The final installment in a series where most of humanity has been transformed into zombie-like creatures by an alien plague accidentally released by visiting alien emissaries. A few individuals, partially healed, have regained most of their intelligence while retaining a zombie-like endurance to trauma. These individuals are employed as soldiers in an alien war against a species driven by a biological imperative to eradicate all other intelligent life.
The protagonists of the series initially served as the cleaning crew on a warship, where the rest of the crew was incapacitated by an attack. Taking control of the ship, they embarked on several adventures before returning to Earth, where they discovered that some non-zombified humans still exist. Together, the survivors work to reclaim Earth from the aliens, who claim to be aiding humanity in the aftermath of the plague.
However, a galaxy-wide threat takes precedence: an alien race convinced of its superiority seeks to annihilate all "lesser" species. This race zealously guards a single planet, which they seem to fear profoundly yet refuse to destroy outright. The protagonists venture to this mysterious planet to uncover its secrets. There, they discover a species capable of manipulating biology to an extraordinary degree—enough to eliminate the supremacy complex and genocidal tendencies of the arrogant alien race.
It had been almost three years since I read the second book in the series, so my recollections were a bit hazy. It took some time to remember the ongoing plot, and the large cast of characters didn’t help (authors should always include a character list as a preface in their novels). As a result, the first half felt slightly confusing. Once the story gained momentum, however, it improved significantly. The writing was engaging, with plenty of wry, ironic humor and sharp observations from the characters. The ending was satisfying, though overall this might be the weakest entry in the series.
336 pp
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