With the viral outbreak in Redwood Grove seemingly under control, Ashley Parker and her team of Wildcards become concerned that the increasing number of outbreaks across the country are being deliberately orchestrated. The unseen forces which seem to want to spread the zombie plague attack the Wildcards base, destroying vital research which might hold the key to stopping a massive global increase in the number of zombies. Short of time, they travel to the next nearest facility in the hope of restarting the research and where Ashley hopes she can save the life of the man she loves...

Plague Nation, An Ashley Parker Novel is the second in the series of zombie books written by Dana Fredsti.

I have to admit to not having read the first book in the series, Plague Town, but this is not much of a problem as enough information is given in this novel to give you a pretty good idea of the setting and characters.

Recently, there has been a flood of vampire and zombie books to choose from, with the highest achievement in the genre going to World War Z, however few book can achieve this level and so must find their own hook to capture a readership. In the case of Fredsti she has created a cocky, smart and strong young heroine, whose head appears to be full of cultural references which will guarantee that the book will be obsolete in less than ten years when the references lose their relevance.

We meet Ashley and the other Wildcards as they are clearing out the source of the first viral infection which first kills its hosts before turning them into shuffling zombies. The Wildcards are special as they have immunity to the virus, therefore, they can operate near the undead without the fear that they will be infected. They also have enhanced senses, strength and speed. Whilst this might give the humans an unfair advantage, Fredsti keeps their numbers small so even a single loss has consequences for their operational ability.

The story has been opened up from that of a lone scientist creating a vaccine for the flu, which goes spectacularly wrong, to bring in other more shadowy players who seem intent on distributing the vaccine across the country to create multiple pockets of zombies, far more that the Wildcards can deal with alone. Who or what they are I leave you to discover for yourself.

The main thing about the book is that you have to buy into the central character of Ashley Parker as the book is not only told from her perspective, but also because you will be spending a lot of time in her head reading her every thought. There is action and this is well paced, but it’s about an even split between the story and Parker's ruminations.

Overall, this is not a very deep novel and I don’t think it was ever designed to be. The tone is fun and sassy, just like the central character. There is enjoyment to be had in trying to identify the numerous cultural references along with the general slashing of zombies. So, it’s a fun if light read.

6

Charles Packer