Strands of Sorrow

This is more a series review now that I've finished reading it. If you like the zombie survival genre, then you will probably like this series. The characters and storylines are engaging. I also like the moral dilemma in this series that the zombies are not actually dead, but still living humans. However, that issue doesn't get explored terribly deeply except for the toll it takes on the two main characters throughout the series, and in the end of this last book (albeit, briefly). Speaking of the two main characters - sisters, 13 and 15 years old throughout most of the series. You have to suspend disbelief to a degree. The 15 year old helps create a vaccine, captains a ship, and becomes a hello pilot. The 13 year old turns into a zombie-killing machine and can handle herself as a Marine Lieutenant leading surviving Marines in clearing zombie infected ships and towns. As another reviewer notes, I found the sexualization of the two teen girls from quite a few of the male characters (including one in his 70s) to be well... creepy. But I put that aside and just tried to think of them as older - late teens/early 20s - given that they are really written like they are in there 20 or even 30s, that wasn't terribly hard. Still, a scene or interaction between characters would come up every couple of chapters and it was well... yeah... creepy, IMO. I'm not military, but I am familiar with military units and gear. Yet, I had a hard time following a lot of the acronyms and buzzwords, which caused me to often stop and look up stuff. A little more explanation would've made reading the books easier. Overall, this is a fun read. The action is lively and often. The characters are engaging, especially the younger sister's transformation into an "oorah" Marine is quite fun to watch develop. It's got a larger plot mixed in with all the action so it was fun to figure out where that was going. Probably the slowest reading book was the second, but still a fairly fun read. /SEMI-SPOILER ALERTS: #1- A minor disappointment was it was only in this last book that you discover the socialization of the zombies, how there are alphas and betas, and how they have some sense of self-preservation when being run down by a bright pink M1 Abrams tank, nicknamed "Trixie." It seemed like more could've been done with that, especially with the moral dilemma that in this zombie mythology, the zombies are still actually living humans. #2 - The main disappointment was that it seemed like there was a direction the series could've gone in finding out who created the plague and why it was created. It seemed like it was "going there" a few times, but it just never materialized. (Despite several occasions where characters would talk about what they would do if they found the individual(s)). I really thought that could've been developed in the last two books as the antagonist (whoever it really was) tried to thwart the re-establishment of the United States and its government. Again, it never materialized, and though it seems like this series is done for Ringo, that's certainly a way to bring it back which I would like to see. It seems you could get at least 2 or 3 more books out of that plot line. /END SPOILER ALERT Overall, I'd rate this series not quite as good as Tufo's Zombie Fallout, but better than Cline's Ex- series as far as Zombie Survival stories go. If you liked either/both of those, then you'll like this. I read the entire series over the course of a week, so it was at least compelling enough for me to keep buying and finish it out.

Ringo starts well and finishes magnificently in this fourth and final book of the "Black Tide Rising" series. The seagoing survivors of Wolf Squadron, drawn from all walks of life, have bonded through ten months of sustained combat against the Infected. With barely-sufficient numbers, they undertake the audacious recapture of key points in North America, beginning with the US military's pre-positioned stockpiles of armored vehicles, helicopters, and AMMUNITION... And they will need all of it, not only because there is a lot of zombie-infestation to clear, but also because 14-year-old Marine Second Lieutenant Faith "She-Wolf" simply canNOT keep out of a good fight... The plot was solid, the action was plausible, and the story made my hair stand on end in a few scenes. Furthermore, this book once again reminded me that those who can't spell "genocide" probably aren't qualified to define it; and, it was a good read from start to finish. I am glad John Ringo rounded out the series with "Strands of Sorrow"!

John Ringo wraps up his Zombi epic with his usual highly likely bureaucratic descriptions of general incompetent military and civil National Command Authority fumblers. The author as usual does not venture far from his southern roots. However he is able to weave an attention holding saga of individuals taking action to save the world . This is worth reading and I recommend Strands of Sorrow. Of particular note is Author Ringos easy identification of Target Lock in training and applied to actual combat situations. Jmcf

OO RAH!!!

John Ringo writes stories that are hard to put down. With characters that grab your attention, you find yourself moving in their world, felling their triumphs and tragedies. Highly recommended series as are all of his others. You can't go wrong with any of his books.