Review: Horde by Ann Aguirre

Title: Horde
Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Razorland, book #3
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Source: ARC from publisher via Christina Reads YA
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.

Well, that was a satisfying conclusion to a trilogy I've loved from the very beginning.  It came full-circle, wrapped up loose ends, answered questions that have plagued the reader for the duration of the series...yes, very satisfying indeed.

I'm going to keep this short for fear that anything I say will spoil things along the way.  Also, I hate series finales.  I usually put off reading the final book in a series until I just can't stand it anymore because I don't want to say goodbye to the world and the characters I've come to love.  But with the Razorland trilogy, I knew the author wouldn't do me wrong.  I just had a gut feeling...because of the path Deuce, Fade, Stalker, and Tegan have already taken and because of previous interviews the author has done, I knew she loved these characters as much as I did, and she wanted to give them the ending they deserved.

And though I'm not happy about some of the turns their story took, namely how things end with Stalker, no matter how fitting it was to the story, I am really happy with the end result.  Especially when it comes to how the conflict with the Muties/Freaks is resolved and the explanation for their existence.  I think I read an interview with the author after Outpost stating that these creatures were never zombies, though I think that's what most readers -- including myself -- had inferred from the beginning, but after reading Foundation, I knew the truth was much worse.  I'm so glad to finally understand this world and those who inhabit it.

I really loved the emphasis placed on human nature and how it affects the world around us, too.  Whether it was Deuce recruiting for her army or the actions of a small child years ago, human nature played a vital role in deciding the future of this civilization, and at times, it looked like a lack of true human compassion could see things ending badly for all involved.

Deuce's journey was a harrowing tale, and a truly emotional one at that.  This series started out about "zombies" and doing whatever was necessary to survive.  But it's become so much more over the course of the books.  It's about a young girl finding her way in a new and strange world, finding love and friendship and family along the way.  It's about the terrors of war and human nature.  And above all it's about fighting for what you believe in, no matter the cost.  I'm not usually a fan of epilogues, but I can appreciate the one at the end of Deuce's story, especially since it turns out that one of her comrades in arms was responsible for relating her tale.

I love this story and everything it symbolizes, and I can't wait to see what else Ann Aguirre has in store for her readers. By the by, she also wrote a short story featured in 'Til the World Ends, also about a post-apocalyptic world but featuring a different set of characters, though no less heroic.  I haven't read the Sirantha Jax books yet, but they are on the shortlist.  I am positive I will enjoy anything this author writes.

About the author:

Ann Aguirre is a USA Today bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. She likes books, emo music, and action movies. She writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens.

Find Ann:

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