[Abyss]

I've decided that i deeply love this series and it merits its own thread, but since I'm tablet ing at the moment, here's a link to a great author interview including a mindfuck of a hint towards the upcoming third book...

http://www.giantfrea...ter-clines.html

[Salt-Man Z]

Haven't read Patriots yet (I'm expecting it to arrive early next week) but I wanted to discuss a couple things in Heroes that bugged me:

Rodney

Spoiler

We never found out what happened to transform him into a big gorilla thing, did we? St George and Stealth discover a giant undead gorilla thing leading the Seventeens, so I guessed it was the Awesome Ape that had been mentioned earlier, zombified; but no, it turns out it's Rodney, who I always assumed was a normal dude. What gives?

Zzzap

Spoiler

He could have saved Gorgon. He could have saved everybody. He can fly around the entire compound in seconds, and obliterate anyone just by touching them, or (if I recall) fry them with lightning bolts. We do get a half-assed explanation in the form of "I don't like to touch people in my energy form because it's gross" but that read more like a poor excuse from the author for why Zzzap was being limited in his effectiveness.

[Abyss]

Responses...

Spoiler

Peasy was amped up as a result of the ex-virus. He was unique in that respect, along with his control power.

Zzzzap was dealing with Midnight, wasn't he? And there are other problems with his powers, but im not sure which book explains and i don't want to spoil Patriots for you

[Salt-Man Z]

Abyss, on 05 April 2013 - 01:54 AM, said:

I need him to write more because i need a reason to give him my money faster.

Hey, Abyss, Clines has another book called 14, which supposedly has a Lovecraft homage thing going. Sounds right up your proverbial alley.

[Abyss]

Not surprisingly, i ordered 14 as soon as i finihished EX-PATS. It's in the TRP for the near-future.

[RodeoRanch]

Loved these books. Eagerly awaiting the next one.

[Abyss]

EX-COM is available. Started it yesterday... YAY! GO CAPT FREEDOM!!!!!!

Relatedly i found Clines' JUNKIE QUATRAIN and picked those up as well.

[Salt-Man Z]

100 pages into Ex-Communication, and I could use a quick refresh:

Spoiler

Have we seen Regenerator since the first book? Did he get locked up at the end of that one? (I'm assuming he's the captive in Cell Nine that George goes to visit in book three, but of course that's a RAFO.)

[Abyss]

Salt-Man Z, on 18 July 2013 - 03:35 PM, said:

100 pages into Ex-Communication, and I could use a quick refresh:

Spoiler

Have we seen Regenerator since the first book? Did he get locked up at the end of that one? (I'm assuming he's the captive in Cell Nine that George goes to visit in book three, but of course that's a RAFO.)

SPOILER RESPONSE

Spoiler

Iirc we saw him last being locked up in bk1. In 2 George and Danielle or possibly Zzzap discuss how he's still locked up and they won't tell Capt Freedom's people that he's there or why.
I totally agree that he's who George went to visit, subject to RAFO otherwise.

[Abyss]

Finished EXCOMMUNICATION. My favorite in the series so far. Great build, tying together plots from bk 1 and 2 with some great new elements and fun returns.
That finale... The fact that he's been so merciless to the cast before really amped the tension up.

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 22 July 2013 - 04:07 AM, said:

Finished EXCOMMUNICATION. My favorite in the series so far. Great build, tying together plots from bk 1 and 2 with some great new elements and fun returns.
That finale... The fact that he's been so merciless to the cast before really amped the tension up.

Things i loved...

Spoiler

The 'dinner party'. Awkward and funny and so perfectly keeping with the characters.
Corpse Girl.
That Max had more up his sleeve than just possession. Pun intended.
Legion. The fact that the only reason he hasn't wiped the Mount out yet is that he's an idiot, or possibly doesn't really want to.
And his revenge on Cairax was a priceless fistpump moment.
Cairax was a great villian.
Regenerator's escape.
That finale... fuck me but that was a beautiful piece of cinematic over the top action writing. All of it, from Max and Cairax ambushing St George to Stealth and co's run thru the city to the rescue, to Stealth vs Max and everyone vs Cairax and Freedom's holy shotgun shells to Corpse Girl trying to figure out the best way to throw someone a sword. Just fucking awesome.
Zzzap's joke at the end. He gets some of the best comedy.
Did i mention Corpse Girl?... notably because i was absolutely dreading where Clines was going with her character and then he went a whole other way and it was totally enjoyable.
I liked how Danielle/Cerberus and Capt Freedom were downplayed this time. They were a major part of EXPATS so the shift in focus worked nicely.
I'm curious to see where the After Death movement goes.

And of course the best news of all in the afterword.. the trilogy is now a quadrology, possible a fivebookology.

Great book. Popcorn reading plus.

[End of Disc One]

So these look interesting, but I don't usually care for zombie fiction. Mostly because there's no real way for the good guys to win in the end, so it all seems futile.

A couple of questions: is that the case for the series, that the zombie population probably can't be killed? And are the enemies just a bunch of mindless zombies?

[Salt-Man Z]

End of Disc One, on 22 July 2013 - 02:15 PM, said:

So these look interesting, but I don't usually care for zombie fiction. Mostly because there's no real way for the good guys to win in the end, so it all seems futile.

A couple of questions: is that the case for the series, that the zombie population probably can't be killed? And are the enemies just a bunch of mindless zombies?

I've never had the desire to read any zombie stuff myself, but I love these books. If enjoy superhero stories at all, you'll probably like this series.

Regarding your questions: 1) That's what it looks like at the moment, but who knows, and 2) No/RAFO.

[Abyss]

Salt-Man Z, on 22 July 2013 - 03:01 PM, said:

End of Disc One, on 22 July 2013 - 02:15 PM, said:

So these look interesting, but I don't usually care for zombie fiction. Mostly because there's no real way for the good guys to win in the end, so it all seems futile.

A couple of questions: is that the case for the series, that the zombie population probably can't be killed? And are the enemies just a bunch of mindless zombies?

I've never had the desire to read any zombie stuff myself, but I love these books. If enjoy superhero stories at all, you'll probably like this series.

Regarding your questions: 1) That's what it looks like at the moment, but who knows, and 2) No/RAFO.

It's not standard zombie fiction in the routine grim and depressing survivor factions turn on each other sort of way.

Instead it's superhero fiction, set in the midst of a zombocalypse.

As to whether the zombies (exes) can be wiped out, well, that's the setting so ending it any time soon would end the series, but put it this way... would you expect Batman and Superman to just sit around and do nothing? Exactly.

And, not spoiling anything since the book blurbs reveal as much, no the enemies are not just mindless zombies.

[End of Disc One]

Cool. I love superheroes so I'll add this to the TRP. Won't be getting to it any time soon though.

[Abyss]

Read the first one and i bet 2 and 3 jump to the top of the pile.

[QuickTidal]

I'm only on the first one (so I'm not reading anything in-thread), but if you look at the "reading" thread I'm officially 100% addicted now. Like holy fucksticks!

Anyways, in case you've all not seen it. The cover to book 4 (Hey, that looks like Barry methinks!)

 Ex-Purgatory+(Ex-Heroes+#4)+by+Peter+Clines.jpg (42.75K)
Number of downloads: 0

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 23 July 2013 - 12:27 PM, said:

I'm only on the first one (so I'm not reading anything in-thread), but if you look at the "reading" thread I'm officially 100% addicted now. Like holy fucksticks!

told ya so!

Quote

Anyways, in case you've all not seen it. The cover to book 4 (Hey, that looks like Barry methinks!)

Ex-Purgatory+(Ex-Heroes+#4)+by+Peter+Clines.jpg

Awesome! i didn't realize bk 4 was that far along!

[Salt-Man Z]

Nor I! Awesome. (January 14th, by the way.)

Who's left for book five's cover? The (US) covers go: George, Cerberus, Stealth, Zzzap. That's pretty much the four main characters right there. Freedom needs a cover, methinks.

Oh, and here's the UK cover. Readers of book three know who this is:

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 23 July 2013 - 03:16 PM

[Abyss]

WARNING - SIDEWAYS SPOILERS BELOW

NOT OBVIOUS

NOT STORY RELATED REALLY


BUT SPOILERS
EVEN SO

Salt-Man Z, on 23 July 2013 - 03:12 PM, said:

Nor I! Awesome. (January 14th, by the way.)

Less than six months.... oh, that is too sweet!

Quote

Who's left for book five's cover? The (US) covers go: George, Cerberus, Stealth, Zzzap. That's pretty much the four main characters right there. Freedom needs a cover, methinks.

Legion. /> oh wait no he's in most covers... could say the same for the Driver on the EXPATS cover.

Otherwise Freedom would make sense, ideally with a platoon of Unbreakables.

Quote

Oh, and here's the UK cover. Readers of book three know who this is:

YES!
She was such an unexpectedly great part of EXCOM. And that's probably one of the best covers so far. Suits her perfectly.