Talk about waiting for the third part of a series. It feels like years since I read the first two, “The Passage” and “The Twelve.” Heck, it probably was years but finally the third and final book was released last month and I finally got my hot little hands on it.
Let’s see, the world as we know it has come to an end with the virus that started in the first book. It’s always a virus that brings humanity to its knees turning people into zombies or some kind of blood sucking vampire. In this series humans are turned into vampires.
Even though the virus is kind of gone the “Dracs” are still around with the head one, former human Tim Manning now known as Zero, is just waiting to get his teeth into the good guys. Since “The Twelve” are dead the world belongs to Zero and he’s making New York City his kingdom. I’m pretty sure New York is supposed to be “The City of Mirrors” but I’m not sure because the book didn’t really spell it out for me. Or I might have missed it within the book’s 605 pages!
I’ll keep this short. All the usual characters are back, they’re fighting the virals, all seems lost then all seems good, lots of fighting, a fair amount of blood, horses, dreams, romance, women birthing babies, the future, escape, cars, boats, blah, blah, blah.
Bet you think I didn’t like “The City of Mirrors.” You’re wrong, I did like it but why bother going too much in an explanation about what it’s about? People who haven’t read the first two in the series would never follow or understand and those who have read the previous books get the gist of it and probably can figure out the main storyline and just need to read the specifics.
Let me just say this is not a stand-alone. If you haven’t read the first two in this series don’t bother starting with the third, you’ll never follow it. Heck, people who have read the previous 1,200 pages need a refresher because author Justin Cronin starts throwing out names from book one without even attempting to remind past readers who these characters are.
Parts of the book were a little slow to me, like all the fighting. Who had their head bitten off, who slashed what, descriptions about falling into the ocean and then being pulled out of the sea by some heroic measures by one of the heroes. I never like that stuff. Just tell me who’s dead, details not needed.
And what is up with those dream sequences? Amy and Carter living in Mrs. Woods house, and the garden, and the pool? Then Peter’s dreams about living with piano playing Amy. If anyone reading this review has read the book please post and explain the dreams to me.
On the other hand I did enjoy the long story about Tim Manning and how he became Zero. Now that was interesting and almost long enough to be a book of its own.
If you haven’t read any of the Passage Series this review will get you nowhere. But the three books are good and if you like blood-seeking vampires, dystopian novels, lots of action with romance included give them a try but start with book one.
If others have you have slogged through the first two novels you might as well read “The City of Mirrors” and see how it all ends. It is the ending isn’t it? I don’t think I can get through another 600 pages.
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