User blog:7GSTF/Wake the Dead Review

Finally, one of the most hyped books of 2021 is completed. Another project of PB is in the books. The book is only out for the VIPs right now in its entirety, but nevertheless this is still a very good book. As with my previous reviews I will separate the good and bad parts out, and give this one a fair and honest critique.

The Bad

The main problem with this book was that it did not get a second one, or even a third. This was a well developed universe with promising characters and some stunning visuals, and decent theories to build upon for the future books. However, PB decided to cut things short and end the book early, (most probably because the writer either left, got transferred to another project, or plain and simple ended the story due to a lack of interest.) However, the story was not a half assed effort. Clearly, the backlash after the disaster of LOA book one and DS have made PB wiser to the situation. There is no question that they are not in any mood for a repeat of that ending and the nonsense that followed. Thus, a much, much better effort to finish this story was produced. However, the sense of lost potential still lingers on. The characters had enough in them for a few more tales to be told. The ending was rushed, although it was nowhere near as bad as the OGs of bad conclusions - see also - the aforementioned books and their conclusions. The resolution came far quicker than one expected - only 3 chapters were used to finish the story, and this definitely felt half arsed. Instead of finishing the book at 20 chapters, they could have written a far more complete conclusion over a few more additional chapters - 24 to 28 chapters would have certainly been welcome and a change from the usual fair of 16 chapters that we get from PB. However, due to the fact that it was a 20 chapter book, the story did not feel hampered or amputated, and manages to stand on its own merit to an appreciable degree.

The Good

Truth be told, the extraordinary effort of the team to get a unique setting (for Choices standards) is something to be happy about for sure. Also, the story itself was decently composed. It was tight, was filled with action and suspense, and had a decent resolution at the end. The love Interests were definitely three dimensional. Angel in particular had a very interesting background and story and depending on the hard choices made, a compelling narrative pops into view. Elijah and Troy are less interesting in my opinion, but they are decent characters all the same. Elijah isn’t your usual PB male romantic interest. Most of them are quite responsive, engaging, charming and graceful. Elijah is more in the mold of the brooding Batman like hero - tough, curt, and a man of a few words. Drake of the TRR series is probably an inspiration for this character. Troy is more of the usual run of the mill, cheery male love interest that is typical PB fare. Hannah is similar, but female, but possesses a genuinely friendly, delightful and soft personality that seems to rub off on everyone very nicely. Finally,  Important to note is the fact that none of these characters are the stereotypical ones that we see in HSS. There is more depth to them for sure. While they do portray certain archetypes, it is not the be all and end all of their characters.

The story is engaging to be sure, and is tightly written with plenty of great action, which is always necessary for a zombie book. The plot moves along, and doesn’t waste time with anything. However, it sometimes could move too quickly.

A decent villain in Dirk. He gets a redemption arc (more so a moment of redemption, and not really an arc). He has some genuine reasons for his villainy - and honestly, the guy even talks some sense. Think about the dialogue between MC and Dirk when MC decides to go on a suicidal rescue mission to get Lily and the rest of the missing colonists back from the hive. The fact that Sledge is the person that knocks some semblance of sense back into the MC is startling to say the least. It is a poor decision, but it is a decision which humanizes the MC and shows us a rare case where PB has written an MC who is quite fallible, and human. Shades of LOA MC here. Unlike some of the godlike MCs of some  books - ES (still probably their best book series despite a godlike MC), TRR (this caused me a considerable loss of interest after the opening trilogy), and a few others. This book is more realistic (apart from the zombies themselves, the survivors are genuinely under threat and suffer from many close calls, and people do die, so there are consequences here), and for the first time in a long long time, your choices do matter. A few of them determine whether other characters live or die, and the effects do not happen immediately either. It is quite an outstanding mechanic that shows dramatic differences in the storyline depending on the choices you make. Also good is the fact that none of the choices that make a difference are diamond choices. The tough choices are all free, and thus, you have to live with the consequences of your free choices. The book has replay value for sure, as different endings can be achieved with differing playthroughs.

The art is superb. Specially created for this book, the love and care shown by the artists clearly shines through on every level. This book makes a huge statement visually. Even the smaller details are beautifully depicted, and there is a great deal of effort which makes it stand out. The colors are appropriate for the theme, the backgrounds are well thought out, and the costumes of the characters fit the bill too. Clearly, this is a very well thought out book. The plan in place prior to its creation was solid, and allowed for an excellent product to take shape.

It must be said however, that art had never been the problem for PB during this nadir, but the maintenance of high standards is nevertheless a plus point in its favor.

This book shows a return to form on several levels. The fact that the plot and the characters are back to being well written is a welcome step as well. Congratulations PB, you have found some good footing again.

Overall rating -

This is a book which is a step in the right direction for PB for sure. It is a good effort on the whole, and excellent in many ways. I would rate this book an 8.5/10 and as a must read. It is probably the best book of 2021 too. The good outweighs the bad greatly, and there are no glaring errors to speak of, and this is certainly a return to high standards of the past, and hopefully PB continues on this journey of a return to form by providing quality books every now and then, (even if they have to supplement with a smutty book as well).