Survivors

The Morningstar Strain, Book 3

By: Z. A. Recht, Thom Brannan

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Survivors is the all-new soul-shattering climax to the postapocalyptic trilogy, featuring a deadly virus, military action, global devastation - and zombies.

A lot can change in three months: Wars can be decided, nations can be forged...or entire species can be brought to the brink of annihilation. The Morningstar Virus, an incredibly virulent disease, has swept the face of the planet, infecting billions. The infected hosts rampage, attacking anything that remains uninfected. Even death can’t stop the virus - its victims become frightening and deadly cannibals. Scattered across the world, embattled groups have persevered. For some, surviving is the pinnacle of achievement. Others hoard goods and weapons. And still others leverage power over the remnants of humanity in the form of a mysterious cure for Morningstar. For the survivors, the peril remains, and the search for a cure goes on....

©2012 Z.A. Recht (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Decent ending to an enjoyable serious

What did you love best about Survivors?

This book was a decent addition to a rather enjoyable series. I say that the book itself was great and very well written/read. However, this particular novel felt like it was in a rush to end the series. Too much happened in this novel compared to the previous ones that some parts became shallow and far less detailed than in the previous. Due to the amount of build the previous tales had this one felt a little anti-climatic. So much build up and depth of the previous seemed lost as this one had to pack so much into just one book. Had the author broken this book into two separate novels it would have been much better. He could have taken the time to write with depth and attention to every little detail as he had previously. In the first two books I was able to feel as though I were there myself with the characters in the very middle of it, but with this one I felt more like an outsider looking in these characters only observing what they said and felt rather than being there with them hearing them and feeling as they do. Because of this many of the character's deaths felt distant and unimportant where previously I felt like I had lost someone I cared about. Overall though, a good book, decent enough ending that I still satisfied with the series as a whole. A little bit of a let down and there are a few points in the end that I would have liked to have had the author go further with. I do feel like the very end of the book just dropped off and lacked the closure that the ending of a series should contain. But again good enough to say that the series was still outstanding and can hold its own.

Sensational

This was a great end to a series.

Good story great reading.

Pity about the stupidness of mankind.

Rod

Loved this solid conclusion to a great series

I know someone else took over the writing duties on this series at this point, but by the time the story wrapped up, it was definitely satisfying. I’m not sure if the story continues after this, but this felt like a solid conclusion.

Major Upset

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

No one who enjoyed the first two books.

What could Z. A. Recht and Thom Brannan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Have an ending worth listening too. Or, just not written it at all. The book is not written on the same level as the first two. It is just a slow paced, kill everyone off, without meaning or substance, The End.

Which scene was your favorite?

The begining. Because I had high hopes and expectations.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

NO

Any additional comments?

This book does not follow in the spirit of the first two books. Come on, every great character gets killed off without honoring or respecting the people we came to know and love.

Severely Disappointed

I was looking forward to the completion of the series and tried to really like this book but it's almost impossible. The publisher should have chosen someone who was a more seasoned writer. Thom Brannan apparently lost sight of the characters and their motivations. He has them behaving in contradictory actions to what was previously established in the first two books. He apparently mistook schizophrenia for character development. This occurred in so many instances that it completely ruined the book for me. To top this off, Oliver Wyman who narrated the first two books superbly, followed suit by forgetting the character voices that he established in the first two books. He has Brewster changing his accent from sounding like Private Hudson (Aliens) in the first two novels to a weak southern accent, to no accent, back to southern and then finally a pale imitation of his original characterization. Jack goes from Aussie to flat. In the first two books, you could identify who was speaking solely by Wyman's voice acting alone. In this book, half of the characters sound the same and it becomes extremely confusing. Come on Oliver, get your characters straight and stay with them!

This is my 2ND review-First one was censured.

This story has been done several times over. The "OMEGA MAN", starring Charlten Heston was the first in my lifetime, then Will Smith starred in the next "virus gets out" type story; I forget that titles name.

Anyhow, my problem is I've listened to so many books, I need to find new authors. This book is a simple, redundant, same old virus wipes out everyone, but like usual, one guy is immune. Big surprise there.

In conclusion, the book wasn't terrible. If you have not read "OMEGA MAN" or have seen the latest Will Smith movie, then this book is a 5 on a scale of 10. I have also found a "SERIOUS" drought in truly captivating plot lines or story lines in the last six months. Selfishly, I hope some new books come out which the reader can not stop listening to it.

NOTE:***** I am finding this in "The Twelfth Imam", followed by "The Tehran Inituative!" Go buy them. They are my first two books by this author. I am impressed which is not an easy thing for an author to get from me.

Thom Brannan dropped the ball

Would you try another book from Z. A. Recht and Thom Brannan and/or Oliver Wyman?

Recht is deceased
Brannan... not bloody likely.
Wyman... yes, great job

What could Z. A. Recht and Thom Brannan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Recht is deceased.
Brannan could have passed on it - he was in way over his head.

What aspect of Oliver Wyman’s performance would you have changed?

Wyman was fine. But, this book has a big black cloud over it for me.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

extreme and compounding anger that started early and continued until the end when I was very disappointed...now I'm just sad.

Any additional comments?

The 'infected' were pretty much an afterthought and not part of the main story line. It was obvious early on that there was a problem with the course the plot was taking. By the end, I was looking for the answer to "what happen" to the promising start this series had.

I did not realize until after I finished 'Survivors' that Recht passed away and did not write this book.

I've listened to a few books, that I didn't care for but, this is the first time I have felt cheated. I am even considering 'returning the book' for a credit. It is appalling to me that Brannan will earn royalties (on Recht's name) from this after so hap-hazardously destroying what Recht created.

In the end, Brannan even 'forgot' how the morning star strain is transmitted in order to satisfy a small plot dénouement. He must have been reading some of Jonathan Mayberry's work and got confused....sad sad sad. I wish that I never started the series...the first book needs a warning label.

hard to write but painfully necessary

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I'm not sure. Perhaps someone who has more patience and isn't too hung up about story pace and or details.

What could Z. A. Recht and Thom Brannan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Frankly, I had read some great reviews about all books in the series but also a few that weren't so great. The first book was, in my opinion, pretty decent, and I hate quitting on a series... i just didnt want to give uo hope!... but by the end of this book I regretted that I should have just listening to something else altogether. I think this last book felt really rushed and a bit choppy. Almost like ticking off a list of things that had to happen and filling in the rest with fighting or banter, etc.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

Oliver wyman did an excellent job capturing emotion and giving life to the characters. His narration was what kept me listening, not the actual content. I am actually enjoying another book read by him right now.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Survivors?

I think I would have done more than cutting scenes.?

Any additional comments?

I feel as though I am being a bit brutal, but after listening to so many books, I felt a review was necessary. Audible has so many fantastic books read by some really wonderful narrators, that maybe by writing this I can help someone else avoid this gamble.

A disappointment

What would have made Survivors better?

This book would have been better if the character development of the first two books had been followed.

Has Survivors turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Oliver Wyman narrated the first two books and was consistant in his portrayal of all the characters but in the third book he dropped all of that. For insistance Jack no longer has an Aussie accent and Brewster no longer sounds like the country bumkin we know and love. The passion he had in the first two books is lacking in the third.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment

Lazy and sloppy

First two were ok. I’m a fan of the genre and Wyman. But this was a dud. All of a sudden self proclaimed civilians are taking out govt operatives. Convenient deaths and victories get thrown out with no explanation. And how many times do they need to use the word “fac”?!? I only finished listening to see if it got better. It didn’t.