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Ex-Heroes #5
Ex-Isle
“It is an easy thing to rule by fear.”
It’s been years since the tidal wave of ex-humans washed over the world. Since then, thanks to St George and his fellow heroes, the community known as the Mount has been the last known outpost of safety, sanity, and freedom left to humanity.
But even for the Mount, survival still balances on a razor’s edge—and after a disaster decimates the town’s food supply, the heroes must make a risky gamble to keep its citizens from starving.
And then the news arrives of a strange, man-made island in the middle of the Pacific. An island populated not just by survivors, but by people who seem to be farming, raising children, living— people who, like the heroes, have somehow managed to keep the spark of civilization alive.
Paying this place a visit should be a simple goodwill mission, but as the island reveals itself to be a sinister mirror-image of what the heroes have built at the Mount, the cost of their good intentions becomes dangerously high.
It’s been years since the tidal wave of ex-humans washed over the world. Since then, thanks to St George and his fellow heroes, the community known as the Mount has been the last known outpost of safety, sanity, and freedom left to humanity.
But even for the Mount, survival still balances on a razor’s edge—and after a disaster decimates the town’s food supply, the heroes must make a risky gamble to keep its citizens from starving.
And then the news arrives of a strange, man-made island in the middle of the Pacific. An island populated not just by survivors, but by people who seem to be farming, raising children, living— people who, like the heroes, have somehow managed to keep the spark of civilization alive.
Paying this place a visit should be a simple goodwill mission, but as the island reveals itself to be a sinister mirror-image of what the heroes have built at the Mount, the cost of their good intentions becomes dangerously high.
389 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2016
About the author
Peter Clines
36 books4,165 followers
Peter Clines
is the author of the genre-blending
-14-
and the
Ex-Heroes
series.
He grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and--inspired by comic books, Star Wars, and Saturday morning cartoons--started writing at the age of eight with his first epic novel, Lizard Men From The Center of The Earth(unreleased).
He made his first writing sale at age seventeen to a local newspaper, and at the age of nineteen he completed his quadruple-PhD studies in English literature, archaeology, quantum physics, and interpretive dance. In 2008, while surfing Hawaii's Keauwaula Beach, he thought up a viable way to maintain cold fusion that would also solve world hunger, but forgot about it when he ran into actress Yvonne Strahvorski back on the beach and she offered to buy him a drink. He was the inspiration for both the epic poem Beowulf and the motion picture Raiders of the Lost Ark, and is single-handedly responsible for repelling the Martian Invasion of 1938 that occurred in Grovers Mills, New Jersey. Eleven sonnets he wrote to impress a girl in high school were all later found and attributed to Shakespeare.
He is the writer of countless film articles, several short stories, The Junkie Quatrain, the rarely-read The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe, the poorly-named website Writer on Writing , and an as-yet-undiscovered Dead Sea Scroll.
He currently lives and writes somewhere in southern California.
There is compelling evidence that he is, in fact, the Lindbergh baby.
He grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and--inspired by comic books, Star Wars, and Saturday morning cartoons--started writing at the age of eight with his first epic novel, Lizard Men From The Center of The Earth(unreleased).
He made his first writing sale at age seventeen to a local newspaper, and at the age of nineteen he completed his quadruple-PhD studies in English literature, archaeology, quantum physics, and interpretive dance. In 2008, while surfing Hawaii's Keauwaula Beach, he thought up a viable way to maintain cold fusion that would also solve world hunger, but forgot about it when he ran into actress Yvonne Strahvorski back on the beach and she offered to buy him a drink. He was the inspiration for both the epic poem Beowulf and the motion picture Raiders of the Lost Ark, and is single-handedly responsible for repelling the Martian Invasion of 1938 that occurred in Grovers Mills, New Jersey. Eleven sonnets he wrote to impress a girl in high school were all later found and attributed to Shakespeare.
He is the writer of countless film articles, several short stories, The Junkie Quatrain, the rarely-read The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe, the poorly-named website Writer on Writing , and an as-yet-undiscovered Dead Sea Scroll.
He currently lives and writes somewhere in southern California.
There is compelling evidence that he is, in fact, the Lindbergh baby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
June 15, 2016
Peter Clines is on my Underrated Authors List
His books tend to be a great blend of pop culture humor, suspense, action and just flat out weirdness at times. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again he really gives me a J.J. Abrams kind of vibe and I love it.
The Ex-Heroes series is a really cool Superheroes meets Zombies mash up and I totally love it. I’m not even a huge fan of superhero or zombie books but these totally speak to me. Probably because they remind me a little of the feelings I used to have when I watched LOST or Fringe.
Imagine a world where there is an ‘event’ that created superheroes and then later there is a zombie apocalypse. It is like a summer blockbuster in book form. I enjoy the flashbacks to before the zombies came getting glimpses of the characters’ lives before everything became a bit screwed up.
Most improved character goes to……Barry a.k.a. Zappp. He got all the best lines in this and I loved the little trio of adventurers that went to meet the newly discovered colony of people.
Barry, St. George and Corpse Girl go off to try and talk to the people on the waterworldesk contraptions and it seems like not everything is great on the good ship lollipop. The people seem a little off somehow and soon our trio of superheroes is in the middle of a colossal mess.
The banter with the trio is great. Between Barry’s pop culture one liners and Corpse girls semi morbid sense of humor mixed with teenage enthusiasm they were the story line I enjoyed the most.
Meanwhile back on the main land the colony in Los Angeles is getting ready to make a move to an area that is easier to grow food and leave the L.A movie studio lot they’ve been living in behind. But there is still some work to do and so Danielle is forced out of her comfort zone and has to face her issues with agoraphobia to go into the great outdoors to prepare things. Except it seems that the super soldiers they brought with them are acting a little strange too and with the mix of people that came along there might be a little tension happening in the group that could lead to things going horribly wrong. I mean a farm area surrounded by a chain-link fence to keep the zombies out what could possibly happen.
Overall
This series is just a lot of fun and pretty different than anything else out there I’m reading currently. So if you are looking for something that is a bit fun and maybe a little different from everything else you are reading right now I say give Clines a shot.
Audio Note THE AUDIO IS FANTASTIC…most of it is done with a compilation cast and it has a few of my favorites. Jay Snyder sounds like the announcer in a summer blockbuster trailer. Khristine Hvam who I have loved since listening to Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Mark Boyett just to round out the great cast.
Pre-Read Review:
SUPERHEROES AND ZOMBIES....with the addition of a great audio cast.
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His books tend to be a great blend of pop culture humor, suspense, action and just flat out weirdness at times. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again he really gives me a J.J. Abrams kind of vibe and I love it.
The Ex-Heroes series is a really cool Superheroes meets Zombies mash up and I totally love it. I’m not even a huge fan of superhero or zombie books but these totally speak to me. Probably because they remind me a little of the feelings I used to have when I watched LOST or Fringe.
Imagine a world where there is an ‘event’ that created superheroes and then later there is a zombie apocalypse. It is like a summer blockbuster in book form. I enjoy the flashbacks to before the zombies came getting glimpses of the characters’ lives before everything became a bit screwed up.
Most improved character goes to……Barry a.k.a. Zappp. He got all the best lines in this and I loved the little trio of adventurers that went to meet the newly discovered colony of people.
“What’s it like, this island? Is it a lot of boats or rafts or what?”
Barry set down his bowl, swept up a legal pad and a pen, and began to sketch quick outlines. “Boats,” he said. “It’s kind of like Waterworld. But, y’know, believable. Or maybe the Drexel colony.”
Barry, St. George and Corpse Girl go off to try and talk to the people on the waterworldesk contraptions and it seems like not everything is great on the good ship lollipop. The people seem a little off somehow and soon our trio of superheroes is in the middle of a colossal mess.
The banter with the trio is great. Between Barry’s pop culture one liners and Corpse girls semi morbid sense of humor mixed with teenage enthusiasm they were the story line I enjoyed the most.
“Actually,” said Barry, tossing the dried meat to the Corpse Girl, “did anyone ever check out the Playboy Mansion? It’s in LA, right?”
“Yeah,” said St. George. “But I don’t know where. I’m pretty sure I’ve never been there, though.”
“It’s got the big pool. The Grotto. And a lot of zombie Playmates. You’d know.”
“Y’know what,” said Madelyn, tearing off a chunk of jerky, “you two guys just go right along talking about the Playboy Mansion in front of the teenage girl. There’s nothing skeevy about it at all.”
Meanwhile back on the main land the colony in Los Angeles is getting ready to make a move to an area that is easier to grow food and leave the L.A movie studio lot they’ve been living in behind. But there is still some work to do and so Danielle is forced out of her comfort zone and has to face her issues with agoraphobia to go into the great outdoors to prepare things. Except it seems that the super soldiers they brought with them are acting a little strange too and with the mix of people that came along there might be a little tension happening in the group that could lead to things going horribly wrong. I mean a farm area surrounded by a chain-link fence to keep the zombies out what could possibly happen.
Overall
This series is just a lot of fun and pretty different than anything else out there I’m reading currently. So if you are looking for something that is a bit fun and maybe a little different from everything else you are reading right now I say give Clines a shot.
Audio Note THE AUDIO IS FANTASTIC…most of it is done with a compilation cast and it has a few of my favorites. Jay Snyder sounds like the announcer in a summer blockbuster trailer. Khristine Hvam who I have loved since listening to Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Mark Boyett just to round out the great cast.
Pre-Read Review:
SUPERHEROES AND ZOMBIES....with the addition of a great audio cast.
June 6, 2016
This had a lot more going on than the previous instalment in the Ex-Heroes series and as a result was even better. Clines stories usually have an issue with fading a bit towards the end, but this one stayed pretty strong all the way through.
The story was sort of split into three parts. Barry, St George, and Corpse Girl were on an a Star Trek style away mission( If Clines can use so many cool TV show references then so can I!) to make contact with a new colony of people that Barry spotted living on a bunch of connected ships. They are floating around near Hawaii. Of course the first contact does not go smoothly and it does not take St George and the other heroes long to figure out that something is not quite right with their new friends. Bonus points for the evil Aquaman villain!
Back in L.A., Cerberus, Caesar, and a bunch of Freedom's super soldiers are trying to establish the new colony of New Eden. Food supplies are low so they need to get the place up and running quickly. Danielle is still trying to repair the Cerberus battle armour and she has to deal with a bunch of personal issues as well. Caesar had a good outing. I like the guy and he is well on his way to becoming a true hero now, despite his awful The Driver moniker! Of course all does not go smoothly. I liked that we got to get to know a bunch of the secondary characters a bit better.
The third part of the story was a series of flashbacks. Some from St George's POV and a few from Gorgon's POV. They were all interesting, but I did not really see how the connected to the happenings of the present day.
This was a quick and enjoyable read. Clines has fast paced and easy to read writing style. There was a good balance between the action and the humor and most of the story arcs were interesting.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: The narration was split between Jay Snyder, Khristine Hvam, and Mark Boyett. I thought all three narrators did a great job. I actually like Boyett's Freedom better than Snyder's!
The story was sort of split into three parts. Barry, St George, and Corpse Girl were on an a Star Trek style away mission( If Clines can use so many cool TV show references then so can I!) to make contact with a new colony of people that Barry spotted living on a bunch of connected ships. They are floating around near Hawaii. Of course the first contact does not go smoothly and it does not take St George and the other heroes long to figure out that something is not quite right with their new friends. Bonus points for the evil Aquaman villain!
Back in L.A., Cerberus, Caesar, and a bunch of Freedom's super soldiers are trying to establish the new colony of New Eden. Food supplies are low so they need to get the place up and running quickly. Danielle is still trying to repair the Cerberus battle armour and she has to deal with a bunch of personal issues as well. Caesar had a good outing. I like the guy and he is well on his way to becoming a true hero now, despite his awful The Driver moniker! Of course all does not go smoothly. I liked that we got to get to know a bunch of the secondary characters a bit better.
The third part of the story was a series of flashbacks. Some from St George's POV and a few from Gorgon's POV. They were all interesting, but I did not really see how the connected to the happenings of the present day.
This was a quick and enjoyable read. Clines has fast paced and easy to read writing style. There was a good balance between the action and the humor and most of the story arcs were interesting.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: The narration was split between Jay Snyder, Khristine Hvam, and Mark Boyett. I thought all three narrators did a great job. I actually like Boyett's Freedom better than Snyder's!
February 29, 2016
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/02/29/b...
This is probably my favorite book of the series so far! Ex-Isle, the fifth book in the Ex-Heroes series (which I like to describe to others as “Superheroes meets The Walking Dead”) brings things back on track. I’ve never felt more energized about these books than I do now.
The story takes us back to the Mount, a film studio in Hollywood that the survivors of zombocalypse has converted into a fortress to keep out the hordes of undead. The people of Los Angeles have fared better than most, thanks to a small team of super-powered individuals on their side. St. George, a hero somewhat analogous to Superman, has helped protect everyone by establishing a safe haven where humanity can still work, play, farm and forage.
But then disaster strikes, destroying much of the Mount’s sources of food, forcing the heroes to consider riskier solutions to make up for the loss. In the end, a team including Danielle, Cesar and their powered suit of armor known as Cerberus (yes, my first thought was Iron Man too) head out to the outskirts in an effort to find more ways to produce food.
Meanwhile, Zzzap returns from a scouting trip with some big news: he has found a man-made island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, constructed by cobbling together a bunch of boats (in his words, “It’s kind of like Waterworld. But, y’know, believable.”) Deciding that the Mount should offer whatever help they can provide, St. George accompanies Zzzap back to the island in a gesture of goodwill, bringing Corpse Girl along for the adventure. When the heroes arrive though, they find a less than friendly welcome; in fact, everyone on the island seems to think L.A. has been nuked along with the rest of the world, and no one believes that St. George is who he says he is. Worse, they all appear to be ruled by a paranoid Aquaman-type character named Maleko.
After reading Ex-Isle, I was excited and also relieved that the slump I experienced with the last book was only temporary. Ex-Purgatory was a strange book that took us briefly in a different direction, which didn’t work as well for me compared to the other novels in the series, so now I’m glad to see all my favorite zombie-fighting heroes in action again. There are two story threads running along here side-by-side, the one where Danielle and the others are in Eden helping out with the food situation, and then there’s the one with St. George, Zzzap and Corpse Girl in Lemuria, the island made of boats. Both are equally gripping and suspenseful, and I fell into the rollicking rhythm of the novel almost instantly.
What I loved most about this book is the unsettling sense of mystery that pervades both storylines. Up in Eden, the team of super soldiers who are supposed to be watching out for zombies are instead acting really strange, and people are getting suspicious. This story is made even better by Danielle, who is trying to figure out what’s going on, but her progress is agreatly hampered by her struggle with PTSD and her separation anxiety from the Cerberus armor. And speaking of Danielle, over the course of the series we’ve seen the books focus on the individual characters, exploring their personalities and backgrounds, but this is the first time I’ve truly felt that kind of character development take off. Don’t get me wrong, because I love this series; it’s humorous and entertaining, but admittedly, that tone has always made it hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level—especially when most of them can be seen as parodies of well-known Marvel and DC superheroes. However, Danielle in Ex-Isle became a genuinely interesting and sympathetic character, and in her I finally found the deeper connection I’ve been looking for in this series.
The storyline in Lemuria was also excellent fun. The suspense and mystery go into overdrive here, making you wonder every step of the way, “Just what is going on here?” The heroes have to deal with a new antagonist and all his dangerous and evilly underhanded tactics. Barry/Zzzap is hilarious as always, and Corpse Girl AKA Madelyn also gets to have a starring role, proving herself to be one of the more fascinating characters with bizarre “power”.
I also liked how this book was more structured. Peter Clines wrote in a note at the end that unlike the other volumes, he had to rush this one, and because of that, it was outlined to oblivion. It’s understandable why that didn’t work too well for him as a writer. Strangely though, it worked for me as a reader. I enjoyed how the story was more focused and streamlined, and the pacing was smoother because we had fewer flashbacks. Even though we didn’t get to see much of the other heroes—like Stealth or Captain Freedom—the characters that we did get to spend time with were better written and more developed.
Overall, this was a big winner for me. I feel like the series is finally hitting its stride, and that going forward, we’re going to be seeing even greater things. I’m so glad Clines is writing more of these books, and I can’t wait for the next one.
This is probably my favorite book of the series so far! Ex-Isle, the fifth book in the Ex-Heroes series (which I like to describe to others as “Superheroes meets The Walking Dead”) brings things back on track. I’ve never felt more energized about these books than I do now.
The story takes us back to the Mount, a film studio in Hollywood that the survivors of zombocalypse has converted into a fortress to keep out the hordes of undead. The people of Los Angeles have fared better than most, thanks to a small team of super-powered individuals on their side. St. George, a hero somewhat analogous to Superman, has helped protect everyone by establishing a safe haven where humanity can still work, play, farm and forage.
But then disaster strikes, destroying much of the Mount’s sources of food, forcing the heroes to consider riskier solutions to make up for the loss. In the end, a team including Danielle, Cesar and their powered suit of armor known as Cerberus (yes, my first thought was Iron Man too) head out to the outskirts in an effort to find more ways to produce food.
Meanwhile, Zzzap returns from a scouting trip with some big news: he has found a man-made island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, constructed by cobbling together a bunch of boats (in his words, “It’s kind of like Waterworld. But, y’know, believable.”) Deciding that the Mount should offer whatever help they can provide, St. George accompanies Zzzap back to the island in a gesture of goodwill, bringing Corpse Girl along for the adventure. When the heroes arrive though, they find a less than friendly welcome; in fact, everyone on the island seems to think L.A. has been nuked along with the rest of the world, and no one believes that St. George is who he says he is. Worse, they all appear to be ruled by a paranoid Aquaman-type character named Maleko.
After reading Ex-Isle, I was excited and also relieved that the slump I experienced with the last book was only temporary. Ex-Purgatory was a strange book that took us briefly in a different direction, which didn’t work as well for me compared to the other novels in the series, so now I’m glad to see all my favorite zombie-fighting heroes in action again. There are two story threads running along here side-by-side, the one where Danielle and the others are in Eden helping out with the food situation, and then there’s the one with St. George, Zzzap and Corpse Girl in Lemuria, the island made of boats. Both are equally gripping and suspenseful, and I fell into the rollicking rhythm of the novel almost instantly.
What I loved most about this book is the unsettling sense of mystery that pervades both storylines. Up in Eden, the team of super soldiers who are supposed to be watching out for zombies are instead acting really strange, and people are getting suspicious. This story is made even better by Danielle, who is trying to figure out what’s going on, but her progress is agreatly hampered by her struggle with PTSD and her separation anxiety from the Cerberus armor. And speaking of Danielle, over the course of the series we’ve seen the books focus on the individual characters, exploring their personalities and backgrounds, but this is the first time I’ve truly felt that kind of character development take off. Don’t get me wrong, because I love this series; it’s humorous and entertaining, but admittedly, that tone has always made it hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level—especially when most of them can be seen as parodies of well-known Marvel and DC superheroes. However, Danielle in Ex-Isle became a genuinely interesting and sympathetic character, and in her I finally found the deeper connection I’ve been looking for in this series.
The storyline in Lemuria was also excellent fun. The suspense and mystery go into overdrive here, making you wonder every step of the way, “Just what is going on here?” The heroes have to deal with a new antagonist and all his dangerous and evilly underhanded tactics. Barry/Zzzap is hilarious as always, and Corpse Girl AKA Madelyn also gets to have a starring role, proving herself to be one of the more fascinating characters with bizarre “power”.
I also liked how this book was more structured. Peter Clines wrote in a note at the end that unlike the other volumes, he had to rush this one, and because of that, it was outlined to oblivion. It’s understandable why that didn’t work too well for him as a writer. Strangely though, it worked for me as a reader. I enjoyed how the story was more focused and streamlined, and the pacing was smoother because we had fewer flashbacks. Even though we didn’t get to see much of the other heroes—like Stealth or Captain Freedom—the characters that we did get to spend time with were better written and more developed.
Overall, this was a big winner for me. I feel like the series is finally hitting its stride, and that going forward, we’re going to be seeing even greater things. I’m so glad Clines is writing more of these books, and I can’t wait for the next one.
May 28, 2022
This is the fifth and most recent book in Clines' Ex-Heroes series, a post-zombie apocalypse world in which superheroes try to save the surviving humans and help rebuild civilization. It's a fun story in places but was my least favorite of the series. The narrative shifts back and forth between two groups of heroes, and there's an occasional flashback to add some needed information. The plot relies on the smart people doing very dumb things in order to formulate the action. For example, one of the groups is attempting to establish relations with a band of survivors they've discovered on the titular Pacific Isle that's been constructed by fastening ships and boats together.... (spoilers)... There's absolutely no way they would have put up with the reception they received... they're superheroes, they wouldn't go along with protracted abuse and imprisonment and degradation... and you don't take a dead girl to a new place in a world where the only common denominator is fear of the zombpocalypse... and is it really easy to wander into a nuclear submarine and figure out to launch the atomic bombs? I did like Danielle's character development and some of the side-stories, but a weak ending coupled with some poor plotting was too much to overcome.
February 5, 2016
I read this book in two days. For two days, I had no interest in any other hobby or book. I was tempted to call in sick so I could just read. That's how good this book is!
I've never hidden the fact that Clines' writing style always gets me feeling amped up. He is incredibly talented at combining action and gore with hope and geeky humor. He writes amazing build-up and battles. The best part is, he is also able to surprise me, all while giving me all the clues that I've needed to figure out what the surprise is going to be. Everything in this book that happens, you COULD see coming, if you pay attention to all of the clues, but even when I think I'm paying attention, all the clues lead me to a different conclusion than is written.
The dialogue, as always, is amazing. I cannot praise these well-rounded, fully developed characters enough. If you're at all interested in superheroes acting human, you will enjoy this entire series and seeing these characters evolve.
Really I only have one complaint about this book, which I can't talk about at all because of spoilers. But I cannot fault Clines. Yes, it involves my absolute favorite character, possibly my favorite superhero ever, but it's story essential and I was warned in the early parts of the book. Still doesn't make me happy about it.
I've never hidden the fact that Clines' writing style always gets me feeling amped up. He is incredibly talented at combining action and gore with hope and geeky humor. He writes amazing build-up and battles. The best part is, he is also able to surprise me, all while giving me all the clues that I've needed to figure out what the surprise is going to be. Everything in this book that happens, you COULD see coming, if you pay attention to all of the clues, but even when I think I'm paying attention, all the clues lead me to a different conclusion than is written.
The dialogue, as always, is amazing. I cannot praise these well-rounded, fully developed characters enough. If you're at all interested in superheroes acting human, you will enjoy this entire series and seeing these characters evolve.
Really I only have one complaint about this book, which I can't talk about at all because of spoilers. But I cannot fault Clines. Yes, it involves my absolute favorite character, possibly my favorite superhero ever, but it's story essential and I was warned in the early parts of the book. Still doesn't make me happy about it.
March 10, 2016
Not the best book in the Ex-Heroes series, but still an enjoyable one. Maybe I'm just not hero material, but there were a lot of decisions made by the characters here, that seemed like they were made only because the plot called for it. Sticking around the newly discovered settlement when the people living there are clearly less than friendly, all the stuff going on in the background at Eden, etc.
That said, once the necessary plot points came into play, there was a lot of zombie-crushing, bad guy-bashing action, and even some grisly consequences arising from some of the fights (which I won't get into, because of spoilers). Suffice it to say, there are a lot of potential plot hooks that could work their way into the next book--because I'm pretty sure there's going to be one.
While I liked who the villain ended up being, along with his motivations for doing what he was doing (it's a nice tongue-in-cheek nod to comic book fans, but again, spoilers). Taking a character like that and making him a bad guy actually makes for an interesting approach, and I think he's a welcome addition to the rogue's gallery of this world.
However, something just feels a little off throughout. The main conflict takes awhile to get going, and once it does, there's a bit of a stutter-step, where the two sides essentially just sit around waiting for one or the other to crack. It does go a way toward adding tension, but it also drags a bit.
All in all, I look at Ex-Isle the same way I'd look at a somewhat lackluster story arc in a comic book I enjoy. It doesn't do anything flat-out wrong, but I've seen these characters utilized better. Still, there are enough intriguing and alarming loose ends present by the end of this book, that I have a feeling the next installment will kick back into high gear. Ex-Heroes is still a fun series, no matter how you slice it.
That said, once the necessary plot points came into play, there was a lot of zombie-crushing, bad guy-bashing action, and even some grisly consequences arising from some of the fights (which I won't get into, because of spoilers). Suffice it to say, there are a lot of potential plot hooks that could work their way into the next book--because I'm pretty sure there's going to be one.
While I liked who the villain ended up being, along with his motivations for doing what he was doing (it's a nice tongue-in-cheek nod to comic book fans, but again, spoilers). Taking a character like that and making him a bad guy actually makes for an interesting approach, and I think he's a welcome addition to the rogue's gallery of this world.
However, something just feels a little off throughout. The main conflict takes awhile to get going, and once it does, there's a bit of a stutter-step, where the two sides essentially just sit around waiting for one or the other to crack. It does go a way toward adding tension, but it also drags a bit.
All in all, I look at Ex-Isle the same way I'd look at a somewhat lackluster story arc in a comic book I enjoy. It doesn't do anything flat-out wrong, but I've seen these characters utilized better. Still, there are enough intriguing and alarming loose ends present by the end of this book, that I have a feeling the next installment will kick back into high gear. Ex-Heroes is still a fun series, no matter how you slice it.
March 21, 2019
Peter Clines "Ex-Heroes" series has remained consistently entertaining popcorn genre fiction, full of in-jokes, pop culture references, and every superhero/zombie trope Clines can fit into the story.
Ex-Isle is the fifth book in this series about a handful of superheroes defending a small community of survivors in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. It's like The Walking Dead if it were a MCU movie. The heroes have built a fortified enclave in what used to be Hollywood, in previous books they integrated ex-gang members and a squad of super-soldiers (led by "Captain Freedom"), and now they encounter another band of survivors defended by their own superhero.
The new group is living on a floating island in the Pacific, made of ships all connected together. They are discovered by Zap, the genre-savvy super-nerd who can turn himself into energy and fly around the world. On a scouting mission, Zap finds the floating artificial island, and back home, they decide to send him, Saint George (formally The Mighty Dragon), and "Corpse Girl" (a teenager who thinks she's a constantly reanimating undead whose power keeps her from turning into a proper zombie, but who is in fact actually an android reconstructed every morning by nanobots) to make contact with the new group.
The oceanic survivors are protected by a superhero named Nautilus, who is kind of a Sub-Mariner type, complete with grandiose ego. Our heroes of course discover secrets and nefarious doings, there is an obligatory fight with Nautilus, and you know the good guys always lose the first fight in a comic book, before the rematch.
Back in Hollywood, there is some interpersonal drama as the former gang-bangers believe they are being treated as second-class citizens in the new community the heroes are trying to build. Danielle, builder of the "Cerberus" mecha suit, is dealing with PTSD, and a relationship with a guy who can animate her suit (and thus threatens to replace her). And something is up with the Unbreakables, the super-soldiers who are supposedly there to help defend the community.
After reading the last book, I thought this series was treading water a bit. I think this installment was actually a little better. It expands the world a bit (and adds to the cast), though it doesn't really change the status quo much. I don't know if Clines has a big finale planned, or if, like a comic book series, he will just keep pumping out installments as long as he can. So far it hasn't gotten stale, and I'm on board for the next one.
Ex-Isle is the fifth book in this series about a handful of superheroes defending a small community of survivors in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. It's like The Walking Dead if it were a MCU movie. The heroes have built a fortified enclave in what used to be Hollywood, in previous books they integrated ex-gang members and a squad of super-soldiers (led by "Captain Freedom"), and now they encounter another band of survivors defended by their own superhero.
The new group is living on a floating island in the Pacific, made of ships all connected together. They are discovered by Zap, the genre-savvy super-nerd who can turn himself into energy and fly around the world. On a scouting mission, Zap finds the floating artificial island, and back home, they decide to send him, Saint George (formally The Mighty Dragon), and "Corpse Girl" (a teenager who thinks she's a constantly reanimating undead whose power keeps her from turning into a proper zombie, but who is in fact actually an android reconstructed every morning by nanobots) to make contact with the new group.
The oceanic survivors are protected by a superhero named Nautilus, who is kind of a Sub-Mariner type, complete with grandiose ego. Our heroes of course discover secrets and nefarious doings, there is an obligatory fight with Nautilus, and you know the good guys always lose the first fight in a comic book, before the rematch.
Back in Hollywood, there is some interpersonal drama as the former gang-bangers believe they are being treated as second-class citizens in the new community the heroes are trying to build. Danielle, builder of the "Cerberus" mecha suit, is dealing with PTSD, and a relationship with a guy who can animate her suit (and thus threatens to replace her). And something is up with the Unbreakables, the super-soldiers who are supposedly there to help defend the community.
After reading the last book, I thought this series was treading water a bit. I think this installment was actually a little better. It expands the world a bit (and adds to the cast), though it doesn't really change the status quo much. I don't know if Clines has a big finale planned, or if, like a comic book series, he will just keep pumping out installments as long as he can. So far it hasn't gotten stale, and I'm on board for the next one.
February 3, 2016
The Ex-Heroes novels by Peter Clines are one of the best high concept books which are presently out there. The concept is a simple X meets Y sort of setting. "What would happen if the zombie apocalypse happened in a world with superheroes?" I've also seen it described as "Land of the Dead meets The Avengers" and that's not a bad description. A bunch of low-powered heroes based loosely on popular archetypes are in the midst of the zombie apocalypse and do their best to save as many people as they can by creating a safe haven in a Los Angeles movie studio.
I've enjoyed all of the books and I'm in good company as Nathan Fillon has given them his recommendation too but the last volume, Ex-Purgatory, showed there was a bit of wheel spinning going around. Now that the superheroes have successfully secured their homeland, it doesn't appear there's much else to do. I also felt the relationships among the characters were rather stalled as we saw Saint George and Stealth get together a couple of books ago but what they're doing is left ambiguous. Likewise, I was surprised by some of the relationships mentioned in this book but mostly handwaved. Still, I was interested in seeing what Peter Clines would come up with.
Ex-Isle follows Zzzap finding an artificial island created from a dozen cruise ships and tankers fused together. Eager to get involved with another group of survivors, Saint George, Zzzap, and Corpse Girl journey there to make contact. Unfortunately, the locals are not only suspicious of outsiders but have a half-insane superhero ruler. Meanwhile, Cerberus is coping with PTSD even as she struggles to rebuild her armor. The Mount's survivors are opening a new farm for themselves so they can keep ahead of their rising population and it seems very likely someone may want to take it over as their own private kingdom.
This is pretty much a popcorn adventure in the grand scheme of things, making no big significant changes to the status quo and just introducing some more minor characters. I confess, I find this a little disappointing as I was hoping the introduction of Nautilus, basically the setting's Aquaman, would have resulted in another member of the team joining them. Unfortunately, Nautilus appears to be just another petty dictator and a foe for our heroes to face rather than a potential rival or ally.
I liked the depiction of the Islanders and their society as well as how everything functioned. Peter Clines has rectified some of the earlier accusations against him by expanding the diversity of the cast considerably. We also get an Arab superhuman named Marduk referenced who I hope will make an appearance in future books. I don't know if the island will continue to be a location in the series or if it'll be a one-off location.
The big stand-out of the book is Madelyne a.k.a Corpse Girl who gets a chance to shine in the book by showing off her regenerative powers as well as the tragedies of her condition. For those who don't remember, Corpse Girl can only remember the previous day clearly and facts beyond that. It's a bit like a less severe version of Memento. Watching her cope with a life and death situation without the help of the other heroes is very entertaining.
I also liked the handling of Cerberus. We've seen some great character development from her and there's some hints about her at the end which I really want to see followed up on. Cerberus is suffering from understandable trauma at having nearly been killed multiple times by Exes and confronting this issue without therapists is a tough one. I also liked the subversion of the "evil military" which is a prevalent trope in zombie fiction.
One area I'm going to complain about is the handling of Saint George and Stealth. After they hooked up in Ex-Communication, I was expecting some more information in how things are working out between them. Sadly, there's no hint as to what's going on there and it would have been nice to continue analyzing the differences between them. After all, it is a romance between the equivalents of Superman and Batman.
Ex-Isle drops some hints for upcoming books about threats from other survivors as well as potential non-zombie related threats. We also had it confirmed there are also groups of survivors out there other than the Mount and Island. I look forward to meetings between them and how the non-insane, non-dictatorial communities interact. Unfortunately, we don't get enough of that to really make things shine.
In conclusion, this is a decent entry into the series but not a "can't miss" episode in their adventures. The character development for some overlooked members of the team is appreciated as is the introduction of some new villains. Sadly, there's not enough attention paid to the series mainstays of Stealth and Saint George. I still recommend the Ex-Heroes series to anyone who loves both superheroes and zombie fiction as they're two great tastes which go great together.
8/10
I've enjoyed all of the books and I'm in good company as Nathan Fillon has given them his recommendation too but the last volume, Ex-Purgatory, showed there was a bit of wheel spinning going around. Now that the superheroes have successfully secured their homeland, it doesn't appear there's much else to do. I also felt the relationships among the characters were rather stalled as we saw Saint George and Stealth get together a couple of books ago but what they're doing is left ambiguous. Likewise, I was surprised by some of the relationships mentioned in this book but mostly handwaved. Still, I was interested in seeing what Peter Clines would come up with.
Ex-Isle follows Zzzap finding an artificial island created from a dozen cruise ships and tankers fused together. Eager to get involved with another group of survivors, Saint George, Zzzap, and Corpse Girl journey there to make contact. Unfortunately, the locals are not only suspicious of outsiders but have a half-insane superhero ruler. Meanwhile, Cerberus is coping with PTSD even as she struggles to rebuild her armor. The Mount's survivors are opening a new farm for themselves so they can keep ahead of their rising population and it seems very likely someone may want to take it over as their own private kingdom.
This is pretty much a popcorn adventure in the grand scheme of things, making no big significant changes to the status quo and just introducing some more minor characters. I confess, I find this a little disappointing as I was hoping the introduction of Nautilus, basically the setting's Aquaman, would have resulted in another member of the team joining them. Unfortunately, Nautilus appears to be just another petty dictator and a foe for our heroes to face rather than a potential rival or ally.
I liked the depiction of the Islanders and their society as well as how everything functioned. Peter Clines has rectified some of the earlier accusations against him by expanding the diversity of the cast considerably. We also get an Arab superhuman named Marduk referenced who I hope will make an appearance in future books. I don't know if the island will continue to be a location in the series or if it'll be a one-off location.
The big stand-out of the book is Madelyne a.k.a Corpse Girl who gets a chance to shine in the book by showing off her regenerative powers as well as the tragedies of her condition. For those who don't remember, Corpse Girl can only remember the previous day clearly and facts beyond that. It's a bit like a less severe version of Memento. Watching her cope with a life and death situation without the help of the other heroes is very entertaining.
I also liked the handling of Cerberus. We've seen some great character development from her and there's some hints about her at the end which I really want to see followed up on. Cerberus is suffering from understandable trauma at having nearly been killed multiple times by Exes and confronting this issue without therapists is a tough one. I also liked the subversion of the "evil military" which is a prevalent trope in zombie fiction.
One area I'm going to complain about is the handling of Saint George and Stealth. After they hooked up in Ex-Communication, I was expecting some more information in how things are working out between them. Sadly, there's no hint as to what's going on there and it would have been nice to continue analyzing the differences between them. After all, it is a romance between the equivalents of Superman and Batman.
Ex-Isle drops some hints for upcoming books about threats from other survivors as well as potential non-zombie related threats. We also had it confirmed there are also groups of survivors out there other than the Mount and Island. I look forward to meetings between them and how the non-insane, non-dictatorial communities interact. Unfortunately, we don't get enough of that to really make things shine.
In conclusion, this is a decent entry into the series but not a "can't miss" episode in their adventures. The character development for some overlooked members of the team is appreciated as is the introduction of some new villains. Sadly, there's not enough attention paid to the series mainstays of Stealth and Saint George. I still recommend the Ex-Heroes series to anyone who loves both superheroes and zombie fiction as they're two great tastes which go great together.
8/10
February 8, 2016
After two mediocre entries into the series, Ex-Isle brings us back to the good stuff. My favorite of the series has been Ex-Patriots -- the heroes left the Mount, they went in search of others, zombie-fighting, Barry dropping geek knowledge -- all good times. A lot of the same happened here, except it was a divide and conquer situation.
Barry, George, and Madelyn flew across the ocean and met a group of survivors with some interesting ideas about what happened. Stealth stayed behind at the Mount and we really didn't have to read a lot of her stilted dialogue. Danielle, Caesar, and the super soldiers went to Eden -- a garden they've found that they're using as an outpost and a way to increase their food supply.
One thing I really like about this series is that it isn't about the "end of the world". It's much more about rebuilding after the end of civilization and making it work.
Barry, George, and Madelyn flew across the ocean and met a group of survivors with some interesting ideas about what happened. Stealth stayed behind at the Mount and we really didn't have to read a lot of her stilted dialogue. Danielle, Caesar, and the super soldiers went to Eden -- a garden they've found that they're using as an outpost and a way to increase their food supply.
One thing I really like about this series is that it isn't about the "end of the world". It's much more about rebuilding after the end of civilization and making it work.
February 26, 2016
While St George, Zzzap, and Corpse Girl fly out to the middle of the Pacific to check out a big island made of boats lashed together; Danielle, Gibbs and Cesar take the Cerberus mach 2 skeleton out to Eden, to help protect the fledgling new base/garden to feed everyone.
Woah, St George, WTF? Bad decisions much? Oh, lets take Corpse girl along to a FIRST CONTACT meeting with a bunch of people hiding on boats from zombies. I mean FFS, you had to know things weren't gong to go well. I get you wanted to give her a chance to do and see things and feel valuable and all, but whaaaaaaaat? And Stealth, girl, why did you not shut that shit down? You are so much smarter than that. Me thinks I smell a plot device like the destruction of the Cerberus suit in the previous novel.
I really liked Eden and 'the gardener' character . and as annoying as that Seventeens kid (forgotten his name sorry) was with his conspiracy theories, like all good theorists, his fear was believable .
Gibb's character was finally interesting to me, recovering from not only his brainwashing and temporary villain status in the previous book, but also adapting to a prosthetic foot after his own was obliterated by Zzzap. I really love seeing a character coping with these sort of changes and i wish there was more fiction that contained characters in these sorts of situations.
I look forward to seeing more happening in Eden as the mount expands and seeing a return to form for Cerberus/Danielle . Can't wait for the next one, but considering I had to preorder and wait for this one's release I'm obviously not getting it any time soon.
Woah, St George, WTF? Bad decisions much? Oh, lets take Corpse girl along to a FIRST CONTACT meeting with a bunch of people hiding on boats from zombies. I mean FFS, you had to know things weren't gong to go well. I get you wanted to give her a chance to do and see things and feel valuable and all, but whaaaaaaaat? And Stealth, girl, why did you not shut that shit down? You are so much smarter than that. Me thinks I smell a plot device like the destruction of the Cerberus suit in the previous novel.
I really liked Eden and 'the gardener' character . and as annoying as that Seventeens kid (forgotten his name sorry) was with his conspiracy theories, like all good theorists, his fear was believable .
Gibb's character was finally interesting to me, recovering from not only his brainwashing and temporary villain status in the previous book, but also adapting to a prosthetic foot after his own was obliterated by Zzzap. I really love seeing a character coping with these sort of changes and i wish there was more fiction that contained characters in these sorts of situations.
I look forward to seeing more happening in Eden as the mount expands and seeing a return to form for Cerberus/Danielle . Can't wait for the next one, but considering I had to preorder and wait for this one's release I'm obviously not getting it any time soon.
January 31, 2017
When I first started this series a couple years back, I didn't think I'd like it as much as I have. After all, Superheroes versus zombies (or ex-humans as they are called)? It sounds pretty silly...
Now I find myself anticipating each new installment. The characters are fully formed, and the writing is very "visual", zipping along at the speed of Zzzap flying through the sky. Really fun books to read!
Now I find myself anticipating each new installment. The characters are fully formed, and the writing is very "visual", zipping along at the speed of Zzzap flying through the sky. Really fun books to read!
March 13, 2016
This is a fun series. I still feel like it hit its peak at book 3 and that book 3 would have made a great stopping point. But I like the feel of this universe and will probably continue listening to them as long as Clines keeps writing them.
The Eden story sort of fizzled, I think a lot more could have been done with it.
Narration was great.
The Eden story sort of fizzled, I think a lot more could have been done with it.
Narration was great.
April 30, 2016
I'm torn with this one. Half of it is really good and half of it is really bad. Like, two different drafts smushed together good/bad, and the dichotomy jumps out at you all the time.
It's superheroes v. zombies, and Clines is playing with the tropes of both of those genres (and the character of Zzzap borders on being aware he's in a genre book which, I'm begging you, Peter, do not go there), and playing the various tropes off one another has long been a strong suit of this series, but they feel undeveloped here.
The plot is pretty basic: Zzzap sees a bunch of ships lashed together in the middle of the Pacific, so St. George decides they should go see if they need help. Inexplicably, he wants to take Corpse Girl with them. (The rationale is that she needs to get out and about because teenager. Or something.) Meanwhile, they need to expand their food production because their crops burned up in a wildfire that kicks off the book.
Right here I had a problem with the story, because if your group of thousands of survivors is suddenly faced with starvation, you don't go looking for others. Why would your Superman equivalent and the guy who can generate power leave at such a critical juncture? You don't have excess supplies to offer these other survivors and you can't bring them here, so you're going 2,000 miles away from where you're needed to say, "Hey, 'sup?" It's not like a bunch of castaways on floating ships is going to have anything to offer you.
I'm going to hide the rest of this long review behind a spoiler tag, but suffice it to say that the problems I had with this installment were balanced out by the parts I throughly enjoyed.
It's superheroes v. zombies, and Clines is playing with the tropes of both of those genres (and the character of Zzzap borders on being aware he's in a genre book which, I'm begging you, Peter, do not go there), and playing the various tropes off one another has long been a strong suit of this series, but they feel undeveloped here.
The plot is pretty basic: Zzzap sees a bunch of ships lashed together in the middle of the Pacific, so St. George decides they should go see if they need help. Inexplicably, he wants to take Corpse Girl with them. (The rationale is that she needs to get out and about because teenager. Or something.) Meanwhile, they need to expand their food production because their crops burned up in a wildfire that kicks off the book.
Right here I had a problem with the story, because if your group of thousands of survivors is suddenly faced with starvation, you don't go looking for others. Why would your Superman equivalent and the guy who can generate power leave at such a critical juncture? You don't have excess supplies to offer these other survivors and you can't bring them here, so you're going 2,000 miles away from where you're needed to say, "Hey, 'sup?" It's not like a bunch of castaways on floating ships is going to have anything to offer you.
I'm going to hide the rest of this long review behind a spoiler tag, but suffice it to say that the problems I had with this installment were balanced out by the parts I throughly enjoyed.
December 23, 2023
I can't believe this is the end of my journey of the Ex-Heroes series.
This series is absolutely fantastic, and I am so glad I reread the first 4 installments and finally read the last of the series.
When I first heard about these books, forever ago, I saw it was advertised as Avengers meets The Walking Dead... And I knew I'd love it immensely.... And here I am, upon completion, in complete awe of how well done this series is.
I have to give another shoutout to my boy, Barry aka Zzzap, one of the greatest, and one of my favourite, characters ever. He had me in fits of laughter. Besides Barry, I pretty much loved all the core characters.
This book was as entertaining and amazing as the rest, and I'm so glad I finally got round to it.
I would recommend the entirety of this series to everyone, as it is absolutely bloody brilliant.
Thank you, Peter Clines!
This series is absolutely fantastic, and I am so glad I reread the first 4 installments and finally read the last of the series.
When I first heard about these books, forever ago, I saw it was advertised as Avengers meets The Walking Dead... And I knew I'd love it immensely.... And here I am, upon completion, in complete awe of how well done this series is.
I have to give another shoutout to my boy, Barry aka Zzzap, one of the greatest, and one of my favourite, characters ever. He had me in fits of laughter. Besides Barry, I pretty much loved all the core characters.
This book was as entertaining and amazing as the rest, and I'm so glad I finally got round to it.
I would recommend the entirety of this series to everyone, as it is absolutely bloody brilliant.
Thank you, Peter Clines!
December 23, 2021
This is the 5th book of a series that transports the readers into a post apocalyptic world of superheroes and zombies. The first book is Ex Heroes and is much better… be sure to read it first.. In this installment there are two basic storylines. One involves Danielle, Ceasar and the body armor defending The Mount and the other has to do with Barry, George and Corpse girl, doing battle off at sea with a new nemesis, if it helps you can kind of think of him as an evil version of Aquaman. At times the book was really good but the bouncing back and forth grew tiresome and neither storyline really grabbed me enough to make it any easier to plow through the other storyline in a rush to get back where I left off. Still I would recommend the series as a whole but this one is my least favorite by 20,000 leagues. That said, I do like super heroes and I definitely like zombies so, the lowest I can go is 3/5
September 16, 2020
Loved it!! The wrap up (so far, hopefully) to the series. I enjoyed the entire bunch and this was no weaker! The fight scenes felt more intense and easy to picture for me, and I ADORED the female character development and empowerment! Cline's writing was as strong and clear as ever. Can't wait to check out more of his writing! When I read his stuff I often find myself reacting out loud! Also really appreciated his acknowledgements section at the end about how he took a different approach to writing this last(??) book in the series. Kudos!
February 20, 2022
It was a good book even if it was clearly not my favorite. I liked the antagonist but some things in this novel didn't feel quite right. Peter Clines fought against his own method and I could feel it. Still it was a good nivel to read and I hope there will be new novels in this universe.
September 2, 2023
That’s….that’s it??? I want more 😩
I know that’s not really a helpful review, but I’m legitimately sad that there are no more books in this series. I love the dystopian setting, I love the concept of superheroes during a zombie apocalypse, I love the characters.
I know that’s not really a helpful review, but I’m legitimately sad that there are no more books in this series. I love the dystopian setting, I love the concept of superheroes during a zombie apocalypse, I love the characters.
November 19, 2019
It starts out slow, but picks up towards the middle and I couldn't put it down near the end.
February 10, 2016
Overall Rating = 3 & 1/2 stars
Full review originally at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: Ex-Isle is the fifth book in Peter Clines’ exhilarating series, which has an interesting take on superheroes and zombies. So far I’ve been a big fan of the series and Peter has wowed me with each volume. So when this book was announced, I was very excited to see where he would take the story after the tumultuous event of Ex-Purgatory.
This book has two plot threads, the first one focuses on St. George, Zzzap and Madelyn the corpse girl who undertake a mission to look into an island made up of ships. On another track, we have Danielle, Cesar and the super soldiers who decide to take a sojourn out into the country to try to see if they can scrounge more help in the food department. The story takes its turns twisting both threads and upping the tension.
The main story deals with a new group that’s discovered which is ruled by a person who can be best described as this world’s Aquaman. But he’s not the benevolent kind and neither is the group. Our heroes find themselves in a quandary as the folks they decided to help look at them with scorn and distrust. Back at the outpost, Danielle is trying to overcome her PTSD and imagine life without being in the cerebrus armor. Life is made doubly hard when the exes are just on the other side of a chainlink fence and the super soldiers are acting a tad weird.
Overall this story was something that falls short of the high standard that has been set by the previous four books. Ex-Isle tries to go with a different track but ultimately isn’t quite able to shake off the malaise that hangs around the story. Yes the story is fast paced and very exciting but so far we don’t get something new and feel it’s a bit of the same. St. George and Stealth’s relationship isn’t explored much and after Ex-Isle I was hoping to see more of them together. Madelyn does get a lot more page time, which is tremendous. Her character is one of the most tragic ones and she has quite a baptism by fire within this book.
Overall Ex-Isle is a pleasant read, it doesn’t have the suspense or mystery of the first 4 volumes. It does have a charm to it and thereby making it a fun read. As a reader I’ve enjoyed reading more about all my favorite characters but as a fan I’ve come to expect so much more from Peter Clines.
CONCLUSION: To sum it up, Ex-Isle is a good read but doesn’t match the high of its preceding volumes. I’m still a fan of Peter Clines and will gladly recommend the Ex-Heroes series one and all as Peter’s writing and characters are what make this series a special one.
February 9, 2016
A minor bump in the previously smooth freeway ... sadly, this was my least favorite in the series so far. I felt better when I read the author's note at the end, where he - rather explicitly -
apologized for rushing this installment
(c'mon, really - are publishers that short-sighted that they'd risk derailing a series over a deadline??? That makes no sense to me) and altering his basic approach to the story construction, which led to struggles throughout the writing process. So, fine, Clines did a wonderful job entertaining me through four books, and didn't entirely lose me in the fifth, so he's entitled to at least one more chance to get back on the track in the next book (which is unequivocally in the works based on the large number of loose ends, clues, potential plot lines, accidents waiting to happen, etc.)
Still, as alternative light reading or escapist "literature" goes, the premise is fun and the story arc marches along briskly, even if it's definitely not for the faint of heart or the squeamish....
As with many a series, you must NOT start with this one, but - if you're adventuresome and looking for something a little bit "out there," TRY THE SERIES, but only if you'd be open to enjoying a hugely entertaining fast-paced (but, admittedly, graphically violent) adventure mash-up of, yes, zombies and super-heroes in a surprisingly sophisticated dystopia!!! I started this - and passed it onto my son - because we were attracted to the mash-up potential. Initially we weren't disappointed, and - until this book, I thought Clines was moving in the right direction, and the books were actually getting better.... Until this round, I thought Clines had made the heroes sufficiently accessible and "human," and the zombie scourge remained sufficiently fresh and new. In this one, I didn't think that most of the characters advanced or evolved very much (but at least they didn't lose much ground)... Ultimately, it felt like Clines put only minimal effort into animating, explaining, or breathing life into his enemy, antagonist, or "bad guy," who ultimately struck me as primarily vacillating between shallow and pathetic.
If it all ends here, it was still a fun ride. But I'm hopeful Clines finds his stride again soon and gets the series back on track.
Still, as alternative light reading or escapist "literature" goes, the premise is fun and the story arc marches along briskly, even if it's definitely not for the faint of heart or the squeamish....
As with many a series, you must NOT start with this one, but - if you're adventuresome and looking for something a little bit "out there," TRY THE SERIES, but only if you'd be open to enjoying a hugely entertaining fast-paced (but, admittedly, graphically violent) adventure mash-up of, yes, zombies and super-heroes in a surprisingly sophisticated dystopia!!! I started this - and passed it onto my son - because we were attracted to the mash-up potential. Initially we weren't disappointed, and - until this book, I thought Clines was moving in the right direction, and the books were actually getting better.... Until this round, I thought Clines had made the heroes sufficiently accessible and "human," and the zombie scourge remained sufficiently fresh and new. In this one, I didn't think that most of the characters advanced or evolved very much (but at least they didn't lose much ground)... Ultimately, it felt like Clines put only minimal effort into animating, explaining, or breathing life into his enemy, antagonist, or "bad guy," who ultimately struck me as primarily vacillating between shallow and pathetic.
If it all ends here, it was still a fun ride. But I'm hopeful Clines finds his stride again soon and gets the series back on track.
February 3, 2016
Although it’s a small thing, I’d like to point out the idiocy of taking along Madelyn when attempting to meet new people. She may not be an ex-, but she sure as hell looks like one.
Hearkening back to old times, I love that Clines still designates his chapters by “THEN” and “NOW” rather than expecting us to keep up with a complex timeline.
Understandably, the folks on the ships don’t greet our heroes with open arms. Every stranger is a possible enemy, and it doesn’t help that the good buys brought Corpse Girl with them. Add in a megalomaniacal hero called Nautilus, who’s willing to endanger children in order to ensure cooperation, and everything goes to hell. It doesn’t help that Nautilus has told all of the people on the ships that LA, among other major cities, got nuked. Since our heroes come from LA, they’re immediately pegged as liars.
Back at Eden, there’s something worrisome going on with the supersoldiers. They’re being secretive and working harder than usual at exercising and keeping their strength up, down to stealing certain supplies. When the others notice, they fear a possible coup. To make things even more uncertain, some of the gang members who joined up think that the soldiers’ odd behavior means they plan to kill all the ex-gang members. They start planning diversions and escapes in case they’re needed.
There’s some great material in here regarding the Cerberus suit, Cesar, Danielle, and so on. I look forward to seeing more of that if there’s a next book in the series. It’s fantastic character growth material.
Ex-Isle brings us multiple zombie incursions in multiple tender spots–there’s plenty of creative battling, particularly when ammo runs low. We also get to see superhero clashes and plans for the LA safe zone to grow and take care of its people. The pacing is great, the characters are wonderful, and I absolutely love the world-building.
To view a longer review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/02/r...
Hearkening back to old times, I love that Clines still designates his chapters by “THEN” and “NOW” rather than expecting us to keep up with a complex timeline.
Understandably, the folks on the ships don’t greet our heroes with open arms. Every stranger is a possible enemy, and it doesn’t help that the good buys brought Corpse Girl with them. Add in a megalomaniacal hero called Nautilus, who’s willing to endanger children in order to ensure cooperation, and everything goes to hell. It doesn’t help that Nautilus has told all of the people on the ships that LA, among other major cities, got nuked. Since our heroes come from LA, they’re immediately pegged as liars.
Back at Eden, there’s something worrisome going on with the supersoldiers. They’re being secretive and working harder than usual at exercising and keeping their strength up, down to stealing certain supplies. When the others notice, they fear a possible coup. To make things even more uncertain, some of the gang members who joined up think that the soldiers’ odd behavior means they plan to kill all the ex-gang members. They start planning diversions and escapes in case they’re needed.
There’s some great material in here regarding the Cerberus suit, Cesar, Danielle, and so on. I look forward to seeing more of that if there’s a next book in the series. It’s fantastic character growth material.
Ex-Isle brings us multiple zombie incursions in multiple tender spots–there’s plenty of creative battling, particularly when ammo runs low. We also get to see superhero clashes and plans for the LA safe zone to grow and take care of its people. The pacing is great, the characters are wonderful, and I absolutely love the world-building.
To view a longer review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/02/r...
August 26, 2019
What it's about: The survivors of the Ex Virus have grown their stronghold, the Mount, to about 20,000, but a fire has destroyed their food stores. They've been preparing a new food location, but it's not ready, so the Unbreakables are sent to secure it. But there are simmering tensions that lead to a serious problem in this new area known as Eden.
At the same time, Zzzap has found a "floating island" - a group of ships lashed together - with a few thousand survivors floating in the Pacific. He, St. George, and Corpse Girl head out to let those ocean-going survivors know that there are other survivors in the world. But when they arrive, they're confronted by a hero who claims to be St. George's best friend, even though St. George has never seen him before. This leads to accusations and conflict. And though St. George may be nearly invulnerable, he still needs to breath - and an ocean-based hero might be more than he can take on.
What I thought: Clines doesn't do a lot of character development with these books. It's pretty much plot-plot-plot-plot-plot. And they're fun, and fine for what they are.
But it was generally an enjoyable zombie story. I'm not super jazzed about the ending - But until the next book arrives - and who knows when that might be - there's no way to tell how that's going to pan out.
Why I rated it like I did: It's been a little bit since I read the previous book in this series, so I just might not be remembering, but I spent a lot of this book going, "Oh, yeah, that's going to be a thing" for a few chapters before the thing actually happened. Lots of telegraphing of the main conflict moments. And I was also wondering several times why the characters weren't seeing what I was seeing.
At the same time, Zzzap has found a "floating island" - a group of ships lashed together - with a few thousand survivors floating in the Pacific. He, St. George, and Corpse Girl head out to let those ocean-going survivors know that there are other survivors in the world. But when they arrive, they're confronted by a hero who claims to be St. George's best friend, even though St. George has never seen him before. This leads to accusations and conflict. And though St. George may be nearly invulnerable, he still needs to breath - and an ocean-based hero might be more than he can take on.
What I thought: Clines doesn't do a lot of character development with these books. It's pretty much plot-plot-plot-plot-plot. And they're fun, and fine for what they are.
But it was generally an enjoyable zombie story. I'm not super jazzed about the ending - But until the next book arrives - and who knows when that might be - there's no way to tell how that's going to pan out.
Why I rated it like I did: It's been a little bit since I read the previous book in this series, so I just might not be remembering, but I spent a lot of this book going, "Oh, yeah, that's going to be a thing" for a few chapters before the thing actually happened. Lots of telegraphing of the main conflict moments. And I was also wondering several times why the characters weren't seeing what I was seeing.
April 22, 2016
Book five in the zombie apocalypse/superheroes mashup series. St George, Zzzap, and Corpse Girl embark on an ill-fated diplomatic mission to Lemuria, a massive flotilla of survivors in the Pacific Ocean headed by a jealous, insecure were-shark. Elsewhere, Cerberus is tasked with getting an independent farm set up to feed the Mount and has to deal with a potential insurrection.
As always, Clines’s writing is merely tolerable. And I realize that it’s not easy to create challenges for invincible supermen, but…try harder. I mean, a community threatening to murder its own children in order to keep PIRATES at bay? Who in hell would buy that?
But I really like the characters, the then-and-now plotting is quite competent, and the series is just a lot of fun. The author has great world-building ideas.
I love that Cerberus at last resembles its namesake, the great three-headed hellhound gatekeeper to Hades. It's a three person team--Danielle the creator and engineer, Gibbs the technician and part-time pilot, and Cesar the driver--operating and maintaining the battlesuit which guards the Mount. Good work, Clines.
Plot points:
As always, Clines’s writing is merely tolerable. And I realize that it’s not easy to create challenges for invincible supermen, but…try harder. I mean, a community threatening to murder its own children in order to keep PIRATES at bay? Who in hell would buy that?
But I really like the characters, the then-and-now plotting is quite competent, and the series is just a lot of fun. The author has great world-building ideas.
I love that Cerberus at last resembles its namesake, the great three-headed hellhound gatekeeper to Hades. It's a three person team--Danielle the creator and engineer, Gibbs the technician and part-time pilot, and Cesar the driver--operating and maintaining the battlesuit which guards the Mount. Good work, Clines.
Plot points:
June 16, 2017
This is the fifth book in the Ex-Heroes series. I continue to enjoy this crazy post-apocalyptic blend of zombie survival and superhero themes. The books are fun and easy to read and always action-packed.
This book deals with two main issues. The first is the expansion of the Mount into another area called New Eden. The Mount is strapped for resources and needs the gardens/food that New Eden can supply. However, New Eden is not well fortified and something fishy is going on with the super soldiers who are stationed there.
The second story involves Zzzap’s continuing search for survivors outside of the Mount. He finds a strange island that appears to be populated by a number of people. Him and St. George go out to offer these people help but find out that the situation is not as it first seems.
The story is fun and fast-paced and I enjoyed reading about all my favorite super heroes. There isn’t a ton of character development, aside from Danielle’s struggle with not having Cerebus to wear.
My only complaint is I feel like each book has a somewhat similar themed story. Since I only read one book each year in this series that’s fine with me. I think if you were going to read the series back to back you might get a bit bored with the similarities.
Overall I enjoyed the story and recommend to fans of the series. I love the zombie/superhero mash-up and all the action in here. I would recommend to fans of superhero or zombie stories.
This book deals with two main issues. The first is the expansion of the Mount into another area called New Eden. The Mount is strapped for resources and needs the gardens/food that New Eden can supply. However, New Eden is not well fortified and something fishy is going on with the super soldiers who are stationed there.
The second story involves Zzzap’s continuing search for survivors outside of the Mount. He finds a strange island that appears to be populated by a number of people. Him and St. George go out to offer these people help but find out that the situation is not as it first seems.
The story is fun and fast-paced and I enjoyed reading about all my favorite super heroes. There isn’t a ton of character development, aside from Danielle’s struggle with not having Cerebus to wear.
My only complaint is I feel like each book has a somewhat similar themed story. Since I only read one book each year in this series that’s fine with me. I think if you were going to read the series back to back you might get a bit bored with the similarities.
Overall I enjoyed the story and recommend to fans of the series. I love the zombie/superhero mash-up and all the action in here. I would recommend to fans of superhero or zombie stories.
February 15, 2016
Well it did seem inevitable. Given the extraordinarily high bar, that Clines has set for this series, we would get an installment that wouldnt reach that level.
To be very fair though, Ex-Isles does what the previous books does pretty well. Pack in tons of action, develop the world further and introduce another different villain but 5 books into the series, you want to see an overarching theme and some amount of character development for the lead character who is still pretty cool btw. The new villain is a take on Aquaman and Clines has good fun developing him though his inevitable final conflict resolution is a bit limp and its a strange decision from our heroes.
Corpse Girl and Danielle get a good share of character development. Corpse Girl discovers a bunch of new things about herself while Danielle goes through the wringer being out of armor. The development behind the super soldiers promises to be explored in detail in the upcoming books.
As of now, this book kind of does tread water but still no one does action better than Clines and a reason to pick this book and series up
To be very fair though, Ex-Isles does what the previous books does pretty well. Pack in tons of action, develop the world further and introduce another different villain but 5 books into the series, you want to see an overarching theme and some amount of character development for the lead character who is still pretty cool btw. The new villain is a take on Aquaman and Clines has good fun developing him though his inevitable final conflict resolution is a bit limp and its a strange decision from our heroes.
Corpse Girl and Danielle get a good share of character development. Corpse Girl discovers a bunch of new things about herself while Danielle goes through the wringer being out of armor. The development behind the super soldiers promises to be explored in detail in the upcoming books.
As of now, this book kind of does tread water but still no one does action better than Clines and a reason to pick this book and series up
October 16, 2020
Ex-Isle really feels like the weakest of the Ex-Heroes books and it gives the impression that Clines may be getting tired of the series. The story itself is mostly two parallel plotlines, one occurring in ""Eden" (a farming outpost set up by the living residents of Los Angeles) and the other in "Lemuria" (an artificial island built of scavenged ships - a trope that will be familiar to those who have read Stephenson's SNOW CRASH or Meiville's THE SCAR). The Eden storyline involves mostly minor characters from the previous books - generally non-heroes, with several of the Project Krypton supersoldiers (but not Captain Freedom), The Driver (strictly a B-list superhero), and Danielle aka Cerberus (much less powerful since her armored battlesuit was partially destroyed in the previous book). The Lemuria plotline has St. George, Zzzapp, and Corpse Girl dealing with another group of Zompocalypse survivors who went in a very different direction from the citizens of the Mount. I enjoyed both stories well enough but the book didn't really grab me the way the first 3 books (and the majority of #4) did. Also, worst cover art of the series.
February 12, 2016
Peter Clines keeps up amazing work with his "EX" series and Ex-Isle is no exception. Tightly written with an easy to read style, once started, you cannot stop until you finish. There is one caveat, you really need to read the first four to truly enjoy Ex-Isle and that is not a knock, but you will miss much if you do not have the background. Once again the book just wows and has not lost any of the freshness or fun of the series, which is truly an accomplishment. I cannot wait until the next book.
February 2, 2017
Another great addition to the Ex-Heroes series, ‘Ex-Isle’ is full of zombies, superheroes and action. If you like that kind of thing you should jump right in, if you’re looking for deep meaning this probably isn’t the book for you. Well written with a great story which really adds to the overall tale I thoroughly enjoyed it. I just wished that the next books in the series would come out faster to keep the story fresh in my mind. Guess you can’t have both good and fast right?
March 17, 2016
A welcome return to form for this series after its ill-conceived predecessor. The super-heroes are back to being the focus, and while I'm all for building out the world this book does, I do hope we get back to the Mount, L.A., and the plot threads that have been hanging there for at least two books now. And let's see more Stealth next time too, please!!
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