Book Review: The Kill Order by James Dashner

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease. 

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees. 

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

Release Date: August 14, 2012


Since I was so disappointed with the conclusion of The Maze Runner trilogy, I was very hesitant to pick up my ARC of The Kill Order when it arrived.  In fact, I waited so long that the book came out in stores before I finished it.  The story starts in a place not familiar to us, but with characters we know well–Thomas and Teresa. 
Then of course, the storyline changes and we are introduced to an entire cast of new characters.  Dasher does an excellent job of explaining the hardships that the characters had to go through after the onset if the deadly sunflares and what the outcome is for those who survived. After this, we are thrown into the lives of Mark, Trina, and their friends who are trying to survive in the mountains of what was former North Carolin.  As a North Carolinian I appreciated that part!  The action quickly starts and the narrative is interwoven with the present and Mark’s memories of the past in order to help explain the current relationships among the characters and what they’ve been through.

While I really appreciate learning where “the flare” disease came from and reading about its mutation and spread, it was really hard to root for these characters when they are fighting against an inescapable disease and a world of crazy infected people.  I felt myself really keeping a distance from them, because I figured they weren’t going to make it.  I’m not going to tell you whether they do or not, but the ending tries to tie a nice bow around the entire package…but it simply didn’t work for me.

I think that had Dasher provided more information in the final scene that it would have packed more of a punch and I wouldn’t have been left frustrated.

Overall, I’m going to give The Kill Order 3 Bards for being “Okay.”