Book of the Month: February - Review
The Zombicide board games are a delightful way for you to simulate the cooperative survival tactics needed to endure a zombie apocalypse, all in the comfort of your own home. Aconyte Books now take great pride in presenting a series of expanded novels set in this very same turbulent, and often highly gory, universe, the first of which is Josh Reynolds’ rip-roaring action adventure, Zombicide: Last Resort. Do you like zombie survival? Or are you just looking for something fast, furious, and fun? Either way, you’re not going to want to sleep on this one.
Featuring a wealth of characters, all of whom are pretty well versed in taking out the resident zombie ‘neighbour’, Zombicide: Last Resort is set primarily through the eyes of Westlake, a wisecracking thief with an old score to settle and a unique talent for survival. When the world goes to pot and the undead stake their claim, Westlake runs into an old flame in the form of Ramirez, a female Federal agent and former adversary in Westlake’s illegal misgivings. Along with a gang of chiselled misfits, Ramirez has found her own way to navigate the zombie-strewn landscape of North America. Together, their only chance of keeping themselves the right kind of alive is to put old grudges aside and seek out ‘The Villa’, a supposedly mythical sanctuary hidden in the Adirondack Mountains. Only there, might the living just be able to ride out the seemingly endless apocalypse without the dead looming hungrily over their shoulders.
Supporting characters along this quest include a shady park ranger with more than a few secrets, an articulate conspiracy theorist, a seemingly indestructible luchador, a loyal canine, and, if that wasn’t enough, an elderly woman with a very useful passion for archery. Each of these personalities and more have their own backstory, and play their part to ensure that the journey toward the fabled destination of ‘The Villa’ is never a lonesome one, regardless of where it stops along the way. Though, as one might expect, not everybody is going to make it that far. The Zombicide world is a dangerous place, and anybody is fair game.
If one was going to provide a summarised verdict of this novel in just a few words, the expression ‘nailed it’ (also a pretty efficient way of dispatching a zombie) might be a good fit. Author Josh Reynolds has a formidable track record of writing horror, as well as action in an apocalyptic setting. Check out his Fantasy Flight Games Arkham Horror and Games Workshop Black Library books for evidence of this! At present, this is in fact his first crack at writing a book set in the well-trod genre of zombie fiction, and you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise, because he clearly handled the challenge like a consummate professional.
Yes, the zombie trope has been used, used again, and then used some more after that. However, as the old saying goes, it’s what you do with it that counts. Some creative outlets in this position often try to sow new life into a tired genre by adding a new spin on the convention, which can sometimes miss the point entirely and even result in developing something fully devoid of life… no pun intended. However, Josh Reynolds is one such writer who, with the help of the pre-established lore set by the Zombicide board games, has opted not to go in this direction. Instead, he has chosen simply to tell an effective and gripping story.
In itself, writing action and suspense requires a certain level of talent which Reynolds showcases and even makes seem easy on occasions. Once the leading cast of characters are introduced in Zombicide: Last Resort, and the quest is established alongside the peril accompanying it, reading through each chapter becomes similar to systematically clearing the levels of a well made video game. Each new location and obstacle grows ever more tricky, exciting, and dramatic for our leading characters, until the story closes in a tense and bombastic finale, the nature of which you’ll just have to read to find out about. With exemplary pacing placed at every point, there is little chance that the reader will get bored, and with a plentiful amount of gunfire, cars, bats, clubs, ores, spiky objects, and dog bites clearing a path through the undead, it’s a chore not to jump straight on to the next chapter, irrespective of what else you might have going on during your day. It really is that damn entertaining.
But let’s get to the good stuff! If you love zombies and you are reading this wondering what quality of undying flesh-eater we're dealing with here, then one is delighted to confirm that the zombies are indeed… vile… and varied too. Aside from the basic standard ‘Walker’ zombie, which Mr Reynolds depicts in an ever-amusing ensemble of demographics, job roles, and fashion tastes (in their former lives at least), our endangered heroes also have to deal with the fast moving ‘Runners’, the near indestructible ‘Brutes’, the water-dwelling ‘Floaters’, and any number of extra freakish variant zombies gifted enough to adapt to their own predicament, a particularly disgusting example of which is found on board the wreckage of a plane (when you get to that bit, you’ll know.) To reveal more zombie types past this would be to spoil the surprises, suffice to say, the dead have risen and then some…
Which takes us to the most important factor in any book - the characters. Naturally you need more than zombies to tell a good story, and the protagonists we follow throughout the course of this book are just right. As one would expect, none of these characters are saints and they get along with each other only in moderation. However each individual has a charm unto their own, be they a soon-to-be devoured extra of the piece, or someone who survives the full breadth of the narrative. It would be hard-going to read through a novel like this if the characters were unlikable. Fortunately in the case of Zombicide: The Last Resort, this leading cast is an engaging draw for the reader, warts and all, and the developing mutual affections they feel for one another during the adventure equals a rewarding journey for us. There’s never too much baggage with these guys, nor are they deflatingly two-dimensional. As with the story itself, the balance is just right.
If you’re seeking a quick-witted, and highly explosive tale of survival to add to your library, then Zombicide: Last Resort is a winner, and here’s the best part: It really doesn’t matter whether you like the zombie genre or not, and though the context might prove helpful, it doesn't matter if you don’t play the Zombicide board games either. Elitist fans of zombies and/or the Zombicide universe will be well fed regardless, but at its core, Zombicide: Last Resort is simply an expertly crafted action novel that plays every one of its cards just right, and leaves the reader the perfect amount of breathless at its conclusion. Fun and witty at its heart, you're catapulted into a daredevil world of horror, mystery and human endurance that is unlikely to remain the book you’re reading for any long stretch, and here’s why: After one bite, there’s no turning back.
About the Author
Josh Reynolds is the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories, including the wildly popular Warhammer, Arham Horror, and Legend of the Five Rings. He grew up in South Carolina and now lives in Sheffield, UK.
Josh’s Website: https://joshuamreynolds.co.uk/
Find Josh on Twitter: @jmreynolds
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