Zombie apocalypse books are a dime a dozen, but this series was able to carve out a unique identity due to the main character being an alcoholic with an entertaining sense of humor. In a constant state of inebriation, Gus was prone to having insightful conversations with his trusty bottle of Captain Morgan, and those two were able to team up to overcome many a dreadful situation. That is why when book 3 focused solely on a different main character and not Gus, it just wasn't the same. I am happy to report that Gus is back for this book, which takes place a full 4 years after the start of the zombie apocalypse. Humans now have the upper hand and the zombies have been prone to deterioration over time, resulting in many not even being able to walk any more. Gus lives on a farm with a few other survivors and they try to rebuild a bit of what has been lost. All that sounds good but there is a troubling development that puts the entire rest of series.at risk. Gus has stopped drinking.
Other humans are the main threat now, not zombies, and Gus is sober, which means this series is teetering on the brink of being nothing special. Of course other humans are a far worse threat than zombies ever could be, especially for someone like Gus who lives by a code of ethics. When it comes to killing zombies, Gus has a style like no other. Wearing his fireman's gear and wielding his baseball bat, Gus is an alcoholic force to be reckoned with. The start of this book gives him a chance to shine with some good zombie killing action, but then it quickly turns to mainly dealing with other humans. "Might makes right" is not something Gus is equipped to handle well, so a couple of new characters, Ollie and Collie, take center stage as things deteriorate from bad to worse. They are both interesting enough, but I do wonder what it means for the future of the series. I miss the old Gus and this world is no longer one where he should be the main character.
R.C. Bray does the narration for the audiobook version and there is nobody better to voice an apocalyptic tale. He definitely makes listening a great option.