I’d rather punch myself in the face than work with that thunderous oaf.
When the messengers of the resistance vanish and ritualistic killings appear on their doorstep, all eyes turn to the unknown presence lurking in the woods. Convinced it’s the remnants of a
murderous cult—one that exists because she failed to stamp it out—Penny vows to end them.
But as much as she wishes she could be a one-woman army, she needs backup.
Voted “most likely to stab someone in the face,” making friends was never her strong suit, and in the midst of a war, her options for allies are limited. So to get the manpower for a search party, she agrees to a partnership with the giant, hulking, infuriating Mal—the general of the
resistance. Her general and “commanding officer” (barf).
But she doesn’t intend to play nice.
With each step into the deep, dark woods, a tangled mystery unfolds, launching Penny and her team into a cat-and-mouse chase to uncover the truth about the insidious company, Pharmatrox.
But as the threats ramp up, so does the tension between Penny and Mal, putting them on a collision course where they’ll either crash and burn or discover they’ve met their match.
To end the war and stop Pharmatrox before it regains power, the nation’s future hinges on Penny’s choice—will she remain loyal to the resistance and to Mal? Or will she give up everything in her ruthless quest to take down the company that destroyed her life.
Megan Boley is a dystopian and urban fantasy author (and, alas, a former redhead). Her stories are full of ragtag teams, strong women, grumpy but lovable men, and some steamy romance to
keep things nice and interesting.
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My thoughts: We’re back in the nightmare that is Pharmatrox ravaged America (see this post for book one) and Penny is determined to wipe out the cult that has sprung up and is murdering people, draining them of their blood and still taking the drugs that will eventually turn them into flesh eating zombies.
They’re also contending with the remnants of Pharmatrox’s soldiers, who seem to have a new leader and some new horrible drugs too. And there’s the Watchers, whoever they are – friend or foe?
As the war enters its death throes, with the Faction getting more ground and possibly support from Canada and other allies, it’s up to those inside the city to cut off Pharmatrox’s head at the source, no more evil corporation and Penny is spoiling for a fight. First she just has to sweet talk the general, Mal, into letting her do things her way, the opposite of what he’s ordering her to do.
Agnes and Silas are working on a cure for the drugs Pharmatrox has been poisoning so many with, but they could really do with a friendly scientist to help them. Will any of the remaining Pharmatrox ones defect and help them or is this doomed too.
And everyone’s favourite teenage boy/puppy dog Quentin gets to play with explosives – cos that’s a great idea!
I actually liked this a lot more than book one, probably because I was more familiar with the characters and the situation, and I liked the whole Team Outpost, working with the good guys to get things done, no one on zombie drugs, thing that was going on. It was more wholesome. And I love Quentin, he’s such an adorable nuisance, scaling buildings, eating everything in sight, blowing stuff up, making new friends, he would be a great diplomat (apart from the explosions and fires).
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 