By Joe Hempel
The second part takes your breath away as both Sam and Charlie head straight for the cave, straight for Charlie’s baby.
The third part will be available on July 2, so you can take a break from the fun.
This is probably the slowest-paced entry in the series in terms of action, and Jonathan uses this time to build up some characters and finally figure out what “The Kids” are, as well as introduce new horrors that may be scarier than “The Kids.”
When you read a novel you assume that certain parts of it will be slower than others, that there will be certain ebbs and flows as the story progresses. So it makes sense that some parts of a serialized novel won’t be as engaging as others. This section was like that for me. For the most part I wasn’t as invested as I was in other volumes. That’s not to say it’s bad, there’s a fair amount of action towards the end and the interactions between everyone from Jesse, Emma, and Frank Red Elk to Sam, Charlie, and Eric are wonderful. It gives you time to get to know them further and really build connections during these horrific events when the two groups finally start to merge into one place.
I was especially curious to see where these character “changes” would go. At first, I was put off by some of the dialogue because it didn’t make sense in the context or with the characters (I won’t go into that here to avoid spoilers), but as the story progressed, these “changes” made perfect sense.
The horror builds towards the end. Some end in very violent ways, others end in ways more horrible than death. The images Jonathan Janz leaves in your mind will haunt you. Part 3, although a little slow at about 75%, will leave you hungry for more!
July 2, mark it on your calendar (or reserve your spot here now)!
grade:4/5
About the Author: See Joe’s review on Top of the Heap Reviews
