The Kill Order

The Maze Runner, Book #0.5

By James Dashner

ISBN: 9780385742887

Author Website: http://www.jamesdashner.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Caro

 

Review:

Mark and Trina have been friends since they were little. When the sun flares ravaged the world they knew, they were together, and ever since, they have survived together. Along the way, they meet Alec and Lana forming their own survival group. Now, a year later after the sun flares, a new catastrophe has fallen upon the few survivors Mark and the others find themselves with. A Berg is seen flying over their camp. For a slight moment, Mark can see hope in the people’s eye that someone has finally come to rescue them. The survivors gather around to see the Berg land. Several men dressed in green uniforms come out and start shooting at the survivors with darts. The Berg has not come to rescue them; it has come harm them. It is now up to Mark and his friends to find out why these people have come to attack them, and why the boxes with the darts, the people were shot with, are labeled Highly Contagious.

The Kill Order takes The Maze Runner fans back in time to where it all started. The book serves as an explanation of the events that bring what later is known as WICKED together, showing the reader the firsts infected by the Flare virus. But there is no Thomas and no Theresa. In this book there is Mark and Trina, and it is up to them to guide the reader through the new world after the sun flares damaged it.

This book was a real thrill to read. Author James Dashner gave the reader as much insight as he could about how it had all started, especially how people had become infected, since fans had always had that question and many more. We get to read through Mark’s dreams how it was the day the sun flares hit the planet, how he was able to survive, and how he and the others become essential in somewhat providing WICKED with one of their first resources.

We also get more information of how the virus came to be, and how much the government played a part behind it. Throughout the story, we get to read how the virus is mutating inside each host, and it gives us an idea of how the first Cranks emerged. You can also see Maze Runner hidden characters in their early stages, still not part of what later in WICKED and the Gladers.

I can probably say that I liked the book in general. With this kind of series, the reader learns not to get attached to characters because one never knows what might happen to them. A detail that I like to see in the Maze Runner books is the emails or files found in certain devices because those are the ones that most of the time reveal more information than anything or anyone else.

This time around, the main characters were great as well. The book had a great team conforming of Mark, Trina, Alec, and Lana all with abilities that help the team survive and put the story together. I couldn’t help and get attached to Alec, the others were great, but he was like Papa Bear looking out for the others, ready to fight no matter what.

All in all, The Kill Order did a great job taking the reader back in order to see how it all began, and with the second book to this prequel series coming out soon, readers will get to know more of those early years