just have created something worse. The projected number of human survivours is going down everyday, with the human race becoming extinct in a matter of weeks, so she knows she has no choice. She also finds herself caring more and more for a certain Master Sergeant. Beckham meanwhile, is putting his like on the line again, and with the wrong Intel this time it might just be his last. He goes into New York only to find that the Variants numbers were massively underestimated and that they are different. The cure has turned them into elite killing machines. I felt like Beckham just keeps getting better. He is so much more than a soldier. He is willing to do what is needed to save any other human. While he is terrified, he is the best at his job so can compartmentalise a lot of his feelings. I loved how he is constantly thinking of his brothers in arms first and putting them first. It's what a leader should do! This edition was even more scary and frightening than the first!! Seeing the variants develop to be more cunning, smarter and even communicate was equal parts terrifying as it was fascinating. This author really knows how to write!!! He created scenes that were memorable and ones that will make me have nightmares for days :) He has created a dark, desolate and bleak world, but it's one I don't want to leave. The characters are amazing and have captured my heart and the plot is pulse poundingly spectacular. It is a story that is evolving into something epic!! Bring on book 3. Again, Bronson Pinchot was astounding. He really brings the action and tension to life and made me want to keep listening, even when I was falling asleep from the tiredness. He was clear and has a crisp voice. He gave each character their own personality and captured their essence perfectly. Brilliantly written and brilliantly read!!
Most excellent! Can't wait for Extinction Age!!!
First let me say that I received an advance copy of Extinction Edge from the author (Thank You!) and here is my honest review. Oh man what a ride! Our story continues with the aftermath of deploying VariantX9H9, Dr. Lovato’s bioweapon. However the remaining Variants are changing and doing some pretty weird stuff. Of course we have the people in charge, the acting president and his general, not following Dr. Lovato’s advice. Do they EVER listen to the scientists???? The budding romance between Reed and Kate continues to grow but will his unwavering dedication to killing the Variants drive a wedge between them? We also get to see how people who have known and worked together in the old world behave toward each other in the new world when the going gets tough. I hope I would be one of the good guys in the end. There are close calls, tense moments, lots of running, creepy things and happy moments on this rollercoaster! A new character was introduced, Fitzpatrick, that quickly became a favorite. There’s something special about him and I guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out! Looking forward to more of him in Book III. What will Dr. Lovato’s next move be? Will she have to create her own monster? Just what are those damn Variants up to? Will the Variants die out or will humanity be confined to Plum Island for the rest of their lives? Inquiring minds want to know! I know I can’t wait for book III to find out!!!! If you have not read Extinction Horizon (Book I) then what is your problem and I hope a Variant gets you! Go get it now!
Adrenaline & Goosebumps!
Extinction Edge wastes no time jumping right back into a continuance of the story from Extinction Horizon. Thank God because the curiosity and anticipation was killing me. This book is fast-paced and there is never a good spot to put it down. Just when you think you might know what happens to the lovable characters, and you finally feel safe, Smith comes at you with unexpected twists. This book is extremely scary and riveting because it isn't your typical "zombie" thriller. Smith uses science to explain his threatening and believable bioweapon that has been used to create terrifying creatures that have induced an apocalypse. My favorite part of this book is the transformation that the creatures undergo, causing them to be even more powerful, threatening and downright disturbing. The Variants, or creatures, become even more challenging to control and kill-- putting humanity at risk. Smith has a cunning way of making me feel just as invested in his characters as his plot/storyline. He introduces some new characters that are truly badasses. The story transfers back and forth between Team Ghost fighting the variants in a terrifying and seemingly never-ending battle in New York City while Kate is left on Plum Island to confront another nightmare. I can't wait to finish Extinction Age (book 3 in the series)!
Things do not look good for our heroes
Extinction Edge, the second book in the Extinction series is pretty much non-stop action from start to finish. At the end of the first book, the US armed forces had deployed Dr. Kate Lovato's bioweapon designed to wipe out the monsters. It worked, but it had a terrible side effect: approximately 10% of the monsters survived and started to evolve. They became smarter, more organized, and more deadly. Kate feels extremely guilty. Not only did her bioweapon kill billions of people, but it didn't work well enough to kill all of them. She goes back to the lab to see what she can do. Meanwhile, the guy in charge, safe in a bunker in Colorado, decides it's time for Operation Liberty--to take back the cities from the variants. He doesn't believe Kate's estimates that 10% still remain alive. Kate knows the rest of them are out there, but she doesn't know where they are. Sgt. Beckham and the remaining members of his Delta Force team head to New York to participate in Operation Liberty. He knows Kate's estimates and he soon finds out why the army's estimates are so different from Kate's. At the same time, a helicopter inbound to Plum Island with variants for research crashes, putting all the scientists, doctors, and civilians on Plum Island at risk. Fitz, a former member of Delta Force who lost his legs, but is a sniper works with the marines to try to kill the 18 variants that survived the crash. Kate and Horn's kids are constantly on the run from the variants. They see and hear people dying all around them. They only have Riley, the Delta Force member with two broken legs to protect them and they just keep retreating until there's nowhere left to go. The battle in New York is non-stop action. The Marines, Rangers, and Delta Force fight heroically. Some of the situations they find themselves in seem completely hopeless. Even Sgt. Beckham is worried about getting out alive. The image of Grand Central Station is terrifyingly described. At the end of the book, Sgt. Beckham's status is unknown, while the head army guy in his safe bunker says Operation Liberty was a disaster. Ya think? Kate is more resolved than ever to find a scientific solution since the military one failed--and because science created the plague in the first place. She has to figure out if the Variants have any weaknesses, and, if so, how to exploit them. She is nowhere at the end of the book. So, pretty much the entire human race is at risk (thus the title of the book series), although I suppose the Variants will die off once the humans are gone since they will have nothing to eat. The was a highly-entertaining and action-packed installment. Even though there are many characters, the author defines them very well and you don't have to go back and say, "Now, who is that again?", when a character comes into a scene. Fitz and Riley were really standouts in this book. It really feels like the human race is on the verge of extinction at the end and all credit for that goes to the author.
Not As Good As The First Book, Found Quite A Few Errors
Extinction Edge, the second book in the ongoing apocalyptic modified zombie series is an enjoyable read, but not nearly as good as the first book (a full star rating lower). Immediately reading this book, I noticed quite a few continuity errors that should have been picked up by the editors, especially since the series was already in print prior to being picked up and distributed by Orbit/Hachette Book Group. For example, at the end of the first book, there is a huge scene on a rooftop in New York where a billboard explodes and crushes some Variants. However, the second book replays that event from another viewpoint and the explosion never happens! Other details not as glaring also seemed to have slipped by everyone working on this book. On page 146 the author describes a dense fog that covers the island but then describes a storm that threatens on the horizon. Huh? How can you see the horizon in a dense fog? Another example is a Variant is described as having a missing arm, but then shortly after the same zombie is described as using "both claws" to attack. Once again, huh? It is errors like this that unfortunately pull me and other readers out of the story and I really wish Orbit or the author or editor would have gone over the manuscript more carefully. When I pay $10 for a mass market paperback, I don't expect to get a product with so many mistakes. As far as the content goes, the scenes still flow very nicely and much of the action is quite good. However, some of the larger "twists" about the location of the Variants were very predictable and I could see the surprise a mile away. I will keep reading the series, but sincerely hope the next book has fewer errors and less predictable.
One of the best apocalyptic series I’ve ever read!
This is a review for Extinction Edge (The Extinction Cycle Book 2) Nicholas Sansbury Smith Has got to be one of the very best authors of today. He’s but one of very few I call my favorite. Mr. Smith’s Extinction series is the best post apocalypse series I’ve ever read. It has a little bit of everything that an apocalyptic scenario could have and it’s so very believable, even with the monster mutations. He just makes you believe! We all know the viral threat of things like Ebola are real and he’s made it scientifically accurate. The rest is pure fun! The series is non-stop action and has multiple characters that he gets the reader emotionally involved spread over seven awesome books. You’ll want to read every one of them once you start book one. The series doesn’t sugar coat anything. Just when you think things will be okay, Nicholas pulls the rug out from under you. It shows how truly awful mankind can be. I’ve already said too much so no more spoilers. Let me just say that by the time I got to the end of book seven, I was almost in tears. Mr. Smith, you’ve written a masterpiece. Thank you Nicholas for allowing me to escape into your imagination for at least a while. Sincerely, Alan McDonald
Loved this book!!
Fantastic follow up to the first book. I finished half the book in one night, I just couldn't put it down. Every chapter leaves you wanting more. The author does a great job of filling every page with action and suspense that makes you want to read till the end. When I picked up the first book I really thought, oh yea I've seen this movie/video game, it's call Resident Evil (group goes into underground facility that handles bioweapons that turns everyone into crazy killers). But the author takes something that seamed predictable and blows it out of the water. He takes a doomsday scenario that has been done a million times, twists it into something entirely new and leaves you wanting more. There are a few new characters but I love how it mostly follows the characters from the first book and builds on them. By the end of the second book I'm still wanting more. So glad I'm reading this series late and I don't have to wait for the third book to be released.
NUMBER 2 IS JUST AS AWESOME!
*this review is for all of the books in this series* This is the craziest, most action packed post-apocalyptic novel I have ever read! When books use the term "action packed," what they mean is "action included." This book is figuratively crammed and stuffed to a near bursting capacity with thrilling action scenes. I've never been so oblivious to my surroundings before, as I read this in one sitting from start to finish! The military characters are intimidatingly rough, athletic and organized, so when they struggle for survival against some horrifying creatures, you really get nervous and fear for the wellbeing of the planet. Which brings me to the next point, that these are not typical zombies or diseased humans. These are disgusting and almost impossible-to-kill monsters that are the result of immense evolutionary twists from humans, who are turned into hungry beasts. Basically modified zombies on mass steroids. I think some of the scariest novels stem from having villains that overly dominate and have very few if any evident weaknesses. I was so nervous because it felt like characters were dying left and right, so you never really knew what would happen next. These creatures only seem to get stronger and stronger as you read through each book in this series. That brings me to yet another point. All of the books in this series are epic. Sometimes sequels pale in comparison, but every one of these was as terrifying and attention grasping as the first. Luckily, all the books are out, so if you experience any cliffhangers, you can dive right into the next book. If you want to read an intense and thrilling book that will stick with you long after you've finished, then I highly recommend this entire series!
... received an advanced copy of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it as much as the first
OK let me start off by saying that I also received an advanced copy of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it as much as the first. The only disappointment is I now have to wait for the next one in the series. I also have a Kindle Unlimited so I could have read if for free but I feel it was so enjoyable and the fact that the author made an advanced copy available to me worth the small cost of also buying the book to show my support for him. One thing I like about the way it is written is the detail and the fact that he stays on subject. So many books of this type go off into tangents and I find my self skipping over parts as they add no relevant information to the on going story. I do like Fitz as his is a great story line of a fictional true American Hero that overcomes his disability to once again prove what heroes are made of. He reminds me of true American Hero Col. Gregory D. Gadson who played a similar part in the movie Battleship. While I am waiting on the next book I am going to read the ORBS Series by the author since I enjoyed the first 2 books of the Extinction Series so much.
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