Purification by David Moody is the third volume in his series about surviving in a world where 99 percent of the population has either died or become zombie-like creatures. When last we left this group they had found the safety of an underground military installation but at beginning of this volume the installation becomes over-run by the dead and the small group of survivors find themselves on the run again.

They are found by a couple flying a helicopter and are guided to an airport when more survivors are sheltering. The plan is to move to an island off the coast as soon as they can claim it from the dead. Of course, by the time that most have been moved to the island, the dead overtake the airport trapping the remaining people. A rescue mission must be devised in order to bring all the survivors to the island and relative safety.

I am enjoying this series and have come to care for many of the characters in their quest for survival. There are still a couple of books left in the series so I expect this group has not yet found the safe haven they are searching for. ( )

Autumn: Purification - David Moody *****

The third instalment in the zombie series by David Moody is a direct continuation of the novel before. It opens with the survivors deep inside the bunker, but things are not going as planned. The sheer number of the undead gathering at the surface is starting to block off the vents responsible for the supply of fresh air, essential for them to live. A plan is hatched to leave the bunker and clear away some of the rotting remains.... what could go wrong?
No longer just living vs. zombie, there is also a deep mistrust growing amongst the inhabitants, the army cannot survive outside of their protection suits when on the surface and resentment becomes apparent. When circumstances take a turn for the worse it is left once again to survival of the fittest and some hard choices need to be made. Eventually a potential chance at safety is offered from an external group of survivors and they must all work together to ensure that they make the most of what could be a final attempt at staying alive.

I really enjoyed this latest chapter in the series (apparently it was going to be a trilogy), the way that Moody has developed the characters and the storyline is just brilliant. Too many of these sorts of books get stuck in a rut but he has avoided that pitfall by not just sticking with the same themes and also not being afraid to bump off the odd character that we know and love. Although the storyline can be second guessed there were still enough surprises that managed to sneak up on me.

As with the other novels, don’t expect it to be all that brilliantly written, the speech at times can be a little wooden and the author does get quite repetitive with his choice of adjectives. We all know that it is never going to win the Nobel Prize, but if you go into the book with an open mind, you will find a fast paced and engaging tale that drags you along with it and you will not be disappointed. I have to give this an easy 5 stars if only just for the enormous entertainment value. Can’t wait to start the next. ( )

Number 3 in the Autumn series. Its a good series and this is a good installment. I'm enjoying following the survivors in their efforts to remain safe in the new, zombie infested world. ( )

Part three of the Autumn series. Another frightening, nightmare inducer! The survivors from the first two books have come together and have escaped into an undergound military bunker in hopes of being safe from the walking dead. The reality of being trapped in an underground facility and not seeing the sun, breathing scrubbed air and not much room to live takes it toll. Eventually the dead clog the air intakes and force the military to leave their safe haven and try to clear the area. It goes wrong and the survivors are forced to run again.
I really enjoyed this story and was chomping at the bit waiting for the next installment! and Im still sleeping with the light on! ( )

Emma, Michael and a few others who survived the worldwide plague that spread like wildfire, barely make it inside an underground bunker before hoards of the recently re-animated could rip them to pieces. Now, they're trapped with a group of military personnel who can't comprehend what's waiting on the other side of the bunker doors. With supplies and tempers running short, and the air vents and other exits points steadily becoming blocked, the remaining soldiers decide -- disregarding the pleas of the survivors -- to fight the massing corpses. At first, the soldiers begin to make headway, but just as quickly, the tide turns. What once provided hope as an safe zone becomes a death trap, leaving the survivors with only one option if they want to live.

"Autumn: Purification" is the third book in author David Moody's "Autumn" series and provides a great continuation of the story of Emma and Michael and the other survivors. I like that Moody's "zombies" aren't traditional -- they aren't out to eat brains or to spread the infection. Instead, it's almost as if the re-animation has made them crazy and violent. Yet, as the weeks pass, the survivors begin to notice subtle changes in how the re-animated corpses respond to sound or to the presence of survivors. That quiet "becoming aware" makes these zombies even more dangerous -- a zombie learning how to think!

I also enjoyed following the survivors, seeing how they interact and how the fact they are still among the living has affected each of them. That little glimpse into the psychology of survival, how a life-altering affects the different ways people handle the aftermath. As the character Michael mentions at one point in the story, he doesn't know the names of everyone in the small group of survivors, only those that have taken an active part in doing something to help. The others who have shied away, determined to recede into their shells rather than face the changed world, become non-entities, almost as sad as the re-animated corpses.

The story is fast-paced and completely engrossing, and I found myself staying up much later than I should just to finish one more chapter. And being the third in the series, the story presents enough background information that it isn't necessary to have read the first two books -- but I highly recommend doing so. ( )