Ex-Heroes

By: Peter Clines

Narrated by: Jay Snyder, Khristine Hvam

Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Stealth. Gorgon. Regenerator. Cerberus. Zzzap. The Mighty Dragon. They were heroes. Vigilantes. Crusaders for justice, using their superhuman abilites to make Los Angeles a better place. Then the plague of living death spread around the globe. Despite the best efforts of the superheroes, the police, and the military, the hungry corpses rose up and overwhelmed the country. The population was decimated, heroes fell, and the city of angels was left a desolate zombie wasteland like so many others.

Now, a year later, the Mighty Dragon and his companions must overcome their differences and recover from their own scars to protect the thousands of survivors sheltered in their film studio-turned-fortress, the Mount. The heroes lead teams out to scavenge supplies, keep the peace within the walls of their home, and try to be the symbols the survivors so desperately need. For while the ex-humans walk the streets night and day, they are not the only threat left in the world, and the people of the Mount are not the only survivors left in Los Angeles. Across the city, another group has grown and gained power. And they are not heroes.

©2010 Peter Clines (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

superheroes and zombies!!

What made the experience of listening to Ex-Heroes the most enjoyable?

This is a good book. The plot is tight. The characters are intriguing and the premise of a post-infected world being protected by superheroes is engaging.

What other book might you compare Ex-Heroes to and why?

If you like comics and zombie movies, this is the book for you.

A decent zombie and superhero story

The narrators sold the story. The depictions of origins and events really develop the world.

Great story and great performances

I started the book fearing the hokey but willing to give Cline's the benefit of the doubt. I finished the book delighted and anxious to start Ex-Patriots.

Superman and zombies

The idea of superheroes meeting zombies is original. The storyline is kinda boring. There are a few good characters but I did not feel immersed in the book as I do when I watch the walking dead, for example.
No big surprises and the good guys win. I just don't get why Zap just did not started to wipe all zombies from the face of the earth instead of sitting on a wheel chair. And there is no explanation about why the superpowers started.

Great story

This was a nice twist on the zombie genre. I love the characters and the villains.

Zombies and heroes

A good twist on superheros and zombies! I just wish that the book was a little longer than what it was. I recommend it though.

Pleasantly surprised (give it a few chapters)

This book had a slow start. It drops you right into the middle of things, and fills in some details with flashbacks. Unfortunately, that makes it hard to be invested in the world and the story at the very beginning, where you have very little to work with.

If you give it two or three chapters, though, it turns out to be a pretty good story. The concept of zombies in a world with super-heroes is a good twist. The characters have enough depth to be interesting, but not so much that you get bogged down and lose the cool story.

I have mixed feelings

But overall it was good. The characters were unique and fun to imagine as you listened. The concept is a fun one as well. It’s a good read overall. I’ll be continuing the series for sure.

Not my thing

Not a bad story I guess, just not my style. If you like zombies and super heroes this is for you.

About What I Expected

Grabbed this one since it was on sale at Audible and seems to be a popular series. It definitely has a creative concept, combining the superhero and zombie genres, and you get pretty much what you expect. It's very action oriented and a quick read, and nothing earth shattering or anything to compare with Sanderson's "Reckoners" series, but if you're looking for a short episodic series that is definitely better than most of the zombie or superhero fodder out there, this is one that you might enjoy.