Horde by Ann Aguirre [Joint Review!]

4 out of 5 Robots!

  

Horde by Ann Aguirre
Series: Razorland #3
Genre: YA Dystopian (Post Apocalyptic)
Release: October 20, 2013
Hardcover: 432 Pages
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Julia and Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

The epic conclusion to the USA Today bestselling trilogy.

The horde is coming.

Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.

Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them.

This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Julia and Shannon's Thoughts:

 

1.  Break it down in 140 characters or less.

 

Julia: Horde is quickly paced, fascinating and infuriating. I really enjoyed it!

Shannon: Horde is perfect for those looking for a post-apocalyptic survival story with zombies.   

 

 

2. What was your favorite part?

 

Julia: I love watching the Freaks evolve. Though this made the ending anticlimactic for me, I still thought that was fun.

Shannon: My favorite part was the different towns.  Each town showed a different way that people had banded together to survive.  Each town handled their survival differently.  That was really fascinating to me.   

 

 

3. Least favorite part?

 

Julia: If I tell you my least favorite part then I will be revealing a relatively large spoiler. Let me just put it this way, it happens around 64% and it is sad.

Shannon: Yes.  I agree with said spoiler.  It also seemed out of the blue and not a lot of time was spent leading up to it.  Since it plays such a huge part of the series, I wanted more time devoted to it.  Also, can we talk about the fact that our main character's name is Deuce?  I hate her name so much.     

 

4. Talk to me about the romance.

 

Julia: Barf. The romance in Horde felt so awkward and forced. The epilogue is adorable, but that's about it. All the tender moments throughout the story, I could have lived without and they made me roll my eyes. Honestly, I felt more chemistry between Stalker and Deuce when they were actually around each other...

Shannon: Oh the romance.  Ok, points to Deuce for never wavering from Fade, especially after his capture and his recovery from that.  I always appreciate books like that because there is nothing worse to me that when a character switches side as soon as the going gets tough.  And things were definitely tough for Deuce and Fade.  BUT, there was also something so awkward about their romance.  I just couldn't see the chemistry between them like I did in the first book.  That was a little disappointing. The lovey dovey-ness felt a little stale.  It followed the same pattern: go fight freaks, come home, sneak away, have deep conversations, make out, rinse and repeat.  I wanted a little more...or a little less.  

 

 

5. How did you feel after the ending?

 

Julia: I felt a little apathetic. It is a great ending, maybe a little too great. I don't like when books are tied up like a neat little bow. But it is adorable, and the major battle is entertaining. I suppose that means I'm satisfied!

Shannon: Overall, I liked the ending.  I really wasn't sure how it was going to end.  It was definitely climatic, but very clean.  I was never really worried about any of the main characters, even though Ann Aguirre really wanted me to be.  I liked that it ended on a very hopeful note though.  I thought it ended the series well, but again, very cleanly.

 

 

6. What do you think of this series overall?

 

Julia: This is an extremely entertaining series. I loved it. It has those little things that frustrated me- Fade/Deuce romance and Deuce barely knowing how to read but using huge words- but I loved Stalker and I loved the action.

Shannon: I thought it was a pretty decent series overall.  I liked the first book, Enclave, the best.  But Horde was a step up over Outpost.  I would have preferred if the series kept its darker tone from the first book though.  But it has a ton of action and some interesting characters.  I think it does a really good job of showing different ways of survival.  As a personal preference, I wished it wasn't so zombie focused though.  Ok, they aren't really zombies, but close enough.  I don't really enjoy the zombie genre, so that aspect took me away from the series a bit. 

 

 

7.  Who would you recommend this to?

Julia: Anyone who is up for a good, entertaining series. Dystopia junkies will definitely love this one, maybe even those that are burned out on dystopia ;)

Shannon: Fans of dystopian, post-apocalyptic, survival or zombie genres. 

 

 

8. Any last thoughts or opinions?

 

Julia: Well, I really liked it. I was entertained for the most part though some of it is slowly paced. There are bits and pieces that are unbelievable and I still had a hard time relating to Fade. Fans of this series are going to be happy with this ending though- I guess I was. This really is a great trilogy, I wouldn't mind seeing it as a movie. :)

 

Shannon: There were definitely some inconsistencies that bothered me.  Fade is supposed to go "berserk" when he fights, but he rarely does in the last couple books.  I was sad to see him go from this ferocious fighter to a mewling kitten.  I understand he was traumatized, but I wanted him to rise above it quicker.  I felt it was a little inconsistent with his character.  Also, half the time Deuce is talking about how "she don't read good", but then uses big words in her thoughts like compunction. That inconsistency drove me nuts!!  Lastly, I honestly think this series would have better in third person.  I think it would have allowed for the reader to go to know and understand the other characters in their own right instead of through Deuce's voice. Deuce is a fine character, but she is not my favorite narrator. I think Deuce did too much narrating on people's thoughts and emotions.  Deuce was not a great people reader in the first book, but was suddenly amazing at picking up subtle emotions that others didn't.  But a third person narrative could have really opened up a lot of great storytelling paths - including those of the freaks.  

Other books in this series in the order that they should be read:
1. Enclave
2. Outpost
3. Horde